Bellmore Herald 01-06-2022

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Bluebird Kitchen opens its doors

ING

Mayhem looks ahead after hit season By jorDaN ValloNE jvallone@liherald.com

Courtesy Jamie Lee Rodriguez

jamiE roDriGuEz, oF Merrick, acted in her first commercial last Oct. 28, cutting a man’s hair in the bathroom of a Los Angeles home. The Wantagh barber starred in the Ruffles “Own Your Ridges” campaign, which premiered on Christmas Day.

Local barber stars in Lebron James commercial

By StEphaNiE BaNat newsroom@liherald.com

Barber Jamie Lee Rodriguez, of Merrick, landed a spot on national television on Christmas Day, starring in a new Ruffles potato chip commercial with NBA superstar LeBron James.

The commercial is the first in a series called “Own Your Ridges,” a Ruffles campaign aimed at encouraging viewers to embrace their challenges — their “ridges” — by show-

casing five people who overcame major obstacles in their lives. The spot is set to “DNA,” by Kendrick Lamar.

Rodriguez, 30, who often goes by Jay and works at Hair Magicians, in Wantagh, was discovered by the ad’s casting director, Anissa Williams, on Instagram, where Rodriguez showcases her hair styling skills as @jayleebladez. Williams was searching for a woman barber, and sent Rodriguez a direct message about the opportunity. At

first, Rodriguez questioned the authenticity of the message and thought it might be spam, she recalled in an interview with the Herald.

“I was scrolling through my Instagram and noticed a message request from a woman named Anissa saying she was looking for a female barber for a commercial. …

Normally, spam messages come in like this,” she said.

But Rodriguez responded anyway, and Williams asked Continued on page 16

In Bellmore-Merrick, youth baseball club Merrick Mayhem offers a town-oriented, travel team experience for local boys and girls who play baseball or softball. Started in 2019 by Brian Mann, Brendan Kalkau, Evan Te pper and Erik Bashian, what was once a small organization has quickly expanded into nine teams — one for softball and eight for baseball.

When Mayhem was founded, the first team was an 8-and-under squad.

Having watched his raquEl sons and their friends play tee-ball Parent and baseball for years, Mann said, discussions about forming a club had been going on for a while.

Mann, who now runs the program with co-founder Kalkau, has three sons who play on Mayhem teams.

“We always had a lot of faith in the boys since they were young — I’m talking since they were 3 or 4 years old,” Mann said. “We thought it would be

t

great if we could start a travel team and see what the kids could do.

“The year right before the pandemic, we were going to have three teams, and then the season got delayed,” he went on. “We had four teams in 2021, and there will be nine teams in 2022.”

The original 8-and-under Mayhem team is now its oldest age group, 11-and-under.

“Our idea is to build from the ground up,” Mann said of the Mayhem program. “The age groups are from 7u to 11u — we’re not going to create a t e a m a b o ve t h e BoDNEr 11-year-olds.”

Although it has Merrick in its name, the club takes players from Bellmore, too, as well as other towns.

“We are a huge supporter and financial sponsor of BellmoreMerrick PAL,” Mann explained, referring to the Police Activity League. “. . . And because we’re a travel team, we do take kids from outside towns. If there’s 100 families involved, maybe four of

here is nothing else that he loves more than this team.

Continued on page 4

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January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

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Bluebird Kitchen opens to local eaters mcestero@liherald.com

Bluebird Kitchen has officially opened on Merrick Road in Bellmore. Once home to the former restaurant chain, Red Robin, the restaurant opened its doors on Dec. 30 as an 80’s themed beach diner, serving a range of dishes from casual meals to fine-dining.

Decorated in white marble counters and the restaurant logo, the pastel blue restaurant gives a sense of calm and relaxation. Owner of the restaurant and longtime chef, Albert Di Meglio, 45, of Staten Island, decided to open the restaurant alongside his friends and business partners with one goal in mind — serving the community what they want.

Di Meglio’s second restaurant, his aim was for Bluebird Kitchen to become a local hotspot for the neighborhood, serving an array of fun culinary dishes. Pastas are made in-house at his first restaurant, Barano, which is located in Brooklyn, and delivered to Bluebird Kitchen.

All wines are sustainable, biodynamic wines, specially picked by the staff.

“I’ve always loved the business because I’ve always loved art, and food is edible art,” said Di Meglio. “I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.”

Di Meglio was taught to cook by his grandmother and fell in love. Making pizzas at 14, Di Meglio went on to attend culinary school. After graduating, he began to work as a chef at multiple restaurants, such as Le Cirque and Osteria Del Circo, both in Manhattan, where he met business partners along the way. Managing two restaurants, Di Meglio gives his staff full permission to choose the menu items.

“Whatever is fun and delicious I want it on the menu,” said Di Meglio. “The longer we’re open, we’ll understand more of what the neighborhood wants.”

Some of Bluebird’s state-of-the-art choices include a creamy and light kale pappardelle pasta topped with mushrooms and parmigiano cheese. Their fea-

ture item — “Mann’s Pig In a Blanket,” — is a small sausage wrapped in fluffy, crispy golden puff pastry, topped with an array of seeds and red cabbage. Desert options include their “hard-to-put-down” banana cream pie.

A close friend of the owner, Brock Katz, 27, was brought in as the head chef of the new restaurant. A Bellmore local, Katz has been working professionally in kitchens since the age of 14. Graduating from Johnson and Wales University, Katz later met Di Meglio through a mutual friend and began training under him to become the head chef of the restaurant.

“It’s awesome and a really great feeling,” said Katz of his position. “I grew up in Bellmore and this is my hometown, so to be able to get the chance to open a restaurant here is a really cool experience.”

Katz trained under Di Meglio while working at Barano. Together, they collaborated to create new and “fun” dishes, testing them at the location in preparation for the new restaurant opening.

“There are no egos in the kitchen,” said Katz about working in the new restaurant. “I love being in the kitchen even in the most stressful of situations so to be able to put my vision on the plate for once — instead of someone else’s — is a really cool feeling.”

A valued member of the team, Florida-born Luciana Autilio, 39, was called by Di Meglio and his business partners to work as the general manager of Bluebird Kitchen. Autilio moved to New York in 2001, and met Di Meglio working at the Ritz Carlton in Manhattan.

“We speak the same language,” said Autilio. “We are trying to build something special here and it starts with old-school hospitality, starting with the staff.”

Preparing for the upcoming season, the restaurant is slowly acclimating to the surrounding area. The restaurant will eventually open up for brunch and lunch, according to Autilio.

“It’s been very fun so far, and we want to do it right,” said Autilio.

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

By MARIA CESTERO

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Photos by Maria Cestero/Herald

BluEBIRd KITChEn, lOCATEd on Merrick Road in Bellmore, recently opened its doors to local eaters on Dec. 30.

TOp lEfT, “MAnn’S Pig In a Blanket” is Bluebird Kitchen’s feature menu item. It is small sausages wrapped in a fluffy puff pastry.

ABOvE, KAlE pAppARdEllE Pasta with mushrooms and parmesan topping is one of their top dishes.

BOTTOM lEfT, dESERT options include creamy banana cream pie made in house, topped with cream.

Merrick Mayhem baseball wins big Continued from front page them are from outside Bellmore-Merrick.”

What makes Mayhem unique is that kids in the community have the opportunity to play town-oriented travel baseball with lower costs than elite travel teams.

The club holds annual tryouts in September and October, and this year, Mann said, “We were able to create multiple teams to play in different divisions.”

As of last year, the organization as a whole had notched more than 100 wins and five championships for four teams.

They compete in two Long Island travel leagues, East Coast Youth Baseball and Long Island Hot Stove Baseball. Games are played primarily on the island, though some tournaments take place in Maryland.

Although every team has had success, last year’s 10-and-under squad was most impressively, winning the East Coast championship in both the spring and fall seasons, as well as a summer tournament.

“In the fall, they went from worst to first,” said Raquel Bodner, of Merrick, whose son, Zachary, played on the team.

Competing among East Coast’s 13 teams last fall, Mayhem had a rocky start before qualifying as the lowest seed in the playoffs. “Ten things had to happen for us to make playoffs,” said Mann, who man-

H

516 CARCAS

ages the team with three coaches.

After a big 14-1 win against a team from Plainview, the 10u Mayhem team captured the East Coast championship, beating two squads from the Long Island Titans, one of the most elite youth baseball programs in New York. “It was a Cinderella story,” Mann said.

Since the program’s founding, Mayhem has become an integral part of the community — especially for all of the families involved.

“When the pandemic started, we had nothing to do,” Bodner said. “Baseball was Courtesy Merrick Mayhem l i ke o u r t h e r a p y, SuCCeSSful SinCe the club’s founding, Mayhem’s current 11-and-under team won a championship in the because no one had fall of 2020 and received a special citation from the Town of Hempstead. anything else. [Mayhem] was such an they’re only going to get better and betamazing addition to our town. ter.”

“It is my son’s favorite thing in the uniMayhem teams practice throughout verse,” she added. “There is nothing else the year, usually getting about an eightthat he loves more than this team. I think week break after the fall season ends end Last year, Merrick Mayhem’s 10-andbefore a winter training period starts. To under baseball team won three major keep program costs low, all of the coaches championships. The kids on the standare volunteers. Professional trainers are out squad were Spencer Bashian, hired only during the winter.

Zachary Bodner, Drew Botus, Tristan The club operates on a three-pillar phiCetto, Isaac Diamant, Spencer Ednick, losophy: try hard, be a good sport and Oldest Car Buying Service have fun. “We try to base everything Bryce Finklestein, Nathan Friedman, in North America around that,” Mann said. “We have a talMax Hindes, Gavin Jurek, Logan Mann, ented group of kids who are willing to Andrew Pucella, Dylan Ryan and Noah work around those pillars. They’re comBuying new, used, junk, Winiarsky. mitted to the team the same way the parsalvage, paying, paying, The team was managed by Mayhem ents are.” paying $$$ co-founder Brian Mann. The coaches For more on the organization, go to were Brett Bodner, Tristan Cetto and merrickmayhem.com or the Mayhem Shawn Hindes.

Sell, donate or trade Baseball Facebook page.

mayhem’s 10u Squad

516-227-2274 Call for Quote

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total infections as of Jan. 4

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Community update

new infections, dec. 30 - Jan. 4 715

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main phone: (516) 569-4000 ■ WeB Site: www.liherald.com/bellmore ■ e-mail: Letters and other submissions: belleditor@liherald.com ■ editorial department: Ext. 207 e-mail: belleditor@liherald.com ■ SuBSCriptionS: Press ”7” e-mail: circ@liherald.com fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClaSSified adVertiSing: Ext. 286 e-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ diSplay adVertiSing: Ext. 249 e-mail: rglickman@liherald.com fax: (516) 569-4643 the Bellmore herald USPS 017547, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Bellmore Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. newsstand price: $1. Subscription rates: $60 for 1 year. annual Subscription rates, $9.75 per quarter auto-pay or $50 one-time payment within Nassau County or $60 outside of Nassau County.

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January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

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HERALD — January 6, 2022

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January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

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events and activities

community update Thursday, Jan. 6

ing, jingle shaking, drum drumming hullabaloo both kids and parents will love. Each class combines song, dance and rhythm in an interactive musical experience for ages 4 months to 5 years. Registration is for all 3 sessions.

Registration begins December 30 for Merrick residents. Non residents January 7. Program will run from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Please register in advance.

Please contact the library directly with any questions.

STEM Club at the Bellmore Memorial Library Join the Bellmore Memorial Library to participate in a fun science, technology, engineering and math related activity. Each month will feature a different project. This is for ages 5-12.

As per CDC and NYS guidelines, all visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask while inside the library and during this program. Space is limited. Please contact childrens@ bellmorelibrary.org with any questions.

Club will run from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 13 Weights and Strength Class at the NBPL

Friday, Jan. 7

Visit the North Bellmore Public Library for a weights and strength class.

Strength classes aim to improve daily living skills through better balance, strength, flexibility and agility. These classes promote progressive resistance where your training load is increased as your muscles become stronger. Participants must provide their own weights.

Class will run from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.

Please contact vkowalewski@northbellmorelibrary.org with any questions.

Defensive Driving Course to be offered at the Bellmore Memorial Library A 6-hr classroom course will be presented by the National Safety Councilcertified instructors at the Bellmore Memorial Library, who, with the help of modern, multi-media techniques, offer you a new approach to learning accident prevention skills. Participants will receive a course guide to use in class and to keep for future reference. Even the most experienced drivers find the course interesting and filled with valuable safe driving tips. Register online or in person at the Reference Desk Class will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For Ages: 18+. A $40 check made payable to “Martin Hirschfield” Multiple registrants require separate checks. Bring your check, license, and a pen to class. There will be a 1/2 hr. lunch break. As per CDC and NYS guidelines, all visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask while inside the library and it must cover the nose and mouth. Social distancing of 6 feet is still required. Please register in advance and contact cham@ bellmorelibrary.org with any questions or concerns.

Monday, Jan. 10 Intro to Cryptocurrency Class at the North Bellmore Vist the North Bellmore Public Library to take All About Cryptocurrenc. In

l l l l l

Courtesy North Bellmore School District

A table read and write at Martin Avenue Martin Avenue Elementary School second graders, from left, Summer Ryan, Lylah Jakubowski, Niall Reddington, Jack Ozechowski and Hailey Nehrebecki read “Our Table” by Peter Reynolds and then reflected on ways they spend time with their families.

this lecture and demonstration class, students will learn all about the newest form of digital currency “Cryptocurrency.” What is Crypto? Is it safe?

These questions and many more will be answered. No prerequisites. This class will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Please register in advance. Please contact vkowalewski@northbellmorelibrary.org with any questions.

Visit the Merrick Library to make an adorable yarn snowman decoration for the winter. This program is for children in grades K-3. Registration begins December 30 for Merrick residents. Non residents January 7. The event will tkae place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the library community room. Please register in advance and contact the library directly with any questions.

Tuesday, Jan. 11

Yarn Wrapped Snowman Craft at the Merrick Library

Yarn Wrapped Snowman Craft at the Merrick Library

Visit the Merrick Library to make an adorable yarn snowman decoration for the winter. This program is for children

in grades K-3. Registration begins December 30 for Merrick residents. Non residents January 7. The event will tkae place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the library community room. Please register in advance and contact the library directly with any questions.

Wednesday, Jan. 12 Music for Aardvarks at the Merrick Library Visit the Merrick Library to rock out with Music for Aardvarks! It’s a foot stomp-

HAvINg AN EvENT? Items on the Community Update pages are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest.

All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to jvallone@liherald.com.

A Goat Yoga and Animal Fundraiser will take place on Jan. 9 at the Bellmore Budha Barn.

Newbridge Road Park will undergo a series of park improvements throughout the winter for next spring.

Area schools and libraries will be closed on Jan. 17 in observance of MLK Day. Town of Hempstead boat ramp stickers will be available starting Jan. 1 for 2022.

Janurary ice skating is available at the Newbridge Arena in Bellmore.

Bruce Blakeman takes the oath of office

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tcarrozza@liherald.com

Hundreds packed into the lobby of the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on Monday as new County Executive Bruce Blakeman, County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and County Clerk Maureen O’Connell took their oaths of office.

In his first remarks after taking leadership over one of the country’s most populated counties, Blakeman made it clear that he would not abide by Governor Hochul’s mask mandate, which was implemented in early December amid a new wave of cases caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

“Starting today, Nassau is normal ag ain,” Blakeman told a largely unmasked crowd. “We have seen the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we can no longer be afraid. Yes, we still have challenges, but they are manageable.”

According to The New York Times’ online tracker, Nassau’s hospitalization rate had increased by 47 percent in the previous 14 days, with 58 deaths in that same period. The seven-day positivity rate climbed to 24 percent, as well.

Blakeman said the county would continue to encourage and support free vaccinations and testing for residents. He said

this approach would account for the economic, social, and mental health consequences of lockdowns and mandates.

“Nassau County is not in crisis,” Blakeman continued. “Our hospital admissions are rising by a manageable and predictable rate. Reason and common sense must supplant hysteria.” Blakeman promised to lobby Albany to keep students in class without masks.

Blakeman also took aim at the previous administration’s approach to the tax reassessment system, describing it as “unfair” and “secretive,” alluding to the algorithm used by Laura Curran’s office.

Blakeman pledged to provide transparency by investigating the previous system with Comptroller Phillips.

“There is no reason why millionaires should pay zero taxes, and then homes that are identical in the same communities pay vastly different tax rates,” Blakeman said. “It’s broken and we will fix it.”

Reducing taxes to retain young people and keep older adults comfortable would be another major focus of the new administration, Blakeman said.

Blakeman closed by saying he and new District Attorney Anne Connelly would demand the repeal of the state’s bail reform bill.

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New Nassau CouNTy Executive Bruce Blakeman gave his first speech after his inauguration at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

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By Tom Carrozza

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

New county executive won’t follow statewide mask mandate ordered by governor

12/2/21 2:56 PM

Bringing local sports home every week

Herald sports SpOTLIghT aThLETE

Kennedy, Calhoun vie for conference

BraNDON gOLDSTEIN

Kennedy Sophomore Wrestling ON DEc. 11, Goldstein helped the Cougars to a 4th-place finish (out of 13 teams) in the 45th annual Sprig Gardner Tournament hosted by the Bellmore-Merrick District. He captured the 285-pound title with a 6-4 overtime decision against Lawrence’s Andres Valle. Goldstein, who is ranked third in Nassau in the weight class, also had a big semifinal win over Mepham’s Miguel Rivera in the two-day event on the way to earning Kennedy’s George Munnich Most Outstanding Wrestler award.

gaMES TO waTch Friday, Jan. 7

Wrestling: Lynbrook at V.S. North...........................4:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Lynbrook at V.S. South ..................... 5 p.m.

Wrestling: Baldwin at East Meadow ........................... 6 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Syosset at Freeport ......................... 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Farmingdale at Oceanside .............. 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Clarke at Wantagh ........................... 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 8

Wrestling: Calhoun Tournament.............................9:30 a.m.

Girls Basketball: Sewanhaka at Elmont....................... 10 a.m.

Girls Basketball: Hewlett at South Side......................... 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: MacArthur at Mepham...................... 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: South Side at Hewlett ...................... 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: North Shore at Lawrence ................... 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: G.N. South at Long Beach ................. 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Elmont at Sewanhaka ........................12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Seaford at Carey ..........................12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Roosevelt at Kennedy ......................... 2 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 10 Boys/Girls Bowling: Oceanside at Baldwin ..................... 4 p.m.

Gymnastics: South Side at Long Beach .......................... 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Hicksville at V.S. Central .................6:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball: C.S. Harbor at West Hempstead.......... 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Carle Place at Malverne ................. 7 p.m.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

MEphaM’S OwEN TrENkLE, left, captured the 126-pound title at MacArthur’s Tournament last month.

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

If results go according to rankings on paper, the battle for the Nassau Conference 3A wrestling title will come down to a showdown between Kennedy and Calhoun on Jan. 12.

Kennedy, which hosts the 7 p.m. regularseason finale, boasts a starting lineup consisting of mostly juniors, while Calhoun brings a dozen seniors to the fold this season after rostering just two last winter.

“It’s a large senior group we had as freshmen and they want to finish strong,” Calhoun coach Pete Marques said. “We’re off to a nice start.”

The Colts placed second in BellmoreMerrick’s 45th annual Sprig Gardner Tournament, second in East Meadow’s tourney and third at South Side’s event.

Junior Ray Adams (126 pounds) won the Sprig and South Side to lead the way.

Seniors Jordan Burr (160) and Michael Patti (189) also earned tournament titles at South Side, while junior Andrew Foy (215) kicked off the campaign by capturing the Battle at the Beach Tournament in Long Beach.

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Adams is ranked No. 2 in Nassau County at 118, where he’ll compete down the stretch and into the postseason. Burr is ranked fourth, Foy is ranked fifth, and senior John Bernhardi is ranked sixth at 170. Patti and senior Joe Scandaglia (152) are also keys to Calhoun’s success, Marques noted.

Kennedy coach Brian DeGaetano is encouraged by the Cougars’ 8-0 start in dual meets. “Between injuries and Covid, you just want to keep the lineup intact,” DeGaetano said. “The kids are doing a great job of doing everything in their power to stay healthy. I’m excited about our potential.”

Sophomore Brandon Goldstein was one of Kennedy’s three finalists in the Sprig and its only victor. He defeated Lawrence’s Andres Valle in a thrilling 285pound title bout, 6-4 in overtime. Goldstein also knocked off Mepham’s Miguel Rivera in the semis, 4-1.

Junior Jefferson Cruz (102) and sophomore JJ Pizzirusso (118) both came within an eyelash of Sprig titles. Both lost 3-2 in the finals. “They’re practice partners and both have All-County potential,” DeGaetano said.

Senior Chris Tonico is a three-time AllConference grappler looking to reach the All-County podium in February. He along with juniors Nick Jaramillo and Brian Shindel operate in the 138-145 range.

Junior Josh Amiel has made an amazing body transformation, DeGaetano said, and is raking at 285 with 11 wins in December including a handful in the Sprig to take third.

Mepham, coached by Ken Richards, navigated a rough dual meet schedule in December which included perennial county contenders Long Beach and MacArthur.

The Pirates finished third in the Sprig led by finalists Christopher Guarascio (132) and Sebastian Alvarez (160.)

“We’re a very young team with only five seniors,” Richards explained.

Juniors Owen Trenkle (126) and Dylan Dunn (132) captured tournament titles at MacArthur. Eighth-grader Chris Notti (110) has placed in three tournaments, including a runner-up showing at South Side. Sophomore Devin Greene (138) is also off to a strong start. Richards is hopeful Rivera, who injured his foot in the Sprig, can return in time for the county qualifier.

516.536.2800 | orlincohen.com

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12/22/21 4:22 PM

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BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

We can Help!…. and so can you temPo GrouP

meeting the needs of our communities today and tomorrow although recent times have brought hurdles, we have also enjoyed many successes.

Here are some of the highlights:

HELP SAVE A LIFE! You will Learn:

i The signs of an opioid overdose. i How to reverse an opioid overdose. i About treatment approaches.

Overdoses can happen to anyone. Everyday at least one Long Islander dies from an overdose related to heroin or prescrip on painkillers. We will give you a FREE Naloxone overdose reversal agent and teach you how to use it.

Please Register in advance at: info@tempogroup.org or call 516-374-3671 WůĞĂƐĞ ŶŽƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ^ŽĐŝĂů tŽƌŬ ĂŶĚ K ^ ^ ĐƌĞĚŝƚƐ ĂƌĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͘ dĞŵƉŽ 'ƌŽƵƉ ŝƐ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ EĞǁ zŽƌŬ ^ƚĂƚĞ ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ͛Ɛ ^ƚĂƚĞ ŽĂƌĚ ĂƐ ĂŶ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌ ŽĨ ĐŽŶƚŝŶƵŝŶŐ ĞĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ůŝĐĞŶƐĞĚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ǁŽƌŬĞƌƐ͘

• tempo youth service virtual afterschool Program

sŝƐŝƚ ŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ǁǁǁ͘ƚĞŵƉŽŐƌŽƵƉ͘ŽƌŐ

• tempo youth service learning Pod, a safe place for students to learn virtually • tempo youth service summer in person recreational Program • implementation of an interpreter platform to meet the needs of our non-english speaking clients.

• move to offer both virtual and in-person services • reaching 100% staffing vaccination • increase access to medication assisted treatments • membership in community coalitions

While the unprecedented nature of the last 20 months continues to impact our communities and how we function day to day; Tempo Group and Tempo Youth Services, has and continues to remain dedicated to meeting the behavioral health needs of the communities we serve. As our over 50 year history dictates, we are unwavering in our commitment to assess, modify and implement services that will improve the lives of the individuals and families we serve.

• implementation of case management services • increasing Peer services • sunshine Grant award • screening brief intervention referral to treatment (sbirt) Grant • construction of medical offices to increase medication assisted treatments

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January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

12

Neighbors iN the News

13

Garden City Antiques and Fine Arts Limited

HIGHEST PRICES PAID!!!

ANTIQUES WANTED: Jordan Vallone/Herald

The NorTh Bellmore Public Library is kicking off the New Year on the right foot by forgiving outstanding fine balances and replacement fees on all patron cards.

Called The “CleaN slate” program, the fine-free system does not apply to lost or damaged materials.

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In an effort to start the New Year off on the right foot, the North Bellmore Public Library will forgive all outstanding fine balances and replacement fees on all North Bellmore patron cards. As of Jan. 1, everyone is getting a clean slate at the library.

They will also entirely do away with fines for overdue library materials, excluding library museum passes and our Library of Things items.

Numerous studies have been published showing that fines are a barrier of access to people — and that fines don’t actually encourage people to return materials on time. The mission of the North Bellmore Public Library is to provide equal access to quality resources and services to inspire continuous learning, personal enrichment and professional growth.

They believe fines contravene our mission, and the elimination of library fines

will help remove a barrier to library usage.

Although overdue fees will be eliminated entirely, the fine-free system doesn’t apply to lost or damaged materials.

Patrons will be charged for damaged or lost items. Materials will also still have due dates. Patrons will get reminders to return library materials, and if the book isn’t returned, they will get a bill in the mail.

NBPL strives to be the welcoming heart of our community where all can come to learn, discover, create, and connect.

They hope this clean slate will encourage people to come back to the library — or to come in for the first time — without fear of fees.

Courtesy North Bellmore Public Library; compiled by Jordan Vallone.

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North Bellmore Public Library kicks off New Year with a “clean slate”

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rs 35 Yeagrity e Of Int

January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

14

Outgoing county exec. pushes gender inclusivity

By Cristina arroyo rodriguez carroyo@liherald.com

gender inclusive definitions

On her second-to-last day in office, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran issued an executive on Dec. 30 to create a nine-member Nassau County Adviso■ sex: biological status that is typiry Committee for Gender Inclusivity to cally categorized as male, female, or address gender identity discrimination intersex. in the county’s charter, administrative code and other regulations. The commit■ gender: attitudes, feelings and tee would report behaviors that a given culture assoto the county ciates with a person’s biological sex. executive.

Bruce Blake■ gender identity: deeply felt, man, who inherent sense of being a boy, a man became county or male; a girl, a woman or female; executive Jan. 1, or an alternative gender. said he would not start the commit■ gender expression: presentation, tee, saying the including physical appearance and executive order was intended to behavior that communicates aspects Laura Curran play to the press. of gender or gender role.

Instead of creating the com–American Psychological Association mittee, “this administration will respect the [LGBQT] community by placing important stakeholders on the Human Rights Committee,” Blakeman said, cit- this vulnerable population.” ing the 15-member human rights comIndeed, the policy was the first in mission chaired by Bobby Kalotee.

Nassau’s history to protect in EEO poliCurran’s executive order came three cy a class of “sex” against gender-idenyears after she enacted an Equal tity discrimination in the workplace.

Employment Opportunity Commission The policy also protects employees who policy that upgraded sexual harassment report harassment and/or discriminaprevention measures, including having tion from retaliation and provides intera separate complaint form active training to educate all for sexual harassment and employees in identifying prompt investigations into and reporting instances of discrimination or harassdiscrimination and/or sexument allegations. al harassment.

“We are working to eradiKilmicky, however, also cate all forms of discriminanoted that, despite these poltion in the workplace and to icies, transgender workers ensure equal employment may still face discriminaopportunity for all members tion. of our team,” Curran said “Across our nation, memduring a 2019 news briefing. bers of the transgender “This new policy will do community continue to more to protect the civil endure elevated levels of rights of our employees poverty, housing discriminathan has ever been done tion, workplace bias and a arnoLd W. before.” risk of suicide and mental The chief executive of druCker health challenges. They are t h e L G B T N e t wo rk i n Legislator the victims of fatal violence Hauppauge, Dr. David Kilmwith infuriating frequency,” icky, praised Curran’s work Legislator Arnold Drucker, in making the county safer and more a Democrat, said. inclusive throughout her tenure as He then added that Blakeman has county executive. “This long-overdue publicly expressed his commitment to policy change for Nassau’s transgender helping all Nassau residents, so Drucker people and families sends a clear mes- asserted, “Following through on the forsage that all county employees are enti- mation of this committee would put the tled to work in an environment that is power of action behind his words and safe and free from harassment and dis- bring us one step closer to fulfilling the crimination,” he said at the news brief- promise of ‘liberty and justice for all.’” ing.

In October, Curran also signed into Jay Kaplan, the LGBTQ youth servic- law a bill that created a 15-member dises manager at the Bellmore-based Pride abilities advisory council, comprising for Youth, echoed the sentiment, saying, members with disabilities and people “This policy is the first in Nassau Coun- representing organizations that serve ty’s history to explicitly protect trans- and advocate for those with disabilities, gender people, and it is hopefully the tasked with providing recommendafirst of many policies that will be intro- tions to the county executive and legisduced to end discrimination against lature.

t

he [transgender community] are the victims of fatal violence with infuriating frequency.

Karina Kovac/Herald

toWn of Hempstead Parks Department Regional Supervisors Chris Maloney and Terence Murray encouraged town residents to attend the last day of Mulchfest at Baldwin Park on Grand Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 8.

Go green at Mulchfest By karina kovaC kkovac@liherald.com

The second annual Town of Hempstead Mulchfest is allowing environmentalists, gardeners and other townsfolk to chip in and recycle their Christmas trees in exchange for bags of mulch at Baldwin Park on Grand Avenue. Started by Supervisor Don Clavin last year, the program is run by the town’s parks department and the sanitation department, which this year is collecting plastic and cardboard recyclables at two exchanges.

At the first one recently, the loud whirr of an industrial woodchipper could be heard every few minutes as residents pulled in with their seasonal trees on their car roofs for drop-off. Firs, spruces and pines were tossed efficiently by parks workers into the machine, which ground them up, giving off a fresh, sappy tree aroma.

Parks Department Regional Supervisors Chris Maloney and Terence Murray reflected on their experience at Mulchfest last year by telling a story of one Levittown woman who called the town hotline after the event and requested mulch to plant her prize-winning tomatoes in the spring.

“We brought over about 30 bags of recycled mulch [to her home], and she let it dry from January to the spring and sprinkled it throughout her garden,” Murray said. The woman was so thankful that she asked the workers to return over the summer so she could gift them some of her award-winning tomatoes. It was a wonderful “full-circle moment” for the workers, Murray said, noting they enjoyed the refreshing taste of the tomatoes in the heat working outside.

Nutritionists agree that people who grow their own food at home can benefit in numerous ways. The food tends to be more nutritious and allows for a more diverse and healthier diet, as the food is

packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Gardening is also a rewarding way to stay active and be exposed to vitamin D from time in the sun, especially if Covid concerns keep you at home.

Applying the mulch, which is free for any Hempstead resident to pick up at Baldwin Park (follow the signs), can be a cost-saving way to beautify and prepare upcoming gardens for planting, said Murray, who is involved in tree plantings at Baldwin Park. “We have beautiful soil” for growing on Long Island, he added, recalling the days, 60 and 70 years ago, when potato farms occupied much of Nassau County.

Maloney agreed how “there is nothing better than putting back into the community” and how full-circle the “whole cycle” of planting and giving back can be.

Last year, an estimated 130 trees were turned into mulch and returned to the public. So far this year, about 75 trees have been ground up, with one more day, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when town residents can trade in their trees for mulch.

Maloney showed enthusiasm about putting the “as-natural-as-natural-gets” chips back into Baldwin Park for local residents to enjoy.

“Last year’s success has inspired us to bring Mulchfest back to the Town of Hempstead for a fun and environmentally friendly way to repurpose Christmas trees . . . ” Supervisor Clavin said. “The Town of Hempstead proudly stands for greener and environmentally friendly programs.”

In addition to Mulchfest, the Town of Hempstead hosts S.T.O.P. (Stop Throwing Out Pollutants) and E-Cycle (electronic recycling) events throughout the year to help promote the safe disposal of materials that could be hazardous to the environment and the waste stream. The full 2022 S.T.O.P. and E-Cycle schedule will be announced on the town website, hempsteadny.gov, soon.

15

OBITUARIES

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

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KEN Ward WaS Valley Stream South’s baseball coach for 29 years and guided the Falcons to 344 wins and six conference titles.

Former Cahoun star athlete dies tbellissimo@liherald.com

Kenneth Ward, who spent 29 years at Valley Stream South High School’s varsity baseball head coach and also served as the school’s Athletic Director for 17 years, died Dec. 26 following a brief illness. He was 68.

A Bethpage resident who grew up in Merrick and was a star athlete at Calhoun High School, Ward is survived by his wife of 37 years, Gladys, as well as his niece, Eva, and stepchildren Karen and Steven.

Ward recorded 352 career coaching wins from 1989-2017, with all but 8 victories coming at VSS. He guided the Falcons to six conference championships and earned six Coach of the Year awards while also serving as President of the Nassau County High School Baseball Coaches Association.

“Ken was a one-of-a-kind teacher, coach and mentor,” said Frank Alesia, a 2001 VSS graduate who played two seasons under Ward and then served as his third-base coach for three years before becoming the head coach at Valley Stream Central. “He helped countless students and athletes become the best versions of themselves,” Alesia added.

Ward’s final game in the dugout was a win over East Rockaway on May 9, 2017.

“It was a pleasure,” Ward said in an interview with the Herald following his coaching finale. “We had some great seasons and we had some not-so-great seasons, but that’s baseball,” he added. “It was a privilege to coach so many outstanding young men.”

Charlie Ristano, an All-County pitcher for the Falcons who graduated in 2000 and

is the pitching coach at the University of Notre Dame, said nobody loved baseball more than Ward. “He was always so caring and made me feel good about my career path,” Ristano said. “He was a constant presence in my life and a major influence.”

Midway through Ward’s tenure, an annual two-day trip to Cooperstown became a staple and a bonding experience for the student-athletes. The Falcons developed a relationship with Unatego High School beginning in 2002 and the teams scrimmaged annually at Doubleday Field on the grounds of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Both of my sons [Andrew and Christopher] played for Kenny and went on those trips to Cooperstown and will cherish those memories forever,” said Rich Hess, who noted he took over as coach of the Falcons in 2018 with Ward’s blessing.

“All the kids who put on a Valley Stream South uniform meant the world to him,” Hess added. “The first time I met him was on a baseball field in 1989 when I was an assistant at East Rockaway. We quickly became buddies.”

Ward, an avid collector of baseball memorabilia and a huge fan of the New York Yankees and Green Bay Packers, was a standout high school baseball and basketball player at Calhoun. A 1971 graduate, he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 21st round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Rather than turn pro, he accepted a full baseball scholarship from Adelphi University and was a four-year starting shortstop.

“I have some ideas on how we’re going to honor him this season,” Hess said.

“He’ll be greatly missed.”

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1148557

By TONY BELLISSIMO

L.I. barber recounts difficulties onscreen Continued fRom fRont page her to record an audition tape and send it to her. Harry Hernandez, Hair Magicians’ owner, helped her record it, shooting her from various angles as she worked. After Rodriguez sent it, Williams set up a virtual meeting with her.

“After I submitted it, I hopped on a Zoom call with the director and they told me I got the part,” Rodriguez said.

“Everything just fell into place from there.”

What shocked her the most, she said, was learning that she was the only female barber auditioning for the commercial.

She expected to be competing against others for the part. “I was really surprised to find out I was the only one they were looking at for the commercial,” Rodriguez said, “but the director explained that they came across my Instagram page and really liked my work and what I represented.”

After finding out that she got the part, Rodriguez acted in two scenes for the commercial in Los Angeles last October.

They were filmed in a barber shop and a house rented for the shoot.

The commercial opens with James watching scenes from his childhood in Akron, Ohio, as he reflects on the “ridges” he faced growing up. He shares the stories of his challenges with four others: a single father, a blind skateboarder, a formerly incarcerated man and Rodriguez, each of whom found success despite hardships they faced along the way.

the Ruffles Commercial The commercial, which premiered on Christmas Day, spotlights people who have overcome obstacles and achieved success. The first of them was barber Jamie Lee Rodriguez, of Merrick.

“In one of the scenes I shot, I was cutting a man’s hair in the bathroom of the house,” Rodriguez said. “I related to this because when I first started out doing hair, I was cutting my friends’ hair in a bathroom in a basement.” The commercial shifts from Rodriguez cutting hair in the bathroom to her working in a barber shop, symbolizing how far she’s come.

The single mother of two daughters, ages 9 and 8, said that life hasn’t always been easy, especially working in a maledominated industry. “When I first started, a lot of men denied me from cutting their hair because they would say, ‘I don’t want a girl touching my hair … they don’t know how to cut,’” she recalled. “It definitely put me down mentally.”

When she began working as a barber, Rodriguez said, she wasn’t making enough money to support her family because she didn’t have enough custom-

ers. She recounted working two or three jobs in one day, and getting home as late as 11 at night. “I was working three jobs, seven days a week, for a very long time just to support my children and continue going after my goals,” she said. “There were times that my kids were sad that I didn’t see them that much.”

She recalled being particularly overwhelmed one day, but receiving comfort and support from Hernandez. “One time I had a mental breakdown because I was so drained,” Rodriguez said, “but I had a great support system with people like Harry. He would tell me, ‘You got this, you’re almost there, you’ve got to keep going.’ Eventually I got to a point where I was like, ‘You know what, I’m not going to let these guys say that women can’t cut hair.”

As she began proving her skills by cutting more men’s hair, she grew popular by word of mouth, and eventually made enough moey to drop two of her three jobs. Now she rents a chair at Hair Magicians for her clients, and runs her own business through her Instagram account, @jayleebladez.

Rodriguez said she has finally reached a point where she is content with her balance of family time and work time. “I definitely feel like I’m at a place now where I’m able to be a mother and I’m able to be successful,” she said Asked what advice she would give others who want to start their own business,

Courtesy Jamie Lee Rodriguez

RodRiguez with a Newsday article about her recent commercial. she said, “Do what you love to do, and even if the world is against you, don’t give up. It gets worse before it gets better. It’s all about fighting through the bad, because that reward at the end is going to be worth it.”

Rodriguez’s styling services can be booked at jayleebladez.booksy.com or on Instagram, @jayleebladez.

Public Notices

LBEL1 0106

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 1/12/22 at 9:30 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals: --------------------------------THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 58/22.

BELLMORE Jennifer Eddelson, Variance, lot area occupied, construct roof over open porch attached to dwelling., E/s King St., 140’ N/o Court St., a/k/a 305 King St. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

63/22.

BELLMORE Sandra & Justin C. Lee, Mother/Daughter Res.(2nd kitchen)., N/s Davenport Pl., 494’ W/o Bellmore Ave., a/k/a 42 Davenport Pl. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 64/22.

BELLMORE Marcella & Richard Kozlowski, Variances, lot area occupied, side yard, side yards aggregate, construct 2nd story addition & roof over porch both attached to dwelling., N/s Herkimer St., 100’ E/o Little Neck Ave., a/k/a 104 Herkimer St. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

66/22. N. BELLMORE Verdeland Homes, Inc., Variances, subdivision of lot, lot area, front width from & on street line to front setback line, construct 2-story dwelling & garage., E/s Newbridge Rd., 115.39’ S/o Washington Blvd.

N.C.P.C. Local determination.

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

This notice is only for new cases in Bellmore within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction.

There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available

at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 852/Hearing---01122022 The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

129059

Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE Please take notice that the organizational meeting for the North Bellmore Fire District of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York, will be held on the 10th day of January, 2022 at 6:00 P.M. on that day at 1500 Newbridge Road, North Bellmore, NY This notification is being given pursuant to the provisions of Section 94 of the Public Officers Law of the State of New York.

For the BOFC, George V. Kern Superintendent North Bellmore Fire District 127073

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Regular Meetings Bellmore Fire District Please take notice that the Bellmore Fire District of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York, will hold its regular meetings for the year 2022 on the second Wednesday of each month at 8:00 pm.

All meetings start at 8:00 pm on such day at the District Office 2450 Newbridge Road, Bellmore. All meetings of the Bellmore Fire District are open to the public.

The Bellmore Fire District will also be holding a meeting at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 230 Pettit Avenue Bellmore for the purpose of opening bids on the Royal Street project.

This notice is being posted in accordance with the provisions of Section 94 of the Public Officers law of the State of New York.

By order of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Bellmore Fire District.

John Fabian Secretary Bellmore Fire District 129072

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

1142869

January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

16

17

Employment

CLASSIFIED

Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail you ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify and ad.

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516-536-6994 ing and developing solutions for planning HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR shortfalls involving navigation systems; 5 Richner Communications is looking for a years for experience with reviewing prohands-on Human Resources professional gram schedules and liaising with key to oversee all HR functions on a strategic stakeholders to eliminate potential conand tactical level. Exciting opportunity to flicts; 5 years of experience with determinjoin a dynamic and expanding Garden City, ing, monitoring, and reviewing costs, opLong Island media company. This position erational budgets, and schedules, and has a flexible schedule, part-time job share manpower requirements; and 1 year of exwould be considered. perience with sales agreement protocols Responsibilities: Talent acquisition: for sharing of sensitive technical informaSource, screen, and interview potential tion between the US and UK, as well as candidates and manage new employee oncorporate export control practices. Any boarding Benefits administration: Liaise suitable combination of education, training, with brokers, providers and facilitate enrollor experience is acceptable. Job Location: ment and updating of coverage. Manage Uniondale, NY. To apply, please visit annual open enrollment and employee www.lockheedmartinjobs.com and enter benefits review. Administration of 401(k) req id 579086BR when prompted. Alternaplan. Employee relations: Provide day- totively, please send your resume, cover letday support and problem resolution in reter, and a copy of the ad to M. Pinnock, 55 gards to employee concerns, questions Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Mitchel Field, NY and policy issues. Performance manage11553. Lockheed Martin is an Equal Opment: Coach, counsel and recommend disportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All ciplinary actions Compliance: Maintain inqualified applicants will receive consideradepth knowledge of legal requirements retion for employment w/out regard to race, lated to day-to-day management of emcolor, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orployees, reducing legal risk and ensuring ientation, gender identity, national origin, regulatory compliance Payroll: Process biage, protected veteran status, or disability weekly payroll through payroll vendor for status. population of 150 employees Requirements: Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or HR, or equivalent experience Minimum 5 years HR generalist experience Knowledge of Federal, State & Local reguPRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP lations governing employment Experience Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openwith payroll processing Self-motivated, ings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/wareability to prioritize and work well under house helper in Garden City. We are a pressure Customer-focused attitude, with busy print shop looking for a motivated and high level of professionalism and discretion reliable individuals to assist in various duExcellent oral and written communication ties in the shop. Forklift experience is a and quantitative skills Proficiency with Miplus and heavy lifting is required. Hours crosoft Office Qualified candidates should vary, so flexibility is key. submit a resume and cover letter to: Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com. careers@liherald.com

Sales Executives Outside Sales

• Receptionist • Human Resource Director • Reporter/Editor • Sales • Multi Media Coordinator • Drivers • Pressman/Press Helper

To join our team, please email your resume to careers@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 Ext #235 1128595

IVERS R D S U B D WANTE DoN’T MISS The Bus!

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

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country.

Call the USA Classified Network today!

DELI COUNTER AND PREP PERSON Full Time And Part Time. Weekends A Must. Experienced. Long Beach. Call 516-431-5515

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available!

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Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must.

Please Email Resume to ehecker@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

1-800-231-6152

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

HERALD

18

MarketPlace •

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

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

Wantagh

HOME Of tHE WEEK

Shining Bright Like A Diamond

T

his Wantagh Woods colonial is a rare gem. Completely renovated there is a large eat in kitchen with quartz counter top, stainless steel appliances and Medallion cabinets.

There are 3 new full baths along with a family room with sliders. The master bedroom is enormous with a full bath, walk in closets, a vaulted ceiling and crown molding. There is a laundry room on the 2nd floor, redone hardwood floors and new stairs. This home has in-ground sprinklers and is newly landscaped with an oversized yard and large deck . It is a great home for entertaining. Asking $849,000

Q. I’m confused about the whole process of doing work to my home. I want to add a room and deck at the back of my kitchen, plus a second floor at the front of my Cape Cod-style home. Do I interview contractors first, architects first, ask an interior designer, ask my building department? What should I do, in what order?

A. The most important thing to understand when beginning the process is that each of the many people who will have input has a particular set of abilities, and approaches your project from his or her particular perspective. When you take the wrong advice from the wrong person, communication begins to fail, which is what you’re onte eeper trying to avoid. The contractor has a specific perspective, for example, which involves budgeting and getting the work constructed. Unfortunately, without training in codes that govern what can legally be done, they will still often advise the customers, and this can go awry, because they don’t have the responsibility to stand behind the advice they give.

The same can be said for interior designers, whose perspective should be within their scope of expertise, which is interior selections and knowledge of finishes and furnishings. Where the interior designer oversteps is when they plan the shape and location of spaces without the knowledge and expertise to determine the multiple issues of engineering, whether it’s the structure or other types of building systems like electric, plumbing and mechanical (heating, ventilating or air conditioning).

As an architect, I regularly struggle to work out problems when a contractor has altered something on a construction site or an interior designer has made a change that involves great cost to undo.

Examples of this could fill a book, but here are a few common ones. As I write this, I am preparing a case to present to a zoning board because a contractor was told, quite specifically and in front of the owner, that a second-floor addition had to be a specific roof angle and the structure had to sit on top of the first-floor walls. The contractor altered the roof angle and raised the addition 10 inches above the top of the first-floor walls. He even told the owner that the inspector “would never notice.” He did.

An interior designer advised a client that they could violate the laws of nature, building codes and zoning regulations when they recently took a copy of architectural plans and reconfigured them, telling the client that the architect didn’t have the artistic acumen or skill that the designer uniquely possessed. So a column ended up going in place of a sink, the roof structure had to be rebuilt, and there was no place to run the plumbing and air conditioning ductwork vertically. The cost for slender steel beams to accommodate the design decimated the budget as well.

All of these people need to be consulted, as long as they stay in their lanes of expertise. Good luck!

Ask The Architect

M

Laura Memisha 516-984-0343 Realty Advisors 516-826-1111 3341 Park Avenue, Wantagh NY 11793

“Going Above & Beyond to find your Dream Home”

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

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226 Willard Dr, BA, neW exCluSIVe! Move Right Into This 5/6 BR, 4 Bth exp Ranch on Resortlike 3/4 acre Property. large Gran/Wood eIK, lR/Fpl, FDR & Skylit Den. Spacious Master Ste Boasts Bath w/ Steam Shower, WIC & Fpl. Beautiful Street in SD#20 ... $1,299,000

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1534 Broadway #103, BA, BRAnD neW GuT RenOVATIOn! Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bth Condo in luxurious Jonathan Hall. lR/DR Opens Into large Gran/Wood eIK w/ Island & Stainless Steel Appl. laundry Rm, & Pantry. Mstr Ste Boasts new Bath & Huge Walk in Closet. Terrace Facing into Courtyard. Doorman Bldg with elevator. Indoor Garage Pkg & Storage.......................................................................... $850,000 156 E Rockaway Rd, BA, Rental of a Renovated 2 Bedroom, 1.5 Bth Apt with Spacious Gourmet Kitchen use of Patio & Outdoor Space ............................................................................................$3,850

1155147

January 6, 2022 — HERALD

HERALD

I need help getting started

WOOdMERE

NEW EXCLUSIVE! BA, Renovated 3/4 BR, 3.5 Bth Victorian Style with Porch in Old Woodmere. Huge updtd Gran/Wood Kosher eIk, lR, DR & Den.All updated Baths. O/S Yard with Pavered Patio. 2 Car Det Gar. SD#14 ....................................................................................$1,100,000 238 Mosher Ave, 2-3:30, neW exCluSIVe! 4 BR, 3 Bth Colonial with Fin Bsmt. lR/Fpl, FDR, Sun Room & eIK. Main Flr Bedroom. 2 Car Det Gar. Convenient to lIRR, Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship. SD#14 .$799,000

EaST ROCKaWay

1 Howland Rd, 12-1:30, neW exCluSIVe! 4 BR, 1.5 Bth Well Maintained Colonial in SD#20(lynbrook). lR/Fpl, FDR, Den & Gran/Wood eIK. Fin Bsmt Att Garage. HW Flrs, CAC, Roof 5 Yrs. Must See! .......$749,000

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HEWLETT 156 E Rockaway Rd, BA, Rental of a Renovated 2 Bedroom, 1.5 Bth Apt with Spacious Gourmet Kitchen Use of Patio & Outdoor Space...$3,850 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

EAST ROCKAWAY 1 Howland Rd, Open House, Sunday 1/9, 12-1:30, NEW EXCLUSIVE! 4 BR, 1.5 Bth Well Maintained Colonial in SD#20(Lynbrook). LR/Fpl, FDR, Den & Gran/Wood EIK. Fin Bsmt Att Garage.HW Flrs, CAC, Roof 5 Yrs. Must See!....$749,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Open Houses

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA 1534 Broadway #103, BRAND NEW GUT RENOVATION! Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bth Condo in Luxurious Jonathan Hall. LR/DR Opens Into Large Gran/Wood EIK w/ Island & Stainless Steel Appl. Laundry Rm, & Pantry. Mstr Ste Boasts New Bath & Huge Walk in Closet.

Terrace Facing into Courtyard. Doorman Bldg with Elevator. Indoor Garage Pkg & Storage...$850,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

WOODMERE NEW EXCLUSIVE! Renovated 3/4 BR, 3.5 Bth Victorian Style with Porch in Old Woodmere. Huge Updtd Gran/Wood Kosher EIk, LR, DR & Den.All Updated Baths. O/S Yard with Pavered Patio. 2 Car Det Gar. SD#14...$1,100,000 R o n n i e G e r b e r, D o u g l a s E l l i m a n 516-238-4299

HEWLETT NEW EXCLUSIVE! MOVE Right Into This 5/6 BR, 4 Bth Exp Ranch on Resor tlike 3/4 acre Proper ty.Large Gran/Wood EIK, LR/Fpl, FDR & Skylit De. Spacious Master Ste Boasts Bath w/ Steam Shower, WIC & Fpl. Beautiful Street in SD#20...$1,299,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

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)

Apartments Wanted SINGLE MATURE SCHOOL Teacher, Non-Smoker, Looking For 1BR Apartment (Non-Basement) In This Area. Tom 516-306-8764

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

L

© 2021 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.

19

MarketPlace • •

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

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

HERALD — January 6, 2022

HERALD

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JOBS, MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE... &/877(5 GULYLQJ JOBS, MERCHANDISE, \RX It’s in ESTATE the Herald Classifieds...

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January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

20

HErald

Stuff

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 MERCHANDISE MART Antiques/Collectibles OLD BASEBALL CARDS lying around?

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SERVICES

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HErald

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516-569-4000 press 5, then 2

&/877(5 GULYLQJ \RX J\

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

21

opINIoNS

W

ith 2021 behind us, I’m trying hard to be optimistic about 2022. When you’ve lived past your 70s, you have the benefit of having seen multiple ups and downs in our country, and those experiences give you some insight into what might lie ahead.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a big toll on most of America.

Our daily rhythms have been scrambled. We’ve been forced to work from home, and have patiently suffered through JERRY lockdowns and the loss of social KREMER interaction. But because we are such an innovative nation, by the end of 2022, it’s likely that we will have tamed this disease and possibly be better prepared for any new health challenge.

Last year was a tough one for the business world. The lockdowns around the world and the constant flare-ups of Covid-19 caused shortages of critical products. Some manufacturers who have

I

ample inventory have taken advantage of the shortages and have raised their prices unnecessarily. Oil refineries with large inventories have joined the parade and jacked up the price of gasoline. Millions of small businesses have been forced to close, and in many cases they will never return.

2022 promises to be a better year for our long-suffering industries. Our strangled shipping ports are likely to catch up with the backlog of containers, and the uncontrolled buying of 2021 will slow down. By midyear, many members of the workforce who stayed home will finally find new job opportunities, or bargain their way into better-paying positions.

I’m thinking optimistically about the challenges we face, except for one. Surveying the scene from Minnesota or Montauk, I am most pessimistic about the political world. I have served over 30 years in state and local government. I have seen bold new programs, and marveled at political stars in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

For the most part, today’s crop of

I

elected officials is as different as night and day from my time in state government. Once upon a time, leaders in my political world were willing to sit down and discuss the needs of the people, and got things done with simple handshakes.

The backroom meetings were about the next 10 years, not the next 10 minutes. Quite a few of today’s incumbents, especially those in Congress, are interested only in getting re-elected, and are willing to say and do whatever it takes to hold on to power.

It doesn’t make you a socialist if you believe in child care tax credits, more day care, pre-K programs and relief for young people struggling with college debt. Pollsters will tell you how widely accepted these initiatives are. But a handful of entrenched politicians will tell you they aren’t worth the cost or are being abused.

Those same ideologues will eagerly vote for tax cuts for the rich and the purchase of more military equipment, needed or not.

The biggest threat of 2022 will be the ongoing attacks on our voting system.

Republicans in more than a dozen states

’m thinking positively about the challenges we face this year, except for one.

have passed laws putting state legislatures in charge of their voting systems.

Dedicated independent professional election workers are being supplanted by party hacks whose only job is to protect their political base. It’s possible that hundreds of actual winning Democratic candidates will be denied victories under these new systems. These machinations should be the target of a real 2022 Stop the Steal campaign.

Do we have any political heroes left on the national stage? Some of the 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump have been willing to give up their seats in the name of protecting the nation. A few in that brave group are seeking re-election, and were willing to take the risk.

These are just random thoughts about the new year from a mostly optimistic columnist. I am eternally hopeful that the better angels will prevail in 2022.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years.

He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? JKremer@liherald.com.

Readers tell their Covid stories in 50 words, or more

n the Dec. 2-8 issue, I invited readers to say how they were getting through the coronavirus pandemic so far, noting that all eyes were on the Omicron variant, and that our stories would surely evolve. Thank you so much for sharing these snippets of your lives. * “Friendship got me through Covid.

I would not have made it through this unexpected plot change in life without my peers.

The sudden death of my dog put a wave of grief over me for months. My RANDI best friend KREISS brought light into my shadowy sadness.” — E.K. * “‘So far’ are the operative words. No crystal ball here but by late February [2020] you could see it coming. Was still shocked by the incompetent and misleading, politicized government response and the willing denial by so many that killed and threatened. Read ‘The Great Influenza,’ spent months on the terrace and stayed as isolated as we could. Got a puppy.” — T.G. * “During the early days, I would take long walks in the early morning to clear

my thoughts. As time went on, I would run into other walkers, with many of us stopping to say hello and ask if everything was OK. On Thanksgiving 2020, a group of us got together outside and set up our tables six feet apart. We couldn’t be with family, but were happy to have found new friends.”

— Anonymous * “I was reminded of all the things I used to love about myself. I read more than I had in years. I had genuine conversations with my family, who, despite living in the same house for years, never were quite on the same page. Most important, I was aware of all I had taken for granted: I was finally satisfied with the life I had created for myself. I was reminded of the little girl who smiled and laughed and loved herself.” — R.G. * “I feel blessed just being here in Merrick with my mom, Rose, after losing my dad, Fred, to mantle cell lymphoma during the pandemic. As a resident of Australia, I had to secure a Travel Exemption from the Australian government to be allowed to board a flight to New York.” — L.H. * “I temporarily moved next door to my daughter and her family in July 2020.

‘

I

They were expecting a baby in August. I was there to help them out and they were there, providing precious moments at a time I would have been isolated and anxious.” — Anonymous * “We were three couples, close-by neighbors living in comfortable condos on the beach. We met every evening to talk, swim, have drinks and share extra supplies we were able to find. I painted every day. I have 42 completed paintings, three of which I sold. I let my hair grow out and am no longer a slave to my roots. My husband and I played board games.” — C.T. * “I not only ‘got through’ the pandemic, I rather enjoyed the peace and serenity afforded by the lockdown. My life revolved around a few people with whom I really love doing things. I enjoyed cooking, reading, card and game playing, long walks. I see a definite beauty in stepping off the world, albeit temporarily.” —A.C. * “At first I thought Covid would disappear quickly, but when I realized it was here to stay, I felt resentful. I’m 74, and I felt that a year and a half of my time was stolen from me while I locked myself inside. But I came to realize I was lucky.

My family was healthy, and I didn’t have

read more than I had in years.

I had genuine conversations with my family.’

to go off to work. I just had to stay alive!”

— B.C. * “Minus side: masking, no city, travel, theater, movies, felt restriction of movement. Plus side: more quality time to spend with family and friends, read, needlepoint, dining al fresco, a slower pace and longer phone conversations, spending less but giving more.” — B.G. * “Morning: television and telephone to family, friends. Afternoon: taking walks with husband through Cedarhurst. Evening: paint and write in a journal. I have kept seven journals — and I have tossed out two with the most negative thoughts.”

— L.M. * “Volunteering at the People Loving People Food Pantry in Oyster Bay was rewarding: It proved that during the most difficult times, people share with those less fortunate.” — K.G. * “Dealing with the pandemic is a slam dunk when you’re never alone. Lola and Mackenzie are my two small, hairy best friends. Never more than a few feet from wherever I am, they are great listeners.

We rarely disagree, and they think I’m a brilliant conversationalist.” — Anonymous Copyright 2022 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

Some things to look forward to, and some to be scared of

22

Herald editorial

Bellmore

January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

HERALD and Bellmore Herald News Established 1994

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Nassau should enforce state’s mask mandate

B

ruce Blakeman’s first public act as Nassau County executiveelect, in the second week of December, was one of rebellion.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, had ordered mask use in indoor spaces where people gather to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Blakeman, a Republican, said he would defy the order, refusing to enforce it once he took office Jan. 1. The governor had left enforcement to the counties.

We understand Blakeman’s reluctance to reinstate a mask mandate. People have grown tired of obeying orders.

Most of us just want our freedom back.

We want our old pre-pandemic lives. We crave normalcy.

Apologies for the blunt language, but the coronavirus doesn’t give a damn about our desire to return to the way things were before all hell broke loose. It is a virus. It has an innate need to replicate, and to replicate it requires host bodies. Nature has granted the virus a seemingly incalculable ability to mutate to avoid eradication.

That is why we must do all in our power to eliminate the coronavirus — including wearing masks in public spaces. That is why the state mandate is necessary.

Blakeman has said there is little scientific evidence to demonstrate that masking reduces transmission of the coronavirus. That is not true. He only need look to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Science Brief from Dec. 6, titled “Community Use of Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2,” to find it.

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letters Blood drive a success To the Editor: Due to a blood emergency, we sponsored a blood drive at the North Bellmore Public Library with Long Island Blood Services on Dec. 16. Even though it was the holiday season, the generous residents of our districts donated an impressive 56 pints of blood.

We want to thank all of these individuals as well as library Director Jessica Tymecki and board President Brandon Gimpelman for the cooperation of the library staff in hosting this event. It is certainly encouraging to see people coming together to help others.

TOM MCKEVITT District 13 legislator STEVE RHOADS District 19 legislator

The CDC cites numerous studies, conducted over the past two years in a variety of settings, demonstrating that mask wearing, when carried out properly, can reduce the transmission of Covid-19.

According to the CDC, at least 10 studies have “confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses.” The agency, considered one of the world’s leading authorities on infectious diseases, further states, “Each analysis demonstrated that, following directives from organizational and political leadership for universal masking, new infections fell significantly.”

Data from 200 countries, including the U.S., demonstrated reductions in the death rate as well.

Furthermore, the CDC concludes, “increasing universal masking by 15 percent could prevent the need for lockdowns and reduce associated losses of up to $1 trillion, or about 5 percent of the gross domestic product.”

If Blakeman is sincerely concerned about protecting the interests of Nassau businesses, as we firmly believe he is, then he will enforce the mask mandate to ensure that they stay open. No one — no one — wants the type of lockdowns that we are increasingly seeing in other countries. At some point soon, however, they could become inevitable if patients were to overwhelm our hospitals once again.

The Omicron variant, clearly far more transmissible than previous strains, has spread like wildfire across the U.S. over the past month. As of press time Monday, Long Island’s daily positivity rate stood at nearly 25 percent — the

highest in the state, despite our high vaccination rate.

Preliminary data indicate that Omicron, which is fueling this most recent surge, may be less virulent and less deadly than previous strains. Given the exponential growth of this new form of the virus, however, we are seeing hospitalization rates rising fast, which, once again, is straining our health care workers, who are already worn out by nearly two years of battling a relentless foe. At least one president of a major Nassau hospital has asked the public to consider staying home for two weeks to minimize spread.

When Hochul enacted the indoor mask mandate on Dec. 10, it was supposed to last until Jan. 15. She recently extended it to Feb. 1. We urge Blakeman to consider enforcing it.

The county mustn’t fine businesses that are earnest in their efforts to carry out the mandate — as many have been.

Without enforcement for egregious violators, however, there will be those who disregard the law entirely, and therein lies the problem.

To defeat this terrible, highly transmittable disease once and for all, we need a far greater sense of unity and resolve than we have shown to date. As a nation, we have always managed to summon our better angels and come together for a cause greater than ourselves.

Now we are faced with yet another crisis of epic proportions that requires us to think beyond ourselves and do what is best for the greater good.

Mask up!

23

opinions

he 2019 documentary “Biking Borders,” chronicling the ninemonth, 9,320-mile cycling adventure of two college friends, Max Jabs and Nono Konopka, from Berlin to Beijing, opens with the pair struggling to stay upright as they pedal down a snowcovered road in eastern Turkey shortly after Christmas 2018.

These guys are just nuts, I thought. Immediately, I was hooked. I had to watch this travelogue — twice.

Following its opening scene, the sCoTT film, recently released on NetBrinTon flix, cuts to Germany and thereafter follows the pair’s journey chronologically, starting in the summer of 2018 at the Brandenburg Gate and ending at China’s Tiananmen Square in the spring of 2019.

Viewers quickly learn that their trek was far more than a sightseeing tour of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It was fundraiser to build a school in Guatemala, which has the highest illiteracy rate in Central America — roughly 25 percent.

We also learn that the two, despite attending university in the biking capital of the world, the Netherlands, had barely

pedaled anywhere before their epic trek.

Apparently, Jabs had ridden a little while in school, but Konopka not at all. In fact, the two undertook no special athletic training for their journey. According to a Forbes article on them, they figured they would get in shape on the way.

As noted, these guys just seemed nuts — but in the best of ways.

The two 20-somethings, both German, graduated together with degrees in international marketing from Fontys University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands in 2018, and set out on their journey only months later, headed to some of the most remote, inhospitable, potentially dangerous places on the planet. Yet they were all smiles, veritable fonts of infectious positivity.

Chalk it up to irrational exuberance or youthful naiveté, but they just went for it — and succeeded — continually promoting their trek via social media along the way to bolster donations for their cause.

If you watch anything on Netflix this winter, be sure to catch this film. For starters, it just makes you feel good. With so much pain in the world these days, it reminds us that there is hope for humanity, that we are not all irredeemably greedy, self-centered creatures. We can, through the power of belief and teamwork, do enormous good for the world.

LeTTers

i

f you watch anything on Netflix this winter, be sure to catch this quirky film.

Framework by Joe Abate

Recalling the great transit strike To the Editor: Jan. 1 was the 56th anniversary of the 1966 transit strike that shut down New York City for days. It was the first of many municipal crises to face incoming Mayor John Lindsay, who ran on the Liberal and Republican Party lines, winning more than 1.1 million votes, or 45 percent, defeating Democrat/ Civil Service Abe Beame, who had 41 percent, and Conservative Party National Review Editor William F. Buckley, who garnered 14 percent.

Rush hour began at 4 a.m., and many people arrived home as late as midnight. The Long Island Rail Road added extra service. Both Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal were mobbed with thousands of new customers. Transit Workers Union President Michael Quill went to jail, suffered a heart attack and subsequently died. He did not live to see his successor win a record 15 percent wage hike. The subway fare was raised 33 percent, from 15 to 20 cents.

LARRY PENNER Great Neck Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.

Jabs and Konopka started out hoping they might raise 50,000 euros (about $56,500) to build a one-room, cinder-block school in Guatemala. By the time they reached Iran, they had collected that sum and more. As of press time, the project had raised 288,700 euros (about $326,400), enough to construct five schools.

Their new goal is a million euros — enough for 20 schools in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.

Jabs and Konopka partnered with the New York City-based nonprofit Pencils of Promise, which builds the schools. Adam Braun, 38, a Brown University graduate who worked on Wall Street, started the organization in 2008, prompted by a conversation he had had with a little boy on a street in India while in college. The boy was begging for money. What he wanted, though, was a pencil so he could write and learn. Braun gave him one. Later, feeling unfulfilled in high finance, Braun recalled that chance meeting and left behind his safe, well-appointed world for international nonprofit work, starting Pencils of Promise with $25. The organization has since raised $75 million for education in the developing world.

I knew none of this before watching “Biking Borders.” When I learned the story behind the film and Pencils of Promise, I just had to donate to the cause,

Way, way off peak — Freeport

which can be done at bikingborders.com.

The site is in German, but Google Chrome can translate it into English.

Whether or not you donate, you should watch this documentary. The scenery is stunning, and on the road Jabs and Konopka encounter many kindhearted people who offer them aid when they need it most. And yes, things go awry from time to time, despite all their optimistic planning.

Jabs and Konopka just embrace the people they meet, and people embrace them back. The two seem unafraid, no matter the circumstance, even in countries that are known to be hostile to westerners. In Iran they are met as something like heroes, with people waving to them, cheering for them and pouring food into their hands — and strangers welcoming them into their homes for a night’s rest and a rice-filled Persian meal.

As an avid cyclist, I am at once envious of and fascinated by their trip. You needn’t love cycling, though, to enjoy this hour-and-a-half-long film. At its core, it’s really about our shared humanity, and these days, we can use all the humanity that we can muster.

Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication.

Comments about this column? SBrinton@ liherald.com.

BELLMORE HERALD — January 6, 2022

T

‘Biking Borders’ brings out the best of humanity

January 6, 2022 — BELLMORE HERALD

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