Richard Kessel, chairman of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, has been tapped by Gov. Kathy Hochul to be the next chairman of the Nassau Health Care Corporation, the public benefit corporation that oversees Nassau University Medical Center, in East Meadow, and the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, in Uniondale.
A regional leader for decades, Kessel, of Merrick, is known for his expertise on energy and consumer issues and has an extensive background in public service. He previously served as chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency and as chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority. Kessel, 76, has a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s from Columbia University.
“Richard Kessel brings decades of leadership experience in government, public policy and complex organizations,” Hochul said of Monday’s appointment in a statement emailed to the Herald. “His proven record of public service, commitment to Long Island and ability to navigate challenging issues make him exceptionally well-suited ContinueD on pAge 4
HERALD east meadow
Holden Leeds/Herald
Community Day returns Saturday, featuring four hours of fun activities and a vendor fair, all completely free. At the last event in 2024, Julia and Rebecca Smith had their faces painted.
Community Day set to return this weekend
By JoSEPH D’AlESSANDRo jdalessandro@liherald.com
East Meadow Community Day returns after two years, bringing back all of the generosity and family-friendly entertainment that locals have grown to love.
Community Day is made possible through a partnership between the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce and multiple partners, bringing in over 2,000 people at past events. This year, almost 90 vendors are setting up stands to offer their goods free of charge.
Community Day has been a tradition in the East Meadow community for almost 40
years. Last year’s event was canceled due to rain, but this year’s event is set for June 13, starting at 10 a.m. in Speno Park.
Ted Rosenthal, a local attorney with Rosenthal, Curry and Kranz, LLP, and a member of the Chamber, described the event as a one-stop shop to explore East Meadow’s culture.
“We have vendors that can set up tables and give away anything that they want,” he said. “There was always only one rule, and that rule is that nobody gets charged. It’s a free event for all those who want to participate.”
The event’s other attractions range from a pie eating ContinueD on pAge 11
Jr. firefighters receive annual scholarship
By REI WolFSoHN Correspondent
Four East Meadow junior firefighters were awarded the Finkelman Family Fund Scholarship came together at East Meadow Fire Department’s headquarters on May 31 to accept the Finkelman Family Fund Scholarship for their post-secondary education. Giuliano D’Alessandro, 18, Joseph McLoughlin, 18, Garrett Wanser, 17, and Nicholas Brent, 17, received the award before a room full of firefighters from Jody Ratner, daughter of Nelson H. and Gloria Finkelman and sister of Michael Finkelman.
Iin the East Meadow Fire Department, a member of the Board of Commissioners, and an instructor at the Fire Service Academy — just like his dad — died in 2019. The scholarship also now honors his memory too.
The All four recipients this year will continue their education in New York.
t’s really taught me to appreciate what these men and women do for our community.
G ARREt WASNER recipient, Finkelman Family Fund scholarship
The Finkelman Family Fund, established in 2018 by Jody Ratner and her siblings Michael Finkelman, Lori Finkelman and Amy Counts, was created in honor of their parents, Nelson and Gloria Finkelman to provide scholarships for superior junior firefighters. Michael Finkelman, a two-term ex-chief
According to For Ratner, the scholarship is intended to support well-rounded young people who contribute to the East Meadow community, where she grew up and still lives. She shared that message directly with the recipients during her remarks.
“You were recommended by your supervisor, and were selected for your exemplary dedication, enthusiasm, leadership and commitment to serving the department and the community,” Ratner said. “And it is our hope that you will maintain the spirit of the Finkelman family and for your ongoing involvement in the fire ContinueD on pAge 15
LIHSA named an exemplary school for arts
By JONATHAN PADILLA Intern
Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Art has been recognized as an Exemplary School from the Arts Schools Network for 2026 to 2031.
The recognition is presented to art schools across the country that perform excellent work in the fields of art, theatre and the like.
LIHSA is dedicated to culminating artistic excellence and academic achievement through an engaging educational environment that supports creativity, innovation and student growth.
LIHSA Principal, Lindsay Rogan, said that the school is thankful to all of their students and staff for working hard to win the recognition. “The entire faculty worked together to submit this lengthy document with evidence of student growth, of our vision, our mission, our values,” Rogan said.
ASN, the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized arts schools, awards Exemplary School Designations to members that follow A Guide to Assessing Your Arts School in strategically evaluating their school’s purpose, operations, and educational programs. The guide is a collaborative effort between ASN and the Accrediting Commission for Community and PreCollegiate Art School.
“We offer guidance, inspiration and incentives to art school leaders who strive for excellence in their schools,” said Nicole Michel, managing director for ASN. “When they demonstrate outstanding efforts towards this goal, as they do following ‘A Guide to Assessing Your Arts School,’ we recognize and reward their achievements with this designation.”
LIHSA students engage in various arts programming that encourages collaboration, creative expression and interdisciplinary learning in areas including visual arts, music theatre, dance, and media arts. Through performance opportunities, exhibitions, community partnerships, and mentorship
BELMONT PARK VILLAGE
from experienced educators and artists, LIHSA builds confident, imaginative, and socially engaged learners prepared to thrive in higher education, professional artistic pursuits and an evolving global community.
“This recognition is a meaningful reflection of the culture of creativity, passion and possibility that defines Long Island High School of the Arts. LIHSA is a community where students are empowered to discover their voice, refine their talent and grow into confident artists and individuals,” said Larry Leaven, Nassau BOCES district superintendent. “We are incredibly proud of Principal Lindsay Rogan, the faculty, staff, students and alumni whose dedication and vision continue to create transformative opportunities for young people through the power of the arts.”
When asked if LIHSA will be aiming for more recognition or awards in the future, Rogan said, “maybe in the next few years, but for right now, this national distinction is really incredible and really helps to remind our community that students in high school have access to incredible arts education without having to leave Long Island.”
ASN will honor the school at the awards ceremony during the ASN 2026 Annual conference on October 20 to 22, 2026, in San Diego, California.
Courtesy Nassau BOCES
The Long Island High School for the Arts was recognized as an Exemplary School from the Arts Schools Network for 2026 to 2031.
Flags, freedom and gratitude: East Meadow seniors are presented with flags
The East Meadow School District proudly continued a growing tradition of patriotism and gratitude as both district high schools hosted their second annual Flags for Freedom ceremonies honoring local veterans and military families.
East Meadow School District’s W.T. Clarke High School held its ceremony on May 28, followed by East Meadow High School on May 29. Students, staff, veterans, active-duty service members, and community residents gathered in tribute to the sacrifices made by those who have served the nation.
“Today, we honor flags not just as a national emblem, but as symbols of freedom and how those symbols take on added meaning here in East Meadow,” said Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Rosner. “Flags declare identity, unity, and most of all, the freedom of people to exist, to believe, to speak, and to dream.”
Guest speaker and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Andrew Vardakis reflected on the significance of the American flag and the sacrifices it represents.
“The American flag is anything but ordinary,” Vardakis said. “It carries the weight of every sacrifice made in its name. It represents the lives given, the battles fought, and the enduring promise that this nation stands for something greater than any one individual.”
Throughout both ceremonies, student musicians delivered moving musical performances dedicated to the veterans in attendance, helping create a heartfelt atmosphere of reflection and appreciation. Schools also recognized students and educators whose family members have proudly served in the United States Armed Forces.
A special highlight of the ceremonies came as each graduating senior received an American flag to commemorate the milestone and symbolize the responsi-
The ceremonies remind students of the enduring meaning behind the American flag and the freedoms it represents.
bility of carrying forward the values of service, unity and freedom.
The flags themselves carried added significance. On May 16, they were carefully folded during a communitywide collaboration involving the East Meadow American Legion Memorial Post 1082, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9592, active-duty military personnel, students, and district residents — a collective effort that reflected the community’s deep respect for those who have served.
The Flags for Freedom ceremonies, organizers said, continue to strengthen the bond between East Meadow schools and the community, while reminding students of the enduring meaning behind the American flag and the freedoms it represents.
–Jordan Vallone
At the end of both ceremonies, flags were gifted to each graduating high school senior.
Photos courtesy East Meadow School District
Graduating seniors at W.T. Clarke High School and East Meadow High School received folded American flags during the East Meadow School District’s second annual Flags for Freedom ceremonies honoring local veterans and military families.
Student musicians at both high schools performed numerous songs to recognize all of the veterans in attendance.
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Book Review: “The Gift” by Edith Eger
gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed richard Kessel as chairman of the nassau Health Care Corporation, which oversees nassau university medical Center.
Former NIFA chair assumes leadership of public hospital
Continued from page 1
to lead the board as NHCC continues its mission of providing high-quality care to the communities we serve.”
Kessel’s appointment to the NHCC board means he will step down from NIFA. His position there will be filled by Moshin Meghji, a current NIFA board member.
The finance authority, another public benefit corporation, monitors and oversees Nassau County’s finances. It assumed direct financial oversight of NUMC in 2020, a move that was met with heavy opposition from previous hospital leadership. As part of the state’s takeover last year, it mandated that NHCC conduct a comprehensive study outlining the long-term viability of NUMC. The study is to be submitted to NIFA by Dec. 1.
The NHCC chair’s position has been vacant since March, when former Chairman Stuart Rabinowitz stepped down. Rabinowitz had served in the role since June 2025, after being appointed by Hochul when state officials assumed leadership of the public hospital and its governing body.
leadership change at Nhcc
New chairman: Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Richard Kessel, chairman of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, to lead the Nassau Health Care Corporation.
leadership change: Kessel succeeds Stuart Rabinowitz, who stepped down in March after leading NHCC since June 2025.
Rabinowitz’s departure came during a turbulent period for NUMC. Following a public battle between the hospital’s former leadership and the state, New York assumed oversight of the hospital under provisions included in the 2025-26 state budget. The board was restructured to include 11 members, most of whom were appointed by Hochul. When Rabinowitz stepped down, Hochul thanked him for his service, saying he “stepped up when Nassau University Medical Center desperately needed steady, serious leadership.” She added that “his focus on accountability and fiscal management has helped put this critical safety-net hospital on the road to recovery.”
Thomas L. Kearns
RichaRd Kessel
Herald file photo
Heralds win three awards from Press Club of L.I.
By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com
Herald Community Media captured three awards at the annual Press Club of Long Island Media Awards and Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame induction dinner on June 4.
Oceanside/Island Park Herald reporter Abigail Grieco won the James Murphy Cub Reporter of the Year award, given to “emerging journalists who show strong early promise in the field.” Journalists who have worked full-time for fewer than 18 months are eligible. Grieco was an intern with the Herald in 2023, and began working full-time in October 2025.
Deputy Managing Editor Jordan Vallone and previous senior reporter Mohammad Fariq shared a second-place award in the transportation category for the story “Southern State: a road still stuck in the past,” which was part of the Herald’s 2025 series on the Southern State Parkway.
“A compelling and well-structured piece that effectively examines the longstanding dangers of the Southern State Parkway,” judges wrote. “The article succeeds in connecting historical design flaws with present-day traffic realities, clearly explaining how outdated infrastructure continues to contribute to
accidents.
“Particularly strong is the integration of data, expert references, and concrete examples, such as low overpass collisions and hazardous curve segments,” the judges added. “The writing remains clear and accessible while addressing a complex safety issue. Overall, a thoughtful and informative investigation with clear public relevance and lasting value.”
Photographer Erik H. Lee earned a third-place award for a photo of the Wantagh High School baseball game.
“These awards reflect our commitment to strong local journalism and to telling the stories that matter most to Long Island communities,” Stuart Richner, CEO of Richner Communications, said. “We are especially proud to see our emerging reporters, experienced editors and talented photographers recognized for work that informs the public and has a lasting impact.”
Four veterans of Long Island journalism were inducted into the PCLI’s Hall of Fame: Photojournalist Michael DelGiudice, radio reporter Sophia Hall, former Newsday editor Anthony E. Insolia, and Shirley E. Perelman, who covered many major stories for Newsday, from the Long Island garbage barge to the trial of O.J. Simpson.
For more information on the press club, go to PCLI.org.
Mitzvah Day is marked with meal service
Volunteers brought comfort to the families of hospitalized children by preparing dinners
By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Nine congregants from Temple B’nai Torah dedicated their time, giving back to families facing difficult circumstances, as part of the congregation’s annual Mitzvah Day. B’nai Torah is located in Wantagh, and serves many members from East Meadow, Merrick, Bellmore, Seaford and other surrounding areas.
Volunteers traveled to the Ronald McDonald House associated with Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park on May 17, where they prepared, cooked and packaged 53 dinners for residents staying there while their children receive medical treatment. The meals provided comfort and support to families who are often far from home while caring for seriously ill children, Debbie Abrons, one of the volunteers, told the Herald in an email.
The project was made possible through generous donations from several local businesses, included Food Bazaar in Westbury, Stew Leonard’s of East Meadow, and Iavarone Brothers in Wantagh.
Volunteers from Temple B’nai Torah packaged meals for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House while their children receive medical treatment at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
A Mitzvah Day is a Jewish-led day of faith-based social action, where often community volunteers of all ages and backgrounds come together to give their time in order to help others.
Participating volunteers included Debbie and Mitchell Abrons, Amy Neidle, Jennifer Rubinstein, Carol and Rob Meyerson, Elice Toscano, and Lauren and Howard Lev.
The meals provide comfort and support to families who are often far from home while caring for seriously ill children.
In a fast-moving business world, Susan Gatti believes most leaders are asking the wrong questions when planning for AI investment.
Instead of adopting the latest tools, the Disruptive Spark® founder says companies should begin clarity, mindset and trust.
“We want to be the voice in your head, guiding you toward factual decisions,” Gatti said during a recent interview. “Being good stewards of your reputation, your company and the people who work for you, that’s what matters.”
Gatti is a Long Island-based business advisor, speaker and founder of Disruptive Spark®, a boutique performance consultancy that works with growth-minded leaders and mid-sized businesses. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, she helps organizations navigate change, improve operational performance and embrace emerging technology without losing sight of company culture or human connection.
As businesses feel mounting pressure to adopt artificial intelligence and automation tools, Gatti said many executives are operating from fear messages.
“Leaders are being told, ‘Do something with AI or we’ll be left behind,’” she explained. “That pressure to be relevant,
Volunteers worked together in the kitchen at the Ronald McDonald House, making a meaningful different in the lives of families navigating challenging times.
Temple B’Nai Torah’s annual Mitzvah Day encourages members to put the Jewish value of “tikkun olam” —
repairing the world — into action through community service projects. This year’s effort at the Ronald McDonald House, volunteers shared, was a rewarding experience for all involved and provided much-appreciated support to families in need.
Disruptive Spark founder helps businesses navigate AI
mixed with the reality that many organizations don’t yet know what needs to be done, leads to uncertainty that causes indecision.”
That’s where Disruptive Spark® steps in.
Rather than pushing businesses toward expensive technology, Gatti focuses first on identifying the problem a company is trying to solve, then following a proven decision model to help business leaders make smarter decisions.
According to Gatti, most companies struggle with three operational pain points: inefficient repetitive tasks,
customer service friction and concerns around security and financial risk.
AI can help solve those issues if leaders approach implementation strategically.
Market challenges are putting pressure on local companies to operate more efficiently, while protecting their relationships and reputation. “Every dollar counts right now,” Gatti said.
“AI tools that allow businesses to go deeper with the client base they already have are more valuable than constantly chasing new customers.”
resistance is a big reason large-scale technology initiatives fail.
Early in her career, she recognized the problem was often less about the technology and more about how organizations communicated and prepared for change.
Disruptive Spark® now works with organizations to reduce resistance by building readiness campaigns before implementation begins. The company offers leader education, communication strategies, readiness assessments and coping practices that empower teams to feel calmer, more comfortable and more engaged during transitions.
“We found that when people understood the value for them personally, adoption rates skyrocketed,” Gatti explained.
One service Disruptive Spark® offers is helping organizations establish ethical AI standards and clear communication policies.
“I would double down very quickly on creating AI ethics and standards,” Gatti said. “Everybody is experimenting with AI, whether the company has sanctioned it or not.”
By creating guardrails, businesses can
Photos courtesy Mitchell Abrons
Reworld celebrates Long Island environmental leaders
By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com
Herald Community Media and Reworld partnered to celebrate Long Island’s leading environmental advocates and innovators during the Herald Sustainability Awards of Long Island, held May 14 at the Heritage Club at Bethpage.
The event recognized individuals and organizations making significant contributions to environmental sustainability while also honoring student leaders working to protect Long Island’s natural resources.
“Nothing unites Long Islanders more than our natural environment, from beaches and bays to wetlands and parks — these treasures are our fountain of life, beauty and resources,” said Stuart Richner, CEO of Richner Communications. “Tonight, we gather to honor environmental champions who are working tirelessly to protect
Long Island’s natural ecosystem for future generations. Their efforts are challenging but vitally important and we thank them for their unwavering dedication.”
The ceremony, emceed by comedian Tom Kelley, also featured awards for four Student Champions for Sustainability and a total of $7,500 in student sustainability initiative prizes.
Adel Omrani, president of Reworld’s East Region, highlighted the company’s role in transforming waste into energy.
“You don’t think of waste when you put it at the curb, and you usually don’t think about disposal, but there’s a lot of processes that goes into that,” he said. “We generate electricity out of that and recycle metals. Just for Long Island, for example, we power 100,000 homes just from processing this waste and using it as fuel.”
Omrani said collaboration among environmental leaders remains essential.
“It’s a very big part of what we do as a community,” he said.
Reworld Market Area Director James Regan stressed the importance of sustainable waste management on Long Island.
“For Long Island, an issue like sustainable waste management is extremely important given how populated it is and how limited resources are,” he said. “Reworld, for us, has a focus to continue to partner with all
these great champions of sustainability to ensure we have sustainable waste management for decades to come.”
New York State Senator Siela Bynoe spoke during the dinner portion of the event.
“I have really had the environment in mind as I’ve been in my various roles in government,” she said.
Bynoe’s life experiences motivated her to pursue environmental advocacy, witnessing increased cancer rates due to local contamination in the Caribbean and disproportionate harm done to marginalized communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I set off on a path to make sure that we can conserve water, make sure we have clean water, and make sure that we are doing what we can to ensure that we sustain this community, this county and this state (so) that we have a bright future,” she said.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, a longtime environmental advocate, discussed his commitment to protecting Long Island’s future.
“I’m very concerned about the direction we’re going as a state and as an island, and I’m looking to change that direction by doing a number of things,” he said.
Romaine cited efforts to improve municipal waste management, expand solar energy infrastructure and advance environmentally friendly policies.
“I could have retired long ago, but there are things that I want to accomplish,” he said. “We need to see change.”
Among the evening’s featured speakers was sports broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, who reflected on his connection to the Great South Bay.
“When I was a kid, between the ages of 14 and 17, I spent a lot of my summers on the Great South Bay — I was a clammer,” he said. “It was great, but there were areas of the Great South Bay that we couldn’t clam in because it was considered polluted... It took many years for it to turn around and to start going back the other way, and it’s one of the things I’m most proud about.”
Esiason praised young environmental advocates being recognized at the event.
“I’m very, very proud of them, and very proud of what they’re trying to do for the beaches of the Great South Bay,” he said.
Girl Scouts Emma Klein and Zoe Lazarus, of Savyille High School, Roslyn High sophomore Charles Metzger and Hauppauge High se-
nior Matias Kalaitzis were all winners of the Student Champions for Sustainability Award. The four were recognized for their civic service, from cleanups to awareness efforts. National Grid Ventures, the main natural gas utility for over 600,000 residential and business customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties; Tritec, primarily known for mixeduse developments, transit-oriented communities and commercial property management across Long Island; and UBS Arena, the home of the New York Islanders, were all recognized with team awards.
As the presenting sponsor, Reworld continues to support environmental progress across Long Island. The company operates facilities in Westbury, West Babylon, East Northport and Ronkonkoma, processing two-thirds of Long Island’s waste, recycling thousands of tons of metals and generating electricity for local homes while helping reduce landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information about Reworld and its initiatives that support various community empowerment and environmental programs fostering positive change locally and globally, visit ReworldWaste.com. To view more pictures, visit RichnerLive.com.
Tim Baker/Herald
The Sustainability Awards powered by Reworld brought together leaders, innovators, and advocates committed to building a more sustainable future for Long Island
P hotos by Tim Baker and Melissa Baptiste/Herald
Sponsors for the night (back, from left) included Ricardo Salce, Bobby Green, Rudy Winkler, Rob Balbierz, James Regan, Bill Murphy, David Sharp, Adel Omrani, Maureen Early, Ed Sandkuhl, Matt Augi, Brian Aerne and (front, from left) Kamrun Haque, Vickey Ardounis, and Rehan Simonia from the team at Reworld.
Honoree Suffolk County Executive, Edward P. Romaine with special guest, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason.
Honoree State Senator Siela Bynoe, District 6.
College Student Champion Honoree Vienna De Lombaerde, who attends Hofstra University.
The duo team honorees for the Student Champion Award: Sayville High School 9th graders Emma Klein, left, and Zoe Lazarus.
Student Champion honorees: Roslyn High School 10th grader Charles Metzger, left, and Hauppauge High School graduating senior Matias Kalaitzis with special guest Kyle Palmieri of the New York Islanders.
National Grid Ventures’ honor team included Kamona Ayres, left, Robert Wittmer, Tom Garry, Alanna Russo, and Retha Fernandez.
Tianna D’Italia, left, Michael Sciortino, Mike Santeramo, Joe Giarraputo, Caroline Shipps, and Erin Nourijanian of UBS Arena’s honoree team.
Michael O’Leary, left, Robert Kent, Shannon Coughlan, Jim Coughlan, Jimmy Coughlan, and Chris Kelly of TRITEC Real Estate Company’s honoree team.
A special thank you to Adel Omrani, President of Reworld East Region, whose vision and leadership helped bring this inspiring celebration of sustainability to life.
World Cup could boost L.I. businesses
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
While much debate has surrounded the sports and soccer fan experience tied to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup — from concerns over rising ticket prices to reports of steep train fares for matches — experts say Long Island businesses could see a significant economic boost from the tournament coming to the region.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the home of American football teams New York Jets and Giants, will host eight soccer matches, including two playoff games and the championship final match. Despite the fact that no games will be played in New York, FIFA’s temporary renaming of MetLife Stadium as “New York/New Jersey Stadium” markets the New York metropolitan area to the thousands of fans who will be following the tournament.
Steve Kent, chief economist and director of the Long Island Association’s Research Institute, says that the World Cup promises to be economically beneficial for Long Island.
“I think that our general view is that it would be a positive for the Long Island region,” Kent said. “We’re already seeing watch parties starting to be established. For example. Stony Brook University is going to have one at
As the world turns its attention towards the World Cup matches in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., Long Island communities may stand to get a bit of an economic boost from the tournament this summer.
LaValle Stadium… and I think all of those things will bring incremental dollars to Long Island.”
While Long Island hotels may be a bit out of the way for some fans visiting New York and attending World Cup matches, Kent believes that local businesses may be able to capitalize on the
interest the tournament sparks amongst residents.
“I also think that you may even see more spending at restaurants, caterers and supermarkets as people start to take in food to watch some of these things at home,” Kent explained. “It’s a worldwide event and it’s increasingly some -
thing that the people of Long Island are more and more interested in.”
This growth in interest has been seen in rising rates of adult and youth participation in soccer across Long Island. The Island F.C., a professional men’s and women’s soccer club based in Uniondale that plans to join the MLS Next Pro league in the 2027 season, has contributed to soccer’s popularity on Long Island through hosting youth soccer academies and other events locally.
“Long Island has had one of the deepest soccer traditions in soccer history in the country especially in the youth space and then also the traditional space,” said Travis Lamprecht, The Island F.C.’s president of business operations. “I think what’s unique about Long Island is that it’s always been a hotbed for the sport. So, with The Island F.C. launching, and then obviously what the World Cup coming here, it’s a celebration of what has been growing for a long time.”
In recent history, the Long Island Association has also noticed other major sporting events nearby, like the 2025 Ryder Cup that was held on a golf course in Farmingdale, directly impact Long Island economically. While it is not yet clear how directly Long Island will be impacted by the World Cup, local intrigue alone can make the summer very profitable for many businesses and communities.
The South Shore’s best World Cup venues
By NOAH PERETZ nperetz@liherald.com
This week marks the beginning of the World Cup. The first matches will be played on June 11. Two bars have committed to providing the best World Cup watching experience on Long Island.
The Cabana in Long Beach’s West End, and Das Biergarten, nine blocks down in East Atlantic Beach, each have large TVs as well as TVs throughout their establishments, all of which will play World Cup matches.
“We plan on having all the games on, they’re mostly afternoon games,” Bob Johnson, owner of the Cabana, said. “We also had World Cup games on in 2022, but there’s much more excitement this year because it’s happening in the U.S., we wanted to use that opportunity.”
Johnson also explained that there would be World Cup themed drink specials, bucket deals for beers and seltzers, and brunch deals for early games. He also teased a ‘best dressed soccer fan’ deal with a free drink reward. The Cabana has a stage in its outside seating area as well, so there will also be live music during some of the games.
Although Cabana and Das Biergarten are rival businesses by proximity, their owners are friends. “Drew [Andrew Hetzler] has always been a great friend, even though he’d tell you we’re the
music spot and he’s the real World Cup place,” Johnson joked.
Andrew Hetlzer, owner of Das Biergarten, embraces his restaurant’s title as the ‘real’ World Cup watching venue.
“We’ll be hosting every game,” he said.
“Especially big events for the U.S., Germany, and Mexico.”
Hetzler said he would be advertising
for the World Cup games on all Das Biergarten’s social media, including its Instagram and Facebook. “I’ll be running my ads in English, German, and Spanish, just for fun,” he said. “I want to target all of our friends in the Latin community in the Long Beach area as well.”
Das Biergarten will have food and drink specials not dissimilar to Cabana,
including a ‘2-liter boot of beer.’ Hetzler’s restaurant has been hosting World Cup games as well as EuroCup games since 2018. “We opened in 2014, but it was right after the World Cup, and that was the one that Germany won too, so we just missed out on it,” Hetzler said. “We’ve gotten big crowds every year since then, though.”
The outside bar at Cabana has the largest TV at the establishment. There are also six other TVs inside.
Noah Peretz/Herald photos Das Biergarten has six additional TVs throughout the restaurant and at the bar.
Courtesy Metro
Community event offers fun for all ages
contest, courtesy of Stew Leonards, softball games that go on between East Meadow Little League and Central Nassau Little League, several dance troupes and bands, as well as a tree planting memorial service to honor East Meadow Kiwanis Club members who died.
There was always only one rule, and that rule is that nobody gets charged Ted RosenThal Member, East Meadow Chamber of Commerce
Maureen Pye is one of the local business owners with a stand planned for the event. She is the area director for JAG Physical Therapy, working in the area for 15 years, and a longtime member of the Chamber.
“It’s one of my favorite things I think that we do in East Meadow,” she said. “We are giving a JAG branded frisbee to all of our kids, and then for the older population we have canvas tote bags, great for shopping, and some other little swag items, like chap sticks and sanitizers.”
Pye is the Chamber’s committee chair for events, coordinating all the sports clinics, performances and contests that will come, including one of the highlights of the annual tradition: the Color Run.
“We end the day with a fun color run for the kids,” she said. “They run around the park, we (toss) powder at them, they’re in white shirts, so they come out of a tie dye afterwards.”
Past Chamber President Roxanne Rose will staff the organization’s stand, managing the event’s bingo card.
Being a member of the chamber is “all about all the events that we have for kids and adults and everyone to join in… it really is a whole community coming together.”
Going to the stand of a non-food vendor allows an attendee to check off a square on the bingo card, which allows them to enter into a raffle for various prizes.
Other local organizations are joining in on the generosity. The East Meadow Kiwanis Club will give a free book to every child in attendance. The chamber is also awarding several $1,000 scholarships for high school seniors from the area.
To learn more, visit EastMeadowChamber.com.
Why Long Island stands to gain from clean energy
For many Long Islanders looking ahead, a major cause for concern is the lack of economic investments that bolsters financial opportunity for the next generation. This looks like great paying jobs with benefits while keeping everyday necessary expenses affordable so that they can afford to buy homes and raise their families where they grew up.
Long Island sits at a crossroads, having the opportunity to build an industry that can provide that economic investment, train an entire generation of skilled workers, and give our kids the chance to obtain great paying jobs, all at the same time as stabilizing energy costs.
Offshore wind, solar power and battery storage are solutions to those challenges.
Starting With Affordability
Energy costs matter everywhere, but especially on Long Island, where household budgets are already stretched. John Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, said battery storage can help by leveling demand and reducing
Block Island Wind Farm, located off the shore of Rhode Island, marked the first commercial offshore wind farm in the U.S. Now, for areas like Long Island, offshore wind is a driving force to clean, affordable energy and a healthy economy.
expensive peak pricing.
“When there is a heavy pull, it evens out the energy so you don’t have highs and lows,” Durso said. “You don’t have to pay the higher rate because of the great demand.”
Jobs, Careers and Local Investment
Clean energy is already reshaping the labor market. Construction of offshore wind transmission, solar installations, battery facilities and supporting infrastructure requires everything from electricians, engineers and ironworkers to
experts in law, math and science.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity here for our environment, for jobs, for the future,” Durso said. “We want to create careers.”
Long Island has long watched younger residents leave for more affordable regions or larger job markets. Clean energy advocates say emerging industries can help reverse that pattern.
Safety and Reliability Matter
Battery storage projects have drawn public scrutiny in some
communities, but industry officials say safety standards have significantly evolved to include strict codes, testing and emergency planning.
“These systems are being developed with safety in mind from the start,” said Paul Rogers, a retired FDNY lieutenant and founding principal of Energy Safety Response Group.
Building the Next Long Island Economy
Supporters believe clean energy could become another major chapter — one that combines infrastructure investment with local employment and community stability.
For many residents, that future would be measured not in megawatts, but in whether Long Island remains home.
Click here for more.
Holden Leeds/Herald
Community day, which first kicked off in 1991, was founded under the premise that it would be accessible to all residents of east meadow. there are no fees associated with any event or vendor. above, children collected rubber
LIRR expands service for golf’s U.S. Open
By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
The 126th U.S. Open Championship, which begins next week, is being played at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club — known as one of the “cathedrals” of golf — for the first time since 2018.
Eric Steimer, senior director of U.S. Championships at the United States Golf Association, said the USGA’s transportation strategy is intended to reduce congestion around the site while providing multiple travel options for fans attending the tournament.
The plan, developed in collaboration with the Long Island Rail Road, Suffolk County and New York state officials, will be in effect from June 15, three days before the tournament starts, until June 21, the day it ends.
Steimer said that the 15-person team that planned transportation operations recognized early that travel logistics would be one of the event’s biggest challenges. “Any time we’re out here in eastern Long Island at Shinnecock Hills, transportation is a challenge,” Steimer said. “We’re doing a lot of different things to really try to mitigate that.”
As it did eight years ago, the LIRR’s Montauk Branch will provide transportation to and from the tournament. A temporary station will be constructed in Tuckahoe, across from Shinnecock Hills, on the south side of County Road
said. “Anyone that looks at Calverton on a map is going to see that it’s pretty far away from Shinnecock Hills, but at the same time it is very accessible for anyone that’s coming from points west or coming along the Long Island Expressway.”
For residents of Southampton, Sag Harbor, Easthampton and neighboring communities, Steimer recommended using a rideshare program operating from Stony Brook Southampton’s campus.
Hamton Jitney will operate shuttle service for spectators traveling from Montauk, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, Bridgehampton, Water Mill and Southampton. Pickups and drop-offs will be located near Admission Gate 2 on the Stony Brook campus.
STEPPING OUT
39, adjacent to Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus. A temporary pedestrian bridge will span the roadway.
From June 15 to 17, the LIRR plans to operate 10 inbound trains and dozens of outbound trains, more than double the service it provided in 2018. During the championship rounds, June 18 to 21, 12 inbound trains and 13 outbound trains are scheduled to operate.
“The Long Island Rail Road is ready,” its president, Rob Free, stated in a news release. “Avoid the traffic and use our
exceptionally reliable service to and from Shinnecock Hills for all the golf action. Extra staff will also be on hand at Southampton to help customers throughout the championship for a great customer experience.”
Steimer explained that this year’s transportation differs from 2018 because satellite parking operations have moved from Gabreski Airport to Calverton Executive Airpark.
“We will have complimentary parking and complimentary shuttle buses to and from the championship,” Steimer
Fans traveling from New York City will have the option of using Blade helicopter service from June 18 to 21, with return flights scheduled each evening after play ends.
Steimer urged commuters not to arrange drop-offs on County Road 39, and said there would be increased police presence at intersections around the golf course.
“This is a plan that’s been carefully articulated with local experts to be able to implement this plan,” he said. “Now is the time to bring it to life.”
For more information on train service, go to MTA.INFO/document/209406.
‘Good times never seemed so good…’ Neil Diamond’s tunes are always in style
By Karen Bloom
For those who can’t get enough of Neil Diamond, perhaps the next best thing to seeing him perform, is when Robert Neary takes on legendary singer-songwriter’s persona.
retiring due to Parkinson’s, set out to create the best Neil Diamond tribute I could.”
And audiences certainly agree.
• Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m.
The multi-hyphenate performer brings his acclaimed show, ”So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience,” to Tilles Center, on Sunday, featuring his band and a special “hometown” guest performance.
The East Meadow High School Chamber Choir concludes the concert with a six-song finale, under the direction of Chorus Director Samantha Schick.
The collaboration is especially meaningful, as Neary is an alumnus of East Meadow High School, and the production’s trumpet player, Stephen Engle, formerly served as head of the music department at the school.
The stage, TV and film star has created an acclaimed tribute experience. The show celebrates the timeless songs and storytelling of Neil Diamond, with the beloved hits from Diamond’s extensive catalogincluding “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “America, ,” and many more. Known for his remarkable vocals, Neary has earned praise for delivering a heartfelt and high-energy tribute to one of America’s most iconic entertainers. The concert was also filmed as a documentary feature that is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, where it continues to receive rave reviews from audiences nationwide.
With decades in the entertainment industry, Neary has starred in three Broadway lead roles and appeared in more than 60 major television and film guest-starring roles. He has also built a worldwide social media following of more than half a million fans. Neary created “So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience” in 2019 and, alongside New York-based band The Mystic, developed the show into the nationwide hit it is today. The production continues to sell out venues across the United States and is now set to expand internationally.
“I’ve always been a fan,” says Neary, of Diamond. “I even learned how to play the piano to Hello Again and knew could emulate his voice since high school. was an actor for 40 years, but in 2018, the business for me, started to slow down. After hearing he was
• Tickets available at tillescenter.org or ticketmaster.com or (516) 299-3100
• Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville
“We always hope that for the two hours they come to our show, they [audiences] are able to forget about the craziness going on in the world, and relive the happy moments with the Neil Diamond’s iconic music. People relate to his music and so many favorites bring so many people back to those beautiful days,” Neary continues.
Part of the show’s enduring appeal is Neary’s commitment to honoring Diamond’s catalog while keeping the performance dynamic and engaging for both new and returning audiences.
“I went right to his 50th anniversary hits album and compared each song to the success of each one and chart history. We now touch on 28 of them in a full show. We do various medleys that are able to incorporate more songs and with the fabulous multimedia, it really brings the songs to life. also go into the audience for Sweet Caroline and high five and hug on as many people as can,” Neary adds.
Over the years, the production has evolved into a full-scale theatrical concert experience.
“I set out to do exactly what it has become. So having it all continue to fall into place, has been all part of the plan. We continue to evolve in our production. Its started with eight members on stage and 22 songs. We now have amazing background singers, a violinist and a full multimedia presentation that is amazing. We also have included a full overture highlighting Neil’s career through the decades.”
His band, The Mystic, certainly adds to the experience.
“I am beyond blessed to have this amazing band,” Neary says, enthusiastically. “I met them playing at a huge Halloween party and asked if they would like to join me in this venture and they said, yes.
To have this band and the comradery that they possess, having been together for 30 years, is just icing on the cake. We have such a great time on stage as well as touring together and it shows. Countless accolades say how amazingly tight the band is and that we all look like we are having fun.”
One could say that that that this performance’s special closing is the icing on the cake for Neary.
“I’m incredibly proud to return home and share this experience with students from East Meadow High School. Music education played such an important role in my life, and having these talented young performers join us for the finale makes this performance especially meaningful. It’s going to be a really memorable afternoon,” he continues.
“I’ve always wanted to add a choir, and with this Tilles show, being as big as it is, I figured now’s the time to make it happen. My best friend from junior high Stephen Engle, suggested them and immediately said, “Of course!”
Neary, who now resides in Melville after leaving East Meadow all those years ago to pursue his dreams in L.A., is delighted to be back on his home turf, especially reconnecting with his high school.
“It feels wonderful. So humbling and so blessed to be back where was when my career was only a dream away. The first time we played Eisenhower Park, was very emotional and now to play the Tilles Center with the EMHS choir, on such a grander scale, is even more unbelievable.”
Conversations in art
Nassau County Museum of Art hosts an engaging conversation with curator and collections expert Lauren Brincat, whose work and expertise helped shape the current exhibition “250 Years of Art on Long Island.” Brincat, Chief Curator and Director of Collections at Preservation Long Island — a key lending partner to the exhibit — offers an in-depth exploration of the show’s themes, giving visitors a closer look at the wide-ranging artworks and historical objects on view. Her talk illuminates how the exhibit brings together painting and decorative arts to trace the evolution of Long Island’s artistic identity across the centuries. She also discusses the collaborative research and curatorial process behind the exhibition, highlighting how artists, collectors and communities have contributed to shaping and preserving the region’s visual legacy.
Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m. $20, $15 seniors, $10 students (members free). Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. Register at nassaumuseum.org or call (516) 484-9337.
USGA/Fred Vuich
With the 126th U.S. Open set to tee off at Shinnecock Hills,
Photos courtesy Robert Neary
Robert Neary enthusiastically gets his audiences involved in this celebration of the singersongwriter’s enduring catalog of hits.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
JUN
David Lerner Associates Police Appreciation Run
Runners will hit the pavement in Eisenhower Park, demonstrating appreciation for local police.
• Where: Field 2, Eisenhower Park
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: Events.EliteFeats. com/26appreciation
Grooves with Amber Ferrari Band
Eisenhower Summer Concert Series hosts the Amber Ferrari Band. The nine-piece band plays tunes from the ‘60s through the ‘90s.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
Family theater
JUN
12
Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!,” for its final weekend. With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the awardwinning “Pigeon” picture books, and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!), this show is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party! It’s not easy being the Pigeon since you never get to do anything. But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird can finally do something. Featuring an innovative mix of songs, and feathers, the show is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 10:15 a.m. and noon.; also June 13-14
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
JUN
13
American Legion Riders Breakout Party
The newest American Legion Riders Chapter Post 1082 celebrates its breakout. $25 donation; includes food, cash bar, and a 50/50 raffle.
• Where: 294 Bellmore Road, East Meadow
• Time: 2 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 459-7060
JUN
23
Daniel Tosh’s: My First Farewell Tour
exceptional blend of female vocal groups and artists, spanning from the early rock ‘n roll and Motown eras to disco, R&B, ‘80s/90s pop and more. The Chiclettes are set to energize you as they celebrate the female artists who have graced the music scene from past to present.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
JUN
25
Get ready for an evening of sharp observations and quick-fire punchlines that are Daniel Tosh’s signature irreverent style when he brings My First Farewell tour to The Paramount stage. Acclaimed for his quick wit and deadpan delivery, he’s built a devoted following through both stand-up and television. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in marketing, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue comedy full-time. His career gained national attention following a standout appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2001, leading to appearances on programs including Comedy Central Presents, Premium Blend and The Tonight Show. Tosh became a household name as the creator and host of Tosh.0, the long-running Comedy Central hit that paired viral internet videos with his trademark commentary and satirical take on pop culture. The series became one of the network’s most successful and enduring comedy programs, helping cement Tosh’s reputation as one of stand-up’s most recognizable voices. Expect an energetic set filled with new material, unexpected twists and the unapologetic humor that has defined Tosh’s career.
Community Day
East Meadow Community Day, a free event for all residents of East Meadow, returns.
• Where: Speno Park
• Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Contact: Please email EMCommunityDay@gmail.com
Rhythm, Roots and Art
Families can participate in African American Music Appreciation Month at Long Island Children’s Museum by exploring the powerful sounds and rhythms that have shaped music history. Together sample a variety of songs from influential African American artist and genres and turn the sounds into art at the drop-in program. For ages 3+.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: Noon-2 p.m.
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Book talk
JUN
15
East Meadow Public Library hosts a discussion on ‘Anita de Monte Laughs Last’ by Xochitl Gonzalez.
• Where: 1886 Front St., East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.infocall (516) 223-6228
JUN
18
Juneteenth Celebration
Eisenhower Summer Concert Series continues with anEarth Wind & Fire
Tribute by D’votion, a Gospel Choir and DRIFT featuring members of TAUK and MJT.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
JUN
19
Toy Story 5 Watch Party Kiwanis of East Meadow hosts a “Toy Story 5” movie party. $20, includes popcorn and drink.
• Where: Bellmore Playhouse, 525 Bedford Ave.
• Time: 9:30 a.m. seating, moving begins at 10 a.m.
• Contact: EastMeadowKiwanis.org
FIFA World Cup Watch Party
Get in on the action at Eisenhower Park when USA takes on Australia.
• Where: Harry Chapin
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 7 and 9:30 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
Defensive
JUN
20
Driving Course
East Meadow library hosts a defensive driving course. Improve driving skills and obtain insurance discounts. $40, $35 for those 62 and older.
• Where: 1886 Front St.
• Time: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
Pinoy Festival
Get ready to celebrate all things Filipino at the Long Island Pinoy Festival.
• Where: 1660 Front St., East Meadow
• Time: 5 p.m.-12 a.m.
JUN
22
Tunes with The Chiclettes Eisenhower Summer Concert Series welcomes The Chiclettes and Vinnie Medugno. Celebrate the remarkable women who reigned supreme on the charts! Gracie, Mikayla, and Jennie deliver an
Brick Builders: Build Something Wild Old Westbury Gardens welcomes families to spend an afternoon exploring, building and creating together! Brick Builders invites children and their grownups to enjoy building a LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Tropical Toucan. The program begins at the beech tree and includes a guided walk through some of the featured exhibit Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects made with LEGO bricks. After the tour, head to the Barn at Orchard Hill to build a LEGO kit to take home For ages 5+. $24 per child (includes admission, guided tour, and LEGO kit); $22 per adult (includes admission and guided tour); with member discount. Registration required.
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048
JUN
26
Rockin’ with The Almost Brothers Band Rock on during the Eisenhower Summer Concert Series. Enjoy an Allman Brothers tribute with ABB and Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute with Sons of Skynyrd..
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 572-0200
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.
Scholarship awarded to four
department and other volunteer activities, and that you continue to enrich your own life through service to others.”
D’Alessandro, who will attend Marist University near upstate-Poughkeepsie, echoed that sentiment while reflecting on her time as a junior firefighter.
“I really loved all the events we do with the community, fire safety and everything like that,” D’Alessandro said. “I think it’s really important to spread throughout the community, so getting to be a part of the community and show our faces around is really just fun for us.”
Wanser, who is headed to SUNY Maritime in the Bronx, said the experience gave him a greater appreciation for the work adult firefighters do for the community.
“It’s really taught me to appreciate what these men and women do for our community, and just to be more responsible,” Wanser said.
For the other two scholarship recipients, the junior firefighter program was a family tradition.
“I joined the juniors because I have family in the juniors, and also to get to where I am today,” McLoughlin said. He plans to attend the Northwell Health Paramedic Program in Lake Success.
“It’s sort of like the family business,” said Brent said. Brent, who will attend St. John’s University in Queens., added, “Everyone’s done this and I wanted to join to impact other people’s lives and my community.”
That legacy of service to the East Meadow community is what Ratner and her sisters, Amy Counts and Lori Finkelman, saw in their parents. They later saw the same commitment in their brother, Michael.
“You know, in those days, they had a little speaker that had a siren that it would sound,” Ratner said. “And if it went off, my dad (Nelson) had to run out to the fire-
Jody ratner presented the f inkelman family fund scholarship to east meadow junior firefighters to nicholas Brent, garrett Wanser, gulianna d’alessandro and Joseph mcLoughlin.
house. My mother called it the squawk box. And he would hear and he would run out, and we knew he was going to save someone’s life, do something important.”
Ratner said her brother followed in their father’s footsteps.
“You grow up with the fire department and fire department people,” Ratner said. “He became a fireman when he turned 18. He was always involved. And that’s why he always stayed in East Meadow. He wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
Both Finkelman men served as commissioners, chiefs and fire service academy instructors during their careers. The elder Finkelman siblings’ father died in 2013 and their mother in 2016. Ratner said she still remembers attending fire department celebra -
tions with them.
“When my dad was chief, back then it was the late 60s, and they would go to all the fire departments, to their big affairs, their galas and everything,” Ratner said. “And I have memories of her in her mink stole, and my dad in his uniform, and I used to (think), ‘They’re so beautiful.’ I was maybe 9 or maybe 10 or whatever. There’s nothing like that; it was just great.”
All four recipients joined the junior firefighter program at age 14 and remained active until age 18. They were recommended by their supervisor, Ex-Chief Joseph D. Lennon, for outstanding participation in the program and excellence in academics. Upon turning 18, they are eligible to become full firefighters with the department.
Courtesy Rei Wolfsohn
June 11, 2026 —
LEGAL NOTICE
Public Notices
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU
Index No.: 603446/2023
Date Filed: 05/07/2026 SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the Place of Trial. Designation of Venue is based upon the situs of the Subject Property. Subject Property: 7 Hyacinth Road, Levittown, New York 11756. HSBC BANK USA, N.A., AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED NOTEHOLDERS OF RENAISSANCE HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST
2006-3, Plaintiff,against- COLIN CAUSEMAN HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN OF DONNA CAUSEMAN; BRIANNE CAUSEMAN HEIR AT LAW AND NEXT OF KIN OF DONNA CAUSEMAN; “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” 1 THROUGH 50, Intending To Be The Unknown Heirs, Distributees, Devisees, Grantees, Trustees, Lienors, Creditors, And Assignees Of The Estate Of DONNA CAUSEMAN, Who Was Born In 1960 And Died on JULY 7, 2025, A Resident Of Nassau County, Whose Last Known Address Was 7 Hyacinth Road, Levittown, NY 11756-2312, Their Successors In Interest If Any Of The Aforesaid Defendants Be Deceased, Their Respective Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, And Successors In Interest Of The Aforesaid Classes Of Person, If They Or Any Of Them Be Dead, And Their Respective Husbands, Wives Or Widows, If Any, All Of Whom And Whose Names And Places are unknown to the Plaintiff; LVNV FUND LLC A/P/O CAPITAL ONE; EQUABLE ASCENT FINANCIAL LLC; DIANE REUTHER; TRAGER FUEL OIL CO. INC; CLERK OF NASSAU COUNTY; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to the plaintiff, the
persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (HSBC BANK USA, N.A., AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED NOTEHOLDERS OF RENAISSANCE HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 2006-3) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action was commenced to foreclose a mortgage
against real property located at 7 Hyacinth Road Levittown, New York 11756.
McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC By: Caren Bailey, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff One Huntington Quadrangle, Suite 4N25 Melville, NY 11747 631-812-4084 8 55-845-2584 facsimile HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE: NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT: YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE: The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and nonprofit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS: YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay
property taxes in accordance with state and local law.
FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS: Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner`s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. §
1303 NOTICE 16-12-20* 160326
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, GITSIT SOLUTIONS, LLC, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS SEPARATE TRUSTEE OF GITSIT MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST BBPC1, Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF MARIAN B. MARIN0 A/K/A MARION B. MARINO, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 15, 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 July 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 2228 1st 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 at East Meadow, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 213 and Lots 10, 11, 12, and 13. Approximate amount of judgment is $776,344.00 plus
News brief
E.M. attorney joins AHA leadership team
Lindsay Mesh Lotito, a partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP, was recently appointed to the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.
Lotito is a member of the law firm’s Banking & Finance, Cannabis and Real Estate practice groups.
ease, take steps to reduce those risks and adopt heart-healthy lifestyles.
Go Red for Women is a national initiative focused on raising awareness about heart disease among women and promoting actions that can help save lives. The campaign encourages women to understand their risk factors for heart dis
According to the American Heart Association, the movement aims to harness the collective energy and influence of women to help combat heart disease through education, advocacy and prevention efforts.
Lotito earned her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Marist College. She lives in East Meadow.
Public Notices
interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #601775/2025.
Linda S. Agnew, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 242972-2 160435
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, PEAK GARDEN WESTBURY TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. DEIJH, INC., ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 7, 2025, 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 July 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 195 Garden Street, Westbury, NY 11590. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Westbury (outside the Incorporated Village) in the Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 11, Block 503 and Lot 25. Approximate amount of judgment is $627,379.58 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607687/2023.
Brian Carmody, Esq., Referee Vallely Mitola Ryan PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 160429
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 06/24/2026 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 335/26. EAST MEADOW - Miguel Quito, Variance, front yard setback on Stuyvesant Ave., construct cellar entrance attached to dwelling., N/E cor. Gladmore St. & Stuyvesant Ave., a/k/a 2501 Gladmore St. 337/26. - 339/26. LEVITTOWN - Dianne Peribonis, Variance, rear yard, construct 2nd story addition attached to dwelling; Maintain shed higher than permitted & exceeding horizontal maximum on 2 sides;
Immediate Family Res. (2nd Kitchen)., S/s Eagle La., 160’ E/o Bucket La., a/k/a 8 Eagle La. 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 & Levittown 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 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.
160652
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
NASSAU COUNTY
ATCF II NEW YORK
LLC, Plaintiff against GREGORY GIORGIO, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Hersko & Ehrenreich P.C., 555 Willow Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516, (516) 942-4216.
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered February 26, 2026, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 14, 2026 at 2:00PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being, and identified on the land and tax map of the County of Nassau in the State of New York. Premises known as 1482 Dieman Ln., East Meadow, NY 11554. Sec 50 Block 585 Lot 2. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $25,515.10 plus interest, fees, and costs and attorney fees. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 608316/2024. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Howard Colton, Esq., Referee File # 21-3992 160688
–Jordan Vallone
Lindsay Mesh Lotito
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More about homes close to the water
Q. We’re looking for a house, and have run into a pattern where every house we see has some real problems. We’re wondering, after our home inspector looked at a house recently and found major foundation cracks, how we can figure out what to negotiate for the repairs. The house is on a canal, and also has other additions that have no permits (we checked). How do we go about discussing this with facts, and try to resolve what it will really cost if we buy the house?
A. I have a sinking feeling about the house, as you described. Some of the homes I have seen in high water tables, next to canals, in what are known as flood plain areas, are expensive and require a lot of engineering work to repair. Unfortunately, time doesn’t heal all wounds, and many people looking in areas adjacent to water don’t realize what they’re looking at.
CEMETERY PLOT FOR TWO: Pinelawn Cemetery. Garden Of Normandy North. $5,800 Negotiable. $8,400 Value. 516-375-1905
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The history of these close-to-the-water neighborhoods is an interesting study in civil engineering. Most of the areas, especially along shorelines, were previously swampland that was “reclaimed.” This means that tall reeds were often plowed under and covered with sand, dredged to make the adjacent canals deeper and more navigable while shooting the sand with water cannons, in a process called hydro-fill, to stabilize and level out the land for construction of developments. At the time, unfortunately, there wasn’t the same level of scrutiny in issuing permits, and testing from those eras is sometimes questionable. One of the most obvious test reports I have ever seen was one in which every soil boring taken on a single property was written on a chart so that every number on every line was the same. A trained professional would realize that is nearly impossible. I imagine the person just filling in each line with the same ditto information just so they could get past filing the required report.
It’s all too common to see record plans, taken from building departments, showing standard foundation walls with no spread footing, and therefore no piles. Piles are the large, long poles or large helical screws that are jammed down into the earth until they reach a point where they can’t be jammed any farther. If you really love the location, you should hire an experienced engineer or architect, who will need to investigate the old records on file and also look at the foundation conditions.
If it turns out the house has either no underground pile report or a certified pile log, which is not unusual, then the foundation cracking can be caused by the continued settling of the house into the less stable ground. Will the settling stop at some point? Not for a long time — several lifetimes, predictably. There are ways to insert pile supports around the foundation, utilizing brackets and angled piles, to stop the settling. At that point, you need a professional’s plan and a pile company estimate to negotiate. Good luck!
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the
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opinions
What I learned walking in the places history left behind
Like many Jews of my generation, I grew up learning about the Holocaust. I attended religious school, read the books, watched the documentaries, and listened to survivors tell their stories. I understood the facts, the timelines and the staggering death toll. Yet nothing prepared me for what it felt like to stand in the places where that history unfolded.
My wife and I recently took a Jewish Heritage Tour through Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. While the trip included beautiful cities, remarkable architecture, and centuries of European history, what stays with me are the places where absence speaks louder than anything still standing.
Before the tour began, we traveled to Radom, Poland, where my wife’s father lived before World War II. She located the building where her father’s family once lived, which was still there.
As we walked along the cobblestone street, people were going about their daily lives. It was an ordinary neighborhood. Yet not far away, in the city’s his-
torical museum, photos and records documented the destruction of the once thriving Jewish community there.
Before the war, Jews made up roughly one-third of the city’s population. My wife’s grandfather and aunt were murdered by the Nazis. Her father and uncle escaped and survived. I found myself thinking less about history and more about what was missing. The buildings and streets remained, but the people who had filled those streets with life were gone.
That feeling followed me for much of the trip.
Tchambers and crematoria forces you to confront the reality that the statistics represent human beings.
The Holocaust is often discussed in terms of numbers because the scale of the crime was so immense. Six million Jews were murdered. Yet in Auschwitz, those numbers begin to disappear. Instead, you think about parents separated from their children, young people whose futures were stolen, and families that vanished.
hey were reminders of what can happen when prejudice goes unchallenged.
In Warsaw, we walked through the former Warsaw Ghetto. In Prague and Budapest we visited Jewish quarters, synagogues and cemeteries that testified to communities that had flourished for centuries before being devastated. We repeatedly encountered reminders of vibrant Jewish life alongside reminders of how much had been lost. Nothing, however, compared to Auschwitz and Birkenau.
I had seen photos of the camps throughout my life. But photos cannot convey what it feels like to stand there. Walking through the barracks where prisoners were housed, seeing the conditions in which they lived and the gas
One stop that particularly affected me was Terezín, in the Czech Republic. The camp was used by Nazi propagandists to create the illusion that Jews were being treated humanely. Today, drawings and writings by children imprisoned there remain on display. I was struck by the innocence reflected in their artwork and words. Most of those children didn’t survive the war.
As powerful as these experiences were, they felt especially relevant because of what we are living through today. Antisemitism is rising in the United States and across the globe. Jewish institutions increasingly require security measures that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Jewish students report harassment and intimidation on college campuses. Hate crimes
directed at Jews continue to occur at alarming rates.
The lesson I took away from Eastern Europe is how easily hatred can become normalized when people stop challenging it. The destruction of Europe’s Jewish communities didn’t begin with concentration camps. It began with prejudice, scapegoating and the gradual acceptance of discrimination.
I returned from the trip with a renewed conviction that combating antisemitism cannot be left solely to the Jewish community. Every community has a stake in confronting hatred wherever it appears. History shows that intolerance rarely confines itself to a single target.
The places we visited serve as powerful reminders of what can happen when prejudice goes unchallenged. They also remind us that preserving memory, while essential, isn’t enough. The responsibility that history places on each generation is to apply its lessons in its own time.
Holocaust victims can’t tell their stories. The responsibility to remember them — and to ensure that the hatred that consumed so much of Europe never gains such a foothold again — belongs to all of us.
Arnold Drucker represents Nassau County’s 16th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s deputy minority leader.
The lessons our leaders should take from the LIRR strike
The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike last month did more than disrupt commutes. It highlighted just how interconnected New York City and Long Island truly are. For 72 hours, the effects rippled across the entire metropolitan region. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli estimated that the work stoppage cost as much as $61 million per day in lost economic activity. The losses weren’t confined to any one county or borough. They were shared by all of us, because our regional economy functions as one interconnected system.
I heard from employers immediately concerned about staffing shortages, delayed deliveries and declining foot traffic. The reason was simple: The workforce connection between Long Island and New York City is enormous.
According to Census data, around 240,000 Long Island residents commute into New York City for work, while roughly 310,000 New York City residents work in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Queens alone sends around 95,000 work-
ers into Nassau County and another 28,000 into Suffolk County every day. Queens residents are among the largest workforce pipelines for Long Island employers, particularly in health care, construction, retail, transportation and professional services.
When that flow stops, even briefly, the economic consequences are immediate.
Too often, some elected officials and commentators have tried to frame Long Island and New York City as competitors, as though economic success on one side of the city line somehow comes at the expense of the other side.
It doesn’t.
Long Island’s economy is deeply dependent on New York City’s, and vice versa.
We saw this dynamic emerge during the pandemic, when some suburban leaders openly encouraged businesses to leave New York City and relocate to Long Island. More recently, some politicians have continued to take rhetorical swipes at the city’s struggles as a way to score political points.
But the LIRR strike demonstrated exactly why that mindset misses the bigger picture.
Long Island’s economy is deeply dependent on New York City’s economic strength, just as the city depends on
Long Island. Roughly 150,000 Suffolk County residents work in New York City’s five boroughs, with many commuting into Manhattan and Queens every day. Nassau County’s economic ties are even deeper. Meanwhile, businesses throughout the city rely heavily on Long Island residents as customers, employees and business partners.
Queens and suburban Long Island, in particular, share extraordinarily close economic ties. Queens is home to Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, major health care institutions, construction projects and entertainment destinations that employ thousands of Long Islanders. Long Islanders help staff schools, hospitals, financial firms and transportation systems throughout the city. At the same time, Queens residents support Long Island’s retail centers, restaurants, beaches and small businesses. That’s why the true competition facing our region isn’t between Queens and Nassau or between Manhattan and Suffolk. It is coming from states aggressively attracting residents and employers away from New York altogether. Florida. Texas. The Carolinas.
When families leave the metropolitan area because housing costs become unsustainable, Long Island and New York City both lose. When businesses relocate operations out of state, the economic pain is shared throughout the downstate region.
Instead of trying to outcompete one another for headlines or short-term political advantage, regional leaders should be working together to address the challenges we all face: affordability, transportation reliability, housing shortages and public safety.
The LIRR strike also reinforced another important truth: Infrastructure matters. Reliable transportation is the backbone of the downstate economy. Millions of people depend on the seamless movement of workers and consumers throughout the region every day. When that system breaks down, even temporarily, it reminds us how fragile — and how interconnected — our economy really is.
In the future Long, Island and New York City will succeed or fail, rise or fall, together. That isn’t political rhetoric. It is an economic reality.
Tom Grech is president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and acting chair of the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency and Local Development Corporation.
HERALD
WTaking care to the streets
hen communities confront homelessness, the conversation often becomes trapped between competing concerns: public safety, housing costs, mental health, addiction and strained social services. But programs that make a real difference recognize a simple truth: Homelessness is both a humanitarian crisis and a public health crisis.
Addressing it requires more than temporary shelter or emergency interventions. It requires meeting people where they are — literally and figuratively. That is what makes street medicine and community outreach programs such powerful and innovative models.
Instead of waiting for vulnerable people to navigate a complicated health care system, outreach teams bring services directly to them. They visit train stations, commuter lots, wooded encampments, shelters and other places where homeless individuals live and gather.
The approach acknowledges a reality often overlooked in policy discussions: People struggling to survive day to day rarely have the ability to prioritize medical appointments, transportation, paperwork or insurance requirements. For many, simply getting through the next 24 hours is challenge enough.
Long Island’s most recent Point-InTime Count found more than 4,500 unhoused adults and children in Nassau and Suffolk counties, the highest total recorded since 2007.
letters
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Brown are silent on Israel
To the Editor:
In a pair of opinion pieces in the May 28-June 3 issue of the Herald, Assemblyman Ari Brown (“New York’s radical mobs are testing America’s spine”) and State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (“Our state must do more to combat antisemitism”) deplored the rise in antisemitism locally, nationally and globally. The two legislators called for stronger measures to protect Jews from harassment and the threat, or actuality, of violence. No New Yorker of goodwill would oppose such protective efforts or deny that hatred of Jews is growing and spreading. It must also be acknowledged that Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities in murdering 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. But neither Brown nor CanzoneriFitzpatrick offers the slightest criticism
Behind every statistic is a person facing enormous barriers to proper health and stability. Chronic illnesses often go untreated. Mental health conditions worsen without care. Substance-use disorders become more dangerous. Small medical problems can become lifethreatening emergencies.
Traditional systems are often not designed to reach people living in these circumstances. Outreach programs are. What makes these efforts especially effective is their emphasis on trust. Team members may spend significant time with one person, providing medical evaluations, wellness education, supplies, referrals and, perhaps most important, human connection. People who often feel ignored, judged or invisible are treated with dignity and respect.
That trust-building is not a “soft” benefit. It is the foundation of successful intervention. People who trust service providers are more likely to seek treatment, follow medical advice, complete paperwork and engage with housing services. Those relationships can become the bridge that leads someone from instability to recovery and ultimately to permanent housing.
The results of street medicine programs across Long Island and the nation demonstrate the value of this approach. People have been connected to urgent medical care, chronic conditions have been managed before they became emergencies, and individuals have been guid-
ed into stable housing. While the numbers may seem modest compared with the scale of the crisis, they represent something larger: individualized, community-based care that works.
Housing itself is a public health issue. Stable housing improves physical health, mental well-being, medication compliance and overall quality of life. Yet obtaining housing often requires medical evaluations and documentation that many homeless people struggle to access. Outreach teams help bridge that gap.
These programs also serve as a reminder that homelessness can happen to anyone. Job loss, illness, family breakdown, disability or financial hardship can push an individual into crisis. People do not choose homelessness, yet they are often judged as though they did. Compassion alone will not solve homelessness. Neither will enforcement alone. Communities need practical, scalable solutions that combine health care, housing support and human connection. Street medicine and communitybased outreach programs are proving that such solutions exist. As homelessness continues to rise, communities should look closely at these models and invest in expanding them. If society wants to help people move off the streets, it cannot wait for them to come through the door. Sometimes the most effective solution is to bring the door to them.
opinions
How $1 becomes $1.60 on L.I.: the multiplier effect
most Long Islanders have a pretty good feel for the local economy, with housing demand up, unemployment down and new businesses replacing older ones. What many people don’t see is how all of those activities are connected.
A new apartment building isn’t just a construction project. A restaurant isn’t simply a place to grab dinner. A law firm does more than provide legal advice. each of these businesses creates economic activity that extends well beyond its front door, generating jobs, income and spending throughout the region. economists call this the multiplier effect, and it impacts Long Islanders every day.
Our economy is often discussed in terms of individual industries — health care, education, construction, technology, hospitality, retail, professional services. yet one of the reasons the economy has remained resilient through economic cycles is that no single industry dominates it. Instead, thousands of businesses of varying sizes create a diverse and interconnected economic ecosystem.
That diversity helps explain why Long Island’s economy has grown into some-
thing much larger than many residents realize. Nassau and Suffolk counties together generate approximately $256 billion in economic activity annually. If Long Island were a state, its economy would rank roughly 23rd in the nation.
While those numbers are impressive, the more interesting story is how that economic activity is created.
our economy is powered by thousands of interconnected decisions we make every day.
Consider a neighborhood bagel shop. When a customer purchases breakfast, the economic impact doesn’t stop at the cash register. The bakery purchases flour, cream cheese, utilities, equipment, insurance, accounting services and transportation. employees spend their wages at local stores, restaurants and service providers. The original dollars continue to circulate through the economy, creating value long after the first transaction takes place.
This process happens every day, in every corner of Long Island.
Over the past year, the LIA Research Institute has been examining these relationships through input-output analysis, a methodology used to measure the direct, indirect and induced impacts of businesses and institutions. The findings reinforce something many business owners already know from experience: local spending creates local prosperity.
Take a hypothetical Long Island law firm generating $1 million in annual
Letters
of the Israeli government’s military response to Hamas’s barbarism. And silence on this score is used by bigots to assert — falsely — that all Jews are complicit in the slaughter of Muslims.
Reputable sources, including the Israel Defense Forces, confirm that Israel has killed over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza in the past two and a half years. That toll is known to include several thousand children and hundreds of humanitarian workers.
In addition, Israel has killed more than 3,000 civilians in Lebanon in the past few months in retaliation for Hezbollah terrorist attacks that have taken the lives of about 100 Israelis.
The relentless, merciless and disproportionate response on Israel’s part has caused support for the Jewish state to plummet in the U.S. and worldwide. Only 37 percent of Americans now view Israel favorably, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Sympathy for Palestinians has risen correspondingly.
Anti-Israel sentiments do sometimes take the form of antisemitism. But most U.S. activists, including the many Jews who denounce the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, cannot be fairly accused of religious or ethnic bigotry.
Influential figures like Brown and Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick are not helping shield Jews by ignoring the causes of Israel’s isolation. They also ought to be pointing out that Israel’s security will not be enhanced through endless warfare that gives rise to new generations of Palestinian militants.
The cycle of hate, death and destruction is certain to continue until Israelis and Palestinians work cooperatively toward a twostate solution.
KevIN J. KeLLey Atlantic Beach
Editors’ note: Ari Brown’s and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick’s op-eds did not appear in all print editions of the Herald, but can be found at liherald.com.
revenue. The direct activity supports attorneys, staff and business operations. But the firm’s impact extends to office suppliers, maintenance providers, technology vendors and numerous other businesses. When those secondary effects are included, the original $1 million generates roughly $1.6 million in total economic output throughout the region.
The multiplier effect becomes even more visible with large-scale investments. Consider the construction of a multifamily housing development. Before a single family moves in, the project generates significant economic activity through construction workers, architects, engineers, legal professionals, material suppliers, trucking companies, and dozens of supporting industries.
Our analysis of a hypothetical $100 million apartment development found that the project could support more than 600 jobs and create roughly $166 million in total economic output. This is in addition to the benefit of adding to our region’s housing stock to address the high demand and low inventory, which pushes up prices.
That’s why discussions of economic development should never focus solely on the initial investment. The broader impact often tells a much larger story. For example, the LIA Research Institute
estimated that the 2025 Ryder Cup generated roughly $160 million in economic activity, not simply because spectators attended the tournament, but because visitors stayed in hotels, dined in restaurants and utilized transportation services. The ripple effects spread through our communities, strengthening the broader economy.
Long Island’s economy is powered by thousands of interconnected decisions made every day by entrepreneurs, workers, consumers, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and investors. From a neighborhood bagel shop to new construction, from a local law firm to an international sporting event, economic activity rarely stops where it starts. every transaction creates additional opportunities that ripple across our region.
The next time you buy a bagel, hire an attorney, dine at a local restaurant or drive past a construction site, remember that you are seeing the multiplier effect in action.
On Long Island, dollars we spend at local businesses become wages for workers, revenue for suppliers and opportunities for families across our region. That’s how $1 becomes $1.60 — and why the strength of our economy depends on the success of the businesses and institutions that keep that cycle moving forward.
Steven Kent is chief economist of the Long Island Association and an associate professor of economics and finance at Molloy University in Rockville Centre.
Framework by Christina Gerbore
Agree
At Mount Sinai South Nassau, patient safety isn’t just a priority— it’s a standard, one we work on every day. And the experts agree.
We’ve earned national recognition for patient safety, including an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group and the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award.
That means better outcomes for our patients with lower risk of infections or hospital acquired conditions.
When it comes to your health, nothing matters more than knowing you’re in a place where patient safety matters most.
