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HERALD 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW

Vol. xx No. x

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DECEMBER 31, 2020 - JANuARY 6, 2021 MoNth xx-xx, 2020

Vol. 28 No. 1 $1.00

Creating safe hangouts for kids

INSIDE

By Bridget Downes bdownes@liherald.com

Bridget Downes/Herald xx/Herald

Kolstein Music launches concert xx series to support musicians. Page 0

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Courtesy Obnoxiousxx/Herald Antiques

Nunley’s golf ball is set to come xx home to Baldwin. Page 0

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Jake Gold/Herald xx/Herald

Local restaurants donate meals to xx health care heroes. Page 0

or Baldwinite Angela Lucas, working with special-needs children is nothing new. Fourteen years ago, she began working in the Baldwin School District, first as a lunch monitor, then as a teacher’s aide, eventually working with children with more severe disabilities. And since she has been with the same students for 14 years, she went through elementary school, middle school and now high school with them. “We’ve become like a family,” said Lucas, the Baldwin Herald’s 2020 Person of the Year. Nearly five years ago, she took a second job, with Independent Support Services, and has been working closely with a client named George Voyiatgis, a 25-year-old nonverbal autistic man. Recognizing that it was important for him to socialize and be around friends, and knowing he doesn’t have many family members, Lucas launched Hangout One Happy Place, a nonprofit organization based in Baldwin. Hangout One Happy Place serves as a safe space for specialneeds children to socialize and engage in hands-on activities such as arts and crafts, games, karaoke singing and dancing. “I was able to get them to join this group,” Lucas, 52, said of the students she has been working with for the past 14 years. “I had the two worlds meet, and that’s what became this beautiful thing. Everybody’s friends; everybody loves each other. It just turned out to be the greatest dream, to me, come true.” The group met at the Baldwin Public Library once every two weeks, went bowling every Friday night, then spread out into Baldwin Harbor Town Park when it became warm outside,“and it just got bigger and bigger,” Lucas said. “Then Covid happened.”

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Emily Orgill Volunteer

When the pandemic struck and New York went into lockdown in March, the hangouts turned into virtual ones via Zoom,

Infections as of Dec. 28

For BrEAKING go to liherald.com

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Infections as of Dec. 21 1,593

and members took part in “spirit days,” or themed hangouts. Lucas would ask their parents to send photos of them wearing crazy hats, for example, and she would compile the images into a slideshow. “It was just something for them to have hope in,” she said. “We all stayed connected. We never stopped being together, and the pandemic has only made us stronger. We have on the back of our shirts now, ‘Live each day with a happy spirit,’ because those spirit days are what got us through it.” Over the summer, since summer school was canceled, Lucas and her volunteers organized an impromptu summer camp, and some of the children came to the park to take part in a variety of activities, including a drum circle and spin art. Lucas also organized informal meet-ups at Silver Lake Park to go for socially distanced walks with the children. The program allowed them to get much-needed social interaction that they might have lacked in their day-to-day lives. “It’s really just like the best place to be, and the kids are amazing,” said Emily Orgill, whom Lucas described as her main volunteer and assistant. Orgill, whose brother is autistic, said the organization differs from other specialneeds programs in that it’s more personalized. “Angela’s like the best person in the world,” Orgill said. “She did everything. It would be nothing . . . and she helped me when I had nothing else, so I owe her everything. Forever grateful for that.” Orgill, a 2020 Baldwin High School graduate, said the Covid-19 quarantine quashed her college and career plans. She said she didn’t plan to work with specialneeds children, but she joined the Hangout over the summer and changed Continued on page 3 Bridget Downes/Herald

Angela Lucas, the founder of Hangout One Happy Place.

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

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BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW JANUARY

The room fell quiet and all eyes were trained on the projection screen on stage as a livestream showed Jasmin Moghbeli graduating from NASA’s Artemis program. Moghbeli, who grew up in Baldwin, was one of 11 candidates welcomed to the agency, becoming eligible for spaceflight assignments, including trips to the International Space Station, Artemis missions to the moon and even missions to Mars. More than 50 fifth-grade students sat in rows of chairs in the Lenox Elementary School gymnasium, joined by teachers, administrators and local media to watch Moghbeli, 36, a Lenox alumna, celebrate a special moment in her life at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The new astronauts, NASA representatives said in a news release, completed more than two years of training and are the first to graduate since the agency announced its Artemis program. They were chosen from a “record-setting” pool of more than 18,000 applicants and will take part in assignments that“will expand humanity’s horizons in space for generations to come.” After the ceremony, students Skyped with Moghbeli, asking her questions, moderated by Lenox Principal Asheena Baez, who noted that the astronaut “sat in the very seats you’re sitting in.” Courtesy NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Baldwin native Jasmin Moghbeli graduated from NASA’s Artemis program in January.

ObItuARY Jason Vitale, Baldwin civic leader, remembered The Baldwin, Bellmore and Merrick communities mourned the loss of a longtime community advocate and beloved teacher. Hundreds of people filled the pews of St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin in January to remember Jason Vitale, an earth science teacher at Mepham High School in Bellmore and the quality-of-life chair for the Baldwin Civic Association. His wife, Jennifer Vitale, an assistant principal at Plainedge High School, said that nearly 900 people from all facets of his life, including former stu-

dents, BCA members, people they both taught with, childhood friends and family filled the church to pay tribute to her husband. Vitale, 48, was skiing at Vermont’s Killington Mountain Resort with Jennifer and their 10-year-old daughter when he suffered a heart attack and struck a tree on Dec. 28. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he later died. Vitale was active in the Baldwin community for many years, and was a passionate civic association member.

Baldwinite launches group for special-needs kids Continued from front page

from Oceanside, Island Park, Merrick, Garden City and Massapequa. her mind. The program differs from others, Lucas “I came here, and it’s a whole different twist to it,” she said, “and I want to work here, at the explained, in that she often asks students what they would like to do — whether it’s creating Hangout, forever.” “I wouldn’t have survived this pandemic art, dance or something else — rather than without it,” Lucas said of the Hangout.“It’s pure telling them what to do. “Building such an inclusive and vibrant comjoy. It’s better than any therapy you could ever munity, and doing so in the midst of the panget.” As the library began to comply with stricter demic, is an incredible accomplishment,” State restrictions and the months grew cooler, Lucas Sen. Todd Kaminsky, of Long Beach, said in a sought a new home for the Hangout, and she statement. “I applaud and thank Angela Lucas put out a post on Facebook.The South Baldwin for creating such a vital space for our differently abled children to learn and Jewish Center welcomed the grow, especially during a time group, housing members for when they feel most isolated. I most of the week, while a dojo in look forward to watching Oceanside houses them on Hangout One Happy Place grow Sundays. OF THE and serve Baldwin residents.” “As I sit at the Hangout One Orgill recalled how the orgaHappy Place, I think of all the nization started off small in the wonderful things that my amazlibrary in 2019 and grew. “And ing friend, Angela Lucas, has done for our beautiful community,” said then Covid, really, was the best thing to hapAngela Gallagher, Lucas’s friend, volunteer, and pen to the Hangout because it just brought fellow teacher’s aide. The pair met years ago everyone together at a bad time,” she said.“We when their children attended nursery school, went to the park with nothing but that crate and have been close friends ever since.“Angela with, like, a ball and a couple of sticks . . . and has always been involved in the community, now we have a building and closets and fundfrom watching over children around the raisers, and it’s just like a whole thing now.” At the Hangout on Dec. 23, Lucas dressed neighborhood to taking care of her elderly up as the Elf on the Shelf and handed out neighbors.” Gallagher said since its inception, the personalized gifts to each child to celebrate Hangout One Happy Place has seen an out- the holiday season. She and the children pouring of support, especially from the local danced to Christmas music and sang along. “I still can’t believe that I’ve done this,” Baldwin community. Besides monetary donations, parents and local residents have donat- Lucas said of the organization. “I just can’t ed games and other supplies. Some people, believe it, like, if I look at pictures, I could cry, including a Baldwin native who moved to that this is really happening, and just the supNorth Carolina, remotely hosted fundraisers to port of the community and the people is just insane.” raise money for the organization. “Through the Hangout One Happy Place,” “The gifts, the kindness; it’s like nothing I’ve Gallagher said, “Angela has enabled its memever seen,” Lucas said.“Just amazing.” “Ultimately, it’s because Angela has touched bers to be seen and have a voice when they so many lives in the Baldwin community that might have otherwise been ignored or faded she’s had such an outpouring of support from into the background, and has given them a many helpful hands and hearts,” Gallagher safe space to connect with each other.” said. And while the group was originally for Bridget Downes/Herald Baldwin students only, it now has members Top, Angela Lucas, bottom right, with the group.

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December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

Kolstein’s owner passes baton to Manny Alvarez

Party raises funds for children’s cancer charity “My son’s not here tonight, but he’s with me all the time,” an emotional Mitch Kraeling Sr. told the 300 people in attendance at the Coral House in Baldwin in February. They had come from across Long Island and Manhattan to raise money for children and families coping with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. “It’s hard every year without my son. The money goes to a great cause,” Kraeling said after thanking everyone for coming out to show their support. The fourth annual Mitch Kraeling Memorial Gala, dedicated to the memory of Mitchell Kraeling Jr., 22, who died of cancer in 2013, benefited Kids Need More, a local nonprofit organization. The fundraiser has collected thousands of dollars, and helps to fund Camp Adventure, which is held every August and pairs trained volunteers with children with cancer and their

siblings. Kraeling, a Rockville Centre resident, Freeport native and manager at Island Electric Corp., and his family are primary supporters of the program. He and his daughter, Kim, organize annual fundraisers, including the gala in memory of Mitchell Jr., who died of a rare pediatric bone cancer. Kraeling’s son was being treated at Stony Brook University Hospital when Kraeling met Melissa Firmes, co-founder and executive director of Kids Need More, and learned about the organization’s efforts.

YEAR IN REVIEW FEBRUARY

With a player piano clinking in the background, a crowd gathered at Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop in Baldwin to celebrate one man who is retiring as the shop’s owner, and another who is taking it over. Barrie Kolstein, a luthier — a maker of stringed instruments — who has owned Samuel Kolstein & Son Violinmakers and Kolstein Music Inc. since his father died in 1999, recently turned the business’s operations over to Manny Alvarez, a longtime employee and mentee of Kolstein’s. “With Manny, I couldn’t have the shop in better hands,” Kolstein said at a grand reopening ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Baldwin

Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 4. “I think it’s a good transition for the shop.” The change will allow the business to continue on in the future, and for Kolstein to pursue his love of making stringed instruments. “I’m still going to be here,” he said.“I’ll be in the back” shop. Alvarez’s new title is president and owner. He and Kolstein have similar visions for the future.“I think we’re very much closely on the same page, and I just love what he’s doing,” Kolstein said.“I have total faith in Manny.” Jake Gold/Herald

Hempstead Town CounCilman Chris Carini, left, with Barrie Kolstein, Manny Alvarez, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé and Baldwin Chamber of Commerce president Erik Mahler.

Maureen Lennon/Herald

Kathy Birch, with microphone, and her husband, Jim, far right, shared the story of the loss of Kathy’s 12-year-old son, Joseph Hoehn, with gala organizer Mitch Kraeling, far left, John Ray and Melissa Firmes, co-founder and executive director of Kids Need More.

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Baldwinites look for rainbows in unsettling times Call it the great Baldwin rainbow hunt. A group of Baldwinites have been hanging up paper rainbows to encourage others to be creative and spend time outdoors — though a safe distance from others. The concept, which sprang up on Facebook, is simple: color, paint, cut or print out a rainbow and tape it to your front door or window. Then take a walk around the area and count how many other rainbows you can find.The art project becomes an outdoor activity, encouraging neighbors to get fresh air without human contact. “It’s amazing, because my son and I take a walk every day, and every day more rainbows keep popping up,” said Tricia Wilder, a district parent and kindergarten teacher.“The first day we went out, we only

found one. The next day, we found three. Yesterday we found, like, seven. “Over the next few weeks,” the Facebook post, shared by Wilder, read, “many of us will be increasing our time spent at home. It can be hard to find things to do all day — especially with children — and not lose your mind.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo had ordered schools to close until March 31 to stop the spread of coronavirus. At press time, more than 20,000 coronavirus cases had been reported in New York, including more than 2,400 cases in Nassau County.

Courtesy Sara Jamison

Sara Jamison shared the idea with her 4-year-old son, Charlie, and her 6-year-old daughter, Faye.

Baldwin students, teachers and parents adjusted to a new normal: e-learning. All New York schools were to remain closed through April 15, as ordered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. And since March 16, programs and web services like Google Classroom allowed educators to bring the classroom to students’ living rooms — literally. Morgan Canarick, a fifth-grade teacher at Brookside Elementary School, said the process has been working smoothly and effectively. Canarick begins each morning with a meeting with her students to review the day’s schedule, which also allows the

Houses of worship shift to virtual services

students to interact with one another in place of face-to-face socializing. Her students log on at a certain time to follow along with her Power-Point math lessons, for example. And Canarick said the students have adjusted well. The school district has installed an array of applications and online services for teachers and students to use to more easily communicate with one another, which Canarick said has been helpful.

Baldwin houses of worship were figuring out how to adjust to the unprecedented consequences of the global coronavirus pandemic: Public gathering was no longer allowed. For Catholics, no further public liturgies were permitted until further notice, the Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre announced on March 24. That included funerals, weddings, baptisms and any other cause for gathering people together in Catholic churches, other than private prayer. Following instructions from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, churches could remain open for private prayer,

YEAR IN REVIEW APRIL

Courtesy Rosemarie Socci

Students launch Clever from the district’s website.

Baldwin couple survive Covid-19 It was the middle of March when Magalie Alcindor, a Baldwin resident, realized she had contracted Covid-19. Alcindor, a doctor who teaches nursing at York College, woke up at 7 one morning, as she typically does, to prepare for a virtual 9 a.m. class with her students. “When I woke up that morning, I didn’t have any energy,” she said.“I felt really, really drained.” Alcindor, 54, felt herself becoming extremely sick during her three-hour lab, but stuck it out. Soon afterward, she developed a headache, and felt her body aching and a fever creeping in. “The headache felt like someone took a sledgehammer and they were pounding me on my head nonstop, continuously,” she said. She couldn’t be certain how she contracted the virus, but believes it could have been from her husband, Fitzgerald, a doctor at a local urgent care center, or from an asymptomatic carrier at the school before it closed

and switched to online classes. Because Fitzgerald was consistently exposed to patients, he contracted the virus and fell sick for about four days. During that time, Alcindor took care of him. Once her symptoms kicked in, Fitzgerald drove his wife — both 54 — to an urgent care center, where she was tested. Four or five days later, the test came back positive. She and her husband self-quarantined for two weeks. She said she had no appetite, felt feverish every evening beginning around 6 p.m., experienced backaches and a continual headache. She lacked a sense of taste and smell. The following week, she started experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. Courtesy Magalie Alcindor

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Clergy members and congregants of the First Presbyterian Church of Baldwin, along with many other houses of worship, switched to virtual services.

Baldwin shops donate meals to health care heroes Business owners around town, including the Irish Pub and Sonny’s Canal House, have given back to the “health care heroes” working on the frontlines battling Covid-19 every day. While many local shops have donated meals to essential workers during the day, Shawn Sabel, the owner of the Irish Pub in Baldwin, thought it was time to give back to the night-shift workers. “We feel that, like we’ve seen on social media and everything, people have been donating to the day shifts, so we feel like the nighttime shift was the forgotten shift,” Sabel said, “and we wanted to give back to them.” He and Kate Gallego prepared hundreds of meals, including penne alla vodka, roast beef sliders with melted mozzarella and Hawaiian barbecue with white rice. They drove to Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital at 12:30 a.m. May 1 to deliver the meals. Staff

YEAR IN REVIEW MAY

Alcindor and her husband, Fitzgerald, strolled in the park wearing protective masks.

while maintaining the proper precautions regarding distancing and groups of people congregating. Emergency sacraments were permitted, but only while exercising the proper health precautions.Wakes and funeral Masses were to be postponed. Rabbi Royi Shaffin, of the South Baldwin Jewish Center, said his congregation was following federal, state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and staying in touch with families through telephone and email.

members accepted the donations with welcome arms. The week prior, the hospital had just under 150 Covid-19 patients, Joe Calderone, spokesman for Mount Sinai South Nassau, said, and while employees wee starting to return to normal operations, it has been taxing on the staff. Sonny’s Canal House also recognized the work of the doctors and nurses. In conjunction with the charity of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the business donated more than 200 chicken cutlet and turkey sandwiches to the doctors, nurses and other health care workers who were working overtime at Mount Sinai South Nassau on April 26. Jake Gold/Herald

Irish Pub owner Shawn Sabel, far left, with hospital employees including Operating Room Assistant Nurse Manager Ben Foor and Nursing Supervisor Bethuel Bayawa, donated meals to night shift workers at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital early in the morning on May 1.

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

School district shifts to remote learning

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

Residents protest police brutality on Sunrise Highway

Baldwinite’s Eagle Scout project beautifies the garden Members of the Baldwin Civic Association, local residents and elected officials celebrated in June as they unveiled the new gazebo and brick walkway in the Baldwin Community Garden, which was Baldwinite George Pittas’s Eagle Scout project. Pittas, of Troop 568, reached out to the chairwoman of the civic association’s Beautification Committee, Rita Cavanagh, to ask if she needed any projects completed. Immediately thinking of the community garden, Cavanagh uttered,“A gazebo!” Pittas received approval from Nassau County to build the gazebo, because the garden is on county property, and, “once that was done, we started fundraising through the selling of the bricks, and then we had to wait until we raised enough funds, and

everything came together,” he said, adding that the gazebo was finished by the end of December last year. Community members and elected officials bought bricks that displayed their names and any phrases they wished to be engraved on them, and the bricks were laid to form the walkway to the gazebo. Pittas and his team raised $10,000, he said. “The gazebo and brick path is a tribute to your resilience and to your determination and talent,” said Steven Greenfield, the civic association’s vice president.

YEAR IN REVIEW JUNE

In June, an estimated 500 people marched from the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station toward Merrick to protest police brutality and the death of George Floyd in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The demonstration was peaceful throughout. Nassau County police officers, who helped guide the march, shut down parts of Sunrise Highway to make way for the protesters, who, from Baldwin to the Freeport Long Island Rail Road station, walked along the sidewalk chanting phrases, including, “No justice, no peace!” Hundreds more then gathered at the Freeport station before continuing

down Sunrise Highway to Merrick. Protesters also took a detour to the Nautical Mile. At Freeport’s restaurant row, they took a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. Then they made their way north to Sunrise Highway and west into Merrick, to the LIRR station there. Many motorists passing by honked their horns and raised their hands in the air to show solidarity. The protest was one of at least 15 around Long Island planned for the day. Bridget Downes/Herald

Local residents walked along Sunrise Highway chanting phrases including “No justice, no peace!”

Bridget Downes/Herald

Baldwinite George Pittas made the gazebo and brick walkway his Eagle Scout project.

Baldwin High hosts socially distant graduation First Church launches pop-up food pantry First Church Baldwin United Methodist launched a mission to help feed those in need at a local housing development in Baldwin. Church member Valerie Geasor and other volunteers collected nonperishable food items and set up a pop-up pantry at Halandia Shores on June 27. The development houses a variety of residents, including seniors and people with disabilities. More than 30 residents came to the community room to wait on line and select the items they needed, Geasor explained. It all started because of a Facebook thread. About two months prior, a local woman posted that she had tried to donate food to Halandia Shores, Geasor said, but wasn’t gaining traction. The development had stopped receiving assistance in the winter.

Thinking she had to act fast, Geasor contacted a woman from Halandia Shores and delivered about $75 worth of food. Then she mentioned it to the church. First Church members are committed to charity work, and this is not their first effort. In the past, members have undertaken mission work in Far Rockaway and Belize, and have donated gifts to older adults in Nassau County at Christmas. Some residents said they no longer felt “forgotten about.”

YEAR IN REVIEW JULY

Courtesy Valerie Geasor

Valerie Geasor set out nonperishable food items like soups and pasta in the community room at Halandia Shores on June 27 for a “pop-up pantry” set up by First Church Baldwin United Methodist Church.

In three separate sessions, with social distancing and mask wearing required, hundreds of Baldwin High School seniors and their family members made their way to the high school football field for graduation on June 26. “Our class is nothing if not legendary,” Ava Bandel, the class of 2020 valedictorian, said. “We are leaving high school in the midst of a pandemic. We are succeeding right now, so there is no doubt that we can overcome any challenges that lie ahead.” Bandel encouraged her fellow graduates to reflect on how they could make a difference in the world. “We have so much potential if we take a stand for what we believe in,” she said. “Support the Black Lives Matter movement. Make a change to help the environment. Create a better future. Let’s write history, because the next moves are ours, and it’s up to us to pave the way.” Under the sweltering midday sun,

chairs were arranged in sets of three six feet apart to ensure that graduates and their two guests were socially distanced. After the speakers shared anecdotes and memories of their academic careers, the graduates’ names were called, and they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and pose for photos with Baldwin High Principal Dr. Neil Testa. Some of the nearly 400 graduates said they were happy to attend a traditional ceremony. “It was really nice to have the original tradition we planned on having,” Kayla Canales said after one of the ceremonies. And some said that having gone through the pandemic together and experiencing the losses of typical high school senior activities unites the graduates. Bridget Downes/Herald

Baldwin High School graduates and their family members maintained social distancing protocols during commencement on the high school football field on June 26.

Baldwinite honored at Women of Distinction ceremony

A‘miracle’ deck for Ben A Suffolk County contractor has changed the lives of a Baldwin family. Lance and Debi Livi’s 25-year-old son, Ben, was born with cerebral palsy, and is unable to walk without assistance. But he loves to walk around in the small, above-ground pool in their backyard, his parents said, because the buoyancy of the water allows him to walk by himself. The small deck they had was useless for Ben, who does not speak, because he could not climb the ladder to the top to get into the pool, Lance and Debi said. Each time he went for a swim, they would lift him over the edge of the pool, and then rush in so he would have somebody in there with him. They decided they would replace

the deck this year. They explained what they had in mind to Dominick Lacitignola, the owner of Hope Custom Builders, and asked him to design and create a deck that would make it easier for Ben to make his way to the top of the deck to get into the pool. Lacitignola agreed to do the work at no profit to him or his company — the only thing he asked the couple to pay for was the materials. He designed a series of wide, durable platforms that lead to the top of the deck so Ben can slowly and easily ascend using the guardrails. Ben’s nurse aide began to cry when she saw it, Lance said. Courtesy Lance Livi

Ben slowly ascended the steps using the guardrails.

Scouts thanked for creating thousands of masks Town of Hempstead officials joined Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Baldwin Harbor Town Park on Aug. 14 to thank their troops for helping create and distribute thousands of masks to local first responders, essential workers, veterans and older adults throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, who hosted what he called the nation’s first drive-through badge of merit ceremony, recognized the young men and women who helped protect local residents, some of whom have been working on the front lines during the crisis. At the height of the pandemic in early May, the town partnered with the Boy Scouts’ Theodore Roosevelt Council to supply the scouts with

permanent substitute teacher in Freeport. The following year, she began teaching in the World Languages Department and, for the next decade, shared her love of the Spanish language and culture with her students. During that time, she assumed several leadership roles, and, in 2012, Campbell-Ham joined Freeport High School’s administrative team as assistant principal. She also devoted seven years to being a parent volunteer for Girl Scout Troop 2305 and served as PTA president at Brookside Elementary School in Baldwin. She is now the PTA vice president of the Ways and Means Committee at Brookside, and a member of the Baldwin PTA Council. Bridget Downes/Herald

Baldwinite Gisselle Campbell-Ham, right, was honored at State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin’s second annual Women of Distinction ceremony.

Kolstein Music concert series benefits musicians

materials via a safe curbside delivery setup to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, town officials explained. Each scout went home with enough cloth and elastic material to create up to 100 reusable masks. At the socially distanced ceremony, about a dozen families drove their scouts up to a sign that read “Thank you scouts,” where they got out and accepted the Town of Hempstead Covid19 Youth Relief Effort Badge of Merit from Clavin, Council members Dorothy Goosby, Chris Carini and Anthony D’Esposito, and Town Clerk Kate Murray.

YEAR IN REVIEW AUGUST

Bridget Downes/Herald

Officials awarded Evander Tillery the badge.

Baldwinite Gisselle Campbell-Ham was one of 10 women recognized on July 30 at State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin’s second annual Women of Distinction Ceremony, held in the Baldwin Community Garden. Birds chirped above on the hot, humid evening in the garden, behind the Baldwin Historical Society building at 1980 Grand Avenue, as local elected officials thanked residents of the 21st Assembly District for their selfless contributions to their communities. Griffin presented Campbell-Ham with a citation and a pink rose after describing her extensive involvement in the Baldwin and Freeport school districts. After completing her bachelor’s in secondary education and Spanish literature at SUNY Stony Brook University in 1993, Campbell-Ham worked as a

In the new performance venue inside Samuel Kolstein & Son Violinmakers on Foxhurst Road in Baldwin, three well-known artists performed an intimate concert Aug. 14 that was live-streamed via social media as a fundraiser to support musicians who have been out of work since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The benefit concert was streamed via Kolstein’s You- Tube, Facebook and Instagram pages, and virtual attendees watched a performance by Harvie S, a New York City bassist; Matt Wilson, a jazz drummer from Baldwin; and Roni Ben-Hur, a jazz guitarist. “For not just us, but all the Broadway musicians and even rock groups,

everything’s been put on kind of a hold,” Harvie said before the concert. Many events have been canceled to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and musicians whose livelihoods largely depend on gigs and freelance work are losing critical opportunities to support themselves. In response, Kolstein Music launched a Musician Relief Fund, with proceeds from the campaign benefiting the performing artists and groups. In addition to raising funds, the concerts provide a space for audiences to sup-port and watch live performances from the comfort of their own homes, Kolstein’s representatives said. Bridget Downes/Herald

Roni Ben-Hur, left, performed alongside Matt Wilson, center, and Harvie S.

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW AUGUST

YEAR IN REVIEW JULY

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

Lady Bruins stretch county title streak A game everyone was anticipating since November lived up to all the hype March 8 when a rematch between sixtime defending champion Baldwin and top-seeded Syosset for the Nassau Class AA girls’ basketball crown came down to the wire. The Lady Bruins returned only four points from last year’s county final and rode a tenacious defense to the title game, but it was their offense that took over the second half and paved the way to a thrilling 60-52 victory before an intense crowd of more than 2,000 at Nassau Coliseum. Senior Dana Elcock scored 15 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, and senior Roxana Gayle (11) and

freshman Dallysshya Moreno (10) also scored in double figures as Baldwin (175) won its seventh consecutive county championship and 10th in the last 11 seasons. It was just the second defeat in 21 games for Syosset, which held a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter. “This feeling never gets old and I’m so excited these girls were able to write their own script,” Baldwin head coach Tom Catapano said. “They’ve worked tirelessly since the summer league and I couldn’t be more proud. Not a lot of people expected us to be here.” Jeff Wilson/Herald

Baldwin nips Uniondale for county title As if Baldwin wasn’t hungry enough to knock longtime rival and two-time defending Nassau Class AA champion Uniondale from the top of the boys’ basketball mountain, watching the Baldwin girls claim their seventh straight county title before the Bruins took the court for warmups only added fuel to their fire, senior Kamani Jones said. Then, in what was a classic BaldwinUniondale slugfest before a packed crowd of more than 3,000 at Nassau Coliseum, the Bruins’ defense withstood multiple chances by the top-seeded Knights in the final 10 seconds to secure an emotional 61-60 victory on the evening of March 8. “I went to a bunch of BaldwinUniondale games when I was younger and got to play against

YEAR IN REVIEW SPORTS

Uniondale in the finals two years ago as a sophomore when we lost,” said Baldwin senior Jayden McKenzie, who led all scorers with 22 points.“This was a crazy finish and it feels great to be holding this plaque,” he added. “Us and the girls had unbelievable crowd support tonight and it’s incredible that we both won.” McKenzie was Baldwin’s lone double-digit scorer, but its contributions ran deep. Jones had nine points, Isiah Walker added eight, Trevan Blackett and Lance Henry chipped in seven apiece, and Jeff Douby and Tre Parkin both had four. “Our guys have a refuse to lose attitude,” Baldwin head coach Darius Burton said.“We’ve been a strong thirdquarter team all season and tonight was no different. Anthony Hughes/Herald

H.S. sports delayed until 2021 H.S. spring sports cancelled It was game over for public high school spring sports on Long Island for 2020. Any hopes for even a modified season were dashed April 21 when health and safety concerns led athletic administrators and school superintendents in Nassau and Suffolk counties to announced the cancelation of the spring sports season. Section VIII athletics conference governs Nassau County, and Section XI, Suffolk County. “For the safety for our student athletes, Section VIII has made the difficult decision to cancel spring sports for our high schools and middle schools.” Nassau County Executive Director Pat Pizzarelli said. “Long Island is one of the

areas most affected by this terrible pandemic, so both section VIII and Section XI have made this very difficult decision.” Nassau County’s Athletic Council, which includes superintendents, principals and officials, met Monday night April 20 and was unanimous in its decision. Athletic directors met the following morning and agreed. “It’s very sad for the seniors, but we are dealing with life and death,” Pizzarelli said. “We have to safeguard our students and communities. We waited as long as we possibly could to make this heartbreaking decision.” Photo by J. Heck/Herald

Nassau County High School student-athletes will have to wait until 2021 to compete in sports. At an emergency meeting held Aug. 26, Nassau school superintendents voted to postpone high school sports until Jan. 4, becoming the first of the state’s 11 sections to move its fall season. The following day, superintendents released a letter stating they may reassess the decision prior to Sept. 20. “I believe other sections will follow and pull the plug, but I can’t speak for anyone else,” Section VIII (Nassau) Executive Director of Athletics Pat Pizzarelli said Aug. 26. “We felt strong enough to make this decision now,” he added.“We took the cautious route, but we believe it’s in everyone’s best interests. There are too many unknowns. “It’s just not time to allow kids to play sports,” he continued.“And my first and foremost concern is the safety of our student-athletes.”

The decision came two days after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued guidance permitting lower-risk high school fall sports (soccer, tennis, swimming, field hockey and cross-country) to begin practice and play on Sept. 21, while noting football and volleyball could begin practice but not play. However, Nassau’s superintendents did not consider the current conditions safe enough to conduct any fall sports. Photo by J. Heck/Herald

Nassau County postponed fall high school sports from September to January.

Dozens of local residents and animal rights activists denounced the removal by a federal agency of 86 Canada geese from Milburn Pond Park in Baldwin that were later killed. The agency said it was a mistake. In a July letter to Nassau County, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services department confirmed the removal of the geese in June and apologized for what was called an administrative error. The same type of work has been undertaken at several other Nassau County parks that are located within seven miles of John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials said in the letter, with the goal to reduce the hazard to aircraft posed by the geese. The park is about 11 miles from Kennedy Airport. Dozens of people gathered by the pond, on Merrick Road, for a candlelight vigil on Sept. 9 to pay tribute to

the geese, spread awareness and call on elected officials to implement humane wildlife management methods. “There were 530 geese that were massacred at Nassau County parks since 2016,” said John Di Leonardo, senior manager at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and president of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, a nonprofit that spans Long Island. Dozens of animal rights activists held up signs throughout the park and along the sidewalk to spread awareness of the removal and killings, and some motorists passing by honked their horns.

As Baldwin reopened and the community eased back into pre-pandemic norms, local companies were taking precautions to ensure a safe start. Synergy Fitness and Blink Fitness in Baldwin reconstructed their usual workout routines to assure gymgoers that their facilities aligned with state regulations. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Aug. 17 that gyms and fitness centers would be allowed to open starting Aug. 24 at 33 percent capacity while“following rigorous safety protocols, including wearing masks at all times.” Cuomo reminded the public that the Covid-19 pandemic was continuing, and urged New York gym owners to adhere to the guidelines in place, such as having sign-ins for contact purposes, maintaining social distancing and having ample

YEAR IN REVIEW SEPTEMBER

Bridget Downes/Herald

Dozens of local residents and animal rights activists gathered in Milburn Pond Park for a vigil to pay tribute to the 86 Canada geese that were removed by a federal agency, in error, and later killed.

Community votes down $158M school bond Baldwin School District residents voted down the district’s $158 million capital improvements bond referendum on Oct. 1. At a school board meeting, trustees accepted the results of the vote: 874 “yes” votes and 1,046 “no” votes. The referendum, titled Innovation 2020, was originally scheduled for March, but the coronavirus pandemic caused school officials to postpone it. The bond would have helped fund a multi-year capital improvement plan, for which school officials have been collecting input from the community over the past four years. The proposed projects, which included renovating decades-old facilities, would have also been funded by grants, state funds and the regular school district budget. “The people spoke to a sense of reality of the current economic condition,” said Jeff Barkan, co-president of

Baldwin gyms reopen with new rules

Courtesy Geri Ainbinder

No more than 50 people at a time were permitted in the building.

Audit finds Bethany House violated state, federal rules

the South Baldwin Jewish Center. “We all have wish lists . . . My point is that there is a balance between what you want and what you need, as well as what you can afford.” Many residents took to social media to share their reactions and concerns. Some were disappointed that the bond referendum was voted down, and some said they thought the timing of the vote was inappropriate, given that the Covid-19 pandemic has left many struggling financially because they have lost work.

The Nassau County Comptroller’s office released an audit report of Bethany House, a Baldwin-based nonprofit that provides shelter and services for homeless women and children, some of whom have escaped domestic violence, that found questionable and excessive payments to staff, including founder Sister Aimee Koonmen, and violations of nepotism and living wage laws. The 42-page report, released on Oct. 8, details a pattern of financial irregularities, including a failure to maintain documentation “to support over $160,000 in stipend payments” and “questionable payments exceeding $35,000 [that] were made to board members and employees, with no apparent reason for these payments,” the report reads. In five residences around Nassau County, including the location in Baldwin, Bethany House provides emer-

YEAR IN REVIEW OCTOBER

Bridget Downes/Herald

Baldwin School district residents turned out to the voting booths to cast their ballots in support of or opposition to the $158 million Innovation 2020 bond referendum.

disinfecting supplies available for clients. Synergy Fitness reopened its Baldwin, Franklin Square, Long Beach and Merrick locations on Aug. 26 at 5 a.m. With a thermometer in hand at the door to check clients’ temperatures and screening questions ready, Synergy employees said they were feeling confident about reopening. Rob Van Ness, manager of the Synergy Fitness on Atlantic Avenue in Baldwin, noted that he and his team were constantly sanitizing surfaces and updating their way of working to comply with state mandates. Every other piece of equipment was closed off, ample signage about social distancing was visible, and no more than 50 people at a time were permitted in the building.

gency and transitional housing and a range of programs to support families and return them to self-sufficiency. Audit investigators found that more than $6,000 of petty cash was used for “unallowed expenses” and staff members hired a relative in a key position, violating the New York State Nonprofit Revitalization Act. Bethany House employed Koonmen’s nephew as chief operating officer, and he received compensation of $186,570 and drove a vehicle owned by the organization. Auditors also found that Koonmen’s nephew was not working full-time. The report also noted payments totaling about $9,000 made from the bank account in the Religious Order’s name using a Bethany House address to another of Koonmen’s relatives, among other things. Google Maps

An audit by the County Comptroller’s office found multiple financial irregularities within Bethany House.

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

USDA: 86 geese killed at Baldwin park by accident

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

The Herald video that electrified Twitter As the Black Lives Matter protests swept across the South Shore in June, Heralds Executive Editor Scott Brinton captured a 15-second video of a very special 7-year-old girl — Wynta-Amor Rogers, of Uniondale — marching in Merrick and chanting, “No justice, no peace!” The video, taken during the second day of mass protests in Merrick, has to date garnered more than 24.3 million views on Twitter, and countless millions more on other social media platforms. Wynta-Amor became an overnight celebrity, with the video retweeted by actors Mark Hamill and Billy Baldwin and actress Halle Berry — and even by then Sen. — and now Vice President-elect — Kamala Harris. The video was incorporated into several nationally televised programs, including “Where Do We Go From Here,” hosted by Oprah Winfrey on the OWN Network; “Kids, Race and Unity,” hosted by Alicia Keyes on Nickelodeon; “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”; “The CBS Evening News” and “CBS Sunday Morning,” among others. It was also reported on by news outlets around the world, from Newsday to Entertainment Tonight Canada and The Indian Express in Mumbai, India. Google included it in its annual “Year in Search 2020,” which has been viewed nearly 161 million times on YouTube since it was posted on Dec. 8. The video was also featured in a montage at the Democratic National

Convention, as well as in various music videos, including one by The Chicks, formerly The Dixie Chicks. Artists painted portraits of Wynta-Amor on canvas — and in giant murals on the sides of buildings. In a column shortly after Brinton posted the video to Twitter, he tried to explain its instant popularity: “In the video, taken around 6:30 p.m., Wynta-Amor chants with the protesters, ‘No justice, no peace!’ “Many among the thousands who commented on the post described Wynta-Amor as ‘fierce.’ Yes, she was. Her hands moved to the beat of the chant. Her fingers pointed furiously. At the end, she raised her fist, seemingly in anger. Her fiery spirit was evident in her eyes. “Wynta-Amor, it appeared, had fully internalized the emotion of the moment. She was breathing it in, living it. I was live-tweeting the protest to chronicle it for the Heralds. When I posted the video, I never imagined it would go viral. By the time the protest ended two hours later, 25,000 people had viewed it. By midnight, a million had. Thirty-six hours later, 20.2 million, and counting. People from all parts of the globe viewed it. “In effect, this little girl broadcast a central message of Black Lives Matter for all in the Twittersphere to see: We must have justice to find the lasting peace our society seeks.

“Later on Wednesday, Wynta-Amor’s mom, [Lakyia Jackson], tweeted to thank me for the support that day. ‘We have to show our kids the right way,’ Jackson said. ‘Yes, Wynta-Amor,” she added, ‘mommy will help make your future better and all the rest of the kids in the world.’” At home, Jackson said, Wynta-Amor is the same little girl she’s always been. She watches TV, does her hair and nails with her mom, bakes brownies and makes Slime. Her favorite school subjects are arts and crafts, math and language arts. She likes to draw pictures of her friends and the night sky. “I’m a professional artist,” she told Brinton

an interview. Wynta-Amor, her mom said, has sickle-cell anemia, a rare chronic disorder that causes red blood cells to break down. Jackson stays home to care for her. She makes custom masks and T-shirts to earn a living, but said that caring for her daughter is her full-time job. No doubt, Wynta-Amor Rogers has become an icon. TWITTER

A Twitter video of 7-year-old Wynta-Amor Rogers, of Uniondale, protesting in Merrick, has garnered more than 24.3 million views. Heralds Executive Editor Scott Brinton took the 15-second video.

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The long-lost golf ball that, decades ago, sat atop the ticket booth near the miniature golf course at Nunley’s Amusement Park, on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin, is returning home. The fiberglass ball, about 8 feet wide and 7 feet tall, was found months ago in Burlington, N.J., at a shop called Obnoxious Antiques. Baldwin native Vinny Valentini, who in recent years has sought and collected Nunley’s antiques, including two of the junior hot rod cars, said he stumbled on the golf ball as he was browsing the shop’s Facebook page. A group of Baldwin residents then banded together to contribute to a Facebook fundraiser to collect enough money to purchase the large antique golf ball. The shop’s owners, after hearing that residents were enthusiastically anticipating its jour-

ney home, discounted the price of the golf ball from about $5,500 to $3,500. The plan is to have it mounted atop a 10-foot steel pole next to the Baldwin Historical Society and Museum, at 1980 Grand Ave., where Baldwin residents will be able to marvel at it and reminisce about their amusement park days. The grand unveiling is tentatively set for next spring. The carousel, which graced Baldwin from 1940 to 1995, is now housed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. And for many Baldwin residents, the features of Nunley’s Amusement Park bring feelings of nostalgia.

Pushing for a park at former beach club site Community members are pursuing a plan to potentially transform the former site of the Oakwood Beach Club, in Baldwin Harbor, into a green space for the community. The property, at 8 Milburn Ave., went up for auction on Oct. 14, at a minimum price of $1.15 million, but was not sold. Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, a Democrat from Freeport, whose district includes Baldwin, hosted a Zoom meeting in September at which residents of the Oakwood Beach Club area discussed the fate of the property, a once popular and bustling exclusive beach club with a picturesque view of Baldwin Harbor. Mulé said she and her office have conducted research and, although they

YEAR IN REVIEW NOVEMBER

Courtesy Obnoxious Antiques

The large fiberglass golf ball that used to sit atop the ticket booth at Nunley’s Amusement Park in Baldwin decades ago was found at Obnoxious Antiques in New Jersey.

are in the early stages of discussion, have reached out to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and an organization called the Trust for Public Land to explore options. The goal is to have the Trust for Public Land, a conservation organization that helps municipalities develop parks, assist with “converting the blighted beachfront property into a community green space,” Mule said. The Oakwood Beach Club closed in 2011, and the property sustained damage during Tropical Storm Irene that year. The following year, Hurricane Sandy brought more destruction, and the site today appears dilapidated. GOOGLE MAPS

The once popular Oakwood Beach Club.

Baldwin church covers families’ grocery shopping bills

Baldwinite one of first to get Covid vaccine Nassau University Medical Center received 797 Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine doses and administered the first one on Dec. 15 to emergency room nurse Gabrielle Desiree, of Baldwin. “I’m so happy I could be a part of what’s going on and help stop the pandemic,” Desiree said. Critical-care nurses and doctors were set to receive the vaccine next, followed by respiratory therapists, and housekeeping and pharmacy staff at the hospital. There were expected to be 2,000 more vaccine doses coming from Moderna. At a news conference at the hospital on Dec. 15, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, of Baldwin, called the vaccine distribution “the beginning of the end” of the pandemic. The federal Food and Drug

With many Nassau County residents increasingly experiencing financial troubles and food insecurity, the members of a Baldwin church, in the holiday spirit, gave back to their local community last Sunday. 12-17 Patrick and Nathalee Francis, the lead pastors of Impact Church, hosted their second annual Supermarket Sunday event, in which the church covered local families’ grocery shopping bills. Dozens of volunteers assisting

YEAR IN REVIEW DECEMBER

Administration issued the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 11 for people ages 16 and over. The move allowed the vaccine to be distributed around the country, paving the way for millions of vulnerable people to begin receiving it within days. The historic, science-driven vaccination effort seeks to help end the most devastating pandemic that the world has seen in a century. The U.S. has recorded more than 17 million known cases, and the national death toll exceeded 300,000 at the end of December. Courtesy office of County Executive Laura Curran

Emergency room nurse Gabrielle Desiree, of Baldwin, became the first recipient of the Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 15. Alongside her, County Executive Laura Curran and NuHealth president and CEO Dr. Anthony Boutin.

Impact Church were inside Ideal Food Basket, on Merrick Road in Baldwin, helping families shop, bringing their items to the registers and bagging them. The church, Nathalee said, raised $8,650 this year to cover the bills of nearly 50 local families. Each family was allocated $200, or $250 for larger families. The effort not only supported the church’s neighbors, Patrick said, but also bolstered the economy by inviting people to shop local at Ideal Food Basket.

Public Notices

LBAL1 1231

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. PAN REALTY CORP., et al, Defts. Index #613560/2019. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated March 5, 2020, I will sell at public auction

on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 1, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. prem. k/a District 8, Section 55, Block 321, Lot 116-119. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain

or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the sale. ROGER HAUSCH, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY. #98670 124176

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232 Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

Nunley’s golf ball to return to Baldwin

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Apartments Wanted

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Non-Smoking Woman Seeking 1-2 Bedroom Apartment with Long-Term lease. I Have a Steady Job at the Same Company for the past 20 years. I am Recently Separated and I am Looking for IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY. I am Quiet, Responsible and Extremely Reliable. Please Contact me with any Opportunities at cassiesmom810@aol.com. I have Plenty of References that I would be happy to supply to you upon request.

1113840

INC

liherald.com

If you need care from your relative, friend/ neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as a personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA Program. No Certificates needed.

1112179

HERALD Community Newspapers

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

WOOdMERE

946 Midwood Rd, BA, NEW! Renovated 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Colonial in Academy Area. Gran/Wood EIK, LR/Fpl, FDR & Den. Fin Bsmt. Gar ....................................................................................... $899,000 185 Bay Dr, BA, 5/6 BR, 4.5 Bth Exp Ranch on Parklike 1/2 Acre Prop. Guest Quarters, Full Bsmt, 2 Car Gar. SD#14 ........$1,450,000

salary, commission, bonuses and benefits. must have own vehicle and valid driver’s license.

RICHNER

1113447

(We said it was simple. We didn’t say it was easy.)

1114158

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

We hire the smartest people who can solve the hardest marketing objectives with an arsenal of solutions and a smile through the journey.

1104975

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

Melinda Beauchamp Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Mobile: 516.721.7805

mbeauchamp@coachrealtors.com mbeauchamp.coachrealtors.com

Melinda & Thor

314 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre NY 11570

Apartments For Rent

CEDARHURST NO FEE Pr ivate Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For O n e B e d r o o m W h e n Ava i l a bl e. (516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/ (516)582-9978

Helping you find a HOME or sell a HOME … a place to call your own. Suburb or country, house, condo, townhouse or apartment, our Classifieds can help you find a HOME that fits your style, your budget and Real Estate needs... it’s a MUST SEE!

Call us today!

Your Hometown Newspaper

To Place an Ad Call: 516-569-4000 • Press 5

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

HOME OF THE WEEK

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

Q. I wonder why I can’t seem to get a fire to burn properly in my chimney. All I get is smoke in the room. I’ve had the flue checked and know that the damper is working correctly, even if it is a little rusty. The worst part is that the house smells like smoke, even when we haven’t had a fire for months. Nobody can find anything wrong with it. What can I do?

Island Park

Island Bay Townhoue & Marina

his stunning 3 floor townhouse will captivate you with it’s breath taking water views. This home has 3 bedrooms (2 are masters and 1 is presently being used as den with fireplace and bar.) Every floor has views with either a patio or balcony to sit and enjoy. There are hardwood floors or tiles with radiant heat in the 1st floor bathroom. High ceilings in living and dining room, hardwood floors throughout and top of the line appliances. There is a secluded and romantic master on the 3rd floor with huge bathroom and walk in closet. It has a laundry room, an attached garage and l2 parking spots. There is also a boat slip included. Taxes are grieved (owner won an additional $1992 off taxes for 2021.) Asking $774,999

Ask The Architect

Lisa Camarda Owner/Broker RE/Max Reliance 3305 Jerusalem Ave Suite 211 Wantagh, NY 11793 516-755-7595 office 516-428-8861 cell

Sherlock Sherlock Homes Homes

BUSINESS FOR SALE Tazzetto Italian Coffee

263 Sunrise Hwy, Rockville Centre Possible Franchise Opportunity Turn-Key Established Coffee Shop High Traffic, Heavy Growth Area Completely Renovated 2019 Unique Grab & Go Concept Imported Gourmet Foods $350,000

516-459-5379

Contact one of our hardworking professionals today for all of your real estate needs!

*If your property is currently listed with another brokerage, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the listings of other brokerages.

Residential • Commercial • Business Brokerage

1106049

“Going Above & Beyond to find your Dream Home”

JUAN JARA Licensed RE Broker Associate Cell: 516-318-0142 Juan@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

Rhonda Healy

CAMILLE GIARDINA Licensed RE Broker/Owner Cell: 516-318-1392 Camille@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

M: (516) 236-7269

We’re Keeping the American Dream Alive. 1109112

www.AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

2949 Long Beach Road, Suite 8 • Oceanside, NY, 11572 Phone 516.766.8200

Real Estate Salesperson, abR, SRS E: Rhonda.Healy.VW@gmail.com Verdeschi & Walsh Realty 1025 W. Beech St. | Long Beach, NY

Rent Your Apartment through the Herald and PrimeTime Classified section. Call us for our great *specials. 516-5694000, press 5 for Classified Dept. *(private party only)

OneKey Multiple Listing Service

1110798

Broker/Owner

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING?

1114046

Roger Hart

75 SEAMAN AVENUE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE o: 516.766.7900 | signaturepremier.com

We look forward to providing home buyers and sellers with the highest level of personalized service and support.

By Appointment Only

A. Set up an electric fireplace in front of the real one, or play the Yule log rerun on your TV. A client once complained of the same problem, and after much searching, I asked them to build a fire so I could observe their method. They started the fire too far forward, so the smoke climbed the walls onte eeper and smoked out the room, setting off the smoke detector. Rule No. 1: Make sure the fire is directly under the flue opening and centered in the fireplace. There are many reasons why a fireplace doesn’t function. Some are obvious; some aren’t. Here are some possible reasons why yours doesn’t work. 1) The chimney is too narrow compared with its height. 2) The opening is too wide and not high enough. 3) The opening is too high and not wide enough. 4) There’s no fresh-air intake near the fire to draw air upward. 5) The flue has cracks that haven’t been detected. 6) The chimney isn’t two feet taller than the closest part of the roof within a 10-foot area, so breezes aren’t carrying smoke away, but instead a vacuum builds and forces air down the chimney. Winds rolling over your chimney from the upside roof slope also blow smoke downward in your chimney. 7) The flue has an angle bend in it that’s too sharp. 8) The wood selected isn’t properly seasoned. 9) Your fire starter is too wet or too dense. 10) The chimney has an animal living in it and must be cleaned out and capped. 11) The chimney is wet on the inside, either from openings in the exterior surface or the mortared crown or because it has no cap. This isn’t a likely reason for the smoke problem, but there’s a remote possibility. Since a fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat to burn, these reasons are basic to why you haven’t had success. The formula for a great fire is the right type of starter (an easy-burning tinder) at the bottom, air space between everything of one-half to threequarters of an inch, and a dry, soft wood like pine above the tinder. Add oak or other hardwoods after the fire is going to create more brightness. Updraft is also essential. I’m certain that one of these reasons is causing your problem. Don’t use any treated or dressed lumber that can give off poisonous gases and creosote. Be safe and attentive. Good luck!

© 2020 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.

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

Fireplace frustrations

Homes

HERALD

Market Place • •

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

Dave marlOWe Plumbing, inC. DBA BOB PHILLIPS PLUMBING

Over 100 Years Of familY Plumbing Oil to Gas • Toilets • Faucets • Repairs & Replacements Waste Piping • Water Piping

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If Your Plumbing STINKS

Call The WeNKS!

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For New Customer Exp. 12/31/20

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Switch To Electrolyzed Restructured Water It's Healthier For You, Your Family, And Your Pets!

conSuMer reportS:

licensed and insured

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lucy MenSAh Cell:

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www.lucyluulivingwater.com

"No Job Too Small!" Get the Best for Less!

Over 15 Years Experience Licensed • Insured

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Kitchens • Bathrooms • Painting Roofing • Sheetrocking • Plumbing Electrical • Concrete • Powerwashing Carpentry • Basements • Baby-Proofing Ikea Furn. Assembly • Computer Repairs

HANDYMAN SERVICE

RYAN 516-695-4527 917-697-3647

Carpentry & Painting Specialist

Also specializes in ★ Kitchens ★ Bathrooms ★ Finished Basements ★ Flooring ★ Repairs ★ Woodwork/mouldings ★ Siding ★ Gutters

516-678-6641– Licensed & Insured Free estImates...call anthony romeo

1066253

Chimney King, Ent. Inc.

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Chimney Cleaning & Masonry Services Done By Firefighters That Care chimneykinginc.com

Fully licensed and insured Nassau • Suffolk • NYC

CLUTTER

driving you

Sell your merchandise in no time! Email your Ad to the Herald and PrimeTime Classiﬁed Department at

sales@liherald.com to run a FREE "Finds Under $100"

CRAZY?

ALL CLEAR DRAIN & SEWER SERVICE

(516)409-9696 • (631)422-9696 Sinks • Tubs • Toilets • Sewer Lines

1078401

HEATING OIL

Residential and Commercial - All Phases

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1109488

COMPLETE RENOVATIONS

AlkAline WAter Sold

1112012

It may not always be as pure as you think, and your tap water may be cleaner than you realize. What you need to know.

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516-297-1885

OFF

Any Service Call

1110703

WeNK

PIPING & HEATING CORP.

ALFREDO’S CONSTRUCTION Specializing

HOME • COMMERCIAL

RELIABLE • 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE FAMILY OWNED FOR OVER 65 YEARS

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CALL FOR MORE INFO No service in Long Beach

Se Habla Espanol

Licensed & insured

the

BLACKTOP

BeSt priceS in town

senior Citizen Discounts

Call For Winter Specials

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1081114

• Oil to Gas Conversions • Hot Water Heaters • Boilers All Plumbing & Heating Work For House Lifts • Licensed and Insured!

Is Bottled Water Safer?

aboveallgutters.com

A Fresh CoAt For A Fresh stArt!

OWA_LessIsMore_BW_Bold

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on labor only

• Permits & Legalizations • Certified NYS Backflows • Licensed Master Plumber • Insured • FREE Estimates

1112911

Safe Roof and Exterior Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning, Repairs, Installations

Mention this ad and get

1112267

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

Free estimates

JOBS, MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE... JOBS, MERCHANDISE, It’s in the Herald Classifieds... REAL ESTATE & MORE... Call 516-569-4000 JOBS,To Advertise MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE... JOBS, MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE... press 5

Stuff

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

FINDS UNDER $100 Finds Under $100

Adoption

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

) SLED-LIGHTNING GLIDER- Vintage Beautiful Patina 44" Long 13" wipe $35.00 516-705-4313

E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.

MERCHANDISE MART

TV CABINET SOLID Oak: 4 Louver Doors. 42"Wx551/4"Hx24"Deep. Gorgeous. $99 516-292-0430

Handyman

Antiques/Collectibles

TV SONY 32" TUBE: Works Perfect. $25. 516-292-0430

We Buy Antiques, Fine Art & Jewelry Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 40 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid.. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464

VACUUM: SHARK ROTATOR Liftaway (corded) with six accessor ies. $95. 516-546- 7432

Single woman looking to build her family by adoption. Any ethnicity welcome, expenses paid. Please call (347) 470-5228 or my attorney: (800) 582-3678 for information

GLOCKENSPIEL, #A-440 2 Octaves with carrying case, shoulder strap and Mallets- Vintage $60/$70 516-705-4313

SERVICES

MIKE THE HANDYMAN: Light JobsPlumbing, Electrical, Specializing Vinyl Tiles, Gardening, Powerwashing, Painting. Interior And Exterior. Experienced. Reliable And Honest. Call Cell 516-225-8107; 516-837-3436

Check out our Service Directory for all your repair, decorating, party planning, cleaning or moving needs, and much more!

HErald

Crossword Puzzle

Home Improvement

CARPENTRY & PAINTING: Residential/ Commercial. All Phases. Licensed/ Insured. FREE ESTIMATES! Anthony & J Home Improvements 516-678-6641 HANDY DANDY NO JOB TOO SMALL! *Kitchens/ Baths *Painting *Sheetrock *Taping/ Spackling *Installations Ceramic/ Vinyl Tile *Carpentry *Alterations *Repairs/ More. FREE ESTIMATES. Dan 516-342-0761

*MICHAEL LO BAIDO CONSTRUCTION*

Cement Specialist, Brickwork, Interlock Bricks, Belgium Blocks, Stoops, Patios, Basement Entrances, Pavers, Waterproofing. Quality Work, Lic./ Ins. Owner Always Onsite Free Estimates 516-354-5578

Junk Cars Wanted

HIGHEST CA$H PAID All Cars Bought 24/7 FREE Pickup

Serving Nassau County 41 Years No Title, No Keys=No Problem ID Required. CALL US LAST!

Call us at 516-766-0000

NEED A CAR? Find it in the HERALD Classifieds.

Deals on Wheels

Miscellaneous DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice R e m o t e . S o m e r e s t r i c t i o n s a p p l y. 1-888-609-9405 GET DIRECTV! ONLY $35/month! 155 Channels & 1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand (w/SELECT All Included Package.) PLUS Stream on Up to FIVE Screens Simultaneously at No Additional Cost. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

Plumbing PLUMBER! PLUMBER! PLUMBER! FREE ESTIMATES! Heating, Repairs, Installations. $25 OFF New Customers. 24 Hour Emergency Response. 516-599-1011 PLUMBING & HEATING ALL TYPES Boilers, Bathrooms. Small/Large Jobs. Licensed. Call Chris 516-697-8001 or Tony 347-843-9243.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Careers/Training TRAIN AT HOME TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

Education COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

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AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale BUICK ROADMASTER 1994: Leather Interior, Excellent Working Condition, Must See To Appreciate. $3750. 516-428-3915 MERCEDES BENZ E350, 2006: 4-Matic, 70K Miles, Excellent Condition. Must See! $12,000. 516-603-8697

Autos Wanted ***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highe$t Ca$h Paid$ All Years/Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct + Ca$h. DMV ID#1303199 Call LUKE 516-VAN-CARS 516-297-2277 DRIVE OUT BREAST Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup - 24hr Response Tax Deduction - Easy To Do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

Want to sell your car, motorcycle or boat? Have we got a deal for you! You can advertise your vehicle in the

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516-569-4000 press 5, then 2

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

HERALD

For Advertising, call Rhonda Glickman,

vice president of sales, at (516) 569-4000, ext. 250.

The box at the far left side of the page is called the masthead. It contains the newspaper’s flag, or nameplate. The masthead offers important information about the paper, including the names of the staff members who are responsible for producing it each week. Publisher Stuart Richner guides the business and news operations of the 18 newspapers in the Herald Community Newspapers group, including the Nassau Herald, which serves the Five Towns, and Heralds for Baldwin, Bellmore, East Meadow, Franklin Square-Elmont, Freeport, Glen Cove, Long Beach, Lynbrook-East Rockaway, Malverne-West Hempstead, Merrick, Oceanside-Island Park, Oyster Bay, Rockville Centre, Sea Cliff-Glen Head, Valley Stream, Wantagh and Seaford. Each paper’s editor is responsible for the assignment, selection and placement of stories, most of which the editors and reporters write. The executive editor oversees news operations for all 18 papers in the group. The production department is responsible for the papers’ design. The advertising and art departments produce the large, often illustrated display advertisements that appear throughout the papers. The classified department produces the smaller advertisements at the back of the papers. The masthead also lists each paper’s age, the names of its founders, its address, email, and telephone and fax numbers, and it provides notice that all contents of the paper are copyrighted.

For Subscriptions, call Dianne Ramdass, circulation manager, at ext. 231.

20 HERALD

Editorials offer the opinions of the Herald. Editors write them. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the individuals who write them; rather, they are the institutional voice of the news organization. That is why they are unsigned. Herald editorial department staff members meet weekly to plan the editorials. Independent reporting by our staff often helps inform our editorials. We might also speak with experts and advocates to gain their perspective before sitting down to write an editorial. We are proud to say that we have won many press association awards for our editorial writing over the years. Among our most important duties is publication of our annual endorsements in local elections. We take this responsibility seriously. Editorial staff members sit down with candidates to question them about their views on major issues before offering the paper’s opinions about which candidates would best represent our readers.

Herald editorialS

Office Baldwin 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530

HERALD

Phone: (516) 569-4000 Established 1994 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Incorporating Web: www.liherald.com The South Shore Reporter E-mail: baldwineditor@liherald.com The Baldwin Citizen

HERALD office

COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Robert Richner Edith Richner Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax:1964-1987 (516) 569-4942 Publishers, Web: www.liherald.com ■ E-mail: baldwineditor@liherald.com STUARTCopyright RicHNeR © 2020 Publisher Richner Communications, Inc.

micHAel bOlOgNA Vice President - Operations

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ■

Robert Richner ScOTT bRiNTON Edith Richner Executive Edtitor Publishers, 1964-1987 Jim HARmON ■

Copy Editor clifford richner cHRiSTiNA DAlY stuArt richner Publishers Photo Editor MichAel BolognA TONY belliSSimO Vice President Sports Editor - Operations ■ KAReN blOOm scott Brinton Calendar Editor Executive Edtitor ■ JiM hArMon

Editorial comment

For your information . . . Editorial page

November 26, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

December 31, 2020 — BALDWIN HERALD

The masthead

RHONDA glicKmAN Copy Editor Vice President - Sales christinA dAlY Photo Editor elleN ReYNOlDS tonY BellissiMo Classified Manager Sports Editor lORi beRgeR KAren BlooM Digital Sales Manager Calendar Editor ■ ■ JeffReY NegRiN rhondA glicKMAn Creative ViceDirector President - Sales reYnolds cRAig ellen cARDONe Classified Manager Art Director lori Berger YOlANDA RiOS Digital Sales Manager JAcKie cOmiTiNO ■ PRiNcY JeffreY PANDiYAN negrin Production Artists Creative Director

■crAig white Production Coordinator DiANNe RAmDASS crAig cArdone Circulation Art Director Director ■

■

diAnneNeWSPAPeRS rAMdAss HeRAlD cOmmUNiTY Circulation Baldwin Herald Director Bellmore Herald Life ■ East Meadow Herald

herAld coMMunitY newsPAPers

Franklin Square/Elmont Herald

Baldwin Herald

Freeport Herald Leader Bellmore Herald Life

Glen Cove Herald GazetteHerald East Meadow Long BeachSquare/Elmont Herald Franklin Herald

Freeport Leader Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald

Long BeachHerald Herald Malverne/West Hempstead

Giving thanks in 2020

n a year when so much has gone awry — so many lives lost, businesses battered, jobs vanished — it strains the imagination to think what we might be thankful for, particularly as the nation enters its second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The coming months will likely be, as President-elect Joseph Biden has said, a “dark winter.” Thanksgiving is, however, all about the audacious nature of hope. The holiday, first celebrated in the fall of 1621, commemorates the struggle that the original Pilgrims faced and, against all odds, overcame in the New World — and the kinship they felt with the Native Americans who rescued them, helping to provide sustenance to a relatively small band of people who otherwise might have starved. The roughly 50 colonists at the original harvest celebration in Plymouth, Mass., were outnumbered by Native Americans two to one, according to History.com. The 100 Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower had seen much death between 1620 and 1621: Some 78 percent of the women died during the first winter. Yet they persevered, and survived. So shall the American people today — thanks in no small measure to our heroes

— the doctors, nurses, EMTS, firefighters, police officers, teachers, teachers’ aides, sanitation workers, railroad workers, subway and bus drivers, custodians, cooks, waiters and waitresses, supermarket employees and so many others — who have kept us safe, our education system up and running, and our economy moving. When many others were able to work from home, they put their lives on the line to do their jobs. As a society, we should take a moment and reflect on their sacrifices over the past nine months. We can also be thankful for our family and friends. We may not be able to shower them with hugs and kisses as we might want, but we can keep them in our thoughts and close to our hearts. And we can be thankful for the miracles of modern science. Only 100 years ago, the 1918 pandemic ran wild for two years, killing 50 million worldwide, including 675,000 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thanks to technology that allows many of us to work remotely and socially distance, to date we have seen a tenth of the 500 million cases that the world did in

1918-19, and because of modern medical technology, the death toll thus far is onefiftieth what it was then. So, while the number of infections and deaths today is unacceptably high, it is not close to the level of suffering experienced a hundred years ago — and let us hope and pray that it remains that way. Likely, it will. On Saturday, the innovative New York company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals received emergency-use authorization for its experimental antibody treatment for the coronavirus. President Trump received the treatment, and by all accounts it was highly effective. The drug is designed to prevent patients from becoming severely ill by imitating the body’s natural defense system. We can only say, wow! If all goes well, the Regeneron treatment should prevent many deaths, enabling health officials to safely roll out at least one of the vaccines now in the pipeline without undue political pressure. By April, we could indeed round the corner on this terrible pandemic, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Yes, there has been much despair this year, but there is much hope as well.

County does right by small businesses

e are pleased that Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is once again promoting small businesses ahead of the holiday season — which is vital this pandemic year. Last Friday, Curran and county Industrial Development Agency Chairman Richard Kessel came to Rockville Centre to promote an innovative contest, aptly titled the Shop Safe, Shop Local Scavenger Hunt, and we are encouraging readers to take part in it. The contest, which will be held for one week starting Saturday, will work like this: Complete four of eight tasks in your community, like buying breakfast at a local eat-

Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald Malverne/West Hempstead Herald NassauMerrick HeraldHerald Life Oceanside/Island Park Herald Nassau Herald Oceanside/Island Rockaway Journal Park Herald

ery or making a purchase at a local shop, and take a photo of yourself — masked — at each location, along with the product you purchased and your receipt. Then email it to scavengerhunt@nassaucountyny.gov or share it on Facebook. The first person who finishes all four tasks and registers them on each day of the contest will receive a $100 gift card. All purchases must be made at small businesses in a single community on the day of the contest. Online and delivery orders are eligible. The complete set of

instructions can be found at www.nassaucountygov/shoplocal. As we noted in last week’s editorial, “Remember to shop locally this holiday season”: “Despite the crisis, we encourage you to consider patronizing our mom-and-pop shops, many of which now offer their goods online. Abandoning our local businesses would be devastating on so many levels.”

Merrick Herald Life

Rockville Centre Oyster BayHerald Herald Guardian Sea Cliff / Glen Head HeraldJournal Gazette Rockaway

Editorial cartoon

Rockville Centre Herald South Shore Record

SouthHerald Shore Record Valley Stream

Each editorial cartoon provides a thoughtful and, we hope, humorous perspective on the major news of the week. Prize-winning cartoonists from across the country produce the cartoons, which do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Herald or its staff.

Baldwin

Bellmore

Valley Stream Herald Wantagh Herald Citizen

Wantagh Herald Citizen

Seaford Herald SeafordCitizen Herald Citizen

membeR: MeMBer: Local Media Association Local Media Association New York Press Association New York Press Association Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Baldwin Chamber of Commerce

Published by Published by richner communications, inc. Richner2 Endo communications, inc. Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 2 Endo Blvd. Garden NY 11530 (516)City, 569-4000 (516) 569-4000

East Meadow

letters More praise for doctor’s column To the Editor: As Bob Praver did in last week’s letters, I also applaud Dr. Eric Last’s column, “Surely we shouldn’t be fighting over wearing masks” (Nov. 12-18), on the urgency of wearing masks in fighting the coronavirus

Editor: Bridget downes

Long Beach

Franklin Square/ Elmont

HERALD HERALD HERALD HERALD Editor: Editor: Brian stieglitz Editor: Peter Belfiore alyssa seidman Life

pandemic. But while Last’s exhortation that we must “treat others as you’d want to be treated yourself ” was well-intentioned, I believe it would fall on deaf ears when directed not only at those who, at this late date, scoff at the wearing of masks and social distancing, but also those who deliberately promote and take part in large, illegal social gatherings with no consideration of taking measures to counter the spread

Editor: ronny reyes

Senior Editor: laura lane

HERALD Editor: Jim Bernstein

Lynbrook/ East Rockaway

HERALD

Senior Editor: miKe smollins

Malverne/ West Hempstead

HERALD Editor: naKeem grant

Editor:

What are the editorial pages all about? Who writes editorials? How do letters and guest columns get published? This week’s pages offer some answers to our readers. We thank The Riverdale Press for the idea.

Opinion columns We publish three columns every week. Columns represent the views of the writers themselves, not of the Herald. Each writer works independently and chooses his or her own subjects. Among our regular contributors are the Heralds’ executive editor, Scott Brinton, and the Nassau Herald’s former executive editor, Randi Kreiss, both of whom have won numerous awards for their opinion writing. We also feature columns by prominent political figures, including former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato and former State Assemblyman Jerry Kremer, both of whom are now consultants. And we regularly invite guest columnists to offer their views.

Opinion pages 21

opinions

BALDWIN HERALD — December 31, 2020

opi

he coronavirus pandemic has created a variety of hardships that have left families and children in distress. Social isolation. A mounting death toll. An estimated 8 million Americans falling into poverty. We have entered uncharted territory, and uncertainty continues as cases continue to rise across the U.S. Grief is a normal reaction — grieving not just the loss of life, but also the loss of normalcy and freedom when a disaster occurs. So what happens when we add even more stress to families sharon and their children, skariah particularly when schools close? The trickledown effect of all this misfortune can dramatically weigh on kids, especially if they don’t have access to mental health resources at home. Typically, mental health symptoms are identified at school, by their teachers and peers, social workers and guidance counselors. Children need a routine and consistency. Remote learning and social isolation will continue to uproot them. Children

with autism also face challenges with irritability, anxiety and behavioral disturbances. And the erratic nature of schools’ opening and closing (albeit temporarily) can have a lasting effect. A recent study in JAMA Pediatrics showed that more than 22 percent of students in the Hubei province of China reported symptoms of depression, and more than 18 percent had anxiety symptoms, when schools closed for over a month. A second study, in the Journal of Pediatrics, determined that younger children (ages 3 to 6) were more inclined to show fear or clinginess, where older kids (6 to 18) were more likely to show inattention and persistent inquiry. Clinging, inattention and irritability were the severe psychological conditions demonstrated by children in all age groups. School closures — short or long — are unfortunately bound to happen until a safe and effective vaccine is available. Prepare to take care of your child now. First, children need outlets. In early childhood, play is important for development in the physical, verbal and emotional domains. Build that imaginary fort,

he trickledown effect of all this misfortune can dramatically weigh on kids.

LeTTers of the virus. The time for these selfish and greedy individuals to be reasoned with has long passed. These people should be penalized for their actions, which continue to put the rest of us at even greater risk of acquiring the disease, and severe penalties should also be meted out to participants in these gatherings, not just their greed-bound organizers. If anything, these miscreants should consider the 17th-century English poet John Donne’s poem, telling us not to ask “for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” They might also be reminded that, indeed, “no man is an island,” as Donne wrote. It appears, though, that they do not realize or accept this concept, even though we are all in this fight — together. ROBERT RUBALSkY East Rockaway

We must protect communities of color

Nassau

HERALD HERALD Life

Fourth — and most important — pay attention. Younger children can’t always express their distress, anxiety or fear. Their behavior may regress. Look for the signs, which include an increase in crying or neediness, more temper tantrums or somatic symptoms (headaches, stomach aches) than normal. Older children may also show increased anger and irritability. If you think your children or adolescents may need a mental health professional, don’t hesitate. They are acting that way because they need help. So watch out for them to verbalize any suicidal thoughts, ongoing sleep disturbances, a decline in overall functioning (hygiene, grooming), aggression or worsening substance use. If you see these signs, seek treatment. Following these steps may help keep children mentally fit during one of our harshest times. Nothing can replace life as we knew it pre-Covid, but you can manage this new normal and keep your kids safe, too.

Special features The op-ed, or opposite the editorial, page features a weekly Framework photo, which is chosen by our photo editor. The Framework offers a creative, at times humorous outlet for our photography staff. In this spot, we also publish photos sent to us by readers, featuring them on vacation, reading the Herald at various international landmarks. We call it Herald Around the World. At times, a correction box might appear on the op-ed page. We strive each week for the highest standards of accuracy and accountability. When we make mistakes in our reporting, we believe we must own up to them and correct the record.

Sharon Skariah, M.D., is the director of child and adolescent psychiatry for Zucker Hillside Hospital. She is also an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell.

Framework Courtesy Roni M. Chastain

the United States, and amid big treatment strides, the disease continues to ravage African-American and other minority communities with a particular vengeance. Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic patients still die far more frequently than white patients, even as death rates have plummeted for all races and age groups.” As Covid-19 continues to spread aggressively nationwide, it is crucial that government officials at all levels — federal, state and local — address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of color. Immediate attention should be paid to issues such as the availability of testing facilities in communities of color, access to health care, inequitable treatment once access is provided and priorities for providing vaccines once they are available. The evidence is clear: Government owes it to all Americans to ensure fair and equal access to health care, regardless of race, in this pandemic — and always.

To the Editor: The Washington Post last Friday published a new analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on people of color. It reported, “Nearly nine months after the virus exploded in

Merrick

encourage storytelling, toast s’mores in your backyard. For adolescents, it’s important that they develop their own sense of identity but also explore peer relationships. Encourage this — in a socially distanced, safe way. Second, seek normalcy. The goal is to foster continued development, even if your children can’t attend school in person. They want to feel safe — an important tool for parents to use during the crisis. Make sure you provide protection and consistency in an otherwise uncertain time. Talk to them about their feelings. Ensure their safety by creating an atmosphere of stability. Third, adapt to the environment. Summer may be gone, but you can still enjoy the outdoors safely during the fall, and even on some nice winter days. When the extreme cold sets in, continue building on the elements of safety and fun you have already introduced. Have family game nights. Schedule a movie night. Cook and bake together as a family. Designate a reading hour. Although it may be colder, it’s important to get exercise, so go for a walk or a hike or a brisk bike ride. There are also online exercises for kids, like yoga and others.

BALDWIN HERALD — November 26, 2020

We need to pay attention to children’s mental health Give thanks the election is

Letters to the editor We welcome readers’ letters to the editor and publish most that we receive. We believe these letters are critically important, because they reflect the shared voices of the communities that we cover. Letters should be 250 to 300 words in length. Each letter must include an address and phone number. Our editors call all letter writers to confirm the authenticity of letters before publication. We edit letters for length, grammar, spelling and foul language. We do not censor viewpoints. If we believe a letter requires major revisions, we will send it back to the writer and ask that he or she change it so that meaning and intent are not lost. Readers should send letters to the editors of their hometown newspapers. They can be sent by email (preferred), fax or mail. All contact information is listed on the masthead and on our website, liherald.com.

ELAINE GROSS President, ERASE Racism

The season’s last splashes of color — Glen Cove

Oceanside/ Island Park

HERALD

Editor: alyssa seIdMan Senior Editor: Jeff Bessen Senior Editor: MIKe sMollIns Senior Editor: laura lane

Rockville Centre

HERALD Senior Editor: laura lane Editor: JIll nossa

Seaford

Wantagh

Valley Stream HERALD HERALD HERALD Interim Editor: J.d. freda Citizen

Interim Editor: J.d. freda Editor: peter BelfIore

Citizen

December 31, 2020 â€” BALDWIN HERALD

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