Baldwin Herald 01-12-2023

Baldwin actor debuts first film

Sean Iannarone is releasing a movie and a novel

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

A Baldwin artist and writer living with a disability has released a movie, “2125,” which he filmed himself, on Prime Video, and announced the publication of a novel, “The Book of Daniel” this month.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Sean “Ian” Iannarone, 46, has been working from his home, writing and producing his documentary-styled film, “2125.” The story, set in the future, follows Long Island resident Daniel Hawkins’ journey through a series of digital diary entries in the early stages of a worldwide quarantine. The film was released on Prime Video in December.

Iannarone, who goes by the shortened version of his last name, also has been writing

“The Book of Daniel,” a story told from the perspective of a child who develops otherworldly powers, for the past decade. Ian said he is publishing his novel with Austin Macauley Publishers, based in London, and plans to release his book to the public within the next six months. He said the book is completely written and is currently undergoing editing and cover design before it’s officially published later this year.

Ian said he got the inspiration to write it after he suffered a work-related injury in 2012, which left him disabled and searching for new ways to create art and literature.

“I’ve been a writer my whole life,” he said.

“I really started writing when I was going through my recovery process and because my disability hindered me from many physical

BCA swears in a new group of leaders

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

At its first public meeting of 2023 last week, the Baldwin Civic Association swore in a new group of officers.

Members gathered at Baldwin High school on Jan. 5 to outline their priorities for the year, and Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé swore in four new officials — President Kimberly Malone, Vice President Marguerite Keller, Treasurer Colette Carrion and Recording Secretary Erika Hill — and the re-elected corresponding secretary, Mark Prevatt, all of whom were voted in last month.

Malone, who is originally from Chicago but has lived in Baldwin for 20 years, said that the civic association is ready to focus on several initiatives and goals for the community, like working with Town of Hempstead officials to guide Baldwin’s downtown revitalization, which includes proj-

ects such as Breslin Realty’s recently approved development, the Grand at Baldwin.

One of the first issues members deliberated on was the proposed redrawing of the Town of Hempstead’s map of its councilmatic districts — which would divide Baldwin into three different districts.

Almost all of northern Baldwin would be in Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby’s district, southern Baldwin would fall in Councilman Christopher Carini’s district, which extends as far East as Wantagh, and a small section of northwestern Baldwin would be in the 4th District, which stretches to Valley Stream and which, until November, was represented by Anthony D’Espo-sito, who was elected to Congress.

Some members said they felt that as drawn, the new districts would not adequately represent the hamlet’s diverse communi-

Courtesy Sean Ian

SEAN ‘IAN’ IANNARONE, with Patricia Purcell, a producer on his documentary-style movie, ‘2125,’ has seen the film released on Prime Video. He also announced the upcoming publication of a novel called ‘The Book of Daniel.’

If an official represents smaller parts of Baldwin, those populations will have less impact.

KIMBERLY MALONE Civic Association president

New town redistricting long way from finish

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

Voters talked, but at least according to them, a committee tasked with drawing new boundaries for Hempstead town elected officials didn’t listen.

At least that was the takeaway during the latest public hearing last week over the state of redistricting in the town.

Yet, it was a meeting just before the winter holidays that took most of the attention — a meeting where a number of speakers during public comment demanded lines be redrawn for the six town districts in what they called a more balanced representation through the inclusion of three “minority-majority” districts. That is, where an overall ethnic minority would be grouped into a majority as a way to help diversify a leadership board like the town council.

That same week, new map proposals were released. Yet, after further review, critics of the earlier drafts claimed most of their recommendations were ignored.

“While I hope that the commission changes course on these maps, I doubt (they) will because (they) have to show us that (they’re) listening to what residents are saying,” said Amil Virani of Valley Stream.

But there were changes. For example, the committee has proposed grouping together Elmont, North Valley Stream, a portion of the Five Towns and Franklin Square into a single district. Baldwin — which went from three to two representatives on the latest maps — was split in half.

The idea, according to Hempstead town attorney John Maccarone, was to ensure villages were kept whole, in accordance with the law. However, hamlets like Baldwin don’t enjoy the same protections.

Elmont, Valley Stream and Franklin Square are per-

fect for this new district, said Elmont resident Mimi Pierre-Johnson, but it should also have included Bellerose, Bellerose village, South Floral Park, Floral Park and New Hyde Park.

“That would’ve been a perfect minority-majority,” she said. “Everyone in that district would have had a fair share of choosing their elected official.”

Baldwin has been split into three council districts since the 2010 census. The Baldwin Civic Association collected more than 400 signatures on a petition urging the committee to place the entire hamlet of Baldwin under the 11510 ZIP code and one Town of Hempstead council district.

“Again, (the redistricting committee) has cracked Baldwin,” Janet Poretsky said. “My vote in Baldwin Harbor won’t count, it will be canceled out by someone in Wantagh-Seaford. I don’t think that’s fair, and I have nobody who is really representing my area.”

The last time officials got together to redraw district lines, it was done to benefit legislators without any concern for the needs of Nassau County communities, said Karen Moskowitz, cochair of the League of Women Votgers of Nassau County’s redistricting committee — specifically communities of color.

The lATesT RedisTRicTiNg map for Hempstead town elected officials reveals little change to what a number of people asked for ahead of the revision last month. Their desire is to see a better chance of creating a more diverse town council by creating ‘minority-majority’ districts.

As a town where 40 percent of its residents are people of color represented by a council that is mostly white, Moskowitz added that the latest map proposals show this intention has not changed in Hempstead.

The 2020 census revealed a 12 percent drop in the town’s white, non-Hispanic population, according to supporters of the minority-majority district concept. At the same time, the Hispanic and Latino population grew 32 percent, while the Black population increased by 4

percent.

“The league takes positions on a variety of policy issues, but never supports or opposes any political party or candidate,” Moskowitz said. “Our review of the commission’s proposed maps reveals deliberate manipulation of district lines.”

Another redistricting meeting was scheduled for Jan. 9, and the town attorney confirmed more such meetings will be scheduled before the board votes on a new map.

Ana Borruto/Herald

Town recycles old Christmas trees at Mulchfest

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

More than 100 Town of Hempstead residents recycled their Christmas trees at Mulchfest at Baldwin Harbor Park this weekend to clear this post-holiday season.

Each year the Town of Hempstead hosts Mulchfest — a tree disposal program in partnership with the Norman J. Levy park, where they recycled discarded Christmas trees, which get turned into bags of mulch on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 at Baldwin Harbor Park located at 3232 Grand Ave from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.

Workers from the Town of Hempstead set up four large trucks and mulch machine on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 at Baldwin Harbor park where they serviced more than 100 Town of Hempstead residents — taking Christmas trees from their cars and disposing of them into the mulch machine.

Town workers funneled the trees into the wood chipper and bagged the shredded mulch into large cardboard bags on site, which were then given to community members to use on their gardens or lawns once the spring season arrives. Any left over mulch is given to the Nigerian Dwarf goats at Norman J. Levy Park, who recycle by feasting on the mulch.

Meta Mereday selected for expert directory

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

Meta Mereday, president and founder of the Veterans Entrepreneurial Development Initiative from Baldwin, was selected to be included in the Military Veterans in Journalism’s expert directory this month.

Mereday, a civilian world trade center first responder, advocate, and media executive Meta Mereday was recently included in the Military Veterans In Journalism’s joined an esteemed list of veteran and non-veteran experts in military and veterans’ affairs and coverage for the Military Veterans in Journalism, a non profit news institute, focused on getting more military veterans working in America’s newsrooms.

“Being selected in the directory speaks to the importance of having informed civilians in the military journalistic space,” said Mereday. “We need as many people involved and aware of the needs of our veterans.”

According to the United States Census, approximately 7 percent of Americans have served in the armed forces, however; only two percent of media professionals are military veterans. Military Veterans in Journalism recently launched an extensive media guide to provide a broad range of resources to increase the hiring and utilization of veterans as journalists.

“The directory serves to combat the many misconceptions about veterans by giving journalists a resource to speak with experts in the field,” said Mereday. Their “expert guide” provides style points and useful resources to better understand and report on the military

community and include an expert directory that features established content leaders with expertise in the understanding of the veteran community and awareness regarding effective and informative coverage.

Mereday, who is a nationally recognized advocate for veterans and media expert, was included in the directory due to her longstanding involvement in reporting on and advocacy for veterans and their families. In addition to being a civilian first responder during the world trade center attacks in 2001, where she provided support for recovery teams at Ground Zero, she also reported directly from the site.

Mereday also witnessed firsthand and reported on the preparation for soldiers via the innovative Military Journalism Experience 2012 that she took part in with an immersive experience at both Fort Leavenworth and Fort Leonard Wood. During this experience, the selected group of journalists participated in morning exercises, disarmament activities, training sessions and briefing sessions along with graduation exercises preparing America’s military.

As the Founder of Veterans Entrepreneurial Development Initiatives (VEDI), Inc., she has been a staunch advocate for veterans and drafted many stories and initiatives to improve the transition for veterans into successful civilian lives and to help their caregivers.

With a focus on diversity and inclusion, Mereday has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Black Journalists where she coordinated an event with the US Army that recognized Black and Hispanic Veterans

including those who were journalists during the historic Unity Conference. She is also a co-founder of the National Black Public Relations Society, Inc.

Most recently, Mereday joined forces with the collaborative venture Veteran Mission Possible to provide media support and to assist with platforms to address the high rates of suicide and medical debt within the military. She is the co-founder and senior editor of Influence-DiCOTA, a diverse, global multimedia platform that is a job creator for under-utilized creative people of color, and the Veterans Entrepreneurial Development Initative, Inc. and was welcomed to the Task Force of the National Veteran

META MEREDAY, PRESIDENT and founder of the Veterans Entrepreneurial Development Initiative from Baldwin, pictured next to her mother Emma Mereday on the left, was selected to be included in the Military Veterans in Journalism’s expert directory this month.

Business Development Council Military and Veteran Task Force to increase awareness and opportunities for veteran-owned businesses to create jobs for other veterans.

“I am humbled and appreciative of this recognition with MVJ, and I look forward to engaging with others who are featured in the directory to achieve MVJ’s mission to not only increase and diversify the number of military journalists, but to improve the coverage of veterans to throughout the media itself,” said Mereday. “The diversity and inclusion focus within MVJ resonates with me and it ensures that inclusive and accurate coverage will be a priority.”

Andre Silva/Herald

MORE THAN 100 Town of Hempstead residents recycled their Christmas trees at Mulchfest at Baldwin Harbor Park this weekend, which feeds Nigerian Dwarf goats who stay at Norman J. Levy.

Courtesy Meta Mereday

Sean Iannarone says he plans to write another novel

activities. At first, I would just write out a paragraph at a time, and I just kept at it until I finished a novel.”

A 1995 Baldwin High School graduate, Ian went on to study liberal arts at St. Peter’s University in New Jersey. He left St. Peter’s in 1997 after a semester and returned to Long Island to play baseball and study liberal arts at Molloy College. He then left that school and travelled to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to play baseball for local leagues with his friends for six months in early 1998.

He returned to the U.S. in 1998 and enrolled at CW Post, where he studied fine arts and graduated magna cum laude in 2000. He got a job as a substitute teacher in Coney Island, working in three public schools, and then took a fulltime job as a special education teacher for Public School 94 in 2001. Ian recalled being in close proximity to the World Trade Center attacks in September 2001, seeing a plane strike one of the twin towers. He said it was a nightmarish scenario – and the trauma led him to leave his teaching position.

He worked as a wedding photographer and an assistant manager at Guitar Center until 2003, and had a job at Davis Studios in Manhattan from 2004 to 2008. He worked as a cable tech for Cablevision

from 2008 to 2012, until he suffered a severe spinal injury while carrying a ladder in December 2012, leaving him disabled.

“It was horrific,” Ian recalled. “I got home and dropped to the floor. I then went to the hospital and learned I needed surgeries.”

He filed for disability but soon became bored with life at home and started searching for new ways to express himself creatively, as he was unable to perform physical activities and living in chronic pain. He soon realized he wanted to write a novel.

He tried to write a page each day, and after 10 years he said he’s almost completed two novels, including “The Book of Daniel.”

In 2018, Ian tried his hand at acting in New York City, and worked as an extra on film sets. Ian would continue filling roles as a background actor until he got his first lead role in the film “Dragon: The Weapon of God,” a 2022 film about a teen with superpowers set in New York City. In 2022, he figured he, too, could write, act, and produce his own movie, “2125,” which he completed last October.

Ian said he’s now in the final stages of writing his second novel, which he said will be a contemporary version of Dante’s “Inferno.” He expects to publish the book in the next five years.

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

SEAN ‘IAN’ IANNARONE

Courtesy Sean Ian

IANNARONE, FAR left, has been working from his Baldwin home since the pandemic began, writing and producing his documentarystyle film, ‘2125.’

Happy Hangout crew is thankful to Baldwin

The One Happy Hangout Place is grateful to the Baldwin community, which helped make the holiday season extra special for its members.

Angela Lucas, founder of the One Happy Hangout Place, said multiple Baldwin community members helped support and embrace the Hangout crew during the holiday season in a series of charitable events throughout the holiday season.

Lucas said the first act of kindness they bestowed on One Happy Hangout Place came from the Baldwin Fire Department who stopped by with a firefighter dressed as Santa Claus to say hello to Hangout members at her home in Baldwin on Dec. 12.

Capizzi, of Baldwin, who came to the building to decorate holiday themed cookies with members of the Hangout crew on Dec. 16, which she said they enjoyed immensely. Likewise Elissa Kirchner came to the Hangout building to create holiday themed arts and crafts with their members on Dec. 22.

ANGELA LUCAS

“They really brought some holiday cheer to the Hangout,” said Lucas.

Lucas said the second act of kindness was from Jerry Brown, a Baldwin firefighter, who donated over 20 toys to their building at the South Baldwin Jewish Center located on 2959 Grand Ave in early December.

Lucas said the third blessing came from her neighbor Josephine

Lucas said she was surprised to be visited by so many community members this holiday season, and how much people care for the Hangout Place. She said Brian Murray, of Baldwin, who was dressed as Santa visited the Hangout to dance and play with the Hangout’s members on Dec. 23, or Christine Ruggiero DeLuca, who donated cupcakes to the crew on Dec. 23 for their holiday party on Christmas, Dec. 25. Lucas said Laura Trowbridge, of Baldwin, also donated to the Hangout crew this holiday season in the form of candy and cookies on Dec. 23.

“We really try not to ask our community for anything, so it was surprising to see the kindness of so many Baldwin residents this holiday,” said Lucas.

Two Baldwin residents celebrate marriage

Baldwin residents

Ted Palemon and Marie Personnat celebrated their marriage last month.

The Town of Hempstead Clerk Kate Murray officiated the wedding of two Baldwin residents — Ted Palemon and Marie Personnat — on Dec. 16, 2022 at the Town of Hempstead’s town hall.

— Andre Silva

Happy New Year to all!

There have been significant changes in the law in a number of areas as of January 1, 2023.

The gift tax exclusion, which many people still think is $15,000, is now $17,000, up from $16,000 in 2022. Each person may give up to $17,000 to as many people as they want to without incurring any Federal gift tax liability and without using any of their Federal estate tax exemption at death.

Speaking of the Federal estate tax exemption, that has been raised from $12,060,000 to $12,920,000. Since the exemption amount is adjusted for inflation, and inflation was high in 2022, there was a large jump. Same for the New York estate tax exemption which jumped from $6,110,000 to $6,580,000.

The higher Federal exemption is due to tax reform initiated by President Trump commencing in 2016. Fiscal restraints required that the higher Federal exemption expire after ten years. At the end of 2025 then the Federal exemption is slated to return to

New York levels. Since you can use any of your now almost $13,000,000 per person as a tax-free gift while you are living, many savvy clients have moved and are continuing to move family wealth to trusts for their children. Often, the parents choose to maintain control of these trusts, and they not only get the assets out of their estate while the getting is good, they also get all of the growth on those assets out of their estate.

Medicaid rates have changed so that an individual who needs care, either at home or in a nursing facility, may keep up to $28,133.00 in assets. If one spouse is at home, and the other spouse is in a nursing home, the spouse at home may keep up to about $150,000 in assets. The value of the home, up to $1,033,000 is exempt from Medicaid if a spouse is living there (while the other is in a facility) or for an individual receiving Medicaid for home care.

Finally, the age at which an individual must take their IRA required minimum distribution has been raised from age 72 to 73.

They really brought some holiday cheer to the Hangout

founder of One Happy Hangout Place

Courtesy Angela Lucas

JERRY BROWN, A Baldwin firefighter, who donated over 20 toys to their building at the South Baldwin Jewish Center

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

BALDWIN RESIDENTS TED Palemon and Marie Personnat celebrated their marriage on Dec. 16, 2022.

SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE

HERALD SPORTS

New-look Baldwin off and running

By MARC BERMAN

sports@liherald.com

Baldwin boys’ basketball head coach Darius Burton has had many golden seasons in his 22 prior years but this one has had a unique glitter.

JAMES DESIMONE

Clarke Senior Basketball

A THIRD-YEAR VARSITY starter, DeSimone is a major part of Clarke’s impressive 9-1 start. An All-County selection last season after earning a Nassau coaches award in the Covidshortened campaign, he’s averaging close to 16 points per game to go along with 4.4 assists. He’s scored in double digits in every game so far while hitting 21 three-pointers. He hit for a seasonhigh 23 against Long Beach on Dec 5.

GAMES TO WATCH

Friday, Jan. 13

Boys Basketball: G.N. North at Sewanhaka 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Lynbrook at Plainedge 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Friends Academy at V.S. South 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Hewlett at Carey 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Long Beach at New Hyde Park 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainedge at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Boys Swimming: Long Beach at Jericho 5 p.m.

Girls Fencing: Valley Stream at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: East Rockaway at Malverne 5:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Malverne at East Rockaway 6:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: South Side at Garden City 6:45 p.m.

Boys Basketball: East Meadow at Baldwin 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainview at Oceanside 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Jericho at Calhoun 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 14

Wrestling: Baldwin Tournament 9 a.m.

Wrestling: V.S. Central Tournament 9 a.m.

Boys Basketball: Wheatley at West Hempstead 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: V.S. Central at Port Washington 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Oceanside at Plainview 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Baldwin at East Meadow 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Farmingdale at Freeport 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Seaford at Carey 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Port Washington at V.S. Central 12 p.m.

Coming off last season’s spectacular run to the Long Island Class AA championship, Baldwin lost 12 of 15 players. Burton came into the 2022-23 season with 13 new faces. Gone were two studs in Jamir Stewart, last year’s Nassau County Player of the Year now at John Jay, and Jacob Oka, an All-County player now at Brockport.

Burton didn’t know what to think entering the campaign. So he’s been overwhelmed by Baldwin’s unbeaten 8-0 start –4-0 in conference AA2 – as led by senior star 6-3 forward Joshua Petion.

“I had never done this in my 22 years,’’ Burton said. “This is really special. We’re way ahead of what I anticipated.’’

Baldwin is winning and winning big with a 24-point average margin of victory. It is allowing 41 points per game and scoring 65. Defense is the team’s trademark. The goal of Burton’s clubs has always been on that end where the motto is never allow more than 55 points. The Bruins are not.

“We’ve shown pride with what we did with the offseason work,’’ Burton said. “We want to be the first group to win a state semifinal. They’re like sponges and absorb everything.’’

After an All-Conference season in 202122, Petion is even more productive and his coach paid him the kindest power-forward comparison of all. Petion is averaging a double-double (18 points and 12 rebounds) as the lone returning starter. He also plays some center when Baldwin goes small.

“I call him the high-school Draymond Green,’’ Burton said. “He doesn’t do anything great, but he does everything well, particularly his passing and rebounding.’’ (Petion has drawn interest from Division II/III programs).

Then there is senior Jaylen Brown, no relation to the Celtics star but as valuable to Baldwin as the NBA player is to Boston.

The 6-3 forward is averaging 14 points,

netting18 3-pointers in the first 8 games while shooting it at a 45-percent clip from deep. This for a player who came off the bench last season.

The Baldwin return of Dylan Madden to man point guard has also been key. Madden played as a freshman on the 2019 conference championship team but left for two years to join two other programs. Now he’s back as the senior quarterback and averaging 4.0 assists.

Madden is paired in the backcourt with sophomore off guard, Jalen Waters, the JV’s leading scorer last season. He’s averaging 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals and has still has a long scholastic future. “He breaks you down and gets to the rim,’’ Bur-

ton said.

The center is junior Jadis Chenet, a 6-4 big man who is a solid rebounder and finisher around the rim.

While the defense is the team strength, the 65-point scoring output is deceiving because of all the blowout games, leading to late-game substitutions.

Baldwin beat Plainview JFK to win the county title, then Half-Hollow Hills East for the 2022 Long Island crown. Those are the goals again with making the state championship game the biggest one of all. Baldwin, which has made the playoffs 22 straight seasons, is 0-4 in the state semis.

“They have so many big goals,’’ Burton said.

Anthony Hughes/Herald SENIOR JAYLEN BROWN is averaging 14 points, including 18 treys, over Baldwin’s first eight games while shooting 45 percent from deep.

Healthy outlook for a healthy year

NResolve to achieve a better you in 2023

ew Year’s resolutions are full of expectations. Common goals like eating healthier or losing weight are admirable, but there are plenty of other goals you can set in 2023 as well, like upping your sleep regimen, talking with a friend every day, or going on more walks.

Since the emergence of Covid, it has become more essential than ever to take care of yourself and enhance your immunity. In addition to physical health, mental health is equally important. Many people make New Year’s resolutions that they soon forget. It can be due to a lack of commitment, self-doubt, or unrealistic goals. So, start by making short-term and realistic goals you can achieve without putting too much pressure on yourself. Once you list what you want to achieve this year, stick to it and believe in yourself to accomplish them.

Exercise more

Much like changing a diet, exercising is often seen as a means to weight loss. While that’s a positive side effect of daily exercise, daily or frequent exercise is an all-around health benefit.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise helps lower the risk of heart disease and hypertension by 40 percent while lowering the risk of depression by 30 percent. In addition, men and women with a family history of diabetes should know that regular exercise lowers their risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent. So while exercise is a great means to losing weight, it’s even better at helping reduce the risk for serious disease.

When incorporating exercise into a daily routine, start slowly and gradually work your way up to more vigorous exercise regimens. Going full speed from the outset is a great way to increase risk of injury, and no one wants that.

Find 30 minutes a day to walk

Getting the recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day can be as simple as taking a walk. If you’ve got a busy schedule, take three 10-minute walks throughout your day.

“That’s 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch and then 10 minutes after work. Make it fun! Grab a partner at work to get you through your lunch routine. Then have a friend or family member meet you for an evening stroll,” suggests physical therapist Stacie Page.

Your diet matters: healthy and well-balanced is achievable

This year, promise to eat right. Choose whole foods instead of packaged ones. Crash diets and eliminating foods from your daily intake can deprive you of needed nutrition and may not be effective in the long run.

Keep your mental health in check

Mental health is as vital as physical health, and it needs attention. The daily stress of life and other factors may lead to serious health issues, including depression and anxiety. Mental health issues can make it hard for you to cope with everyday life and interfere with your work and relationships.

If you feel something is wrong, believe your instinct and get help. Practicing self-care techniques can also help combat mental health issues. Try to find the positives and adopt habits that can benefit your well-being, such as meditating.

Manage stress

Stress is a cause of many serious illnesses, such as heart disease. It can negatively impact your physical and mental health. Stress can become regular if you are always busy or have other problems related to finances or relationships. It is crucial to take steps to manage your stress. You can manage stress through meditation, exercise, or other relaxation techniques.

Sleep well

Improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. Getting enough sleep enhances your health by ensuring the smooth functioning of your body. It is also critical that you have a sound sleep. Regular interruptions can disrupt your sleep pattern, causing low energy and fatigue during the day. Getting a good night’s sleep is definitely something you should add to your 2023 checklist.

Limit social media usage and screen time

Just as you’ve decided to finish a task or go to sleep, you receive a social media notification alert. As you check the notification, something else catches your attention, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour doomscrolling. Invariably, this leaves you feeling worse than before. If this resonates with you, you are not alone.

Social media, particularly when used for long hours, is reported to have contributed to an increased risk of a variety of mental health concerns like anxiety and low mood. This could be because of social comparison, isolation and cyberbullying. It also increases screen time, which can impact sleep and leave you less time to engage in other activities. Reducing your social media usage might help your anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems and the fear of missing out.

Practise meditation and mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness give you space to pause and reflect, allowing you to slow down and increase your emotional awareness, in a chaotic and bustling world. In fact, practising meditation and being mindful can help you in improving emotional regulation, reduce physical pain and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Meditation and mindfulness require consistent effort. Starting with mindfulness for even one minute every day can be helpful. You can slowly increase the time as you see fit. Mindfulness and meditation apps like have also proven to be useful in improving mental health.

Create (and keep) those resolutions

Taking a good, hard look at daily behavior is the key to setting realistic self-improvement goals

The early Babylonians believed that what people did on the first day of the year affected what they did for the rest of that year. Many of us see the New Year as a perfect opportunity to start over or to change bad habits.

According to several surveys, the most popular resolutions people make are related to health and fitness (eating better, losing weight, and exercising), reducing consumption of alcohol, caffeine, quitting smoking, and becoming more financially responsible by promising to spend less and save more.

Unfortunately, over 70 percent of resolutions are broken by the end of January, and this can leave a person feeling discouraged.

You might even consider New Year’s resolutions like romantic relationships: They’re easier to start than maintain.

One in four people who makes a New Year’s resolution will drop out within the first seven days, statistics show. About half jump ship within six months.

Resolutions are complicated, and being able to achieve them usually requires taking a hard look at our thoughts and behaviors. Setting goals keeps us on track, but stamping out old habits is difficult, and may even require the help of a professional for some.

But there’s hope.

Striving for self-improvement and setting goals for ourselves gives us a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Be sure to make your goals a priority, be specific, and work at them daily.

Your goal should be specific and measurable. Make your goal concrete, and if necessary, break it down into smaller steps.

Setting vague goals such as “I want to lose weight” can be ineffective. Instead, ensure your resolution is quantifiable. If your goal is to shed some pounds, identify the number you’d like to lose within a specified period of time. If your aim is to exercise more in 2023 set a specific objective for the number of hours you’ll work out each week.

Or, if your resolution is to consume fewer carbohydrates, resolve to eat carbohydrates only at one meal per day rather than resolving to eliminate carbohydrates entirely. Once you are successful, begin to decrease your consumption further.

Don’t set unrealistic resolutions that will be impossible to keep. If you resolve to eat healthier by cutting down on desserts, switch to an alternative you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to eat a vegetable you’ve hated since childhood. For example, swap ice cream for Greek yogurt or fruit rather than raw cauliflower sprouts (unless you enjoy them, of course).

Be nice to yourself. Changing habits isn’t easy, so you’re likely to struggle at some point in your journey. Take it easy. Minor bumps are normal. The important part is jumping back on the bandwagon and continuing momentum forward.

Write your resolution down and put it somewhere where you can see it on a daily basis. This will help you to stay focused.

Keep it manageable. Keep the scope of your New Year’s resolution practical by working toward changing one or two behaviors at a time.

Have coping strategies in place to deal with obstacles that may arise along the way. For example, if your goal is to drink less alcohol you may consider skipping parties or events that involve a lot of drinking or bring a sober friend along to provide you with support and to help keep you on track.

On the bright side. Stay focused on the benefits of the change you’re making rather than what you’re giving up. Rally your mind around how much better you’ve been feeling instead of lamenting the loss of your daily chocolate-chip muffin.

Photo: Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest impact. Rather than setting a major health or fitness goal that takes you far out of your comfort zone, start the new year by committing to small changes here and there.

Hold yourself accountable and lean on others. Use a support network to help stay motivated. Discuss your resolution (and the accompanying struggles) with friends and family members. Consider joining a group with common goals, whether a collection of friends teaming up to quit smoking or an exercise class at the gym.

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With the heart of winter upon us, it can be tough to stick with our fitness goals. And so much for our new resolve to exercise more.

But wait! It doesn’t have to be so. Fitness experts offer some helpful tips to reinvigorate those resolutions.

Treat exercise as your personal “time out.” Your time to exercise is your opportunity to “recharge your battery.” It refreshes your mind, spirit, and energy. It not only benefits you, it has a positive impact on your relationships, your work and how you cope with stress.

Set realistic, incremental goals. Start with small, attainable goals that you can achieve with relative consistency. 15 minutes a day is a meaningful starting point. Build from there.

Do what you enjoy. Physical activity comes in many forms. Will a brisk walk in the open air help you unwind and relax? Is it a workout at the gym with state-of-the-art equipment and the energy of others that helps motivate you? Is it the convenience of jumping rope in your basement that will keep you feeling good about yourself? The possibilities are endless.

Schedule it as you would any important appointment. Designating a time to exercise is a key factor in making it happen. Put it on your calendar. But remember, regular exercise doesn’t have to mean regimented exercise.

Track it. Whether you track it on paper, your computer or an app, you reinforce your commitment to taking care of yourself, and you see the progress you are making.

Make it social. One of the greatest benefits of exercise can be the quality time you spend with friends and family. An exercise buddy or group can help motivate you to stick with it, while offering social interaction and the additional support you may need. Surround yourself with people who also want to enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Motivation and lifestyle choices are contagious! Note: Health clubs are filled with people who have the same goals as you.

Be flexible and allow yourself breaks. Exercise is a lifestyle

choice that will improve your quality of life throughout your entire lifetime. If you need to miss a workout or several it’s okay. Just get back to it as soon as you can. It’s the long-term commitment to taking care of yourself and enjoying the physical and emotional benefits of exercise that will keep you going.

Mix it up. Add variety to sustain your interest. Feel free to be creative in what you do. Modern-day gym equipment is great. Or try out a new class. Or ask a trainer to show you some bodyweight exercises.

Incorporate other activities you love. If your idea of relaxing is listening to music, reading a good book, or watching a funny television show, find ways to exercise while engaging in these pastimes you really enjoy.

Reward yourself. You have reason to feel proud when you take care of yourself through exercise. In today’s sedentary, overscheduled world, it’s not an easy thing to do. So go ahead and reward yourself in healthy ways when you’ve met your goals. Treat yourself to a massage, buy music you enjoy, or get that new outfit you’ve been wanting.

But remember: the greatest reward you can give yourself is that feeling of well being that comes when you make exercise a regular part of your life.

Photo: Make exercise a part of your lifestyle, not just a New Year’s resolution.

STEPPING OUT

Culinary inspiration for a wintry weekend

By Karen Bloom

January is the ideal time to decompress and get into the kitchen and work on those “Top Chef” skills. It’s not that difficult with some great comforting — healthy — foods to nourish and warm our soul.

Experiment with new culinary creations that incorporate bold flavors for delicious results. Nothing pleases the senses quite like a hearty dish on a chilly evening. Try adding these recipes to your repertoire.

Rustic Roasted Winter Vegetable Chowder

• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice (about 2 cups)

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup )

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 fennel bulb, quartered & sliced thin (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt

• 2 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups) 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs

Hearty Beef Stew

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup Burgundy, Zinfandel or other red wine

• 3 cups beef broth

• 1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots

• 4 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1/2 pound small red potatoes, cut in half

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Cook beef in oil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove beef to bowl; cover to keep warm.

In Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Return beef to Dutch oven. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping to loosen any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in broth, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

• 1 cup milk or unsweetened plain almond milk

Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

More pepper and thyme leaves for garnish

Heat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until tender and browned in places, about 40 minutes, turning a couple of times while roasting.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare the base of the soup. To a large saucepan over low heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the vegetable broth. Add the potatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat. Pick out the thyme stems and discard.

Stir in the roasted vegetables. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of the chowder to the pitcher of a blender. Puree until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pot and stir to combine. The soup should be thick, rich, and creamy.

Stir in the milk. Place the pot back on the burner, and, with the heat on medium-low, return to a simmer, stirring often to prevent burning.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve garnished with an additional turn of cracked pepper and thyme leaves.

Lucky Chops

This big, brassy and unapologetically bold six-piece band comes at you with every hue in the rainbow. Their sound pays homage to New Orleans brass band tradition while incorporating eclectic rock, Caribbean, Arabic, Eastern European, funk, jazz, ska, gospel and EDM influences. Their irresistible groove is led by co-founder Josh Holcomb’s soulful trombone, Daro Behroozi’s soaring sax and Joshua Gawel’s powerful trumpet. Their high-energy brassy funk has attracted listeners since forming in New York City in 2006. Starting in the underground halls of subway stations, Lucky Chops went viral when a video of their mash-up of Lipps Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’ and James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ amassed hundreds of millions of views across social media, and led to an online subscriber base almost two million strong. They’re now back on tour for the first time since the end of 2019.

Thursday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. $33. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

America

The perennial classic rock favorite enters 2023 on the road again as founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell celebrate the band’s 53rd anniversary. The pair (along with former band mate Dan Peek), who met in high school in London in the late 1960s, quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song ‘A Horse With No Name.’ More than 40 years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners discovered there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of Beckley’s melodic pop rock and Bunnell’s use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with Peek’s more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.

Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $99, $79, $69, $59. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

ith the holidays behind us, cozy up to some comfy winter nesting. And, of course, it’s time to refocus on healthier eating now that we’re finished with weeks of festive over-indulgence.

THE SCENE

Art talk

Jan. 19

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Jan. 19, 1 p.m. She’ll discuss the current exhibition, “The Big Picture: Photography Now.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Also Feb. 23. Register at least 24 hours in advance to receive the program Zoom link. Also Feb. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Virtual community assessment grievance workshop

Stuff-a-Bear

Bring the kids to Baldwin Public Library, Saturday, Jan. 14, 1 p.m. Make stuffed animals in the Community Room, 2385 Grand Ave. Children will bring home a 16-inch animal of their choice, a carrying case, birth certificate, and a custom t-shirt. Registration is required. Call the library at or visit BaldwinPL.org.

Branford Marsalis

The renowned saxophonist visits the Madison Theatre, on the Molloy University campus, with his quartet, Friday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. The NEA Jazz Master, triple Grammy Award winner and musical polymath with his stellar ensemble — pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner — bring the brilliance that has made this quartet one of the most revered and influential in jazz. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. $40-$95.1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. For tickets and information visit MadisonTheatreny.org or call (516) 323-4444.

Jan. 20

Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé partners with the Nassau County Assessment Review Commission (ARC), Wednesday, Jan. 25, to host free virtual community assessment grievance workshops to inform residents about how to challenge their property taxes online. To participate, visit NassauCountyNY.gov/LD5 or contact Legislator Mulé’s office at (516) 571-6205 or email dmule@nassaucountyny.gov.

Story hour

Baldwin Public Library invites children from kindergarten to second grade for story time and a snack in the arts and crafts room, Monday, Jan. 23, starting at 4 p.m. To register call (516) 223-6228 or go to BaldwinPL.org.

Jan. 23

Build

a

clay snowman

Baldwin Public Library invites children from kindergarten to second grade to build clay snowmen in the arts and crafts room, , 2385 Grand Ave., Saturday, Jan. 21, 3 p.m. Register by calling (516) 2236228 or go to BaldwinPL.org.

Kids in the kitchen

Baldwin Public Library invites children from kindergarten to second grade for story time and a snack in the Children’s arts and crafts room on Jan. 23, starting at 4 p.m. To register call or go online at BaldwinPL. org, starting on Jan. 10.

Meet Leg. Mule’

Leg. Mule meets the community, Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Baldwin Pubic Library. For info call (516) 661-0287/email SCools21@ NassauCountyNY.gov.

Having an event?

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of ShinrinYoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Pre-registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901.

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

Irie Alley Thursdays

The Baldwin Bowl and Lounge invites the community to dance and bowl every Thursday night to reggae and Afro beats at the bowling center, 2407 Grand Ave., 8 p.m.2 a.m. For information, visit BaldwinBowl.com.

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 4849337 or NassauMuseum.org.

In concert

Jan. 13

David Alterman returns to the stage with Altzim, Friday, Jan. 13, at My Father’s Place supper club. Enjoy an evening of music that Alterman describes as “Dylan with a twist,” with special guest Cathy Rose Virgilio. Rich Demand and his band also appear. Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. The Metropolitan, 3 Pratt Blvd., Glen Cove. For tickets/ information, visit MyFathersPlace.com or call (516) 580-0887.

Let Freedom Ring with MLK

Visit Long Island Children’s Museum for a workshop honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Monday, Jan. 16 Families will learn about MLK beyond his “I Have a Dream” speech and gain a better understanding of his impact on the civil rights movement. Also participate in a gallery walk of images from the Civil Rights Movement and then create a bell to “let freedom ring.” $4 with admission, $3 members. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Schumer promises push for tech, environment

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Chuck Schumer has three goals for the new year: improve mass transit, ensure water and air quality are safe, and promote high technology on Long Island.

The New York Democrat who maintained his role as majority leader in the U.S. Senate after last year’s mid-terms, told more than 1,000 people attending last week’s Long Island Association breakfast in Woodbury that he has, in the past two years, secured federal money to help the Metropolitan Transportation Authority recover from the worst of the Covid pandemic, while still getting money earmarked to protect the Long Island Sound and even clean up aging lead pipes.

The event at Crest Hollow Country Club was LIA’s annual State of the Region gathering that attracted both movers and shakers, as well as elected leaders like the executives from both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Schumer’s participation comes after he was elected to a fifth six-year term in the upper chamber of Capitol Hill, defeating Joseph Pinion, a conservative columnist who claimed Schumer had been in office too long with too little to show for it.

But history is written by the victors, and Schumer had a lot of history to share.

“We had one of the most productive legislative sessions in years,” the senator

said, ticking off a list of legislative wins that included his role in shepherding through President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, as well as securing $15 billion for the MTA, which operates the Long Island Rail Road.

“No one was riding the trains” during the pandemic, Schumer added.

“For the first time, New York state got back more money that it gave out,” the senator said, referring to the give-andtake of funding with the federal government. New York has traditionally been a “giving” state, meaning its federal dollars usually went to help other states. This past year, the state was more of a receiver.

How productive the next two years will be is a big question. Republicans took control of the U.S. House — but only by a slim margin. That might mean pushing through bills that could win over at least some moderate Republicans.

One of those efforts will focus on improving transportation. The MTA funding, for example, would pay for repairs and upgrades of cars, tracks and electronic systems. Money also would be directed to portions of the Sunrise Highway in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Another $5 million will build a transit hub in Ronkonkoma.

Schumer also budgeted $106 million to clean up Long Island Sound, and that’s just the beginning. He also plans to use $60 million to help remove some of the contami-

nants from the Long Island aquifer.

Yet, the Senator sounded most enthusiastic about a project to install electricitygenerating windmills off Long Island’s South Shore — likely within the next few years.

Equinor, a multibillion-dollar Norwegian conglomerate specializing in petroleum, hopes to build a wind energy farm just a few miles off the coast with a substation delivering power directly to Island Park — a plan that has aroused controversy with neighbors.

The $3 billion project must still pass a plethora of bureaucratic hurdles, however.

“Long Island will be the capital for offshore wind,” Schumer said, “not just in New York, but across the country.”

The senator also wants to promote two of Long Island’s largest high-technology institutions — Brookhaven National Lab and SUNY Stony Brook.

“Long Island can be the center for (microchip) production and manufacturing,” Schumer said. “BNL and Stony Brook are at the cutting-edge of technology.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told the Herald there was more in the works for this part of Long Island as well. He’s heard chatter about a strong interest in securing a casino, possibly at the Nassau Hub.

But for that to happen, anyone developing it would need to make sure the facility is first acceptable to the community.

“We wouldn’t be interested in anything but a first-class hospitality venue with a casino,” Blakeman said.

Additional reporting by Daniel Offner.

Daniel Offner/Herald U.S. SEN. ChUCk Schumer told the Long Island Association last week he would seek to promote the environment, transportation and technology this term.

DINING

Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island! Check back each week for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023. Did your favorites make it to the top? Visit www.LiChoiceAwards.com! *Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

MEXICAN FOOD: Frida’s Mexican Grill Margaritas Cafe

The Cabana Mexican American Restaurant

NEW RESTAURANT: Casarecce Italian Tap Room

The Chef’s Table - Lynbrook

ORGANIC/NATURAL FOOD: Bob’s Natural Foods Fit by Globish Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

OUTDOOR DINING: Lazy Lobster Point Lookout Clam Bar

SALT - Merrick PIZZA: Friendlier 76

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

Churchill’s

IHOP-Oceanside

Toast Coffeehouse

BUBBLE/BOBA TEA: Bubble Hut

Kung Fu Tea

YAAAS TEA

BUFFET: China Buffet King

Diwan Indian Restaurant and Bar

Flaming Grill & Supreme Buffet

BURGER: American Burgers Ay! Caramba! Burgerology

BUSINESS LUNCH: City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill

Frank’s Steaks

Remy’s Italian Restaurant

BUTCHER SHOP: Charlie’s Butchers

Chubs Meats

Sons of a Butcher

CATERER: Bagel Boss

Barnum Ballroom

Bialystok & Bloom

CHINESE FOOD: Danny’s Chinese Kitchen

Little Fu’s

Omandarin

COCKTAILS: Da Nicola

Dirty Taco + Tequila

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

DELI/SANDWICH SHOP:

Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers

Farmer Joel’s

Pantano’s Gourmet

DESSERT: Dolce Confections

Frank’s Steaks

Sugarberry Bakery Cafe

DINER: Apollo Restaurant Diner

Imperial Diner

The Pantry

Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill

Hewlett Fish Market Inc. Jordan Lobster Farms

FRENCH FRIES: All American Hamburger Drive In Brooklyn Dip & Burger Press 195

FRIED CHICKEN: Chicken Carnival Swingbellys Beachside BBQ Zorn’s of Bethpage

GERMAN FOOD: Das Biergarten Oak Chalet Plattduetsche Park

GREEK FOOD: B Greek Kitchen

GREEKTOWN Mykonos Greek Restaurant HAPPY HOUR: Dirty Taco + Tequila J Paul’s Terrace Cafe Michael’s Billiards

ICE CREAM: Carvel - Merrick Dolce Gelateria

Marvel Frozen Dairy INDIAN FOOD: Color of Spices Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar

Raagini

ITALIAN FOOD: Friendlier 76

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

San Marzano Brick Oven Pizza & Fresh Pasta

JAPANESE FOOD: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse Kashi

LATIN FOOD: Cabo RVC

Island Empanada of Merrick

The Cuban

LOCAL COFFEE SHOP: Coffee Booths Heavenly Coffee Kookaburra Coffee Co

PRETZEL: Knot of this World Pretzels

Philly Pretzel Factory

Pretzel Stop/Pretzel Town USA

RAMEN: 8RAMEN MB Ramen - Huntington Ni Ramen

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT: Da Nicola Livorno Remy’s Italian Restaurant

SEAFOOD: Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood and Bar Jordan Lobster Farms

SMOOTHIE: Fit by Globish SoBol Hewlett Tropical Smoothie Cafe

SPECIALTY PIZZA: Friendlier 76 Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

STEAKHOUSE: Frank’s Steaks

Jimmy Hays Steak House

Rothmann’s Steakhouse

SUSHI: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse

Sushi Palace

THAI FOOD: Ra-Kang Thai Cuisine Seeda Thai Thai Station Restaurant Thai Table Restaurant

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: Bob’s Natural Foods

Energy Fuel Garden City Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

WINGS:

Croxley’s Ale House

Pearsall’s Station Swingbellys Beachside BBQ

YOGURT: Hewlett Station Yogurt Swirls & Twirls

TCBY

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: SUFFOLK COUNTY.

CRYSTALLYN INC LLC, Pltf. vs. VICTORINO NUNEZ A/K/A VICTORINO D. NUNEZ, et al, Defts. Index #13-013423.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated June 30, 2022 and order substituting referee entered in Sept. 7, 2022, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 14, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., prem. k/a 817 Southard Street, Baldwin, NY a/k/a Section 54, Block 482, Lot Group 18-19. Said property located in Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of NY, known and designated on a certain map entitled, “Map of property at Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, owned by Lynbrook Land Company, surveyed 1904 by D.S. Denton, East Rockaway, L.I.” and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on March 4, 1904 as Map No, 43, as and by Lots No. 18 and 19 in Block 1.

Approx. amt. of judgment is $1,124,052.07 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction. MARK RICCIARDI, Referee.

MARGOLIN, WEINREB & NIERER LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 165 Eileen Way, Ste. 101, Syosset, NY. #100034 136595

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 of the CWABS Inc., AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2006-21, Plaintiff

AGAINST Leonard M. Fontana, Jr. a/k/a Leonard M. Fontana a/k/a Leonard Fontana; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 11, 2022 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 January 24, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 11 Parkview Place, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, in the Town of Hempstead, County of

Nassau, State of New York, Section 54 Block 131 Lots 291 & 292.

Approximate amount of judgment $1,055,669.34 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 002019/2012. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Richard T. Kerins, Esq., Referee

LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff

175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: December 1, 2022 136143

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, Plaintiff, v. VICKIE REINA, et al., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 24, 2019, 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 January 25, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 3186 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54., Block 566 and Lot 37.

Approximate amount of judgment is $702,079.43 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #1788/2017. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Ellen Savino, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 180341-1 136141

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NYLNV CORP., Plaintiff AGAINST MICHAEL GILLETTE, NASSAU COUNTY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ETHEL M. GILLETTE, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 12, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 25, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 34 PROSPECT STREET, ROOSEVELT, NY 11575.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Roosevelt, Town of Hempstead in the County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 55., Block 292, Lot 615. Approximate amount of judgment $239,578.38 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #008545/2012. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. David Howard Rosen, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 00-305098 74236 136099

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 36, Block 216 and Lot 240. Approximate amount of Judgment is $335,473.36 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 007935/2016. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Tony L. D’Anzica, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 211680-1.

136107

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

BCA members express doubts about redistricting

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

ties, and asked whether the town redistricting commission should reconsider their boundaries.

OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. FRED DEE AKA ALFRED M. DESIR, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 5, 2019 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered on February 3, 2022, 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 January 23, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 684 Garfield Road,

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. Bank NA, successor trustee to Bank of America, NA, successor in interest to LaSalle Bank NA, on behalf of the registered Holders of Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities I LLC, AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2007-AQ1, Plaintiff AGAINST Cinthya E. Navarrete Medina a/k/a Cinthya E. Navarrete, Edison R. Ortiz Mendez a/k/a Edison Ortiz, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated December 3, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 26, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 934 Pacific Street, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, SECTION: 54, BLOCK: 395, LOT: 2511 & 2513 . Approximate amount of judgment $726,027.56 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #006028/2016. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as

Baldwin should share districts with communities like Rockville Centre or Freeport, where Baldwin residents shop and dine, they said.

Others described the maps as a textbook example of gerrymandering and “cracking and packing,” the practice of splitting populations into fragments or “packing” a demographic group into one district, by which voting strength among different demographic, or racial, groups can be diluted.

One option that was discussed was pressuring town redistricting officials to keep all of Baldwin in one district. Malone said that would make it easier and more efficient to work with one representative on town projects and initiatives rather than three from separate districts. It would also keep the Baldwin community’s voice more centralized and united, she said.

“We feel that if an official represents smaller parts of Baldwin, with smaller populations, those populations will have less impact in their districts,” Malone said.

A third consideration, she added, is accountability — holding one elected official accountable for town policy that affects Baldwin.

Malone said that association

planned to gather at a hearing of the town’s Temporary Redistricting Commission on Monday night, after the Herald went to press, to express their desire to keep Baldwin united in one town district.

Public Notices

such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will

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members

Andre Silva/Herald photos

LEGISLATOR DEBRA MULÉ, far right, swore in, from left, civic association Corresponding Secretary Mark Prevatt, Recording Secretary Erika Hill (appearing on Prevatt’s iPad), Treasurer Colette Carrion, Vice President Marguerite Keller and President Kimberly Malone.

FORMER ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Darian Ward received a Nassau County Legislator citation from Mulé.

Richner

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Hewlett

Spacious Side Hall Colonial Near All

Nestled in the prestigious school district 14, you will find this bright and airy Side Hall Colonial that also offers plenty of space. This home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a finished basement that provides additional living space for entertainment. The formal dining room and living room are perfect for hosting guests while the kitchen with an island allows for plenty of prep space when cooking up your favorite meals. The backyard deck and lush lawn provide a great spot to relax or entertain friends. You're also just minutes' walk from Grant Park - perfect for enjoying a beautiful day outdoors. This home is conveniently located close to transportation, shops, and restaurants. Don't wait - come see this wonderful home today! For a private tour contact us at 516.791.1313.

Adding to the attic

Q. A few contractors have looked at my attic so I can finish it for more bedrooms and a family room. The 1920s house has a very large attic with stairs to the second-floor landing. The attic stairs are much steeper and narrower, and the contractor says the walls will need to be taken down and wider and longer stairs put in. Is this necessary? The stairs are already there, and even though they’re steep, they work. Also, one of the contractors said that the horizontal 2x4s going across the attic, which are too low to walk around, could be removed or raised. Is that true? He said we could put them higher and add more so we can add finished wallboards to them. Do you agree, and is there anything I should know about doing this before we start?

A. Good thing you asked before you started. Instead of starting, you need to stop and take a few steps back. What you’re describing has multiple issues that you have to address.

Ask The Architect

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Monte Leeper

First, your state building code doesn’t allow the occupancy of a third floor in a single-family, woodframed dwelling. This is because of the many dangers involved in surviving a fire at that level. In the process of getting the permit to occupy a third story, which you left out of the description of your investigation, you would need to have a licensed architect or engineer prepare plans that include specific methods of escape, including the correct size and number of windows, distances to exterior and interior levels below to escape to, sprinkler locations along the entire path of travel to get out of the dwelling, heights of ceilings and fire-rated materials to be installed. This is because, as I have often written, the chances of surviving a fire in the third floor of a wood-framed dwelling are statistically remote, only 5 percent. That means you or your loved ones could be among the 95 out of 100 who will die from smoke inhalation or burns.

The plans for a finished third story are submitted to both your local building department, which will rightfully reject them, and to the State Codes Division for a public hearing, where your case will need to be represented by a code-knowledgeable professional. I have seen people represent themselves, which generally doesn’t go very well, since safety is the reason for the codes, and there are many laws and standards that the average owner is unaware of.

The stair access must be 3 feet wide, and the tread must be at least 10¼ inches, while the risers cannot exceed 8¼ inches. The horizontal 2x4s you described are collar ties, and they serve the important function of holding the roof together, especially in high winds and under snow loads. Moving or removing them can be dangerous. The higher up, the less effective, and without first calculating several factors, it should not be done.

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

OPINIONS LIRR to Grand Central Madison? We’re still waiting.

Once again, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has left coal in the stockings of Long Island Rail Road commuters.

Every Christmas since 2011, the MTA has failed to initiate the promised East Side Access to Grand Central Madison service. The original Federal Transit Administration capital investment — or New Starts — grant agreement with the MTA was approved in 2006.

time in the coming weeks.

The ESA project cost has grown to $11.6 billion. This doesn’t include debt service payments of $1 billion for borrowing costs buried in the MTA’s operating budget. There are also $4 billion worth of LIRR readiness projects to support the start of service — including such things as third-track construction and capacity improvements at Jamaica Station — which are separate from the official budget. Without these projects, the LIRR lacks the expanded operational capabilities to support the new service.

LARRY PENNER

It included a project cost of $6.3 billion, with the start of passenger service — including a promise to run 24 hourly trains on the LIRR’s 10 branches to Grand Central Madison during rush hour — in 2011. We still don’t know when that service will begin.

The temporary shuttle service that did not start last month, as promised, will come nowhere close to meeting this commitment. I can just imagine the overcrowding on shuttle trains between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison when this service begins — likely some-

Even when East Side Access service begins, thousands of potential new LIRR customers will continue to be out of luck in Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Elmhurst and Woodhaven, Queens because of limited or no service. The LIRR currently runs a handful of morning rush-hour trains westbound from Jamaica to Hunters Point and Long Island City, returning east in the evening rush hour. There is no rush-hour, hourly off-peak or evening bi-directional service to those other communities.

Another problem: Penn Station is a

24/7 facility. Grand Central Terminal is closed overnight from 2 to 5:15 a.m. Unlike the LIRR, Metro North provides no service in or out during that time period. The LIRR has the advantage, but Long Islanders who commute at odd times — or come home late from events in Manhattan that end well after midnight — and want to use Grand Central will lose that advantage to incomplete service. A simple analysis of the proposed schedules reveals that depending on your branch or station, there will be no LIRR service to or from Grand Central Madison for three to five hours overnight on weekdays or weekends.

Catherine Rinaldi is the first MTA official to serve as president of both the LIRR and Metro North. Those extrahours riders might want to ask her why the LIRR must be subject to the Metro North’s schedule shortfalls. Isn’t it time to make Grand Central, too, a 24/7 facility?

As well, whenever East Side Access service to Grand Central Madison begins, the LIRR will suspend virtually all direct, one-seat, ride-through service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal

Brooklyn. Thousands of LIRR riders bound for downtown Brooklyn, Wall Street, the World Financial Center, the World Trade Center or other destinations in downtown Manhattan via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn will now have longer commutes. One rider’s gain in time savings — being able to get to Manhattan’s East Side via Grand Central Madison instead of Penn Station — will be a loss for another rider trying to access destinations via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn. Was investing $12.6 billion in East Side Access worth it? The verdict is still out. It is doubtful, in a post-Covid-19 world, that there will be anywhere near the anticipated 160,000 daily riders using Grand Central Madison, as the MTA predicts. Time will tell if commuters and taxpayers will see all of the benefits from this project, which has been promised for decades by elected official and MTA and LIRR presidents. When it comes to East Side Access, the LIRR’s 1960s motto, “Line of the Dashing Dan,” should be changed to “Line of the Slow Moving Sloth.”

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who worked in the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management for three decades.

Writing predictions in disappearing ink

As I look back on my New Years’ columns over these last many years, I might as well have been writing in disappearing ink. Pretty much nothing I expected came to pass, and a whole lot of stuff I never saw coming changed my life and yours, too. So why even try to predict? It’s in our DNA, I suppose, conferring the illusion of control when we have none.

ies is and will be zero.

With that as a caveat, let me hope rather than predict that we will not have a recession; that the markets will rally in 2023 and, somehow, all the thousands of people who are literally dying to get into our country will be matched with all the jobs that are begging to be filled.

Will Covid surge again? Will some new bug emerge from the virulent epidemic in China? I wonder if Kim Jung-un will hold on to his rockets or let them fly. When will Ukraine find peace, and will it be before Putin snaps? How will our children and teenagers recover from the grief and academic setbacks of the pandemic lockdown? When can we feel safe in our lives again?

No one, except for Bill Gates and some epidemiologists who were ignored, predicted the greatest catastrophe of our lifetime, the coronavirus pandemic, the more than 1 million deaths here at home and more than 6 million deaths worldwide.

Everyone predicted a huge Republican sweep in the midterms, and that didn’t happen. And with the MAGA loonies running the GOP, to predict what will happen in 2023 would be folly indeed.

Bullish? Bearish? Last week the big dailies posted predictions for the markets. Inflation, recession, deflation, higher mortgage rates? Columnist Jeff Sommer wrote in The New York Times: “It’s simply impossible to forecast the path of the markets six months or a year ahead with accuracy and consistency, as many academic studies have shown. That the financial services industry continues to label these unreliable numbers as forecasts is a triumph of breathtaking chutzpah — a technical term for shameless audacity.”

RANDI KREISS

In politics, too, the prediction business is bust. We — all of us — lived through the 2016 presidential election, in which pretty much everyone with an opinion, from columnists to people on the street to professional pollsters to Las Vegas bookies and even many supporters of Donald Trump, absolutely did not believe that he would or could win. How many times did we hear pundits say that his path to victory was slim to none? How much airtime and ink were wasted on the assumption of a Hillary Clinton victory and how that would play out? Folks thought DJT would ride that escalator into oblivion.

On New Year’s Eve we toasted 2023 with wishes for good health and peace on earth and peace of mind. Wishes. As hostages to fate and dysfunctional politics, that’s the best we can do. We humans have never tolerated the existential uncertainty of being a person alive on earth. So we turn to exit polls and Svengalis and any grifter who hangs out a palm-reading sign. The truth? I’m even down on Punxsutawney Phil.

I can’t and won’t believe anyone who ever again purports to know the future of an election or an economy or the course of a disease or the likelihood of an earthquake striking any particular location at any particular time.

We are in the game, and it changes day to day.

Yearning for a seed of certainty, yesterday I booked a hotel in Dallas for April 8, 2024, when a full solar eclipse will be seen for two minutes and 20 seconds. I predict, with 100 percent certainty, that it will occur.

Which leads me to predict that the value of their elaborate algorithmic stud-

The very least we could take away from that election was healthy skepticism. Pollsters, even the academic knowit-alls, have little success predicting the results of an election or anything else.

In our personal lives, it’s painful to accept that we cannot know what the future will bring. Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next or if we’ll make an appearance in the next chapter.

The track record of clairvoyants is abysmal.

What isn’t sure is if I will get to see it. There may be clouds overhead, or clouds in my life. I am choosing to have faith that the eclipse will occur as scheduled, on April 8 in Dallas. I plan to be there. It’s a small thing, but I’m counting on it.

Copyright 2023 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next.

Phone: (516) 569-4000

Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: baldwineditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2023 Richner

We all deserve a chance to pursue our dreams

The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for 14 years — a time period during which mere adjustments for inflation would now have it over $10.

Congress isn’t expected to act on raising that wage anytime soon, so many municipalities and states — like New York — have taken matters into their own hands. New York City and Long Island both have a $15 minimum wage, as does Westchester County. Last week, upstate New York rose to $14.20.

In fact, 27 states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of 2023, according to the National Employment Law Project, with new baselines ranging from $9.95 in states like Montana to $15.74 in Washington state.

We hear a lot about the minimum wage. What we don’t ever talk about is something that many may not even know exists: the subminimum wage.

It’s real, and it has been since the Fair Labor Standards Act, which first established a federal minimum wage, was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938. Many have credited the law with helping to guide the United States out of the Great Depression. And the framework of the Fair Labor Standards Act — 40-hour work weeks, child labor restrictions, extra pay for overtime — fuels our labor economy to this day.

But if you look closely at the law — particularly at Section 14(c) — you might be surprised to learn that not everyone is eligible for the minimum wage. Even at $7.25. It allows employers to apply for a certificate from the federal government to pay less than minimum wage to workers with disabilities.

It’s an archaic law based on an archaic

way of thinking when it comes to people with disabilities.

When the legislation was first passed, “it was assumed that a worker with a disability was less productive than a non-disabled worker,” former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge wrote in a 2021 opinion piece in USA Today. “In retrospect, it was a flawed assumption. We want to be fair to the intent of the original legislation, which was to provide individuals with disabilities an opportunity to enter the workforce.”

When the former Pennsylvania governor wrote those words, he was nearing the end of a long chairmanship of the National Organization on Disability, an advocacy group for a class of people who are, more often than not, overlooked. Ridge described paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage as “no less than another critical civil rights issue.”

And he was right. Treating an entire group of people differently from everyone else simply because they have disabilities is a relic of the distant past that should stay in the distant past.

Yet efforts to eliminate this disparity over the years, by both Republicans and Democrats, have come up short on the federal level. Most recently, President Biden tried to remove the subminimum wage as part of the American Rescue Plan at the beginning of his administration, but never got it through Congress.

Since then, however, more than a dozen states have abolished the subminimum wage, according to the Association of People Supporting Employment First. But New York isn’t one of them. Not that our legislators haven’t tried — it’s just that none of their efforts have ever made it out of committee.

Closer to home, there are many who are trying to make a difference — like the Backyard Players & Friends of Rockville Centre, which describes its mission as seeking “unity without uniformity, and diversity without fragmentation.” The organization opened the Front Porch Market next to its headquarters on North Long Beach Road, conceived to provide creative work in a retail environment, treating everyone equally no matter what they bring to the table.

The market officially opens Jan. 17, and will feature crafters from around the community, classes on creating things like candles and soap, along with small retailers like Popcorn for the People and Smile Farms Hot Sauce.

The percentage of people with disabilities finding jobs is growing, but only 1 in 5 in that community is working. And of those, more are finding employment because they’re working for themselves rather than getting hired by someone else — a rate far higher than those without disabilities.

Even if the subminimum wage were finally abolished, there are many other hurdles that must be swept away for those with disabilities, and they can’t be ignored, either. But right now, hundreds if not thousands of our neighbors and community members aren’t getting the same consideration for pay as those without disabilities.

That must change. And if it can’t happen on the federal level, we need to focus our efforts much closer to home, blocking the availability of subminimum wages in our state.

Because as Tom Ridge made very clear, “all Americans should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

LETTERS

Elected officials should resolve to be transparent this year

To the Editor:

Many will start the new year with goals to exercise more, eat better and lose weight. January will also be when newly elected public servants or incumbents starting another term take office across New York state.

Old habits are hard to change in people — and especially hard to change in government. The biggest issue in government today is the lack of trust the public has in their elected leaders. The best way to build trust as an elected official is through transparency.

Elected officials should begin 2023 by conducting the public’s business in an open and transparent way. To show their commitment to open government, elected officials serving on a village board,

OPINIONS

Long Island’s energy future: vision vs. mirage

Follow the money. This adage never gets old.

For decades, gas pipelines and other delivery infrastructure have been a reliable cash cow for utility companies, which recover the costs of building their distribution systems from our utility bills, which give them a fat return on their investments.

This traditional utility profit model is now at odds with a climate-driven energy transition, creating all kinds of perverse incentives. And while hikes in heating costs are grabbing the headlines, the jostling over the future of heating isn’t getting much attention.

In order to succeed in the challenging but essential task of decarbonizing its economy in the coming decades — as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which it passed in 2019 — New York state will need to embrace an all-electric future and eschew fossil fuels, including natural gas. Utilities like Con Edison and the Long Island Power Authority, which together serve about 60 percent of the state’s electric customers, have endorsed this scenario. Many builders and households are already going all-electric, because gas fouls our homes and communities, and modern electric homes are cheaper and superior.

This is the approach espoused by almost all experts because, as the electric grid becomes cleaner, the rest of the economy will naturally follow. This is also the most cost-effective and energy-efficient decarbonization strategy for buildings, because electric heat pumps use only a fraction of the energy of their fuel-based counterparts.

Heat pumps and Long Island are a match made in heaven. With relatively mild winters, Long Island homes don’t need the top-gun units for efficient, reliable heating and cooling. LIPA’s electric load peaks at around 5 gigawatts in the summer, but barely makes it to 3 gigawatts in the winter. Adding winter load will spread the fixed grid costs over more usage and reduce per-kilowatt-hour prices.

In an effort to conserve their profitable gas distribution system, some utilities have floated their own “clean energy vision” involving green hydrogen and biomethane, marketed as renewable natural gas, or RNG — a so-called fossil-free duo that could supposedly flow through their pipeline network forever.

But consider the science and the economics of this vision. It took NASA months to fix hydrogen leaks on its recent Artemis 1 moon mission. Any proposal to pump highly explosive hydrogen, which

LETTERS

town board, City Council, community board or county legislature should introduce and pass a New Year’s resolution stating they will:

■ Post timely notice of all meetings at least one week prior to those meetings.

■ Post online meeting agendas and all meeting documents at least 24 hours before a meeting.

■ Post draft meeting minutes online, no more than two weeks after a meeting.

■ Allow members of the public to speak at the beginning of a meeting regarding agenda items and non-agenda items — whether they attend in person or remotely.

■ Livestream meetings by video and post the video recording online afterward.

■ Only conduct private executive sessions on rare occasions, in accordance with the New York State Open Meetings Law.

Just because you can hold an executive session doesn’t mean that you have to. A motion to hold an executive session to discuss “litigation,” “personnel” or “collective bargaining”

isn’t sufficient, as the Open Meetings Law requires motions to state more information when holding an executive session.

■ Agree not to hold private political party caucus meetings. There is no reason, at the local level, to hold private political party caucus meetings to discuss political business or public business. Secret meetings build a lack of trust among the public.

■ Have information regarding the Freedom of Information Law posted in a visible place on their websites. Proactively post documents online as much as possible so the public can access information without having to file a FOIL request. Post an easy fill-inthe-blank form that assists the public in filing a FOIL request by email on the website.

■ Commit to ensuring that all FOIL requests are acknowledged within five days, as required by law, and that information is provided to the public promptly.

PAUL WOLF Amherst

Wolf is president of the New York Coalition for Open Government.

has the tiniest molecules in the universe, through 50,000 miles of pipe in New York should raise serious doubts. Multiple studies have also warned of the risk of damage to the steel in pipes and appliances posed by gas blends with significantly more than 5 percent hydrogen.

Moreover, it shouldn’t take a NASA scientist to question the wisdom of heating homes by burning the stupendously expensive green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, when that electricity can directly power energysipping heat pumps. Not surprisingly, expensive experiments and demonstration projects involving the use of hydrogen for heat, the kind of boondoggles being developed in the Town of Hempstead, are already being scrapped or failing in other parts of the country and the world.

Hydrogen’s partner in crime, RNG, is produced by capturing and refining the naturally produced biogas in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. But naturally derived biomethane can meet only a minuscule fraction of the home-heating demand, so much of it will need to be artificially generated from organic waste streams. Its global warming potential isn’t much lower than that of fossil gas because of inevitable releases and leaks of methane, which is much more destructive to the climate than carbon dioxide.

FRAMEWORK

Fossil-free doesn’t mean emissionsfree, and the scheme doesn’t satisfy the science-based methane accounting methodology of New York’s climate law.

Produced naturally or intentionally, RNG is significantly more expensive than fossil gas, and its supplies will be limited by feedstock availability. Even the rosiest projections in the gas utilities’ own studies show that there won’t be enough of it for every possible use that those companies are touting it for, home heating being the least practical one.

The gas utilities’ so-called fossil-free clean-energy vision based on hydrogen and RNG is a mirage that doesn’t pass scientific, technical, economic or legal muster. To make matters worse, burning hydrogen would produce high levels of nitrous oxide, a health hazard, and RNG would cause indoor pollution from leakage and combustion akin to fossil gas, which is linked to myriad health risks, with the latest research attributing almost 19 percent of all childhood asthma in New York to gas stoves.

Pollution for profit shouldn’t have a place inside homes and businesses.

Anshul Gupta is a Steering Committee member of the Climate Reality Project’s NYS Coalition. Gordian Raacke is executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island.

by Tim Baker

At the Twin Lakes Preserve — Wantagh

ANSHUL GUPTA

GORDIAN RAACKE