East Meadow Herald 10-16-2025

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Walking for a cure in Eisenhower Park

Families affected by Alzheimer’s disease flocked to Eisenhower Park for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Among the walkers was ‘Team Carmen,’ featuring Monica Diaz, Awilda Crus, Rodolfo Cruz, Anthony Cruz, Jonathan Cruz and Camila Diaz. Story, more photos, Page 3.

School board trustees are recognized at October meeting

The East Meadow Board of Education marked School Board Recognition Week at its Oct. 8 meeting, while also updating community members on district safety and security and upcoming initiatives.

Following a musical performance by band members from W.T. Clarke High School in the gymnasium of the Salisbury school, Kelly Nixon, the district’s director of music and art, introduced the community to the work of talented students. She also thanked the board for its support of music and arts education.

sobriety program

East Meadow resident Spencer Cook wants to help people who are struggling with addiction. Cook struggled himself, starting when he was young, and he got involved with illegal substances in early adulthood, which resulted in his arrest in a joint operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security in 2014, when he was 27.

Tease on a scientific level.”

Cook is now 38. He spent his days in prison reading scientific papers and studies about addiction and behavioral science, and creating a sobriety program in which he would be the first client.

his is my calling.

SPENCER Cook Creator, SoberIn40

Initially facing a 20-year prison sentence, Cook was commuted under the Second Chance Act for a reduced sentence. In 2020, after six and a half years of incarceration and a year under house arrest, he dedicated his new lease on life to becoming sober, rejecting the way he had lived his life up to that point.

“I was doing it for my own self, for my own survival, out of a combination of pure boredom and desperation,” he recounted. “What this ended up becoming was the SoberIn40 program.”

Cook’s program is designed to “hijack the mind,” he said. He boiled his struggle with addiction down to two problems: cognitive dissonance and emotional bias.

“Tonight, we celebrate and thank our members of the board of education for their time, effort and dedication to the students and community of East Meadow,” she said. “We thank you for your commitment to championing and celebrating all programs we have here in East Meadow, especially the arts. These programs play an essential role in shaping well-rounded students, in preparing them for the diverse and dynamic world ahead.”

Students in Brian O’Neill’s AP Studio Art class at East Meadow High School created original landscape drawings and paintings, inspired by Long Island’s landscapes.

“Each student explored the unique character-

“I’m going to do everything in life that is completely opposite from what I’m used to and what feels normal,” he recalled thinking. “In order for me to do that successfully long term, I needed to understand my dis -

Cook invested $700,000 of his own money saved after three years working in various sales roles into working with therapists and psychologists to develop the program after his incarceration.

“It’s a new industry — computational psychology,” he said. “We ‘learn’ you in real time, and our algorithms figure out

Continued on page 16

Stu Goldman/Herald
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Woodland celebrates ‘No Place for Hate’ recognition

jvallone@liherald.com

Woodland Middle School in East Meadow began National Bullying Prevention Month on a high note, celebrating its recognition as a No Place for Hate School. The Oct. 1 ceremony brought together students, staff, and district leaders to honor the school’s commitment to fostering kindness, respect, and inclusion. The event highlighted the collaborative efforts that helped Woodland earn its gold star designation.

Woodland earns its No Place for Hate gold

star

Woodland Middle School in East Meadow kicked off National Bullying Prevention Month on Oct. 1 with a celebration of its designation as a No Place for Hate School. The recognition, presented through the Anti-Defamation League, highlights schools that commit to creating inclusive, respectful environments. During a special ceremony, district administrators, members of the board of education, teachers, and Woodland’s principal and assistant principals gathered in the school’s main lobby as students from the No Place for Hate Committee helped unveil the school’s gold star banner. A pledge display was also revealed, symbolizing unity across the school community.

Students lead with action and awareness

The celebration marked the culmination of a year’s worth of student-driven efforts promoting kindness, empathy, and understanding. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, Woodland students participated in a variety of character-building and antibullying programs designed to strengthen the school’s inclusive culture. These included assemblies, counselor-led lessons, and group discussions that encouraged open dialogue about treating others with respect and the impact of words and actions. Students also learned strategies to support peers, stand up against bullying, and promote a sense of belonging. Woodland’s student musicians helped make the ceremony memorable by performing live music.

A district-wide commitment to inclusion

Woodland’s recognition reflects a broader commitment within the East Meadow School District to promote acceptance, kindness, and community across all schools. The No Place for Hate initiative extends beyond Woodland, as East Meadow High School students have hosted their own discussions and activities centered on antibullying and character education. These programs emphasize respect and understanding as core values for students at every level. At the conclusion of Woodland’s ceremony, students and teachers joined together to recite the No Place for Hate pledge — a collective promise to continue fostering an environment where every student feels safe, valued, and supported.

Steps towards a cure: Hundreds gather for Alzheimer’s walk

Purple, yellow, blue and orange flowers filled the Promise Garden at Eisenhower Park on Oct. 4, as hundreds came together for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The annual event is the organization’s largest fundraiser, fueling cutting-edge research while also giving families and caregivers a chance to honor loved ones and show solidarity in the fight against the disease.

Participants carried flowers of various colors — each one symbolizing a personal connection to Alzheimer’s — during the moving Promise Garden ceremony.

Tinamarie Hardekopf, the association’s director of development and director for walks in Babylon, Eisenhower Park and Fire Island, said this year’s event reflected the continued growth of the movement.

“We definitely grow every year, in numbers of attendees and as well as fundraising,” she said. “It’s really important for people to come out because it gives them an opportunity to show their support for a world without Alzheimer’s — they can also memorialize a loved one they’ve lost, or they can support someone that they’re caring for at this time.”

Post-walk, Hardekopf extended her thanks to this year’s walk participants, volunteers and sponsors.

“The funds raised will help fuel disease research while also providing critical care and support to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia,” she said in a release shared with the Herald.

The Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter not only raises money for research but also provides a vital support network for people with Alzheimer’s, their families, friends and caretakers.

“We consider our walks the largest support group,” Hardekopf added. “Everyone comes together and they each carry a flower that shows their connection to the disease.”

For Tanya Eldemeyer of Rockville Centre, the walk carried deep personal meaning. Her father passed away last year from dementia, and she continues to stand as a strong advocate for the cause.

“I basically was his sole caregiver,” she said. “It was such a difficult road… There are people out there that are in the same situation, and I felt like this was a way that I could continue my dad’s legacy and help those that may not have someone fighting and advocating for them.”

Eldemeyer carried a purple flower during the Promise Garden ceremony, symbolizing the loss of her father.

Courtney Henley, an advocate with the organization whose father died form early-onset Alzheimer’s said, “My fami-

ly has been attending the Nassau Walk for more than 20 years and it has grown tremendously. The sense of community and enthusiasm is inspiring to see, motivating you to make a difference in your local community. It is such a fun walk with alot of incredible people.”

According to the Long Island Chapter, more than 426,500 New Yorkers aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s Dementia, and over 7 million across the country. While symptoms of the disease often appear later in life, the brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s can begin decades earlier — making early awareness and intervention critical.

Ed Miller, vice chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter Board of Directors, has played a leading role in Nassau County’s walk for the past

three years. He joined the chapter after his own father was diagnosed with dementia in 2019, and he said the community’s involvement provides real hope.

“There’s been a lot of breakthroughs that have come out in the news over the course of the last couple of years,” Miller said in a prior conversation with the Herald. “These are treatments that aren’t going to eradicate the disease at this point, but they are treatments, and there is hope.”

As of press time, this year’s walk has raised over $359,000 toward the chapter’s $385,000 goal — already 93 percent of the way. For more on the organization and its efforts, visit Act.ALZ.org/Nassau. Donations are accepted through Dec. 31.

Additional reporting by Jordan Vallone.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Long Island Chapter hosted its annual walk in Eisenhower Park on Oct. 4. Volunteers Bella Leogas, Kelly Donegan, Holly Rubin, Kristin Leogas, Maxine Wardzower, Dave Manara, Evelyn Morales and Kate Leogas handed out flowers to represent a personal connection to the disease.
Stu Goldman/Herald photos
This year’s No. 1 fundraising team was ‘Nonno Sam.’
Team Suarez, featuring walkers Adrianna Arguella, Doris Gomez, Gabriela Magalhaos and Alessandra Magalhaos.
Walkers passed through the finish line arch in Eisenhower Park.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month elevate the Conversation

It is the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, that is a vital health initiative that was founded by the American Cancer Society in 1985. 1985.

Thanks to the wonders of search and AI, I learned that this year’s highlights included “…Live Aid for African Famine relief, the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet leader…” and my particular favorite, “… the launch of Microsoft Windows 1.0…”

Ronald Reagan was in the White House; Mario Cuomo was New York’s governor and Frances T. Purcell was the Nassau County Executive.

Ettinger Law Firm’s New Guide for Families Coping with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

When the unfortunate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia is made, the whole world shifts for the patient and their family. Uncertainty abounds. For this reason, Ettinger Law Firm has published a guide for families facing these dilemmas, available as a free download at our website, trustlaw.com.

Sections of interest are:

Communication Strategies: Adapting communication techniques to improve connection and reduce frustration.

Establishing Daily Routes: Predictability reduces anxiety, helps with orientation and promotes independence.

Creating a Safe Home Environment: Modifying the home to reduce the risk of falls and other accidents.

Medical Care and Support: The importance and benefits of early diagnosis in slowing the progress of the disease and improving quality of life, as well as a list of questions to ask the doctor. Non-Medical Interventions: Different types of therapy, both physical and

mental to support physical and mental wellbeing. Building a Care Team: Who is on the team and avoiding caregiver burnout.

Coping with Behavioral Changes: Tips on managing new and challenging behaviors, such as agitation, depression, waking and sleep disturbances.

One of the biggest mistakes we see families make is the failure to connect with an elder law attorney upon learning of the illness. We understand that it is easy to overlook the legal where there are so many other social, emotional, psychological and medical issues in play. Early legal intervention, however, allows the family to obtain all the legal documents they will need later on, such as the “prescription strength” elder law power of attorney. The earlier the family moves to protect assets from being depleted for the cost of care, the more assets will be saved. Perhaps most important of all, the elder law attorney will be able to assure the family that caregiver services will be available when needed and the home and life savings will not all be lost for care.

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It’s always the right time to get educated or reeducated, contribute funds for continued research and remind ourselves of what else can be done to ensure more survivors than victims of this disease, even if the month isn’t October.

It’s always the right time to keep momentum going, taking care of ourselves to take better care of those around us.

Obviously, it’s been a hot minute since 1985 and yet here we are again, reminding ourselves and our loved ones that breast cancer exists and we must have a variety of strategies to fight against it. However, this isn’t an article about early detection and routine screenings. About monthly self-exams and yearly mammograms. Those are the discussions for you and your doctor to have. This is an article about taking care in a busy world that focuses on “self” too often for the wrong reasons. We are so wound up in ourselves: from filming the right post with the best lighting, wearing the right on-trend looks, getting the perfect “selfie.” Maybe this is a time to reinforce the importance of self-care, that is, the unselfish actions we must take to protect our health and wellbeing.

In my personal calendar, there isn’t a unique day or month to focus on self. In fact, I need to remind myself that checkups, routine tests and anything else to contribute to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing doesn’t have a due date.

But in October, in this “one-month-out-of-twelve” dedicated to pink ribbons and dyed hair I think of my friend Valerie, a talented artist and cartoonist who died all too soon due to breast cancer. She was a beam of light with wit and love to share. Therefore, as I walk in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides against Breast Cancer to raise dollars to fight this disease, I will honor Val’s memory in my mind, in my heart, in my life so as not take any day or month for granted.

A contributing writer to the Herald since 2012, Lauren Lev is a direct marketing/ advertising executive who teaches marketing fundamentals as well as advertising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology and SUNY Old Westbury.

L auren L ev
Thomas L. Kearns

V.S. NORTH Senior SWIMMING

A KEY MEMBER OF Valley Stream Central High School District’s girls’ swim program since its inception in 2023, Flynn earned the coaches award as a sophomore and has served as a two-year captain. She has earned an appearance in the Nassau County championships in each season and reached the finals of the 100-yard butterfly as a junior. Her career-best time in the event is 1:07.02, and she also thrives in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

games to watch

Friday, Oct. 17

Girls Volleyball: V.S. North at Clarke 5 p.m.

Football: Freeport at Westbury 5 p.m.

Football: Plainview at Oceanside 6 p.m.

Football: Floral Park at South Side 6 p.m.

Football: Elmont at Hewlett 6 p.m.

Football: Bethpage at Wantagh 6 p.m.

Football: Locust Valley at Plainedge 6:30 p.m.

Girls Volleyball: Mepham at Calhoun 6:45 p.m.

Football: Sewanhaka at V.S. North 7 p.m.

Football: V.S. South at Division 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18

Football: Carey at Clarke 11 a.m.

Girls Volleyball: E.Meadow at V.S. Central 11:45 a.m.

Girls Volleyball: Plainedge at Elmont 11:45 a.m.

Football: Baldwin at Roosevelt 12 p.m.

Football: Massapequa at Farmingdale 1 p.m.

Football: New Hyde Park at Mepham 2 p.m.

Football: MacArthur at Calhoun 2 p.m.

Football: Long Beach at East Meadow 2 p.m.

Football: Jericho at V.S. Central 2 p.m.

Football: Kennedy at Roslyn 2 p.m.

Football: Lynbrook at Seaford 2 p.m.

Football: East Rockaway at North Shore 2 p.m.

Football: Malverne at Lawrence 2 p.m.

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

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

Clarke stays hot, tops V.S. South

Coming off one of its biggest wins in program history, Clarke’s football team showed no sign of a letdown last Friday night and took care of business at Valley Stream South, defeating the host Falcons, 42-25, in a Nassau Conference III matchup.

The Rams, still riding high from a stunning 36-34 upset over defending county and Long Island Class IV champion Wantagh a week prior, used a dominant second-half effort to secure their fourth straight win. Clarke, now 4-1, overcame a sluggish start and a threepoint halftime deficit to outscore the Falcons 26-6 after the break.

Valley Stream South, coming off a thrilling 17-14 win over Manhasset thanks to Aidan Paris’ late touchdown, fell to 2-3.

Clarke was led by quarterback Matthew Kurz and wide receiver James Beckworth. The senior signal-caller had 146 passing yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 115 yards and scoring three times with his legs. As for the Rams’ senior pass catcher, Beckworth tallied 122 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

“We were really resilient,” Clarke head coach Kevin O’Hagan said. “The game started off as bad as it could’ve and we were on our heels a bit, but at halftime we kept it cool and didn’t panic. We knew if we just stuck with it, our offense would start clicking and it did.”

On the other side, senior Peter Greif had a big game for the Falcons, scoring two touchdowns with one of them being a 90-yard kickoff return to begin the game. Senior quarterback Daniel Casey also contributed with two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing.

Valley Stream South head coach Joseph Guastafeste was proud of the effort. “They played hard,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we were right there. When it gets to this point in the season and it’s a close game like that, it comes down to a few

Quarterback Matthew

two rushing scores and a passing touchdown

42-25 win at Valley Stream South.

key plays and we’ve gotta work on the basics.”

It was the Falcons who led for most of the first half, taking a 19-16 lead into the break. The second half, however, was all Clarke.

Kurz engineered a methodical 60-yard drive to open the third quarter, finishing it with a 13-yard touchdown run to give the Rams their first lead of the night, 22-19. After a defensive stop, Kurz found Beckworth for a fourthdown, 22-yard touchdown, and Michael Iadevaia, who had a 44-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, added his second two-point conversion to stretch the lead to 30-19 late in the third.

South kept things interesting early in the fourth, as Casey connected with Greif for a 34-yard touchdown strike to pull within five. But the Falcons failed

to recover the onside kick, and Clarke capitalized on the short field. Kurz punched in his second rushing score from two yards out to make it 36-25.

Beckworth delivered the dagger with under two minutes to go, hauling in a 25-yard touchdown to seal the Rams’ victory.

“We had the ultimate confidence in ourselves going into that Wantagh game,” said Kurz, who threw two touchdown passes to Grady Rick and one to Alex Frank to help upset the Warriors. “We came here with the same mentality. We’re hungry and want to keep our foot on the pedal.”

Beckworth echoed that mindset. “We had a disappointing season last year so we wanted to bounce back,” he said. “We just love to play, especially under the lights on a Friday night.”

Paul Grassini/Herald
Kurz had
in the Rams’

Smith, Galiano lead Jets over Baldwin

East Meadow quarterback Trevor Smith is healthy, and that’s bad news for the rest of Nassau Conference II football.

Smith, who missed last season due to a blood clot and suffered a broken thumb in 2023, is “the best athlete in the school,” head coach Keith Lizzi said, and is one of the biggest reasons the Jets are off to a flying 4-1 start.

Smith’s two passing touchdowns and one rushing score steered East Meadow to a 35-16 victory at Baldwin last Saturday. Also a two-time All-County baseball shortstop, he went 6-for-7 passing for 117 yards.

“Everybody’s healthy and we feel great about where we’re at,” said Smith, whose main partner in crime is senior running back James Galiano, who had a pair of long touchdown runs and was on the receiving end of a momentum-changing score with less than 10 seconds remaining in the opening half. “We’re a close-knit team.”

The Bruins (3-2) got passing and rushing touchdowns from Smith’s counterpart, senior quarterback Michael Jordan, and led twice but couldn’t limit the big plays.

“I know we’re always going to battle, but that’s been a problem lately,” Baldwin head coach Mike Robinson said. “We’re giving up chunks of yardage and have to do a better job tackling.”

A fake punt on the game’s opening drive allowed the Bruins to take a 3-0 lead on junior Gavin McGinley’s 22-yard field goal. Sophomore Mekhai Samuels had a 24-yard catch to keep the chains moving early and then on fourth-and-8 from their own 46, senior Aiden Johnson, who later suffered an ankle injury putting his status for next Saturday’s game at Roosevelt in question, raced 28 yards

Quarterback Trevor Smith, right, had two passing touchdowns and a rushing score in East Meadow’s 35-16 win at Baldwin last Saturday.

off the punt snap.

The Jets responded on their first drive and took a 7-3 lead on an explosive 48-yard touchdown run by Smith and junior Lizzy Serra’s extra point. Baldwin regained the lead midway through the second quarter on senior Kymani Heaven’s 16-yard touchdown catch, but it was all East Meadow thereafter.

“Baldwin’s big and physical and this is a nice win for us,” Lizzi said. “We’re primarily a groundand-pound team but we can also mix it up and hit a big pass which we showed again today.”

Behind an impressive offensive line consisting of Antonio Ribiero, Yiannis Kakavar, Eddie Brown, Vincent Garner and Alexander Lengu, Galiano had second-quarter touchdowns covering 43, 31 and 34 yards. “James has excellent feet and vision,” Lizzi said. “He carries the offensive load and is a tough, bruising runner.”

The Jets scored twice in the final 1:44 of the second quarter to take a 28-10 halftime lead. Junior Josh Perez’s interception set up Galiano’s second touchdown run, then the special teams thwarted a second fake punt attempt by the Bruins with 30 seconds left just outside the red zone.

Smith and Galiano then hooked up for a backbreaking score, a 34-yard touchdown through the air on fourth-and-forever. “That was big,” said Smith, who has the offense averaging 37 points in four victories.

Baldwin sophomore Patrick Feeney recovered a muffed punt midway through the third quarter to set up Jordan’s 1-yard touchdown that cut the margin to 28-16, but Smith struck again on the ensuing possession with a 31-yard touchdown toss to junior Nick Schwabe, who topped 100 yards receiving in wins over Kennedy and New Hyde Park.

Next up for East Meadow is a visit from Long Beach Saturday at 2 p.m.

Erik Lee/Herald photos
Nick Schwabe capped the Jets win with a late touchdown grab.

O’Connell seeks to build on 20-year record

Maureen O’Connell, the Nassau County clerk since 2006, is seeking re-election, with a focus on continuing the modernization of county records and expanding services for senior citizens and non-English speakers.

A registered nurse and an attorney, O’Connell, 74, has served in public office for more than three decades, including a term in the Assembly and as deputy mayor of East Williston. In the clerk’s office, she says, she is committed to improving access and service for residents.

“When I walked into that office … there were about 2 million unprocessed documents,” she said. “We were not really modernized.”

Since then, O’Connell said, the office has undergone a significant transformation. Court and land records are now digitized and available online, allowing attorneys and members of the public to file and access documents without visiting the clerk’s office in a building on Old Country Road in Mineola that is notorious for its limited parking.

“We created an electronic database so that a lawyer who wants to start a lawsuit doesn’t have to drive over,” O’Connell said. “They can electronically file a lawsuit from their home office.”

In addition to overseeing deed and mortgage filings, the clerk also serves as the clerk of county Supreme Court. O’Connell said she implemented one of the state’s first Supreme Court filing databases, and added digital interfaces with local and state agencies to streamline access to records.

She has also led efforts to digitize historical documents, a process she refers to as “backfilling.” “The more we backfill, the better the public is served,” O’Connell said. She noted frequent visits from senior

citizens needing access to decades-old property records they have misplaced. “Sometimes that safe place is so safe they can never find it again,” she said.

To further assist homeowners, O’Connell created a Property Fraud Alert Program. Property owners can sign up to receive email alerts if any documents — such as deeds or mortgages — are filed relating to their property. The goal is to prevent fraud involving falsified documents.

“Fortunately, we have not seen a lot of it in Nassau — a very minimal amount,” O’Connell said. “But the county clerks statewide do see it in some counties.”

COUNTY CLERK

If she is re-elected, O’Connell said, she plans to focus on expanding parking at the Mineola complex and to continue efforts to digitize older records. She also hopes to expand the effort to adapting services to the growing population of residents for whom English is not their primary language. A language line, which translates conversations between clerk’s office employees and visitors in real time, has been implemented to aid communication.

O’Connell said that her dual background in nursing and law has shaped her approach to public service. “As a nurse, you like to help people,” she said. “Get the problem solved, and help them resolve whatever issues they’re in need of resolving.”

A lifelong Nassau County resident, O’Connell grew up in Mineola and now lives in East Williston. She trained at Flushing Hospital School of Nursing, and has a bachelor’s degree in health care management from St. Joseph’s College and a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law. She is an assistant professor of nursing at SUNY Farmingdale, and serves on several local boards, including the Farmingdale School of Nursing advisory board and Harbor Child Care in Mineola.

She remains passionate about her work for the county. “It’s just a wonderful job,” she said. “I love working, serving in public.”

Clerk must be more accessible,Williams says

Joylette E. Williams, a professor of English at Nassau Community College, is running for Nassau County clerk. A resident of the Village of Hempstead since 1993, she has built her career in education and local service, and in her campaign is emphasizing administrative experience, accessibility and modernization.

Williams has a Ph.D. in English, is completing a second doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Connecticut and is in her second term on the Hempstead Board of Education. She was first elected in 2022, and re-elected in May after community members urged her to continue her service. Her current term runs through 2028.

“It helps me to understand not only the concerns that residents have throughout the county, but it’s very, very rewarding to actually participate in those advocacy roles,” Williams said.

Her academic background, she added, which includes several master’s degrees and over two decades of teaching, has prepared her for the administrative demands of the clerk’s office, which manages the county’s legal documents, property records and business filings. She noted her experience with recordkeeping, document management and organizational leadership in higher education.

Williams served as a Hempstead village trustee from 2021 to 2022, and sits on the Town of Hempstead’s Industrial Development Agency board. She is also the assistant secretary of the Hempstead chapter of the NAACP, is active in the Hempstead Community Land Trust, the Hempstead chapter of the AARP and the Long Island chapter of the National Coalition of 100

Tim Baker/Herald

Joylette Williams has a Ph.D. in English and is completing a second doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Connecticut.

Black Women. She is a member of the Nassau Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

A central goal of her campaign is to digitize county records and to modernize the operating systems of the clerk’s office. “Right now it’s running like it’s 1974,” she said.

Williams has spoken with title insurance companies and attorneys who frequent the clerk’s office, she said, and has identified inefficiencies, including a lack

of online access to court records that makes it necessary for paralegals to visit the office in person.

The clerk’s mobile outreach van is underutilized, she added, and she has proposed increasing its presence across the county, including at libraries and senior centers. She has also proposed extending the office’s hours to 7 p.m. one day a week to accommodate working residents.

“The clerk’s office needs to be more accessible to all residents of Nassau County, and not just a few areas,” Williams said.

If elected, she plans to propose to the Legislature that fees for deed transfers and property transactions be reduced, and has identified seniors, first responders, first-time homebuyers and veterans as populations that could benefit from fee reductions or waivers.

Williams also cited the need for translators in the clerk’s office, noting a range of languages, from Spanish to Urdu, that are spoken by residents who visit the office regularly. Increased language accessibility, she said, would ensure equitable service across the county’s diverse population.

Her work in civic organizations, Williams said, has helped her better understand residents’ needs and leadership strategies. She added that she plans to request a leave of absence from Nassau Community College if she is elected, because both positions are county-funded and cannot be held simultaneously.

Williams was invited to join the ticket by the Democratic Party leadership, and underwent a vetting process that included interviews, reference checks and social media review. Her commitment to public service and community advocacy, she said, motivated her to accept the nomination.

Tim Baker/Herald
A registered nurse and an attorney, Maureen O’Connell has served in public office for over three decades, including a term in the Assembly.

Police discover loaded gun during Westbury traffic stop

Two men from Louisiana were arrested in Westbury after police discovered a loaded handgun during a traffic stop Friday night, Nassau County police said.

According to detectives, officers with the department’s Strategic Response Team observed a black 2009 Ford Edge traveling east on Zeckendorf Boulevard around 8:05 p.m. Oct. 3 when the driver failed to signal a lane change near Corporate Drive. Officers activated their emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop.

During the investigation, police

recovered a loaded handgun and arrested the driver, Andrew Robinson, 38, of Virginia Street in Monroe, Louisiana, and his passenger, Donyea Walker, 30, of Lincoln Park in Monroe.

Robinson and Walker were each charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a firearm. They were arraigned on Oct. 4 at the First District Court in Hempstead.

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YOUTH HEROES

Charlie Dubofsky and Sydney Hassenbein

The American Red Cross Heroes Celebration is the signature fundraising event for the American Red Cross on Long Island, serving Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Event Co-chairs: James Quent, Greg Lavine, and Jennifer Solomon

For tickets, sponsorships, journal ads and to learn more, please visit redcross.org/LIheroes

–Jordan Vallone
Andrew robinson donyeA wAlker

HERALD NEIGHBORS

Students learn about clubs in East Meadow

East Meadow High School students explored a wide range of opportunities to get involved during the school’s annual Clubs and Activities Fair on Sept. 26.

Held in the gymnasium, the event featured colorful displays and enthusiastic club leaders, each eager to share what makes their organization unique. Tables lined the room, representing dozens of extracurricular options — from academic and service-based groups to performance ensembles, cultural clubs and athletic teams.

Students walked from table to table, asking questions, collecting flyers and signing up for the activities that sparked their interest. For many, it was a chance to learn more about the school community and to discover new passions outside the classroom.

Administrators and staff emphasized that joining clubs and activities plays an important role in the high school experience, helping students develop leadership skills, build friendships and find a sense of belonging. By day’s end, the gym was buzzing with excitement as students committed to making the most of what East Meadow High has to offer.

–Jordan Vallone
Those interested in finance were able to learn about East Meadow’s Academy of Finance.
Photos courtesy East Meadow School District
A fun board drew prospective members to the Comic Box Club’s booth.
Computer whizzes found common interests at t the Hack Club’s booth.
Plant and environmental lovers stopped by the Horticulture Club’s table and met members who discussed club activities.
Students flocked to the gymnasium of East Meadow High School for the Clubs and Activities Fair on Sept. 26. Members of the Hispanic Culture Club manned their booth.

MERRICK FESTIVAL

Phillips has led county’s drive into digital era

Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips traces her drive for public service to a childhood defined by independence, perseverance and the generosity of mentors who opened doors. Born in western Pennsylvania, the youngest of four daughters, she was the first in her family to attend college — a milestone achieved without guidance or financial help after her father’s death when she was 12.

“I was kind of left on my own a lot,” Phillips recalled. “There was no guidance for college.” That changed when she became a Rotary exchange student in Brazil for 13 months — an experience she described as life-changing. “It allowed me to mature and figure out who I wanted to be in life,” she said, adding that she still speaks fluent Portuguese nearly five decades later.

Phillips went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree in political science and an MBA in finance from Penn State, working as a bartender to pay tuition. Her career began in finance — first at Metropolitan Life, later at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, where she helped build mortgage-backed securities departments. After taking time off to raise her three daughters, she negotiated a rare job-sharing arrangement at Goldman that allowed her to balance motherhood with highstakes finance work for nearly a decade.

Public service came later. After serving as mayor of Flower Hill during Superstorm Sandy, she was elected to the State Senate in 2016, where she championed legislation closing a loophole that had allowed those convicted of domestic violence to keep certain firearms. In 2021 she was elected Nassau County’s comptroller — a role she calls both humbling and demanding.

Her signature initiative, she said, has been modernizing the county’s outdated financial system, which dates back to 1999. “We do our accounting basically

using Excel files,” Phillips said. “Departments like DPW, purchasing and accounting all had different data — none of it lined up.”

Her office led a two-year process to select CGI to implement a cloud-based enterprise resource planning system, dubbed Nassau Forward, that will unify county financial operations and automatically update accounting standards. “It’s transformative,” Phillips said. “Our goal is to go live between 2027 and 2028.”

During her tenure, the comptroller’s office also digitized vendor claims, cutting payment times from four months to less than 10 days. “There used to be paper almost to the ceiling,” she said. “Now it’s all online

COUNTY COMPTROLLER

through e-claims.” Phillips also overhauled the audit process, emphasizing collaboration and corrective action rather than punitive reports that “collected dust.”

She credited her staff for the county’s recognition by the Government Finance Officers Association with its Triple Crown award for excellence in financial reporting — the only county in New York state to earn it. Nassau has also received seven bond-rating upgrades during her term.

Looking ahead, Phillips said her top priorities, if re-elected, would be completing the Nassau Forward project, hiring additional accountants and expanding electronic systems for retirees’ benefits. “We’re still sending out paper checks to some retirees,” she said. “We want to move to direct deposit — it’s safer and more efficient.”

She acknowledged ongoing challenges balancing employee wages and benefits with affordability for residents. “You want to pay your employees a fair wage and provide good health care,” Phillips said. “But you also want to make sure people can still afford to live here.”

Reflecting on her career, she credited her success to teamwork. “I’m as good as the people around me,” she said. “You always want to do more — to make government more efficient, save taxpayers money, and keep Nassau in strong fiscal shape.”

Wink: Comptroller must be ‘fiscal watchdog’

Wayne Wink says Nassau County is once again standing on shaky financial ground — and he believes the comptroller’s office should be the first line of defense. The longtime public servant, attorney and former legislator is challenging incumbent Comptroller Elaine Phillips, arguing that the county needs more transparency, oversight and independence from the administration.

“I’ve always spoken truth to power,” said Wink, 58, who currently serves as minority counsel to the County Legislature. “What we need is a fiscal watchdog. What we have is a fiscal lapdog.”

A Hofstra University and St. John’s University School of Law graduate, Wink grew up in Uniondale, in what he describes as a “barely middle-class” household, and was the first in his family to go to college. He was elected to public office for the first time in the early 2000s and went on to serve 20 years in local government — including as a North Hempstead town councilman, county legislator and town clerk.

Among his legislative accomplishments, Wink cites the creation of Nassau’s Silver Alert law, modeled after the Amber Alert system but designed to locate missing seniors with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. “We’ve had a number of people saved because of that program,” he said. He also helped establish North Hempstead’s domestic partner registry before same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. and pushed for “right-sizing” government by transferring underused county assets to towns that could better manage them.

Among his legislative accomplishments, Wink cites the creation of Nassau’s Silver Alert law, modeled after the Amber Alerts system.

Now, as he seeks to return to countywide office, Wink says that Nassau’s biggest problems aren’t new — they’re just unresolved. “When I left the Legislature in 2013, I came back 10 years later and found the same issues: the college, the medical center, the jail, assessments,” he said. “They’re all repackaged, but the same issues.”

One of his top concerns is the county’s ongoing fiscal oversight by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which was created more than 20 years ago amid

budget turmoil. “No county our size with our affluence and abilities should still be under a control board,” he said, adding that sustainable budgeting and stronger auditing practices could allow the county to regain autonomy.

Wink has been especially critical of the county’s use of American Rescue Plan Act funds to plug operating deficits. “The only way they’re balancing the 2025 budget is to take $120 million of Covid money,” he said. “We’re spending down reserves that were built up under Laura Curran,” he added, referring to the former county executive. “It’s unsustainable.” He said that Nassau faces a structural deficit of $200 million to $250 million per year in its four-year plan.

Wink argues that genuine transparency begins with full disclosure of how public money is spent — including vendor identities. “The county’s ‘open checkbook’ lists every transaction except who got the money,” he said. “That’s not transparency.”

If elected, he said, his first priority would be to restore field audits, which he claims have disappeared under the current administration. “The comptroller is there to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely,” Wink said. “We need to get back to real audits, in the weeds, to find waste, fraud and abuse.”

He also called for greater oversight of county contracts, jail operations and agencies such as the Nassau University Medical Center, which he says have faced mounting financial and management issues.

“The county is slowly fading into the fiscal abyss again,” Wink said. “We’ve been here before — and if we keep the status quo, we’ll be back there again. Nassau needs new eyes, real accountability, and leadership willing to tell the truth.”

Tim Baker/Herald
Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips is seeking re-election.

U.S Rep. Laura Gillen weighs in on funding bill

With the federal government currently in shutdown, U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, who representes New York’s Congressional District 4, offered a bipartisan solution.

Gillen shared her perspective on the federal government’s shutdown at the Family and Health Center office in Uniondale on Oct. 2, calling for her Republican colleagues in the house to hear Democrats’ concerns about the budget.

Health care spending is at the center of the disagreement in the House. The budget Congress had attempted to pass, up until Oct. 1 at midnight, includes cuts to a selection of programs that Gillen called “the largest cut to health care in America’s history.”

Gillen called for both parties to seek a bipartisan solution before rising health costs contribute to the financial burden of families across her district.

“If House Republicans governed responsibly, they would have met with us,” she said. “Instead, they’ve chosen to throw our health care system into further crisis, just months after they voted to gut Medicaid for millions of children, seniors and people with disabilities.”

The “Big Bad Bill,” according to Gillen, includes cuts that would significantly raise premiums for people who

have plans under the Affordable Healthcare Act.

“A middle class family of four could see their health care bills rise by an additional $3,200 next year,” she explained. “This is really going to hurt people. We are already struggling with the cost of living crisis, and Long Islanders cannot afford another increased bill.”

A shutdown occurs when congress

does not pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which is Oct. 1 for the federal government. During a shutdown, nonessential departments are halted, while vital institutions must continue working without pay.

The last government shutdown was in 2019.

Gabriel Pedeira is the legislative and political organizer for the American Federation of Government Employees

— the largest federal labor union in the country with 800,000 members. In the previous shutdown, Pedeira saw federal workers struggle with delayed pay.

“We had people going to food banks,” he said. “We had people who could not pay their utility bills at the time. We had families who couldn’t pay for childcare at the time. We had people who were forced to go to work and literally couldn’t afford the gasoline.

“This is not something that should be happening in a developed nation like the United States of America,” he continued. “I know we can do better.”

Jeffery Reynolds, president and chief executive of Family & Children’s Association, explained that suicides, divorces and other civil disruptions have been on downward treand post-coronavirus pandemic, but that progress could be at risk.

“I worry that the threats to Medicaid, the threats to the ACA to the grants that we hold here at FCA put all of that in jeopardy,” he said.

Vanessa Barid-Streeter, president and chief executive of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, urged for healthcare spending to remain a priority in the federal budget.

“They are lifelines for people, for communities and for individuals,” she said. “If we let these credits expire, we will all feel it deeply, personally and collectively.”

Ear Works Audiology: Patient-Centered Hearing Care

When it comes to hearing healthcare, one size does not fit all. At Ear Works Audiology, providers take the time to understand each patient’s unique experience — whether it’s a child hearing clearly in class or a grandparent reconnecting with family.

“Hearing loss is a very individualized disorder,” says Dr. Anne Capogna, audiologist with Ear Works Audiology. “People can have the exact same level of hearing loss and have very, very different experiences with it…so, as an audiologist, our first job is to diagnose the level of the hearing loss. But then we really spend a lot of time working

one-on-one with our patients to see how this hearing loss is impacting their life and what their situations they have the most difficulty with.”

That means looking beyond the test results. “We strive to improve their quality of life through better hearing,”

Dr. Capogna says. Empathy plays a key role. “There’s a level of vulnerability to explain why you need help…that’s why I’m very vocal in encouraging my patients to give me as much feedback as possible. The more the patient shares about their hearing difficulties, the better I can assist and improve their communication goals.”

Follow-up visits are where real progress happens. “It is during these appointments that we can really fine tune the hearing aid to meet all of our patients’ needs,” she explains. “Helping [patients] is the most important part of my day.”

At Ear Works, it’s not just about better hearing — it’s about better living.

516-248-0068

Throughout Long Island

Joseph D’Alessandro/Herald
Jeffrey Reynolds, left, U.S. Representative Laura Gillen and Vanessa Baird-Streeter spoke on the importance of healthcare to Long Islanders on Oct. 2.
Dr. Anne Capogna

members of the east meadow Board of education were honored during the oct. 8 board meeting with artwork created by students in Brian o’neill’s ap Studio art class at east meadow High School.

Security remains priority for board, administration

istics of our area, translating their observations and experiences into works of art,” Nixon said.

The artwork was gifted to each board member, “symbolizing the connection between the arts education and our community,” Nixon added.

When new board members are elected or appointed, they are gifted an official portrait, which hangs in district headquarters. Trustees Siobhan Licastro and Dana Fernandez, elected to fill two empty seats on the board in May, had their portraits unveiled at the meeting. East Meadow High School senior Maleeha Fatima and W.T. Clarke High School junior Marelise Jorlgewich created the pieces.

“On behalf of the East Meadow art department, Heather Anastasio, our district art department chairperson, and the East Meadow community, we extend our sincere gratitude for your tremendous support and dedication to our students and staff,” Nixon said, addressing the board.

At the previous board meeting, held on Sept. 17, school safety was discussed as a priority for the district’s administration and trustees. Ken Rosner, the district’s superintendent of schools, said a SWOT analysis — which stands for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats — was shared with more than 1,000 staff members in East Meadow schools, pertaining to safety and security.

“We’re asking for everybody’s feedback (to) look at what we’re doing — some of the progresses that we made, some of the weaknesses that we still have,” Rosner explained.

During the public comments’ portion of the meeting, Board President Jessica Ricco-Simeone said a community member raised questions about the potential for armed security in East Meadow’s schools. She said the conversation that

HERALD

CONTEST RULES:

followed was respectful, and thanked meeting attendees for their input.

“We are aware that this is a topic that brings up many feelings on both sides,” Ricco-Simeone said. “That is why we have asked the superintendent to develop a community survey that will help us gather information about this topic.”

The board also asked Rosner to figure out the times that the district could hold forums on the topic in the near future.

“I would like to make myself clear: This item will not be added to an agenda to be voted on until we have had the surveys distributed, data collected and multiple open forums,” Ricco-Simeone said.

Also during the September meeting, it was announced that each trustee would be taking on an active role at one of East Meadow’s nine school buildings by attending events. Several board members shared activities they have attended since the start of the school year.

Licastro noted a successful celebration at George McVey Elementary School in honor of its 75th anniversary, congratulating the principal, staff and PTA for pulling off a tremendous event. Trustee Nancy Widman reflected on a successful homecoming at East Meadow High School, while Maria Talluto, the board’s vice president, informed meeting attendees about an exciting family book fair held at Bowling Green Elementary School.

Rosner said it’s great to see East Meadow come together for sporting events, noting that the sense of community is larger than just the teams themselves.

“It spans, not just the teams, but the cheerleaders, the kick line, the community and the PTA, and all those great things that are happening at these events builds momentum into the school year that can’t be stopped,” he said. “It’s such an important part of what we do, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

ATTENTION STUDENTS:

THE HERALD IS HOLDING A CONTEST TO DESIGN HOLIDAY WRAPPING PAPER

THE WINNING DESIGNS WILL BE PRINTED AS HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP IN 12/4/25 & 12/11/25 ISSUES OF YOUR HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Who can enter: There will be 2 categories:

Students in grades k-5. Students in 6-12

One entry per student

Deadline: Entries must be received by 5 p.m.

Friday, October 31, 2025

Grand prize: Winners will have their design printed as wrapping paper in the Herald and will be featured in an article in their local Herald newspaper.

Entry format: Please use an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of unlined paper. All entries should have the student’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, grade and school printed on the back. Design can be reflective of all religious holidays. Entries will not be returned.

Mail or hand-deliver to:

Wrapping Paper Contest

Herald Community Newspapers

2 Endo Boulevard, Garden City, NY 11530 OR Scan and email to: ekimbrell@liherald.com

(No Photos of Artwork Will Be Accepted).

Winners will be notified by email or phone by November 14

HELPFUL HINTS

• Must use 8 1/2 x 11” unlined paper, copy paper or construction paper.

• Be creative & original.

• Use bright colors.

• Fill the entire page.

• Choose paint, crayon, chalk, markers, pens, or other creative materials.

• Remember your design will be used to make a real sheet of wrapping paper.

Courtesy East Meadow School District

SoberIn40 offers innovative new strategies

what you’re struggling with. Our course and content changes with what you’re struggling with in real time.”

N.G. Berrill, a forensic psychologist and founder of New York Forensic, was one of the first medical professionals who got involved with SoberIn40’s development. “It sounded like he had an interesting idea,” Berrill said of Cook, “something that was innovative, and would provide to individuals struggling with substance abuse a method of intervention that doesn’t really exist at the present time.”

Berrill described the program’s use of machine learning, combined with the work of clinicians, as a “very positive” development in the field of substance abuse treatment.

“Substance abuse is just so destructive,” he said. “It’s so terrible for people’s lives, their families … rather than turn away, I think the real (solution) is to turn toward this.”

The first phase of the SoberIn40 program lasts 40 days, takes about an hour a day and consists of videos, questions and more. It is followed by a 120-day, half-hour-a-day after-care program, and after that it opens up to 300 maintenance courses.

A police lieutenant in Nassau County, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Herald about his experiences with SoberIn40 as he battled alcoholism,

and its impact on his life. “As somebody who is in the world of law enforcement, we are not the best at asking for help,” he said.

The lieutenant’s therapist and Cook met, and decided to suggest the program as a solution. The lieutenant is now 14 months sober.

“(SoberIn40) has certainly given me a much better shot at stabilizing my marriage, being a more active father, and not blaming everything on the stress of life and what I consider the disease of alcoholism,” he said.

The program now has 2,200 incarcerated people participating in 16 state and federal facilities, and about 400 members on mobile devices using the program’s app.

“This is my calling,” Cook said. “You really do find purpose when your life is at its lowest.”

SoberIn40 is an outpatient care program — not a replacement for urgent treatments or medical emergencies. A free version of the program is available, and the full program can be accessed for $39.99 a month. To learn more, visit SoberIn40.com.

Spencer Cook offers his Soberin40 program to anyone in need, including people in prison who are looking to make a change.

Courtesy Spencer Cook

STEPPING OUT

At the mock store modeled after Freeport’s Two Cousins Fish Market, kids role play as fishmongers and customers.

Visitors are introduced to the exhibit’s many components.

THE SEA IS CALLING

Children’s Museum’s ‘Saltwater Stories’ is rooted in local maritime traditions

Long Island Children’s Museum sets sail on a bold new chapter with “Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me,” its first new permanent exhibition in over a decade. The 1,900-square-foot immersive installation, which officially opened last week, invites families to explore Long Island’s rich nautical heritage, celebrating the people, traditions and cultures that have long relied on the sea.

Our coastal identity comes to life through storytelling, interactive play and local traditions. Kids (and grown-ups!) can climb into a full-size bay house, sort the day’s catch in a bustling fish market, explore the wonders under the sea and even hop inside a 500-pound hand-carved canoe. That canoe — a mishoon (Indigenous dugout canoe) commissioned by the museum — was created through the collaboration of Shinnecock Cultural Steward Chenae Bullock, her mentor Darius Coombs of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and apprentice Shane Weeks of the Shinnecock Nation. Welcomed by the museum in June, it now takes up residence within “Saltwater Stories.”

A culmination of more than 15 years of museum programming and partnerships with local fishermen, Indigenous communities and historians, it anchors Long Island’s past to its future with creativity and care. The concept first took shape several years ago, sparked by the museum’s long-running partnerships with tradition bearers and a desire to give families a more personal connection to the natural world around them.

Museum President Erika Floreska describes the exhibit as “authentic, playful and beautiful.”

Director of Exhibits Margo Malter traces its roots back to weekend programs begun in 2009, when local baymen and fishermen shared firsthand stories about life on the water. Over the years, those early conversations grew into a deeper exploration of Long Island’s maritime culture. The turning point came in 2019, when the museum received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. That funding allowed the team to assemble a cohort of community advisors — fisherfolk, Indigenous leaders, historians, and educators — whose voices helped shape Saltwater’s foundation.

“We like to say the exhibit is informed by community, for the community,” Floreska adds.

From the stories of generations of baymen to the bustling fish markets of the Nautical Mile, the exhibit’s components are rooted in the everyday lives of Long

Anthony Rodia

Anthony Rodia is back with his “Laugh Till It Hurts” tour. Building on the success of his previous outing, this is his biggest and most ambitious yet. Born and raised in Westchester, Rodia came out of the womb making people laugh. In his 20s he tried a few open mics, but ultimately took a different career path. In 2019, Rodia returned to comedy and left his day job to become a full-time stand-up comic. With a background steeped in family traditions, Italian-American culture and the ups and downs of modern life, Anthony’s comedy feels like a conversation with your funniest friend. His blend of observational humor, self-deprecation and witty impressions has led him on his path as one of the most exciting rising stars on the comedy scene.

Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Islanders past and present. It also highlights the connections between the traditions of immigrant communities who share seaside cultures, offering opportunities for shared experiences and dialogue.

Visitors are welcomed by a nine-foot high immersive, stylized wave tunnel. Visible from the three entries to the museum’s second floor, this wow-moment hooks you into the gallery and recreates that first introduction to the sea for many of us — a day at the beach. Lighting and sound effects give a transportive transition into “Saltwater Stories.”

• Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Among the exhibit’s many features, young visitors can role-play life on the bay in a walkin replica of a bay house, where a “magic window” lets them observe real-time changes in weather, tides and marsh life. Nearby, in a classic Long Island fish market, you can sort, weigh and sell the day’s catch — mimicking the work of generations who lived off the sea. Also everyone will enjoy “Lifting the Ocean’s Lid,” an early learner area where kids can get a close-up look at what lives under the sea.

• View the events calendar at licm.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800

• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City

For Floreska, Saltwater’s heart lies in its ability to tell a local story while providing a playful, hands-on space that’s deeply connected to the real world — something she describes as both unique and meaningful.

“It gives visitors of all ages a chance to connect with a cultural richness that defines Long Island,” she says.

Integrating new technology felt like a natural next step in the evolution of the museum’s approach to storytelling, according to Malter. She highlights the bay house installation as a standout example, where digital features are used to make the environment feel dynamic and real.

To create the immersive “magic window,” the team hired a videographer to capture time-lapse footage of a local marsh over the course of several days, including scenes at night and during a storm. With the push of a button, kids can change the view outside the window — transforming from day to night or calm to stormy — making the experience both magical and grounded in the real world.

“Observing the natural world was a big educational goal for me,” Malter explains. By blending real footage with playful interaction, young visitors notice environmental details they might otherwise overlook — fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity rooted in the rhythms of local life.

The phrase “we need the sea and the sea needs me” serves as the exhibit’s guiding inspiration.

Even the quintessential Long Island Islander — Billy Joel — has a place here. Everyone can watch a video of his “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’,” commercial fishing’s unofficial anthem.

To help families turn inspiration into action, a resource guide on the museum website provides ideas for local, family-friendly activities that extend the learning into the home. Floreska points to community programs like Freeport-based “Operation Splash,” where families can participate in cleaning up local shorelines.

As a permanent fixture now, “Saltwater Stories” continues the museum’s commitment to ignite curiosity, encourage stewardship and strengthen our bond with the environment — reminding us all that the sea’s story is deeply intertwined with our own.

$144.75, $108.75, $98.25, $86.50, $76.25, $64.75. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.

Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra

Maestro Louis Panacciulli and the Nassau Pops Orchestra return to the Tilles Center for their annual gala supporting the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, joined again by Tony Danza and his band. Danza’s latest cabaret show, “Sinatra and Stories,” blends personal anecdotes, humor and some classic tunes. He pays tribute to the music of ‘Ol Blue Eyes, whose music formed the soundtrack of his childhood. He brings his trademark charisma and storytelling — along with touch of soft shoe and ukulele-strumming — to his selection of Sinatra’s timeless classics. Swing into an afternoon of great tunes and fascinating stories — all to benefit this vital organization.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 3 p.m. Tickets start at $30. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post Campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at npso.org/tickets or tillescenter.org.

Gala
Photos courtesy Kevin Chu/KCJP Everyone is welcomed into “Saltwater Stories” through a stylized wave tunnel.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CALENDAR

OCT

17

Tribute Concert and Fundraiser

Strawberry Fields, an immersive Beatles tribute experience, perform at East Meadow High School. Proceeds benefit the Susan Satriano Foundation for Cancer, which provides school scholarships to children with special needs and cancer.

• Where: 101 Carman Ave., East Meadow

• Time: 7:30 p.m.

• Contact: Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation on Facebook

OCT

18

Enchanted Forest Nassau County Museum of Art invites families to another Super Family Saturday program. This magical adventure includes hands-on art activities themed around transformation, fantasy, and discovery, plus a special trail through the site’s fall forest.. $20 non-member adults, $10 members and children.

• Where: Manes Center, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: Session 1, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; Session 2, 1-2:30 p.m.

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

Ghostly

Gala

Bring the kids to Long Island Children’s Museum’s annual Halloween celebration. Enjoy the holiday in a fun, safe and spooky (not scary) way! Show off your costumes and dance moves in a Monster Mash Dance Party. Visit the Spooky Studio and meet mysterious underwater creatures. Also make some cool and creepy crafts. Start offyour spooky night by decorating a bewitching trick-or-treat bag, then collect ghostly goodies from the museum’s roaming staff. Also a special showing of “Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch” in the LICM theater. $16, $14 members; show $5.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 6-9 p.m.

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

Korean Culture Day

Celebrate the vibrant traditions of Korea at Old Westbury Gardens at the 3rd Annual Korean Culture Day Celebration. This family-friendly event brings together the sights, sounds and flavors of Korea in the beautiful garden setting. Enjoy authentic Korean foods and flavors, dance performances, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations, and more. Whether you’re discovering Korean culture for the first time or reconnecting with cherished traditions, this afternoon

OCT

25

Little Feat

One of America’s most distinctive and longest-running rock bands, Little Feat is back in a big way with a revitalized lineup, a stellar new record — its first album of original material in over a decade The venerable six-piece is touring in support of ‘Strike Up the Band,” their first new studio album reliant on new material since 2012’s Rooster Rag. It’s Little Feat’s triumphant return to rock ‘n roll with plenty of swampy Southern soul. The band builds on a deep, over 50-year history. Little Feat used a combination of elite musicianship and brilliant, idiosyncratic songwriting to create a repertoire that transcends all boundaries. California rock, funk, folk, jazz, country and rockabilly mixed with New Orleans swamp boogie led to a powerful sound that has kept the audience dancing for decades. Their groove — in songs like “Dixie Chicken,” “Spanish Moon,” “Fat Man in the Bathtub,” and “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” — was so infectious it allowed them to endure and press on even when losing their founder, Lowell George, and founding drummer, Richie Hayward. They’re in top form now with Scott Sharrard on lead/vox and Tony Leone on drums/vox, and with founder Bill Payne on keys/vox, Fred Tackett on guitars/vox, Kenny Gradney on bass, and Sam Clayton on percussion/vox. Fifty years on, they’ve been up and they’ve been down and they know where they belong — standing or sitting behind their instruments, playing for you. And anything’s possible, because the end is not in sight. Tickets are $141.25, $120.25, $99.75, $77.75, $66.25

offers something for everyone. Free with Gardens admission.

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Time: 2-5 p.m.

• Contact: oldwestburygardens.org or call (516) 333-0048

OCT

22

Taxpayer Forum

Attend the free Town of Hempstead seminar on important property tax exemptions at East Meadow Public Library. Review eligibility requirements and get your questions answered. Know your rights as a taxpayer.

• Where: 1886 Front St., East Meadow

• Time: 11 am.

• Contact: Call (516) 538-1500 or email taxforums@hempstead. ny.gov

Whisky Tasting

Bold flavors and smooth sips arrive at Whiskey Reds in East Meadow for a fun tasting experience.

• Where: 2552 Hempstead Tpke., East Meadow

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: whiskeyredspub.com

OCT

23

‘Brown Bag’ Art Conversation

Join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular Brown Bag Lecture. Experience the museum’s exhibition “At Play: Artists & Entertainment” through a lively and informative presentation. Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Registration not required. First come, first seated.

• Where: 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor

• Time: 1 p.m.

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

OCT

25

Dog Days Weekend

Enjoy the glorious grounds of Old Westbury Gardens with your pooch (leashed of course). With fall dog parade and costume contest on Sunday. Prizes awarded to best dog costumes, including Prettiest, Most Handsome, Most Original, Best Duo or Group, Funniest. Costume contest participants must register.

• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road., Old Westbury.

• Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: also Oct. 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with

Halloween fun. Enjoy safe trick or treating, a kids’ costume parade and contest, witch-broom making, pumpkin painting, and other family fun. Meet the Headless Horseman and listen to a reading of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Enjoy the spooky fun while you appreciate the colors and beauty of the fall season in the farms, woods, and fields of the historic site. $15, $12 seniors and children 5-12.

• Where: 1303 Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage

• Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Contact: oldbethpagevill agerestoration.org or call (516) 572-8409

Lung Force Walk Long Island

Take steps to raise money for research to support those with lung cancer and lung disease.

• Where: Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 8

• Time: 9:30 a.m.

• Contact: LUNGForce.org/ longisland

OCT

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

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

costume parade/contest, 3-5 p.m.

• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048

‘Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch: Under New Management’

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes all to its latest theater production. Horrible news! The Mountain Boo Soda Company has their eyes on a piece of property for their new factory — Uncle Vlad’s pumpkin patch! Join Uncle Vlad, his nephew Chad, and their freakish friends as they team up to protect their Halloween home from the bony fingers of big business. The company is run by a skeleton, after all! With puppeteers and actors from LICM’s Theater, this musical adventure will tickle your funny bone as a Halloween treat for the whole family. $5 with museum admission ($4 members). $10 theater only.

• Where: Museum Row, Garden City

• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., also Oct. 26

• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800

Haunted Halloween Step back in time at Old Bethpage Village Restoration for some

26

Suicide Awareness Walk

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Long Island Chapter holds their Long Island Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Jones Beach. Register to walk or become a sponsor.

• Where: Field 5, 2400 Ocean Parkway, Wantagh

• Time: 10 a.m.

• Contact: Carrie Aronson at (516) 865-3944 or afsp.org/ longislandwalkwest

OCT

Eisenhower Farmers Market

Cornell Cooperative Extension hosts a farmers market in Eisenhower Park.

• Where: Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 8

• Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Contact: CCENassau.org

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.

Rams declare victory at Clarke homecoming

W.T. Clarke High School held its first homecoming and football game under the lights on Sept. 27. Homecoming began with a parade up Stewart Avenue and then down Washington Avenue as the Rams marching band and flag corps, joined by school administrators, board members, faculty and students, led the march to Clarke High School. A steady crowd of parents, family members and district residents lining the sidewalk in front of the high school cheered when they saw the parade approaching. In addition to the marching band, the parade also featured cheerleaders, school organizations and class floats that were based on popular cartoons.

Halftime festivities featured a performance from the marching band, kickline, and the Rams cheerleaders. More than 700 spectators filled the bleachers at the Rams’ varsity football game against the Sewanhaka Ravens, capping off homecoming with an impressive 36-7 victory.

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notices

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR SECURITIZED ASSET BACKED RECEIVABLES LLC TRUST 2006-FR1 MORTGAGE

PASSTHROUGH

CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-FR1, Plaintiff against ISSAC MALCOLMJAMAAL PELT AS THE FIDUCIARY OF THE ESTATE OF RITA A. PELT, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Margolin, Weinreb & Nierer, LLP, 575 Underhill Boulevard, Suite 224, Syosset, NY 11791.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered September 8, 2025, 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 November 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM. Premises known as 656 East Meadow Avenue, East Meadow, New York 11554. Sec 50 Block 461 Lot 80. 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.

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $925,520.79 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 016045/2008. 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.”

Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee File # 21-0263 156300

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST

CURTIS DAVIS, CHINEEKA DAVIS, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 7, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on November 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 897 Niagara Street, Elmont, NY 11003. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37 Block 655 Lot 12. Approximate amount of judgment $688,916.17 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #609788/2023. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Dri ve Williamsville, NY 14221 23-001403 87345 156267

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS. JOANN

O’CONNOR, ET AL., DEFENDANT(S).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report, Amend the Caption, and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 28, 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 October 30, 2025 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 1595 Midland Drive, 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, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 455 and Lot 2. Approximate amount of judgment is $494,812.95 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #603044/2019. Scott Siller, Esq., Referee Greenspoon Marder, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105, Attorneys for Plaintiff 155905

–Jordan Vallone
W.T. Clarke High School Rams marching band and flag corps performed at halftime under the lights during the school’s annual homecoming celebration.
The Ramettes showcased their skills during their halftime performance.
The Rams marching band and flag corps paraded down Washington Avenue.
Photos courtesy East Meadow School District
The Rams’ varsity football team capped off homecoming with an impressive 36-7 victory.

Stunning Euro Chic Home

This stunning, fully rebuilt four bedroom, two and a half-bath

Why can’t the architect and the contractor be friends?

Q. We’re trying to figure out how a mess started right at the beginning of our renovation. The plans were permitted, so we believe they were properly reviewed, but the mason and the contractor built something different than what was in the plans. The contractor is a friend who we trust. They have told us that the architect made mistakes, and they couldn’t build it the way the plans show, so they did something different.

We don’t want to stop the job, but the architect came by and said that there are many problems now, because the structure isn’t going to work the way the contractor made changes, and because the structure had to be a certain way. The contractor keeps sending us texts showing different ways to do the job, complete with sketches. The architect is saying that the work will be unsafe the way the contractor is proposing the changes. What should we do?

A. When plans aren’t followed, which happens all too frequently, the job has to stop while the design is reassessed by the architect. If you take that authority away from the architect, you set yourself up for a prolonged set of problems that can go on and on, delaying the work and possibly not even getting the outcome you were looking for.

The contractor is not given the authority to change the design or construction. Most construction plans have clauses stating that the contractor is not to deviate from them, and also instruct the contractor to contact the architect with questions, or to get clarification on any issues or discrepancies before any work starts. Once the work starts, the contractor will often begin to point fingers at the architect for anything not clear and misunderstood. I refer to this as “divide and conquer,” a common practice in which the contractor, empowered to run the construction job, alienates the architect from the owner, creating an often permanent rift.

Contractors and building inspectors have told me it is rare to see an architect on a construction site, but I recommend that the architect look at the work — especially foundation forms — before a concrete pour and also framing. During demolition is an important time to see previously hidden structure, especially because older homes were often built with bare-minimum beams — hence the explanation for sagging floors that people often point out before the architect starts redesigning. You need to listen to the architect before this problem becomes harder, and more expensive, to undo.

If you have doubts about the architect, especially about structure, bring in a structural engineer to meet with the architect. One of the biggest reasons these problems occur is because of a lack of communication. You, the owner, should have brought everyone, including the architect, contractor, subcontractors — especially the mason — together and had a team meeting. Letting everyone do their own thing with the assumption that everything would run smoothly was the first problem. But it’s not too late. Good luck!

© 2025 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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We will remain the leader of the free world

American foreign policy is at a watershed moment, comparable to the critical years after World War II, when the United States and our allies were forced to accept that the euphoria of victory over Nazi Germany and imperial Japan had been supplanted by the reality of the Iron Curtain and the threat of Soviet expansion. The Cold War had begun.

The NATO alliance was formed to prevent Joseph Stalin from emulating Adolf Hitler’s march through Europe after the Munich Conference capitulation in 1938, which had given Hitler virtually free rein to invade and seize Czechoslovakia. A decadeslong struggle would continue through various iterations and crises until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 — a struggle that today’s isolationists would have labeled an “endless war.” Fortunately, neither American political party elected isolationists during those defining 45 years. Pre-World War II isolationism had long since been consigned to the ash heap of history.

The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 created a sense of euphoria similar to

Ithat of 1945 and ’46. Eastern Europe was liberated from the yoke of Soviet communist rule, and the Soviet republics declared their independence from Moscow. One of them was Ukraine, which, tragically, had been brutalized for centuries by Russia.

TUkraine was also left with thousands of Soviet nuclear weapons. In 1994, in keeping with the spirit of the Soviet demise, Ukraine gave up those weapons in return for guarantees of security from the United States, Britain and Russia, in what was known as the Budapest Agreement. All indicators seemed to foresee a reformed Russia, and no aggression of the type that drew the U.S. into the two world wars of the 20th century.

rump’s turnabout with Zelensky and Putin sends a clear message to China.

There would be fits and starts with Russia during the later Bush years, including an incursion into Georgia, and then a promise by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009 that the Obama administration would “reset” the relationship with Russia. That reset never worked, and Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. There was no Russian aggression during the first Trump administration, but then, in February 2022, Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine — the first invasion of a sovereign European nation since the end of World War II.

defeating Russian aggression, having supplied more funding to Ukraine than the U.S. Unfortunately, President Trump has shown reluctance to stand with Ukraine, ascribing equal blame for the war to Zelensky — even berating him in the White House, telling him he had no cards to play.

I accompanied President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Moscow in September 1998 for meetings with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and other Russian officials to strengthen economic and cultural ties between our two nations. The dialogue between the leaders was extremely positive. Then, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the newly elected Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was among the first foreign leaders to pledge President George W. Bush his full support.

Staying sane in the age

’m tired. In fact, I’m exhausted. I’m overwhelmed. It’s not from going to the gym. It’s not from being glued to my TV, watching my favorite baseball team trying to survive the playoffs.

It’s the torrent of information that has been drowning me 24 hours a day, with no promise of abating. Is there any hope that the flood will end and that I’ll have a respite from information overload? Is there any hope that the barrage will shut down over the weekend, when we try to pay less attention to our laptops and cellphones? Or are we doomed to being perpetually overwhelmed by the greatest avalanche of facts, figures, news, emails, text messages and robocalls since the dawn of the high-tech era?

There is no one culprit that we can identify whose elimination would give us a reprieve from the onslaught. One of the biggest offenders of them all is,

Aof course, the White House, which engages in a strategy known as Flood the Zone. Every day, it releases so many “hot” news items that it would take you or me two or three days just to get through them. In addition to the media flood, President Trump holds freewheeling news conferences that can last well over an hour. Generally, those events generate other news stories on top of the daily pressroom output.

Then there’s the smartphone app challenge. I checked my phone and found that I am attached to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X and have subscriptions to the Daily News, the New York Post, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsday, Newsday TV, the Huffington Post, Apple News, The Hill, CNN, The Weather Channel and some others that I’ve forgotten. I know that over the course of the day, I tap into every one of those outlets for some type of information.

Ukraine, under its newly elected reform president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was expected to succumb in days or weeks. President Joseph Biden even offered to have American jets provide Zelensky safe passage out of Ukraine. But with the U.S. and NATO countries supplying weapons and logistical support, Zelensky and Ukraine have fought Russia to a stalemate for over three and a half years — longer than America’s war against Nazi Germany.

Russia has suffered more than a million casualties, and has had to resort to using North Korean troops. Its economy is in shambles. NATO has admitted two previously neutral nations, Sweden and Finland, and remains committed to

Trump met with Putin in Alaska, and implored him to meet with Zelensky to reach a compromise. Putin implied that he would, but reneged. Realizing he was being played, Trump denounced Putin in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, and just hours later, met one on one with Zelensky. Then, going full circle, Trump released a statement hailing Zelensky’s leadership, saying that Ukraine was in a position to “fight and win,” and pledging to continue to supply weapons to NATO for Ukraine’s use against Russia.

Trump’s turnabout will prevent a catastrophic replay of Munich and halt Putin’s attempt to rebuild the Russian empire. This defeat of Russian aggression in Europe will simultaneously send a clear message to China not to move against Taiwan or other Pacific nations such as the Philippines and Japan. The United States will remain the leader of the free world.

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

of information overload

imagine waiting at a bus stop for six hours. It’s a long time.

ll ‘breaking’ news all the time — and for goodness’ sake, don’t forget podcasts.

Beyond all these challenges is the introduction of artificial intelligence into our lives. No matter how hard you try, there’s no way to escape the onslaught of articles, studies, memos and office talk about AI. Just a few years ago, if someone had uttered the words artificial intelligence, they would have been largely ignored. These days, those words hover over us like a threatening storm cloud, with most of us having no idea whether it will help or harm us.

program. How many times in a halfhour can there be so much “breaking” news? And the repetition of the same stories can be head-splitting.

Last, but by far not least, is the introduction into our space of the podcast. Today, almost every media, political, religious, sports or entertainment personality has a podcast of some kind. They have rotating guests, and offer a mountain of opinions on the subjects of the moment. Many of them are interesting and informative, but how many hours in a day do we have to partake in this newest information vehicle?

Once a week, I get a text telling me that, on average, I’m on my phone for a minimum of six hours a week. That doesn’t sound like a lot of hours, but

Once upon a time, watching television was a respite from the pressures of the day. Today, watching TV can leave you dazed and confused by hour after hour of commercials for countless drugs, all of which, apparently, will save humanity. On top of the drug tsunami, there are countless other ads that dominate the time you would like to just sit back and watch your favorite show, uninterrupted.

To add to the desperation for some chill time, there’s today’s typical news

So that is my ongoing nightmare. It is mine, but it’s the nightmare that we all face. We’re just human beings; we’re not robots. At least for now, they can’t implant a chip in our brain to help us fend off the cascade of facts, figures, opinions, ideas, theories and concepts that flood our every waking hour. So we’ll have to find new ways to help ourselves live a normal life, and still be adequately informed people.

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

Established 2001

Incorporating the Meadowbrook Times and East Meadow Beacon in 1992

Jordan Vallone

Senior Editor

Melissa BerMan

Joseph d’alessandro

roBert CuMMings

Multi Media Marketing Consultant

offiCe

2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530

Phone: (516) 569-4000

Fax: (516) 569-4942

HERALD

iHerald editorial

Real journalists, reporting real stories

n an age of uncertainty and skepticism toward the media, one mission has remained unwavering: to inform, empower and connect our community with journalism rooted in truth and integrity.

That mission defines Herald Community Media, publisher of 27 community weekly newspapers serving Nassau and Suffolk counties and a touch of New York City. It is the foundation of everything we do — every story we report, every question we ask and every issue we print.

The Herald’s purpose has never been clearer or more vital, especially now, during election season. Across the nation, trust in media has declined as misinformation spreads faster than facts and as social media platforms blur the line between opinion and truth. Yet despite this turbulence, the need for reliable local journalism has never been greater. We know you depend on us not only to tell you what’s happening, but also to help you understand why it matters — to your neighborhood, your family and your future.

This summer, the Pew Research Center published “How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age,” an indepth look at how the public perceives our profession. Pew surveyed nearly 9,400 U.S. adults and convened a number of focus groups, and found both optimism and concern. Most Americans still believe journalists are vital to our soci-

letters

There’s often been bias in journalism

To the Editor:

Re Nick Buglione’s column in the Oct. 2-8 issue, “I was proud to be a reporter — but things have changed”: I, too, would like to put to rest the argument that Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok and other social media have any role in serious journalism. It’s indeed unfortunate that so many people rely on these geysers of rumor, gossip, misinformation and lies for their news.

But the journalism profession has never been as idealistic and innocent as Mr. Buglione seems to suggest it once was. In fact, long before social media invaded our world, the press’s coverage of important events was at times nakedly partisan, ignorant and dishonest.

In the 19th century, for example, some newspapers accepted hefty sums of money from politicians for favorable coverage of their campaigns. At least one paper from that era, William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal, ran sensationalized stories about Spanish atrocities in Cuba, which, many believe, helped

ety’s well-being — but many also express frustration, feeling that the media’s credibility and influence have declined amid political division and technological upheaval.

Yet within those findings lies a message of hope and direction. Americans say what they value most in their news providers is honesty, intelligence and authenticity — qualities that have guided the Herald’s reporting since its founding in 1964. Our journalists live by those values every day. We verify information carefully, we listen with compassion and we report with clarity and context. We are not distant observers; we are your neighbors, your fellow community members and your partners in truth.

At a time when the term “media” often evokes distrust, the Herald reaffirms its promise: to deliver accurate, objective and trustworthy local journalism. That means being transparent about how we report, being accountable when we err, and being authentic in how we connect with you.

Authenticity, as editors across the country have noted, may be the most powerful defense against today’s flood of misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated content. Real, local journalism can’t be practiced from behind a desk or from a distant city. It requires trained professionals who show up in the community, ask hard questions and share the stories of other real-life

people.

Every week, Herald journalists attend school board meetings, interview local business owners, chronicle civic debates, and celebrate the achievements of neighbors doing extraordinary things. We are not reporting on the community from afar — we are reporting within it, with care, empathy and purpose.

Readers deserve to know how stories come together — how sources are verified, why certain facts are included and how conclusions are drawn. We are committed to correcting mistakes quickly and publicly, because credibility is not earned by claiming perfection but by demonstrating honesty.

As Pew’s research highlights, Americans long for media that is clear, fair and accountable. The Herald’s commitment to those ideals has not wavered for more than six decades, and it will not waver now. Our mission — to inform, empower and connect our community with journalism rooted in truth and integrity — is our responsibility, our calling and our promise. As a locally owned family business, our commitment is to our communities, not to Wall Street.

In a world increasingly driven by algorithms and artificial noise, the Herald’s voice remains steady: local reporting by real journalists, telling real stories that matter. That is how we serve. That is how we strengthen our community. And that is how we continue.

Fixing our roads starts with fixing unequal funding

in my 15 years of representing you, I’ve seen a full spectrum of concerns, but none spark as much frustration and conversation as our roads. That’s no surprise to anyone who has navigated the Southern State Parkway, Hillside Avenue, Hempstead Turnpike or Glen Cove Road.

Nearly everyone on Long Island relies on our roads every single day. It’s one of the few things that actually unites Americans across the country: our dependence on infrastructure that has been left to deteriorate in more places than not. The condition of our local roads is a public safety hazard, making the frustration I hear regularly from residents both understandable and warranted. Every year, my colleagues and I hold news conferences in Albany and around the state to call for greater investment in our roads. But it remains an uphill battle.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and her administration continue to throw money at misguided priorities, while inflation in the

highway construction industry, outdated and flawed state funding formulas and the unequal distribution of aid stack the deck against suburban neighborhoods like ours. Time and again, other Long Island representatives and I have made clear that our region is not getting its fair share.

iIt’s outrageous that Long Islanders, who are taxed more than most New Yorkers, also endure some of the worst roads. It’s not merely anecdotal; the numbers back it up. Long Island’s local roads rank among the worst in New York, with 42 percent rated in “poor” or “fair” condition, compared to 35 percent statewide. Despite the fact that we spend more money on roads than any other region except New York City, our heavy traffic volume and dense population mean those dollars don’t stretch nearly far enough.

and dead last in aid per lane-mile, even though we have the second-highest taxable property value per lane-mile in the state.

t’s outrageous that we highly taxed Long Islanders put up with such bad roads.

We can all see that Long Island’s roads are aging. What deserves equal attention, but is far less visible, are the outdated funding formulas meant to repair them. Each year in Albany, lawmakers divide money into five “formula programs” that make up the bulk of local road aid. Four of them rely on factors like lane mileage, vehicle registrations and government type, while the fifth — added in 2021 — applies only to a select few municipalities with specially designated “state touring routes.”

secure Long Island’s fair share of road funding. One option is to restore the Long Island Suburban Highway Improvement Program, which once targeted funding specifically to suburban communities. It was discontinued after 1997, but the need for dedicated suburban highway funding has only grown since then. I’m drafting a bill to direct the DOT to study current funding streams to gauge regional fairness. Only with a dedicated review can the system finally be improved. The goal is to determine whether reinstating SHIPS, or a similar program, is necessary to ensure that our roads are properly funded.

This year, Long Island received only about 8 percent of Department of Transportation Capital Plan funding, far below our share of local lane-miles (12 percent) and population (15 percent). Western New York, by comparison, received about 40 percent. Long Island ranks near the bottom in aid per capita

Letters

drum up support for American involvement in the Spanish-American War.

Closer to our time, the press remained curiously silent about the 1940s Levittown covenant restricting home ownership in that community to white people. And in 2002, when President George W. Bush justified our invasion of Iraq by insisting that the country’s weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to America, few newspapers questioned his claim.

I’m sure Mr. Buglione enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with his Herald colleagues 20 years ago. And while I’ve no reason to doubt his statement that Herald reporters were genuinely committed to presenting the news accurately, we’d be hard-pressed to find a time when the press — in general — has been entirely squeaky clean.

Koslow’s a better choice than Blakeman

To the Editor:

It can be an easy win for a candidate with name recognition who has enough money and government power

to bombard us with fliers, signs and TV ads each day. Bruce Blakeman, our current Nassau County executive, has this power. We need to look beyond the hype.

It’s time for a more centrist candidate. Blakeman and his team are entrenched in national politics, pleasing President Trump by doing such things as training a group of our county police officers to work in tandem with the president’s controversial ICE force, setting aside cells in our county jail for nonviolent ICE detainees, and creating a volunteer, private militia that Blakeman can use when and how he decides.

On the other hand, Seth Koslow is a centrist candidate for county executive with years of experience as a Queens district attorney, a privatepractice lawyer and a current member of the Nassau County Legislature. He has lived in Nassau County his entire life, and is raising his family here. He is very concerned about our taxes in Nassau, and has said that he would order a full, independent audit of county spending to see where our money is being spent.

Koslow has stated that he would share ideas with his Republican counterpart in Suffolk County, because he believes in the idea of people on both sides working together for the benefit of the county. He has said he would

The problem is that many of these formulas are decades old, built on precedents from as far back as 46 years ago, when demographics and driving patterns looked nothing like they do today. These stuck-in-the-past formulas don’t reflect today’s realities. They also fail to account for New York’s diverse weather conditions, like the heavy rainfall and flooding that regularly hit Long Island. Updating these formulas is essential if Long Island is going to get the funding it’s owed.

There are additional ways to help

The cost of inaction and deferred maintenance is too large to ignore. In 2023, Nassau County reported 39,104 crashes resulting in 650 serious injuries and 61 fatalities. Pedestrian accidents alone increased by 2.2 percent from 2022, with 875 incidents in 2023, including 24 fatalities — an increase of 9.1 percent. The frustration we feel over potholes, faded lane markings and inadequate drainage systems is nothing compared with the accidents they actively contribute to. Proactive investment is critical, and it depends entirely on proper funding.

Ed Ra represents the 19th Assembly District and is the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee.

disband Blakeman’s private militia because he believes that our excellent county police force is more than capable of handling our citizens’ safety.

The bottom line is that Seth Koslow is a highly qualified local resident who

would concentrate solely on the needs of our county. This makes him and his team best suited to run our county.

Framework by Jackie Adamo
Waiting to hail a gondola? — Castello, Venice
ELAINE RAUCH Lynbrook

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