Baldwin Herald 03-09-2023

Grand Avenue businesses erupt in flames

South shore firefighters helped extinguish several fires in Baldwin’s business row on March 2 — leaving at least 16 people homeless.

The Baldwin Fire Department and Nassau County’s Arson and Bomb Squad stopped a commercial fire in the second-floor apartments at 2380 Grand Ave. at nearly 1 a.m. on March 2. According to Nassau County detectives, officers observed a fire on the first-floor and safely remove all second-floor residents of the building with no injuries or incidents.

More than 40 Baldwin, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, and Long Beach fire fighters worked together to extinguish flames, and concluded the building suffered moderate structural damage — the building suffered from smoke, fire, and water damage.

According to an ABC 7 report, 16 people were left homeless as a result of the fire. The police department said the Red Cross was at scene to provide shelter for residents of the building.

Jerry Brown, a Baldwin fire fighter, said the fire department received a report of smoke entering an apartment near the corner of Grand Avenue and Prospect Street. He said firefighters from the Baldwin fire companies, found smoke in multiple apartments on the second floor, above commercials storefronts.

Brown said the fire started in the basement — the second basement fire reported by the Herald in the last 15 days — in of one of the first-

floor businesses, and spread up the walls to the businesses as well as second floor apartments.

In a news release, Fire Chief William Dworsak, said all of the affected apartments were evacuated, and 16 adults and 4 children were able to escape

unharmed. He said there were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

Dworsak said the fire was not considered suspicious, and investigations are ongoing.

–Andre Silva

Photos courtesy Jerry Brown

FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM Dworsak, center, and south shore firefighters helped extinguish several fires in Baldwin’s business row on March 2.

THE BALDWIN FIRE Department and Nassau County’s

Lauren and D.J., compatible in many ways

Husband gives gift of health to wife with life-saving liver donation

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Before any talk of transplants, Lauren Toby happened to see her husband D.J.’s organ donor card in his wallet, and they started discussing their shared blood type. They didn’t know at the time how critical that compatibility would be.

After Lauren gave birth to their son Donovan, now 2, her rare primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, led to the perfect storm of complications, and she needed to be put on a liver waitlist, for fear of contracting bile duct cancer. But they decided to go another way — with a living donor — which D.J. happily signed up to be. The liver transplant surgery was Jan. 24.

Lauren and D.J., who are both 36, have known each other since their Oceanside High School days, and always had a connection, but didn’t pursue a relationship because of their friendship. Sort of like Monica and Chandler of “Friends,” they said. But eventually the spark ignited, and in their late 20s they began dating. They will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary this summer, and they now live in Baldwin in Lauren’s grandparents’ home, which was a bit of a fixer-upper.

Lauren works at an engineering firm in Lynbrook where she manages construction permits. D.J. works around the world as a Harbor Pilot for Interport Pilots, which takes him away from his family. When Lauren’s PSC worsened after Donovan’s birth, D.J. couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of being away when she got the three-hour notice she’d need to get to the hospital for a transplant, with him not being able to make it to shore.

Lauren was diagnosed with PSC eight years ago, but was told it was a “very slow problem.” The illness causes the body to constantly attack the bile ducts to the point of scarring, and when a scar closes, it can prevent bile from flowing properly through the liver, which can lead to the loss of liver function. Researchers estimate that five to 16 out of every 100,000 people have PSC.

The Tobys were way down the liver

transplant list in January 2022, because although Lauren’s disorder was serious — with a Model For End-Stage Liver Disease, or MELD, score of 14, over twice the normal, as well as jaundice, weight loss and severe itching — it wasn’t serious enough for an immediate transplant. So, instead of letting fate decide the time and place, they took her off the list a month later, and took destiny into their own hands. A doctor had told them about the living donor option in which a portion of D.J.’s liver would be transplanted to Lauren, and both organs would eventually grow into healthy livers, and D.J. was immediately interested.

“D.J. says it was like a no-brainer decision,” Lauren said of the surgery, but “I found it absolutely terrifying, because we both have this small child, and both parents are undergoing major surgery. So it’s obviously, like, a very hard decision to make, but it definitely seemed like the

right thing for us.” And D.J., a former All American lacrosse player, is in great shape, and another organ, from a deceased donor, will be available to someone else who desperately needs it.

Dr. Robert Brown, the chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at the New York- Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that having a living donor, instead of a deceased donor, shortens the recovery period. “For the donors, if they have a laparoscopic donation, they stay in the hospital five to seven days, and for open procedures, a little longer than a week,” Brown explained. “The amazing thing is that the liver regenerates to full size in both in one to two months.”

35 percent of D.J.’s liver was transplanted to Lauren on a Tuesday, and he was sent home on a Saturday. They will both will make a full recovery in a few months’ time, but now they are dealing with restless nights as their organs settle

back into place. Having a “piece” of her spouse in her 24/7 is a warm and fuzzy feeling for Lauren. “I love that a piece of him is in me,” she said. “It just, like, makes us more connected than we were before. I feel like it all sounds very cheesy, but it’s true.”

“I’m limited, but I’m pretty mobile,” D.J. said. “They encourage you to walk and just do daily tasks, no heavy lifting, because the easiest way to get back to normal self is just doing normal things.”

The transplant will give Lauren a type of reset, her doctor told her, as if she hadn’t been sick in the first place. That’s a comfortable feeling, considering that PSC currently has no therapeutic drug available.

The Tobys said the peace of mind is well worth what they went through, and there’s no more worrying about who would raise Donovan if Lauren were sick all the time. “We’re so, so lucky that this was an opportunity for us, and obviously I’m so lucky to have a husband willing to do it,” she said.

D.J. added that he can now “go fishing whenever I want.”

Lauren described planning the operation as if she were planning the worst wedding ever. But the doctors helped from start to finish. “It was really amazing how, like, seamless the whole operation is,” she said.

“You realize that you’re going to one of the best hospitals in the country — like you realize this is why we live in New York,” D.J. said. “Because you have the best health care — this is why you pay the high taxes and put up with traffic, so you can have the best doctors in the world.”

Since Lauren’s PSC is still being researched, she said she’s always looking for some type of meaning in the ordeal. But coming out of the surgery and being able to relax and finally spend quality time with her family, she said, has helped her find that meaning.

“D.J. gave me a piece of his liver — like, this horrible thing became this very beautiful act of love,” she said, “and the whole thing was very, like, moving for me, because I’ve never had anyone show love to me in quite the same way.”

More LIRR service to Grand Central Madison has arrived

STAFF REPORT

Essentially calling the opening of Grand Central Madison in New York’s East Side an ongoing process, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Sunday to not only add Long Island Rail Road trains to Brooklyn during peak hours, but also to lengthen cars on a number of trains that exceeded capacity over the last week.

Those changes took effect on Monday.

LIRR will lengthen 17 trains — including four that had already been lengthened last week. Trains like the 6:26 a.m., between Far Rockaway and Penn Station, the 7:07 a.m., between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal, the 7:15 a.m., between Babylon and Grand Central Madison, and the 7:28 a.m., between Ronkonkoma and Penn Stations.

Trains also will be lengthened between:

• Port Washington and Penn Station at 5:29 a.m., and 7:54 a.m., as well as the reverse trip at 5:07 p.m., 5:52 p.m., and 7:35 p.m.

• Ronkonkoma to Grand Central Madison at 5:42 a.m., as well as the trains between Ronkonkoma and Penn Station at 7:28 a.m., 8:25 a.m., and 4:01 p.m.

• Long Beach and Grand Central Madison at 5:49 a.m., as well as the 3:48 p.m. train between Penn Station and Long Beach.

• Huntington and Grand Central Madison at 5:54 a.m., as well as the reverse trip at 7:04 p.m.

• Wantagh and Penn Station at 6:15 a.m. and 6:54 a.m., as well as the reverse trips at 4:37 p.m., and 5:19 p.m.

• Babylon and Penn Station at 6:31 a.m., 7:31 a.m., and 8:31 a.m., as well as the return trips at 3:23 p.m., 3:38 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 5:16 p.m., and 6:57 p.m.

• Farmingdale and Penn Station at 7:19 a.m.

• Little Neck and Penn Station at 8:20 a.m.

• Grand Central Madison and Hempstead at 6:03 p.m.

Those changes won’t end there. Hochul wants LIRR to continue to use its Jamaica Central Control Center to closely monitor ridership conditions and operations, providing real-time observations where officials can make schedule adjustments based on demand.

“The historical opening of Grand Central Madison marked the first expansion of LIRR service in 100 years,” Hochul said, in a release over the weekend. “And to ensure the new terminal’s success, we must be responsive to the needs of our commuters.”

More than 114,000 riders commuted to and from Grand Central Madison last week, saving more than 38,000 hours — or more than four years — of commuting time to Penn Station.

Courtesy New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

D.J. AND LAUREN Toby after their living organ transplant at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The couple, saved by love and blood type compatibility, will no longer have lingering ‘what if’ questions about Lauren’s PSC turning into cancer.

Opposition grows against governor’s housing plan

More than two dozen Long Island elected officials teamed up to show a united front against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal for high density housing in single-family neighborhoods on Long Island last week at the Port Washington Train Station.

In addition to Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin, Town Clerk Kate Murray, and four members of the Town Board, Nassau County Legislators Howard Kopel and John Giuffre, and Village of Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach joined the group to protest what they called an attack on the suburbs.

“Gov. Kathy Hochul does not know what is best for Long Island and is openly infringing on municipal control of zoning regulations,” Clavin said in a release.

“We will not be quiet in the face of overdevelopment. We will take the fight to Albany and continue to advocate for Long Island neighbors.”

Officials announced that they would be taking the fight to the steps of the New York State Legislature in Albany later this month to call on Hochul to

remove the housing legislation from her state budget proposal.

“This plan is simply not realistic for Nassau County,” state Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said in a release. “I will continue to oppose this budget so

long as this policy of forcible rezoning remains part of it.”

Key elements of the plan include:

■ Increasing housing growth 3 percent over three years;

■ Creating a “Fast Track Approval” program;

■ Override the authority of local zoning law;

■ Increase housing units in Nassau County by an estimated 14,340 new units in three years;

■ Add stress to Nassau’s roads, schools, and local infrastructure;

■ Rezoning areas within a half-mile radius of Long Island Rail Road stations;

■ Expedited environmental review process.

“Residents want to be involved in the decision-making process to ensure any development fits the character of their neighborhoods, and the governor’s plan would strip them of those rights,” Assemblyman Brian Curran said in a news release.

“This high-density housing plan is completely out of touch with our suburban quality of life here on Long Island.”

–Mark Nolan

Baldwin school district named in ‘Best of Long Island’

The Baldwin School District was named the winner of Bethpage Credit Union’s “Best of Long Island” 2023 in five different categories, including “Best High School Spirit.”

The Baldwin High School won first in five Bethpage Credit Union’s “Best of Long Island” — a contest to determine the best businesses and services in Nassau

and Suffolk County — categories in their 2023 competition.

“I sometimes say, ‘The best is at Baldwin,’ and this just reaffirms it,” said Neil Testa, Baldwin High School principal. “I am proud to be a part of a school community with such dedicated and caring staff. Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to the Baldwin community for

all the support,”

The Baldwin High School won in “High School Spirit,” and the Baldwin Bruins Sports Podcast won “Best Podcast.” Stephanie Pina was recognized for “Best School Counselor,” Meghan Kargman for “Best School Psychologist,” and Tom Catapano won “Best High School Sports Coach”

NEWS BRIEF

The school district said the Baldwin Bruins Sports Podcast won this accolade for the second year in a row. The district said the annual competition is the largest contest of its kind on Long Island. Over a 75-day period, with well over a million votes cast competition was as fierce as ever.

— Andre Silva

Tax exemption threshold lowered for volunteer firefighters, ambulance workers in Nassau

Volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers in Nassau County will be able to qualify for a tax break a bit sooner than before.

The Nassau County Legislature unanimously passed a local law to lower the number of years that volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers need to serve before qualifying for a partial tax exemption on their county portion of their property taxes.

Prior to the law going into effect, volunteer firefighters and EMTS had to serve for five years before qualify-

ing. The new law drops that threshold to two years of service to qualify for a property tax exemption of up to 10 percent. To qualify, a volunteer must live in the community where they volunteer.

In addition, volunteers who accrue 20 or more years of service will be granted the reduction for the remainder of the time that they reside in Nassau County, regardless of whether they are active or inactive from volunteering.

Local municipalities will need to opt in to this new

HOW TO REACH US

Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

law to allow the same exemption to be applied to their portion of property taxes.

“These selfless volunteers answer the call of duty at all hours of the day and night, put their own safety at risk for the community and spend an incredible amount of time in training and preparing to do the job they do so well,” Legislator Richard Nicolello said in a release. “The partial real property tax exemption should also help with recruitment to keep our fire departments strong.”

— Mark Nolan

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

HEMPSTEAD TOWN SUPERVISOR Don Clavin holds a sign that sums up the sentiments of dozens of officials all over Long Island.

baldwin

Pitch Perfect performs at Baldwin library

The Pitch Pefect Project, an eight-person jazz ensemble, performed for more than 50 library patrons on Feb. 27 to celebrate Black History Month.

The Baldwin Public Library invited Pitch Perfect to play American jazz classics in the community room on Feb. 27, which included renditions of jazz musicians like, Bill Lee, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, and John Coltrane.

Tyrone Morris, the jazz collective’s leader, said he started Pitch Perfect in 2016 when he started to explore and perform jazz music — a sonic shift from his background in classical music. He said he started to connect with jazz musicians and created eventually formed an octet of jazz performers, who since 2016, frequently play at libraries across Queens, Suffolk and Nassau County.

“Although it’s a niche genre of music, we thought we’d play jazz for Black History Month,” said Morris. “Jazz is the greatest American art form, and it has roots in African American music.”

Morris said he was introduced to members of the Baldwin Public Library when he was performing with “Sugar and Spice Soul Band, a Long Island-based Motown and soul band. He said he was asked to perform jazz for the library, and accepted to play at the library on Feb. 9, 2020.

The Feb. 27 showing marked their third performance at the library.

“The Baldwin community appreciates good music, and really support the performing arts,” Morris said. “The audience provided raucous support for our performance.”

— Andre Silva

Courtesy Tyrone Morris

TYRONE MORRIS, ‘PITCH Perfect Project leader,’ performed for more than 50 library patrons on Feb. 27 to celebrate Black History Month.

The Baldwin community appreciates good music, and really supports the performing arts

TYRONE MORRIS

Pitch Perfect Project leader

It all started the moment she raised her hand

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

When Randi Shubin Dresner was 8, she raised her hand during a school assembly — and that one action shaped the course of her life.

The assembly, at McVey Elementary School in East Meadow, was focused on the March of Dimes, an organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. Representatives were there to talk about an upcoming walk-a-thon, and they asked students if they wanted to serve as school representatives for the event. Shubin Dresner didn’t hesitate to raise her hand.

“I raised my hand at 8 years old, and I never put it down again,” she said. “I volunteered through my entire childhood at the March of Dimes, as well as a couple of other organizations.”

Shubin Dresner, now 62, is the president and chief executive officer of Island Harvest, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, based in Melville. The food bank has a wide variety of programs to help feed those in need, from children to seniors and veterans.

She started there in 2001, after meeting longtime Island Harvest board member Stuart Richner, chief executive of Richner Communications and publisher of the Heralds, in an elevator at a networking event. At the time, Shubin Dresner was working at the Heckscher Museum of Art. She talked to Richner about the possibility of sponsoring an event the museum was having.

“In the time it took to go from one floor to the next, I introduced myself, told him about the organization that I worked with, and almost got him to become a sponsor of the event,” she recalled. “He is and was a board member at Island Harvest, and went back to the organization and said, ‘I just met this person — you better call her and recruit her to come to Island Harvest.’”

Shubin Dresner said that she turned the job down more

than once before deciding to make the switch to the food bank. “It was an interesting mission that I could relate to, and it was a very small organization at the time,” she said.

“I was encouraged by the fact that the board recognized that there was a lot of growth potential, and the board put a lot of trust in me and my vision for the organization.”

Island Harvest wasn’t the first time she explored her potential as a leader. Shubin Dresner has been in the nonprofit sector her whole life. In middle school, she started her own March of Dimes chapter in her basement, and recruited her friends.

“I just liked what they were talking about,” she recalled.

“I liked their enthusiasm, and their excitement about the work they were doing, and I wanted to be part of it.”

At 17, she became a full-time employee at March of Dimes. And from there, she never looked back. Before landing at Island Harvest, she spent time at the Viscardi Center, in Albertson, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, among other organizations. At the National MS Society, she served as executive director of the Nassau County chapter, and at just 23, she transformed it from a failing organization to an award-winning chapter.

“I knew from an early age that this was going to be my career,” Shubin Dresner said. “I loved doing fundraising, I loved presenting and talking at groups, and giving back to the community, and creating programs that support that community.”

Many of her early career years were shaped by her time at the March of Dimes and the role models she met there — especially the organization’s executive director at the time, Lottie Seligman.

“In the mid- to late ’60s, there weren’t a lot of women in business,” Shubin Dresner said. “I watched (Seligman) and tried to model her in my early years of building my career. The women who were the directors and managers at the organization really taught me a lot. I had really incredible women models in my career.”

Now, at Island Harvest, she prides herself on the relationship she has with the board of directors, and how much she’s been able to involve her family in her lifelong mission of helping others.

“I’m honored to be in this work,” she said. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to work at organizations for an entire career that has an impact on changing lives.”

Herald file photo

RANdI ShuBIN dReSNeR, chief executive and president of Island Harvest, has worked in nonprofits since she was a child.

Long Island’s top real estate pros honored

Hundreds attend annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

The job of someone in real estate goes beyond just helping clients buy, sell or rent properties. For many professionals, it is about the rewarding feeling of finding a person or family’s “forever” home, and seeing their faces light up as they walk through the door.

Individuals in the industry often strive to offer listings or create developments with the goal of enhancing a community and providing potential homebuyers with a lifestyle they have always dreamed of.

The importance of community involvement and advocacy could not ring more true in the room of hundreds of real estate titans and visionaries at RichnerLive’s second annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards last week at The Heritage Club at Bethpage in Farmingdale.

Turn the page for all the winners, and more photos!

“Real estate in my blood,” said Kevin Law, partner and executive vice president of Tritec Real Estate, and the keynote speaker of the evening. “I care about this island — I am hoping that the things I do can make a difference, and make this region a little bit better to live, work and play.”

This year’s REAL Awards honored dozens of professionals in residential and commercial real estate, with some proceeds from the event supporting Habitat for Humanity Long Island — a global non-profit organization whose mission is to bring people together to build affordable, environmentally stable homes for those in need.

Jennie Katz, president and owner of Blue Island Homes, said in her 27 years in the business, the room for creativity is what she finds the most exciting as a broker. For example, she and her business partner, Mark Stempel, are planning to collaborate with interior designers and decorators to stage a truck with all of Blue Island Homes’s listings.

“I started my own business with Mark 10 months ago, and it was about being creative and doing something different,” Katz said. “It’s about passion. It’s about working really hard and being honest.”

Michael Stanco, a licensed real estate broker for the Stanco Misiti team at Compass, talked about his special project, The Residences at Glen Harbor, which received a residential REAL Award at the event.

In the ever-changing housing market, Stanco said it is crucial to provide people with unique living opportunities such as The Residences at Glen Harbor — an alternative option to typical single-family homes.

Anthony Bartone, managing partner of Terwilliger and Bartone Properties, expressed a similar sentiment and discussed his philosophy of mindfulness when introducing projects to Long Island neighborhoods — specifically the environmental impact.

For example, Bartone’s organization pledged to only use native plantings in their developments because of the harmful risk invasive plants pose to the soil.

“It’s important that we set all this up to the extent we can for our next generation,” Bartone said.

The REAL Awards trailblazer Deidre O’Connell — chief executive of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty — grabbed the audience’s attention with her inspirational speech about Realtors pushing through pandemic obstacles these last few years.

She also shared some wisdom for the next generation of homebuyers who may feel a bit anxious when it comes to the prospect of living on Long Island. Statistically, people who buy homes accumulate more money at the end — money they would not have if they put it into renting a place, where there is no return.

“You got to get in the game,” O’Connell said. “Young people have to start at the bottom if their income isn’t going to get them in at the top. Once you’re in the game, you appreciate with the market.”

The major sponsors of the night included Easy Tax Credits, Tenantbase and Maidenbaum. Blue Island Homes, Coldwell Banker American Homes and E.W. Howell were gold sponsors of the evening.

Silver sponsors included Ackerman Law, Breslin Realty Development Corp., Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes, Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, Cushman & Wakefield, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, Douglas Elliman, GLS, Habitat Abstract, Hayduk Engineering, Heatherwood, Japan Schlesinger Narendran, Lipsky Construction, Long Island Board of Realtors, M&T Bank, Property Shark, R&M Engineering, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz,

SMR, Stanco Misiti Team at Compass, Terwilliger & Bartone Properties, The Gitto Group, Valley Bank, Weatherstone Mortgage Corp.

“Our second annual REAL awards was another huge success,” exclaimed Stuart Richner, chief executive of Richner Communications, which created the REAL Awards. “Where else can you find so many individuals and organizations that fuel our local economy? The award recipients are staples in our communities, and their recognition is well-deserved. I am excited to see all that the future holds for

Long Island.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos MARk STeMple, ceO of Blue Island Homes, accepts his REAL Award with company president Jennie Katz and Herald Community Media publisher Stuart Richner.

DeiRDRe O’cONNell, ceO of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, shared her experiences as a trailblazer at the REAL Awards at The Heritage Club at Bethpage in Farmingdale.

keviN lAw, pARTNeR and executive vice president of Tritec Real Estate, delivers the keynote address at the REAL Awards.

FAthER/ dAughtER

tEAm giLbERt and Tiffany Balanoff, above, were recognized for Gilbert’s work with The Law Offices of Gilbert Balanoff, and Tiffany’s job as a licensed real estate agent at Douglas Elliman.

miRiAm hAgEndoRn gEts her REAL Award from Stuart Richner, at left, for her work as a licensed real estate salesperson a Serhant.

2023 Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Award winners

Residential

The Residences at Glen Harbor

Michael W. Stanco

Stanco Misiti Team at Compass

Gina Marie Bettenhauser

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes Long Island Board of Realtors

Hilary Becker Becker Realty Services Inc.

Molly Deegan Branch Real Estate Group

John & Barbara Gandolfo

Coldwell Banker American Homes

Kevin Leatherman Leatherman Homes

Donna O’Reilly Einemann

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Luciane Serifovic Luxian International Realty

Shawn Steinmuller

Shawn Michael Realty

Mark Stempel & Jennie Katz Blue Island Homes

Helena Veloso

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Malka Asch Coach Realtors

Miriam Hagendorn Serhant

Ricki Noto Coldwell Banker American Homes

Scott Wallace

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

David Kasner Coldwell Banker American Homes

Commercial

Thomas DeLuca Cushman & Wakefield of Long Island

Anthony Bartone

Terwilliger & Bartone Properties LLC

Kenneth Breslin, Esq. Breslin Realty Development Corp.

Christopher Capece

Heatherwood

Rob Gitto

The Gitto Group

Mark Meisner

The Birch Group

E.W. Howell Construction Group

Special Awards

Michael Maturo

RXR Realty

Martin Lomazow CBRE

Michael S. Ackerman Ackerman Law PLLC

John D. Chillemi

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek PC

Bryan P. McCrossen

Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran LLP

Christopher H. Palmer Cullen and Dykman LLP

Ellen N. Savino

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

Commercial Industrial Broker Society of Long Island

David Pennetta

Stephen A. Hayduk Hayduk Engineering LLC

Gilbert Balanoff

The Law Offices of Gilbert Balanoff PC

Tiffany Balanoff

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Nicholas Ceccarini

Weatherstone Mortgage Corp.

Christine Curiale Valley Bank

Melissa Curtis Contour Mortgage

Michael Steinberg

Hedgestone Business Advisors

Alex Lipsky

Lipsky Construction

Sean M. Cronin, Esq. Cronin & Cronin Law Firm PLLC

Ryan J. Coyne Serhant

VincePropertyShark PropertyShark.com

Habitat Abstract

dAvid KAsnER, bRAnch manager of Coldwell Banker American Homes, at left, and Daniel Williams, president of E.W. Howell Construction Group, at right, get their awards from Stuart Richner.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Hundreds of Honorees, guests and sponsored enjoyed refreshments and conversation ahead of the second annual REAL Awards hosted by RichnerLive.

Bryan McCrossen, Center at top-left, a partner at Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran, joins strategic marketer and financial educator Jesika Kalika in the selfie booth.

JoHn frasCella, MaidenBauM’s residential property tax supervisor, was a major sponsor of the REAL Awards.

tHoMas deluCa, senior director and real estate broker at Cushman & Wakefield of Long Island — at left —enjoys a moment before receiving a REAL Award of his own.

Courtesy Le Selfie

Courtesy Le Selfie Helena Veloso, at center in pink, has fun with the rest of her Douglas Elliman Real Estate team at the selfie booth at the REAL Awards.

Nine straight county titles for Baldwin

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

In a season full of obstacles, Baldwin cleared one more last Saturday on the way to claiming its ninth consecutive Nassau County Class AA girls’ basketball championship.

The top-seeded Lady Bruins spotted No. 2 Massapequa seven of the game’s first eight points before scoring 12 straight to gain control late in the opening quarter of a 45-40 victory at Hofstra University.

Senior Katelyn Simpson and sophomore Monique Echols keyed an explosive 24-4 run by scoring eight points apiece and finished with a game-high 13 apiece as Baldwin (21-2) continued its Nassau dominance and advanced to battle Walt Whitman for the Long Island Class AA title this Saturday at 12 p.m. at Farmingdale State College.

“We started slow, but we believed in ourselves and there’s no better feeling,” said Simpson, who had a clutch putback layup with 1:18 remaining to up the Lady Bruins’ lead to 44-38. “We wanted to play fast and also play within ourselves,” she added. “We did a good job of defensive rebounding and pushing the pace and that’s what led to that run in the first half.”

Junior Briana Neary scored 10 of her team-high 12 points, and senior Alexa Cirabisi had all eight of her points in the second half to help Massapequa cut into Baldwin’s 14-point halftime lead. The Chiefs (19-4) twice made it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter.

“Massapequa is a talented team and even though we had a nice lead at halftime, I told the girls to be ready for them to make a push,” Baldwin head coach Tom Catapano said. “Never did we think this would be easy. We had a lot of young players out there today and I thought we were a little tight in the first quarter. We settled down and did a great job after that. I’m tremendously proud of this group.”

Baldwin’s 25-11 halftime cushion was cut to two possessions by late in the third quarter as Massapequa crept within 33-29 thanks to a combined 14 points from Cirabisi and Neary. Echols answered with a trey at the buzzer to put the defending champs ahead by seven heading into the fourth.

“I was feeling confident in warmups and glad I made some shots to help us

win,” said Echols, a first-year starter. “We’ve worked so hard since November and I’m so happy for all of my teammates.”

Baldwin had to endure an intense final quarter before it could celebrate. With 4:51 remaining in the fourth, sophomore Paige Grosso’s free throw brought the Chiefs within 36-34 as Catapano’s lineup was altered by a fifth personal foul on sophomore sensation Payton Dulin, who had eight points after pouring in a game-high 14 in the semifinal victory over Freeport.

“It reminded me of last year’s county final when Dally [Moreno] fouled out,” Catapano said. “We went down our best scorer again, but the girls hung tough and found a way.”

Baldwin scored three of the next four baskets after Dulin was relegated to the bench. After Simpson and Massapequa’s late-game spark sophomore Isabella Grosso traded hoops, a pair of Lady Bruins picked the perfect time to get on the scoresheet. Junior Renelle Grannum converted a nifty give-and-go with eighth-grader Chinaya Okogeri, who scored on the ensuing possession for a 42-36 lead.

“Renelle is the perfect example of our entire program,” Catapano said of Grannum, who along with Moreno and Simpson suffered serious injuries last summer. “She’s nowhere near herself yet but she’s out there battling and helping us win.”

Simpson sealed the deal by scoring the final three points.

“Every championship is different and special,” she said. “Celebrating on the court with my teammates is the best.”

Ron Manfredi/Herald photos

THE LADY BRUINS celebrated another Nassau County Class AA championship last Saturday after topping Massapequa, 45-40.

SOPHOMORE MONIQUE ECHOLS had 13 points, including 8 in the early going, in the Nassau Class AA title game.

THE BRUINS BEAT Port Washington, 45-39,

Baldwin completes county three-peat

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

For the second Saturday in a row, Jaylen Brown from downtown provided the difference for Baldwin.

Brown’s three-pointer from the corner with 56.5 seconds remaining broke the last of six deadlocks and put the top-seeded Bruins ahead for good in a hard-fought 45-39 victory over No. 3 Port Washington in the Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball championship game before an electric crowd of more than 3,500 at Hofstra University’s Mack Sports Complex.

“I’ve been able to handle pressure well,” said Brown, a senior forward who a week earlier hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to lift Baldwin over Hempstead in the semifinals, 57-54. “It has a lot to do with confidence,” he added. “We all have confidence in each other.”

It’s the third straight county title for the Bruins (21-2), who will aim to defend their Long Island crown this Saturday against Brentwood at Stony Brook University at 4:30 p.m. Senior Dylan Madden had a game-high 14 points, sophomore Chase Timberlake added 11, and Brown eight.

“Jaylen is one of the best shooters on Long Island in my opinion,” Baldwin head coach Darius Burton said of Brown, who hit three late free throws as well. “Anytime he lets it go, I feel it’s going in. He was the second option on that play and was exactly where he was supposed to be and knocked it down.”

Also for the second week in a row, the Bruins were clutch from the foul line. They matched their semifinal performance from the charity stripe, going 12-for-16. The Vikings, who were led by Camren Welker’s 12 points, made only 7 of 16 free

throws.

“We’re constantly practicing free throws,” said Madden, who went 6-for-6 from the line. “We know how important it is,” he added. “That’s how we start and end practices, shooting free throws. It paid off because we probably wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

Baldwin, which returned only three players from last season, has captured six of the last 11 county titles. It beat Port Washington twice during the regular season in similar games that came down to the wire.

“I don’t know how many times I talked this week about beating a team three times,” Burton said. “Port Washington is a very good offensive team and we always pride ourselves on defense. This was just a battle from start to finish and a great atmosphere.”

Senior point guard Camren Welker had 12 points, Trevor Amalfitano added nine and Ryan Shanahan added seven for the Vikings (17-6), who last won a county title in 1947. Port led 11-8 after the first quarter, trailed 19-16 at halftime, then rallied for a 26-24 lead after three quarters of the see-saw affair.

The Vikings scored the first five points of the second half to vault in front, 21-19. Madden’s threepointer put Baldwin back in the lead before Amalfitano’s three-point play and Welker’s driving layup provided Port with its largest lead of the night at 26-22.

Senior Joshua Petion (seven points) closed the first half with a basket and opened the second half with a free throw to cut the margin to 26-25. The Bruins then scored 10 of the next 14, highlighted by drives to the rim by sophomore Jalen Waters and Timberlake, and it was 35-30 with 2:48 left.

The lead vanished in just over a minute thanks to a Welker layup and Kenny Daly’s tying trey, setting the stage for Brown’s heroics.

“We have a legacy going,” Brown said.

Neil Miller/Herald photos

to capture their third consecutive Nassau Class AA title before a packed house at Hofstra last Saturday.

SOPHOMORE CHASE TIMBERLAKE had a clutch 3-point play late in the Bruins’ county championship game victory.

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STEPPING OUT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

A sweet time awaits at the Surrounded by confections

By Karen Bloom

Smitten by chocolate, and so much more. Temptations await at the Chocolate Expo’s latest edition, ready to entice everyone on March 12.

By Karen Bloom

The popular event is back on Long Island to delight chocoholics at its new location — Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex in Hempstead, for a day-long foodie paradise. More than 80 vendors — representing Long Island, New England and elsewhere, even international purveyors — will share their sweet and savory wares during this unique foodcentric festival.

WHERE WHEN

Pat McGann

Expo

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Tickets are $20 adult, $15 ages 5-12 or $30 adult, $15 ages 5-12 at door; available from TheChocolateExpo.com

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

• Hofstra University, David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex, Hempstead

Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines power of the arts in society.

Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence. the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April. interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia climate is now, this exhibit could not be more timely than Albert adds. highlights, she points to the series of prints from the Freedoms. Their four large scale photos are based on 1943 oil paintings inspired by President Franklin D. State of the Union address that outlined what he essential four democratic values freedom of speech, worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. For interpreted these iconic works for our era. composition,” Albert says. “From 1940s America, what America is today, our diversity and what we look museum offers additional enhance the exhibit experience. include an artist panel on Feb. 23, the role of the artist as activist, and a Alexandra Giordano, March 16.

Founder Marvin Baum says this year’s event includes many first-time vendors as well as a diversity of offerings — even some for your beloved pooch. As Baum puts it: “People take care of themselves with special treats, so why not let your pet enjoy some, too?

Visitors can celebrate and indulge in gourmet chocolates, baked goods, specialty items, cheeses, wines, spirits, hard ciders, craft sodas, and much more. Of course tasting is very much a part of it all — starting from the moment you enter. Guests are greeted by fountains overflowing with dark, white and milk chocolates, in which a selection of fresh fruit, marshmallows pretzels and Rice Krispies treats can be deliciously drenched.

“When you go to these festivals, you remember something you tried that you can’t get elsewhere,” Baum says. “That’s what we try to do with this.”

Participating chocolatiers offer chocolate bonbons, chocolate bars,

raw chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate fudge, chocolate novelties, chocolate barks and chocolate-covered goodies, chocolatecovered soft pretzels, even chocolatecovered bacon. Cupcakes, brownies, doughnuts, and assorted cakes are showcased along with other gluten-free offerings and other baked goods, while hot cocoa, wine, and hard ciders, and even chocolate moonshine, will be among the craft beverages available for tasting and purchase.

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

The Ugly Duckling

Lightwire Theater brings a classic tale to the modern stage. Since bursting to national acclaim after appearing as semi-finalists on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and winning the top honors on truTV’s ‘Fake Off,’ Lightwire has gone on to enthrall audiences worldwide with their unique combination of skill and grace as told through the technological innovations of moving light characters. In this unforgettable theatrical experience — created with electroluminescent wire — the beloved story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ plays out through a cutting-edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance. Ideally suited to kids through Grade 6, all ages will enjoy this innovative re-imagining of the beloved tale, with its dazzling visuals, poignant choreography and creative use of music ranging from classical to pop.

Saturday, March 11, 11 a.m. $28.

Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Yarn/Wire

“We’re really excited to be here,” Baum says, noting that his chocolate-fest has emerged from the pandemic renewed and reinvigorated. “We love to work with local vendors and support new businesses by introducing people to them.”

These include: The Best Goody Bag, a Valley Stream baker of custom birthday cakes and other birthday-related treats; Peace Love & Hot Chocolate, a purveyor of gourmet hot chocolate kits, based in Island Park; Uncle Jeff’s Pecan Pies, a Wantagh baker, who’s all about pie — pecan pie that defies imagination; and West Hempstead’s Sunflower Bake Shop, which specializes in kosher and vegan baked goods.

If your palate reaches sensory overload, take a break for a while and check out some of the many activities that round out the day. Magician Eric Wilzig, of “America’s Got Talent” fame, performs two high-energy “extreme” magic shows on the Expo stage. Actor Paris Themmen — who starred as Mike TeeVee in the original “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” film — is on the scene to greet guests from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., plus he does an interview noon, followed by audience Q&A.

Also appearing is chef Francis Legge, a winner of Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and a contestant on Netflix’s “Snack vs. Chef,” who will do an on-stage demonstration, while Long Island’s DJ Chef, who won Food Network’s “Cuthroat Kitchen,” does his “Beats & Sweets Interactive Cooking Show,” combining his passions for food and music. Kids will enjoy face painting and balloon twisting activities in the Kidz Zone, along with chocolate-themed crafts.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions and performances that have made a significant contribution to the canon of experimental works. The quartet features founding member Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer on piano and Russell Greenberg, also a founding member, and Sae Hashimoto playing percussion. Barger is a frequent guest with many top American contemporary ensembles. French-American Den Boer performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Greenberg is in demand with varied ensembles. Hashimoto, the newest member, contributes a unique approach to performance cultivated by her intensive classical training .

Friday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. $30 with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

The Sicilian Tenors

The Sicilian Tenors bring their dynamic sound to Tilles Center, ready to put their spin on the classics, and so much more. The three classically trained tenors sing their own interpretations of some of the world’s best music in this lively evening. It’s a journey from Hollywood to Broadway to Italy as these operatic voices perform a wide selection of beloved songs. Combined with light-hearted fun, Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio and Sam Vitale put on an appealing show for everyone — all ages and musical tastes. They are a fresh and accessible take on the great Italian musical tradition. Always in demand, their special blend of classic opera and Broadway hits, along with Rat Pack-type shenanigans is a consistent crowdpleaser.

Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m. $52, $42, $32. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

Photos courtesy Chuck Fishman Take your pick. This year’s Chocolate Expo is a showcase of scrumptious bites.

change the world? It’s a question been at the focus of our collective centuries. Now as society the complexities of modern life, path for social change is at the of artistic expression.

Courtesy Hofstra Universally Museum of Art Rockwell’s celebrated ‘Four Freedoms’ are reinHank Willis Thomas and Emily Shur in Gottesman and the Wyatt Gallery.

Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Thomas, ‘Lives of Others,’ 2014, made resin and standing 57 inches tall

THE SCENE

Thyca Cancer Survivors Meeting

Thyca Long Island partnered with Thyca: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association to hold a support group for cancer survivors on Zoom, Sunday, March 12, starting at 1 p.m. For more information contact Abby Melendez at 516-608-5113 or e-mail longisland-ny@thyca.org.

PTA Meeting

The Baldwin PTA meets,Wednesday, March 22, 7 p.m., at Meadow Elementary Schoo, 880 Jackson Street.

March 11

StepCrew

StepCrew brings their Celtic flair to the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center stage, Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. The talented cast of dancers and musicians is led by Long Island’s Cara Butler and the Pilatzke Brothers, Jon and Nathan. All three are longtime touring members of the acclaimed The Chieftains. The StepCrew boasts Celtic and World music from three world-class fiddle players backed by a five-piece ensemble, featuring three dance styles — Irish, Tap, and Ottawa Valley step dance. Tickets start at $55, with discounts available to seniors, students, Adelphi alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 8774000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

On stage

Willie Nile

The singer-songwriter visits the Landmark stage, Saturday, April 1, 8 p.m. Nestled somewhere between power-pop and American folk you will find Willie Nile strumming his guitar. A true believer in rock n’ roll, over the years Nile has made admirers out of Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend who personally requested him to tour with The Who, among others who sing his praises. The New York Times called him “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years.” Nile shares the stage with James Maddock; their pairing results in an exciting evening of roots rock. $42, $36, $31. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

April 1

Mo Willems’ popular The Pigeon comes alive on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Saturday, March 11, 11:30 a.m.; Thursday and Friday, March 1617, 10:15 a.m. and noon. Pigeon is eager to try anything, with the audience part of the action. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Bethany House Fashion Show Fundraiser

Bethany House invites everyone to their 20th annual fashion show fundraiser, Wednesday, March 15, 6-9 p.m. The event is at Rockville Centre Link’s Club, 600 North Long Beach Road. For more information,

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Autism Walk

Baldwin High School Sportnite

Baldwin High School invites all to Sportnite, a sports-themed event, Thursday through Saturday, March 9-11, at 7 p.m. each night, at the high school on 841 Ethel T. Kloberg Drive.

Knitting Club for Beginners

Students in grades 6-12 can learn to knit at Baldwin Public Library, Thursday, March 9, 7-8 p.m.Location is the Children’s Arts and Crafts room, 2385 Grand Ave. Supplies are provided by the library. To register, visit BaldwinPL.org.

Reverse Raffle

Aging seminar

The Nassau County Office for the Aging holds an information session, Wednesday, March 15 , 1-3 p.m., at Baldwin Public Library. Speak with a counselor to discuss long term care, aging in place, senior centers and varying needs of the aging community of residents, in the community room, 2385 Grand Ave. No registration is necessary. visit BaldwinPL.org for information.

‘Forever Plaid’

Plaza Theatrical is ready to spring forward with “Forever Plaid,” an affectionate musical homage to the close harmony guy groups that reached the height of their popularity during the ‘50s, Saturday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 19, 2:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 23, 2 p.m. The show features such hits as “Three Coins in a Fountain,” “Heart and Soul,” “Catch a Falling Star,” and “Love is A Many Splendored Thing.” It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $49, $45 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

April 22

One Happy Hangout Place holds an Autism Walk, Saturday, April 22,1 p.m., at Baldwin Harbor Park, 3232 Grand Ave. For more information contact (5516) 375-1102.

Having an event?

Join the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and American Legion Post 246 for their annual reverse raffle, Thursday, March 16, 6:30 p.m. With buffet table, beer and wine, and over $4,000 in cash raffle prizes. For more information, email BaldwinChamberofCommerce@ gmail.com.

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.

Family theater

Everyone’s favorite cat comes to mischievous life in this theatrical adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, presented Plaza Theatrical Productions, Saturday, March 11, 11 a.m.; Sunday, March 12, noon. See what goes on during that rainy day when two siblings are home alone with their pet fish while their parents are out of town, and the tall cat wearing a hat appears. Tickets are $15. Visit the Plaza stage at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore. For information/tickets, go to PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.

County maps ‘not perfect,’ but still ‘fair’

New legislative districts approved along partisan lines

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

After dozens of hearings, months of public input and several heated exchanges among Nassau County lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, a final district map drawing out borders for the 19 legislative districts for the next 10 years has finally passed.

All 11 Republicans of the majority voted for the map, while seven Democratic minority members voted in opposition. For those on the wrong side of the vote, it was a disappointing — but inevitable — end to community members and Democratic officials who have been vocal over their claims of partisan gerrymandering.

“Tomorrow morning, students in Nassau County are going to wake up to a snow day,” Democratic legislator Josh Lafazan said ahead of the region’s first real snowfall of the season. “This legislative body is going to wake up to a lawsuit.

“Our constituents lose tonight, and nobody wins.”

Before the evening vote, some members of the community gathered to express final pleas for the Nassau County Legislature to not approve the map. They claim the map fails to include five majority-minority districts, it violates state and federal voting laws, neglects to consider racial demographics, and dilutes minority votes in communities such as Lakeview and Freeport.

In fact, dozens of Lakeview residents turned up at a previous public hearing sharing stories of their fight for equality and fair representation.

The current map places Lakeview — a predominantly Black community of more than 6,200 people — in a district with predominantly white communities likeMalverne, Lynbrook, West Hempstead and East Rockaway.

Scottie Coads said the hearts of her Lakeview neighbor are “hurting” because of this decision.

“I almost went to tears when I saw our hard work being put into a district with Lynbrook and Malverne,” Coads said. “Those people don’t even want us there. They don’t even talk to us.”

Doris Hicks Newkirk, president of the Lakeview NAACP and former educator in the Malverne school district, said she knows of young Black students who have been told to “go back where they came from,” and called racial slurs.

Lisa Ortiz, one of the founding members of the Lakeview Civic Association, talked about how the Malverne district became the first in the state to be forced into desegregation — more than a decade after the national Brown v. Board of Education decision.

For more than 60 years, many representatives of Lakeview and the school district fought to have a street name of a Ku Klux Klan leader removed — only recently accomplishing this feat.

Fast forward to today, the redistricting process is another hurdle the Lakeview community is not backing down on.

“When we think about disenfranchis-

ing — when you think about gerrymandering — you think about making sure that you are silencing a community that has a very, very loud voice,” Ortiz said.

“That’s exactly what you’re doing.”

County legislature minority leader Kevan Abrahams called out his Republican colleagues for choosing secrecy over transparency during the redistricting process, especially when it came to the legal fees for the analysis provided by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP.

“We have the power and the authority tonight to do the right thing,” Abrahams said. “Unfortunately, this map is going to go forward, and this body is choosing to vote for a map that is illegal. None of us want this. I’d rather things get worked out, because ultimately, the lawsuit is

going to cost taxpayers money.”

But presiding officer Richard Nicolello said numerous changes were made to the map to acknowledge this input. He also admitted not every request was addressed in the final proposal, but in the end, the district lines were considered fair and applicable to state and federal laws.

“Did we make every requested change? No. Is this map perfect? No. But perfection is impossible in redistricting,” Nicolello said. “This map is a fair map. It provides for equal representation for all our residents, and protects community interests as much as possible.”

sCOTTie COAds Of Lakeview expresses her anger over countywide district maps at several public hearings before Nassau County lawmakers ahead of them passing a final proposal late last month. For decades, Coads has fought for fair representation in Lakeview, a predominantly Black community placed in a district with Malverne, Lynbrook and East Rockaway.

NAssAU COUNTy LegisLATOR and Democratic minority leader Kevan Abrahams joined his political colleagues voting against a proposed countywide redistricting map last month. The votes weren’t enough, but Abrahams wanted to be on the record for his claims the map represented partisan gerrymandering while violating voting rights protections for minority communities.

Ana Borruto/Herald photos

NAssAU COUNTy LegisLATURe presiding officer Richard Nicolello shared heated exchanges with minority caucus leader Kevan Abrahams over the past few weeks over the new countywide district map. At the final meeting, Nicolello and 10 other Republican majority members voted in favor of their map, admitting that while it is not perfect, it is fair and protects community interests.

Elks Lodge 1 Hoop Shoot a huge success

Three children from Elks Lodge 1’s area placed in the state competition of the Elks Hoop Shoot challenge recently.

Jasper Chan of Baldwin placed second in the 8-9 year-old boys’ division in the state finals. Ivan Tandon of Freeport placed second in the 10-11 year-old boys’ division in the state finals.

Casey Coco of Lynbrook placed third in the 12-13 year-old boys’ division in the state finals.

— Mark Nolan

ELKS OFFICIALS CELEBRATED the accomplishments of children from Lodge 1 who competed in the Hoop Shoot. Casey Coco, seated at far left, Jasper Chan, and Ivan Tandon each placed in the state finals.

The Five Steps to an Elder Law Estate Plan

Elder law estate planning provides for (1) your care in the event you become disabled as you age, and who will be in charge of that care, and (2) the passing of your assets on death to whom you want, when you want, the way you want, with the least amount of taxes and legal fees possible. These are the five steps to creating such a plan.

Step One: Understanding the Family Dynamics. Clients often overlook the inestimable value of getting to know the family dynamic. We are firm believers that the social goes first and the legal should serve the social. Too often it is the other way around. Once we understand who’s who and everyone’s interpersonal relations with each other, we are far better able to craft a plan that will work socially as well as legally. The failure to address the social aspects has led to many a plan tearing the family apart.

Step Two: Reviewing the Client’s Assets. IRA’s and other “qualified” assets (i.e. tax deferred) are treated quite differently, on death or disability, from “non-qualified” assets. The determination of the amount and value of all assets, who owns them, and whether they have named beneficiaries are of the utmost importance in planning correctly,

including saving legal fees and taxes.

Step Three: Reviewing Existing Estate Planning Documents. Not having been prepared by an elder law attorney, clients’ documents rarely have adequate provisions to take advantage of the many benefits the law provides for our elderly population. Wills instead of trusts have often been prepared either because the client was considerably younger and a trust was not needed or a trust was needed but the general practice lawyer was unfamiliar with the specifics of preparing a trust.

Step Four: Developing the Elder Law Estate Plan. We are now in a position to determine which persons are best suited to handle your legal, financial and medical affairs on disability or death, what type of plan should be used and how the estate should be distributed — keeping in mind the preservation of harmony in the family.

Step Five: Executing and Maintaining the Plan. Legal documents are explained and executed, assets are retitled and beneficiaries on assets changed in keeping with planning objectives. The client is called in to the law firm every three years to ensure the plan meets the client’s current wishes and conforms with any law changes.

Courtesy John Nuzzi Sr.

Blakeman claims a successful first year

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

It’s been a little more than a year since Bruce Blakeman officially took office as Nassau County executive. Since then, how much has life improved for the nearly 1.4 million people living under his administration?

Significantly. At least according to Blakeman, thanks to his work with the majority party in the Nassau County Legislature. Triumphs Blakeman shared as part of his Feb. 28 State of the County address.

And there was a lot on Blakeman’s plate, after taking over for Laura Curran — not all that could be handled at the county level. Inflation. Catalytic converter theft. Support for local businesses. Bringing Nassau out of the Covid-19 era. And challenging some proposals that had made their way down from Albany.

“Our administration increased the boost (of the) Nassau Main Street grants program by an additional $10 million to support small businesses and keep family-owned businesses in Nassau County,” Blakeman said. He also met with professionals and entrepreneurs from a number of communities to begin work on expanding opportunities “for all people so that every community in every person — Black, white, Asian, Hispanic and Latino — share in our county’s prosperity.”

It is important to invest in local business because Nassau is bigger than 10 states by population, and has a higher gross domestic product than 145 countries, Blakeman said. And there is something in the works that could shake this up even more — the proposed plan to bring a Las Vegas Sands casino to the Nassau Coliseum.

“We are considering this proposal, and I have consistently stated that we would keep an open mind,” Blakeman said. But there are conditions.

“It must be world-class, with a luxury hotel and entertainment component,” he said. “It must bring significant

In HIS StAtE of the County speech on Feb. 28, Nassau executive Bruce Blakeman praised what he described as a successful first year in office, giving credit to law enforcement and the county legislature for working with him on a number of initiatives to help bring some of his campaign promises to fruition.

revenue to the county and surrounding areas, including construction and permanent jobs. And third, it must have the support of the community.”

A cornerstone of the Blakeman administration has been tackling the mass thefts of catalytic converters in Nassau. Some of that concluded in December with “Operation Cat-Track,” partnering with Nassau County Police Department commissioner Patrick Ryder to recover $7 million worth of stolen converters. The operation, Blakeman added, put a significant dent on an organized crime ring responsible for the thefts.

“I especially want to thank Sen. Chuck Schumer for

asking the Department of Justice to help us and send a special response team to mobilize and to help crack down on these thefts,” Blakeman said.

While the Republican executive crossed party lines to praise Schumer, he still had some harsh words for Joe Biden, blaming the president’s border policies for the current fentanyl crisis.

Democrats closer to home — in his county legislature took issue with some of what Blakeman said, specifically where the credit should go for the positive direction in the last year.

“While we got off to a very rocky start when the county executive first took office, there has been some progress,” County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said as part of the Democratic response. “I am glad to report that minority-led proposals have been adopted, including a gas tax holiday, (and) tax relief for eligible seniors and disabled homeowners. And just this Monday, property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.”

However, DeRiggi-Whitton hit Blakeman over the ongoing county tax assessment issue, which remains frozen. Blakeman maintained in the speech that much of the issue with tax assessment is still the fault of the Curran administration, which froze it during the pandemic.

As for fentanyl? DeRiggi-Whitton agreed the crisis must be addressed, but isn’t spending time pointing fingers.

“With fentanyl overdoses posing such a major threat, the Minority Caucus has introduced a law which would require low-cost fentanyl detecting strips to be included in every Narcan kit distributed by a county agency,” she said of the packages used to help save lives of those suffering opioid overdoses.

“Even though we have seen the potential of this approach in towns, cities and states across the United States, there has been no action by the majority on our proposal to date.”

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU

NEW PENN FINANCIAL

LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, V. THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NASSAU COUNTY, AS TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ANTOINETTE CAMARDA, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated January 6, 2020, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein NEW PENN FINANCIAL LLC

D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING is the Plaintiff and THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NASSAU COUNTY, AS

TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ANTOINETTE CAMARDA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction

RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 21, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 760 LAKESIDE DR, BALDWIN, NY 11510: Section 54., Block 190, Lot 527:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE LYING AND BEING AT BALDWIN, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608052/2018. Richard C. Lunenfeld, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

137323

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 3, 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 March 22, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 3420 Bertha Drive, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin Harbor, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 0054 Block 0051-00 Lot 00059. Approximate amount of judgment $548,043.85 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 616278/2018. 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.”

Raymond Nardo, 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: February 7, 2023

137319

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

NATIONSTAR

MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff - against - FADJAH SANON-JULES A/K/A FADJAH SANON JULES, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on December 6, 2022. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 21st day of March, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

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.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409

For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

Dated: January 24, 2023

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.

137311

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE, FOR J.P. MORGAN ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2005-A2, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, Plaintiff, vs. YVES BERNARD GUERRIER

A/K/A YVES GUERRIER

A/K/A YVES B. GUERRIER, ET AL., Defendant(s).

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.

Judith Powell, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff

137535

LEGAL NOTICE

The annual report of the Edelman family foundation for the year ended December 31, 2022 is available at the office of William Lee, CPA, Located at 110 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018 for inspection during regular business hours by any citizen who requires it within 80 days, hereof, principle manager of the foundation is Alex Edelman.

137811

LEGAL NOTICE

BOARD OF EDUCATION

BALDWIN UION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIFICATIONS FOR PUPIL TRANSPORTATION

Section 1

ADVERTISEMENT

The Board of Education of The Baldwin Union Free School District, County of Nassau, hereafter invites the Submission of sealed bids, For the SouthWest Quadrant Consortium. PUPIL TRANSPORTATION

Rockaway UFSD, East Williston UFSD, Floral Park- Bellerose UFSD, Freeport UFSD, Garden City UFSD, Glen Cove CSD, Great Neck UFSD, Hempstead UFSD, Herricks UFSD, HewlettWoodmere UFSD, Hicksville UFSD, Island Trees UFSD, Jericho UFSD, Levittown UFSD, Locust Valley UFSD, Long Beach CSD, Lynbrook UFSD, Manhasset UFSD, Massapequa UFSD, Merrick UFSD, Mineola UFSD, New Hyde ParkGCP, North Bellmore UFSD, North Merrick UFSD, North Shore CSD, Plainedge UFSD, Plainview/Old Bethpage CSD, Port Washington UFSD, Rockville Centre UFSD, Roosevelt UFSD, Seaford UFSD, Syosset UFSD, Valley Stream UFSD #24, Valley Stream UFSD #30, Valley Stream CHSD, Wantagh UFSD, West Hempstead UFSD

Director: Russ Randazzo

Nassau County Directors of School Facilities

Baldwin Union Free School District 960 Hastings Street Baldwin, New York 11510

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

On behalf of a cooperative of school districts in Nassau County, the Board of Education of the Baldwin Union Free School District, Baldwin, New York, in accordance with Section 103 of General Municipal Law, hereby invites the submission of sealed bids from reputable and qualified contractors for the provision of labor and materials for the following contract:

Clerk

This is a Cooperative bid. Participating school districts are as follows:

Baldwin UFSD, Bellmore UFSD, Bellmore-Merrick CHSD, Bethpage UFSD, Carle Place UFSD, East Rockaway UFSD, East Williston UFSD, Floral Park- Bellerose UFSD, Freeport UFSD, Garden City UFSD, Glen Cove

CSD, Great Neck UFSD, Hempstead UFSD, Herricks UFSD, HewlettWoodmere UFSD, Hicksville UFSD, Island Trees UFSD, Jericho UFSD, Levittown UFSD, Locust Valley UFSD, Long Beach

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

This notice is only for new cases in Baldwin within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as Trustee for Option One Mortgage Loan Trust

2007-1, Asset-Backed Certificates, Series

2007-1, Plaintiff

AGAINST

Bernadette Jackson a/k/a

Bernadette D. Jackson; et al., Defendant(s)

Premises known as 1245

Lynne Street, Baldwin, NY 11510.

(Section: 36, Block: 538, Lot: 2)

Approximate amount of lien $1,063,723.35 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 007600/2015.

Mark S. Ricciardi, Esq., Referee.

Pursuant to a Default Judgment and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 10, 2019 and an Order to Extend Time to Conduct Foreclosure Sale duly entered on January 10, 2023, 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 on March 28, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 1017 Schuman Place, Baldwin, NY 11510 a/k/a 1017 Schuman Place, North Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 36, Block 427 and Lots 45, 46 and 47. Approximate amount of judgment is $467,332.67 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 614034/2018. 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

Monday, March 20, 2023 at 9:30 A.M. At the Office of the Board of Education Baldwin Union Free School District 960 Hastings Street, Baldwin, N.Y. 11510 At which time and place All bids will be publicly Opened and read aloud. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by telephone 516-434-6040 between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. Weekdays. The Board of Education reserves the Right to reject any or all Bids, or to accept any bid Which is the opinion of The Board of Education Will be in the best interest of the School District.

Board of Education

Baldwin Union Free School District

By: Pamela Pratt District Clerk

137812

LEGAL NOTICE

BALDWIN UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, NEW YORK

INVITATION TO BID:

GENERAL ROOF REPAIR COOPERATIVE BID

018-2023/24

SCHOOL YEAR 2023-2024

PARTICIPATING

DISTRICTS

Baldwin UFSD, Bellmore UFSD, Bellmore-Merrick CHSD, Bethpage UFSD, Carle Place UFSD, East

Note: “The terms and conditions of the contract or contracts awarded under this cooperative bid shall be extended to and made available for procurement by other Nassau County school districts which are, or will become members of the Nassau County Directors of School Facilities Purchasing Consortium, during the term of the awarded contract(s), in accordance with General Municipal Law Article 5-G and section 103, subdivision 16.” The inclusion of a school district in this bid does not obligate or require that school district in any way, to utilize this bid. All School Districts are free to use any bidding source available to them, to engage a particular service or purchase a product, all as deemed appropriate by that district. This bid is available for piggybacking by other Nassau County School Districts which have members in good standing in the Nassau County Chapter of the School Facilities Association, but are not listed in either the published Notice to Bidders and/or the bid documents. Those Nassau County School Districts, may participate only upon consent by both the Baldwin Union Free School District and the awarded vendor(s). School Districts interested in piggybacking on this bid must first contact the Baldwin Union Free School District Business Office before making arrangements with the awarded vendor(s) to be serviced and/or receive goods or services under the terms and conditions of this bid.

Facilities Director’s Office

Baldwin Union Free School District

960 Hastings Street Baldwin NY 11510

Office 516-434-6060

Fax 516-434-6802

Cooperative Bid for General Roofing Repair Bid Opening March 31st 2023 at 11:00am Bids will be received for use in the above-referenced school districts up until hour of prevailing time and date as stated above at the Baldwin UFSD Business Office, 960 Hastings Street Baldwin NY 11510, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at the Facilities Office or via e-mail request to randazzor@baldwinschoo ls.org. The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or to accept that bid which, in the Board of Education’s judgment, is in the best interest of the Baldwin Union Free School District.

Bids must be presented on the standard proposal form in the manner designated and as required by the specifications. All bids must be enclosed in sealed envelopes which are clearly marked on the outside:

“Baldwin Union Free School District .Cooperative Bid for General Roof Repair” Bids shall remain firm for a period of forty five (45) days following the date of the bid opening. Each Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities in or to reject any or all bids, or to accept that bid which, in the Boards of Education’s judgment, is in the best interest of the School District. The Boards of Education further reserve the right to consider experience, service, and reputation in the above referenced fields. In addition, the Boards of Education further reserve the right to consider the financial responsibility and specific qualifications, set forth in the bid specifications, of the prospective bidder in evaluation of the bids and award of contracts.

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Baldwin Union Free School District

By: Pamela Pratt, District

CSD, Lynbrook UFSD, Manhasset UFSD, Massapequa UFSD, Merrick UFSD, Mineola UFSD, New Hyde ParkGCP, North Bellmore UFSD, North Merrick UFSD, North Shore CSD, Plainedge UFSD, Plainview/Old Bethpage CSD, Port Washington UFSD, Rockville Centre UFSD, Roosevelt UFSD, Seaford UFSD, Syosset UFSD, Valley Stream UFSD #24, Valley Stream UFSD #30, Valley Stream CHSD, Wantagh UFSD, West Hempstead UFSD 137813

To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 3/15/23 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 169/23. BALDWIN - Eva Orrego & Feliciana Hernandez, Renewal of grant to maintain 2-family dwelling., W/s Loft Ave., 300’ S/o Bedell St., a/k/a 2478 Loft Ave. 174/23. - 177/23.

BALDWIN - Mary Ann Goldman, Variances, lot area occupied, front yard setback on both streets, maintain sunroom attached to dwelling; Variances, lot area occupied, front yard setback on Browning St., maintain deck with roof over attached to dwelling; Variances, lot area occupied, side yard, maintain extension to detached garage; Maintain 4’ high fence located within clear sight triangle & located within clear sight triangle at owner’s driveway., N/E cor. Lowell Pl. & Browning St., a/k/a 691 Lowell Pl.

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

137810

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, NJCC-NYS COMMUNITY RESTORATION FUND LLC, Plaintiff, vs. ANGEL VARGAS A/K/A ANGEL A. VARGAS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 18, 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 on April 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 560 Grimm Place, 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 108 and Lot 127. Approximate amount of judgment is $404,232.33 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #003057/2017. 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 Durst, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 137796

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING, AR/AP

Do you have accounting, bookkeeping, or AR/AP experience? Are you tired of being retired, or need a few days a week to keep your mind occupied? If so, please send us a quick email and we will call you to discuss more details. We are a Customs Broker looking for someone who can support our everyday accounting needs and who doesn’t necessarily need or want to work every day. We look forward to talking with you!!! Email: Jobs@agraservices.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FT: RVC. Administrative Work, Answering Phones, Computer Skills – Microsoft, Excel, Outlook, Financial background helpful. No Health Beneifts. 516-763-9700 frances.difede@lpl.com

AUTO TECHNICIAN FT

Experienced And Reliable. NYSI A Plus. Busy Merrick Shop. Call 516-781-5641

AUTO TECHNICIAN WANTED

Gregoris Subaru, Valley Stream Experience Needed, Own Tools NYSI License Necessary

All Skill Levels Welcome Salary Commensurate With Exp. Health Benefits, Union Call Steve H 516-872-9755 Ext.1 Email Steveh@gregorismotors.com

BOOKKEEPER P/T EXPERIENCED

5-10 Hours Per Week. Handle Real Estate Property Management, Personal Finances. Computer Skills Necessary. Can Work From Home Or Office. Lawrence. Call 516-375-9642

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE Full Time/Part Time Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.

STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

Clinical Research Specialist sought by Mindful Care Ltd dba Mindful Urgent Care for West Hempstead, NY to manage & oversee the dvlpmt, implmtn & evaluation of a sleep study. Must have a Bach Deg in Biology, Health Sciences or Medical Technology + 1 yr exp in Clinical Research + special skills: RedCap, SPSS, CITI certification. Resumes to: Tamir Aldad, 510 Hempstead Turnpike, #203, West Hempstead, NY 11552. No calls.

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available!

Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS

WANTED

Will Certify And Train HS Diploma NYS License Clean 3 Years

Call 516-731-3000

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

INVESTIGATOR

Skip Tracer, Asset Locator. 3Yrs. Experience. Bi-lingual A Plus. Work From Home. mgal2@verizon.net 516-868-9888

MOTOR VEHICLE CLERK FT

Valley Stream Subaru Seeking Conscientious, Organized, Computer Literate. Reliable Individual. Will Train If Needed. Family Run Business With Small, Friendly Office Staff. Salary, 401K, Benefits. Ask For Richard Or Therese 516-825-8700

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print

HomesHERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Lido Beach

The architect planned one thing, and the plumber did another

HOME Of tHE WEEK

S

tunning brand-new Colonial. This grand home features a large living room, granite kitchen and baths, den with fireplace, sliding doors to a huge deck, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, master suite with a double shower and tub along with large closets. There are hardwood floors throughout, central air, central vacuum and water heater on demand. You will love the 2-car garage, in-ground sprinklers, fenced yard and plenty of storage. This beauty is close to beach, school, shopping. It is a must see! Asking $1,350,000.Mazal Amram, Licensed Associate Broker Cell: (516) 782-6331

Office: (516) 889-6677

Email: jamram123@aol.com

Topper Realty 84 East Park Avenue Long Beach, NY 11561

Q. My basement is being finished, and we’re adding a bathroom with a shower. Our plumber just left, and I’m bewildered by the way things are going. The plumber says we passed the inspection, but we’re concerned that he persuaded us to move the door, and all of the fixtures are different than the plans show. Our architect lined up the toilet, the sink and the shower in a row so we could use just one “plumbing wall” for all the pipes, but the plumber moved the shower to a different wall, which left nothing but empty space in the corner beside the toilet. Then the plumber ran flexible hot and cold tubing along the ceiling, so now we have to add a drop-down ceiling around the pipes. Is this acceptable and normal to do, and why did the work pass inspection if it didn’t follow our plans? We spent a lot of time discussing and planning where everything would go with our architect, and now we wonder who’s in charge if it passes inspection.

A. You ultimately have the last word on what you accept. I always tell clients that we play by the Golden Rule in construction. The Golden Rule used to mean, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It now means that he (or she) who has the gold rules.

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The Architect

Ask

As long as you haven’t paid yet, you still have some authority. Once you pay, the issue becomes unclear, since paying is a demonstration of satisfaction, and it’s hard to show you were dissatisfied when someone else, like a judge, has to determine if you really just changed your mind but were once satisfied. Situations like yours prompted me to put a clause in my agreements that often seems questionable to prospective customers. I write that I am not responsible for deviations from the plans by the contractor, subcontractor, plumber, electrician or any other party hired by the owner, of it they cut through building components and cause damage.

Many people are naïve to the fact that the workers you hire often deviate from the plans. The building owner really believes that people follow the plans. Sadly, the plans prepared by a design professional, architect or engineer are carefully scrutinized by building officials before a permit is granted, only to be ignored when the plans are then not followed and the inspection in the field passes.

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.

Results t hat Move You

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Taxes: $11,716

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Taxes: $13,448.12

Cedarhurst $1,200,000

West Broadway. Colonial. 5 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Kosher eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and highend stainless steel appliances, including 2 ranges and 2 dishwashers, and island. Living room with custom built-ins. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Large rooms. Parklike backyard. Central air conditioning.

Taxes: $8,372

East Meadow $700,000

Francis Drive. Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. New eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and porcelain flooring. Formal dining room. First floor master bedroom. Updates include windows and ductless air conditioning system.

Taxes: $11,754.12

East Rockaway $710,000

Alden Road. Cape. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room and home office. First floor bedroom. Security system.

Taxes: $17,764.30

Freeport $760,000

Maryland Avenue. Expanded Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Updated eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Den/family room. First floor master bedroom suite. Convenient location in heart of Sterns Park.

Taxes: $16,524.30

Long Beach $600,000

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Taxes: $10,661.35

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Taxes: $17,839.21

Valley Stream $651,000

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$11,872.36

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements

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The shell game we like to call graduation rates

The good news for the New York State Education Department, and the sobering news for the rest of us, is that state taxpayers remain mostly blinded by educational obfuscations like the high school graduation rate.

The SED released 2022 graduation rates last month, and the percentage of students who collected diplomas on Long Island crept up slightly last year, to 92.6 percent.

Long Island has a higher graduation rate than almost any other region in America.

If we were a state, we would have the highest graduation rate in the nation.

“Wow!” you say.

“Long Island schools are second to none!”

Hold on to your mortarboard.

If the graduation rate helps rank schools and compare graduating classes, why complain? It’s an easy way to see if your high school did better or worse than last year. It also tells you how your school compares with others.

It’s also a remarkably misleading statistic that is sometimes abused for lessthan-ethical purposes.

On the surface, graduation rate is simple, determined by dividing the number of students who graduate by the total number of eligible students. But there are all sorts of inside-baseball statistics — such as cohort graduation vs. on-time graduation — that the Education Department, and superintendents around the state, jumble, mix and match in an effort to figure out how to get more diplomas in the hands of teens.

The statistics themselves aren’t insidious. Numbers are simply tools. It’s the use of the graduation rate to determine school rankings and state funding that makes it so odious. Even worse is what some educators will do to boost the rate.

Ask a high school teacher how many times he or she has been queried by an administrator:

“What does this kid need to graduate?”

“Can we give her extra credit?”

“How many points does he need?”

“He’s worked so hard all year — surely there must be something that can be done.”

It’s a confidence game. Nudge the numbers, appeal to a teacher’s good intentions, and the graduation rate ticks upward. Floor grades are a neat trick. The

intent of a floor grade — a number that can’t dip below 55 or 45, depending on attendance — is to give students a fighting chance to pass a class.

Consider this scenario without a floor grade: A student fails the first two quarters of a class with abysmal grades of 12 and 15 — more common than you might think — so it becomes statistically impossible to pass for the year. The student realizes this, completely gives up, and becomes a discipline problem.

Giving the student a floor grade means that he or she only has to get a grade of 75 for each of the last two quarters to pass the class. The student sees light at the end of the tunnel, and becomes a model learner.

Alas, crafty students immediately figure out the floor-grade scam. Some students take it as a fall-quarter extension of summer break — while other students bemoan the benefit given to slackers. Floor grades reward laziness and diminish the quality of education needed to graduate.

Floor grades aren’t universally used or required, and there are no state or nationwide regulations. Some schools implement them at the end of the marking peri-

od. A grade of 32 miraculously jumps to 55. Other schools prohibit teachers from uploading any grade below 55 for any assignment. A student who does not a jot of work all of September still gets a 55.

See you on the podium in June, Jimmy!

Then there are credit-recovery programs — kids on Chromebooks after school for a few weeks, punching keys to earn class credits — and summer school. Ask a high school administrator what their summer school pass-fail rate is. Derelict students somehow evolve into scholars in the span of six weeks.

Obviously, not every student slacks, not every teacher fudges and not every administrator nudges. But let’s be honest about loopholes.

Graduation rate can’t measure rigor. Parents largely want their children’s diplomas to mean something more than a number. Graduation rate doesn’t emphasize philosophy, critical thinking or scientific theory.

So, by all means, toast the graduates this spring with a glass of sparkling cider — and a shot of reality. Not all diplomas are equal, and that graduation rate may be hiding some of your high school’s flaws.

Mark Nolan, the editor of the Lynbrook/ East Rockaway and Malverne/West Hempstead Heralds, taught high school English for 11 years.

Writers will tell the story of our times

In honor of National Reading Day on March 2, I reread Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” Setting: America, in its earliest days. The settlers of Salem, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were religious and community-minded, good people who cared for their children and worked desperately to survive in a forbidding environment.

In 1692, these righteous citizens accused, tried and hanged 14 women, five men and two dogs for practicing witchcraft.

offered accounts of teenage girls dancing naked in the woods and reports of broomsticks found high in the trees. Daughters accused mothers and husbands accused wives. Once accused, you either confessed and implicated others, or you were hanged anyway for not telling the truth.

What finally shined a light on that dark summer of 1692, what pried the truth out of the cold foundations of old Salem, was “The Crucible,” Miller’s play, which he wrote more than 250 years after the fact.

RANDI KREISS

Some time ago, I also read Stacy Schiff’s “The Witches: Salem, 1692,” a nonfiction history of the time. It has been noted that no historian has ever fully explained what fever possessed the people of Salem. Even Schiff’s remarkable history does not answer the question of how the community’s paranoia achieved the critical mass that led to hangings.

You know where I’m going with this. We live now in a time of similar groupthink and communal delusion. (They nearly hanged Mike Pence!)

In Massachusetts Bay, “eyewitnesses”

In writing a work of fiction, Miller revealed the true hearts and minds of the accusers, victims and bystanders. He knew them because he knew human nature, and because he was living through a time of another witch hunt: the great Red Scare of the early 1950s.

Miller was one of the artists accused of ties with communism, and in an essay, “Why I wrote ‘The Crucible,’” he wrote, “The play was an act of desperation.” The accusations of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee, Miller wrote, had “paralyzed a whole generation and in a short time dried up the habits of trust and toleration in public discourse.”

He wrote, “In 1948-51, I had the sensation of being trapped inside a perverse work of art … in which it is impossible to make out whether a stairway is going up or down. Practically everyone I knew stood within the conventions of the political left of centre; one or two were Communist party members … I have never been able to believe in the reality of these people being actual or putative traitors any more than I could be, yet others like them were being fired from teaching or jobs in government or large corporations … The surreality of it all never left me … In today’s terms, the country had been delivered into the hands of the radical right … It is always with us, this anxiety, sometimes directed towards foreigners, Jews, Catholics, fluoridated water, aliens in space, masturbation, homosexuality, or the Internal Revenue Department … And if this seems crazy now, it seemed just as crazy then, but openly doubting it could cost you.”

Miller’s play became a metaphor, even a cliché of that era, when friends betrayed friends and people lost jobs and secret accusations could lead to public humiliation and worse. Miller said that he wrote “The Crucible” because it was what a

writer would do to get to the underlying truth of a moment in history. In writing about 1692, he was also writing about 1952.

And now, when we read his play, we are also reading about our time. Once again, America has lost its moorings, and no one can adequately explain or understand 2023, because we are treading water in the midst of it.

We won’t have a bead on our own time until the novelists and playwrights create the fictional works that reveal us to ourselves.

Read “The Crucible” again. It speaks to the currents of evil that can sweep away an entire community: irrational fear of “the other,” jealousy, fundamentalist religion, isolation, political manipulation. Miller was writing about Salem and the Red Scare, but he might as well have been writing about Stalin’s Russia or Pinochet’s Chile, Mao’s China or the Khmer Rouge. Or he might have been writing about America today, about QAnon or DeSantis or Trump or Marjorie Taylor Greene, about book bans and racist attacks and antisemitic resurgences.

It is America in 2023. We have run off the rails, again. We need to wait for the novelists and playwrights to find the truth of this moment and bring it to us.

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

Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, ‘The Crucible,’ could have been written in 2023.

They’re misleading statistics that are sometimes unethically abused.

MARK NOLAN

Phone: (516) 569-4000

Fax: (516) 569-4942

Web: www.liherald.com

E-mail: baldwineditor@liherald.com

HERALD

We must keep government transparent

The middle of March is something many of us look forward to, because it means spring is just around the corner. But this coming week, March 12-18, is known as Sunshine Week. Associations, institutions and organizations connected to journalism will celebrate the initiative to promote open government, which was launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors, now the News Leaders Association.

The week coincides with March 16, National Freedom of Information Day, which honors a bill signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, allowing members of the public and journalists access to government information in the interest of keeping our leadership transparent.

States across the country have since enacted similar laws, but why is this important? Why should you care?

Because government information is taxpayer-supported, public information, and it belongs to you. Whether it’s a public school district, a village, a town, a county, the state, or the nation’s highest governing entities, everything said, spent or done there impacts you.

In the midst of the Cold War, with the United States and the Soviet Union locking political horns after World War II, the American government appeared to be suppressing information. That wasn’t going to work for John Moss, a newly elected Republican congressman from California. Moss campaigned for increased transparency, but was continuously rebuffed by a government he viewed as acting secretly. People were fired from their jobs and blacklisted for being com-

LETTERS

Peter King’s return to Washington

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column last week, “At the Capitol, it was almost as if I’d never left”: Mr. King’s “bittersweet” tour of his part-time “home” for 28 years is qualified by an expansive “almost.”

Since his departure in December 2020, we outsiders have seen members of Congress fleeing the Capitol, election-deniers elected, Marjorie Taylor Greene advocating secession and a national divorce, the meretricious McCarthy spectacle, the frantic shunning of George Santos and the Republican Party’s growing angst with its likely nominee. Mr. King apparently did not notice any of this. His visit was a lot like old times, we’re told.

Who knew this would be cause for nostalgia?

munists, many without a shred of real evidence.

Moss championed his caused by hosting hearings as chair of a House subcommittee on government information. Support was nonexistent from the majority GOP, but outside Congress, educators, journalists and scientists strongly supported Moss.

Not surrendering, Moss pushed his Freedom of Information Act for over 10 years until, finally, a fellow Republican, Donald Rumsfeld — then a young representative from Chicago — added his name. The act eventually passed in the House and the Senate, and then landed on the desk of Johnson, a Democrat who opposed some aspects of the bill, especially when it came to classified material. Still, LBJ signed the legislation into law on July 4, 1966, making the supposed greatest democracy on Earth the third country to create such a law.

“I sign this measure with a deep sense of pride that the United States is an open society in which the people’s right to know is cherished and guarded,” Johnson said.

You might live in an incorporated village with a government that includes a board of trustees. You might attend a board meeting at which those trustees vote to spend money to improve a playground. You want to know exactly how that money — your village taxes — will be spent.

You might ask a trustee. Maybe he or she answers your question. Maybe they do not. You want to know more. That is when you can file a Freedom of Information request — the process created by the Free-

dom of Information Act — to obtain that information.

Is it that easy? Usually, yes. Occasionally, however, it becomes a tug-of-war between the government and the party who “FOILs” for the information.

This is what Sunshine Week is about, and why it matters. The information that a government entity possesses does not belong to elected or appointed officials. It belongs to the people they represent.

You.

To promote the message of Sunshine Week, you can write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper — like this one — or help spread the message through social media.

Elected officials, doing their part, could review current public-access laws, introduce legislation to strengthen accessibility to public information, and encourage the training of government employees to help ensure compliance with existing open-record laws.

Grass-roots community organization might organize local forums, sponsor essay contests, or push elected representatives to spotlight the importance of open access to government information.

Teachers can use Sunshine Week to educate students on how government transparency improves their lives and creates stronger communities.

Government transparency was on the mind of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis when he told Harper’s Weekly in 1913 that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Increased openness should be the standard that all government entities strive for. It makes for good governance, and a strong and civil society.

The governor’s misguided affordable-housing plan

It appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul has made a conscious decision to declare political war on Long Island.

In her proposed statewide mandate to increase the number of affordable homes by 800,000 units over the next 10 years, Hochul seeks to override local zoning control that is directed, in large measure, by the people who live there. For Long Island, home rule defines our region just as much as Jones Beach and rush hour traffic on the LIE. Make no mistake: Hochul’s housing plan is taking aim at the Island by imposing a 3 percent increase in affordable housing one way or another.

In an effort to couch it in humanitarian terms, she told the State Legislature, “Housing is a human right.” That’s bold rhetoric, but in truth, there is nothing in the federal or state Constitutions stating that housing is a basic right guaranteed by government. On the other hand, our state Constitution says, “Effective local self-government” is one of the “purposes of the people of the state.” Thus, the governor’s intent to allow the state to override local zoning ordinances is contrary

OK, Santos lied.

to a basic tenet of our governing document.

If citizens in a democracy wish to support initiatives that provide subsidized housing, then government can invest in efforts such as the New York City Housing Authority. With broken elevators, poorly maintained boilers, lurking crime and other assorted issues, however, you have to admit that NYCHA has proven that government-subsidized housing isn’t exactly a panacea. That may help explain why over 30 percent of those renting from NYCHA didn’t pay their rent last year.

Hochul had a near-death political experience last fall, when Long Island did not give her a majority at the polls. There are a number of reasons for the Island’s antipathy toward her, but one was her earlier call to allow illegal two-family homes to become legal. Yet after retreating from blistering bipartisan opposition to that proposal, she has come back with yet another draconian housing “solution,” one driven more by ideology than market forces. Perhaps her call to dismantle local zoning is her punishment for a region where voters found her the lesser candidate.

Nevertheless, in the interest of building a coalition, Hochul has sent Ruth-

LETTERS

So does everybody in D.C.

To the Editor:

I took offense to Rick Herman’s letter, “Randi takes on George Santos” (Feb. 23-March 1), asserting that 99.9 percent of the “cuckoos” are Republicans — and I guess he forgot to mention that we’re all deplorable and racist.

I feel sorry for Mr. Herman’s grandson, who will be influenced by a grandfather who believes that his views are the only ones that matter, and that someone who has a different opinion needs to be silenced and disparaged.

I’m not defending Santos, but politicians, the media, government agencies and the pharmaceutical companies lie to us on a daily basis, so why would Santos think it was a problem to “enhance” his resume? Thankfully, in his case no one died as a result of his lies. We can’t say that for some other people in Washington.

For weeks there have been articles in the Herald about Santos. Move on, already. There are a lot more important issues going on in this country (and throughout the world) than Santos lying on his resume. Next election, vote him out.

If you want to start kicking politicians out of office for lying, you might as well start closing the buildings in D.C. There

probably will only be a handful of honest ones left.

BARBARA HALL

Formerly of Glen Cove

Hochul’s budget takes aim at smoking

To the Editor:

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2024 Executive Budget includes critical tobacco-control policies that, if passed, will reduce youth tobacco initiation rates and adult smoking rates, thus ensuring a tobacco-free generation. The elimination of flavored tobacco products from retail shelves is a common-sense action that will greatly improve the health of New Yorkers who continue to use tobacco products.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in New York. Every year, approximately 4,300 New Yorkers under 18 become daily smokers, with 80 percent of young smokers starting with a flavored tobacco product. Flavored products, including menthol, are enticing to young smokers, and make it more difficult for them to quit once they are addicted to nicotine.

In addition, menthol tobacco products have been disproportionately marketed to Black communities for decades. As a

Anne Visnauskas, commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, to meet with Long Islanders in the public and private sectors. In 2017, Visnauskas was appointed president and CEO of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, the State of New York Mortgage Agency and the State Affordable Housing Corporation. She previously served as Homes and Community Renewal’s executive deputy commissioner for Housing Development, the Mortgage Insurance Fund, the Office of Community Renewal and the Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services.

All that is fine, Commissioner, but welcome to Long Island.

Just in case you don’t believe our region is specifically targeted in the governor’s public agenda, consider the following. Hochul acknowledges that the majority of communities around the state are already hitting or close to achieving her arbitrary affordable-housing targets — except Long Island. For Nassau and Suffolk, she has set a goal of 38,218 new affordable housing units between 2023 and 2025.

This is not to say Long Island doesn’t have a housing problem. It does. Far too many municipalities here are shutting

down applications for next-generation housing, creating an unforced exodus of young people who will be needed to power the economy, pay the taxes and build the future. But Hochul’s proposed remedy is akin to being held hostage by an Albany now under progressive domination.

If it is passed, it is a certainty that there will be lawsuits, protests and, most important, a response at the voting booths that will jeopardize every elected official who supports the plan. And the political aftershocks will not stop with state and local officials. Much as the issue of crime drove Democrats to cross party lines and vote for Republicans last November, Hochul’s assault on the integrity of local zoning may move Long Island voters to overwhelmingly support the Republican who runs against Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

While Gillibrand seems to need a GPS to even find Long Island, she will be within reach of voters who intend to express their seething anger over a DemocraticProgressive agenda that destroys the integrity of suburban home rule. She will be another politician who ruefully discovers that you “don’t mess with the Island.”

Ronald J. Rosenberg has been an attorney for 42 years, concentrating in commercial litigation and transactions, and real estate, municipal, zoning and land use law. He founded the Garden City law firm Rosenberg Calica & Birney in 1999.

result, the tobacco industry has profited from the creation of generations of longterm nicotine addiction and devastating health consequences.

Now is the time to take action against Big Tobacco’s shrewd and manipulative marketing tactics. I urge the State Legis-

lature to pass the proposed budget and protect young New Yorkers from tobaccorelated death and disease.

MAUREEN KENNEY Division director, American Lung Association Hauppauge

FRAMEWORK by Tim Baker

Everton Bailey leads the Instrumental Sounds of Praise Youth Ensemble — Hempstead

Hochul’s draconian housing ‘solution’ is driven more by ideology than market forces.

RONALD J. ROSENBERG

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