East Meadow Herald 01-12-2023

Young writers in the district Page 2

Schumer outlines goals for new year Page 4

Vandalism at the bird sanctuary

Graffiti, broken animal habitats, fires and more within past six months

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Many aren’t aware of the bird sanctuary just off Tremont Place in East Meadow. This area of land, behind Speno Park, has been left to wildlife for more than 25 years.

ment. The Council of East Meadow Community Organizations is asking for residents to help them maintain the sanctuary once again.

Mallory Wilson/Herald

A man worthy of their

salutes

More than 50 species of fish, birds, snakes, turtles, and more call this place home. But now, some trespassers have damaged the sanctuary.

Bird and bat houses were knocked down, graffiti is seen throughout the area, and two fires have been started that resulted in responses from the North Bellmore Fire Depart -

The land received some TLC over the years after it was adopted by CEMCO. It was once a Nassau County storm recharge basin, but was transformed in 1997 after a relationship was formed between CEMCO and the county.

When the site was first preserved, CEMCO and local Boy Scout troops conducted the initial clean up. Over the years, East Meadow Kiwanis joined the cleanup efforts, and Troops 469

Two EMHS sophomores named leadership ambassadors

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Two East Meadow High School sophomores were recently selected to represent their school in an elite national leadership conference.

Alissa Mili was chosen as a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership ambassador for the 2022-23 school year and Annabella Lanzer was named an alternate.

HOBY, founded in 1958, is an organization that inspires young people and volunteers to live lives dedicated to leadership, service and innovation, in addition to developing a global community, according to its website.

HOBY programs are conducted annually throughout the United States, serving local and international high school students. The program provides students selected by their schools to participate with leadership training, service learning and motivation-building experiences.

“I just heard overall that it was a really good experience,” Mili said. “I really thought it was something that I would want to do because I feel like I am someone who takes initiative and tends to be a leader.”

Mili is a member of the volleyball team at EMHS and was the captain for her J.V. squad this year. She also plays on the

J.V. basketball and lacrosse teams. She’s a member of the math and science honor societies, active in her school’s Key Club — the high school extension of Kiwanis — and serves as the sophomore class secretary.

“I feel like I’m really outgoing and I’m able to strike up a conversation with anybody,” Mili said. “I’m also a really good communicator and I think that’s important with being a leader because if you don’t communicate with the people you’re leading, then things will go wrong.”

Lanzer, who is on the school’s color guard squad, applied after her dad told her to go for it. “I thought, why not?” Lanzer said.

“I feel like I’m a leader in my extracurriculars and I thought I would be good at it.”

As a member of color guard, Lanzer was a mentor to younger girls looking to be part of color guard. She taught them routines and prepared them for auditions. She is also a member of the school’s J.V. softball team, is a member of the school’s debate

team, and works part time at a restaurant in East Meadow.

According to EMHS guidance counselor Carly Salzman, the high school selects two sophomores — a winner and an alternate —to represent their school at the seminar.

There is a written application process open to any 10th-grader

Italo Charles ‘Charlie’ Franza, at left, turned 100 on Jan. 5. Two days later, members of American Legion Post 1082 saluted the World War II veteran for his service. Story, more photos, Page 3.

Herald Sc H ool S

Victorious young writers from Clarke High School

W.T. Clarke High School students Cassandra Cascone and Samantha Leonard were named winners in the 2022 Young Writers short story contest, Twisted Tales.

Both students who are in Karissa Sullivan’s creative writing class, entered the competition last month and were selected for publication in the Young Writers anthology. Founded in 1991, Young Writers encourages young writers to read, write and enjoy poetry, as well as creative writing, with the hope of nurturing creative talent and showcasing creativity.

“They are very proud of their hard work, and so am I,” Sullivan said. “It is lovely to see our students succeed year after year.”

The East Meadow School District congratulates both students on being included in the Young Writers anthology.

Established in 1991, the Young Writers National Writing Competitions run throughout the academic year for nurseries, primary and secondary schools. They usually run a poetry competition at the beginning of each half term and the creative writing competitions in the second half. For primary and secondary schools they normally run one competition across the academic year.

The top five selected students receive a trophy and a complete writers toolkit, which lets the authors plan, write, and publish their own books. They also receive a bookmark and a merit certificate.

Courtesy East Meadow School District

W.T. Clarke HigH School students Cassandra Cascone, left, and Samantha Leonard were named winners in the 2022 Young Writers short story contest, Twisted Tales.

A milestone birthday for this resident and vet

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

Italo Charles “Charlie” Franza experienced a milestone birthday on Jan. 5, and on Jan. 7, nearly 50 residents at the Meadows at Mitchell Field — where Franza resides —, along with public officials, members of the American Legion Post 1082, and members of the East Meadow Fire Department helped him celebrate.

One hundred years ago Franza was born in Philadelphia, but after landing on Long Island due to his time in the United States Army-Air Force, and then as a photo lab technician at Mitchel Air Force Base in Hempstead during World War II, he stayed in East Meadow, meeting his wife, Nettie. They wed in 1949 and never left. Together they raised four boys — George, Theodore, David, and Robert.

Franza had a birthday party in the morning and later in the day was treated to a birthday drive-by from Post 1082 and the EMFD. Old fashioned cars and military vehicles drove by and fire trucks flashed their lights and sounded their horns as Franza looked on excitedly. When the drive-by finished, he was presented with citations from local officials, and was overjoyed to hear everyone sing Happy Birthday.

“You guys did a beautiful job,” Franza said.

“I think it was President Reagan that said that people who say there are no heroes just don’t know where to look,” Senator Steve Rhoads said. “Because right here as an Air Force veteran, we have an American hero, we have an American icon.”

Neighbors of Franza at the Meadows kept talking about how much of a flirt he is throughout the housing complex.

“He is the sweetest man in this community, and he always says hello to everybody,” Annette DiMaria, a resident and the entertainment chair said. “He’s so respectful and he’s had a lot of girlfriends, and he used to come play bingo and hand out lollipops to everyone.”

When he was discharged from the Air Force, Franza was a photo lithographer for various companies. “We used to do all the color separations, and then they used to use them on the press to print,” Franza said. “So this was all mostly high class work from Estee Lauder, a whole bunch of cosmetic companies, my employer used to have them as customers and I would be the first one to get the photos and reproduce them.”

Franza did that for over 30 years, along with teaching his trade to union apprentices before retiring in 1989.

Steve Felber, Franza’s grandson described his grandfather as caring, selfless, and lovable. “He would visit with my grandmother and he was always so fun,” Felber, who lives in Medford, said. “He would dance around and sing and he was so entertaining.”

Franza said that Felber comes by all the time to help with whatever he needs.

When asked what his secret was to making it to 100, he attributed it to

being a lover. “A lot of these ladies helped me,” Franza said. “Every Saturday I’d come here for breakfast, they’ll all say hello and pass by me at the table and I gain weight a little, but I gain

more life. They’re all so beautiful.”

Franza was ecstatic in agreement when Pete Wenninger of Post 1082 said that they would be back next year for his 101st.

chARLIe FRANzA WAS so excited to see everyone come out for his 100th birthday celebration on Jan. 7.

Mallory Wilson/Herald photos

FRANzA’S dRIve-BY ceLeBRAtION featured old military vehicles. Franza was a World War II veteran, serving in the Army-Air Force.

FRANzA’S gRANdSON, Steve Felber, was there to help Franza celebrate his milestone birthday.

Schumer promises push for tech, environment

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Chuck Schumer has three goals for the new year: improve mass transit, ensure water and air quality are safe, and promote high technology on Long Island.

The New York Democrat who maintained his role as majority leader in the U.S. Senate after last year’s mid-terms, told more than 1,000 people attending last week’s Long Island Association breakfast in Woodbury that he has, in the past two years, secured federal money to help the Metropolitan Transportation Authority recover from the worst of the Covid pandemic, while still getting money earmarked to protect the Long Island Sound and even clean up aging lead pipes.

The event at Crest Hollow Country Club was LIA’s annual State of the Region gathering that attracted both movers and shakers, as well as elected leaders like the executives from both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Schumer’s participation comes after he was elected to a fifth six-year term in the upper chamber of Capitol Hill, defeating Joseph Pinion, a conservative columnist who claimed Schumer had been in office too long with too little to show for it.

But history is written by the victors, and Schumer had a lot of history to share.

“We had one of the most productive legislative sessions in years,” the senator

said, ticking off a list of legislative wins that included his role in shepherding through President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, as well as securing $15 billion for the MTA, which operates the Long Island Rail Road.

“No one was riding the trains” during the pandemic, Schumer added.

“For the first time, New York state got back more money that it gave out,” the senator said, referring to the give-andtake of funding with the federal government. New York has traditionally been a “giving” state, meaning its federal dollars usually went to help other states. This past year, the state was more of a receiver.

How productive the next two years will be is a big question. Republicans took control of the U.S. House — but only by a slim margin. That might mean pushing through bills that could win over at least some moderate Republicans.

One of those efforts will focus on improving transportation. The MTA funding, for example, would pay for repairs and upgrades of cars, tracks and electronic systems. Money also would be directed to portions of the Sunrise Highway in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Another $5 million will build a transit hub in Ronkonkoma.

Schumer also budgeted $106 million to clean up Long Island Sound, and that’s just the beginning. He also plans to use $60 million to help remove some of the contami-

nants from the Long Island aquifer.

Yet, the Senator sounded most enthusiastic about a project to install electricitygenerating windmills off Long Island’s South Shore — likely within the next few years.

Equinor, a multibillion-dollar Norwegian conglomerate specializing in petroleum, hopes to build a wind energy farm just a few miles off the coast with a substation delivering power directly to Island Park — a plan that has aroused controversy with neighbors.

The $3 billion project must still pass a plethora of bureaucratic hurdles, however.

“Long Island will be the capital for offshore wind,” Schumer said, “not just in New York, but across the country.”

The senator also wants to promote two of Long Island’s largest high-technology institutions — Brookhaven National Lab and SUNY Stony Brook.

“Long Island can be the center for (microchip) production and manufacturing,” Schumer said. “BNL and Stony Brook are at the cutting-edge of technology.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told the Herald there was more in the works for this part of Long Island as well. He’s heard chatter about a strong interest in securing a casino, possibly at the Nassau Hub.

But for that to happen, anyone developing it would need to make sure the facility is first acceptable to the community.

“We wouldn’t be interested in anything but a first-class hospitality venue with a casino,” Blakeman said.

Additional reporting by Daniel Offner.

Daniel Offner/Herald U.S. SEN. ChUCk Schumer told the Long Island Association last week he would seek to promote the environment, transportation and technology this term.

spotlight athlete

Herald sports

Clarke extends impressive start

By toNY BellissiMo tbellissimo@liherald.com

Reaching double digits in the win column by the opening week in January could be just the start of a special winter for Clarke boys’ basketball.

The Rams, who returned four starters and three key reserves from last season’s playoff team, took a big step towards locking up one of Conference A-5’s postseason berths last Saturday with a 57-46 victory over North Shore.

JaMes DesiMoNe

Clarke Senior Basketball

a thiRD-YeaR vaRsitY starter, DeSimone is a major part of Clarke’s impressive 9-1 start. An All-County selection last season after earning a Nassau coaches award in the Covidshortened campaign, he’s averaging close to 16 points per game to go along with 4.4 assists. He’s scored in double digits in every game so far while hitting 21 three-pointers. He hit for a seasonhigh 23 against Long Beach on Dec 5.

gaMes to WatCh

Friday, Jan. 13

Boys Basketball: G.N. North at Sewanhaka 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Lynbrook at Plainedge 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Friends Academy at V.S. South 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Hewlett at Carey 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Long Beach at New Hyde Park 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainedge at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Boys Swimming: Long Beach at Jericho 5 p.m.

Girls Fencing: Valley Stream at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: East Rockaway at Malverne 5:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Malverne at East Rockaway 6:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: South Side at Garden City 6:45 p.m.

Boys Basketball: East Meadow at Baldwin 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainview at Oceanside 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Jericho at Calhoun 7 p.m.

saturday, Jan. 14

Wrestling: Baldwin Tournament 9 a.m.

Wrestling: V.S. Central Tournament 9 a.m.

Boys Basketball: Wheatley at West Hempstead 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: V.S. Central at Port Washington 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Oceanside at Plainview 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Baldwin at East Meadow 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Farmingdale at Freeport 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Seaford at Carey 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Port Washington at V.S. Central 12 p.m.

Senior James DeSimone poured in a game-high 27 points and hit 9 of 10 free throws in the closing minutes as Clarke (10-2 overall) won for the fourth time in five conference tries. Seniors Tammyson Emile (13), Zeak Mercado (8) and Jack Hollywood (7) combined for all but two of the other Rams’ points. The Vikings (7-5 overall, 2-2 in A-5) got 15 points from senior Nick La Rosa and 9 apiece from senior Ryan Freund and junior Vasilis Triantafyllou.

“We finished last season strong to make the playoffs and we won a playoff game which was amazing,” said DeSimone, a returning All-County guard who also dished out 7 assists while raising his scoring average to 16.8 points per game. “We played a lot during the offseason and I think that also helped,” he added. “Most of us have played on the same team since middle school, so our chemistry is good.”

Clarke’s ability to dominate the boards against a scrappy opponent was the biggest reason why the Rams jumped out to a 30-17 halftime lead and never looked back. Both Emile and Mercado, who beat the buzzer to end the first quarter with a bucket to make it 16-9, pulled down 10 rebounds.

“Tammyson has made the largest leap of anyone since last season,” Clarke head coach Joe Hasbrouck said of Emile, who averages 12.7 ppg. “He’s always been a good slasher to the basket but he’s added a nice outside shot.”

Hollywood scored all of his points in the second quarter to allow the host to hold a double-digit lead throughout. It didn’t hurt the Rams that Triantafyllou, North Shore’s leading scorer who entered the day

seNioR taMMYsoN eMile, right, had 13 points and 10 rebounds last Saturday as the Rams stayed hot with a 57-46 victory over North Shore.

averaging 18 per game, was held without a point until late in the third quarter.

“The one thing that stood out today was they were more physical,” Vikings head coach Ryan Berglin said. “It wasn’t an X’s and O’s thing. They pushed us around inside and we didn’t push back.

“Our conference is very tough and deep,” he added. “I like the way we’ve been playing and the best thing about our team is depth. But we’ve got to be ready to go every game or we’re going to be in trouble.”

A DeSimone three-pointer gave Clarke its largest lead at 43-21 with less than two minutes remaining in the third. The Vikings, who host the rematch Feb. 4, clawed back with a 17-5 run keyed by Triantafyllou, Freund and sophomore Lucas Schimsky to get within 10 with 2:07 left in regulation before DeSimone sealed the outcome from the foul line.

“This is the best start we’ve ever had,” Hasbrouck said. “The guys are playing and practicing hard. They’re playing with confidence and having fun.”

Media Origin Inc./Herald

New damage at E.M.’s ‘environmental jewel’

and 362 constructed wooden bird, owl, and bat nesting boxes, among other projects.

There are only two people who have keys to the bird sanctuary, but over the years trespassers have dumped trash and old appliances, cut down trees and have even brought in invasive species that could harm the area.

Recently, the trespassing has increased according to Joe Parisi, CEMCO president, and Dan Gregory, a member of the bird sanctuary committee.

On top of the fires, graffiti and several broken habitats, an increased amount of trash such as beer cans and wrappers have been left on the grounds. There was a cross bow found in the water that might’ve been used to hunt certain animals living in the sanctuary.

“This is not something new,” Parisi said. “But in the last six months, it went to a level that I never saw before because they were going in there very brazen.”

Parisi noted that the trespassers are typically area children, but they’re rarely seen because they enter the sanctuary at night. But, Parisi added, they’ve conversed with some of the neighbors who have caught the trespassers, to which they say that the bird sanctuary is “their place.”

“It’s disappointing for us, because of all the hard work that we put into it,” Parisi said. “The thing that bothers us most is that we’re just trying to create an environmental jewel, and then for people not to realize how valuable it is, it’s disheartening.”

Gregory, who has been a part of the bird sanctuary committee for more than five years, tries to walk around the area once a week to see the animals and inspect the land.

“We knew kids were hanging out there from the spray paint, and beer bottles and all sorts of fires and things like that,” he said. “But never before had anyone damaged the Eagle (Scout) projects, and this was the first time, and it was vicious.”

Gregory got involved with the bird sanctuary because his three sons were Boy Scouts and for their big Eagle Scout project chose to better the sanctuary in some way. He stuck around, though, because he was fascinated by the species he would see.

“I was just amazed at all the wildlife that was in East Meadow,” he said. “I would go there with my camera, and I have hundreds of photographs of all different birds, which I’ve never seen before

in my life, at least in person. It’s really amazing what’s in there. The average person has no idea that it has wood ducks and egrets and mergansers.”

Parisi and Gregory spoke with some of the neighbors surrounding the sanctuary and CEMCO has sent out a letter urging them that if they see something, to say something.

“We told them that if they didn’t want to call the police then just tell CEMCO and we’ll call,” Gregory said. “I think it’s because some people quite frankly are just afraid of getting the kids upset at them because they want to go to bed at night and not worry about someone messing with their house.”

Trespassers are entering the sanctuary by climbing the old fencing. CEMCO has been trying to have the County to replace the fence for years.

“It’s a safety issue,” Gregory said. “Kids are jumping around in there and if they fall into the water even in the summer — with how deep and cold is it — they could cramp up and drown.

“In regard to the animals, East Meadow doesn’t really have much open space, the biggest is maybe Speno Park and it doesn’t have any water, so this area is really, really unique for a natural habitat in East Meadow.”

Since the sanctuary was a sand mine before it became a storm basin, Gregory said, there’s mining equipment and other sharp metal objects still underneath the surface.

“We really need the community to help us because I can’t just be hanging out there at night waiting for kids to come so I can call the cops,” he said. “But the people who live there, they see it and they can tell us.”

Happy New Year to all!

There have been significant changes in the law in a number of areas as of January 1, 2023.

The gift tax exclusion, which many people still think is $15,000, is now $17,000, up from $16,000 in 2022. Each person may give up to $17,000 to as many people as they want to without incurring any Federal gift tax liability and without using any of their Federal estate tax exemption at death.

Speaking of the Federal estate tax exemption, that has been raised from $12,060,000 to $12,920,000. Since the exemption amount is adjusted for inflation, and inflation was high in 2022, there was a large jump. Same for the New York estate tax exemption which jumped from $6,110,000 to $6,580,000.

The higher Federal exemption is due to tax reform initiated by President Trump commencing in 2016. Fiscal restraints required that the higher Federal exemption expire after ten years. At the end of 2025 then the Federal exemption is slated to return to

New York levels. Since you can use any of your now almost $13,000,000 per person as a tax-free gift while you are living, many savvy clients have moved and are continuing to move family wealth to trusts for their children. Often, the parents choose to maintain control of these trusts, and they not only get the assets out of their estate while the getting is good, they also get all of the growth on those assets out of their estate.

Medicaid rates have changed so that an individual who needs care, either at home or in a nursing facility, may keep up to $28,133.00 in assets. If one spouse is at home, and the other spouse is in a nursing home, the spouse at home may keep up to about $150,000 in assets. The value of the home, up to $1,033,000 is exempt from Medicaid if a spouse is living there (while the other is in a facility) or for an individual receiving Medicaid for home care.

Finally, the age at which an individual must take their IRA required minimum distribution has been raised from age 72 to 73.

Photos courtesy CEMCO Graffiti can be seen throughout the area. Every time it is painted over, it reappears.

two fires were set that forced the North Bellmore Fire Department to respond.

Healthy outlook for a healthy year

NResolve to achieve a better you in 2023

ew Year’s resolutions are full of expectations. Common goals like eating healthier or losing weight are admirable, but there are plenty of other goals you can set in 2023 as well, like upping your sleep regimen, talking with a friend every day, or going on more walks.

Since the emergence of Covid, it has become more essential than ever to take care of yourself and enhance your immunity. In addition to physical health, mental health is equally important. Many people make New Year’s resolutions that they soon forget. It can be due to a lack of commitment, self-doubt, or unrealistic goals. So, start by making short-term and realistic goals you can achieve without putting too much pressure on yourself. Once you list what you want to achieve this year, stick to it and believe in yourself to accomplish them.

Exercise more

Much like changing a diet, exercising is often seen as a means to weight loss. While that’s a positive side effect of daily exercise, daily or frequent exercise is an all-around health benefit.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise helps lower the risk of heart disease and hypertension by 40 percent while lowering the risk of depression by 30 percent. In addition, men and women with a family history of diabetes should know that regular exercise lowers their risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent. So while exercise is a great means to losing weight, it’s even better at helping reduce the risk for serious disease.

When incorporating exercise into a daily routine, start slowly and gradually work your way up to more vigorous exercise regimens. Going full speed from the outset is a great way to increase risk of injury, and no one wants that.

Find 30 minutes a day to walk

Getting the recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day can be as simple as taking a walk. If you’ve got a busy schedule, take three 10-minute walks throughout your day.

“That’s 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch and then 10 minutes after work. Make it fun! Grab a partner at work to get you through your lunch routine. Then have a friend or family member meet you for an evening stroll,” suggests physical therapist Stacie Page.

Your diet matters: healthy and well-balanced is achievable

This year, promise to eat right. Choose whole foods instead of packaged ones. Crash diets and eliminating foods from your daily intake can deprive you of needed nutrition and may not be effective in the long run.

Keep your mental health in check

Mental health is as vital as physical health, and it needs attention. The daily stress of life and other factors may lead to serious health issues, including depression and anxiety. Mental health issues can make it hard for you to cope with everyday life and interfere with your work and relationships.

If you feel something is wrong, believe your instinct and get help. Practicing self-care techniques can also help combat mental health issues. Try to find the positives and adopt habits that can benefit your well-being, such as meditating.

Manage stress

Stress is a cause of many serious illnesses, such as heart disease. It can negatively impact your physical and mental health. Stress can become regular if you are always busy or have other problems related to finances or relationships. It is crucial to take steps to manage your stress. You can manage stress through meditation, exercise, or other relaxation techniques.

Sleep well

Improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. Getting enough sleep enhances your health by ensuring the smooth functioning of your body. It is also critical that you have a sound sleep. Regular interruptions can disrupt your sleep pattern, causing low energy and fatigue during the day. Getting a good night’s sleep is definitely something you should add to your 2023 checklist.

Limit social media usage and screen time

Just as you’ve decided to finish a task or go to sleep, you receive a social media notification alert. As you check the notification, something else catches your attention, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour doomscrolling. Invariably, this leaves you feeling worse than before. If this resonates with you, you are not alone.

Social media, particularly when used for long hours, is reported to have contributed to an increased risk of a variety of mental health concerns like anxiety and low mood. This could be because of social comparison, isolation and cyberbullying. It also increases screen time, which can impact sleep and leave you less time to engage in other activities. Reducing your social media usage might help your anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems and the fear of missing out.

Practise meditation and mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness give you space to pause and reflect, allowing you to slow down and increase your emotional awareness, in a chaotic and bustling world. In fact, practising meditation and being mindful can help you in improving emotional regulation, reduce physical pain and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Meditation and mindfulness require consistent effort. Starting with mindfulness for even one minute every day can be helpful. You can slowly increase the time as you see fit. Mindfulness and meditation apps like have also proven to be useful in improving mental health.

Create (and keep) those resolutions

Taking a good, hard look at daily behavior is the key to setting realistic self-improvement goals

The early Babylonians believed that what people did on the first day of the year affected what they did for the rest of that year. Many of us see the New Year as a perfect opportunity to start over or to change bad habits.

According to several surveys, the most popular resolutions people make are related to health and fitness (eating better, losing weight, and exercising), reducing consumption of alcohol, caffeine, quitting smoking, and becoming more financially responsible by promising to spend less and save more.

Unfortunately, over 70 percent of resolutions are broken by the end of January, and this can leave a person feeling discouraged.

You might even consider New Year’s resolutions like romantic relationships: They’re easier to start than maintain.

One in four people who makes a New Year’s resolution will drop out within the first seven days, statistics show. About half jump ship within six months.

Resolutions are complicated, and being able to achieve them usually requires taking a hard look at our thoughts and behaviors. Setting goals keeps us on track, but stamping out old habits is difficult, and may even require the help of a professional for some.

But there’s hope.

Striving for self-improvement and setting goals for ourselves gives us a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Be sure to make your goals a priority, be specific, and work at them daily.

Your goal should be specific and measurable. Make your goal concrete, and if necessary, break it down into smaller steps.

Setting vague goals such as “I want to lose weight” can be ineffective. Instead, ensure your resolution is quantifiable. If your goal is to shed some pounds, identify the number you’d like to lose within a specified period of time. If your aim is to exercise more in 2023 set a specific objective for the number of hours you’ll work out each week.

Or, if your resolution is to consume fewer carbohydrates, resolve to eat carbohydrates only at one meal per day rather than resolving to eliminate carbohydrates entirely. Once you are successful, begin to decrease your consumption further.

Don’t set unrealistic resolutions that will be impossible to keep. If you resolve to eat healthier by cutting down on desserts, switch to an alternative you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to eat a vegetable you’ve hated since childhood. For example, swap ice cream for Greek yogurt or fruit rather than raw cauliflower sprouts (unless you enjoy them, of course).

Be nice to yourself. Changing habits isn’t easy, so you’re likely to struggle at some point in your journey. Take it easy. Minor bumps are normal. The important part is jumping back on the bandwagon and continuing momentum forward.

Write your resolution down and put it somewhere where you can see it on a daily basis. This will help you to stay focused.

Keep it manageable. Keep the scope of your New Year’s resolution practical by working toward changing one or two behaviors at a time.

Have coping strategies in place to deal with obstacles that may arise along the way. For example, if your goal is to drink less alcohol you may consider skipping parties or events that involve a lot of drinking or bring a sober friend along to provide you with support and to help keep you on track.

On the bright side. Stay focused on the benefits of the change you’re making rather than what you’re giving up. Rally your mind around how much better you’ve been feeling instead of lamenting the loss of your daily chocolate-chip muffin.

Photo: Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest impact. Rather than setting a major health or fitness goal that takes you far out of your comfort zone, start the new year by committing to small changes here and there.

Hold yourself accountable and lean on others. Use a support network to help stay motivated. Discuss your resolution (and the accompanying struggles) with friends and family members. Consider joining a group with common goals, whether a collection of friends teaming up to quit smoking or an exercise class at the gym.

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New Year’s resolutions to help reduce your risk of dementia

t is that time of year again. A time for new beginnings, to start fresh. A time to make positive changes to improve our health, and how we live our lives. There are many things we can do to improve our physical and cognitive (mental) health. It never makes sense to attempt dramatic changes because we are likely to break our resolutions if the challenge is too great.

The good news is that making healthier choices can also help reduce your risk of dementia. While some things that affect your risk of dementia can’t be changed, such as your age or genes, there are many things you can change. Here are simple steps to help yourself, and your loved ones. They’re especially important if you’re in your 40s, 50s or 60s –although they are certainly relevant to everyone.

1. Stop saying ‘huh? And ‘What?’ It’s true, one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia is taking part in regular audiology exams and to treat a hearing condition at the first signs of loss.

2. Get moving. Another easy way

to take care of yourself and to reduce the risk of dementia is taking part in regular physical exercise. It’s good for your overall well-being.

3. Eat well. A healthy, balanced diet is likely to reduce your risk of dementia, as well as other conditions including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

4. Quit smoking and cut down on alcohol. If you smoke, you’re putting yourself at much higher risk of developing dementia later in life, as well as other conditions such as cancer and stroke. But you likely already knew that. Make this the year you quit, or helped your loved one get over their

nicotine addiction.

5. Keep your mind active. Much like exercising your body, it is important to workout the brain as well – and doing so can also help reduce your risk of dementia! Years of research suggests that regularly challenging yourself mentally seems to build up the brain’s ability to cope with disease. Find an activity you enjoy, as you’re more likely to keep it up.

Your HealtH — with a focus on resolutions and Winter HealtHY living

Herbs for life

Spice up your health this year

Many of us will make the resolution to eat healthier this year, adding more fruits and vegetables, and less salt and fat, to our diet. But if you really want to spice up health and those healthy foods don’t overlook herbs. Try adding a dash of basil and oregano, or a few cloves of garlic to your diet too.

Using more herbs and spices and fewer traditional seasonings like sugar, salt and fat, can help to improve the overall health benefits and flavor of the foods we eat every day, says Suzanna Zick, N.D., M.P.H., a naturopathic physician and researcher.

“Adding herbs and spices can help you maintain a healthy weight. Plus, they can help prevent certain cancers, and even lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health.”

To help add a dash of “spice” to your life, Zick offers these tips for picking the best spices for your overall health.

Instead of salt, use herbs. Common herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley and garlic can really bring out the natural flavors in a meal. Zick recommends replacing salt with a tasty combination of basil and oregano on food.

Use fresh garlic for maximum benefit. Garlic appears to help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.“For maximum benefit, you need to have about three medium cloves of garlic per day. Dry garlic or garlic left out too long, lose their healthy benefits,” says Zick.

Fight aging: Eat rosemary. Rosemary is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, says Zick. It’s also thought to help with memory, and research is currently underway to determine rosemary’s potential cancer-prevention properties.

Basil, oregano and rosemary can help fight colds. Since these three herbs contain strong essential oils, Zick says they potentially can fight against colds and flu.“All three are powerful antioxidants as well,” she notes.

Treat chronic coughs with thyme. ”The health benefits of thyme are unique. It has been traditionally used to treat coughs, even whooping cough. Thyme is often drunk as a tea,” she says.

Got back pain? Eat curry. Research has shown that the substance commonly found in turmeric – a common, bright red spice added to curry mixes – has known anti-inflammatory properties. The substance, curcumin, works in a very similar way to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Zick says.

Fight cancer: Eat more curry. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, research on curcumin has also shown it to shrink pre-cancerous lesions known as colon polyps. Zick says the amount needed for its health benefits is unclear, she suggests including a generous helping of curry or turmeric in a meal.

Lower your blood pressure with “warming spices.” These include ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper and others. These can make a person feel warm because they bring blood from the center of the body to the skin. This disperses blood throughout the body more evenly, which may decrease blood pressure, according to Zick.

Soothe your aching tummy with ginger. Ginger contains gingerols, which decrease oxidative products in the digestive tract that cause nausea. The key is to eat real ginger and not things flavored artificially like many ginger-ales, in order to reap the benefits, Zick says.

Reduce the sugar, add the spice. If you need to cut back on sugar, Zick suggests adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to your sweet snacks instead of sugar. For instance, if you buy unsweetened applesauce, add cinnamon to give it an extra kick.

Photo: Boost food’s flavor and your health by incorporating herbs into your diet on a daily basis.

STEPPING OUT

Culinary inspiration for a wintry weekend

By Karen Bloom

January is the ideal time to decompress and get into the kitchen and work on those “Top Chef” skills. It’s not that difficult with some great comforting — healthy — foods to nourish and warm our soul.

Experiment with new culinary creations that incorporate bold flavors for delicious results. Nothing pleases the senses quite like a hearty dish on a chilly evening. Try adding these recipes to your repertoire.

Rustic Roasted Winter Vegetable Chowder

• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice (about 2 cups)

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup )

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 fennel bulb, quartered & sliced thin (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt

• 2 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups) 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs

Hearty Beef Stew

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup Burgundy, Zinfandel or other red wine

• 3 cups beef broth

• 1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots

• 4 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1/2 pound small red potatoes, cut in half

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Cook beef in oil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Remove beef to bowl; cover to keep warm.

In Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Return beef to Dutch oven. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping to loosen any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in broth, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

• 1 cup milk or unsweetened plain almond milk

Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste More pepper and thyme leaves for garnish

Heat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until tender and browned in places, about 40 minutes, turning a couple of times while roasting.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare the base of the soup. To a large saucepan over low heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the vegetable broth. Add the potatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat. Pick out the thyme stems and discard.

Stir in the roasted vegetables. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of the chowder to the pitcher of a blender. Puree until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pot and stir to combine. The soup should be thick, rich, and creamy.

Stir in the milk. Place the pot back on the burner, and, with the heat on medium-low, return to a simmer, stirring often to prevent burning.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve garnished with an additional turn of cracked pepper and thyme leaves.

Lucky Chops

This big, brassy and unapologetically bold six-piece band comes at you with every hue in the rainbow. Their sound pays homage to New Orleans brass band tradition while incorporating eclectic rock, Caribbean, Arabic, Eastern European, funk, jazz, ska, gospel and EDM influences. Their irresistible groove is led by co-founder Josh Holcomb’s soulful trombone, Daro Behroozi’s soaring sax and Joshua Gawel’s powerful trumpet. Their high-energy brassy funk has attracted listeners since forming in New York City in 2006. Starting in the underground halls of subway stations, Lucky Chops went viral when a video of their mash-up of Lipps Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’ and James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ amassed hundreds of millions of views across social media, and led to an online subscriber base almost two million strong. They’re now back on tour for the first time since the end of 2019.

Thursday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. $33. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

America

The perennial classic rock favorite enters 2023 on the road again as founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell celebrate the band’s 53rd anniversary. The pair (along with former band mate Dan Peek), who met in high school in London in the late 1960s, quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song ‘A Horse With No Name.’ More than 40 years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners discovered there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of Beckley’s melodic pop rock and Bunnell’s use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with Peek’s more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.

Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $99, $79, $69, $59. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

ith the holidays behind us, cozy up to some comfy winter nesting. And, of course, it’s time to refocus on healthier eating now that we’re finished with weeks of festive over-indulgence.

THE SCENE

Art talk

Jan. 19

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Jan. 19, 1 p.m. She’ll discuss the current exhibition, “The Big Picture: Photography Now.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Also Feb. 23. Register at least 24 hours in advance to receive the program Zoom link. Also Feb. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Learn to dance HipHop

Branford Marsalis

The renowned saxophonist visits the Madison Theatre, on the Molloy University campus, with his quartet, Friday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. The NEA Jazz Master, triple Grammy Award winner and musical polymath with his stellar ensemble — pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner — bring the brilliance that has made this quartet one of the most revered and influential in jazz. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. $40-$95.1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. For tickets and information visit MadisonTheatreny.org or call (516) 323-4444.

Get your groove on at Salsa Latina Dance Studio, at 388 Merrick Avenue, in East Meadow every Thursday to learn how to Latin Hip-Hop dance with Matt at 6:30 p.m. There is a free trial class for all new students. No partner, and no experience needed to enjoy this experience. Parking is in the back of the studio. For more information, contact Edwin at (516) 902-7368 or email edwinguerrero352@gmail.com.

Learn to salsa and bachata

Head to Salsa Latina Dance Studio at 388 Merrick Avenue in East Meadow every Wednesday, for beginner salsa classes from 7:30 to 8:30, and beginner bachata from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. There is a free trial class for all new students. There is no partner, and no experience needed to enjoy this experience. Parking is in the back of the studio. For more information, contact Edwin at (516) 902-7368 or email edwinguerrero352@gmail.com

One-person play at East Meadow Beth-El

Brent Liebowitz presents his one-person play titled ‘What Do You Do With a *Bleep*ing Nazi?,” Saturday, Jan. 14 at East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, 1400 Prospect Ave., in East Meadow. The show starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $30, $18 students. For more info visit eastmeadowbetheljc.org.

Bingo at Beth-El

Get your game on at a weekly bingo game at East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center at 1400 Prospect Ave., in East Meadow, starting at 6 p.m. Prizes, progressive games, bell jar prizes and refreshments will be provided. Proof of vaccination is required. For information, contact (516) 483-4205

Forest Bathing

In concert

On exhibit

Paint and sip

Head over to Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille, Wednesday, Feb 8, 6:309:30 p.m., for a Valentine’s Day themed activity. 1740 Hempstead Tpke., East Meadow. $35 per person; a food and drink purchase is required. Any questions, call/text Erica at (631) 397-0099. For tickets visit tinyurl.com/vdaygt.

Having an event?

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of ShinrinYoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Pre-registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901.

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.

David Alterman returns to the stage with Altzim, Friday, Jan. 13, at My Father’s Place supper club. Enjoy an evening of music that Alterman describes as “Dylan with a twist,” with special guest Cathy Rose Virgilio. Rich Demand and his band also appear. Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. The Metropolitan, 3 Pratt Blvd., Glen Cove. For tickets/information, visit MyFathersPlace.com or call (516) 580-0887.

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 4849337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Outdoor market

The Samanea New York Mall at 1500 Old Country Rd., in Westbury has an outdoor market every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are dozens of vendors with clothes, shoes, jewelry, soap, toys and more. All vendors welcome. Any questions, call (516) 317-7729.

Let Freedom Ring with MLK

Visit Long Island Children’s Museum for a workshop honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Monday, Jan. 16. Families will learn about MLK beyond his “I Have a Dream” speech and gain a better understanding of his impact on the civil rights movement. Also participate in a gallery walk of images from the Civil Rights Movement and then create a bell to “let freedom ring.” $4 with admission, $3 members. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

New town redistricting long way from finish

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

Voters talked, but at least according to them, a committee tasked with drawing new boundaries for Hempstead town elected officials didn’t listen.

At least that was the takeaway during the latest public hearing last week over the state of redistricting in the town.

Yet, it was a meeting just before the winter holidays that took most of the attention — a meeting where a number of speakers during public comment demanded lines be redrawn for the six town districts in what they called a more balanced representation through the inclusion of three “minority-majority” districts. That is, where an overall ethnic minority would be grouped into a majority as a way to help diversify a leadership board like the town council.

That same week, new map proposals were released. Yet, after further review, critics of the earlier drafts claimed most of their recommendations were ignored.

“While I hope that the commission changes course on these maps, I doubt (they) will because (they) have to show us that (they’re) listening to what residents are saying,” said Amil Virani of Valley Stream.

But there were changes. For example, the committee has proposed grouping together Elmont, North Valley Stream, a portion of the Five Towns and Franklin Square into a single district. Baldwin — which went from three to two representatives on the latest maps — was split in half.

The idea, according to Hempstead town attorney John Maccarone, was to ensure villages were kept whole, in accordance with the law. However, hamlets like Baldwin don’t enjoy the same protections.

Elmont, Valley Stream and Franklin Square are per-

fect for this new district, said Elmont resident Mimi Pierre-Johnson, but it should also have included Bellerose, Bellerose village, South Floral Park, Floral Park and New Hyde Park.

“That would’ve been a perfect minority-majority,” she said. “Everyone in that district would have had a fair share of choosing their elected official.”

Baldwin has been split into three council districts since the 2010 census. The Baldwin Civic Association collected more than 400 signatures on a petition urging the committee to place the entire hamlet of Baldwin under the 11510 ZIP code and one Town of Hempstead council district.

“Again, (the redistricting committee) has cracked Baldwin,” Janet Poretsky said. “My vote in Baldwin Harbor won’t count, it will be canceled out by someone in Wantagh-Seaford. I don’t think that’s fair, and I have nobody who is really representing my area.”

The last time officials got together to redraw district lines, it was done to benefit legislators without any concern for the needs of Nassau County communities, said Karen Moskowitz, cochair of the League of Women Votgers of Nassau County’s redistricting committee — specifically communities of color.

The lATesT RedisTRicTiNg map for Hempstead town elected officials reveals little change to what a number of people asked for ahead of the revision last month. Their desire is to see a better chance of creating a more diverse town council by creating ‘minority-majority’ districts.

As a town where 40 percent of its residents are people of color represented by a council that is mostly white, Moskowitz added that the latest map proposals show this intention has not changed in Hempstead.

The 2020 census revealed a 12 percent drop in the town’s white, non-Hispanic population, according to supporters of the minority-majority district concept. At the same time, the Hispanic and Latino population grew 32 percent, while the Black population increased by 4

percent.

“The league takes positions on a variety of policy issues, but never supports or opposes any political party or candidate,” Moskowitz said. “Our review of the commission’s proposed maps reveals deliberate manipulation of district lines.”

Another redistricting meeting was scheduled for Jan. 9, and the town attorney confirmed more such meetings will be scheduled before the board votes on a new map.

Ana Borruto/Herald

When laziness, listlessness, and lethargy pay a visit

By Linda Sapadin

You probably have days when you feel you can conquer the world. Whatever you want to do, you do. You exercise, eat well, get organized, accomplish what you set out to do, get a good night’s sleep and feel terrific!

Then there are the other days. On those days the best you can say is you’ve taken baby steps toward reaching your goals. Maybe you exercised for 5 minutes and then felt too sluggish to continue. Or, you ate well in the morning then munched on anything and everything in the evening. Or, loaded the dishwasher but left clutter in every other room.

Yup, they’ll always be some days when laziness, listlessness and lethargy rule the roost. Any attempt to get up and go will have gotten up and gone. It’s then that you may believe you are beyond redemption.

So is it time to abandon your goals? Why fight the fickle finger of fate? Maybe just admit that in the DNA lottery, you were the trifecta loser — idle, inertia, indolent genes — won out over the high octane ones. Perhaps you should stop torturing yourself and accept yourself as you are — warts and all?

Yes! Stop torturing yourself is a great idea. Accepting yourself as you are is another great idea. But neither of these concepts suggests that you cannot alter your habits or adopt new routines.

A new year has just begun.

If you’ve made a resolution or two and have already experienced a lapse into old habits, don’t despair. People promise themselves they’ll change yet most fall off the track. Sure, there are a few well-disciplined folks who never falter, vacillate or backslide. The rest of us, well, we’re more inconsistent.

We don’t feel motivated every day. We don’t respect our self-imposed schedules. We don’t respond well to orders or threats. We dawdle on tasks that we know need to get done. We seek immediate gratification, not long-term success. We have

days when it feels tough to do anything constructive. On those days, our belief in ourselves will be challenged.

All this is true because we’re not machines. We’re imperfect human beings. Hence, the key to moving ahead is not to

and tasks you know you can do well. As you accomplish these tasks, you’ll begin to feel revitalized, stronger. You’ll remember days when you felt you could conquer the world. The memory will make the next larger steps feel less challenging.

You may long for a kind, understanding coach who is always there to motivate you and get you going. With a coach, it’d be so much easier for you meet your goals. True. However, if no one is coaching you, how about coaching yourself? Picture what a caring coach would say to you to get you moving and to get you back

What’s most significant is not how motivated you are every single day. It’s how quickly you get back on track when you fall off. Yes, you can do it! Yes, you can do it! Yes, you can do it! Here’s to you and your enhanced living.

©2023

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D., psychologist, coach and author specializes in helping people improve their relationships, enhance their lives and overcome procrastination and fear. Contact her at DrSapadin@aol.com. Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

THE TOP 3 FINALISTS IN

DINING

Churchill’s IHOP-Oceanside Toast Coffeehouse

BUBBLE/BOBA TEA: Bubble Hut Kung Fu Tea YAAAS TEA

BUFFET: China Buffet King Diwan Indian Restaurant and Bar Flaming Grill & Supreme Buffet

BURGER: American Burgers Ay! Caramba!

Burgerology

News brief

East Meadow’s Lotito made partner

Lindsay Mesh Lotito, an East Meadow resident, has been made partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana, a law firm headquartered in Uniondale, starting Jan. 1. Lotito earned her J.D. from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and her B.S. from Marist College.

Five other individuals were recently added to partner as well at the law firm.

Founded in 1976, Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP is one of Long Island’s largest and most distinguished law firms. Headquartered on Earle Ovington Blvd., the firm employs 70 attorneys across more than a dozen practice groups. FDT is committed to providing exceptional service to a broad range of national, regional and local clients.

BUSINESS LUNCH: City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill Frank’s Steaks Remy’s Italian Restaurant

BUTCHER SHOP: Charlie’s Butchers Chubs Meats Sons of a Butcher

CATERER: Bagel Boss Barnum Ballroom

Bialystok & Bloom

CHINESE FOOD:

Danny’s Chinese Kitchen Little Fu’s

Omandarin

COCKTAILS: Da Nicola

Dirty Taco + Tequila

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

DELI/SANDWICH SHOP:

Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers

Farmer Joel’s

Pantano’s Gourmet

DESSERT: Dolce Confections Frank’s Steaks

Sugarberry Bakery Cafe

DINER: Apollo Restaurant Diner Imperial Diner The Pantry

Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill

Hewlett Fish Market Inc.

Jordan Lobster Farms

FRENCH FRIES: All American Hamburger Drive In Brooklyn Dip & Burger Press 195

FRIED CHICKEN: Chicken Carnival Swingbellys Beachside BBQ Zorn’s of Bethpage

GERMAN FOOD: Das Biergarten Oak Chalet

Plattduetsche Park

GREEK FOOD: B Greek Kitchen

GREEKTOWN

Mykonos Greek Restaurant

HAPPY HOUR: Dirty Taco + Tequila

J Paul’s Terrace Cafe

Michael’s Billiards

ICE CREAM:

Carvel - Merrick Dolce Gelateria

Marvel Frozen Dairy

INDIAN FOOD: Color of Spices

Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar Raagini

ITALIAN FOOD: Friendlier 76

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

San Marzano Brick Oven Pizza & Fresh Pasta

JAPANESE FOOD: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse Kashi

LATIN FOOD: Cabo RVC

Island Empanada of Merrick The Cuban

LOCAL COFFEE SHOP: Coffee Booths

Heavenly Coffee Kookaburra Coffee Co

MEXICAN FOOD:

Frida’s Mexican Grill

Margaritas Cafe

The Cabana Mexican American Restaurant

NEW RESTAURANT:

Casarecce Italian Tap Room

The Chef’s Table - Lynbrook

ORGANIC/NATURAL FOOD:

Bob’s Natural Foods

Fit by Globish

Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

OUTDOOR DINING:

Lazy Lobster Point Lookout Clam Bar

SALT - Merrick

PIZZA: Friendlier 76

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

PRETZEL: Knot of this World Pretzels

Philly Pretzel Factory Pretzel Stop/Pretzel Town USA

RAMEN: 8RAMEN MB Ramen - Huntington Ni Ramen

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT: Da Nicola Livorno

Remy’s Italian Restaurant

SEAFOOD: Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill

Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood and Bar

Jordan Lobster Farms

SMOOTHIE: Fit by Globish SoBol Hewlett

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

SPECIALTY PIZZA: Friendlier 76 Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

STEAKHOUSE: Frank’s Steaks

Jimmy Hays Steak House Rothmann’s Steakhouse

SUSHI: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse

Sushi Palace

THAI FOOD:

Ra-Kang Thai Cuisine

Seeda Thai

Thai Station Restaurant

Thai Table Restaurant

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN:

Bob’s Natural Foods

Energy Fuel Garden City

Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

WINGS:

Croxley’s Ale House

Pearsall’s Station

Swingbellys Beachside BBQ

YOGURT: Hewlett Station Yogurt Swirls & Twirls TCBY

Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island! Check back each week for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023. Did your favorites make it to the top? Visit www.LiChoiceAwards.com! *Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

HHERALDERALD

Mili and Lanzer will represent their school

with an essay about something that they feel passionately about and how they could lead others to also care about the cause.

“They are vetted by our committee, and we typically choose about five to six students to move onto the interview process,” Salzman wrote. “From there, we discuss as a committee who we feel would best represent East Meadow High School at the conference and who will take what they learn and bring it back to and apply it in any of their leadership roles here.

“These students stood out to us because of their strong applications and interview skills.”

As ambassadors, Mili and Lanzer will participate in the annual HOBY Leadership Conference in June of this year at Adelphi University in Garden City.

During the seminar, the EMHS sophomores will complete interactive activities that will help them learn about themselves and their roles in their community.

“My parents always told me to always be a leader and not a follower so that’s always something that’s stuck with me,” Lanzer said. “I feel like being a leader just

sets an example for everybody else. I would want to set a better example than those leaders who follow the wrong people.”

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. SALVATORE J. VALLONE, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 26, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on January 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 2469 Cypress Avenue, East Meadow, NY 11554.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 51, Block 273 and Lot 28.

Approximate amount of judgment is $569,286.75 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #001492/2008. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court

Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

John Boklak, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 136173

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being At East Meadow, In the Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York Section 50 Block 275 Lot 63

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $815,457.24 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 610491/2017

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT

Mili aspires to be a criminal justice lawyer, and Lanzer is still choosing between a criminal justice lawyer and a police officer within the K9 unit.

h ugh o ’Brian

Youth l eadership

Hugh O’Brian Youth is an organization started in 1958, by the 33-year-old Marine Veteran turned Celebrity Actor when he was challenged by a Noble Peace Prize winner to use his success to do something to make a difference in the world. The organization strives to inspire and develop young volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. The HOBY award is given to sophomores throughout the country who best represent characteristics such as outstanding communication skills, sensitivity to the needs and concerns of others, courage to speak out for one’s beliefs and strong decision-making skills.

News brief

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR HSI ASSET LOAN OBLIGATION TRUST 2006-2, Plaintiff, Against HARBANS SINGH BHARAJ A/K/A HARBANS BHARAJ, ET AL.

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 01/17/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 1/30/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 1316 Luddington Road, East Meadow, New York 11554, And Described As Follows:

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction.

Mark L. Lieberman, Esq., Referee.

McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 12/8/2022 File Number: 382-0065ny LD 136388

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NASSAU UMB BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST XIII, Plaintiff, v. ANNA CABA, FRANCISCA CABA, JUANA CABA, ET AL, Defendant. NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on October 13, 2022, I, Janine T. Lynam, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on February 2, 2023 at The North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, County of Nassau, State of New York, at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows: 2216 1st Street East Meadow, NY 11554 SBL No: 50-213-4,5,6

ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York.

The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 002950/2014 in the amount of $579,919.39 plus interest and costs.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held Rain or Shine. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the foreclosure auction.

Richard S. Mullen Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Plaintiff’s Attorney 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 136386

Donate to EMFD’s 2023 annual fund drive

The East Meadow Fire Department, which covers East Meadow, as well as parts of Levittown and Westbury, stretches over 7.5 square miles. The 240, all-volunteer, members respond from five stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In 2022, the volunteers of the East Meadow Fire Department responded to well over 2,000 calls for help many of them still Covid related.

Despite these unprecedented challenges, your friends and neighbors, who volunteer with the East Meadow Fire Department, continue to maintain the high standards of readiness and preparedness that you have come to expect.

Please be aware that there are several other organizations representing the fire

service, some from outside New York, which may solicit your donation. Although some are valid organizations that put a portion of their proceeds into the national fire service, none of this funding goes directly to the men and women who protect the residents of the EMFD.

The EMFD is now asking for your financial support.

Property taxes can only be used for vehicles, equipment, training, and dispatch. The donations we receive are necessary for the day-to-day operation of the fire department.

The EMFD are here for you day and night. Residents can donate online at eastmeadowfd.com.

Mallory Wilson/Herald SophomoreS AliSSA mili, left, and Annabella Lanzer were chosen by school officials to represent East Meadow High School at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership seminar.

Courtesy Peter Cheswick the emFD iS fully staffed by volunteers from the community. In 2022, the fire department responded to more than 2,000 calls in East Meadow, Westbury and Levittown.

please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

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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.

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The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

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Hewlett

Spacious Side Hall Colonial Near All

Nestled in the prestigious school district 14, you will find this bright and airy Side Hall Colonial that also offers plenty of space. This home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a finished basement that provides additional living space for entertainment. The formal dining room and living room are perfect for hosting guests while the kitchen with an island allows for plenty of prep space when cooking up your favorite meals. The backyard deck and lush lawn provide a great spot to relax or entertain friends. You're also just minutes' walk from Grant Park - perfect for enjoying a beautiful day outdoors. This home is conveniently located close to transportation, shops, and restaurants. Don't wait - come see this wonderful home today! For a private tour contact us at 516.791.1313.

Adding to the attic

Q. A few contractors have looked at my attic so I can finish it for more bedrooms and a family room. The 1920s house has a very large attic with stairs to the second-floor landing. The attic stairs are much steeper and narrower, and the contractor says the walls will need to be taken down and wider and longer stairs put in. Is this necessary? The stairs are already there, and even though they’re steep, they work. Also, one of the contractors said that the horizontal 2x4s going across the attic, which are too low to walk around, could be removed or raised. Is that true? He said we could put them higher and add more so we can add finished wallboards to them. Do you agree, and is there anything I should know about doing this before we start?

A. Good thing you asked before you started. Instead of starting, you need to stop and take a few steps back. What you’re describing has multiple issues that you have to address.

Ask The Architect

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Monte Leeper

First, your state building code doesn’t allow the occupancy of a third floor in a single-family, woodframed dwelling. This is because of the many dangers involved in surviving a fire at that level. In the process of getting the permit to occupy a third story, which you left out of the description of your investigation, you would need to have a licensed architect or engineer prepare plans that include specific methods of escape, including the correct size and number of windows, distances to exterior and interior levels below to escape to, sprinkler locations along the entire path of travel to get out of the dwelling, heights of ceilings and fire-rated materials to be installed. This is because, as I have often written, the chances of surviving a fire in the third floor of a wood-framed dwelling are statistically remote, only 5 percent. That means you or your loved ones could be among the 95 out of 100 who will die from smoke inhalation or burns.

The plans for a finished third story are submitted to both your local building department, which will rightfully reject them, and to the State Codes Division for a public hearing, where your case will need to be represented by a code-knowledgeable professional. I have seen people represent themselves, which generally doesn’t go very well, since safety is the reason for the codes, and there are many laws and standards that the average owner is unaware of.

The stair access must be 3 feet wide, and the tread must be at least 10¼ inches, while the risers cannot exceed 8¼ inches. The horizontal 2x4s you described are collar ties, and they serve the important function of holding the roof together, especially in high winds and under snow loads. Moving or removing them can be dangerous. The higher up, the less effective, and without first calculating several factors, it should not be done.

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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COMPUTER

OpINIONS LIRR to Grand Central Madison? We’re still waiting.

Once again, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has left coal in the stockings of Long Island Rail Road commuters.

Every Christmas since 2011, the MTA has failed to initiate the promised East Side Access to Grand Central Madison service. The original Federal Transit Administration capital investment — or New Starts — grant agreement with the MTA was approved in 2006.

time in the coming weeks.

The ESA project cost has grown to $11.6 billion. This doesn’t include debt service payments of $1 billion for borrowing costs buried in the MTA’s operating budget. There are also $4 billion worth of LIRR readiness projects to support the start of service — including such things as third-track construction and capacity improvements at Jamaica Station — which are separate from the official budget. Without these projects, the LIRR lacks the expanded operational capabilities to support the new service.

LARRY pENNER

It included a project cost of $6.3 billion, with the start of passenger service — including a promise to run 24 hourly trains on the LIRR’s 10 branches to Grand Central Madison during rush hour — in 2011. We still don’t know when that service will begin.

The temporary shuttle service that did not start last month, as promised, will come nowhere close to meeting this commitment. I can just imagine the overcrowding on shuttle trains between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison when this service begins — likely some-

Even when East Side Access service begins, thousands of potential new LIRR customers will continue to be out of luck in Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Elmhurst and Woodhaven, Queens because of limited or no service. The LIRR currently runs a handful of morning rush-hour trains westbound from Jamaica to Hunters Point and Long Island City, returning east in the evening rush hour. There is no rush-hour, hourly off-peak or evening bi-directional service to those other communities.

Another problem: Penn Station is a

24/7 facility. Grand Central Terminal is closed overnight from 2 to 5:15 a.m. Unlike the LIRR, Metro North provides no service in or out during that time period. The LIRR has the advantage, but Long Islanders who commute at odd times — or come home late from events in Manhattan that end well after midnight — and want to use Grand Central will lose that advantage to incomplete service. A simple analysis of the proposed schedules reveals that depending on your branch or station, there will be no LIRR service to or from Grand Central Madison for three to five hours overnight on weekdays or weekends.

Catherine Rinaldi is the first MTA official to serve as president of both the LIRR and Metro North. Those extrahours riders might want to ask her why the LIRR must be subject to the Metro North’s schedule shortfalls. Isn’t it time to make Grand Central, too, a 24/7 facility?

As well, whenever East Side Access service to Grand Central Madison begins, the LIRR will suspend virtually all direct, one-seat, ride-through service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal

Brooklyn. Thousands of LIRR riders bound for downtown Brooklyn, Wall Street, the World Financial Center, the World Trade Center or other destinations in downtown Manhattan via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn will now have longer commutes. One rider’s gain in time savings — being able to get to Manhattan’s East Side via Grand Central Madison instead of Penn Station — will be a loss for another rider trying to access destinations via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn.

Was investing $12.6 billion in East Side Access worth it? The verdict is still out. It is doubtful, in a post-Covid-19 world, that there will be anywhere near the anticipated 160,000 daily riders using Grand Central Madison, as the MTA predicts. Time will tell if commuters and taxpayers will see all of the benefits from this project, which has been promised for decades by elected official and MTA and LIRR presidents. When it comes to East Side Access, the LIRR’s 1960s motto, “Line of the Dashing Dan,” should be changed to “Line of the Slow Moving Sloth.”

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who worked in the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management for three decades.

Writing predictions in disappearing ink

As I look back on my New Years’ columns over these last many years, I might as well have been writing in disappearing ink. Pretty much nothing I expected came to pass, and a whole lot of stuff I never saw coming changed my life and yours, too. So why even try to predict? It’s in our DNA, I suppose, conferring the illusion of control when we have none.

ies is and will be zero.

With that as a caveat, let me hope rather than predict that we will not have a recession; that the markets will rally in 2023 and, somehow, all the thousands of people who are literally dying to get into our country will be matched with all the jobs that are begging to be filled.

Will Covid surge again? Will some new bug emerge from the virulent epidemic in China? I wonder if Kim Jung-un will hold on to his rockets or let them fly. When will Ukraine find peace, and will it be before Putin snaps? How will our children and teenagers recover from the grief and academic setbacks of the pandemic lockdown? When can we feel safe in our lives again?

No one, except for Bill Gates and some epidemiologists who were ignored, predicted the greatest catastrophe of our lifetime, the coronavirus pandemic, the more than 1 million deaths here at home and more than 6 million deaths worldwide.

Everyone predicted a huge Republican sweep in the midterms, and that didn’t happen. And with the MAGA loonies running the GOP, to predict what will happen in 2023 would be folly indeed.

Bullish? Bearish? Last week the big dailies posted predictions for the markets. Inflation, recession, deflation, higher mortgage rates? Columnist Jeff Sommer wrote in The New York Times: “It’s simply impossible to forecast the path of the markets six months or a year ahead with accuracy and consistency, as many academic studies have shown. That the financial services industry continues to label these unreliable numbers as forecasts is a triumph of breathtaking chutzpah — a technical term for shameless audacity.”

RANDI KREISS

In politics, too, the prediction business is bust. We — all of us — lived through the 2016 presidential election, in which pretty much everyone with an opinion, from columnists to people on the street to professional pollsters to Las Vegas bookies and even many supporters of Donald Trump, absolutely did not believe that he would or could win. How many times did we hear pundits say that his path to victory was slim to none? How much airtime and ink were wasted on the assumption of a Hillary Clinton victory and how that would play out? Folks thought DJT would ride that escalator into oblivion.

On New Year’s Eve we toasted 2023 with wishes for good health and peace on earth and peace of mind. Wishes. As hostages to fate and dysfunctional politics, that’s the best we can do. We humans have never tolerated the existential uncertainty of being a person alive on earth. So we turn to exit polls and Svengalis and any grifter who hangs out a palm-reading sign. The truth? I’m even down on Punxsutawney Phil.

I can’t and won’t believe anyone who ever again purports to know the future of an election or an economy or the course of a disease or the likelihood of an earthquake striking any particular location at any particular time.

We are in the game, and it changes day to day.

Yearning for a seed of certainty, yesterday I booked a hotel in Dallas for April 8, 2024, when a full solar eclipse will be seen for two minutes and 20 seconds. I predict, with 100 percent certainty, that it will occur.

Which leads me to predict that the value of their elaborate algorithmic stud-

The very least we could take away from that election was healthy skepticism. Pollsters, even the academic knowit-alls, have little success predicting the results of an election or anything else.

In our personal lives, it’s painful to accept that we cannot know what the future will bring. Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next or if we’ll make an appearance in the next chapter.

The track record of clairvoyants is abysmal.

What isn’t sure is if I will get to see it. There may be clouds overhead, or clouds in my life. I am choosing to have faith that the eclipse will occur as scheduled, on April 8 in Dallas. I plan to be there. It’s a small thing, but I’m counting on it.

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

Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next.

Phone: (516) 569-4000

569-4942

We all deserve a chance to pursue our dreams

the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for 14 years — a time period during which mere adjustments for inflation would now have it over $10.

Congress isn’t expected to act on raising that wage anytime soon, so many municipalities and states — like New York — have taken matters into their own hands. New York City and Long Island both have a $15 minimum wage, as does Westchester County. Last week, upstate New York rose to $14.20.

In fact, 27 states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of 2023, according to the National Employment Law Project, with new baselines ranging from $9.95 in states like Montana to $15.74 in Washington state.

We hear a lot about the minimum wage. What we don’t ever talk about is something that many may not even know exists: the subminimum wage.

It’s real, and it has been since the Fair Labor Standards Act, which first established a federal minimum wage, was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938. Many have credited the law with helping to guide the United States out of the Great Depression. And the framework of the Fair Labor Standards Act — 40-hour work weeks, child labor restrictions, extra pay for overtime — fuels our labor economy to this day.

But if you look closely at the law — particularly at Section 14(c) — you might be surprised to learn that not everyone is eligible for the minimum wage. Even at $7.25. It allows employers to apply for a certificate from the federal government to pay less than minimum wage to workers with disabilities.

It’s an archaic law based on an archaic

way of thinking when it comes to people with disabilities.

When the legislation was first passed, “it was assumed that a worker with a disability was less productive than a non-disabled worker,” former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge wrote in a 2021 opinion piece in USA Today. “In retrospect, it was a flawed assumption. We want to be fair to the intent of the original legislation, which was to provide individuals with disabilities an opportunity to enter the workforce.”

When the former Pennsylvania governor wrote those words, he was nearing the end of a long chairmanship of the National Organization on Disability, an advocacy group for a class of people who are, more often than not, overlooked. Ridge described paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage as “no less than another critical civil rights issue.”

And he was right. Treating an entire group of people differently from everyone else simply because they have disabilities is a relic of the distant past that should stay in the distant past.

Yet efforts to eliminate this disparity over the years, by both Republicans and Democrats, have come up short on the federal level. Most recently, President Biden tried to remove the subminimum wage as part of the American Rescue Plan at the beginning of his administration, but never got it through Congress.

Since then, however, more than a dozen states have abolished the subminimum wage, according to the Association of People Supporting Employment First. But New York isn’t one of them. Not that our legislators haven’t tried — it’s just that none of their efforts have ever made it out of committee.

Closer to home, there are many who are trying to make a difference — like the Backyard Players & Friends of Rockville Centre, which describes its mission as seeking “unity without uniformity, and diversity without fragmentation.” The organization opened the Front Porch Market next to its headquarters on North Long Beach Road, conceived to provide creative work in a retail environment, treating everyone equally no matter what they bring to the table.

The market officially opens Jan. 17, and will feature crafters from around the community, classes on creating things like candles and soap, along with small retailers like Popcorn for the People and Smile Farms Hot Sauce.

The percentage of people with disabilities finding jobs is growing, but only 1 in 5 in that community is working. And of those, more are finding employment because they’re working for themselves rather than getting hired by someone else — a rate far higher than those without disabilities.

Even if the subminimum wage were finally abolished, there are many other hurdles that must be swept away for those with disabilities, and they can’t be ignored, either. But right now, hundreds if not thousands of our neighbors and community members aren’t getting the same consideration for pay as those without disabilities.

That must change. And if it can’t happen on the federal level, we need to focus our efforts much closer to home, blocking the availability of subminimum wages in our state.

Because as Tom Ridge made very clear, “all Americans should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

letters

Elected officials should resolve to be transparent this year

To the Editor:

Many will start the new year with goals to exercise more, eat better and lose weight. January will also be when newly elected public servants or incumbents starting another term take office across New York state.

Old habits are hard to change in people — and especially hard to change in government. The biggest issue in government today is the lack of trust the public has in their elected leaders. The best way to build trust as an elected official is through transparency.

Elected officials should begin 2023 by conducting the public’s business in an open and transparent way. To show their commitment to open government, elected officials serving on a village board,

Long Island’s energy future: vision vs. mirage

Follow the money. This adage never gets old.

For decades, gas pipelines and other delivery infrastructure have been a reliable cash cow for utility companies, which recover the costs of building their distribution systems from our utility bills, which give them a fat return on their investments. This traditional utility profit model is now at odds with a climate-driven energy transition, creating all kinds of perverse incentives. And while hikes in heating costs are grabbing the headlines, the jostling over the future of heating isn’t getting much attention.

In order to succeed in the challenging but essential task of decarbonizing its economy in the coming decades — as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which it passed in 2019 — New York state will need to embrace an all-electric future and eschew fossil fuels, including natural gas. Utilities like Con Edison and the Long Island Power Authority, which together serve about 60 percent of the state’s electric customers, have endorsed this scenario. Many builders and households are already going all-electric, because gas fouls our homes and communities, and modern electric homes are cheaper and superior.

This is the approach espoused by almost all experts because, as the electric grid becomes cleaner, the rest of the economy will naturally follow. This is also the most cost-effective and energy-efficient decarbonization strategy for buildings, because electric heat pumps use only a fraction of the energy of their fuel-based counterparts.

Heat pumps and Long Island are a match made in heaven. With relatively mild winters, Long Island homes don’t need the top-gun units for efficient, reliable heating and cooling. LIPA’s electric load peaks at around 5 gigawatts in the summer, but barely makes it to 3 gigawatts in the winter. Adding winter load will spread the fixed grid costs over more usage and reduce per-kilowatt-hour prices.

In an effort to conserve their profitable gas distribution system, some utilities have floated their own “clean energy vision” involving green hydrogen and biomethane, marketed as renewable natural gas, or RNG — a so-called fossil-free duo that could supposedly flow through their pipeline network forever.

But consider the science and the economics of this vision. It took NASA months to fix hydrogen leaks on its recent Artemis 1 moon mission. Any proposal to pump highly explosive hydrogen, which

Letters

town board, City Council, community board or county legislature should introduce and pass a New Year’s resolution stating they will:

■ Post timely notice of all meetings at least one week prior to those meetings.

■ Post online meeting agendas and all meeting documents at least 24 hours before a meeting.

■ Post draft meeting minutes online, no more than two weeks after a meeting.

■ Allow members of the public to speak at the beginning of a meeting regarding agenda items and non-agenda items — whether they attend in person or remotely.

■ Livestream meetings by video and post the video recording online afterward.

■ Only conduct private executive sessions on rare occasions, in accordance with the New York State Open Meetings Law.

Just because you can hold an executive session doesn’t mean that you have to. A motion to hold an executive session to discuss “litigation,” “personnel” or “collective bargaining”

isn’t sufficient, as the Open Meetings Law requires motions to state more information when holding an executive session.

■ Agree not to hold private political party caucus meetings. There is no reason, at the local level, to hold private political party caucus meetings to discuss political business or public business. Secret meetings build a lack of trust among the public.

■ Have information regarding the Freedom of Information Law posted in a visible place on their websites. Proactively post documents online as much as possible so the public can access information without having to file a FOIL request. Post an easy fill-inthe-blank form that assists the public in filing a FOIL request by email on the website.

■ Commit to ensuring that all FOIL requests are acknowledged within five days, as required by law, and that information is provided to the public promptly.

PAUL WOLF Amherst

Wolf is president of the New York Coalition for Open Government.

has the tiniest molecules in the universe, through 50,000 miles of pipe in New York should raise serious doubts. Multiple studies have also warned of the risk of damage to the steel in pipes and appliances posed by gas blends with significantly more than 5 percent hydrogen.

Moreover, it shouldn’t take a NASA scientist to question the wisdom of heating homes by burning the stupendously expensive green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, when that electricity can directly power energysipping heat pumps. Not surprisingly, expensive experiments and demonstration projects involving the use of hydrogen for heat, the kind of boondoggles being developed in the Town of Hempstead, are already being scrapped or failing in other parts of the country and the world.

Hydrogen’s partner in crime, RNG, is produced by capturing and refining the naturally produced biogas in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. But naturally derived biomethane can meet only a minuscule fraction of the home-heating demand, so much of it will need to be artificially generated from organic waste streams. Its global warming potential isn’t much lower than that of fossil gas because of inevitable releases and leaks of methane, which is much more destructive to the climate than carbon dioxide.

Fossil-free doesn’t mean emissionsfree, and the scheme doesn’t satisfy the science-based methane accounting methodology of New York’s climate law.

Produced naturally or intentionally, RNG is significantly more expensive than fossil gas, and its supplies will be limited by feedstock availability. Even the rosiest projections in the gas utilities’ own studies show that there won’t be enough of it for every possible use that those companies are touting it for, home heating being the least practical one.

The gas utilities’ so-called fossil-free clean-energy vision based on hydrogen and RNG is a mirage that doesn’t pass scientific, technical, economic or legal muster. To make matters worse, burning hydrogen would produce high levels of nitrous oxide, a health hazard, and RNG would cause indoor pollution from leakage and combustion akin to fossil gas, which is linked to myriad health risks, with the latest research attributing almost 19 percent of all childhood asthma in New York to gas stoves.

Pollution for profit shouldn’t have a place inside homes and businesses.

Anshul Gupta is a Steering Committee member of the Climate Reality Project’s NYS Coalition. Gordian Raacke is executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island.

Framework by Tim Baker

At the Twin Lakes Preserve — Wantagh

ansHUL GUpta

GorDian raaCke