Bellmore Herald 07-13-2023

LIIFE returns to the big screen

By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

For 26 years, the Long Island International Film Expo has united filmmakers, producers, actors and actresses — and of course, moviegoers — in the heart of Nassau County.

A great opportunity for people to network with professionals, learn about filmmaking, and watch some of this year’s best independent films, the expo — better known as LIIFE — returns to the Bellmore Movies and Showplace, at 222 Pettit Ave., on July 19. The expo has a lot in ConTInuED on PAgE 2

Cleaning up Mill Pond, one invasive species at a time

Volunteers pull water chestnut, a hazard to wildlife habitat, from lake’s surface

By MICHAEl MAl ASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Mill Pond, in south Wantagh, is now a little cleaner thanks to the efforts of state officials and volunteers to rid the small lake of water chestnuts — an invasive species that can be harmful to hikers and water birds.

The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation hosted its annual water chestnut pull on July 5, putting volunteers to work in either waders or kayaks — which are not typically allowed in Nassau County’s freshwater bodies, but an exception was made for this event.

State Sen. Steve Rhoads and his staff also took part in the cleanup.

Water chestnuts have taken over Mill Pond, which is just off of Merrick Road, and appear to be out-competing the native vegetation. While the plant does create some habitat for the fish in the pond, it’s not ideal habitat, because it reduces oxygen levels in the water, according to DEC officials.

The water chestnut also makes it more difficult for recreational anglers to catch anything, because it often tangles their lines — and Mill Pond has no shortage of fish to catch, with

The real solution is a harvester.

HEIDI o’RIoRDAN DEC biologist

species including bluegill, largemouth bass, pickerel, catfish, carp, yellow perch, American eel and, unlike many other lakes in the area, white perch.

Heidi O’Riordan, a DEC freshwater fisheries manager and biologist, said the problem first arose just to the east, at Massapequa Reservoir, and she specu-

lated that water chestnuts might have been introduced as a household plant that someone tossed in the water.

“It’s an attractive-looking plant,” O’Riordan said. “It probably came as an ornamental from someone’s aquarium. It doesn’t take much, because the seed pods can survive 10 to 12 years.”

The chestnuts contain sharp

spikes, which can stick to water birds, contributing to the plant’s spread to other ponds — which, most likely, is how they were transplanted from Massapequa Reservoir to Mill Pond.

“When you look out on the water body here, you really only see a few types of plants,” O’Riordan said of Mill Pond’s

ConTInuED on PAgE 4

Tim Baker/Herald file

Debra Markowitz, president of the Long Island Film & TV Foundation — and co-director of the Long Island International Film Expo — announces the return of the LIIFE to the Bellmore Movies and Showplace, 222 Pettit Ave., on July 19.

There’s something for everyone at neighborhood cinema

store for film fanatics this year, said Debra Markowitz. She’s president of the Long Island Film & TV Foundation, and is a co-creator of LIIFE, along with Henry and Anne Stampfel, owners of the Bellmore Movies.

Aside from 131 films — both shorts and features — which will be screened during this year’s expo, there are also a variety of panels and discussions ticket-buyers can attend. In particular, panels on writing, legalities and liabilities, and a director’s point of view on auditions, which are almost always fully booked.

The audition panel includes more than a half-dozen working directors, listening to actors who book themselves for 10-minute slots to read monologues.

“There are people who directors have seen during these auditions, and they might call them a year later or sometimes even two years later and say, ‘Hey, I’m casting this project. You’re great for such and such,’” Markowitz, a Merrick native, explained. “It’s a great way for them to get their face out there and practice auditioning.”

LIIFE receives support from celebrities who frequently make appearances and speak at panels during the expo.

Lukas Hassel — an actor, screenwriter and filmmaker known for roles in television shows such as NBC’s “The Blacklist” — is again attending the expo. Hassel has worked with Markowitz in the past, speaking at previous expos about what

LIIFE does for independent filmmakers.

“Filmmaking is hard,” he said last year. “It’s one thing if you have a studio backing you with $200 million and celebrity actors. But independent filmmaking is really hard. It’s all about reaching out to your colleagues, to your friends, to your community. This festival — the Long Island International Film Expo — is an example of how important it is to build a community.”

Various venues have hosted LIIFE since its inception, including Hofstra University, Nassau Community College, and even Malverne Cinema on Hempstead Avenue. For the past 15 years — with the exception of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic — Bellmore Movies has been the festival’s home.

First opened in 1915, Bellmore Movies and Showplace boasts a single screen with a stage, proving a cozy venue for

filmmakers to interact with audiences during post-screening Q-and-As. Directly north of the Bellmore Long Island Rail Road station, film buffs travel in from New York City and other parts of the island just to attend.

LIIFE also receives support each year from Nassau County, to the point its financial sponsorship makes the expo possible.

The film festival attracts everyone, from students, to successful filmmakers, and to people who are just getting started.

“You have people who have really made it in the industry, who maybe do their own projects and lots of shows,” Markowitz said, “but you also have people who are just starting out, who maybe haven’t made a film yet. They can sit in the panels and ask all kinds of questions.

“So we kind of make the place you know, for filmmakers big and small — to really come and be a film community. That’s what I really think we do better than pretty much anybody else.”

And even though the 2023 expo is just around the corner, Markowitz said the Film & TV Foundation is already hard at work, planning the next one.

“I can’t believe we’ve been around for 26 years, and everything we’ve gone through and the changes that we’ve made,” Markowitz said. “It’s an all-volunteer staff, which is a big-time commitment and work commitment. It feels great to be able to get it done.”

Tim Baker/Herald file

Henry and anne Stampfel, owners of the Bellmore movies and Showplace — and cocreators of the Long island international f ilm expo — have said the festival at their pettit avenue theater takes a yearlong effort by countless volunteers.

No need to travel far for free, outdoor concerts

Library is collecting food for veterans throughout summer series

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

All summer long, the North Bellmore Public Library is hosting free, outdoor concerts for residents of the Bellmore community, and beyond. With a slew of upcoming performances in the week ahead, the library is also using the concerts as an opportunity to collect nonperishable food items for the Nassau County Veterans Food Pantry in East Meadow, better known as the Vet Mart.

The concert series kicked off with a performance by the American Air Power Museum Concert Band. The band is affiliated with the museum of the same name in Farmingdale. A nonprofit band, it puts on shows for a good cause — and is one of the last few active concert bands in the immediate area.

“This is the first of many concerts that we’re going to be holding here throughout the summer on Thursday nights,” library trustee, Brandon Gimpelman said at the concert. “I just want to thank all of the community members for their support in this endeavor, and I want to thank all of our wonderful staff here — our director Jessica Tyemcki, assistant director Jim Luberto, head of our custodial staff Eric Gardener and librarian Josh for putting this all together.”

The library partnered with the Levittown American Legion Post 1711. Members of the American Legion were there for a color guard ceremony before the concert began. The Post runs a monthly food drive, and collects donations for a variety of organizations, including Long Island Cares and the Vet Mart, among others.

“Thank you all of you who brought canned goods and nonperishable food items,” Gimpelman said. “It really goes a long way.”

Peter Silvestri, first vice commander of the American Legion, spoke about Post 1711’s efforts to combat food insecurity.

“It was started by one of our members during Covid — we’re going on two years now,” he said of the monthly drives. “We take cash donations and purchase through them. We also deliver to the Beacon House, churches, anybody that needs it. Only one of the places weights food for us, which is Long Island Cares, and I think we’re somewhere over 7 tons — just to Long Island Cares alone.”

Post 1711, located at 3123 N. Jerusalem Road in Levittown, collects food on the third Saturday of every month, rain or shine.

“I think it is great that the library has us here, putting us on the map,” Silvestri said. “If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by on Saturday — you have until one o’clock, drop it off inside the building.”

The American Air Power Museum Band kicked of the concert series with a blend of patriotic and show tunes, and even played some hits by Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley. At all upcoming concerts — every Thursday at 7 p.m. on the lawn of the library — the library will be collecting food for the American Legion.

For a list of performances and to learn more about the efforts of the library, visit NorthBellmoreLibrary.org.

Photos by Tim Baker/Herald

The American Air Power Museum Concert Band performed at the North Bellmore Public Library, kicking off a summer concert series.

The American Legion’s color guard attended the concert. From left, Al Gravina, Jim Poccia and Peter Silvestri.

Library trustee Brandon Gimpelman thanked those in attendance for supporting the drive.

Music fans enjoyed a show of patriotic and show tunes.

Annual pull of invasive species is a success

Continued from page 1

surface. “Right off the top layer, this should be a whole host of native plants. Water chestnut outcompetes that, and then when it breaks down at the end of the summer season, it puts another stress on the water body by depleting oxygen as it decomposes.”

The Mill Pond cleanup has taken place annually for about eight years, and although DEC officials said they appreciate the community’s efforts, the state would like to take care of the problem once and for all. Experts expressed the hope of deploying a harvester in the pond that would stop water chestnuts from reproducing.

“It’s a management option,” O’Riordan said. “And some areas of the pond are better this year, thanks to the pull we did last (year). But the real solution is a harvester. We’ve seen the difference a harvester made with getting rid of the chestnut in Massapequa.”

Getting a harvester into the pond would be no easy task, officials said. Despite its proximity to Massapequa Reservoir, Mill Pond, Massapequa Lake and the nearby Twin Lakes Preserve — which also has a water chestnut infestation — fall under different jurisdictions.

Last Wednesday, however, volunteers made a visible difference in Mill Pond, filling dozens of trash bags with the plants. Rhoads has always been an active

participant in the cleanup, and this time he took a kayak out on the water.

“Mill Pond was a place where you could go swimming,” Rhoads, who grew up in Wantagh, said. “It was a place where, in the wintertime, you could go ice skating. It used to be clear for fishing.

Now, with the invasive species, with

water chestnuts taking over and water lilies taking over, it chokes off marine life, and it takes away the opportunity to be able to use it (and) enjoy the lake. This effort is a drop in the bucket, but it’s an opportunity for us to get out there and try and do something positive for the environment.”

in 2021, department of environmental Conservation officials took a photo of a gosling, center left, with a water chestnut stuck to its breast feathers.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald Water chestnut contains hazardous barbs that can harm hikers around the pond and stick to water birds, contributing to the spread of the plant to other ponds and lakes.

Courtesy NYSDEC

Elementary schools celebrate moving up

Sixth graders in Birch, Chatterton and Lakeside Schools in the Merrick Union Free School District moved up to middle school in three separate ceremonies last month.

At Birch’s ceremony at the Brookside School, Principal Kerri Galante referenced a student pop culture favorite, “Stranger Things,” when talking about qualities to seek out in a friend.

“As you embark on your search, consider trustworthiness,” she said.

“Someone who will keep their promises and your confidence. Find those who will bring out your best self, encourage your differences, root for you and allow you to go crazy when you need to. Decide who will protect you — in good time and bad — despite your flaws, stand up for you unconditionally and who would never expect you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or disregards your values.”

Over at Chatteron, Principal Dana Bermas mentioned the school’s stead-

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fast objective in educating the whole student.

“Through school wide activities and class lessons, it was our intention for you to realize that you have the ability to illicit change in this world,” she said. “Ongoing themes of kindness, perseverance, positivity and a sense of belonging were our focus. It was never just about the academics, but rather how to become productive members of society and how to be a good person that others can count on.”

And during Lakeside’s ceremony, Principal Libby Trencheny reminded graduates that the school community has instilled what it means to be a ROARS student – respectful, open-minded, accepting and responsible students.

“As you enter MAMS and then high school … you will meet all kinds of people,” she said. “Continue to be respectful of others, open-minded toward other perspective and opinions and accepting all of the quality that makes each one of you unique and special.”

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Courtesy Merrick Union Free School District

At Chatterton’s ceremony, Richard Nasto led the sixth graders in “The Chatterton Song,” “Life is a School Day” and “I’ll Always Remember You.”

Students graduate from Chabad Hebrew School

Students in the Chabad Hebrew School of Merrick-BellmoreWantagh graduated on June 11, at a ceremony that was reminiscent of how much students have learned about the Jewish religion, values and ways.

Hosted at the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse, the ceremony featured parent speakers, David and Jessica Meyer, and student speaker Riley Kolinsky.

The Chabad Hebrew School creates a stimulating and friendly environment, where children learn to embrace their Jewish roots and gain a true sense of Jew-

ish pride, no matter their level of observance or affiliation.

According to the Chabad’s website, the “Chabad Hebrew School was created with one goal in mind — to offer all Jewish children, even those with little or no background — an education and memories that will inspire them for a lifetime.”

Enrollment in the school does not require any membership of prior affiliations. For more, visit ChabadJewishLife. org/chs, or call (516) 833-3057.

&

t the Merrick Golf Course was packed with parents at the graduation ceremony.

The philosopher Epictetus said “Men are disturbed not by events, but by the views they take of them.” Arising out of “The Good Life”, previously reviewed here, comes the W.I.S.E.R. model for reacting to emotionally challenging situations.

Watch. Initial impressions are powerful but may be incomplete. There is usually more to see. When the impression and the emotional response start to interact, take a moment to pause and thoughtfully observe the situation to prevent a potentially harmful reflexive response. As they say in psychiatry “Don’t just do something, sit there.”

Interpret. We are all seeing the world through our own eyes -- what is happening, why it is happening and how it affects us. Our reality is not necessarily that of others. Thinking that a situation is all about us often leads to misunderstanding. When your emotions start to bubble up, it indicates you have something important at stake -- a goal, an insecurity or a vital relationship. Figuring out what’s at stake will allow you to interpret the situation better.

Select. Having watched, interpreted and re-interpreted, you must select your response. Instead of reacting reflexively out of stress, slowing down allows us to choose from more options. As “The Good Life” says “Given what’s at stake and the resources at my disposal, what can I do in this situation? What would be a good outcome here? And what is the likelihood that things will go well if I respond this way instead of that way?”

Engage. Now you are ready to respond more purposefully -- aligning with who you are and what you want to accomplish. You’ve observed and interpreted the situation, taken some time to consider the possibilities and their likelihood of success, and you then execute your strategy.

Reflect. “How did that work out? Did I make things better or worse? Have I learned something new about the challenge I’m facing and about the best response? Reflecting on our response to a challenge can yield dividends for the future. It’s in learning from experience that we fully grow wiser.”

— Jordan Vallone

Courtesy Chabad Center for Jewish Life

At the Chabad’s Hebrew School graduation, black belt ‘Aleph Champs,’ received a special prize. Above with Rabbi Shimon Kramer, the spiritual leader and director of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, which serves the communities of Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh.

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Nassau Athletics HOF class announced

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

The Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame will hold its 2023 induction ceremony Sept. 28 at the Crest Hollow County Club. For more information and tickets, go to SectionVIII. org. Here’s a list of local athlete honorees.

ROBERT ALABASTER

A man for all seasons, he played five sports at Baldwin starting in 1929. He was a three-time All-Scholastic football lineman and also a starter on the basketball, baseball, swimming and track teams. Won the county backstroke title in swimming.

RON ATANASIO

Regarded as one of the greatest Nassau County soccer players of all-time. Led Oceanside to three consecutive county and Long Island championships and starred on the Sailors’ 18-0 team in 1973 that outscored opponents 99-4.

THERESE DEVLIN

Among the best distance runners in Nassau history while at Wantagh and two-time state champion in the 1500 meters. She was the first female named Gatorade’s New York State track and field player of the year in 1986. She went on to star at Dartmouth and competed in the 1992 Olympic Trials.

BILLY DONOVAN

A Rockville Centre native, he played on championship basketball teams at St. Agnes and earned All-Long Island honors as a senior in 1983. Played collegiately at Providence and helped the Friars reach the Final Four. Thirdround pick of Utah Jazz in 1987 NBA Draft. Coached Florida to 467 wins, including a pair of NCAA titles. Current head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

ARTHUR DUNN

A tremendous distance runner at Sewanhaka and the first in the state to place in the top 10 four times in cross country. He won state championships in 1953 and 1954.

D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON

Generational football player at Freeport who won the Thorp and Martone Awards as Nassau’s best player and linemen. Helped the Red Devils to a Long Island title as a junior. Starred at the University of Virginia and in the NFL for 10 seasons with the New York Jets. A member of the Jets “Ring of Honor.”

PETER HENNING

Long Island’s and New York State’s first wrestling champion. Wantagh’s Henning won the 98-pound title in 1963. After losing his opening match that season, he ripped off 25 straight victories on the way to the historic state crown.

EAMON MCENEANEY

A three-sport star at Sewanhaka (1973 grad)

who was a fearless football player despite his 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame. Also one of the greatest high school and college lacrosse players in state history, he led Cornell to two NCAA titles.

ANNIE PARK

She was forced to play on the boys’ golf team at MacArthur because there was no girls’ team. It didn’t matter. She became the top golfer in Nassau, beating all the boys and winning the county championship in 2012. Won the NCAA women’s title a year later while helping the University of Southern California capture the team championship.

DICK POILLON

A three-sport star at Valley Stream Central in the 1930s. Excelled in football and also played basketball and baseball. After playing college football at Canisius, he earned a spot on the roster of the then-Washington Redskins.

CLIFTON SMITH

Gatorade’s New York state football Player of the Year in 1988, Smith was a Thorp Award winner and also a finalist as a star linebacker for Freeport. He also played basketball and lacrosse. Was a standout at Syracuse and played in the NFL for Washington and Cleveland.

KEVIN SHIPPOS

An outstanding football player and wrestler at Baldwin, the 1997 grad was a two-time AllCounty fullback/linebacker and a three-time county wrestling champ and a one-time state champ. He also won the 215-pound national wrestling championship.

FRANK TASHMAN

A football and lacrosse standout at Sewanhaka, he teamed with future Heisman Trophy winner and Nassau Hall of Famer Vinny Testaverde to bring the school a county title in 1979 and unbeaten season in 1980. Tashman had 118 points as a senior lacrosse attackman.

NICHOLAS TINTLE

Rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2002 to help MacArthur capture its first-ever county football title. He then rushed for over 2,000 yards as a senior. One of the top lacrosse players in the state and earned Nassau Midfielder of the Year honors in 2004.

AL WILLIAMS

One of the greatest athletes of all-time at Hempstead. A four-year starter on the basketball court and three-year starting quarterback on the gridiron. Under his direction, the Tigers went 8-0 in 1967 and outscored the competition 245-46.

JAMES ZAFFUTO

A record-setting lacrosse player at Elmont, the 1977 grad set multiple Nassau scoring records that have stood for 45 years. Holds career records for points (498) and assists (288.) Played on three NCAA championship title teams at Johns Hopkins.

Photos courtesy Nassau Boces Athletics ROckvILLE cENTRE’S BILLY Donovan starred as a basketball player at St. Agnes and Providence College, as well as a coach on the collegiate and NBA levels.

MacaRThuR gRaduaTE aNNIE Park won the Nassau County golf championship, beating all the boys, in 2012, and also an NCAA title while at USC.

Beloved Declaration of Independence reading returns

The Historical Society of the Merricks hosted its annual Declaration of Independence reading at the Old Merrick Library last week. The event took a short hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the beloved and well-known community event returned to Merrick on July 4.

The Independence Day celebration was first held in Merrick some 30 years ago, and the declaration used to be read in the Merrick Gazebo, just north of the Long Island Rail Road station.

Over the last year, several renovations have taken place outside the Old Merrick Library, which is on the corner of Merrick and Kirkwood Avenues, and made it the perfect spot for this year’s reading. The World War I Memorial was restored last year by an Eagle Scout and the Jew-

ish War Veterans, and recently, a historic flag pole was renovated and adorned with a new flag.

The reading encourages and allows the community to get involved. Everyone who attends is given a free copy of the text, and can read a single line out loud during the event.

The Historical Society is now under the leadership of John Pinto, who was installed as its president last fall. The group is working on several initiatives, including preserving the Bedell Dairy Farm property in North Merrick.

For more on the Historical Society, and to learn about future events, visits the group’s Facebook Page, @MerrickHistory.

Despite the rain, the reading was well attended. Joe Baker read a portion of the declaration.

The Historical Society of the Merricks hosted its annual Declaration of Independence reading on July 4. Fred Ness, president of the Wild Ones Society, Berta Weinstein, president of the South Merrick Community Civic Association, Betty Lippai, Joe Baker, trustee for the Historical Society, State Sen. Steve Rhoads, John Pinto, president of the Historical Society, and John Pinto, trustee of the Historical Society, all took part in the reading

Movie night kicks off N. Bellmore library’s summer reading

The North Bellmore Public Library kicked of its Summer Reading Program with a outdoor, family movie night. The library screened “Trolls,” a family friendly film, all about friendship and working together.

This year, the summer reading theme is “All Together Now,” open to kids ages 3 through fifth grade. There is also a program for teens and adults. The program runs from June 23 and Aug. 16.

Welcome kits were given out to all of the program’s participants, and at the end of the summer, a Magic Show will conclude a fun-filled season of reading.

Nassau County libraries are participating in the Nassau Library Tour which encourages a summer of exploration.

At their local library, kids can pick up a map with a list of attractions in their communities, so they can get out and explore attractions, restaurants and parks nearby.

As they travel around, families are encourages to take a selfie or picture at

the location. The more attractions they visit means the more prizes they can win.

The tour concludes on Aug. 12. For more, visit Tour.NassauLibrary.org

The North Bellmore library is hosting fun events, including concerts, all summer long. Visit NorthBellmoreLibrary.org for more.

— Jordan Vallone

Maureen Lennon/Herald

— Jordan Vallone

Photos by Edwin Chavez/Herald Library Director Jessica Tymecki, Sabrina Iraggi, Librarian Nancy Deluca and Steven Graziano helped run the kickoff event.

It was a movie night under the stars at the North Bellmore Public Library on June 30. The library kicked off its summer reading program by screening ‘Trolls,’ a family friendly film about friendship and working together.

Town recognizes Matthew Manno

Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Carini presented the Town of Hempstead Community Service and Academic Excellence Award to Matthew Manno, a North Bellmore resident and graduate of Mepham High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

MORE UNBUBBLIEVABLE THAN EVER! MORE UNBUBBLIEVABLE THAN EVER!

Chris Carini honors Kyle Auty

Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Carini presented the Town of Hempstead Community Service and Academic Excellence Award to Kyle Auty, a North Merrick resident and graduate of Calhoun High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

STEPPING OUT

Action along the midway

A bustling scene at the

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

Cotton candy, zeppole, the ubiquitous Ferris wheel. Of course, it must be time for the fair. That summertime staple is back again, taking over the Nassau Coliseum grounds, through July 16.

By Karen Bloom

Circus-type spectacle, an old-school “oddity” sideshow, exotic animals, along with plenty of thrill rides for all ages and midway action, all combine for an extravaganza that entices all ages.

Step right up everyone: The Royal Hanneford Circus carries forth with time-honored circus traditions refreshed for the 21st century. Producers Adrian Poema and Nellie Hanneford Poema — along with their four talented children, Catherine, Mariana, Adrian Jr., and Tommy — are focused on bringing a fresh new take on circus arts under the Big Top.

The Hanneford Family, long considered the “Royal Family of the Circus,” can rightly claim an unbroken span of circus history fast approaching three centuries. Beginning with Edwin Hanneford in the late 1600s to the present, they have consistently amazed, amused, thrilled and delighted audiences everywhere with their exploits and skilled acts. From aerial high-wire feats, to illusionists, freestyle motocross, the human cannonball, the big cats, and more — this surely is an edge-of-your-seat experience.

Film Expo

out the red carpet once again for the Long Island International Film Expo, now in its 26th year. LIIFE is proud to present 133 films — 75 of them from New York filmmakers, and 30 of them by Long Islanders. Even more statistics of note: LIIFE World premieres, five U.S. premieres, short- to feature-length, moviegoers can partake of a diverse group of 156 independent films this year include: ‘1,000 Years A Witness,’ to their youth; ‘Across,’ in which three young American World War II

widows take a day trip to celebrate the younger sister’s bittersweet engagement, when a corrosive and dangerous secret from the past reemerges; ‘The Concertgoer,’ the tale of a couple who, when finding the Shostakovich concert they had planned to see is sold out, are guided to an obscure garden where they find the elusive concertgoer, silent and still, lying on a brick slab.

Wednesday through Sunday, July 19-23. Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. Tickets and information available at LongIslandFilm.com.

Pat McGann

Comic showcase

Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

• Now through July 16, 5-11 p.m. weekdays; noon-11 p.m.

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

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

Saturday and Sunday

• $10 (free for kids under 36 inches tall with paying adult); unlimited ride wristbands (for riders 36 inches and taller) are $35, $40 FridaySunday.

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

• Ride tickets are also available at the carnival for $1.50 each, $30/20 tickets, or $60/50 tickets plus 1 free ride (rides take 2 or more tickets each)

More animal antics can be found at Eudora Farms Exotic Petting Zoo, where kids can get up-close and personal with a variety of exotic animals from the four corners of the globe. Kids can meet and greet the animals — and feed them.

Be sure to check out the World of Wonders sideshow, new to the fair this year. Visit the colorful tent and be drawn into the scene involving 10 sideshow acts, under the watchful eye of Tommy Breen — aka The Great Gozleone. Sword swallower extraordinaire, his antics are boundless, including fire-eating and stunts with a guillotine that are not for the faint of heart.

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

“When I was 14, I decided I wanted to run away with the sideshow,” Breen says. “I started teaching myself sword swallowing and some other stunts out of the back of a book I found. I didn’t think there still were

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.

sideshows around, I figured I could perform in bars with bands or something. But then, when I graduated college, I saw Ward Hall was hiring for his World of Wonders show. I was shocked it was still on the road and that I had the chance to work for the King of the Sideshow. So, I quit my job and got rid of my apartment and joined the carnival. It was what I had always daydreamed about, and once I got here, I just never left.”

Breen proudly carries on the sideshow tradition, with his fellow sideshow folk.

Strongwoman Luella Lynne emcees the show and astounds visitors with feats of strength, bending metal, ripping phone books, and breaking metal chains with her bare hands. Other “talents” include Sam Rezz, who performs with hula hoops, needle swallowing and contact juggling. And don’t miss out on Lucy Lovett, the electric lady, with her painproof woman act.

And, of course, don’t miss out on the rides. The midway features plenty of attractions that all ages will enjoy, including the Dream Wheel (one of the largest Ferris wheels on the fair circuit), the Grand Carousel, Super Cyclone roller coaster, Wacky Worm family roller coaster, Storybook Fun House, super slide, and bumper cars.

And, yes, in case you’re wondering, you can still take a spin in those tea cups. Some things never go out of style.

“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to

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

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

Laugh the night away at Mom’s Night Out, presented by Long Island Comedy Festival. You’ll enjoy witty standup delivered by four clever comics. Ellen Karis, known as the ‘Greek Goddess of Comedy,’ performs at venues throughout North America. She’s described as the ‘little dynamo’ given her petite stature, strong improv skills and ability to build a quick rapport with any audience. New York City-born and raised in a traditional strict Greek home, her brand of sarcastic, observational humor is along the same lines as comedy legends Joan Rivers and Richard Lewis. She’s joined by Maria Walsh, ‘America’s Naughtiest Mommy,’ whose quick wit, combined with coordinating facial expressions, give her a memorable and commanding stage presence. Kendra Cunningham, a Boston native who absconded to New York to peruse performing, who whines too much in her dreams. And Maureen Langan, acclaimed for her high-energy, versatile style that highlights her warmth and razor-edge repartee.

Thursday, July 20, 8 p.m. $35$40. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

Photos courtesy Empire State Fair

From daring sideshow acts featuring fire-eating to circus spectacle and everyone’s favorite rides, plus new enticements, plenty of summer amusements await at the latest edition of the Empire State Fair.

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

THE Your Neighborhood

July

21

BRUCE A. BLAKEMAN NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE presents

On exhibit

July 13, 2023 — BELLMORE HERALD 14 STARRING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS AND JOE PANTOLIANO RockAndRollManTheMusical.com NEW WORLD STAGES 340 W. 50TH ST.

Kids ages 6-9 can tour Old Westbury Gardens and examine how science is all around us in nature, Thursday, July 27, 2 p.m. Learn how plants grow and take home your own plant, as you participate in experiments of the water cycle and how we can use science to change the color of a flower both naturally and artificially. Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

Fundraiser Car Show

Bellmore Presbyterian Church holds a car show, Sunday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds will go towards the church’s Fire Safety Compliance Project. $25 to register a car, and $2 per person to enter the show. Register early and save. Vendors are also wanted. 2740 Martin Ave., Bellmore. Contact (516) 785-2590 to become a vendor. For questions about the event in general, call (516) 790-2475.

1222035

EISENHOWER PARK FREE ADMISSION | Parking Field #1 | Bring Chairs All concerts start at 12:00pm unless otherwise noted. All events weather permitting, call 516-572-0201 for up to date information. NASSAU COUNTY SUMMER FUN SPONSORED BY WEDNESDAY | JULY 19 | NOON DENNIS DELL 1221816

Write on: College essay workshops

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering virtual workshops to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The workshops, Thursday, July 20 and Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/ portal/virtual_admission_ webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Moonlight Mile

EliteFeats hosts a Moonlight Mile at Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore, Friday, Aug. 11, at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place rain or shine, and runners can get a soft, glow-in -the-dark t-shirt. Participate as a race or walk.$25 registration fee. 2600 Newbridge Road, Bellmore. Visit Events. EliteFeats.com for more information.

July 14

Car Show

Friday night car shows with the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores are back. Stop by the Bellmore Long Island Rail Road parking lot, 6 to 10 p.m., to see dozens of cars of all makes and models. Free for spectators to walk through, admission for cars is $5. For more, visit BellmoreChamber.com.

Having an event?

Class reunion

Sanford H. Calhoun High School is holding a multiyear reunion for the classes of 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 at the Uniondale Marriot, Sept. 30, beginning at 7 p.m. 101 James Doolittle Blvd, Uniondale. Visit bit.ly/ Calhoun-Reunion, or email calhounreunion2023@gmail. com for more.

Tax exemption workshop

Merrick Library holds a Property Tax Exemption Workshop, Thursday, July 20, 1-3 p.m. 2279 S. Merrick Ave., Merrick. Preregister at MerrickLibrary. org. For more information, call (516) 277-6112.

Visit with L.I. Parrot Society

Do you like birds? The Long Island Parrot Society stops by North Bellmore Public Library, Saturday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m., for a morning of parrot viewing and a cookie bake sale.1551 Newbridge Road, Bellmore For more, visit HempsteadNY.com.

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

On stage Plaza Theatricals brings the iconic musical “Rent,” back to the stage, Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The acclaimed reimagining of “La Vie Boheme,” loosely based on Puccini’s opera and set on East Village streets, fire escapes, tenements, and cafes. This groundbreaking roller coaster ride depicting the joys and sorrows of an eclectic, diverse group of young artists and activists is always captivating. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $35, $30 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Family fun with Darlene Graham

Darlene Graham performs at Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore, Monday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m. Join the family music entertainer for a morning of songs in her new show, ‘Singing at the Beach.’ 2600 Newbridge Road. For more, visit HempsteadNY.gov.

Book Discussion

Stop by North Merrick Public Library, Friday, July 28, for a book discussion about “The Netanyahus,” by Joshua Cohen. This amusing historical fiction book received a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. 1691 Meadowbrook Road. To register, visit NMerrickLibrary. org or call (516) 378-7474 for more.

Kenny & Claire in Concert

Folk music duo Kenny & Claire, who are based in Nashville, visit the Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Merrick, Saturday, Aug. 12. Join the worship-music group for a performance beginning at 6 p.m. 36 Smith Street, Merrick. To reserve a spot, visit KennyAndClaire.com.

Dan Reardon at the Clubhouse

The Clubhouse in Bellmore offers performances by local musicians all summer long. Stop by to hear the sounds of Dan Reardon, Thursday, July 27. 134 Clubhouse Road, Bellmore. For tickets and more information, visit BandsInTown.com.

Florence Noll, 96

Florence Noll, loving wife of Robert Noll for 72 years, died on June 27 at 96. Born on Dec. 11, 1926, she was know affectionately as “Meem” to her grandchildren, great grandchildren and many friends.

Noll was sharp as a tack until the end, using her cell phone and computer, and always doing puzzles in Newsday. She loved the beach, gardening and watching birds. But most of all, she loved spending time with her family and friends.

Noll is survived by her husband, daughters Florence Pratt, Cathryne Rewiniski and Cecelia Gravano; grandchildren Kimberly Carr, Matthew and Robert Pratt, Jonathan and Geoffrey Rewinski, Brian, Adam and Evan Gravano; and great grandchildren Christopher, Courtney, Thomas and Andrew Carr and Nora Rewinski. Noll was predeceased by her granddaughter, Jessica Rewinski.

Her family described her passing as: “Our world will never be the same.”

Francis Gencorelli, 86

Francis Gencorelli, an architect and longtime resident of Merrick, died on June 27 surrounded by his loving family. He was 86.

Born on March 2, 1937, Gencorelli was raised in Rosedale, Queens by Jerry and Theresa Gencorelli. After attending Brooklyn Technical High School, he studied architecture at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. At VPI, he received the Paris Prize in Architecture which allowed him to further his studies at Yale University, where he earned a Master in Architecture.

After completing his advanced degree, he went to work for LaPierre, Litchfield and Partners in New York City and then worked with prominent architect Edward W. Slater. Always the entrepreneur, Gencorelli opened his own practice, Gencorelli & Salo, Architects, P.C. and was in business for over 50 years. The firm specialized in the design and construction of banks, schools, manufacturing and research facilities, offices, condominiums, and hotels.

Gencorelli was a firm believer in keeping a building’s aesthetics consistent with its surrounding areas, such as in his design in the 1970’s of the then Long Island Savings Bank in the Merrick

Gables community. Among other notable works are the Guerlain, Inc. offices and distribution center in Somers and the Long Island Marriott Hotel in Uniondale.

Gencorelli was a proud member and past president of Kiwanis, the Mental Health Association, the American Institute of Architects, and the National Institute for Architectural Education.

Gencorelli often worked six days a week during his career, but he always made time for family on Sundays by preparing an incredible meal that included fresh vegetables from his garden. For many summers he would rent a Winnebago and take the family camping throughout the east coast.

Later in life, the family enjoyed trips to his favorite Caribbean island, Bermuda, as well as a trip back to his ancestral home of Acri, Italy. An avid gardener, chef, nature lover, Mets fan, and cigar aficionado, Francis will be remembered for his wisdom, great sense of humor, and devotion to his family.

The ninth of twelve siblings, Gencorelli was predeceased by his brothers and sisters, Gladys, Rosemary, June, Genaro, Henry, Bennet, Bernice, and Theresa.

Gencorelli is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Josephine, his adoring

daughters, Caterina and Margherita, son-in-law

Peter Yoder, and cherished grandson Joshua Yoder. He is also survived by his loving sisters Alyce, Helen and Doreen, sisterin-law Josephine, and many nephews, nieces, and godchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate that those who wish to express sympathy consider making a donation in Gencorelli’s name to one of the following scholarship programs: Brooklyn Technical High School - Centennial Fund, Virginia Polytechnic Institute - Beyond Boundaries Scholarship, or Yale University - School of Architecture: Dean’s Endowment Scholarship Fund.

Gencorelli’s burial was private. A celebration of life will be held at a later date for those who would like to come and remember Gencorelli.

Francis Gencorelli

No matter the industry, businesses around the world are undergoing dramatic changes to the way they operate From technology and skills development, to cultural barriers, self-care and mental health, every organization must adapt and evolve, or risk being left behind.

As we navigate a time of pivotal change, the Herald’s 2023 WE Summit presented by Bank of America brings together thought leaders, innovators and barrier-breaking women for conversations around this year’s theme: The Future is Now.

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

JUST ADDED: DANIELLE LABARBERA - SVP HUMAN RESOURCES AT AMERICAN EXPRESS & REENA JANA - HEAD OF CONTENT & PARTNERSHIP ENABLEMENT, RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION AT GOOGLE

FOR A FULL LIST OF SPEAKERS, WORKSHOPS AND AGENDA VISIT: RICHNERLIVE.COM/2023-WE-SUMMIT

SPONSORS

For more information about WE Summit or sponsorship opportunities, contact Amy Amato:

Hatching chicks at Merrick’s Chatterton School

Second graders at Chatterton School in the Merrick School District have been researching and reading about the life cycle of chickens and were able to see this science unit come to life in a lesson hatched by their teachers.

The classes, instructed by Lindsay Struss, Linda Learned and Nancy Russo and Sharon Elefante, all had incubators, which enabled the students to turn the eggs and watch humidity levels to provide a safe environment for the eggs.

“We were able to explore how an

embryo develops inside of a chicken egg over time, discuss life cycles and interdependency,” Russo said, “and learn a lot of new vocabulary.”

As each chick hatched, the students watched eagerly and were able to witness firsthand what they had been reading about.

“We are learning about responsibility as we feed the chicks and handle them gently,” said Russo.

“We are also learning how to get work done,” Struss added, “with the continuous cute sounds of peeping.”

District Second graders at Merrick’s

Photos

School have been researching and reading about the life cycle of chickens, and recently hatched chicks with their classmates.

The lesson, the teachers said, taught the students a lot of new skills — including how

courtesy Merrick Union Free School

Chatterton

Senior health expo geared for young at heart

The Sunny Atlantic Beach Club opened its doors June 28 to eager guests for Herald Community Newspapers’ Senior Health & Beyond Expo presented by UnitedHealthcare and produced by RichnerLive. It was the third in a series of expos designed especially for senior citizens this year.

More than 35 diverse businesses as well as innovative services shared their products and refined knowledge with attendees to improve wellness and heighten their lifestyle.

Free on-site health screenings were provided by Mount Sinai South Nassau as well as vaccines administered by Parker Jewish. There were also hearing screenings from Dr. Lawrence Cardano of Hearing Center of Long Island — who was also one of the speakers on the expo’s afternoon panel.

Goody bags and tons of raffles were also a plus for those making their way to Atlantic Beach.

The event was made possible thanks to Gold Sponsor Otsuka and gift bag sponsors Grandell Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and Oceanside Care Center. Silver Sponsors were Beach Terrace Care Center, Parker Jewish Institute Health Care and Rehabilitation, Long Beach Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Aetna, CenterLight and Hearing Center of Long Island.

The next expo is coming up fast — Thursday, Sept. 7, at the East Meadow Jewish Center. It runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information, Visit RichnerLive.com.

1. Dr. Lawrence Cardano, middle, takes with Omar and Sandy about what the Hearing Center of Long Island can offer them.

2. Jacqueline Garguilo and Frank Garguilo, owners of Bikram Yoga Long Beach, showed some relaxing poses.

3. Nancy Lebron from presenting sponsor UnitedHealthcare was the keynote speaker.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

–Alexa Anderwkavich

4. Josh Herzing and Taylor Malfin from Beach Terrace Care Center were among those attending.

5. Cori Hoberman, community marketer from Long Beach Rehabilitation & Nursing

6. Pablo Rendon of Parker Jewish shares some expertise as a panelist.

7. Jill Wassner from the state public services department, offers advice.

8. Sabrina Osmani from Sunharbor Manor chats with an attendee

9. Na Zhang, Abigail Fromm and Lisa SperlingLeicht at the Mount Sinai South Nassau table.

10. Mark Legaspi of Aetna, shares some of his expertise

11. Allison Burton from Otsuka was one of the several great business leaders to come out.

12. Shaun Ruskin from Centerlight discusses PACE eligibility.

Legislature recognizes Top Cops for June

The Nassau County Legislature honored two police officers from the Third Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department as Top Cops at the June meeting of the full legislature.

Officers Andrew Smith and Christopher Riebl were selected for this honor because of their work during a call where an 8-year-old girl walked into the middle of oncoming traffic, while armed with a butcher’s knife, and threatened to kill herself. The girl refused to drop the knife every time police officers directed her to and kept reiterating to the officers that she no longer wanted to live.

The situation was extremely unsafe for the girl, the police officers, and every car that was driving on the road because the incident was happening on a highly trafficked road, so the officers

had to make a rapid decision on how to save this girls life without putting anyone else in danger.

One officer distracted the girl while the other one snuck up behind her and grabbed the knife from the girl. She was then transported to Nassau County Medical Center for a psychological evaluation.

“Thank you to Officers Riebl and Smith for their efforts in making sure that this girl did not harm herself, and that no one else in the situation was injured,” Legislator Laura Schaefer said. “Thanks to their swift and heroic decision in a split-second, this girl survived and was able to get the help she needed. Thank you and all our great police.”

— Jordan Vallone

Crime watCh

LarCeNy

On June 2, an individual on Wantagh Avenue South reported that unknown suspects stole two mini cameras from them.

On June 27 in Hicksville, a man reported that his catalytic converter was stolen while it was parked on Georgia Street.

On June 28 in Plainview, a woman reported that her catalytic converter was stolen while parked on Relda Street.

On June 29, a woman reported that her front license plate was stolen while parked on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown.

Staples, located on South Oyster Bay Road in Hicksville, reported that an unknown man stole a printer from the store on June 29.

On Dieman Lane in East Meadow, a man reported that his catalytic converter was stolen on June 29.

CVS, located on Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore, reported that an unknown male suspect stole three beer cans from the store on June 29.

A man reported that his catalytic converter was stolen while parked on Bentley Road in Plainview on June 29.

On June 29, a Hicksville woman reported that her catalytic converter was stolen while parked on East Carl Street.Arrests

arrests

Rebecca R. Lewis, 30, from Levit-

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF UPLAND MORTGAGE LOAN

town, was arrested on June 30 for allegedly shoplifting from Target, located on Corporate Drive in Westbury.

John Chille, 20, from Amityville, was arrested on July 1 for alleged DWI at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Park Boulevard.

Kristen M. Wilkie, 35, from Hempstead, was arrested on July 2 for allegedly shoplifting from Target, located at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville.

Paul Bonola Pena, 44, from Wantagh, was arrested on July 3 for allegedly shoplifting from Target, located on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown.

Alan Duran Pino, 28, from Hicksville, was arrested on July 5 for allegedly shoplifting from Nordstrom Rack on Old Country Road in East Garden City on July 5.

CrimiNaL misChief

At Massapequa Preserve, on the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Van Buren Street in Massapequa Park, a park bench was damaged on June 28.

On Westwood Road South in Massapequa, a woman reported that her PVC fence was damaged on July 2.

On July 2 in Massapequa, a woman reported that the left rear corner panel on her vehicle was damaged while parked on Erlwein Court.

TRUST A, Plaintiff against LAWRENCE PESCE, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered January 22, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 25, 2023 at 2:30 PM. Premises known as 2726 Clarendon Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710. Sec 56 Block 345 Lot 57,58,59. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $511,724.23 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 005308/2013. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Jennifer Ettenger, Esq., Referee CARN298 140301

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. ELSIE ARCOS, et al, Defts., Index #611979/2021. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered March 7, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 2, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. prem. k/a Section 63, Block 205, Lot 185. Sold subject to

terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the sale. FAY MATTANA, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY. #100505 140414

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 12649

RESOLUTION NO.6592022 Adopted: May 24, 2022 Councilmember Carini offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION GRANTING THE PETITON OF THE GIAMBRONE ASSET MANAGEMENT TRUST, AS OWNER, AND BOLLA EM REALTY, LLC, AS LESSEE, FOR A VARIANCE FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE GSS DISTRICT, SITE PLAN MODIFICATION APROVAL, AND A MODIFICATION OF RESTRICITVE COVENANTS FOR REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1589 MERRICK ROAD, MERRICK, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK. WHEREAS, the petition of Bolla EM Realty, LLC, as lessee, with offices at 809 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, and the Giambrone Asset Management Trust, as property owner, with an address at 14 Kotfield Court, Melville, New York 11747, dated and acknowledged June 25, 2021, for site plan modification approval, a Variance from the GSS provisions and a modification of Restrictive Coveneants for property located on the northeast corner of Merrick Road and Central Boulevard, Merrick, New York, more particularly described hereinafter, was filed with this Town Board; and WHEREAS, Bolla EM Realty, LLC, as lessee, and the Giambrone Asset Management Trust, as a property owner, have submitted to the Town of Hempstead a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants dated August 25, 2022, and executed by Harvinder Singh, Member (Bolla) and John Giambrone, Trustee (Giambrone) (executed in counterparts) with reference to said overall parcel that modifies a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants recorded in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk

on January 27, 1986; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the petition of Bolla EM Realty, as property owner, dated June 25, 2021, for site plan modification approval, aVariance from the GSS provisions and a modification of Restricitve Covenants at the hereinafter described property in Merrick, New York, is hereby granted and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the property which is the subject of said Petition is known and designated as Section 55, Block 180, Lot 32 on the Nassau County Land And Tax Map, the meets and bounds of which are described in the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that said petition is granted subject to the provisions of Chapter 132 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead and the Building Zone Ordinance of the Town of Hempstead, and further approvals if required from the Board of Appeals or any other governmental entity and the submission of a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants acceptable to this Board and the subject premises shall be maintained in accordance with the site plan prepared by High Point Engineering, last revised on May 10, 2022 and filed with the Town Clerk; and be it further RESOLVED, that this inclusion shall become effective upon the issuance of a permit by the Department of Buildings of the Town of Hempstead. The forgoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Dunne and adopted upon roll call as follows: AYES: SEVEN

(7) NOES: NONE (0) 140659

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 49 -2023 PLEASE TAKE

NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held on the day of June 20, 2023, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead, on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead

Local Law No. 49-2023, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted

Local Law No. 49-2023, for the enactment of an amendment to Chapter 99 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead entitled “Registration and Permitting of Property” in relation to accessory structures and penalties. Dated:Hempstead, New York June 20, 2023 BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD KATE MURRAY Town Clerk DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor 140661

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF THE RESIDENTIAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES TRUST V-D, Plaintiff, vs. DONALD SHERRARD; ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 25, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 15, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 2451 Walters Court, Bellmore, NY 11710. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Bellmore, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 63, Block 144 and Lots 20 and 21. Approximate amount of judgment is $428,418.89 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 614749/2019. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale. Alan Gerson, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 191470-2 140692

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT

EAST ROCKAWAY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (2 POSITIONS) 12 Month Position

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER NASSAU COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

Training and Experience

Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university, AND

Four years of satisfactory administrative staff experience, which must include participating in budget preparation, and/or personnel and/or procurement activities.

NOTE:

Maintenance Mechanic Wanted for Residential Building

Qualified applicants must have minimum five years experience in basic repairs and troubleshooting of: Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, and Heating & Boiler Maintenance

Able to perform snow removal

Work Shift: 5 days, 8am-5pm, alternating weekend shifts, able to work O/T & Holidays

Qualified Applicants can email resume to: valleypark@me.com Or call 516-285-6699

1221861

1. Experience, as outlined above, in excess of the four-year requirement, may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

2. A Master's degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university may be substituted for one year of the experience as outlined above.

Anticipated Start Date: Upon Civil Service Approval

Please submit letter of interest and resume to: Ms. Diane Drakopoulos Personnel Clerk

443 Ocean Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518 516-887-8300, x1-441

Email: ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

The Merrick Before/After School Program is preparing for the 2023-24 school year. We require mature individuals to provide quality care to elementary school aged children from 2:45 pm to 5:00 or 6:00 pm weekdays. Minimum 3 afternoons per week. Experience helpful.

If interested, email merrickbasp@aol.com or call 516-379-4245.

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers.

Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must.

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

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Leeper

A. You gave useful information that helps give me a clear understanding of the issues. There are many things to know about finishing a basement, because of building code safety requirements, thermal comfort, lighting levels and even the ceiling height. Hopefully you already know that you need a building permit, even though most people roll their eyes at this, because getting a permit isn’t as simple as it used to be, and because of the difficulties, many people avoid the process.

Consider that you need an escape well from the main room, and you can’t exit through the office room to the exterior, because you can’t exit through a smaller space with a potentially closed door.

Your thermal comfort, working at any hour of the day, is important, and your choice of wall metal studs can avoid potential moisture effects that can rot wood wall studs. In a recent conversation with a contractor, he said that he often sees wall studs rusted when he opens the walls to renovate, so be sure that the wall cavity has a water-resistant coating on the masonry or concrete wall surfaces. Although I recommend rigid polystyrene for the wall cavity, because it won’t sag if there’s moisture, rockwool is also a good choice if it can be secured from drooping when there is moisture buildup in the walls.

Rockwool is a better sound insulator than fiberglass thermal insulation, but the better choice would be a specifically manufactured sound batting, also fiberglass, that comes in packages marked with the sound rating and labeled as acoustic insulation.

The choice to add heat or cooling is based on a few factors. One factor is related to the humidity level of the basement, which can be monitored with a humidistat. You may only need a humidifier to control humidity, since the ground is an excellent insulator that slows heat and cool air from radiating to the room because of the ground’s large mass. If you remember to insulate between the floor joists at the outside wall, the cool and heat should be under control. Vents in the interior walls will defeat the sound privacy purpose of the room and are not recommended. Good luck!

Monte

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Answers to todAy’s puzzle

Congestion pricing, a hole-in-the-head proposal

Everything in this world is a function of timing. Whether it’s sports or some other activity, timing is everything. And it will be a key issue when it comes to the state’s longplanned congestion-pricing plan, which is scheduled to start sometime in 2024. There is no doubt that drivers in New York City face challenges every day. As the coronavirus pandemic has faded, negotiating the traffic in and out of the city has become a disastrous experience. There are many more suburban private-vehicle commuters than anyone anticipated. Planning groups have been advocating for many years for a congestion-pricing plan. It has worked in London and Singapore, and it was hoped that it would eventually come to New York. But the key question is whether or not it’s the right time to impose this burden on scores of thousands of drivers.

I have always been an advocate of finding a way to cut down on congestion in the city. A number of mayors have grappled with ideas on how to improve traffic flow, but all of their ideas have fallen flat. With more bike lanes and parking restrictions as well as the traffic, it’s almost impossible to maneuver around the city at virtually any hour of the day.

Is it the right time to start the congestion pricing program? No. I think it’s the wrong time, for a variety of reasons. The Covid nightmare may be long gone, but the city hasn’t recovered. Many businesses suffered greatly, and are just beginning to recover from their losses. Charging trucks that make multiple trips to the city will just become a consumer tax.

The hearings on the congestion plan were a sham. Members of the public were given a chance to weigh in on whether they supported such a plan, but listeners sounded bored with the whole process. You can’t have a real hearing without knowing what it will cost to use the toll zone.

The Metropolitan Transportation

Authority says it will soon reveal the toll structure, but by then the plan will be a done deal. There is no way that car and truck owners will have an opportunity to express their concerns, ideas or opposition to the final announcement. Knowing the MTA from past experience, I expect the tolls to be arbitrary and unreasonable.

The agency has stated that tolls could be as high as $23. My guess is that they will be much higher. The real toll structure will depend on how much it will cost to set up the tolling system. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent to get the E-ZPass system up and running. If the construction contract runs over budget, and you can expect that it will, drivers who commute will end up paying to cover those costs.

Most people aren’t familiar with the term “bond covenants,” which relates to the guarantees in the congestion-pricing legislation. It means that the tolling costs will be covered by the tolls drivers pay. If the cost of erecting tolling devices is exceptionally high, the tolls will have to

rise to pay off the bonds.

The MTA has said that the tolls may be lower on weekends. But with drivers covering the no doubt excessive construction costs, don’t expect any bargain fares. Sadly, the more questions people ask about the details of the program, the more likely it will be to turn into a disaster, because those answers won’t come in time.

This program wasn’t launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration. It was created by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Hochul has now inherited the plan. She is at the mercy of a bureaucracy that is rarely people-sensitive. If the MTA botches the toll structure and offers a confusing implementation plan, Hochul will have inherited a major political headache.

Congestion pricing is a good government idea. There is a need to control the city’s traffic nightmare. But those who drive into the city need this plan right now like they need a hole in the head.

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.

Journalists become targets for jihadists

The number of foreign correspondents has plummeted in the past 10 years, and most overseas news bureaus have either shrunk or shuttered their offices. At the same time, more reporters are being killed or kidnapped by extremist groups. No one knows the exact numbers, because families and news agencies are protective of information about individuals in captivity.

We may have come to a turning point in journalism, where the danger of reporting from jihadist strongholds has become too extreme to justify the presence of correspondents.

Steven Sotloff, 31, was the 70th journalist killed in Syria since civil war began tearing the country apart in 2011. That is a devastating number of fatalities for a noncombatant group comprising professional reporters who just want to get the story and send it home.

Despite a heartbreaking videotaped appeal by Sotloff’s mother, the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, beheaded him and posted the video on YouTube. He was the second American reporter to die on his knees in a faraway desert in recent weeks. ISIS also recorded the murder of another reporter, James

Foley, sending those brutal images, too, out into the world.

Sotloff and Foley belonged to a courageous band of brothers and sisters who travel the world to tell the who, what, where, why and how of natural disasters and armed conflicts. They do the counterintuitive thing — running toward danger in order to see what is happening on the ground.

A driven group of professionals, they are willing to endure just about anything that life in the field can throw at them: deplorable living conditions, foul weather, loneliness, fatigue and violence. Their goal is to get the most accurate facts and interviews they can and transmit or broadcast the stories, often from the battlefield.

There is the glory, too, along with the guts. And there is glamour as well, and a storied history of dashing correspondents who covered wars by day, hunkered down with troops, and caroused by night in bars from Singapore to Saigon.

Dexter Filkins, author of “The Forever War,” wrote about reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq during those wars. He spoke honestly about the addictive quality of living on the edge every day. I’ve followed his career, watching him return again and again to whatever city happens to be in flames.

That’s what foreign correspondents have always done, from Ernie Pyle and

Ernest Hemingway in World War II to Dan

Rather and Morley Safer in Vietnam. They fly into danger, push toward the front lines and try to nail the story. They employ fixers and translators and locals who work both sides of the street. And, too often, they die.

In 2002, journalist Daniel Pearl was killed in Pakistan on his way to meet an informant. In 2011, CBS reporter Lara Logan was sexually assaulted by dozens of men in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on the day that rebels toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak. In 2012, a 21-yearold British journalist, Natasha Smith, was also attacked in Tahrir Square, and barely escaped with her life. A year later, a female Dutch journalist, 22, was attacked and raped in Tahrir Square by five men, while a chanting mob stood by and watched.

The atmosphere has turned toxic for foreign reporters, especially in the Middle East. In the past, all sides in a conflict respected journalists’ neutrality and sought out reporters in order to tell their side of events.

Now, however, a reporter in the field, especially a Western journalist, is seen as a commodity, a bargaining chip in a kidnap scheme, a source of ransom money, and a target. ISIS doesn’t need a foreign correspondent to vent and rant. It has YouTube. Reporters are not only expendable; kidnapping them is profitable, both in dollars and propaganda.

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published Sept. 11-17, 2014.

I watch Richard Engel, of NBC, reporting from the rooftops of Baghdad, and I see Anna Coren, an Australian correspondent, reporting from Mosel. I don’t know how they summon the courage to carry on in such a hostile environment, and I don’t know that they should.

Perhaps we need to rethink the model of sending journalists into war zones. CNN and the other major news organizations try to protect their people, moving them from safe house to safe house and changing their daily routines to discourage kidnapping. But the nature of war has changed. Freelancers, like Foley and Sotloff, are especially vulnerable; they don’t have an organization behind them. The risks they took outweighed any possible benefit.

It may have been worth the sacrifice in the 1940s to get news of faraway battles back to friends and relatives at home, and it surely was journalists who helped turn the tide of public sentiment against the war in Vietnam. But these days there are cellphones and social media to get the word out. Today’s wars in Iraq and Syria, in Gaza and Libya are turning reporters into coveted trophies, vulnerable to kidnappings that often end in death.

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

RANDI KREISS

Reporters are seen as commodities, bargaining chips in kidnap schemes.

The MTA has said the tolls could be as high as $23. My guess? They’ll be much higher.

JERRY KREMER

HERALD

Easy summer living? Not for some children

For many, summer is the time for camp, vacation and weekend barbecues.

However, for some children across the country — and even right here in Nassau County — summer leaves school-aged kids scrambling to find a healthy meal, since they can’t depend on the federally subsidized breakfast and lunch programs at their school.

It’s far more prevalent than many might realize. One report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that 12 percent of American households had children who weren’t getting enough to eat.

They call it “food insecurity,” but let’s call it what it really is: hunger.

And hunger is quite close to home, too. In fact, 1 in 4 people on Long Island who are hungry are kids. That’s 65,000 kids who are not getting three full nutritious meals every day, among more than 221,000 people overall.

While we can’t forget what it’s like to be hungry, there are even more lasting impacts beyond the sound of a grumbling stomach. Young people who are not eating properly and regularly are at a higher risk than their peers to experience behavioral issues such as anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity, according to experts. They often suffer from a reduced ability to learn social skills, impairing cognitive learning and possibly even incurring permanent brain damage.

A lack of food also raises the risk of becoming sick and possibly having to endure chronic illnesses such as anemia and asthma.

Kids who are eating healthy during

letters

Island Harvest Long Island Cares

the summer break are more than likely to retain what they learned during the previous academic year, and be better prepared to build on that foundation when they return to school.

The Summer Food Service Program administered through the state’s education department aims to fill the gap across New York. Locally, Island Harvest — a Melville-based hunger-relief organization — partners with roughly 35 community locations across Long Island — churches, health centers, libraries, recreation centers, parks and schools — to get food to those who need it.

Last year, Island Harvest served 75,000 meals to more than 2,500 children. To educate the kids on the value of eating healthy food, there were also hands-on nutrition lessons. Learning how much sugar was in their favorite breakfast cereal and drink was a “wow” moment for many of them.

Long Island Cares is another group battling hunger in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Hauppauge-based organi-

The good and bad of pandemicdriven technological progress

To the Editor:

The coronavirus pandemic, without a doubt, changed the world — and one of its most notable effects has been the acceleration of technology initiatives as the public and private sectors seek to digitize more operations and communications. Many artificial intelligence products have come out of these advances, and many are being put to use by state and local governments with input from private tech companies.

Governments are adopting AI at an accelerating pace. New York City and state agencies have experienced a broad expansion of AI applications, such as chatbots. And now, with last year’s widespread introduction of AI tools that can create new content such as text and images, it appears that further changes are on the way.

It is imperative that the private sector and government institutions meet the moment by adopting comprehensive risk-mitigation strategies and effective AI governance

zation runs an array of programs from emergency response and recovery, to Baxter’s Pet Pantry for starving dogs and cats. There are also youth-oriented offerings such as the Kids Café, Pack It Up for Kids, and the summer food program.

As you sit back in your easy chair in the sunshine, you’re thinking, “OK, there are programs to feed the children. What can I do?”

Get involved. Getting food to the hungry takes effort — money or manpower.

Island Harvest has a food donor program. Neighbors and other groups can run a food and fund drive, and you can volunteer. For a teen looking to collect community service hours, this is a great way to earn that volunteer time while truly making a difference, maybe even for a peer.

Long Island Cares also has multiple avenues to help. There is corporate giving, individual donations, hosting a food drive, the Student Hunger Advocacy Coalition and, of course, volunteering.

These are but two of the organizations on Long Island that battle hunger. There are many local organizations that could use your time and support.

Ensuring children are properly fed through the summer is an investment we can’t afford not to make. Typically, every dollar donated equals two meals, according to Island Harvest.

Like that old commercial, “you can pay me now or pay me later,” we can help feed children now, or deal with the consequences of unhealthy young people in the near future. And that comes with a higher price tag for society, and for someone to grow up knowing all too well the pains of hunger.

Honor Harry Chapin’s legacy with action to end hunger

If you compiled the names of the most impactful Long Islanders in our history, you’d surely start off with the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Walt Whitman and Marie Colvin — and in my estimation, Harry Chapin is a fitting fourth candidate to complete a cross-cultural Mount Rushmore of great Long Islanders.

In just nine years as a recording artist, Chapin released 12 albums that embodied his distinctive style as a musical storyteller. Thanks to timeless melodies and stirring lyrics that vividly told stories of everyday life, songs like “Taxi,” “W.O.L.D.,” “Circle,” “Sequel” and, of course, “Cat’s in the Cradle” became embedded in the soundtracks of our lives in the 1970s, and have endured in the decades since.

benefit concerts, and used his platform as a springboard for advocacy. He was involved in launching World Hunger Year (now known as WhyHunger) in 1975, and establishing the Presidential Commission on World Hunger during the Carter administration. But the food bank that now bears his name is perhaps his greatest innovation. When Chapin launched Long Island Cares in 1980, he created Long Island’s first food bank, and in doing so revolutionized our regional approach to addressing food insecurity and hunger.

arnoLD w. DrUCker

Using his remarkable gifts, Chapin also pursued a philanthropic calling: a mission to eradicate hunger, in the United States in particular.

As one of the world’s highest-paid entertainers at the time, he gave generously to charitable causes, hosted numerous

In 2021, Long Island Cares distributed 14 million pounds of food — the equivalent of 11.5 million meals — and it now has a half-dozen brick-andmortar storefront locations across the Island. The agency was instrumental in addressing crises like Superstorm Sandy and the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. And because no member of a family — included the four-legged and feathered ones — is spared from hunger, the seventh location, Baxter’s Pet Pantry, is dedicated to collecting and distributing pet food and supplies to families in need.

In this oft-derided age of the celebrity

Letters

frameworks that prioritize transparency, accuracy and fairness.

Unfortunately, the ability to understand the risks involved with some AI products — and the strategies to reduce or eliminate those risks — has not kept up with the pace at which AI is being put to use. Numerous studies have shown a significant rise in AI adoption and investment, with most experts foreseeing a further boost in AI investment in the coming years. Alarmingly, organizations have made little progress in addressing wellknown AI-related risks such as bias, lack of transparency and safety concerns.

This concerning trend is also evident in government institutions. My recent report on AI governance in New York City found that the city lacks an effective AI governance framework. City agencies have been left to develop their own divergent approaches, resulting in ad hoc and incomplete measures that fail to ensure transparency, accuracy and fairness in AI systems.

This is concerning because while AI promises vast opportunities, it also carries inherent risks. Several incidents — even before the pandemic — illustrated the unintentional harm that can be caused by government AI systems designed or implemented irresponsibly. A faulty automated fraud-detection system in Michigan erroneously accused thousands of unemployment insurance recipients of fraud, causing financial ruin for many. Similar issues have plagued other systems related to Med-

icaid eligibility determinations, facial recognition, criminal justice, health care, teacher evaluations and job recruitment applications.

New York City has been a forerunner in examining the use of AI. It was among the first to establish a task force dedicated to examining the responsible use of automated decision-making systems, including AI systems. But the city’s efforts are no longer keeping pace with this rapidly advancing technology. Despite the task force’s recommendations and the expansion of AI applications during the pandemic, the city still doesn’t have an effective AI governance framework.

As we continue to embrace the technological leaps brought forth by the pandemic, we must ensure that we do so responsibly. Audits, such as the one my office conducted in New York City, can help drive change by raising awareness of where risks lie. Understanding these risks and identifying blind spots is a first step in the right direction, but the city must also take further action, such as implementing a robust governance framework to ensure that the use of AI is transparent, accurate, unbiased, and minimizes the potential for disparate impacts. I encourage my colleagues in government to join me in ensuring that AI systems work to further the greater good for all New Yorkers.

candidate, Chapin would have been a natural to run for the House of Representatives or another elected office, but not because he was a star. He would have been ideal because he did the work and cared deeply about the future we shared. Sadly, he never got that chance. On July 16, 1981, Chapin was driving his Volkswagen to a benefit concert at Eisenhower Park when the car was struck by an 18-wheeler on the Long Island Expressway and he was fatally injured.

The shock of his sudden, untimely death reverberated through the park on that summer evening, and through our society for years afterward. He would be cited as an inspiration for endeavors like USA for Africa and Live Aid, and countless memorial awards, theaters and humanitarian events would be named in his honor.

Neighboring municipalities like Suffolk County have declared July 16 Harry Chapin Day in honor of all he achieved in just 38 years. In Nassau County, I continue to pursue legislation I filed last year to establish a Harry Chapin Day of our own. While there has been no action by the legislative majority to date, I will never lose hope, or lose sight of the important mis-

sion in front of us.

Rather than wait for the gears of government to turn, I decided to immediately implement one of the tenets of my proposed legislation — after all, Chapin was the man who said, “When in doubt, do something!” Starting on July 16, my office will hold its second annual summer food drive, to benefit Long Island Cares and draw renewed attention to Chapin’s legacy.

Among the many lessons of the past several years, we have all been confronted with the hard truth that far more of our neighbors struggle silently with food insecurity than we ever knew.

If you would like to support this endeavor, you can make a contribution of nonperishable goods at the Plainview-Old Bethpage and Syosset libraries and Plainview’s Trio Hardware, or donate directly to Long Island Cares, through Aug. 16. Call my office, at (516) 571-6216, or email adrucker@nassaucountyny.gov, if you have any questions.

In Harry’s words again, “We all have the potential to move the world, and the world is ready to be moved.” This summer, as Nassau County residents and Long Islanders, let’s unite to move the world to a better and more humane place.

Arnold W. Drucker has represented Nassau County’s 16th Legislative District since 2016.

Framework courtesy Michael Ostrow

U sing his remarkable gifts, Chapin pursued a philanthropic calling.

THOMAS P. DINAPOLI New York state comptroller