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Student receives MlK Peace Award
Fourth grader Pauline Marte, joined by New Visions Assistant Principal Christopher Lomot and Principal Jessica Romero, receives the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award, honoring her kindness, compassion, and respect for others. Story, Page 15.
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
The Village of Freeport Board of Trustees voted for a 4 percent property tax hike, despite vehement objections from Mayor Robert Kennedy, whose streak of 12 consecutive years without an increase will come to an end. This streak has existed since Kennedy was first inaugurated in March 2013.
During a special meeting on Friday afternoon, the trustees decided to amend the mayor’s proposed fiscal 2026-2027 budget, which now features a 4.02 percent tax hike, while decreasing the operating budgets of several village depart -
ments. The budget was approved by a vote of 4 to 1 on Jan. 30, with all four trustees voting in favor and Kennedy the sole dissenter.
Mayor Kennedy, who has advocated for fiscal responsibility without excessively burdening village residents, strongly voiced disapproval of the amendments made to the tentative budget that he submitted in mid-January.
“I object and oppose the motion to the adoption (of) the Trustees’ amended tentative budget that includes a 4.02 percent property tax increase and almost half a million total reduction in the operating budget of the police, Department of Public Works, and several other departments,”
Members of teachers union speak out
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
The Freeport Board of Education Action Meeting on Jan. 29 was full of tense interactions, indicative of the dissatisfaction of the Freeport Teachers Association and other community members with district administrators and board trustees.
WThe meeting, in the cafeteria of the Caroline G. Atkinson School, was a long and often uncomfortable ordeal for those on both sides. Demands for transparency and better stewardship of school resources and taxpayer dollars have not abated, and there is little evidence that tensions will ease any time soon.
e’re going to continue to fight this until they understand that they’re bound by a contract.
PAtRICIA lANg
AN President,
Freeport Teachers Association
Before the meeting, Freeport High School special education teacher Christopher Dressler detailed some of the FTA’s frustrations, which have only deepened in recent months.
“First and foremost, the
teachers of Freeport are here because we feel like we’re not providing students the best product we can because of the leadership we have,” Dressler said, referring to district administration. “We’re lacking transparency. We’re lacking guidance and leadership from administrative roles as well as the school board.” Dressler explained that the involuntary transfer of social studies teacher Patricia Langan, the FTA president, from Freeport High School to John W. Dodd Middle School in December remains a main point of contention for union members. Many believe that the transfer was retaliation for Langan’s vocal criticism of the district, and that it was in violation of her contract. District representatives have maintained that the move was in response to a harassment complaint filed by another employee against Langan.
Continued on page 3
Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Hablamos Español
Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group, LLC
Man indicted for drugged driving crash
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Freeport man has been indicted in connection with a midmorning drug-impaired driving crash that seriously injured a U.S. postal worker on the job in October 2025.
Jeffrey Butt, 45, was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Robert Bogle on a grand jury indictment charging him with second-degree assault, a violent felony; second-degree vehicular assault; two counts of driving while ability impaired by drugs; driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs; reckless driving; and three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Butt pleaded not guilty. Bail was continued at $200,000 cash, $400,000 bond or a $2 million partially secured bond. He is scheduled to return to court March 5, 2026. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
“This defendant was allegedly high on a combination of oxycodone and cocaine when he veered onto the shoulder of busy Merrick Road in the midmorning and crushed a U.S. postal worker loading mail into his delivery truck,” Donnelly said. “The postal employee, who had been on the job for just a year, was nearly pinned between the vehicles and is lucky to be alive. After undergoing surgery that required a rod and screws in his leg and ankle, the husband and father is now able to walk with the assistance of crutches but remains out of work, all because of this defendant’s alleged reckless disregard for the law.”
According to the indictment, on Oct. 10, 2025, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Butt was driving a 2025 Chevrolet Trax on Merrick Road when he allegedly drove onto the shoulder in front of a U.S. Post Office and struck a 50-year-old postal worker who was loading mail into his delivery truck.
Prosecutors said the impact crushed the victim against the back of the mail truck, forcing the truck into two unoccupied parked vehicles.
Police responding to the scene found Butt seated in the driver’s seat of his vehicle with his foot still on the gas pedal, authorities said.
Both Butt and the victim were transported to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment.
The victim suffered a fractured left femur that required surgical implantation of a rod, a fractured left ankle, two spinal fractures and significant internal bleeding, which required multiple blood transfusions.
At the scene, police observed a glassine envelope, a
white powdery substance, a plastic straw and a metal spoon on the driver’s side of Butt’s vehicle, prosecutors said.
Butt was also allegedly found in possession of four and a half round gray pills, two capsules and two glassine envelopes that later tested positive for oxycodone and cocaine. A blood sample taken from Butt after the crash also tested positive for both substances, authorities said.
Butt was arrested Oct. 10, 2025, by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s 7th Precinct.
–Andrew Francis
Courtesy Freeport Police Department
An October 2025 crash involving a drugged driver and postal worker has resulted in an indictment and scheduled March 5 court appearance for defendant Jeffrey Butt.
Carmine Carpinone Funeral Director/ Manager
Michael Carpinone Funeral Director
School board promises answers amid tension
Many the union members arrived at the meeting with signs they have displayed at previous demonstrations, with messages like, “When contracts are broken, students pay the price,” “Freeport students deserve better” and “Transparency builds trust — try it!”
A separate group of protesters, comprising district security personnel and food service workers, were also seeking favorable contract terms. They crafted some of their own signs as they waited for the meeting to begin, and many chanted, “Food service!”
At 8:20 p.m., nearly an hour after the scheduled start time, school board President Sunday Coward and the other trustees arrived — the delay, attendees were told, due to an executive committee meeting that ran longer than expected at the district office across the street. There were calls of “Respect our time!” from the crowd.
The district representatives in attendance included Coward; board Vice President Scott Richardson; Trustees Sonia Dixon, Alphonso Hardwick and Dina Skeffrey; Interim Superintendent of Schools Alice Kane; Interim Assistant Superintendent Anthony Murray; Marie Gaboton-Swift, interim executive director for personnel; Gavin Romane, executive director for pupil personnel services; and Idowu Ogundipe, executive school business administrator. Dixon apologized for the delay.
After announcements about student athletic, academic and other extracurricular accomplishments across the district, work on the 2026-27 budget and personnel items — recent retirements, hires and the like — Coward allowed two people to address the board.
The second public comment came from FTA member Karen Stander, who spoke about the positivity that Langan, who was in the audience, brought to the Freeport High community amid the “harassment” she had been subjected to by district and school administrators. Stander said that Langan’s classroom had been vandalized, and that tampons had been put in her lunch bag.
Stander also claimed that Langan had made recordings of harassing comments made by a former Freeport High assistant principal —whom she did not name— but Langan, in an “act of professionalism,” had never made them
public. Stander called for Langan to “release the tapes” and let the community know about the harassment.
After the meeting, Langan confirmed that such tapes do exist, but said she was not sure whether she would contin-
ue to withhold them, given her belief that contentious issues focusing on everything from safety to administrative problems across the district have not been resolved.
“We’re going to continue to fight this until they understand that they’re bound by a contract,” Langan said of school board leadership. “They have to respect the teaching staff and all the other support staff.”
Coward told the Herald that she welcomed even tense discussions, in the interest of improving the district, and remained confident that “things will work themselves out.”
A town hall meeting is scheduled for Feb. 9, at 7 p.m., in the Freeport High School Performing Arts Center. Coward announced at the conclusion of the action meeting that comments on specified topics can be made at the Town Hall with an open mic, without having to pre-submit questions. The topics will include an update on the status of the Cleveland Avenue property, the history of change in the school district, personnel changes, student information systems and a status update on the muchdiscussed search for a new superintendent.
Andrew Francis/Herald photos
Schools administrators, led by Board of education president Sunday Coward and interim Superintendent alice Kane, oversaw the Jan. 29 meeting.
teachers and other district employees are demanding greater transparency and better adherence to contractual obligations by freeport school administrators.
members of the freeport teachers association arrived at last week’s Board of education action meeting ready to voice their grievances, only to wait nearly an hour for it to begin.
Trustees derail mayor’s twelve year tax rate streak
the village.
Kennedy said in a statement.
The mayor added that both the tentative budget that he submitted this year and the trustees’ amended budget have projected an increase in Freeport’s unrestricted reserves, with the trustees’ budget showing a hike from $6,895,211 to $18,895,211.
“I believe that this increase in the reserves should have offset any property tax increase and reduction to our hardworking department heads’ budgets,” Kennedy said.
According to village trustee Christopher Squeri, residents can expect to pay between $10 to $15 more on their property taxes a month. As someone who ones several properties in Freeport, Squeri stated that he will feel the effects of the tax rate increase significantly, but that this costs is out of necessity. While believing that the streak of having no tax rate increases was impressive, Squeri emphasized that continuing to maintain that trend was not feasible for
“We have a structural deficit that we’ll have to make up in the future, so we wanted to make sure we minimize that as we move along and we didn’t want to have one big problem at the end.”
Squeri also explained that covering growing insurance expenses, including health coverage for village employees, is a major motivation for the tax increase.
“They’ve [insurance rates] gone up not just a couple of points, they’ve gone up double digit points over the last several years. So, we felt that we needed to start absorbing some of that [cost] in order to be financially responsible now and for the future.”
Although the specifics of departmental budget reductions have not been specified, Squeri stated that all cuts were to operational expenses, with no salaries of village employees being trimmed or cut. This also means that the 36 percent increase in officers at the Freeport Police Department will not be impacted.
Herald file photo
Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy expressed dismay after village trustees amended his tentative budget for 2026-2027, resulting in a 4 percent property tax increase and a reduction in the operating budgets of several village departments.
AFA Health Screening Day
THURSDAY
February 12 10 AM - 2 PM
AFA Barbara Rabinowitz Education & Resource Center
149 Schleigel Blvd., Amityville
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF:
Memory screenings to help identify early signs of cognitive changes
Blood pressure screenings to support cardiovascular health
Balance screenings to assess fall risk and mobility
Information on other health screenings and resources for older adults
All screenings are free and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are required.
Contact the AFA Barbara Rabinowitz Education & Resource Center at 631-223-4000 for more information.
SPONSORS
spotlight athlete
MIA DISALVO
SOUTH SIDE Senior Gymnastics
A MEMBER OF SOUTH SIDE’S varsity for five seasons, DiSalvo is considered one of the most talented gymnasts in Nassau County. She earned All-County honors on vault in the 202122 campaign and has been All-County in three events (vault, balance beam and floor exercise) in each of the past four seasons. Her career highs are 8.45 on vault, 8.95 on beam and 9.3 on floor. She’s also one of the Cyclones’ captains.
games to watch
Thursday, Feb. 5
Girls Basketball: Sewanhaka at Carey 4:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Manhasset at Elmont 5 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Roosevelt at Mepham 6:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Calhoun at Long Beach 6:45 p.m.
Girls Basketball: South Side at Clarke 6:45 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Lawrence at Seaford 6:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Long Beach at Calhoun 6:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Clarke at South Side 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball: G.N. South at MacArthur 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6
Boys Basketball: Carey at Sewanhaka 4:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball: V.S. North at V.S. South 5 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Carle Place at West Hemp 5 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Island Trees at Malverne 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Baldwin at Oceanside 6:45 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Lo. Valley at North Shore 6:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Seaford at Lawrence 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball: V.S. North at V.S. South 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 7
Boys Basketball: Hempstead at Freeport 11:45 a.m.
Boys Basketball: Massapequa at Uniondale 12 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Massapequa at South Side 3 p.m.
Boys Basketball: Oceanside at Baldwin 4 p.m.
Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”
High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a winter sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.
HERALD SPORTS
Freeport rallies amid title chase
By BRIAN KACHARABA bkacharaba@liherald.com
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Freeport girls’ basketball team is still chasing history.
The Red Devils remain in the hunt for the program’s first-ever conference championship, navigating late-season adversity while holding their position near the top of Conference AAA. Despite suffering their first league loss of the season Jan. 29, Freeport rebounded quickly and entered the final stretch at 7-1 in conference play and 13-2 overall.
Freeport’s unbeaten run in the league came to an end with a 64-54 loss to Syosset. The Red Devils committed 35 turnovers, yet still kept the game within reach in the fourth quarter.
“We can fix some of those things,” head coach Meredith Jones said. “It’s not that we’re incapable or people are that much better.”
The loss came just days after a major roster shakeup, when sophomore point guard Ja’Niyah Eady unexpectedly moved away prior to the Jan. 23 win over Plainview-JFK. Eady was averaging about 9 points per game.
Her sudden departure forced a reshuffling of roles, something Jones believes contributed to the Syosset loss.
“I truly think it was a situation where everybody’s intentions were good [and were] trying to figure out how to make up for Ja’Niyah not being there,” Jones said.
Freeport showed its ability to adjust last Saturday with a 51-42 win at Port Washington. The Red Devils jumped out early, outscoring the Vikings 18-9 in the first quarter and taking a 27-19 lead into halftime before surviving foul trouble in the second half.
Junior Madison Harris led the way, scoring 12 of her game-high 18 points after halftime. Senior Shaniya Bonny added 11 points as Freeport held Port Washington to 10 points or less in each of the first three quarters.
“She’s just amazing,” Jones said of Harris. “Literally every play is 110 percent. We’ve been working on trying to
get her the ball more because a lot of her points in the past have come by her making a play in terms of an offensive rebound putback type situation or a steal and a layup.”
Defense has been Freeport’s calling card all season, with the Red Devils allowing fewer than 40 points per game.
Jones credits that identity for helping the team weather foul trouble and lineup changes.
“Our motto is our best offense is our defense,” she said. “So, it shines through.”
Junior Sabrina Ligonde has stepped into a larger leadership role in Eady’s absence, while senior Leah Gaddist
moved into the starting lineup and provided stability.
Freeport entered the week battling Baldwin for first place in the conference. The teams met Tuesday at Baldwin in a matchup that loomed large in the title race. The Red Devils close the regular season against Uniondale on Feb. 9, at Herricks on Feb. 11 and home against Oceanside the following day.
Whether or not the conference crown comes this season, Jones believes the recent adversity could pay dividends.
‘You don’t like losing, but I’d rather lose now and regroup and win during the playoffs,” she said.
Erik Lee/Herald Shaniya Bonny had 11 points last Saturday as the Red Devils got back in the win column, beating Port Washington.
Roosevelt honors late coach and teacher
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
During a day of basketball games for Roosevelt High School’s teams on Saturday, Jan. 17, the Roosevelt Union Free School District honored the life and legacy of longtime social studies teacher and basketball coach Morris Brandon. This tradition, which dates back 35 years after Brandon’s death due to heart attack in 1990, awards scholarships in his name to graduating high school seniors. The selected graduates are chosen based on their dedication, leadership, and commitment to community, which mirrors Brandon’s character.
Brandon worked in the Roosevelt Union Free School District for over 20 years. His influence extended far beyond the classroom and gymnasium, shaping the lives of students through mentorship. Jan. 17 is lovingly recognized annually in the district as Morris Brandon Scholarship Day.
The day featured the varsity and junior varsity boys’ and girls’ Roosevelt Rough Riders basketball teams competing against the teams of the Malverne High School Mules. Students, staff, families, and Roosevelt community members came out to the games to celebrate athletics while supporting the scholarships being awarded.
Both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams lost to Malverne, with scores of
Coach Don Crummell and Coach Brian Kuar congratulate the MVP of the boy’s game, Jacob Hines.
68 to 40 and 53 to 22 respectively. After each varsity game, the stand out Roosevelt performer of each game was given a Most Valuable Player award. Meliya Jackson, who led her team in scoring with six points, got the award for the girls’ game. Jacob Hines, who was also his team’s scoring leader with 14 points, took home the honor for the boys’ game.
Shawn Wightman, superintendent of schools for Roosevelt, stated that the legacy of Brandon goes beyond athletics.
“Morris ‘Motor’ Brandon was a mentor, role model and pillar of the community to everyone he taught and worked with in Roosevelt,” Wightman said. “This annual event not only celebrates
his lasting impact, but reinforces our district’s commitment to uplifting students who embody his values of perseverance, leadership, and service.”
Fundraising efforts for this year’s scholarships will conclude in the spring, and the recipients will be announced closer to Roosevelt High School’s graduation ceremony.
Photos courtesy Roosevelt Union Free School District Girl’s game MVP Meliya Jackson with Coach Don Crummell, receiving her award after her Jan. 17 game.
Long Island’s fragile drinking water system
Experts explain what lies beneath the surface, and detail the threats to our crucial aquifers
By JORDAN VALLONE, WILL SHEELINE & ABIGAIL GRIECO of the Herald Community Newspapers
First installment in a series about water.
On Long Island, we’re not talking enough about water.
From the drops coming out of our taps to the waves breaking along both shores, myriad water-related issues have the potential to impact Long Islanders’ day-to-day lives.
The water system is not a single pipeline or policy, but a web of underground aquifers, aging infrastructure, coastal ecosystems — and policymakers — that together determine who has access to clean, affordable water — and who faces the greatest risk when that system begins to fail.
This series will break down how Long Island’s water system works, from aquifers to coastal bays, and clarify how policy, infrastructure and governance shape access to clean, affordable water. It will also examine the environmental pressures facing that system, from contamination and climate change to the health of bays, fisheries and drinking water supplies.
Through global reports that demonstrate the rapid growth of freshwater use over the past century, and interviews with environmental experts and regional advocates who connect these issues locally, this first installment examines what lies beneath the surface: the water we drink, and how contamination and access may disproportionately affect certain communities.
The sole source beneath Long Island
In order to understand Long Island’s relationship with drinking water, it’s essential to understand where the water comes from. The island relies on aquifers, underground layers of sand, gravel and clay that store billions of gallons of water accumulated over tens of millions of years. More specifically, Long Island relies on three: the Upper Glacial, the Magothy and the Lloyd (as well as a fourth, significantly smaller one, the Jameco).
These aquifers together are designated a single-source aquifer system by the Environmental Protection Agency, which means that “your groundwater supply is provided by an aquifer that serves at least 50 percent of your water needs,” according to Sarah Meyland, a former professor at New York Institute of Technology.
Meyland explained that both Nassau and Suffolk counties rely on this single aquifer system for 100 percent of our freshwater, whether it comes from a tap, shower or sprinkler. While this has meant that Long Islanders have had access to clean, easily accessed drinking water for decades, the aquifers, particularly in Nassau County, have one major downside.
“This aquifer needs to be particularly well protected, because if you damage it,
or if you ruin it, you don’t have any other source of water,” Meyland said. “And that’s exactly the situation Long Island is in. We don’t have a secondary backup source of water.”
Since the federal government began measuring water usage in Long Island’s aquifers in 1900, roughly 5 percent of drinkable water has been consumed or lost due to salinization, the process by which freshwater is turned into saltwater. It occurs in aquifers due to overpumping, as water is taken out faster than it is replaced, causing saltwater from the Long Island Sound and the ocean to fill in the missing volume.
tion of the aquifer system is already nonfunctional, Queens is barely better, and both now get their water from the New York City water system, which pumps freshwater in from upstate. Nassau is well on its way to following them; the difference is there is no municipal entity to bail Nassau out.
as of 2021, the United States withdraws the third-highest amount of freshwater from underground globally, roughly 444.4 billion cubic meters per year.
A key conclusion from the university’s report put the crisis in simple terms: “The world is already in the state of ‘water bankruptcy.’” In many basins and aquifers, long-term overuse and degradation, the report says, means that “hydrological and ecological baselines cannot realistically be restored.”
What areas are more affected?
If Long Island continues on the same path of aquifer depletion without any intervention from state authorities, such as the Department of Environmental Conservation, Meyland said, Nassau County will suffer more than Suffolk within the next 50 years.
“It’s about a third of the size of Suffolk with roughly the same number of people,” she said. “The Town of Brookhaven is the same size as the county of Nassau. So Nassau County will continue to experience saltwater intrusions. That’s going to put pressure on virtually all of the water suppliers along the north and south shore.”
Meyland singled out Long Beach as an area that would likely lose its entire local water supply because of saltwater intrusion to the Lloyd Aquifer, the only aquifer the city draws from.
The vast majority of the used water is consumed by private sprinklers and irrigation systems, many of which are automated to water yards and home gardens. According to Meyland, Long Island has the highest per-capita water use of any community from New York to North Carolina, and the vast majority of that use occurs from spring through fall, when sprinklers turn on and swimming pools fill up.
There is no known way to create new water, or to speed up the natural replenishment process. Desalination plants, which remove salt from water, are becoming more common globally, but they are expensive projects, according to Meyland.
“It’s like a bank account,” Meyland said. “The water, the money coming in, needs to be at least equal to the money going out.”
Water bankruptcy
While a 5 percent loss may seem inconsequential, the real problem is there’s no way to efficiently and cheaply replenish that loss. And the damage is not evenly distributed: The vast majority of the loss takes place in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau, which have not effectively stewarded their portions of the aquifers.
Suffolk, which has the lowest population density of the four counties, has proactively monitored and managed its water intake and outflow for years, leaving its portion of the aquifers “a system in balance,” as Meyland described it.
She pointed out that Brooklyn’s por-
The issues impacting drinking water supply are not unique to Long Island. According to a report released by the United Nations University last month, the world is entering an “era of global water bankruptcy” — a new, formal definition of a reality for billions of people. The report called for a “fundamental reset” of the global water agenda, as irreversible damage pushes sources of fresh drinking water beyond recovery.
“This report tells an uncomfortable truth: Many regions are living beyond their hydrological means, and many critical water systems are already bankrupt,” said the report’s lead author, Kaveh Madani, the director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
Numbers published by Our World In Data, a nonprofit publication that uses data to explain global issues like poverty, disease and climate change, showed that
“They will have already been forced to look for other sources of water, whether they make arrangements from New York City, or they make arrangements and buy water from some of their neighboring water suppliers,” Meyland explained. “I’m sure there will be a lot of pressure to desalinate water, but that will be very expensive.”
On the North Shore of Nassau County, she said, areas of the Great Neck and Manhasset peninsula, including Sands Point, are at risk of losing their supplies of water, also due to salinity. And their options are limited, she added, because some of these communities are already piping water from other parts of Long Island.
Water suppliers are aware of the risk the future holds, Meyland said, but it is unfair to put the burden on them to fix the situation. “They are not at fault for what is happening to the water supply for coastal communities,” she said. And water supplies are not only depleting on Long Island, but they are also contaminated.
The Environmental Working Group affiliated with Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for stronger environmental policies in New York and Connecticut, released a report in 2025 showing that a least 189 New York water systems — primarily serving residents of Long Island — detected high levels of toxic so-called “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, in tap water.
The report showed that 702,000 residents in Nassau County and 122,200 resi-
Herald file
Long Island’s drinking water supply is solely dependent on aquifers. Sarah Meyland, a retired professor at the New York Institute of Technology, spoke about the impacts of chronic water depletion on the region’s water supply.
LONG ISLAND’S WATER BLUEPRINT
Detailing the threats to L.I.’s drinking water
dents of Suffolk have elevated levels of PFAS in their water supplies. Some particularly vulnerable communities include those serviced by the Lynbrookbased Liberty Utilities, the Water Authority of Western Nassau and the Hempstead Town Water District.
What can be done?
According to Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, geography and land use play a major role in why some Long Island communities experience more severe water quality issues than others.
“The biggest driver for water quality in the marine environment is land activity,” Esposito said, noting that polluted stormwater runoff, fertilizer use and marine debris all flow from developed areas into surrounding bays and waterways.
Highly populated and heavily developed regions — particularly along the South Shore — generate greater amounts of runoff, which carries excess nitrogen from lawn fertilizers, bacteria and debris into nearby bays. That nitrogen fuels algae growth, which depletes oxygen levels and can lead to fish kills and damage to shellfish populations.
Aging infrastructure in some coastal communities continues to pose challenges. Esposito pointed to the Long Beach’s sewage treatment plant, which discharg-
es roughly 5 million gallons of wastewater per day into Nassau County’s Western Bays. While the wastewater is treated, Esposito said the facility is old and in need of major repairs.
The Western Bays have been among the most degraded areas, in part due to decades of treated sewage discharges and runoff from surrounding communities. Marine debris, including plastic bottles, cigarette butts and food packaging, often originates farther inland, and makes its way through tributaries before washing into coastal waters, Esposito said.
On the North Shore, in areas that still rely on septic systems, groundwater contamination presents another challenge, as pollutants can leach directly into aquifers and nearby waterways.
Esposito pointed to several major policy changes that have reshaped how New York addresses water contamination, particularly by emerging chemicals like PFAS and 1,4-dioxane.
result of years of advocacy and scientific review.
In addition to regulating water systems themselves, Esposito highlighted a first-of-its-kind state law, passed in 2019, that limited the amount of 1,4-dioxane allowed in common household and personal care products. The law was phased in over several years and was fully implemented in 2023, reducing the amount of chemicals entering wastewater systems in the first place.
our waters and public health, sometimes you have to speak out AdrIenne d’esposIto Executive director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
She noted that the state now has some of the nation’s strongest drinking water standards for these chemicals — standards that are fully implemented across Long Island’s public water systems, the
Esposito also emphasized the importance of preventing pollution at its source, rather than relying on expensive treatment systems after contamination occurs. Citizens Campaign has spent several years advocating for legislation aimed at reducing packaging waste, a significant contributor to marine debris found in Long Island’s bays and waterways.
One of the most significant steps underway is the long-awaited redirection of treated sewage from the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility, in Bay Park, away from the Western Bays and into the Cedar Creek ocean outfall pipe — a nearly $600 million project more than a decade in the making. The change is expected to dramatically improve
water quality in the Western Bays once the Bay Park Conveyance Project is completed.
At the local and state level, municipalities are also tapping into grant programs designed to reduce stormwater pollution. These initiatives fund upgrades to stormwater systems, filtration devices that remove nitrogen and bacteria before runoff reaches waterways. Environmental organizations, including Citizens Campaign, Operation SPLASH and the Nature Conservancy have played a key role in advocating for these measures through long-term collaboration and public pressure.
Looking ahead, Citizens Campaign plans to launch a new marine debris prevention campaign this spring, focused on public education and outreach, emphasizing that litter discarded anywhere on Long Island can ultimately end up in coastal waters. The organization is also continuing its push in Albany for legislation aimed at reducing packaging waste and monitoring contaminants entering waterways through wastewater systems.
Residents can make a difference, Esposito said, by limiting fertilizer use, properly disposing of trash and supporting redevelopment over construction on green spaces.
“We encourage people to get up, show up and speak up,” she said. “If you want to protect our waters and public health, sometimes you have to speak out.”
Sister’s Keepers come to Roosevelt High
By MASHIAT AZMI
Special to the Herald
The Roosevelt Union Free School District has introduced a new program, New York State My Sister’s Keeper, or MSK, an extension of My Brother’s Keeper, or MBK, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. The program focuses on the specific challenges young girls and women of color experience in STEM education.
The event was held at Roosevelt High from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The goal of this program is to prepare students for life after high school, ensuring they are ready for the outdoor world.
I would say that never shorten your goals for anyone, because you can really do anything that you put your mind to.
ESMIA THoMAS Student, Roosevelt High School and My Sister’s Keeper
The event started with a brief introduction of Dr. Shawn Wightman, superintendent of the Roosevelt Union Free School District, and was followed by a few motivational speeches from the special guests— Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Charlena Croutch from the Roosevelt Board of Education, and Susan Dunbar from Girls Inc. It was hosted by Althea Robinson Haddo, coordinator at My Sister’s Keeper. There was a dance performance by the Ulysses Byas Elementary School and a recitation by Naomi Johnson of My Sister’s Keeper.
Currently, 60 selected students from Roosevelt High School have completed the selection process. They will engage in a community service project and have the opportunity to connect with professional women in STEM.
Haddo highlighted the importance of women in STEM, noting that it has historically been a male-dominated field.
“We want to get away from the gender bias that it’s only a man’s job,” said Haddo. “I want females to know that they too can do the same thing that men can do.”
Kenneth Ware, a trustee of the Roosevelt School District Board of Education, expressed excitement about the program and praised the board, the school district, and the superintendent for collaborating and taking this initiative.
“[I think that, just overall,] I think that this is an amazing program that the Board of Education and the school district and the superintendent and this committee have brought to the district,” said Ware. “And, you know, it’s amazing. We already have my brother’s keeper, so I’m excited to see what my sister’s keeper will do and continue the success.”
Esmia Thomas, a 12th-grade student at Roosevelt High School and a current
student at My Sister’s Keeper, stated that this program is very inspirational for many young girls and women. Thomas emphasized the importance of networking, especially in the STEM field. She believes making connections can lead to great opportunities in the future.
“I would say that never shorten your goals for anyone, because you can really do anything that you put your mind to, and you shouldn’t let any expectations by anyone, whether it’s a man or a woman or people who have more money than you,” said Thomas. “You should really set your goal high, because you can do anything that you put your head to.”
Charlena Croutch, first vice president of the President Roosevelt Board of Education, stated that the program was
revived due to the rise of My Brother’s Keeper, or MBK. The expansion of the STEM field will help young girls pursue their careers without any limitations.
Croutch hopes that students would build lifelong friendships and gain confidence and high self-esteem. According to her, students are expected to be emboldened, empowered, and strengthened to pursue great opportunities.
“I’m hoping that they will leave here, as I just stated, that they will walk away, first of all, with relationships and building lifelong friendships, but more than anything, with confidence and high selfesteem and faith and believing in themselves,” said Croutch. “As I stated earlier, fearfully and wonderfully made, you know they can do anything that their hearts desire, that there are really no
limits, and that they’ll go after things that they didn’t imagine could happen for them. You know that they won’t shy away from opportunities, but they will be emboldened, empowered, and strengthened to do great things.”
Haddo stated that the students will attend a STEM conference in Farmingdale focused on women in STEM and will connect with real-world professionals.
“I would like to say that I’ve been advocating for Roosevelt High School to have my sister’s keeper for the last two years, and it’s finally here,” said Haddo. “So we’re gonna make it big, which eventually I would like to go over to the middle school before they come over to high school, so they know that the program is there, what the program is, and what their ability is, what they can do.”
Dr. Shawn Wightman, superintendent of the Roosevelt Union Free School District, introduced the program at the beginning of the event.
Mashiat Azmi/Herald photos
Wonderful dance performance by girls from Ulysses Byas Elementary School.
Wonderful recitation performed by Naomi Johnson of My Sister’s Keeper.
Charlena Croutch, first vice president of the Roosevelt Board of Education, delivered a motivational speech to the students.
Residents express satisfaction on safety
By MASHIAT AZMI
Special to the Herald
A whole new year begins with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s critical step in public safety, which recognised January as “Stalking Awareness Month” and Jan. 18 as “Stalking Awareness Day” of Action in New York State. Freeport community residents expressed their thoughts on this issue.
This announcement aims to increase awareness among those impacted by technology-facilitated stalking. Around 80% of stalking victims report being stalked with technology, and 43% of them are federal cyberstalking cases.
Ken Dookram, a business owner in Freeport, expressed a sense of safety and satisfaction with the local authority’s efforts to support residents and small businesses.
“As a business owner, I feel perfectly safe in Freeport, and I know that the police department, the mayor’s office and the village work hand in hand with businesses and the community to help,” said Dookram. “I mean, as far as the betterment of everyone in Freeport, so I’m very happy with everything that we have at present.” Dookram acknowledged the mayor’s recent increase in the police department and praised the collab -
orative approach between the village, the mayor’s office, and the community.
Noting that cyberstalking is a national and international issue, Dookram is very satisfied with the community as a business owner. Moreover, he appreciates the village’s proactive approach in fostering a supportive environment for residents and businesses.
Ben Jackson, president of the Chamber of Commerce and long-term Freeport resident, feels completely safe in the community and expressed confidence in the local authorities’ performance.
Jackson emphasised his faith in the authorities and the importance of awareness of stalking, suggesting that law enforcement is crucial. He also believes that school, workplace and community should remain vigilant and be aware of this issue.
Moreover, Jackson praised the local police department for its efforts to address stalking and emphasised the need for continued awareness and enforcement.
“Well, I think awareness about stalking is very important,” said Jackson. “I think they have to be very aware of it. And I think our police department does a great job, and I think that’s something that’s where it’s got to begin.”
SEATS AVAILABLE FOR KINDERGARTEN
ROOSEVELT
Mashiat Azmi/Herald
Residents of Freeport have expressed feeling well protected from stalking and cyberstalking by village leadership.
HERALD SchoolS
Byas Elementary community celebrate MLK Jr.
On Jan. 16, students, staff, and families of the Ulysses Byas Elementary School in the Roosevelt Union Free School District came together to honor the legacy of Civil Rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The school community did so through vibrant celebration, highlighting King’s commitment to lasting equality, leadership and service.
The program featured a variety of student-led performances, including songs, dances, poetry readings and speeches. Through these artistic tributes and performances, students were able to express the messages of unity, peace and justice that King advocated.
“This celebration reflects the heart of our district,” said Shawn Wightman, the superintendent of schools of the Roosevelt Union Free School District. “Seeing our students use their voices and talents to honor Dr. King’s message of equity, compassion and service reminds us of the importance of nurturing not only academic excellence, but also strong character and leadership.”
The event showcased the creativity and confidence of the young students, while continuing to educate them on the importance of empathy, respect and community engagement. Much of the staff members and families in attendance were left inspired by the tributes and messages shared by the students.
–Andrew Francis
BRANDED CONTENT
Powering Long Island: A History of Resilience and Reinvention
The story of Long Island’s energy infrastructure is one of growth, ambition, missteps and resilience.
From the development of the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) to handle a growing need, to key historical events like
A
the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant saga and Hurricane Sandy, Long Island’s power grid has a storied history.
The Formation of LILCO
Around 1910, LILCO was created by combining four small Suffolk County utility companies to make improvements on the existing system to deliver electric power. For much of its history, LILCO focused on
large, centralized fossil-fuel power plants supported by an expanding grid.
Long before the adverse effects of climate change would be felt, the dangerous choice to rely on fossil fuels was evident in the Bay Shore gas explosion in 1919, knocking out power for three days.
Through the 1950s and 60s, negative effects were felt to a greater impact. Most famously the New York smog event of 1966, where air pollution from coal power plants and other sources led to poisonous air quality, severe health impacts and deaths.
While plagued by these negative public health circumstances, this system did meet the energy demand of the day. But, in the 1960s and ‘70s, the development of air conditioning made demand for electric power skyrocket. LILCO’s answer? The Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant.
The Shoreham Nuclear Plant: A Defining Turning Point
The Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant was constructed, but was met with public opposition and significant safety concern studies. The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania amplified these concerns.
Though completed, and still reflected on Long Island ratepayers utility bills, Shoreham never operated commercially, and it became a national symbol of failed centralized energy planning. Ultimately, the plant was decommissioned, leaving Long Islanders with debt—and a lasting skepticism toward large, single-point energy solutions.
Storms, Blackouts and a Grid Under Stress
From 1985’s Hurricane Gloria that knocked out electricity to two-thirds of LILCO’s customers, to the Northeast blackout of 2003 that halted the Long Island Rail Road, to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 where 90 percent of Long Island lost power, to every tropical storm and weather event in between, these natural disasters continued to expose deep flaws in the aging infrastructure. Each event compounded existing wear on the system, accelerating the need for reinforcement, storm hardening, smarter grid design and diversity of energy sources— while costing a premium to do so. These moments also reshaped public expectations: reliability is no longer just about everyday demand, but about resilience under extreme conditions.
From LILCO to Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
As a result of the Long Island Power Act of 1985, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) was created to assume responsibility for LILCO’s debt, which totaled around $7.3 billion, and the infrastructure. LIPA inherited a vast, but inadequate grid that must be upgraded.
Now, as the AI and data-center revolution demand more and more of our power grid, and new technologies have become available, namely renewables like wind, solar and battery storage, Long Island has the opportunity to transform to a modern, affordable and resilient power grid.
press conference held at Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant.
Courtesy Roosevelt Union Free School District
Students united at Ulysses Byas Elementary School to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his advocating for Civil Rights and concepts like the “Beloved Community.”
STEPPING OUT
West Bank Wings Blazin’ Buffalo Potato Skins
Chili Meatballs
Big game, big flavor
Score from kickoff to crunch time
By Karen Bloom
It’s the biggest sports day of the year — and a perfect excuse to throw a bash that’s almost as exciting as the game itself. The Super Bowl on Sunday isn’t just about touchdowns, commercials and the halftime show: it’s about friends, fun and food that’s worth a victory dance.
Sure, the game on the big screen is the main event, but let’s be honest — some of the best plays happen around the snack table. Wings, dips, even desserts are all part of the strategy to keep your fans happy (and maybe even sneak a second helping before halftime). When it comes to dessert, fuss-free is the way to go. An array of cookies, brownies and dessert bars will satisfy the sweet tooth. You can take your dessert table to the next level by icing your treats in team colors. Here’s your playbook for scoring big with game-day treats that’ll make your party a championship-worthy hit.
West Bank Wings
No football party is complete without a generous serving of wings. Try these Asianinspired chicken wings, with a spicy Creole twist.
• 3 pounds chicken wing pieces
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup cane syrup or molasses
• 1/4 cup ZATARAIN’S® Creole Mustard
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss chicken wings with oil and Creole Seasoning in large bowl. Arrange wings in single layer on foil-lined large shallow baking pan.
Bake 35 minutes or until wings are cooked through and skin is crisp.
Mix remaining ingredients, except cilantro and sesame seeds, in large skillet. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced by a third and is a “syrup” consistency. Add wings; toss to coat with sauce. Transfer wings to serving
platter. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Cajun Buffalo Wings
Here’s another zesty take on the footballwatching favorite.
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wing pieces
• 1/2 cup any flavor Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoned spice blend
Bake wings in foil-lined pan at 500 °F on lowest oven rack for 20 to 25 minutes until crispy, turning once.
Mix Buffalo Wings Sauce, ketchup and spice blend.
Toss wings in sauce to coat.
Tip: You may substitute 1/2 cup Red Hot Sauce mixed with 1/3 cup melted butter for the Wings Sauce.
Alternate cooking directions: Deep-fry at 375°F for 10 minutes or broil 6-inches from heat 15 to 20 minutes turning once.
Blazin’ Buffalo Potato Skins
This the ideal game day snack! Seriously, it’s a crowd pleaser.
• 3 pounds small russet potatoes
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat or regular Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped Blue Diamond Smokehouse
• Almonds
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
Preheat oven to 450 F and line baking sheet with foil.
Rinse potatoes and pat dry; pierce with fork or sharp knife. Place in large microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave high for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft when gently squeezed. Remove and let cool slightly.
Cut in half and scoop out potato leaving 1/4inch rim of potato inside skin. Place on prepared baking sheet and spray both sides of potato skins liberally with cooking spray; bake for 15 minutes to crisp.
Avocado Dip
Billy Stritch and Friends celebrate Judy Garland
Sprinkle equal amounts of cheese into each skin. Stir together chicken and wing sauce and spoon over cheese. Top with almonds and bake for 5 minutes more. Add dollop of sour cream to each and sprinkle with green onions. Serve with and additional wing sauce, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.
Sweet Chili Meatballs
Round out your lineup with this tasty addition to your game day spread.
• 1 pound lean ground turkey or ground beef
• 1/3 cup Japanese panko crumbs or bread crumbs
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces Frank’s RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce, divided
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Mix ground meat, panko crumbs, cilantro, green onion, ginger, egg, salt and 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce. Form into one-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Put meatballs in slow cooker or Dutch oven to keep warm, pour remaining sweet chili sauce over meatballs. Gently stir to coat meatballs and serve.
Bacon Avocado Dip
Game day requires guacamole. Try a new twist on the must-have dip.
• 1 large avocado, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup Blue Diamond Jalapeno Smokehouse
• Almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 3 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt and pepper, to taste
In small bowl, mix all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips or other favorite dippers, such as carrots, bell peppers and broccoli.
Judy on TV! This concert shines a long-overdue spotlight on a unique chapter of Garland’s legendary career: her 1963–64 CBS television series. It’s a look at Garland’s iconic talent through the lens of her landmark 1963-64 weekly television broadcasts. Renowned entertainer and music director Billy Stritch leads this dazzling tribute that brings together a stellar lineup of jazz and Broadway favorites including acclaimed vocalists Gabrielle Stravelli and Nicolas King. The Judy Garland Show lasted only nine months and the star saw its cancellation as a devastating failure. Stritch sees it much differently, noting that the show’s 26 hours of concert material capture a crucial era of her life and legacy as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. These terrific performers revive the unforgettable music, intimate moments and sheer star power that defined the show.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. $58, $48, $38. Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org or (516) 767-6444.
Feel the beat with Step Afrika!
The acclaimed dance company visits Hofstra University with a high-octane performance, Step Afrika! 101. Since its 1994 founding, Step Afrika! has been recognized as a cultural ambassador for this percussive dance tradition rooted in African American communities and historically linked to Black Greek-letter organizations. Their signature style fuses precise footwork and rhythmic movement with contemporary African dance, AfroBeats and popular music, in a powerful celebration of culture and community. Everyone is encouraged to clap, stomp, and join in calland-response moments that make the show feel as communal as it is electric. In keeping with Step Afrika!’s emphasis on service and community, it’s requested to bring non-perishable food items or basic toiletries to benefit the Hofstra Pantry and the Mary Brennan INN.
Sunday, Feb. 8, 3:30-5 p.m. Free admission. John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus, Hempstead. For more information, visit hofstra.edu/academics/culturalcenter or call (516) 463-5669 or email hofculctr@hofstra.edu.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
FEB
5
Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out
Long Island Children’s Museum’s welcomes all to its new exhibit. Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out provides interactive experiences that help visitors learn about the important role emotions, memory and imagination play in our everyday lives. Hands-on and digital experiences focus on the five emotions featured in the film: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Kids learn to recognize emotions and explore ways that we express and manage our own emotions. With related activities.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Time to Play
FEB 6
Enjoy free playtime with your kids at Freeport Memorial Library. All children ages 1 to 3 can come play with the supplied toys and have a story time session. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required.
• Where: 144 West Merrick Road
• Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Contact: freeportlibrary.info or (516) 379-3274
FEB
7
‘Inside Out’ Headquarter Hats
Join in some creative fun relating to Long Island Children’s Museum new exhibit. Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out” focuses on Riley’s emotions Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Come explore your many emotions and craft an interchangeable hat to display which emotion is “in charge” throughout the day at the drop-in program.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: Noon-2 p.m., also Feb. 8
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
FEB
9
‘So
don’t stop me now’
dances, popular songs, and well known Chinese sayings that celebrate the wit and wisdom of the zodiac animals. Hao Bang Ah! Horse! A hands-on post show demonstration will make the Chinese bilingual cultural experience accessible to even the youngest audience members. $5, $4 members, $10 theater only.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m..
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
FEB
16
Pete’s Blue Carpet Catwalk
Learn Mah Jongg
Mah Jongg has fascinated people for so many years with its strategies, sequences, and combinations. This class at Freeport Library introduces participants to the tiles and basic moves of this ancient game, while improving your thinking ability. Class size is limited and registration is required.
• Where: 144 West Merrick Road
Queen-mania rolls on. Almost Queen returns to the Paramount stage with their homage to the beloved band. They don’t just pay tribute to the legendary band, Almost Queen transports you back in time to experience the magic and essence of Queen themselves. The band — featuring Joseph Russo as Freddie Mercury, Steve Leonard as Brian May, Randy Gregg as John Deacon, and John Cappadona as Roger Taylor — is “guaranteed to blow your mind” with iconic four-part harmonies and expertly executed musical interludes. The band’s authenticity shines through in their impeccable attention to detail and genuine costumes, while their live energy and precision captivates fans of all ages with an unforgettable concert experience. Almost Queen’s concerts are a true testament to the band’s love for Queen’s music. The carefully curated setlist featuring Queen’s best-loved songs, like “Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” and “Radio Ga Ga,” along with lesser known tracks. And of course, no Queen tribute concert would be complete without classics like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions!” It’s no wonder fans keep coming back for more.
• Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Contact: freeportlibrary.info or (516) 379-3274
FEB
10
DistrictWide Black History Month Celebration
Students and instructors at Freeport High School have prepared a special Black History Month program to honor the continued contributions and sacrifices of those of African descent in the United States.
• Where: 50 S. Brookside Ave.
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 867-5200
African America 250: Celebrating 250 Years of African History in America
Explore the amazing tapestry of the social, political, and cultural impact and beneficence of African Americans throughout U.S. history at Freeport Memorial Library. This event runs in conjunction with the 250th birthday of the U.S.
• Where: 144 West Merrick Road
• Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Contact: freeportlibrary.info or (516) 379-3274
FEB
11
The Road to Revolution
The American Revolution was the product of decades of grievances. Discuss the series of actions from both sides of the Atlantic that led to the declaration that “these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states” at Freeport Library. Registration required.
• Where: 144 West Merrick Road
• Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Contact: freeportlibrary.info or (516) 379-3274
Book talk
FEB
12
Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House press secretary and senior advisor to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., visits Hofstra University to discuss her two books published last year, “Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America” and “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House Outside the Party Lines.” Copies of both books will be available for purchase, and her talk will be followed by a book signing. Advance registration is required.
• Where: John Cranford Adams
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
Playhouse, Hofstra University South Campus, Hempstead
• Time: 11:15 a.m.- 2:45 p.m.
• Contact: events.hofstra.edu to RSVP
FEB
14
The Love Letter: Valentine’s Day Soirée Dinner
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with gospel, R&B, and soul at this all-day event. Features include live bands, DJ, dance floor, 3-course soul food dinner, open bar, selfie-ready décor, giveaways for the ladies, valet parking, and more. Hosted by mother-daughter team Sherlett and Diamond of Soul Full Restaurant. Tickets required. $124
• Where: The Factory, 124 Woodcleft Ave.
• Time: 2 p.m.–midnight
Lunar New Year program
Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes Chinese Theatre Works to the museum stage. Join in a celebration of the Lunar New Year with an original “budaixi” glove puppet production that features the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year’s show stars the Horse, who presides over a jolly selection of wild puppet skits,
Walk the blue carpet as a VIP to celebrate Long Island Children’s Museum’s premiere performance of Pete the Cat! Dress your best, smile for the paparazzi, and take a picture with Pete! A special youth emcee will be interviewing VIPs on camera. Gain exclusive access to Pete’s Groovy Lounge for refreshments, enjoy the opening day performance of the show and take home a fun swag bag! You’ll even get to meet the cast after the show! For Pete the Cat, life is an adventure no matter where you wind up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. Join Jimmy and Pete on an adventure of friendship, all the way to Paris and back in a VW bus! $16 ($14 members), $20 theater and catwalk experience only.
• Where: Museum Row, Garden City
• Time: Starting at 11:30 a.m.
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
FEB
25
Freeport BOE meets The Board of Education holds its next meeting. All are encouraged to attend.
• Where: Atkinson School, 58 W. Seaman Ave.
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
New Visions reflect MLK’s kindness and peace
The students and staff of New Visions Museum School of Exploration and Discovery came together for a special assembly on Friday, Jan. 17 to celebrate and reflect on the life and legacy of the Civil Rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The program united participants in a renewed commitment to King’s enduring message of peace, justice, and equality.
Students, well dressed in black and white, led the assembly with impactful performances that included music, poetry, and personal reflections related to King’s activism. Each presentation highlighted his message of hope, courage, and unity for all, while encouraging the school community to stand up for what is right and to lead with compassion.
“Our Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assembly truly reflected the heart of our school,” said Principal Jessica Romero. “Through their voices and creativity, our students honored Dr. King’s legacy and demonstrated their commitment to kindness, lead-
ership, and peace.”
A highlight of the assembly was the presentation of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award to fourth grader Pauline Marte. The award recognizes a student who exemplifies kindness, compassion, and respect for others. Marte was selected out of a pool of nominees chosen by teachers and students. She received a trophy, medallion, and certificate for the honor. Her name will also be permanently added to the school’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award plaque.
Other nominees that continued to demonstrate great character includes Brinny Benitez, Gabrielle Grant, Matteo Sanchez, and Iselis Adames.
The assembly was made possible through the dedication and collaboration of school leaders, including Principal Romero, Assistant Principal Christopher Lomot, and teachers who worked closely with students to prepare them for this event.
–Andrew Francis
Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
New Visions kindergarten students share their thoughts on the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at a recent Friday school assembly.
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE OF COUNTY TREASURER’S SALE OF TAX LIENS ON REAL ESTATE
Notice is hereby given that I shall, commencing on February 17, 2026, sell at public on-line auction the tax liens on real estate herein-after described, unless the owner, mortgagee, occupant of or any other party-ininterest in such real estate shall pay to the County Treasurer by February 12, 2026 the total amount of such unpaid taxes or assessments with the interest, penalties and other expenses and charges, against the property. Such tax liens will be sold at the lowest rate of interest, not exceeding 10 per cent per six month’s period, for which any person or persons shall offer to take the total amount of such unpaid taxes as defined in section 5-37.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code. Effective with the February 17, 2026 lien sale, Ordinance No. 175-2015 requires a $175.00 per day registration fee for each person who intends to bid at the tax lien sale. Ordinance No. 175-2015 also requires that upon the issuance of the Lien Certificate there is due from the lien buyer a Tax Certificate Issue Fee of $20.00 per lien purchased.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Nassau County Administrative Code at the discretion of the Nassau County Treasurer the auction will be conducted online. Further information concerning the procedures for the auction is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/526/ County-Treasurer
Should the Treasurer determine that an in-person auction shall be held, same will commence on the 17th day of February, 2026 at the Office of The County Treasurer 1 West Street, Mineola or at some other location to be determined by the Treasurer.
The liens are for arrears of School District taxes for the year 2024 - 2025 and/or County, Town, and Special District taxes for the year 2025. The following is a partial listing of the real estate located in school district number(s) 9 in the Town of Hempstead only, upon which tax liens are to be sold, with a brief description of the same by reference to the County Land and Tax Map, the name of the owner or occupant as the same appears on the 2024/2025 tentative assessment roll, and the total amount of such unpaid taxes.
IMPORTANT
THE NAMES OF OWNERS SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT. SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE 2024/2025 TENTATIVE ASSESSMENT ROLLS AND MAY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SUCH OWNERS ARE NOMINAL ONLY AND ANOTHER PERSON IS ACTUALLY THE BENEFICIAL OWNER.
Such tax liens shall be sold subject to any and all superior tax liens of sovereignties and other municipalities and to all claims of record which the County may have thereon and subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldier’s and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts. However, such tax liens shall have priority over the County’s Differential Interest Lien, representing the excess, if any, of the interest and penalty borne at the maximum rate over the interest and penalty borne at the rate at which the lien is purchased.
The Purchaser acknowledges that the tax lien(s) sold pursuant to these Terms of Sale may be subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or may become subject to such proceedings which may be commenced during the period in which a lien is held by a successful bidder or the assignee of same, which may modify a Purchaser’s rights with respect to the lien(s) the property securing same. Such bankruptcy proceedings shall not affect the validity of the tax lien. In addition to being subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/ or the Federal and State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil
Relief Acts, said purchaser’s right of foreclosure may be affected by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), 12 U.S.C. ss 1811 et. seq., with regard to real property under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receivership.
The County Treasurer reserves the right, without further notice and at any time, to withdraw from sale any of the parcels of land or premises herein listed.
The rate of interest and penalty which any person purchases the tax lien shall be established by his bid. Each purchaser, immediately after the sale thereof, shall pay to the County Treasurer ten percent of the amount from which the tax liens have been sold and the remaining ninety percent within thirty days after such sale. If the purchaser at the tax sale shall fail to pay the remaining ninety percent within ten days after he has been notified by the County Treasurer that the certificates of sale are ready for delivery, then all deposited with the County Treasurer including but not limited to the ten percent theretofore paid by him shall, without further notice or demand, be irrevocably forfeited by the purchaser and shall be retained by the County Treasurer as liquidated damages and the agreement to purchase be of no further effect.
Time is of the essence in this sale. This sale is held pursuant to the Nassau County Administrative Code and interested parties are referred to such Code for additional information as to terms of sale, rights of purchasers, maximum rates of interest and other legal incidents of the sale.
Furthermore, as to the bidding, 1.The bidder(s) agree that they will not work with any other bidder(s) to increase, maintain or stabilize interest rates or collaborate with any other bidder(s) to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the random number generator in the event of a tie bid(s) on a tax certificate. Bidder(s) further agree not to employ any bidding strategy designed to create an unfair competitive advantage in the tiebreaking process in the upcoming tax sale nor work with any other bidder(s) to engage in any bidding strategy that will result in a rotational award of tax certificates.
2.The tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) bid, will be arrived at independently and without direct or indirect consultation, communication or agreement with any other bidder and that the tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) to be bid, have not been disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder, and will not be disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder prior to the close of bidding. No attempt has been made or will be made to, directly or indirectly, induce any other bidder to refrain from bidding on any tax certificate, to submit complementary bids, or to submit bids at specific interest rates.
3.The bids to be placed by the Bidder will be made in good faith and not pursuant to any direct or indirect, agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any other bidder to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive bid.
4.If it is determined that the bidder(s) have violated any of these bid requirements then their bid shall be voided and if they were the successful bidder the lien and any deposits made, in connection with, said bid shall be forfeited.
This list includes only tax liens on real estate located in Town of Hempstead. Such other tax liens on real estate are advertised as follows:
TOwn OF HEMpSTEAd
Dist 1001
Dist 1002
Dist 1003
Dist 1004
Dist 1005
Dist 1006
Dist 1007
Dist 1008
Dist 1009
Dist 1010
Dist 1011
Dist 1012
Dist 1013
Dist 1014
Dist 1015
Dist 1016
Dist 1017
NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS
NEW YORK POST
THE NASSAU OBSERVER
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN
WANTAGH HERALD CITIZEN
BELLMORE HERALD
MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
BALDWIN HERALD
HEMPSTEAD BEACON, NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
FREEPORT HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
BALDWIN HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
OCEANSIDE TRIBUNE
OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD
MALVERNE/WEST HEMPSTEAD HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
VALLEY STREAM HERALD
VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE
FIVE TOWNS JEWISH TIMES
FIVE TOWNS TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NASSAU HERALD (FIVE TOWNS)
NEW YORK POST
FIVE TOWNS JEWISH TIMES
FIVE TOWNS TRIBUNE
JEWISH STAR
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
FRANKLIN SQ/ELMONT HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
FRANKLIN SQ/ELMONT HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NASSAU ILLUSTRATED NEWS
NEW HYDE PARK FLORAL PARK HERALD COURIER
Dist 1018
Dist 1019
Dist 1020
HEMPSTEAD BEACON, NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK TREND
NEW YORK POST
UNIONDALE BEACON
HEMPSTEAD BEACON,
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
UNIONDALE BEACON
EAST MEADOW HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS
NEW YORK POST
BELLMORE HERALD
MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEIGHBOR NEWSPAPERS
NEW YORK POST
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST Dist 1026
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
YORK POST THE NASSAU OBSERVER Dist 1027
MALVERNE/WEST HEMPSTEAD HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE NEW YORK POST Dist 1028
1030 NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
GARDEN CITY NEWS
GARDEN CITY TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NASSAU ILLUSTRATED NEWS
NEW YORK POST
EAST ROCKAWAY TRIBUNE
LYNBROOK/EAST ROCKAWAY HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
ROCKAWAY JOURNAL
EAST ROCKAWAY TRIBUNE
LYNBROOK/EAST ROCKAWAY HERALD
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD
Dist 1021
Dist 1022
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD
ROCKVILLE CENTRE TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW HYDE PARK FLORAL PARK HERALD COURIER
NEW YORK POST
Dist 1023
Dist 1024
Dist 1025
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN
WANTAGH HERALD CITIZEN
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
VALLEY STREAM HERALD
VALLEY STREAM/MALVERN TRIBUNE
MERRICK HERALD
MERRICK/BELLMORE TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
Public Notices
Continued from previous page
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE
GLEN COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT
SHORE LEADER
GLEN COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
JOURNAL
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE
BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST Dist 3020
BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SOUTH BAYS NEIGHBOR - BETHPAGE THE NASSAU OBSERVER Dist 3021
BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SOUTH BAYS NEIGHBOR - BETHPAGE
THE NASSAU OBSERVER
Dist 3022
MASSAPEQUA POST
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST SOUTH BAYS NEIGHBOR - FARMINGDALE
Dist 3023
THE NASSAU OBSERVER
MASSAPEQUA POST
MID-ISLAND TIMES
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
SOUTH BAYS NEIGHBOR - N. MASSAPEQUA
THE NASSAU OBSERVER Dist 3024
GLEN COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SEA CLIFF - GLEN HEAD HERALD
Dist 3203
COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
OYSTER BAY GUARDIAN
GLEN COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE NEW YORK POST
3011
Dist 3306
OYSTER BAY GUARDIAN
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SYOSSET ADVANCE Dist 3012
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SYOSSET ADVANCE
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3013
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SYOSSET ADVANCE
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3014
JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3015
JERICHO NEWS JOURNAL
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
SYOSSET JERICHO TRIBUNE Dist 3017
HICKSVILLE/LEVITTOWN TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST THE NASSAU OBSERVER Dist 3018
BETHPAGE NEWSGRAM
MASSAPEQUA POST
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
SOUTH BAYS NEIGHBOR - N. MASSAPEQUA THE NASSAU OBSERVER Dist 3019
LONG ISLAND PRESS
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
ROSLYN NEWS TIMES
MASSAPEQUA POST
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
THE NASSAU OBSERVER
CiTy of Glen Cove Dist 4005
GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE
GLEN COVE OYSTER BAY RECORD PILOT
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
THE NORTH SHORE LEADER
CiTy of lonG BeaCh Dist 5028
LONG BEACH HERALD
LONG BEACH TRIBUNE
NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE
NEW YORK POST
Nassau County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs, or activities.
Upon request, accommodations such as those required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in all services, programs, activities and public hearings and events conducted by the Treasurer’s Office. Upon request, information can be made available in braille, large print, audio tape other alternative formats. For additional information, please call (516) 571-2090 ext. 13715.
Dated: February 05, 2026
1334637
THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER MINEOLA, NEW YORK
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: 18 Bedell Street LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 9/19/25 NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as an agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: Law Office of Howard Colten, 53 E.Merrick Rd 237, Freeport, NY 11520 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.
157734
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR ABFC 2006OPT1 TRUST, ASSET BACKED FUNDING CORPORATION ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OPT1, Plaintiff, Against ROBERT BELL,· CHRISTINE BELL, et al Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 11/26/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 11501 on 2/17/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 311 Park Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520, NY 11520, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York.
Section 54 Block 309 Lot 277 and 278. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $977,850.09 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 013367/2010 If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed
Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.
Scott H Siller, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 12/29/2025 File Number: 17-300065 CA 157829
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR REO TRUST 2017RPL1, Plaintiff, vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS-ATLAW, NEXT-OF KIN, DISTRIBUTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, TRUSTEES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING, UNDER, BY OR THROUGH THE DECEDENTS VIOLA WHALEY AND WALTER GRABOWSKI BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, ANY RIGHT TITLE OR INTEREST IN AND TO THE PREMISES DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Discharging the Guardian Ad Litem, Amending Caption, Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and for Nunc Pro Tunc Relief duly entered on August 4, 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 February 13, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 62 East First Street, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 62, Block 69 and Lot 189. Approximate amount of judgment is $390,426.96 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold
subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #616841/2022. Cash will not be accepted. Michelle Aulivola, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff 157831
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2019-GS7, Plaintiff -againstEULALEE PARKER; RAMON PARKER, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 26, 2023 and entered on July 28, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 17, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the southerly side of Morton Avenue, distant 125 feet easterly from the corner formed by the intersection of the southerly side of Morton Avenue with the easterly side of Brookside Avenue; being a plot 50 feet by 100 feet by 50 feet by 100 feet.
SBL#
0054-00299-00281
Said premises known as 61 MORTON AVE, FREEPORT, NY 11520
Approximate amount of lien $632,558.32 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 608057/2020.
CHESTER H. GREENSPAN, ESQ., Referee
Kosterich & Skeete, LLC
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 707 Westchester Ave, Suite 302, White Plains, NY 10604 {* FREEPORT LEADER*} 157752
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, BRIDGEWELL CAPITAL, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. TANDEM ENTERPRISE LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 6, 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 February 18, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 319 South Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 62, Block 44 and Lot 394. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,198,937.49 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #600164/2022. Oscar Prieto, Esq., Referee
Vallely Mitola Ryan PLLC, 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 165, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 157812
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST 2007-HE2, ASSET BACKEDCERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-HE2, Plaintiff against NINA DEMOSTHENES, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered November 25, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the
Public Notices
highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM. Premises known as 915 Van Buren Street, Baldwin, NY 11510. Sec 54 Block 386 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $530,475.40 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 000879/2016. 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.” Andrew K Preston, Esq., Referee File # SPSNY448 157973
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAMP TRUST 2006-HE8, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE8, -againstMARCIA LANDS AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES SPEARMAN
LEAKE A/K/A JAMES LEAKE A/K/A JAMES SPEARMAN, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a
Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on December 15, 2025, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAMP TRUST 2006-HE8, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE8 is the Plaintiff and MARCIA LANDS AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES SPEARMAN LEAKE
A/K/A JAMES LEAKE
A/K/A JAMES SPEARMAN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 24, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 101 WEST FULTON AVENUE, ROOSEVELT, NY 11575; and the following tax map identification: 0055 - 00412-0000093.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT ROOSEVELT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 008919/2015. Michael Alpert, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 157975
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court County of Nassau The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York, As Trustee For The Certificateholders CWALT, INC., Alternative Loan Trust 2006-32CB, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-32CB, Plaintiff AGAINST James A. Crittenden, Jr. a/k/a James Crittenden, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 8, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, North sides of the steps, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM premises known as 65 Sagamore Street, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, SECTION: 55, BLOCK: 375, LOT: 1186-1189. Approximate amount of judgment is $367,839.74 plus interests and costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgmen t Index # 609700/2024. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Fay Mattana, Referee
FRENKEL LAMBERT
WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-100333-F00 88430 157868
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR BENEFIT OF THE HOLDERS OF THE CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST INC., ASSETBACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-SHL1
Plaintiff, Against DOROTHY WATERMAN, PAULINE BROWN, et al
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/01/2025, I, the undersigned Referee,
will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 2/24/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 48 Pleasant Ave, Roosevelt, NY 11575, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Roosevelt, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 0055 Block 00351-00 Lot 00031 And 00032. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $904,395.60 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 002787/2015 If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine. Keith Lavallee, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 1/6/2026 File Number: 560-1419 CA 157971
LEGAL NOTICE
SURROGATE’S COURT, NASSAU COUNTY CITATION
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: Grassi Advisory Group, Inc., Office of the New York State Attorney General, Jasper Surety, Joyce Leblanc, Judith Billard, John Billard, Sue Sims, David Engel, Anna Mitchum, Mary Mills, Donald Engel, Estate of Sherry Engel, And any and all unknown persons whose names or parts of whose names and whose place or places of residence are unknown and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained, distributees, heirs-atlaw and next-of-kin of the said Brian Joseph McLoughlin, deceased,
and if any of the said distributees named specifically or as a class be dead, their legal representatives, their husbands or wives, if any, distributees and successors in interest whose names and/or places of residence and post office addresses are unknown and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained.
A petition having been duly filed by Nassau County Public Administrator, who is domiciled at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York 11501.
YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Nassau County, at 262 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York, on March 4, 2026, at 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why the account of Nassau County Public Administrator, a summary of which has been served herewith, as Administrator of the estate of Corwyn G. Billard, should not be judicially settled.
[X] Further relief sought (if any):
1.Releasing and discharging the Petitioner from all liability, responsibility and accountability as to all matters set forth in the account of proceedings;
2.Allowing the commissions of the Petitioner in the amount of $ 5,273.70 pursuant to SCPA 2307(1) and the reasonable and necessary expenses of the office in the amount of $ 1,068.42 pursuant to SCPA 1207(4);
3.Fixing and determining the attorney’s fees and disbursements of Mahon, Mahon, Kerins & O’Brien, LLC attorney for petitioner in the amount of $ 32,361.98 as and for legal fees and $ 2,981.99 as and for disbursements, for a total of $ 35,343.97, of which $ 7,843.97 has been paid and $ 27,500.00 is unpaid;
4. Fixing and determining the accounting fees of Grassi & Co, CPA’s, PC in the amount of $ 7,850.00, of which $ 1,850.00 has been paid and $ 6,000.00 is unpaid;
5.Releasing and discharging the surety;
6.Directing each of you claiming to be a distributee of the Decedent to establish
proof of your kinship, and show cause why the balance of said funds should not be paid to said alleged distributees upon proof of kinship or deposited with the New York State Comptroller on account for the unknown next of kin of Corwyn G. Billard, decedent, should said alleged distributees default herein or fail to establish proof of kinship; And further directing that the share determined to be payable to the estate of Sherry Engel, if any, be deposited with the New York State Comptroller on account for the unknown next of kin of Corwyn G. Billard, post deceased alleged distributee, should said alleged distributees default herein, or fail to establish proof of kinship; 7.Granting such other and further relief as to the Court is just and proper Dated, Attested, and Sealed, January 9, 2026 (Seal) HON. S/:David P. Sullivan Surrogate s/ Debra Keller Leimbach
Chief Clerk S:/Richard T. Kerins
Signature of Attorney Richard T. Kerins, Esq.
Print Name of Attorney Mahon, Mahon, Kerins & O’Brien, LLC Firm Name (516) 538-1111
Telephone 254 Nassau Boulevard South, Garden City South, New York 11530
Address Email (optional)
NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you, and you or your attorney may request a copy of the full account from the petitioner or petitioner’s attorney. 158105
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU ONEWEST BANK N.A., -againstWELLINGTON ROY MAHONEY, JR., ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a
Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on May 6, 2025, wherein ONEWEST BANK N.A. is the Plaintiff and WELLINGTON ROY MAHONEY, JR., ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 27, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 176 MIRIN AVENUE, ROOSEVELT, NY 11575; and the following tax map identification: 55-469-53, 54 & 55. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT ROOSEVELT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 005727/2014. Jaime D. Ezratty, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 158102
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, -againstMICHAEL J. WEISS, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on August 13, 2024, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and MICHAEL J. WEISS, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee,
will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 3, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 31 WEST 3RD STREET, FREEPORT, NY 11520; and the following tax map identification: 62-63-114.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF FREEPORT, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 614333/2022. Kenneth Lawrence Gartner, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 158100
LEGAL NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING – February 19, 2026
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that a Public Hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 6:30 P.M. in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, Main Conference Room, 46 N. Ocean Avenue, Freeport, New York on the appeals and applications of cases as they appear on the calendar; residential applications that do not extend their prior nonconforming status may be called first; public comment invited. INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS and other persons should appear at the above time and place to have questions answered and to voice opinions. All applications are non-conforming with
5, 2026 —
zoning regulations herein specified for the districts in which they are located.
Variances: Village Ordinance §210-6A Conformity Required, §210-40 Lot Area; street frontage; lot width, §210-41 Lot coverage; floor area ratio, §210-43A Required yards
Construct a new 6-story, 138-room hotel with a total occupant load of 839 persons in the public assembly areas and to utilize section 62 block 233 lots 2 & 3 for additional accessory use of offsite parking. Variances: Village Ordinance §210-6A. Conformity Required, §210-239 Building Height, §210-239 Number of Stories, §210-3 Parking space, §210-172(6) Required parking spaces BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Pamela Walsh Boening, Village Clerk 158268
LEGAL NOTICE
PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC HEARING
February 10, 2026
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that a public hearing will be held before the Planning Board on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 6:30 P.M., in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, Trustees Conference Room, 46 North Ocean Avenue, Freeport, New York, on the applications of cases as they appear on the calendar. 220 West Sunrise Highway - Incorporated Village of Freeport. Application for Subdivision for the creation of three (3) lots. Section 54 Block 73 Lot 50 Manufacturing. A copy of the Application is available for viewing at the Office of the Village Clerk during the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. for the purpose of inspection by interested persons.
persons should appear at the above time and place to have questions answered and to voice opinions. BY ORDER OF THE PLANNING BOARD
Pamela Walsh Boening, Village Clerk 158272
To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT
SECURITY BY VIRTUE OF A DEFAULT
WESTBURY, NEW YORK 11590 (516) 280-7675 158259
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. FIRST START, LLC, Pltf. vs. TRIDENT EQUITIES LLC, et al, Defts. Index #600121/2023. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Oct. 1, 2024, I will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 9, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. premises k/a 325 South Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520 a/k/a Section 62, Block 44, Lot 430. Approximate amount of judgment is $370,585.75 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health of safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Sale will be held, “rain or shine.” MERIK AARON, Referee. MARGOLIN, WEINREB & NIERER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 575 Underhill Blvd., Ste. 224, Syosset, NY 11791. #102769 158265
ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-NC2 MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-NC2 is the Plaintiff and STEVEN TAYLOR A/K/A STEVEN A. TAYLOR, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 11, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 64 MOUNT JOY AVENUE, FREEPORT, NY 11520; and the following tax map identification: 55-399-52. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF FREEPORT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS and other
In a Loan Security Agreement dated December 7, 2021 executed by Kim T. Fakira, debtor to Wells Fargo, N.A., secured party via assignment, will cause a public sale of the security consisting of 490 shares of stock plus Parking Space and/or Garage, if applicable, of Hawthorne Gardens Owners Corp. all right title and interest in and to a Proprietary Lease between said Corporation and debtor for Apartment F26 in the building known as 153 SMITH ST FREEPORT, NY 11520 together with all fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with said apartment on February 27, 2026 at 10:15am on the North Facing Front Steps of the Nassau County Court House, 262 Old Country Rd. Mineola, NY 11501, in satisfaction of an indebtedness. Apartment is sold “AS IS” AND POSSESSION TO BE OBTAINED BY THE PURCHASER. Said sale is subject to: payment of all sums due, if any, to Hawthorne Gardens Owners Corp. and the consent if necessary, of said corporation; any existing tenancy; payment of all expenses and fees of the secured party with respect thereto; terms of sale and auctioneers fees; flip tax; State, City and County transfer tax. The secured party reserves the right to bid. Terms: an official bank or certified check made payable to Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC., for ten (10%) percent of the price bid. No cash accepted. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC. 900 MERCHANTS CONCOURSE
A weekend fire destroyed much of the 36 West Woodbine Drive home.
House fire displaces 12 victims with no injuries
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
The Freeport Fire Department and the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office responded to a blaze that destroyed a home in Freeport on Jan. 31. The fire broke out around 4:30 p.m. and took approximately 90 minutes to put out.
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-NC2 MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-NC2, -againstSTEVEN TAYLOR A/K/A STEVEN A. TAYLOR, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on December 2, 2025, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 618117/2023. Christine M. Grillo, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 158257
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
12 people, eight adults and four children, who lived in the home located on West Woodbine Drive, were all evacuated from the building without sustaining any injuries. The American Red Cross charity organization are helping the
victims find temporary housing and meet other needs.
Michael Mennella, Nassau County’s fire marshal, shared that the incident is still under investigation, but the fire’s origin does appear to be accidental. The fire originated on the second floor of the building, which Mennella suggested, could mean that further water damage could be expected in addition to the fire damage.
“Often in a small attic fire, the water damages are more than the fire damage,” said Mennella.
No other buildings were reportedly impacted by the fire.
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust 2006-NC3, Plaintiff AGAINST Claudio Garzon; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 7, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 9,2026, at 2:30
Public Notices Public Notices
PM, premises known as 452 Ray Street, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of
Freeport, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of York, Section 54 Block 312 Lot 34. Approximate amount of judgment $253,778.49 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 608078/2022. Foreclosure auction will be held “Rain or Shine” Howard Eric Colton, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal
Andrew Franics/Herald
EMPLOYMENT
Help Wanted
BOOKKEEPER FOR QUICKBOOKS
Desk Top P/T, May Work Remotely. $40 Per Hour. Email Resume To: 2026paychexforgia4@gmail.com
CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE
Full Time/Part Time Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multi-task, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. Salary Range is $17 per hour to $20 per hour.
For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: circulationassociate@liherald.com
Situations Wanted
CLEANER PART-TIME For The Baldwin Public Library. Up to 17 hours / week; Sundays optional at 2X. For more info. contact rduccilli@baldwinpl.org. Send resume to employment@baldwinpl.org or visit Library to complete an application by 2/12/26.
DRIVERS WANTED
Full Time and Part Time Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR
Company Car/ Bonuses. Clean Driving Record Required, Will Train. Retirees Welcome! $22 - $27/ Hour Bell Auto School 516-365-5778 Email: info@bellautoschool.com
Situations Wanted
EDITOR/REPORTER
Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com
F/T CHAIRSIDE DENTAL ASSISTANT Lynbrook Location. Experienced Individual With Impeccable Work Ethics. Immediate Opening. Email Resume to:nylaserendo@gmail.com Call 516-599-7111
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
MULTI MEDIA
ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT
Inside Sales
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $35,360 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
OUTSIDE SALES
Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $35,360 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
RETAIL SALES P/T
Standard Clerical Work, Filing, Phones, And Light Computer Work. Flexible Hours. Call 516-766-5277 email:17northvillage@gmail.com
Health Care/Opportunities
HEALTHCARE WORKER with 40Yrs Experience is Seeking Position Caring
HomesHERALD
A House You'll Call Home
Welcome to this beautifully updated and spacious 5-bedroom, 3 full bath expanded Ranch in Hewlett Harbor! The most desirable section of the Five Towns! Low taxes, no Sandy damage and no flood insurance required! Step into an atmosphere enhanced by brand-new wall-to-wall windows that fill every room with natural light and custom-built blinds. The primary bedroom offers a private ensuite bath with a triple door closet. The eat-in kitchen is newly renovated with gorgeous countertops, modern new appliances, a wine cooler, and a butler’s pantry with additional counter space for effortless entertaining. A mudroom with ample storage provides the perfect spot to keep seasonal and holiday items neatly organized and out of the way. There are two additional updated bathrooms, new air conditioning and gleaming hardwood floors flow throughout the home. The second floor is a private oasis, complete with two bedrooms and a full bath, and a stand-up attic for extra storage. The outside is beautifully landscaped with oversized fenced-in backyard. There is plenty of room for a pool, hot tub, outdoor fireplace, swing set, and even a basketball hoop. The ultimate space for entertainment and relaxation. Enjoy new siding, a newer roof under 10 years old, freshly installed pavers, and a beautiful patio that’s perfect for gatherings or outdoor relaxation under the stars. Well water for sprinklers. Don't miss the opportunity to make it your Home sweet
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How do we keep our home livable
during renovations?
Q. Do you have any suggestions on how we can guarantee our house won’t be damaged while we have a renovation done? We’re doing a lot of work to add a back family room and a second floor. Our house is a cape that already has a second floor, but we want a full second floor. Everyone we spoke to called it a dormer, but we read your column in which you clarified that a dormer is pushed out through the current roof and a second floor is the whole thing, so we know. We want to stay on the first floor, and even though we’ll get a POD for the driveway, we’re concerned about staying on the first floor. The contractor showed us the plastic curtains he uses, but is there anything else? Our daughter has asthma, and we’re very concerned.
A. It’s tough to guarantee that dust won’t get in, since there are many ways dust travels and the average home, without any air filtration, usually get dusty, anyway. I have seen countless projects with zippered air curtain separations, sealed at the walls, floors and ceilings — even double curtains separated by 4 feet to create a vestibule, with a fan drawing air to the outside just before people open the first zipper. This is called a negative air method, and the fan should only be turned on when someone is about to enter the vestibule from the clean side, because if the fan is left on, it’s drawing air from the dusty side to the clean side.
Several clients purchased boxes of disposable booties to slip over shoes to keep from tracking in dust and dirt. If you have carpeting or just want to protect your finished floors, it’s best to have the walking paths covered in plywood and heavy plastic. Lift the plastic and fold inward to discard periodically, or vacuum with a brush attachment so as not to suck up the plastic. Also, if the path is highly trafficked, it will tear and may be slippery from the booties and dust, so monitor the surface and how affected it will be.
Sometimes just a smooth fiberboard, without splinters, is best. One client even used a spray bottle to spray the air and then the booties before discarding them in a plastic bag. Unfortunately, some people did not completely understand the air flow issues, and left their exterior windows open in the clean areas, adjacent to where the work was being done, allowing the dust to float in through the windows from outside.
Depending on how much you want to spend, there are elaborate portable units with high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filters that will rid the air of a large amount of dust as well as less-visible matter such as pollen. You may want to consult your child’s doctor for advice about filtered respirators, or whether it’s a good idea for her to be there during the construction at all. Good luck!
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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Extremist green policies have made electric rates soar
Anew report issued by our Center for Cost Effective Government confirms that progressive policies implemented by New York’s Legislature designed to tackle climate change have caused energy rates in the state to skyrocket, with few environmental benefits.
In fact, these policies increased electric bills by roughly 50 percent in the six years since their implementation.
In 2019, Albany enacted a sweeping law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, imposing mandates seeking a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It also calls for 100 percent renewable electricity use by 2040.
But recently, New York’s government has been quietly telling the utilities to slow-walk the decommissioning of gasfired power plants. And after the November election, Gov. Kathy Hochul officially retreated from the unrealistic mandate requiring electric heat in new buildings until a lawsuit on the issue concludes.
The state’s progressive policies
included numerous initiatives many now regret, including shutting down nuclear plants; refusing to frack in New York; refusing to approve natural-gas pipelines; requiring all new buildings be heated with electricity; imposing carbon penalties on utilities, passing costs to consumers; and mandating that all cars be electric by 2035.
OIronically, New York’s carbon footprint wound up being worse after passage of this bill, while electric rates soared. Curtailing natural gas had devastating consequences, both economically and environmentally. It was the transition from dirtier coal and oil to cleaner natural gas that dropped U.S. greenhouse emissions by 14 percent from 2005 to 2019, while emissions were increasing worldwide. Rates are slated to increase further, with the New York State Electric & Gas company saying it will charge 23.7 percent more in 2026, while National Grid is seeking increases that could raise bills upstate by $600 a year. And Con Edison is seeking increases that would increase average gas and energy bills more than $150 higher than in 2020. This reduced supply is exacerbated by the enormous energy required for the A.I. revolution. Large companies at the forefront of A.I. innovation put
immense strain on the grid. A.I. data centers are becoming large energy users, outpacing even electric vehicles in their power demand growth.
verly ambitious initiatives have had negative consequences worldwide.
Overly ambitious policy initiatives to shut down traditional power generation and replace it with less-reliable wind and solar energy have resulted in significant negative consequences worldwide. In Germany, an optimistic energy transition plan involved shutting down nuclear plants. In 2011, Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors generated over 33 percent of the country’s electricity. Their shutdown led to a return to fossil fuels. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on foreign energy sources actually increased.
These extreme policies have been mirrored in California, resulting in electric costs that are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average and gasoline costs that are 47 percent above the average.
The typical residential customer in New Jersey, which also promulgated extreme green policies, saw an increase of 17 to 20 percent last year. One resident of Clark, N.J., claimed that her bill rose from $174 in June to over $300 in July — this despite New Jersey’s Public Service Electric & Gas having told her
to expect an increase of 17 percent. Even once-touted wind projects are losing their luster when they come under greater scrutiny. According to NY Energy Ratings, “Developers are looking for a way to pay for the mounting costs of new wind energy projects. They have even asked the [Public Service Commission] to increase New York electric rates.” This is estimated to result in an increase of 4 percent, or $4.67 per month for ratepayers. Some projects are costing double what they were expected to.
Billionaire Bill Gates, who previously sided with the climate doomsday faction, has tempered his position, noting that the trillions of dollars being funneled to climate initiatives could be better spent relieving worldwide poverty.
Are you a better person if you pay an arm and a leg for extreme green policies that will have little impact on reducing the carbon footprint decades down the road? Or is it more cost-effective to concentrate those funds on saving lives today, via better health care and economic opportunity, while simultaneously investing in innovations that can provide cheaper, cleaner energy over a rational, gradual period of time?
Steve Levy is president of Common Sense Strategies, a political consulting firm, and has served as Suffolk County executive and as an assemblyman. He can be reached at steve@commonsensestrategies.com.
We can make our school cafeterias safer
in recent years, we’ve seen stories on the news of everyday heroes who have saved the lives of choking children. There have been incidents all over Long Island, from Elmont to East Setauket, yet New York does not currently require cafeteria monitors to be certified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver.
My new bill, SS6127A, known as Stella’s Law, would correct this oversight. The legislation is named in honor of Stella Tsimis, a teacher’s aide in the Connetquot school district who, in February 2023, saved the life of a 7-year-old boy in the school cafeteria by performing the Heimlich maneuver on him while he
was choking.
Tsimis received the New York State Liberty Medal for saving the boy’s life.
The Liberty Medal is the highest civilian honor awarded by New York state, and is presented only for extraordinary, heroic and life-saving acts.
Tsimis’s actions that day highlighted the need for all adult cafeteria monitors in school cafeterias to be trained in and hold current certifications for first aid, CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, to help ensure the safety of the children who eat there. Requiring the First Aid for Choking poster to be displayed in all school eating areas further supports this goal by providing clear, life-saving instructions that can be followed in an emergency.
such posters, but it’s important for teachers, monitors and staff to be able to successfully intervene in an emergency.
s taffs need to be trained in first aid for choking and the Heimlich maneuver.
Many rescuers have learned the Heimlich maneuver in school health classes, workplace training or even from
Stella’s Law would ensure that personnel are trained, and that informative posters showing the Heimlich maneuver are displayed where students are at the greatest risk of choking. The instructional posters help make sure students are not fearful or afraid if a choking emergency occurs, because they understand this life-saving technique.
There are many resources available in your community. Organizations like the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association hold classes to help people be prepared for such emergencies. We hosted our first CPR-Heimlich maneuver training in cooperation with the West Babylon Fire Department on Jan. 24.
In 2024, a Patchogue-Medford math
teacher, Chris Schiefer, came to the rescue of one of his students. Schiefer noticed the student choking on a gumball and quickly went into action, performing the Heimlich maneuver and helping to dislodge the obstruction. After making sure the student saw the nurse to confirm he was all right, Schiefer turned the incident into a learning opportunity by teaching his students about the Heimlich maneuver and pointing out a chart on the wall demonstrating how to handle a choking incident.
This was a great effort made by a responsible educator, but we should have standard training in place, as well as step-by-step signage for school staff, so they can be frontline administrators of these life-saving techniques.
Please contact your local school district, state senator or Assembly member and encourage them to support Stella’s Law, and to make our schools safer.
Alexis Weik represents the 8th State Senate District.
sTEVE LEVY
ALEXis WEiK
Freeport
Also serving Roosevelt
Established 1935
Incorporating the Freeport Leader in 2013
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Out of practice, but not out of resolve
last week, for the first time in three years, Long Island was forcefully reminded that winter isn’t just a suggestion. The Jan. 25 snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow, whipped it around with high winds and then sealed it in place with a deep freeze, making it the most significant storm in these parts since Jan. 29, 2022. For a region that had grown used to mild winters and more rain than snow, it was a rude, icy wake-up call.
Within hours, schools and businesses were closed, and familiar streets transformed from wet pavement to skating rinks masquerading as thoroughfares.
Snow shovels were unearthed from garages, boots were rediscovered in the backs of closets and many residents wondered, “Wait, how do we do this again?”
The storm highlighted the dedication of emergency workers and the importance of preparation, but it also revealed something else: After a few relatively snow-free winters, Long Island was a little out of practice.
Emergency crews, plow drivers, sanitation workers, police officers, EMS personnel and other essential workers put in long hours in harsh and dangerous conditions. Their efforts kept major roadways passable and ensured that critical services remained available. These people don’t get snow days, and Long Island is better off because of it.
Elected officials also moved quickly. Roads were treated with pre-storm brine to prevent ice from bonding to
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pavement. Hundreds of plows were deployed across towns and villages. Gov. Kathy Hochul sent more than 100 members of the National Guard to assist with snow removal, including on major parkways that thousands of drivers rely on every day.
County Executives Bruce Blakeman and Ed Romaine, in Nassau and Suffolk, respectively, declared states of emergency, helping streamline coordination and resources.
Many residents noticed and appreciated responders’ efforts. Social media was filled with thank-yous to plow drivers and sanitation crews, often described as “the backbone of the operation.” Credit where it’s due: Without their efforts, the storm’s aftermath would have been far worse.
Still, once the snow stopped falling, patience began to melt, unlike the ice. Complaints poured in about side streets that weren’t plowed quickly enough, leaving cars stuck and neighbors frustrated as snow hardened and became virtually unmovable. In some areas, plows managed little more than a single narrow lane, pushing snow into piles that quickly froze into what might as well have been concrete barriers.
The storm’s heavy mix of snow and sleet didn’t help. Parked cars made matters worse. Town officials, including in Oyster Bay, pointed to vehicles left on streets despite parking restrictions as a major obstacle to proper plowing. And then there was the Long Island tradition of shoveling snow into the street
Our foreign policy ‘is heading in the wrong direction’
To the Editor:
I read Peter King’s opinion piece last week, “What did Trump gain by badmouthing Denmark?” about the administration’s various foreign policy accomplishments and failures during the first year of President Trump’s second term. I agree that the approach that’s being taken in regard to Greenland is not wise. Our current treaty with Denmark gives the United States great leeway for the use of Greenland’s territory for U.S. bases in the defense of the U.S. and our NATO allies.
I feel that our foreign policy in general is heading in the wrong direction. The “America First” policy that’s being promoted by the administration is doing great damage to our peaceful relationships around the world. We may have the greatest military in modern history, but we live in a complex world. We need to preserve NATO and make sure that treaties established at the end of World War II remain strong. We need cooperation, not condemnation of friends.
I agree that we need secure and safe borders, and
— illegal, counterproductive and, in Nassau County, potentially a $200 mistake.
All of this slowed cleanup, especially when you consider the scale of the task. The Town of Hempstead alone is responsible for clearing roughly 1,200 miles of roadway. That’s not a quick lap around the block — it’s a marathon in snow boots.
Snow removal is a team sport. Municipalities can plan routes, deploy equipment and send alerts, but residents have to do their part, moving vehicles, following restrictions, staying informed and resisting the urge to dump snow where plows just cleared it.
After three quiet winters, Long Island’s collective snow-day muscle memory had weakened. The key takeaway from Jan. 25 is that the storm exposed gaps while providing a muchneeded refresher. Main roads were cleared. Most neighborhoods were eventually serviced. Emergency operations held up under pressure. With better coordination, clearer communication and stronger public cooperation, the next response can be even smoother. Snowstorms on Long Island are inevitable, and we should be ready for them. If everyone — from county and state governments to towns, villages, businesses and residents — gets back in practice, the next big storm can be met not with surprise and frustration, but with confidence, coordination and maybe even a little less slip-sliding around.
The political distraction industry — and its cost
something’s wrong. It’s hard to put a finger on it. We live in a political world, and something about the way that world slides between the foreground and the background of daily life just seems off — not dramatic, not mysterious, just persistently wrong.
That unease has a source.
Contemporary politics now functions within what can fairly be called a political distraction industry. Large, highprofile controversies generate a media fog that draws our attention toward whatever is loudest or most immediate, while steadily pulling our focus away from decisions that more directly shape our lives.
In any given week, we may be urged to fixate on the latest scandal, to listen to conflicting stories about exploding motorboats off the coast of South America, to dissect executive orders that change little in practice, to scroll through a flood of presidential social media posts, or to follow lawsuits filed theatrically against judges and officials with no realistic chance of success.
Each story is framed as urgent. Each demands our attention. It’s hard to keep up, and it’s harder to see through the fog of information to discern things that may be far more important.
This isn’t an accident. Distraction has become a strategy.
The incentives aren’t difficult to see. Media outlets compete in an overcrowded attention economy. Social media platforms reward speed, outrage and repetition. Political fundraising thrives on alarm. Issues and decisions are boiled down to simplistic either/or choices. Complexity doesn’t travel well. The most consequential changes tend to arrive quietly, already dressed as routine.
w here every problem is a ‘crisis,’ and every disagreement ‘unprecedented.’
scrutiny. Constant conflict fragments potential coalitions. Attention jumps from flare to flare, rarely lingering long enough for consideration of the most basic questions: What has actually changed? Who benefits? What precedent has just been set? Distraction works in part because it enlists us. We share the clips, repost the provocations, argue over headlines designed to provoke argument. It feels like engagement, but reaction isn’t the same as agency, and outrage — however understandable — doesn’t substitute for influence.
chasing.
The result is a loss of perspective. Minor controversies swell into national emergencies, while decisions affecting housing costs, public education, health care access, environmental protections and local governance are made quietly. We debate the tone of a speech while overlooking the budget it obscures. We argue about personalities while the machinery of government is adjusted — often in ways that prove difficult to reverse.
It’s no secret: a distracted public is easier to manage than an attentive one. Constant motion prevents sustained
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those who illegally entered our country should be dealt with through our justice system. But I hope that the constant rhetoric we see daily in our news media starts to abate, and that cooler heads prevail. We need the direction of our politics, and our policies, to return to a sense of normalcy.
JErOME I. rOSEn Hewlett
Where have all the plows gone?
Editors’ note: The following letter was sent to the Herald on Jan. 29, after last week’s issues went to press.
To the Editor:
It’s frustrating that nearly five days after the significant snow we had on Jan. 25, our neighborhoods, thoroughfares and side streets are still not cleared. Did the plows come? Yes, they did. Main roads have been cleared. But who’s responsible for the mess left behind along Hempstead Turnpike, Franklin Avenue and other highly traveled streets that could certainly benefit from another pass of the plow?
Why are cars forced to park next to huge mounds of snow that haven’t been removed? The plows should still be out there, helping to widen the streets. Instead I’ve seen multiple town highway trucks with plows removed.
An example is Goldenrod Avenue in Franklin Square, which leads to both Washington Street School and H. Frank Carey High School. During school hours, Goldenrod is almost impassable, whether you’re driving north or south, because it
Even our political vocabulary has been thinned by overuse. Everything is a “crisis.” Every disagreement is “unprecedented.” When every day is framed as an emergency, real emergencies become harder to recognize. Fatigue follows. People disengage — not because they don’t care, but because constant alarm is mentally exhausting. There is no need to tune out — but there is a need to slow down. When a story breaks, a few stubborn questions help restore a sense of scale: Does this materially change how power is exercised? Does it affect people’s rights, safety, or economic security? Will it still matter a year from now? If not, it may be worth keeping an eye on — but not
has at least 4 feet of snow sticking out into the street on both sides.
Why are all the corners leading to crosswalks not cleared? This is a safety issue. Are people expected to climb a snow mound to get to businesses on Hempstead Turnpike?
If the curb outside a store is still piled with snow and the crosswalk at the corner of that street isn’t cleared, how are people expected to get to the store? Businesses are clearing their own sidewalks, but it seems that curbs, corners, crosswalks and some bus stops are orphans of the storm.
When talking to the Town of Hempstead Highway Department, I was told they are only responsible for “residential areas.” They did offer to put in a “ticket” to replow Goldenrod Avenue. I was told that the state Department of Transportation is responsible for large thoroughfares like Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway. I called the DOT, and an employee repeated “from curb to curb” when I asked what snow clearing they were responsible for.
It seems to me that during these storms, the town, as the “first responder” agency, funded by our tax dollars, should do more to make traveling in our community easier — especially since the town isn’t responsible for plowing main thoroughfares. Why can’t they send crews out to dig out street corners and crosswalks when a storm is over? If we’re expected to take our kids to school, go to work and go about our daily lives, we should get better assistance from the town in order to return to our normal routine.
ELIzABETH MUrPHY Franklin Square
The normalization of continuous distraction carries a cost most of us have experienced without quite naming it. The news and social media flood the airwaves with stories and endless commentary about the latest nasty thing the president has said about a celebrity — who insulted whom, who clapped back. Meanwhile, we hear only a sidebar about a court decision that permits the administration to empower ICE agents to arrest U.S. citizens as though they were undocumented immigrants, the decision mentioned only briefly before disappearing from coverage. One story dominates our attention for days; the other slips past almost unnoticed. Again, the imbalance is not accidental.
Distraction isn’t merely noise, but leverage. The point is not to stop us from seeing anything at all, but to keep us looking in the wrong direction long enough for other, potentially more consequential, decisions to settle into place. By the time our attention shifts back, the argument is over, the paperwork is filed and the change is treated as a fact rather than a choice. What is lost is not awareness, but the chance to intervene at the moment when our scrutiny might have made a difference.
Michael Blitz is professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Framework by Mallory Wilson
And then she kissed the stone — Blarney Castle, Ireland
