‘Music in the Park’ continues
‘Toby Tobias Ensemble’ performs to the Silver Lake Park crowd on July 11, continuing the ‘Music in the Park’ series this summer season. Story, additional photos, Page 10.
Dorothea Vik celebrates a century Baldwin resident of
91 years shares her secret to a long life
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
Longtime Baldwin resident Dorothea Vik, who recently turned 100 years old, has long believed in the friendly, good-neighbor policy.
Since her youth, Vik has consistently introduced herself to every new neighbor on her block for more than 90 years. Just ask Dawn Singh, who immediately felt welcomed when she moved next door to Vik 15 years ago.
“She was such a God-sent neighbor,” Singh said. “You hear a lot about neighbors — they don’t talk to you. But from Day One, it was great because it was welcoming. It was new for us.”
According to Vik, being friendly with people is vital to living a long life, validating this belief by recently celebrating her 100th birthday.
“You have to have an interest in things to have an interest in people,” Vik said.
Vik was born on July 14, 1924, to Norwegian parents Rasmus and Agnes Vik. Although born in the United States, she proudly displays her patriotism by flying both the flag of Norway and the United States in her front yard, and showcases her heritage inside with a small Norway pillow in her living room.
Before settling in Baldwin, her family called Roosevelt home, residing on Washington Street.
Author seeks to promote book diversity
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
There is a lack of representation of characters of color in children’s literature, according to Ama Karikari-Yawson, a Baldwin-based children’s author and a co-founder of Milestales Publishing and Education Consulting.
“There is a word gap that very often impacts minority communities and communities of color,” she said.
“That word gap deals with the fact that children from African American and Latin American backgrounds often are exposed to a lower number of words during their very informative years.
Tmillion fewer words by age 3. And ScholasticMediaRoom.com maintains that seeing your own race in media or literature helps validate your identity or experience while encouraging additional reading.
Baldwin, a multicultural community, will once again host the annual Long Island Multicultural Book Fair this Saturday, aiming to continue promoting diverse children’s literature and engaging with local authors.
here is a word gap that very often impacts minority
communities and communities of color.
AMA KARiKARiYAwSoN Baldwin
“Part of making sure that children have access to literature is making sure that the literature reflects them and their culture,” Karikari-Yawson added.
According to NPR.com, research since 1992 has found that children in poverty hear 30
The sixth annual fair will be part of the Cedarmore Farmers Market, in the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station parking lot between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Cedarmore Corporation, a nonprofit based in Freeport that manages the market, has a stated mission to improve the educational, social and emotional development of youth of all backgrounds. The market will run through Oct. 12, but the book fair will be one day
Continued on page 9
Maureen Lennon/Herald
Registration dates won’t help Jewish voters
Two Saturdays in the fall — and one Thursday — will conflict with Shabbat and Rosh Hashana
By NICOLE FORMISANO nformisano@liherald.com
Voter registration programs aim to make voting more accessible for people, and to encourage them to participate in the democratic process. But a recent directive from the state Board of Elections has done just the opposite for Jewish constituents, county executive Bruce Blakeman says.
A statewide voter registration date — this year, Thursday, Oct. 3 — is required by state law. A second, local voter registration program also takes place in Nassau County, but the dates that program may take place is up to the state Board of Elections, rather than the county’s. The state gave the county board two options to choose from: Sept. 28 or Oct. 5. Both are Saturdays.
That makes the voter registration program inaccessible for observant Jewish people, as well as Seventh-Day Adventists, and is antithetical to the program’s purpose of diversity and inclusion, Blakeman said at a news conference last week.
Blakeman appeared with county legislators Bill Gaylor and Mazi Pilip; the Legislature’s presiding officer, Howard Kopel; Comptroller Elaine Phillips and Rabbi Yossi Lieberman, of the Chabad of West Hempstead, on July 11 at Halls
Pond Park, in West Hempstead, to urge Attorney General Letitia James to step in and take action to correct the state election board’s decision.
“We are here in West Hempstead, which has a very large Jewish population,” said Blakeman, who is the county’s first Jewish executive. “And quite frankly, Nassau County is home to probably the third-largest Jewish county in population in the United States, and we
have a very large population of SeventhDay Adventists, especially in the Elmont and Franklin Square areas. So we believe that the state is making a big mistake, and we would ask them to correct that mistake.”
“As we welcome a voter registration program and we encourage everyone to participate in an election, I would expect from our state leadership to be sensitive for Shabbat,” Pilip said. “Shab-
bat is a day for many Jewish people, they are resting, they are going to synagogue, they don’t work, they don’t use phones, they don’t do anything that typically they’d do on a regular day.”
Even the statewide voter registration date of Oct. 3 is problematic for Jewish constituents, Kopel said.
“Nobody’s saying it’s necessarily deliberate,” Kopel said, “but let’s also remember that not only is that Thursday date a workday, it is also, as it happens, the day after Rosh Hashana. It is a fast day. Some people don’t feel well — they’re fasting, they can’t get out, they’re not up to it.”
Because the Saturday dates for the county program were finalized by state legislation, they cannot be changed without legislative action. The state Board of Elections, however, has the power to change the statewide registration program from a Thursday to a Sunday, so it is not on a working day. Blakeman called on James to direct the state board to make that change.
“It should be a very simple thing to do,” Kopel said. “Just go ahead, make the change. And I would also urge our officials to be a little bit more sensitive and a little bit more careful, and think about what you’re doing before you go ahead and do it. Because this was just really careless.”
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Courtesy Office of Bruce Blakeman
The State Board of Elections gave Nassau County two Saturdays to choose from for a local voter registration program, making the program inaccessible to observant Jews, County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a July 11 news conference.
Biological males barred from female sports facilities
By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com
A Nassau County bill banning biological males from participating in women’s sports and activities on county facilities was signed on July 15.
“It’s a good day for women in Nassau County, today,” Legislator Samantha Goetz, who represents Legislative District 18 and is a sponsor of the measure, said at a news conference in Mineola on that Monday.
Presiding Officer Howard Kopel expressed his support for the legislation.
“It’s here to protect women and this is something that I think that all people of good will should accept and understand,” Kopel said.
Immediately after the law was signed, New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the county on claims that it conflicts with state discrimination laws.
“With this law, Nassau County is once again attempting to exclude transgender girls and women from participating in sporting events while claiming to support fairness,” James wrote in a news release. “NYCLU and the Long Island Roller Rebels won their first lawsuit and County Executive Blakeman’s transphobic executive order was struck down because it was blatantly illegal.
Parker Schug/Herald
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signs legislation banning biological males from participating in women’s sports and activities on county facilities, alongside co-sponsor to the bill Legislator Samantha Goetz and others who voted to pass it.
Now this discriminatory law must be as well. Here in New York, every person has the right to be exactly who they are free from discrimination, and my office will always protect that right.”
New York Civil Liberties Union also filed a lawsuit against Blakeman and the county legislature.
“It is abundantly clear that any attempt to ban trans women and girls from sports is prohibited by our state’s antidiscrimination laws,” Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at NYCLU wrote in a
news release. “It was true when we successfully struck down County Executive Blakeman’s transphobic policy and it is true now. This latest round of hateful legislation is unacceptable and we won’t let it stand in New York.”
The County Legislature approved the bill in a 12-5 vote along party lines, following an executive order that Blakeman issued earlier this year, which has faced more than one court challenge.
“For us it’s a matter of common
sense, it’s a matter of fairness and it’s a matter of integrity,” Blakeman said at the July 15 news conference.
The bill was filed June 7 and was passed by the legislature’s rules committee just three days later.
“If they do continue to push forward on this harmful legislation, the NYCLU will certainly see them in court, and we believe it will be promptly struck down as unlawful under our state anti-discrimination law,” Bobby Hodgson, New York Civil Liberties Union assistant legal director previously said to the Herald.
After signing his executive order in February, that demanded sports, leagues, organizations, teams, programs or sport entities in county facilities designate themselves based on male, female or co-ed, to only accept athletes who meet that criteria according to their sex at birth, James sent a cease-and-desist letter to Blakeman demanding he rescind it.
Blakeman responded a few days later with a federal lawsuit contesting the order, which was denied in federal court and dismissed in April.
The county Supreme Court struck down Blakeman’s executive order on May 10, after a legal challenge by the NYCLU.
Blakeman said he plans to appeal the decision.
Baldwin Middle and Meadow Elementary win top prizes
Baldwin Middle School and Meadow Elementary students took home top prizes in the annual competition hosted by the New York State Future Problem Solving Program. The nonprofit organization, an affiliate of Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI), teaches k-12 students problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
Meadow Elementary Teachers, Emily Clark, and Pria Das helped 4th and 5th grade students place first in the Junior Division for their project, “Be a Good Egg: Protecting Long Island Piping Plovers.” Their team consisted of students Kojo Andoh, Stori Byfield, Zora Darby, Isaiah Deane, Jenna Engelhardt, Karrin Hester, Lillian Lugo, Sela Morris, Madison Nunez, Marlu Piskopus, Selena Rampath, Liv Santiago, Sarah Saroop and Nailah Williams.
The project focused on raising awareness about the endangered Piping Plover and contributing to conservation efforts across Long Island. Working with various organizations, the students participated in cleanup initiatives, created monofilament bins to help with the collection of fishing lines, and collected over 500 balloons through a school-wide competition for the Balloon Mission.
“Working with students who comprehend the influence they have is truly remarkable,” Pria Das wrote in a news release.
Additionally, Baldwin Middle School’s Future Problem Solvers Pre-Academy was awarded the 2024 Community Problem Solvers first place winners in the State Bowl for their project, “S.M.U.S.H: Spotted Lanternfly Mitigation Using Scientific Hunting.” Teacher and Advisor Sharon Norelius led Josias Ambroise, Zyliah Bailey, Amirah Doresca, Lilly Duet, Jacob Friend, Stella Francis, Olivia Kinlaw, Ethan
Program.
Jacob Many, Robert Nesmith Jr., Nicholas Sinclair, Jairel Solomon, Ryan Syphrett Jr., and Khalil Williams to victory.
The team focused on the issue of the invasive spotted lanternfly by conducting research and developing educational tools such as a Google site, posters, and instructional cards on identifying and handling lanternfly eggs.
“Additionally, they visited Meadow School to present their project to elementary students, fostering
community awareness and action. I am so proud of their dedication to this issue and their hard work!” Norelius wrote.
Founded in 1974 by Dr. E. Paul Torrance, the Future Problem Solving Program aims to encourage critical and creative thinking skills, help students develop a vision for the future, and prepare students for leadership roles. The program engages students in problemsolving with competitive opportunities that involve the curriculum.
BALDWIN
Courtesy Baldwin school district
Baldwin Middle School and Meadow Elementary students took top prices at the State’s Future Problem Solving
Key to a long life is being friendly to people, Vik says
They moved to Baldwin after her father, a builder, constructed their current home in the 1930s on Grand Terrace Avenue. She added that her father was integral to the Baldwin community, building homes throughout the area, including Singh’s next door.
“She used to tell me, ‘Your house, your lot, I used to park my car here because it was farmland,’” Singh said. “She is very proud of her father’s work of being a builder.”
Vik fondly recalled visiting her father at work, where he built homes, granting her unrestricted access to the interiors under construction, unseen by anyone else.
“My father didn’t let anybody go into the house,” she said. “We were able to go there all the time. He made some beautiful homes, especially the ones in Port Washington.”
Ykindergarten with,” she said, reminiscing about her early days attending the then Shubert Elementary School. “Everybody knew everybody, and it was such a wonderful class. We were very friendly and outgoing.”
One memory she vividly recalled as a student was when she and a group of her friends were told to bring their mothers to school to apologize to the principal for wearing slacks in the classroom.
ou have to have an interest in things to have an interest in people.
Dorothea Vik Baldwin
Vik, however, followed a different career path than her father. After graduating from Baldwin High School in 1942, she worked at Chase Bank as a messenger in Manhattan for more than 40 years.
She said her graduating class was the first to hold graduation ceremonies outside on the football field, a tradition the school district has continued ever since.
“I was with the same people that I started
“We were the first people that wore slacks to school,” she recalled. “There were 10 of us, and we had to bring our mothers to see the principal and apologize.
“Since then, now you can wear slacks,” she added.
In high school, she joined the track team with her friends from kindergarten, breaking barriers for women in sports along the way.
“They didn’t have any women runners, and it was something we did,” she said. “I was a great runner.”
Despite never marrying nor having children, she has family all throughout the country and was reunited to celebrate with them on the East End of Long Island the day before her birthday.
“I had a wonderful life,” Vik said. “Growing up was really wonderful — everybody was so friendly and knew everybody.”
Second Marriage Planning
In second marriage planning, a co-trustee is sometimes recommended on the death of the first spouse. While both spouses are living and competent they run their trust or trusts together. But when one spouse dies, what prevents the other spouse from diverting all of the assets to their own children? Nothing at all, if they alone are in charge. While most people are honorable, and many are certain their spouse would never do such a thing, strange things often happen later in life. A spouse may become forgetful, delusional or senile or may be influenced by other parties. Not only that, but the children of the deceased spouse tend to feel very insecure when they find out their stepparent is in charge of all of the couple’s assets.
If you choose one of the deceased spouse’s children to act as co-trustee with the surviving spouse there is a conflict that exists whereby the stepchild may be reluctant to spend assets for the surviving spouse, because whatever is spent on that spouse comes out of the child’s inheritance. Then what if stepparent gets remarried? How will the stepchild trustee react
to that event? What if it turns out the stepchild liked the stepparent when his parent was living, but not so much afterwards?
Here is where the lawyer as co-trustee may provide an ideal solution. When one parent dies, the lawyer steps in as co-trustee with the surviving spouse. The lawyer helps the stepparent to invest for their own benefit as well as making sure the principal grows to offset inflation, for the benefit of the deceased spouse’s heirs. The stepparent in this case takes care of all their business privately with their lawyer. The trusts cannot be raided. These protections may also be extended for IRA and 401(k) money passing to the spouse through the use of the “IRA Contract”. Surviving spouse agrees ahead of time that they will make an irrevocable designation of the deceased spouse’s children as beneficiaries when the IRA is left to the surviving spouse, and further agrees that any withdrawals in excess of the required minimum distribution (RMD) may only be made on consent of the lawyer.
Second marriage planning offers numerous traps for the unwary.
SINCE 1991 trustlaw.com Trusts & Estates • Wills & Probate • Medicaid FREE CONSULTATION: 516-327-8880 x117 or email info@trustlaw.com
News briefs
Baldwin students communicate through art
During this past school year, Baldwin High School’s advanced placement art students and Plaza Elementary School’s kindergarten class have been sending art journals back and forth to each other since the fall. Similar to traditional “pen pals” the young artists introduced themselves and communicated with artwork.
“We thought it would be wonderful for our students to collaborate on something creative. After brainstorming, we developed this project.” Plaza Elementa-
ry School teacher Tricia Wilder wrote in a news release.
Since the kindergarteners were just beginning their school year and had limited reading and writing, they focused on storytelling through pictures during their lessons. Michelle LiemurKelly, a high school art teacher, followed a similar approach with her students through artwork.
— Cameron Brown
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Hernesto Galdamez/Herald Longtime Baldwin resident dorothea Vik recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Her secret to living a long life is being friendly to people.
baldwin
Ducks pursue second-half turnaround
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
Gutted by roster departures and injuries, the Long Island Ducks completed the first half of the Atlantic League baseball season July 5 with a 30-33 record, 13 games behind the North Division-winning York Revolution.
First-year Ducks manager Lew Ford, the franchise’s all-time hits leader with 1,036 and a key member of three championship teams, witnessed plenty of second-half turnarounds in his 13 seasons and is hopeful for another.
“I try to look at the positives and so far we’ve helped eight guys sign to play either in a Major League organization or professionally overseas,” Ford said. “We’ve had a ton of turnover and some injuries, but I like our roster entering the second half.”
The offense, led by outfielder Tyler Dearden and first baseman Frank Schwindel, did its part through the first 63 games averaging 5.25 runs. Dearden and Schwindel finished first and third in the league in batting, hitting .361 and .353, respectively,
Dearden, who spent his first six professional seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization and played at the Triple-A level in 2023, appeared in 55 first-half games and cracked 12 homers with 46 RBIs and 37 runs. His contract was purchased July 2 by the Minnesota Twins organization.
Schwindel, who has 145 games of Major League experience, appeared in 39 games and belted 11 homers and drove in 38 runs in the first half.
“Those guys were our MVPs in the first half,” Ford said of Dearden and Schwindel.
The most accomplished player Ford has penciled into the lineup is outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who appeared in 1,182 MLB games and won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018. He totaled 109 homers, 449 RBIs and 69 stolen bases over an 11-yer career.
A lower body injury forced Bradley Jr. to miss 35 games thus far. When healthy, he’s raked to the tune of a .360 average, 7 homers and 22 RBIs.
Catcher Chance Sisco, with nearly 200 MLB games under his belt, hit a team-leading 14 homers in the first half. Ivan Castillo has been steady with the glove and batted .298 with 6 homers, 23 RBIs and 7 steals in 42 first-half games.
Improving a team ERA of 5.34 and a league-worst .280 opponents’ batting average will go a long way in the Ducks’ chances of getting back to the playoffs. By far their most impressive arm to date is reliever Ramon Santos, who carries a 0.71 ERA with 3 wins (one shy of team leader Stephen Woods Jr.) and 45 strikeouts in 25 innings.
“We have to pitch better and the staff knows that,” Ford said. “They’re all capable.” Ducks reach 9 million fans all-time
The Ducks welcomed their record 9 millionth fan through the gates of Fairfield Properties Ballpark June 18 prior to their
Tyler Dearden, signed by the Minnesota Twins July 2, hit .361 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 55 games with the Ducks.
game against the Staten Island FerryHawks.
“This is another special day in the history of this great franchise,” Ducks General Manager Sean Smith said. “Reaching 9 million fans is a testament to the incredible support from our fan base since we first opened the gates in 2000 and to the fun and excitement Ducks baseball continues to provide Long Islanders every year.”
Five-year-old Ethan Oldham from Islip entered through the West Gate at 5:56 p.m. with his mother, Katie; father, Craig; and baby brother, Nolan. In doing so, Ethan became the 9 millionth fan in franchise history to attend a Ducks game in their home ballpark.
Long Island became the first club in Atlantic League history to reach the milestone attendance figure despite having begun play in the league’s third year of existence (2000). The Ducks are also currently the league’s all-time leader in sold out crowds with 707, have led the league in attendance 17 times and currently lead the league in 2024 attendance as well with an average of more than 4,500.
Ethan was recognized during a VIP onfield ceremony for being the 9 millionth fan. Sheldon Ellison, General Manager of the Levittown P.C. Richard & Son location, presented the lucky fan with a $1,000 gift card to use at any of the Ducks charter sponsor’s locations. In addition, the Ducks presented Ethan with a jersey featuring “9 Million” as the name on the back and the number “24”, representing this season. Ethan threw out a ceremonial first pitch, received a 2024 Ducks team-signed baseball, and he and his family were upgraded to VIP tickets for the night.
Photos courtesy Long Island Ducks
Reliever Ramon Santos pitched to a 0.71 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 25 innings through the season’s opening half.
A Mineola rededication for Nassau’s 125th
By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com
Despite pouring rain outside the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola on July 12, there was a joyful rededication ceremony for the building, a highlight of Nassau County’s yearlong 125thanniversary celebration. Attendees reflected on the county’s journey from its separation from New York City, in 1899, to its present-day status as one of the bestknown, busiest, most vibrant and culturally diverse counties in the United States.
Moderated by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the event brought together elected officials, local historians, and Tweed Roosevelt, the great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, to honor the rich history and legacy of both the county and the former president.
“Today we reaffirm our commitment to the memory of Theodore Roosevelt, a great president, a great governor, a police commissioner, a state legislator,” Blakeman said. “Someone who was a war hero, and someone who overcame tremendous adversity to achieve so many great things.”
The county’s origin story was, in effect, an act of secession, according to historians. In 1898, when New York City annexed Queens County, its three eastern towns — Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay — pushed to split away, drawing an invisible boundary between themselves and the newly expanded city. On Jan. 1, 1899, Nassau County was born, and its suburban future firmly secured.
The county building, designed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, best known for designing the Empire State Building, is historically significant, because then Gov. Teddy Roosevelt himself helped lay the cornerstone in 1900. When U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi was
Tim Baker/Herald
Tweed Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s greatgrandson, honored the rich history and legacy of both the county and the former president.
serving as county executive in 2002, he announced that the building, a former county courthouse, would be renamed in honor of Roosevelt.
In 2005, a replica of a 17-foot statue of Roosevelt that stands on Theodore Roosevelt Island, in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., was installed outside the building in Mineola. Now the statue’s plaque recognizes the county’s historic milestone.
Roosevelt’s legacy as a public servant and leader is extensive. He was born in New York City on Oct. 27, 1858, into a wealthy family. Though he was frail and asthmatic as a child, he was determined to pursue a vigorous lifestyle that would define most of his life.
Roosevelt’s education was a mix of private tutoring and formal schooling, culminating in his graduation
from Harvard in 1880. His political career began with his election to the State Assembly in 1882, where he earned a reputation as a reformer. As president of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners in 1895, he fought corruption and modernized the police force through hands-on inspections and reforms.
Appointed assistant secretary of the Navy in 1897, Roosevelt prepared the Navy for the Spanish-American War, and subsequent leading the Rough Riders, the first U.S. volunteer cavalry. His heroism propelled him to the governorship of New York in 1898, where he implemented significant labor, health care and conservation reforms.
Roosevelt’s New York-honed leadership led to the vice presidency in 1900, and the presidency just a year later, when William McKinley was assassinated. His progressive policies, including trust-busting and conservation efforts, were influenced by his New York experiences.
Roosevelt’s connection to New York remained strong throughout his life. His home at Sagamore Hill, in Oyster Bay, was his retreat as well as a hub of intellectual and political activity, and played a large role in his personal and political life. The name of the main house on the 150-acre estate, which he bought in 1880, is Native American for “chief,” and it was the scene of many milestones in Roosevelt’s life, from family moments to political decisions.
“He spent the better part of his life here,” his greatgrandson, Tweed Roosevelt, said during the event. “He’s reputed to have said on the day he died to his wife, ‘Dear, you have no idea how much I love Sagamore Hill.’”
“Teddy Roosevelt is a man that we all should try to emulate,” Scott Fairgrieve, president of the Nassau County Historical Society, said. “He was a family man. He was a great president of the United States, and he loved this country.”
Fair aims to regaining momentum after pandemic
only. Fairgoers will have the chance to peruse a wide variety of books and shop for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables.
“The Cedarmore Cooperation is responding to the gap in the community, such as ‘food deserts,’ providing fresh produce from their farmers market and a book fair featuring diverse authors,” Karikari-Yawson said. “We think this is a phenomenal combination of fresh foods that nourish your body, and beautiful books that nourish your soul.”
Karikari-Yawson, the author of “Sunne’s Gift,” is one of seven authors scheduled to attend the fair, along with Laura Blair, Adrian Goodwin, Marie Jirlande Fenelon, Roslyne Johnson, Sandy Lanton and Linda Taylor.
Karikari-Yawson emphasized the connections children can make when they meet local authors. “We wanted authors that represent different cultures,” she explained. “Some authors have books in French, from Haiti, and I from Ghana, as well as stories about Hanukkah. We’re excited about having this multicultural group of authors that represent different regions of the world, different religions, etcetera.”
“Sunne’s Gift” tells the story of Sunne, a non-binary who learns to love and embrace being different on the fictional planet “Wyase.” The book teaches lessons about self-love and stopping bullying.
“This is one of my most wellknown stories, my first story,” Karikari-Yawson said. “This is a story that made me an author, and my goal with the story was to teach lessons of self-love, and that’s what my work aims to do: teach people important lessons about love, respect and caring for themselves.”
The fair will also feature a talent contest, in which the participants will have a chance to win a cash prize of up to $500 from Milestales Publishing.
Over the past four years, Karikari-Yawson said, the book fair lost some momentum in its efforts to help promote diversity in children’s literature, forced to cancel in 2020 through 2022 as a result of the pandemic. It finally returned last year. “We’re hoping to regain that momentum now that we’re back,” she said.
For more information on Saturday’s event, visit Milestales.com.
Additional reporting by Cameron Brown
Courtesy Ama Karikari-Yawson the annual Long island multicultural Book fair returns on Saturday, aiming to build on last year’s success as it rebounds from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Music in the Park continues at Silver Lake Park
Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé invited music lovers to join her at Silver Lake Park on Thursday, July 11 for the second installment of the 2024 “Music in the Park” series. The event was sponsored by Ridgewood Savings Bank and presented in partnership with the Baldwin Civic Association and Baldwin Historical Society, featuring the Toby Tobias Ensemble.
“Generations of Baldwin residents have enjoyed the beauty of Silver Lake Park in so many ways, and I was glad to see that this new tradition of live summer concerts continued to grow in popularity,” said Legislator Mulé. “I am thankful to our partners at the Baldwin Civic Association, the Baldwin Historical Society, and Ridgewood Savings Bank for supporting this initiative and embracing this exciting tradition in our community.”
The second annual concert series kicked off on June 13 with performances by Matthew Ponsot, James O’Malley, Bob Wescott, and Stephen Robinson. The third and final concert is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 8, featuring Steelin’ In The Years – a Steely Dan Tribute Band.
Music in the Park on July 11 brought in ‘Toby Tobias Ensemble’ to perform for community members at Silver Lake Park in Baldwin.
Kevin with his sister Lana Hopkins enjoying the sights and sounds on July 11.
Toby Tobias playing his acoustic guitar on stage.
Maureen Lennon/Herald photos Silver Lake Pond had many people come out to enjoy the sounds of Toby Tobias Ensemble.
STEPPING OUT
Local musicians and
fans
gather in tribute to the beloved musician
By Karen Bloom
Harry Chapin’s tragic death is now many decades behind us, but his music and philanthropy remain forever enshrined in Long Island’s collective consciousness. Stuart Markus, a longtime fixture on the local folk-acoustic scene, cherishes his role as guardian of Chapin’s legacy, organizing the yearly memorial concert each summer. Markus, who is based in Malverne, remains just as passionate about Chapin’s music and his humanitarian zeal as when he began this tribute event — taking on the role of concert organizer — 21 years ago. It has now moved on from its longtime home at Chapin’s namesake theater in Eisenhower Park — following last year’s well-publicized kerfuffle with Nassau County officials — to the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Huntington’s Heckscher Park. Some 30 musicians will gather with fans on Sunday, July 21, regrouping for this year’s edition of “Just Wild About Harry.”
“I’ve long thought it would be wonderful and extremely appropriate to do the show in Huntington, where Harry and Sandy lived and raised their family,” Markus says. “Harry is still held in such beloved regard by residents of the town and public officials at all levels.”
Despite the years that have passed since Chapin’s shocking death on the Long Island Expressway en route to his ill-fated performance in Eisenhower Park in July 1981, the man and his music still resonates. In fact, several show regulars were among the crowd when what was supposed to be a joyous event turned into a vigil, according to Markus.
“Harry is so beloved in memory on Long Island,” Markus says. “You don’t have to look too hard to find someone who met him, whose school he did a benefit for, or someone who’s been helped by one of his charities. It’s so meaningful for the music community to come together and, in effect, do the concert he might have given.”
And come together they do — year after year. “I never expected it would go on this long,” Markus says. “When I first started doing the show I thought it would run its cycle. Instead, each year it keeps growing and keeps getting better. It’s such a wonderful concert and everyone has a great time, which is a tribute to what a great man he (Chapin) was.”
• Sunday, July 21, 7 p.m.
Admission is free.
• Heckscher Park, located off Main Street (Route 25A) and Prime Avenue, Huntington
• Long Island Cares’ staff and volunteers will be collecting donations of nonperishable food at a tent at the entrance to the Chapin Rainbow Stage
The troubadour’s song catalogue is creatively interpreted by each act, who make it their own, while honoring Chapin. “We’ve had some amazing arrangements, from folky to country, torch-song style to hard rock,” adds Markus. “Throughout the two decades that we’ve been presenting the show, I’ve always encouraged everyone to make the songs fresh, however they imagine them. They’re not just reproducing them the way Harry did.”
Markus is pleased to welcome Chapin’s daughter, singer-songwriter Jennifer Chapin, in her first performing appearance at this year’s concert. She’ll do “I Wanna Learn a Love Song,” which tells
story
“It means a lot to her and the family that we’re doing this in Huntington, where they grew up,” Markus adds.
In another first, the lineup also includes Cantor Lisa Wharton, of Temple Beth Emeth in Mount Sinai, who appears with her husband, percussionist Akiva Wharton, and Cantor Judy Merrick, of Plainview Jewish Center. They’ll perform “I Wonder What Would Happen,” which Markus describes as very appropriate as “it’s a spiritual, gospel feeling song.”
Also Cantor Talya Smilowitz, with Oyster Bay’s Congregation L’Dor V’Dor, also graces the stage; Markus accompanying her for “Saturday Morning.”
“She has an amazing voice and in the chorus melody it just soars,” he enthuses.
Also participating, as always, are stalwarts of the local music community — including returnees Roger Street Friedman, Frank Walker, Patricia Shih and Stephen Fricker, Robinson Treacher, MediaCrime, Judith Zweiman, Martha Trachtenberg, Robin Greenstein, Christine Solimeno, and Grand Folk Railroad. They are joined, of course, by Markus, who performs with his longtime trio Gathering Time.
As is their signature, Markus, with Gathering Time, arrive on stage at the end to conclude the concert. They’ll perform “Cat’s in the Cradle,” which marks its 50th anniversary this year; also on the “Verities & Balderdash” album. Then, as always, in the true spirit of Harry Chapin, Gathering Time is joined by the entire group for their annual rendition of “Circle,” Chapin’s traditional closing.
More than just a concert, the free event, of course, involves a food drive. Concertgoers are asked to bring donations of nonperishable items to support Long Island Cares, the regional food bank and humanitarian organization Chapin founded n 1980.
Bring seating to the concert, held rain or shine. It will also be livestreamed on Facebook and the Harry Chapin Foundation YouTube channel.
Courtesy Keith Rossin
Top photo: Gathering Time’s Stuart Markus leads his fellow musicians in the spirited tribute.
Courtesy Doug Otto
Bottom photo: Everyone gathers to salute Harry
Comic showcase
Laugh the night away at Mom’s Night Out, presented Long Island Comedy Festival. You’ll enjoy standup delivered by four clever comics. Talia Reese, (pictured) an Orthodox woman, is one of the edgiest comedians on the circuit. Also a lawyer and a mom, she’s more than capable of not only wearing many hats, but mixing offbeat comedy, motherhood and Orthodox Judaism together. She’s joined by Carla Ulbrich, a singersongwiting comedian known as a “professional smart-aleck, with a love of the absurdities of ordinary life; Rockville Centre’s own Laura Patton, who encourages everyone to laugh along with her as she lives her dream; and national headliner Maria Walsh, “America’s Naughtiest Mommy,”known for her quick wit.
Thursday, July 18, 8 p.m. $45. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at MadisonTheatreNY.org or call (516) 323-4444.
His ‘New York State of Mind’
and their
during the rousing finale that closes the
Mike DelGuidice is, of course, forever known for his connection to Billy Joel. One of Long Island’s most celebrated singer/songwriters continues his “residency” on the Paramount stage, DelGuidice and his band always give it their all, especially when playing the iconic Billy Joel songs. Like his idol, DelGuidice has become one of the area’s most popular performers, balancing his schedule between doing his own thing and touring with Joel. DelGuidice, as with Joel, grew up mastering several instruments including bass guitar, guitar, piano, and drums. He’s renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Joel catalog, which caught the attention of Joel himself, who ultimately brought him on stage with him. DelGuidice and his band pack hit after charttopping hit, along with his own tunes in a high energy show that’s always a crowd pleaser.
Friday and Saturday, July 19-20, 8 p.m. $60, $40, $25, $20. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
the
of Chapin meeting his future wife Sandy Cashmore in 1966
romance. It was included on his 1974 album “Verities & Balderdash.”
Chapin
concert.
THE Your Neighborhood
‘Cold Beer on a Friday Night’
Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beach Band are back on the Paramount stage, Friday, July 26, 8 p.m., with their beachy vibe. With summer in full swing, keep the mood going with their “Ultimate Beach Party Tribute” to Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band. Parrotheads, No Shoes Nation and the Zamily: it’s 5 o’clock somewhere so let’s ‘raise ‘em up and sing along.
The Long Island based band — guided by Paul C. Cuthbert (aka Jimmy Kenny) on lead vocals/ acoustic guitar, with Linn DeMilta (aka Lovely Linn), lead and backing vocals, Luis Rio, lead guitar/ backing vocals, Frank Stainkamp, keyboard/backing vocals, Dan Prine, bass, and drummer Mike Vecchione, have been celebrating the beach country sounds of Buffett, Chesney and Zac Brown Band for over a decade, spreading their vibe up and down the Northeast. Everyone has a great time grooving to their lively mix of their popular sing-along hits and feel good, easy living flair. It’s a show that connects everyone to good times and good friends. And, of course, you’ll know all the tunes. If you like your toes in the sand, wasting away with a margarita or a cold beer, then you’ll surely have a great time with the Jimmy Kenny Band. $35. $25, $20, $15. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
Movie Night
Enjoy a family film outdoors on Eisenhower Park’s big screen, Wednesday, July 31, dusk, at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. See the recent 3D animated musical fantasy “Trolls 3: Trolls Band Together.” The film serves as the threequel to Trolls, the sequel to Trolls World Tour, and the continuation of DreamWorks Trolls franchise. Eisenhower Park, Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.
Pet Adoption Program
Adopt your “fur-ever” friend this summer. There’s no better time to adopt a new pet than during the ”summer of love” at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. Now through Sept. 1, all pet adoption fees are waived and include free spaying/neutering, vaccinations and microchipping. There is a $10 license fee for dogs.
Check out the friendly faces of the dogs and cats before visiting the shelter online at HempsteadNY. gov/179/Animal-Shelter or on the Facebook page at Hempstead Town Animal Shelter. For more information, contact (516) 785-5220.
Dramatic Play
Theatre Playground returns to Long Island Children’s Museum with “Dramatic Play!,” Monday, July 22 1 p.m., taught by Lisa Rudin, Director of Theatre Playground. In this interactive, theater-inspired workshop, children will act out an original story and help choose how it unfolds. Music, props, and sound effects create a theatrical world where participants are immersed in the story.
Children express themselves as they create characters, explore different worlds, stretch their imaginations and build selfconfidence. This week’s theme: Pirates and Princesses to the Rescue. Costumes encouraged. $5 with museum admission. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.
Super Mario Mondays
Kids in grades 6-12 can cool off with video games in the Teen Zone at Baldwin Public Library, Mondays, noon-1 p.m. Play against others. All games are rated E for Everyone. Registration not require; first come first serve. 2385 Grand Ave. Visit BaldwinPL.org for more information.
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Tunes in the garden
Enjoy the glorious grounds of Old Westbury Gardens and listen to some stirring sounds, as Old Westbury Gardens’ summer music series continues, Sunday, July 21, 3-4 p.m. The Cambiata Cello Duo performs compositions spanning styles and centures at the Barn. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.
Movie matinee
Cool off with a movie on Baldwin Public Library’s big screen, Friday, July 19, 1:304:30 p.m. See the 2024 horror thriller “Night Swim.” Wyatt Russell stars as a former MLB player who moves into a new home with his wife and children. The home comes with a backyard pool, but a deep secret surfaces and unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into inescapable depths of terror. 2385 Grand Ave. Visit BaldwinPL.org for more information.
Best of Broadway
Sounds of the Great White Way return to Eisenhower Park with Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway,” Saturday, July 20, 7-9 p.m., at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. The lively musical revue, hosted by Neil Berg, on piano, shares those dynamic showstopping tunes performed by a cast of Broadway actors and actresses. These energetic talents light up the stage with songs from the hit shows in which they starred.
Berg presents creatively revived arrangements of Broadway classics as well as thrilling numbers from some of the newest hits, along with his fascinating commentary and historical notes in between songs. Bring seating. Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.
Having an event?
Walking club
Join up with Baldwin and Oceanside public library patrons for the Walking Club, Tuesday, July 23, 10 a.m. Lace up your sneakers and meet at the park as patrons walk together, through Aug. 20, at various locations each week. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay active and explore our community together! Registration required. To sign up, visit baldwinpl.org.
Storytime
Children ages 3-8, can join Girl Scouts for storytime, Saturday, Aug. 17, 1-3 p.m. The scouts will read stories and lead a craft at the Baldwin Community Garden. 1980 Grand Ave.
Food truck Friday
Indulge your taste buds at Food Truck Friday, July 19, 5:30- 8 p.m., at Baldwin Community Garden. Discover a culinary extravaganza featuring a variety of delectable cuisines from local food trucks. 1890 Grand Ave.
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.
On exhibit
Nassau County Museum of Art ‘s latest exhibition “Seeing Red: Renoir to Warhol,” reveals the many meanings, connotations, and associations of this powerful color in art. Evoking strong emotion, red can represent the human condition. Its myriad variations have come to signify authority as well as love, energy and beauty. Red warns us of peril and commands us to stop, but it can also indicate purity and good fortune. Red boldly represents political movements and religious identities. From the advent of our appreciation for this color in antiquity to its continued prominence in artistic and popular culture, this exhibition will span various world cultures through a range of media.
It features more than 70 artists, both established and emerging, ranging from the classical to the contemporary. American portraitists such as Gilbert Stuart imbued red in their stately paintings of prominent individuals to conjure authority. Robert Motherwell, Ad Reinhardt, and other major abstract painters displayed a deep fascination with red in their commanding compositions that evoke a sense of chromatic power. And, of course, Andy Warhol is known for his bold and imposing silkscreened portrait of Vladimir Lenin saturated in bright red to his signature Campbell’s Soup Cans. It opens July 20 and is on view through Jan. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
Movie Night
Enjoy a family film outdoors on Eisenhower Park’s big screen, Wednesday, July 31, dusk, at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. See the recent 3D animated musical fantasy “Trolls 3: Trolls Band Together.” The film serves as the threequel to Trolls, the sequel to Trolls World Tour, and the continuation of DreamWorks Trolls franchise. Eisenhower Park, Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.
Tea Time Teens can indulge their taste with Boba tea, at Baldwin Public Library,through July 31 Come to the Teen Zone to pick up a recipe on how to make strawberry Boba tea. Tapioca pearls, a green tea bag, sugar, and straws are provided. 2385 Grand Ave. Visit BaldwinPL.org for more information.
Despite recent headlines claiming there would be a joro spider invasion in the Northeast, local experts are skeptical about the range of the arachnid’s spread.
‘Spider invasion’ is a web of lies
By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com
The arrival of joro spiders, which are native to East Asia, in the United States has sparked concern and some sensational headlines. According to experts, however, the potential impact on Long Island’s North Shore is likely to be far less dramatic than feared.
The jorospider, Trichonephila clavata , was first documented in North America in Georgia in 2014, and has since spread to several southeastern states. The spider takes its name from a
creature of Japanese folklore called a jorogumo, a legendary spider and seductress that can shape-shift into a woman, breathe fire and control other spiders.
There have been reports suggesting the spider’s imminent invasion of northern states, including New York. But John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and the president of Humane Long Island, urges caution and perspective.
“They’re native to Asia, but they were introduced to Georgia and somewhat made their way to neighboring states,” Di Leonardo noted. “There is no evidence that they’ve made their way to
New York.”
Despite the dramatic headlines about giant flying spiders, Di Leonardo emphasizes that these descriptions are greatly exaggerated. He explained that the female spiders’ bodies are only up to an inch long, and the males are smaller.
The joro spider, which has a distinctive yellow and blue-black pattern with red markings, has often been described as a venomous and invasive species, but Di Leonardo clarified that while they are venomous, their venom poses no significant threat to humans.
“They’re no more venomous than your average house spider,” he said. “We’re not talking about a brown recluse or black widow.”
Moreover, the term “invasive,” Di Leonardo said, might not even apply to joro spiders. He pointed out that despite the fact that they have been in the U.S. for around a decade, there has been no evidence of negative impacts on local ecosystems.
“They’re exotic and non-native, but there’s no science to show that they’re actually invasive,” he said. “If they were going to have a negative impact, we probably would have seen it by now.”
While fears of the spiders “ballooning” their way north are prevalent, Di Leonardo explained this phenomenon. Ballooning is a dispersal method known among tiny juvenile spiders, not adults. While it certainly helps young spiders spread themselves out, it’s not a means of long-range movement that will carry them across multiple state lines.
“They can’t really fly. I think that’s vastly overstated,” Di Leonardo said. “They can kind of make little parachutes and balloon themselves when they’re only tiny babies.”
In terms of ecological impact, there could even be potential benefits. With rising temperatures contributing to an increase in insect populations, joro spiders might help control pests. According to a 2021 news release from the University of Georgia, where entomologists have been studying the spiders since they first appeared in the state, they have been observed eating other invasive species, like the brown marmorated stink bug.
Whether the spiders can survive in colder northern climates remains uncertain. The climate in Georgia is markedly different from New York, and it is still unknown whether the spiders can endure harsher winters. Despite the hyperbolic coverage, Di Leonardo stresses the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective.
“It’ll be a long time before we see them in New York, if ever,” he predicted. “Headlines and social media can easily turn a harmless thing into a perceived deadly threat.”
Di Leonardo also urged focusing on more pressing ecological issues, such as the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment, rather than demonizing these spiders.
Courtesy Christina Butler
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
NASSAU COUNTY MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE, Plaintiff against STANLEY SMITH, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s)
Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614.
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered September 20, 2006, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 29, 2024 at 2:00 PM. Premises known as 5 Church Street, Baldwin, NY 11510. Sec 54 Block 481 Lot 423. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $387,480.45 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 007909/2005. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee File # SPSJN209 147637
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF GCAT 2019-RPL1 TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. THOMAS T. REILEY, Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 29, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 7, 2024 at 4:00 p.m., premises known as 3374 Colony Drive, 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 345 and Lot 24. Approximate amount of judgment is $839,978.41 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607302/2022. 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.
Cary D. Kessler, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff 147780
Public Notices Public
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff AGAINST JEAN RENE DEVIS AKA JEAN-RENÉ DEVIS, ET AL.,
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 9, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 14, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 1844 Browning Street, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 36, Block 413, Lot 364, 365. Approximate amount of judgment $442,503.81 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #001531/2017. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Oscar
Prieto, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16-006526 81420 147870
LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF NEW YORK
SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NASSAU
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, v. MARIE JEROME, ET AL, Defendants. NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on March 4, 2014, I, George P. Esernio, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on August 13, 2024 at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Ct. Dr., Mineola, NY 11501, at 02:30 PM the premises described as follows: 858 Seaman Avenue Baldwin, NY 11510-2816
SBL No.: 54-470-320 ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 010925/2013 in the amount of $284,962.27 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 147909
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 Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 07/24/2024 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 491/24. BALDWINEguagie & Deborah Ehimwenma, Special exception to maintain accessory structure (gazebo) higher & larger than permitted & exceeding horizontal maximum on two sides., S/s DeMott Ave., 368.99’ N/o Centennial Ave., a/k/a 918 DeMott Ave. 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
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. 148003
From the looks of things Unreserved J U d G ment
Growing up, there was magazine that I guess was supposed to compete with Life that was called Look.
I never quite understood whether the title was a description of what the publication did (i.e. “look” at people and events) or demand that its readership (or in this case, lookership) “look” at the magazine (after, of course, paying for it.)
Anyway “look” is one of those things we do while incorporating the various aspects of what “look” really means in our daily lives.
Thus, all of us, profess to have an outlook on life, even as we aspire to look good, date the good looking and marry the “looker.”
The cautious stop, look and listen; the suspicious look over their should, and the wise don’t look back (“because they could be gaining on you”). The curious take a look around, labor looks for the union label, the mischievous look for trouble and the discrete look before the leap.
ships and bank robbers have each had “lookouts” of their own.
In response to complaints or suggestions, smalltime politicians and bureaucrats will promise to “look it over” or “take a look at it” or “look into it” (thought they rarely do).
While bakers, china shop owners and fashion models admonish us to look with our eyes and not with our hands, the three words retail merchants hate the most are, “sorry, just looking.”
Critics look you up and down; snobs look down their noses; the deliberate take a long, hard look; optimists insist things are “looking good” and very, very often we encounter look-alikes (like me and Brad Pitt).
Even more often, however, we find looking to find fault and looking to catch you at something. When they look around they don’t like the looks of this or that, unless something looks fishy and then they look the other way.
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: bevitalize, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 5/16/24. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: 1502 Victoria St Baldwin, NY 11510
Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity 147913
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MARGARET A. BURCH A/K/A MARGARET A. MILLS A/K/A MARGARET A. GREEN, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 4, 2023 and an Order Appointing Successor Referee duly entered on January 29, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme
Alice had her looking glass and I would know what author wrote “Look Homeward Angel” if only I could look it up.
The impatient began with “now, look here … ,” Southerners sing “Look Away Dixieland,” while if looks could kill many of us wouldn’t be here.
Generals demand their troops look sharp and lively, while bombardiers and generations of water-balloon-droppinglittle-boys have warned, “look out below,” just as mountain tops, private
Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 21, 2024 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 1459 Prince Street a/k/a 1459 Prince Avenue, 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 373 and Lot 69. Approximate amount of judgment is $454,243.16
plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #609911/2019. 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.
Kenneth Gartner, Esq., Referee
But, you know, when you look beyond those who would forever look askance, you find wonderful folks with a positive outlook looking out for one another. These are people who look up to parents and teachers, overlook mistakes and always look for the silver lining.
They look within, and find the strength to look ahead and look forward. For them (and their onlookers) things are continuously looking up and that is a wonderful thing to … see..
© 2024 Ron Goldman
Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 190226-2 148013
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: AB Social Health Management, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 05/30/2024. NY Office location: Nassau County.
SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:2322 Grand Ave, Baldwin, NY 11510 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. 147988
R on G oldman
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR Company Car/ Bonuses. Clean Driving Record Required, Will Train. Retirees Welcome! $20 - $25/ Hour Bell Auto School 516-365-5778 Email: info@bellautoschool.com
EDITOR/REPORTER Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com
HANDYPERSON WANTED
Immediate Opening at our Garden City Location DESIRED SKILLS: Electrical * Welding * Carpentry Mechanical * Plumbing Part Time/Fulltime (benefits available with full time) $18-$30 per hour based on experience Richner Communications, Inc 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, NY 11530 Send resume to careers@lixtherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 ext 211
LIBRARY AIDE FULL TIME Are you customer-service focused? Do you love libraries? Apply for a FT Library Aide position at the Baldwin Public Library. This is a rare opportunity in our Circulation department that does not require a Civil Service exam. Job is 35 hrs per week with at least one night per week and rotating Saturdays. $35,000-40,000 depending on experience. Possibility of Sunday hrs. Send resume and cover letter to dkelly@baldwinpl.org by Fri, July 26.
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $33,280 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
OUTSIDE SALES
Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
PERSONNEL CLERK/ ACCOUN T CLERK ASSISTANT. $20-$23 per hour. 17 hours per week. Monday and Tuesdays 9:30-3:30. (remaining shift TBD w/ candidate) Occasional Saturday may be required depending upon payroll schedule Duties include Payroll, Benefits
$710,000
4th Avenue. 2 Story. 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. Spacious 2 family house on quiet dead end street. First floor has 3 bedrooms, with eat-in kitchen and living room. Second floor has a large living room and gourmet kitchen with many cabinets, plus 2 bedrooms. Basement recently updated with a bar, family room, laundry, utility room and plenth of extra space. Fenced-in yard with shed. Double driveway with parking for 4 plus cars.
Taxes: $13,862
Franklin Square $860,000
Delmar Avenue. Tudor. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. Kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Security system.
Taxes: $10,668.97
Hewlett Harbor $3,900,000
Thixton Drive. Estate. 9 bedrooms, 8.55 bathrooms. Gourmet chef-style eat-in kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Exercise room with sauna/steam room. Other features include wet bar, guest quarters, elevator, security system.
Taxes: $84,610
Long Beach $1,985,000
W. Penn Street. Colonial. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms. Gourmet eat-in kitchen. Ensuite master bedroom with walkin closet. Three levels of luxury with rooftop deck and lounge. Panoramic city views. Steps away to beach.
Taxes: $11,073
Malverne $675,000
Linmouth Road. Cape. 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. First floor master bedroom.
Taxes: $14,503.12
Merrick $750,000
Hanover Place. Expanded Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Partial finished basement. New eat-in kitchen with stylish farmhouse chic cabinetry and quartz countertops. Formal dining room. Updated great room with fireplace. Updates also include bathrooms and cathedral ceiling. Trex deck overlooking sweeping yard.
Taxes: $14,774.54
Q. We have a siding problem that nobody, so far, seems able to solve. We added a second floor three years ago, and redid all our siding. The siding representative came after the siding people couldn’t figure out why our siding began to distort and hang, almost as if it had melted. We don’t keep our barbecue near the house because we learned the hard way, after the siding melted, when the barbecue was too close. This is different, and nobody has any idea why our siding is sagging. The representative took pictures but hasn’t gotten back to us. Have you ever heard of this, and is there anything we can do to stop it? We did replace two sections, but after a year it began happening again. We even checked to see if maybe an appliance was overheating indoors, but there’s nothing nearby that could have caused this. Any ideas?
A. I can shed some light on this, literally, by confirming that your siding, is indeed, melting, but for a reason you didn’t mention: the sun. In the past, when there were mysteries like this, they created fear of the unknown, and your may have thought your home was possessed, but as long as the mortgage is paid, the house isn’t possessed, and it won’t be repossessed. I’ve only seen this problem three times over the 50 years I’ve been in the field, and each one was solvable, but with some rethinking and extra expenditure.
If you were to check to see the orientation of the house and monitor where the sun reflects in either the early morning or late afternoon — and I have seen both phenomena — you’d notice that the sun is especially intense at certain angles. In each case I’ve traced, the sun hit an upper window and reflected with great intensity — like holding a magnifying glass over an innocent bug — off a neighbor’s window and back onto the siding of the first house. This “house of mirrors” phenomenon was intense enough to melt the vinyl siding, which simply wasn’t able to resist the heat.
In one case, the solution was to add a trellis to the side of the house to shield it from the sunlight. This can be done with a freestanding trellis instead of puncturing the siding and causing potential leaks with invasive hardware. Ironically, in that case you could be solving one problem while creating another.
You could also add tall shrubs or short trees between the houses if you have the room. The most expensive way is to side the area with a different, more durable, siding material such as cement board, which looks like vinyl siding, brick or stone. As we experience more intense sunlight due to climate change, I anticipate seeing more of this problem, but it’s still rare, because the windows have to align just right, and it usually happens when the sun is oriented to the Earth just right, possibly only twice a year. Good luck!
© 2024 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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In a medical emergency, we were in experts’ hands
Iam writing this with the strong encouragement of my wife, Rosemary, who just underwent emergency surgery to remove her gallbladder. She believes it is important to express gratitude to the medical profession, and stress the benefits of early medical attention and detection.
Three Sundays ago, early in the morning, Rosemary began feeling mild but persistent stomach pain and discomfort, which continued into midafternoon. She wasn’t concerned, but she contacted our family physician, Dr. Eric Barth, in Wantagh, to see if he could prescribe something to address her discomfort. Even on a Sunday afternoon, Barth got back to her within minutes.
As she answered his questions, he told her this could well be a serious gallbladder issue, and that she should quickly go to an emergency room for an MRI and blood tests. (Interestingly, it was Barth’s brother, Dr. Michael Barth, a
gastroenterologist, who discovered a cancerous tumor in my stomach wall during a routine endoscopy last year.)
Still not overly concerned and having only mild pain, Rosemary calmly got dressed and sat down in the front seat of our car, which I was driving, joined by our 20-yearold grandson, Jack, who took the back seat. Barely five minutes into the drive to the North Shore University Hospital emergency room, we suddenly realized how accurate Barth’s diagnosis had been. Rosemary was struck with severe abdominal pains, causing her to scream and kick like she never had before, including during labor. At almost the same time, it started raining, and there was an accident on the LIE, which made Waze divert us off the expressway as I tried to maneuver through the rain and reassure Rosemary while Jack navigated from the back seat. When we arrived at North Shore, the doctors and nurses worked calmly but feverishly to relieve the pain and determine the course of treatment. Melissa Zimmerman, a retired police detective who was on my security detail when I was in Congress and has become a close
Ifamily friend, joined us in the emergency room and stayed with us at the ICU, where Rosemary was taken next and excellently cared for.
My wife initially wasn’t concerned about her mild but persistent stomach pain.
She was operated on late Tuesday afternoon by an outstanding surgeon, Dr. Geraldo Tamayo Enriquez, who had initially hoped to remove her gallbladder in a laparoscopic procedure rather than by opening her up. Several hours later, though, Enriquez was in the waiting room, explaining to my sister Barbara and me how complicated, difficult and extensive the surgery was and how it could not have been done laparoscopically. (Barbara is a retired nurse who is always there and invaluable to our family in stressful health care situations.)
The next few days were rough for Rosemary, but she received excellent care and is on her way to full recovery. I cannot begin to thank Barth for his initial diagnosis and the doctors, assistants, nurses and support staff at North Shore for all they did for Rosemary from the moment we arrived at the emergency room to the day of her discharge. She was truly fortunate.
Now that the crisis has passed, she
and I have the chance to appreciate what a teaching experience the surgery has been. There is no substitute for staying in contact with a trusted family physician and other doctors you deal with regularly and know you well. This was proven true this month with Rosemary and Dr. Barth, and last year with me, when his brother detected a stomach tumor when I had no symptoms whatsoever.
Just as important were the skilled medical professionals at North Shore, who began immediate emergency treatment and then conducted so many tests and procedures over the next several days, including the complicated surgery itself, to restore Rosemary to good health. I admit my bias as a consultant to Northwell Health, but I maintain that the American health care system and its hospitals do extraordinary work that could not have been imagined even several years ago. (I say this as someone who grew up in the old Irish tradition of avoiding doctors.)
We should be grateful to the medical profession, and diligent and attentive to our individual health.
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
If you like horror stories, read Project 2025
don’t watch horror movies, and even if my friends recommend them to me, I take a pass. I try to avoid anything else that is gory, including news photos and some Facebook posts. But one horror story that has captured my attention is a political document known as Project 2025.
Project 2025 is a 922-page manifesto created by the Heritage Foundation. It has been described as a road map for any new Trump administration. It outlines, agency by agency, the federal programs and projects that should be eliminated, and what the policies of a second Trump administration would be.
Over the past few weeks, officials in former President Donald Trump’s campaign have attempted to disavow any connection between themselves and this recipe for a government revolution, but those denials do not have any substance. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was willing to say anything or do anything to be Trump’s running mate, called Project 2025 “a bunch of recommendations by
scholars and has no substance.”
The facts belie all of the protestations by the Trump team. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that had enormous influence on the first Trump administration. It recommended all three of the justices whom Trump appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Foundation Chair Kevin Roberts has bragged that 64 percent of the organization’s 2016 recommendations were adopted by the administration. Roberts has attracted national attention with his recent statement that “we are in the process of a second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
n o federal agency is spared from the Heritage Foundation’s governing plan.
There is much more to the Project 2025 blueprint. It recommends that upward of 50,000 federal civil service workers be reclassified so that they can become political appointees. It recommends that Medicare and Medicaid funding be reduced, and that the president take total control of the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission.
ernment is overlooked, Project 2025 advises that all climate-change regulations favor fossil fuel production, and that Medicare be banned from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs. To make Medicare less costly, it calls for a new health insurance tax, and concludes by recommending that “Christian Nationalist policies be incorporated into the administration’s mission.”
Project 2025 is the work of a team composed almost exclusively of former Trump appointees, including the former chief of staff of the Office of Personnel Management, Paul Dans. Many of its planks are identical to speeches made by Trump on the campaign trail. They include instituting tariffs on all imported goods; setting up deportation camps for non-citizens and so-called Dreamers, even those married to American citizens; and deploying the military for local law enforcement.
No agency would be spared the wrath of Project 2025. It suggests that the Department of Education be abolished and reconstituted as a way of “enhancing parental rights in education and reclaiming the funds from students whose college loans were forgiven.” While it does not suggest that abortions be banned, it recommends that the abortion pill mifepristone be removed from the market. It urges that 100 current government workers have their names publicly posted so that citizens can comment on whether they will be loyal to the new administration. Parts of the document sound like they were written during World War II.
To make sure that no function of gov-
When questioned about Project 2025, Trump, who followed many of the Heritage Foundation’s previous government and court reform strategies, stated, “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they are saying.” That’s not much of a denial. Trump campaign operatives can deny any connection to Project 2025, but the facts say otherwise. One of its loudest supporters has been Steve Bannon, a Trump confidant, who is currently in federal prison. “This is not empty rhetoric,” Bannon recently stated. “This will be the manifesto of the new administration. Take it seriously.”
Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.
HERALD
HeraLd editoriaL
The key to safe swimming? Paying attention.
Last week we offered tips on fire safety, and this week we’re focusing on another summer activity that is usually fun, but nevertheless requires responsible behavior in order to keep it safe as well. There were three backyard swimming pool deaths on Long Island in just 24 hours earlier this month, and another incident a few days later in which a 2-year-old fell into a pool and, fortunately, was rescued.
Swimming pools are supposed to be places of joy, not tragedy. They offer respite from the summer heat, host family gatherings and are a place for those of all ages to play and exercise — but they also present significant potential dangers, especially for younger children and inexperienced swimmers.
The recent drownings — like those we hear about every summer across the country — underscore the absolute necessity of an annual focus on swimming pool safety. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month reported that over 4,500 people drowned in pools or other waterways each year from 2020 to 2022.
The allure of a swimming pool is undeniable, but it is essential to recognize its inherent risks. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children, and it usually happens not amid a flurry of attentionattracting splashing and shouting, but unnoticed and all but silently. Unlike the dramatic portrayals seen on TV or in
Letters
movies, many real-life drownings are quick and quiet, making it all the more critical for adults to remain vigilant when their children are swimming. Lapses in supervision for even mere seconds at a time simply aren’t unacceptable.
A responsible adult should always be within arm’s reach of young children who are in or near the water. Designating a “water watcher” can ensure that there is always someone focused on the pool, free from distractions like phones or animated conversation. This simple yet effective practice can be a lifesaver. Equally important are physical barriers and safety devices. A pool should be surrounded by a fence that is at least four feet high, with self-closing and selflatching gates. This is the first line of defense against accidental drownings, particularly for toddlers, who are naturally curious and drawn to water. Pool covers and alarms can add extra layers of security, alerting homeowners to potential dangers before they escalate. Swimming lessons are another crucial component of pool safety. Teaching children to swim when they’re young — most can become comfortable in deep water at age 6 or 7 — not only equips them with the skills they need to stay safe, but also instills a sense of respect for a pool’s potential dangers. Community centers, clubs and other organizations offer swimming lessons, and investing in them brings lifelong benefits.
Do the math: There’s a better way to conserve water
To the Editor:
I applaud any effort endorsed by local government to conserve water, but I find the recent Town of Hempstead rain barrel campaign a bit of a stretch and, after careful analysis, downright foolish, shortsighted and inherently a waste of time and money.
A plastic container with a 50-gallon capacity and an overflow outlet requires installation by skillfully cutting your roof downspout pipe to position it on a firm and level base. If you have the tools, time and expertise, go for it.
In the spring and fall, when we get plenty of rain, it will fill quickly, just in time to water your plants that somehow don’t need watering because of all the rain. The surplus will simply overflow, with no benefit. In the hot, dry summer months, those 50 gallons will be used up in a few days with no replenishment in sight. Turn on the garden hose!
The math: The barrel costs you $65. For that price you can buy about 6,500 gallons of water from Liberty Water, or about 130 barrels full. And this water is available on demand when needed. My guess is that you’ll be lucky to end up collecting, storing and actually using about 10 full barrels per season.
In addition, educating pool users about risks and safety protocols is essential. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, for adults and older children can mean the difference between life and death in the critical moments before emergency responders arrive in an actual emergency. Anyone whose regular summer routine includes time at the pool should know how to respond when someone is pulled unconscious from the water. CPR courses hosted by schools, public pools, and the offices of the American Red Cross and many other organizations, should be a regular part of teens’ and adults’ summer preparation in every community.
The recent deaths on Long Island serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting pool safety. Each represents not just a statistic, but a family shattered by an avoidable tragedy — emphasis on avoidable. Public-awareness campaigns can play a vital role in the effort to eliminate those tragedies altogether, and those efforts should involve local governments, schools, community centers, service clubs, health clubs and police and fire departments. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment in which memories of joyfilled days in the pool will be the highlights of your children’s summer. Make sure they learn to swim — adding some incentive, perhaps, by taking a lesson or two yourself — and keep a close eye on them whenever they’re in the water.
And don’t forget to drain, move and reattach that section of drainpipe before winter, or you’ll end up with a 50-gallon ice block that may well crack your investment.
Are there better alternatives? There
most certainly are. It’s called a welland-pump system, connected to your lawn sprinkler — and most of us have one of those, right?
The math: A well/pump system will pay for itself in about three years, from
opinions
Save a life: drive above the influence
on June 28, the driver of a speeding SUV plowed into a Deer Park nail salon, killing four people, including off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack. Authorities say the driver of the car, a 64-yearold Dix Hills resident, was intoxicated, and had consumed 18 beers just the night before.
Sadly, this tragedy is not unique, as fatal traffic collisions involving intoxicated and impaired drivers have surged on Long Island since the coronavirus pandemic.
Last Aug. 7, an 18-year-old Freeport man was intoxicated when he raced through a red light in West Hempstead and crashed into a parked car, killing Katerine Vanges Hernandez just two days before her seventh birthday.
Just a day earlier, a 33-year-old man from Lindenhurst was under the influence of fentanyl and cocaine when he rocketed his car into a vehicle stopped at a traffic light. The violent collision killed U.S. Marine veteran Patrice Huntley, his 13-year-old daughter, Hannah, his 10-year-old son, Jeremiah, and, eventually, his 6-year-old step-granddaughter
Chantel, who succumbed to her injuries six days later. The driver reportedly reached a speed of 120 miles per hour, and failed to brake until a half-second before impact, hitting the Huntley family car at 95 mph.
Each of these tragedies was devastating, and perhaps even worse, they were all preventable. As news headlines remind us daily, families will have to live the rest of their lives with the physical, mental and emotional trauma and irreparable loss caused by someone else’s poor judgment.
aU.S. changed significantly. Of the drivers who remained on the roads, some engaged in riskier behavior including speeding, failure to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence.”
recent increase in fatalities on the road has been attributed to riskier driving.
According to a recent report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the pandemic had a negative impact on traffic safety in New York. From 2019 to 2022, the report stated, the state saw a 45 percent increase in the number of fatalities involving drivers with blood alcohol levels above the legal limit, which is 12 percentage points above the national average. In 2022, about two-thirds of traffic fatalities in New York involved a combination of unsafe speeding and alcohol.
The recent increase in fatalities has been attributed to increased risks taken by drivers. Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, “After the declaration of the public health emergency in March 2020, driving patterns and behaviors in the
Letters
savings of metered water use. Ironically, a shallow well also actually recycles rainwater, storing it in a trillion-gallon natural aquifer rather than a 50-gallon molded plastic barrel. You decide.
GARY CAPARELLI Lawrence
Minimizing the risk of shark interactions
To the Editor:
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is promoting public safety at ocean beaches by educating the public to help minimize the risk of negative interactions between people and sharks.
The annual summer migration of sharks into New York’s coastal waters is underway, and sightings of shark activity in the nearshore ocean waters are expected to increase during the summer months through September.
DEC encourages New Yorkers to be aware of their surroundings in the water with the potential for sharkhuman interactions, and to follow DEC guidelines to minimize the risk of negative interactions.
■ Avoid areas with seals.
■ Avoid areas with schools of fish, splashing fish, or diving seabirds.
■ Avoid swimming at dawn, at dusk or at night.
■ Avoid murky water.
■ Swim, paddle, and surf in groups.
■ Stay close to shore, where your feet can touch the bottom.
■ Always follow the instructions of lifeguards and park staff.
Sharks have existed in New York’s marine waters for millions of years. Today there are more than a dozen shark species that migrate through New York’s marine waters.
Each shark species has unique habitat and food preferences, and plays an important role in maintaining a healthy and balanced marine ecosystem. Sharks can prevent other species from monopolizing limited resources and degrading the marine environment. The presence of sharks in New York’s marine waters is a positive sign of a healthy marine ecosystem.
Humans assume risk whenever they enter any wild environment, whether on
According to a recent Newsday report, lawmakers and safe-driving advocates are renewing calls to lower New York’s legal blood alcohol content level from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. But this policy change would place a disproportionate burden on law enforcement. Traffic stops, checkpoints and arrests have their place, but are just one piece of the traffic-safety puzzle.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee could and should be doing more to promote programming and resources to ensure driver, pedestrian and road safety. Culturally, the DMV has been reduced to a bureaucratic, inconvenient, soulsucking entity, and appears to be divorced from proactive efforts to ensure safety on the roads.
For example, the DMV has an Impaired Driver Program available not only through court mandates, but to anyone who wants to join voluntarily. The IDP offers in-depth education on alcohol and other drugs to help participants identify and change high-risk behavior. The program needs to be better promot-
ed and advertised, and made more accessible.
Safe-driving advocates such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving are also calling for the widespread implementation of driver assistance, monitoring and alcohol-detection systems in vehicles across the U.S. Driver-assistance technology enables a car to take action such as lane-keeping assistance and collision intervention. Driver monitoring systems include cameras or other sensors that monitor such things as eye movement without compromising privacy, advocates say. Alcohol-detection sensors in the vehicle determine whether a driver is drunk, keeping the public safe while ensuring privacy.
Many of these technologies are on the way, as the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 authorized the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete a rule-making process and issue final safety standards for impaired-driving-prevention technology on all new cars by November 2024.
No matter your preference or politics, it will take a comprehensive, all-handson-deck effort to ensure that more children and families are not harmed, and that the victims of these fatal collisions did not die in vain.
Karl A. Valere is chief of staff and senior policy adviser of Assemblyman Khaleel M. Anderson. He lives in Baldwin.
land or in the water. Although it is impossible to eliminate risk altogether, ocean users can modify their behavior to minimize potential interactions with sharks and reduce overall risk. When in the ocean, follow DEC’s shark safety guidelines to minimize the potential for negative interactions with sharks.
Learn more about New York’s shark species at DEC.ny.gov.
CHRISTOPHER SCOTT Supervising biologist, Division of Marine Resources
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Framework by Tim Baker
Now this is what summer’s all about — Eisenhower Park, East Meadow
karL a . VaLere
