East Meadow Herald 02-16-2023

Bowling is right up her alley

East Meadow High sophomore

Amanda Morris shows her skills

By MAlloRY wilSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Amanda Morris may only be 15, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of the best youth female bowlers in Nassau County. The East Meadow High School sophomore had the best per-game average in the county this season, 210.4.

Bowling consistently since 2019, Amanda continues to work to hone her skills. She’s been on the high school varsity team since seventh grade, and bowls in other leagues almost daily. She bowled a perfect 300 game in league action in 2021.

“It was actually my dad that got me into bowling,” Amanda said. “One of my friends needed a fourth person for our league on Saturday morning, and my dad asked me if I wanted to do it. I was kind of unsure, but I said yes, and then I started bowling and I really fell in

Continued on page 4

Applying to college: students discuss what’s new and what’s not

By AMA NKRUMAH Intern

The college application process can be one of the most stressful tasks for high school seniors.

Whether it’s deciding on a college, a major, or navigating the financial aid process, it can seem like a never-ending decision.

According to the Education Data Initiative, a team of researchers who collect statistics about the country’s education system, 73.7 percent of seniors survived the ever-changing and often painful process of enrolling in colleges and universities last year.

“My college application process has been both underwhelming and stressful,” East Meadow High School senior Sumaiya Chowdhury said. Chowdhury said she’s applied to 15 colleges, but her top choice would be Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

The stress and fear that seniors feel is universal. A 2022 study conducted by the Princeton Review reported that 74 percent of those surveyed said that applying to colleges created “high” or “very high” stress, a substantial increase from 56 percent in 2003.

“The application process has been pretty stressful for me so

their colleges already, but I haven’t heard anything back.”

Location, campus size and range of majors are just three factors that students consider, but more often than not, the decision comes down to cost.

“The cost of the school plays a huge role in my decision,” Chowdhury said, “because school is so expensive, and

spending a lot of money over the course of four, maybe six years is too much for me and my family.”

The drastic rise in the cost of college contributes to skyrocketing stress. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, the Continued on page 15

far,” said East Meadow senior Lesly Barahona, who hopes to go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “A lot of people have gotten responses back from

Tim Baker/Herald

EASt MEAdow HigH School sophomore bowler Amanda Morris competed in Nassau’s All County individual championships on Feb. 11. She took home second place.

M y college application process has been both underwhelming and stressful.

CHowdHURY Senior, East Meadow High School

Blakeman not yet ready to unfreeze assessments

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

It’s a vital component of the property tax system, yet for the third straight year, Nassau County won’t be conducting a tax assessment of homes and businesses.

Such a freeze first gained momentum under former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, but lifted by his successor, Laura Curran. However, the freeze was reimplemented during Covid-19, and now continues under Bruce Blakeman’s tenure.

The difference — at least according to the county legislatures Democratic minority — is that Blakeman campaigned against Curran, promising to roll back the tax increases caused by the reassessments done under her administration. Yet, they still remain frozen.

“As housing prices soared at an unprecedented rate during the worst of the pandemic, the minority supported a temporary freeze to protect property owners from dramatic swings in a remarkably turbulent market,” minority spokesman Daniel Schrafel said. “However, ‘temporary’ is key. History has demonstrated that freezing the tax rolls for extended periods distorts assessed values to such a degree that the only way for property owners to protect themselves from overpaying is to grieve. We must do everything in our power to break this unjust, exploitative cycle.”

The reassessments are supposed to happen annually to review property value and

tax property owners accordingly. When they don’t happen, properties that have risen in value become under-taxed, while those that may have dropped end up paying a higher tax than they would have otherwise.

The value of property impacts school taxes and other issues.

When in office, Curran called the reassessment process “corrupt” and “broken.”

The Democrat pledged to fix it in a 2018 opinion piece published in the Herald, only to freeze it once again during the pandemic.

Democrats now criticizes Blakeman for the continuing the freeze despite the economic pressures of the pandemic subsiding, particularly in light of Blakeman’s promise to do so.

“Mr. Blakeman vowed to rescind the

county’s increases that he blamed on the recent assessment,” Democratic county legislator Debra Mulé said. “That basically means that if you’re over-assessed, you’ll be stuck paying more than your fair share of taxes this year, unless you successfully grieve your assessment.”

State Sen. Kevin Thomas joined in the chorus against the freeze to highlight that grievance process.

“Every homeowner in Nassau has received solicitations from tax grievance workers, myself included,” Thomas said. “These grievance workers use deceitful tactics that lead many to believe filing a grievance is just too complicated for the average resident.

“That is not the case — homeowners can file grievances themselves. You are not required to use an attorney or a specialist, nor is there a fee to file. You can even file online from today until March 1 by yourself. It should be as simple as that.”

Thomas introduced a bill in Albany intending to bring more trust and transparency to the tax grievance process.

For his part, Blakeman called the phase-in plan of his predecessor a failure, and says it won’t expire until next year. He is extending the grievance deadline, however, from March 1 to April 3.

“My administration has reviewed the comptroller’s comprehensive audit that uncovered many inaccuracies in valuations,” Blakeman said in a statement, “and I felt it was important to give residents additional time to grieve.”

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

STATE SEN. KEVIN Thomas, second from left, was joined by Nassau County Legislators Carrié Solages, far left, Debra Mule, and Joshua Lafazan at a news conference to discuss the county’s freezing of property tax assessments for a third consecutive year. County Executive Bruce Blakeman is extending the grievance deadline to April 3.

Theodora Zavala rediscovers her art

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

Art had always been a part of East Meadow resident Theodora Zavala’s life, but it wasn’t until her 50s that she started to focus more on her craft. Now, the retired city school teacher spends her days painting.

Zavala, 73, specializes in oil paintings of landscapes and still life. She’s also dabbled in working on portraits. Now, her work is being featured in the East Meadow Public Library for the month of February.

“It’s the way I think I looked at things,” Zavala said about always being interested in art. “I would always look at something, and look at the light, how it falls. I do photography also, and even if I don’t actually sketch it, I kind of look at it and get a certain feeling from it, and maybe I’ll do something like that in the future.”

She was born in Washington Heights, but moved to Massachusetts when she was eight. She stayed there for a while but eventually her family made their way back to New York, where Zavala finished out her school years at Jamaica High School in Queens.

Her senior year of high school was really when her passion for art formed. “When I was a senior, that’s when I first started to really get into my art,” she explained. “We really didn’t have that much in school, so when I was in high school, we studied drawing from life, and I did some figure drawing.”

Zavala said that she even had a teacher, Jesse Fuchs, who recommended that after high school she take classes at the Art Student League of New York in Manhattan to really hone her artistic skill. “I did it for about a year,” she said. “I was studying drawing the figure. It wasn’t that hard for me, it was a good experience.”

She received her bachelor’s degree in art from Queens College. After graduating she worked for McCall Patterns, where she illustrated how to sew things together. She worked there for over 10 years before she got a job as a teaching assistant.

In 1984, Zavala moved to East Meadow with her husband, David. The two picked East Meadow because they liked that it was near Jones Beach and the store Fortunoff.

When she was 50, Zavala headed back to school. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead and got her master’s degree in elementary education.

“I got job in Uniondale as a teaching assistant and I was working with a teacher that was helping kids with math and I was thinking, ‘boy, this does not look that hard,’” Zavala said. “I thought that I could go back and get my degree and become a teacher, so I did.”

She taught for 20 years, and spent most of her time at PS 38 in Rosedale. Surprisingly, she didn’t really want to teach art. Instead, she wanted to teach math. “They told me that I didn’t take enough credits in math in college so I just had a general degree,” she said. “I started teaching fifth grade.”

Zavala taught fifth grade until she was transferred to another school where she taught second grade, before she started teaching art.

“I loved it,” she said. “The kids love to be creative, and they don’t know how creative they are. A lot of these kids would come to me and ask me if they were an artist, and I would always tell them they were.”

She finished out her days at PS 38 teaching art with a mix of teaching sec-

ond grade.

“I had them doing a lot of fun stuff,” Zavala said. “I had them painting and I would show them different artists and they would try to paint like them.”

When she started teaching, her love for art started to blossom again. She started taking classes on pastel portraits with Master Pastelist, Dan Slapo. She also took classes to learn oil portraits with Rob Silverman and oil landscapes with Howard Rose. All of which she did after her school day.

“It was really good,” Zavala said of getting back into art. “I love doing it and it was so amazing, I would always surprise myself.”

Zavala has showcased her art in shows at Queens College, the Broome Street Gallery in Soho, the East Meadow Library

theOdORA ZAvALA

her passion for art in her 50s. Now at 73, she spends her days painting.

and various art leagues. She’s received awards from the Art Guild, the National Art League, the Suburban Art League, the Long Beach Art League, the East Meadow Library in juried show, and from the Town of Hempstead.

“I love discovering new things about paint, like maybe a combination of colors or mixing the colors, Zavala said. “I just like to challenge myself a lot.”

Mallory Wilson/Herald

ZAvALAS ARt cAN be seen at the East Meadow Library through the month of February. She concentrates in oil paintings of landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

Courtesy Theodora Zavala

Mallory Wilson/Herald ONce ZAvALA BecAMe a city school teacher, she went back to creating art, and she hasn’t stopped since.

RedIScOveRed

She ‘loved bowling right from the beginning’

continued from front page

love with it.”

Her scores qualified her for the All County individual championships for three consecutive years. As a freshman last year, she won the title. This year, at the championships at AMF Garden City Lanes on Feb. 11, she continued to be a fierce competitor finishing second with a score of 1,151.

“It was a little stressful because I had a lot of pressure that I put on myself,” Amanda said. “I feel like I did the best that I could. The shot, transition wise, I just need to get better at that.

“I could’ve gotten dead last today, but I would still be excited to bowl tomorrow.”

Amanda had never competed much in sports before she picked up bowling. When she realized she was a good bowler — and enjoyed it — she stuck with it.

“I found out that it was something that I really enjoyed and I wasn’t terrible at it,” she said. “This was a sport that I found and after I noticed I was pretty good at it, I started to like it more and more and I thought like, ‘hey, could I do this more than once a week?’

“The more passionate I became, the more dedicated I’ve become, and I see my average just grow and my desire to bowl, grow.”

She bowls with a 15-pound bowling ball. She brought six of her arsenal of 18 balls to the county championships because each does something different. Her first ball, though, was eight pounds and was galaxy colored with sparkles.

Her mother, Jennifer, attends every practice and every tournament. “I never expected to be with her at bowling alleys six to seven days a week,” Jennifer joked. “If bowling is canceled because of no school or what have you, she will literally ask me to take her down the block so she can throw a few, and throwing a few for my daughter is like 10

games in a row.”

East Meadow bowling coach Vinny Mascia said Amanda is the most talented female bowler that he’s seen in his 24 years of coaching.

“She came up as a seventh-grader, shy, really to herself, and just loved bowling right from the beginning,” Mascia said. “She’s very, very special. This is something that’s pretty unique.”

Amanda said that she was surprised by all of the differ-

Medicaid Asset Protection Trust Myths

Why don’t more people do the Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)? The answer is that clients often get the wrong advice from well meaning but ill informed professionals, family and friends. Here are some of the most common MAPT myths.

1. You Can’t Sell the House. The MAPT may sell the house at any time. The money is paid to the MAPT. You may invest the money and use the income for a rental or you may purchase another residence in the name of the MAPT. The five year clock does not start over.

2. You Lose Your Property Tax Exemptions. Properly drafted MAPT’s preserve your Senior, STAR and Veteran’s exemptions as well as the exemption from capital gains on the sale of the primary residence —$500,000 for a couple or $250,000 for a single person.

3. It Takes Five Years. While it takes five years to protect ALL of your assets from long-term care in a facility, the time “pro

rates”. For example, if you have to go into a nursing home four years after you set up the MAPT, you only have to pay for the one year that is left.

4. You Can’t Get Your Money. The trust pays you all of the income. Principal may be gifted from the trust in any amount to any of your heirs.

5. The MAPT Cannot Be Revoked. Strange as it may seem, in New York you may revoke an irrevocable trust. Here’s why. It’s irrevocable because you, the grantor, cannot revoke it alone. However, New York has another rule on the books that says that if every person named in the irrevocable trust agrees in writing that they no longer want the trust, then you may revoke it on consent of all the named parties. Since that is just you and your adult children, it is usually a simple matter to accomplish. If a child won’t sign, we simply amend the trust to remove them and then their signature is no longer needed.

ent factors that go into bowling. “I could sit here for days and talk about all the little things that people who don’t bowl, don’t know about,” she said. “Like all these oil patterns, about bowling ball cores or cover stocks, about pin access, and I’ve learned so much from so many people.”

She credits her success to the support she gets from her friends and family. She’s met several people throughout the competitive bowling community and some fellow bowlers have really stuck with her, like brothers Phil and Tony Macchietto from Mineola.

“I met them in Indianapolis in 2021 at the Junior Gold Championships,” Amanda explained. “I used to always watch Phil, who’s 19, bowl and was amazed by his bowling.”

Now, she said, they come to a lot of her bowling events to show their support.

“Neither of my parents bowl, but they’re always just there to support me and they’ve learned some things from Phil and Tony about what to do and what to say,” she said. “We’ve just become like one big family — my game would not be where it was without them.”

Amanda doesn’t just excel at bowling. She is a talented percussionist and student. “She’s an amazing musician,” Jennifer said. “She’s involved in almost every single music program in school. It’s unbelievable just how dedicated to her music she is, and she is a straight A student in all AP classes.”

With two years of high school remaining, Amanda has time to raise her average. Her goal is a 215 average next year. Beyond high school, she wants to go to a college with a Division I bowling program and ultimately bowl professionally.

“I’ve loved all of the friendships that I’ve gained from bowling and the family that I’ve been surrounded by,” Amanda said. “My dedication also keeps me going. Once I start something, I need to finish it.”

Bingo for a Cause!

Saturday, February 25 I 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Chances to win cruise swag, prizes and a $2000 Celebrity Cruise Gift Certificate on the final Bingo game. Donations requested for Bingo Cards and all proceeds will go to the Long Island Crisis Center, a non-profit organization.

SPACE IS LIMITED, RSVP TODAY

Fax: (516) 569-4643

Tim Baker/Herald AmAndA morris finished the 2022-23 bowling season with a 210.4 average, the highest average for youth female bowlers in Nassau County.

String instrumentalists in the district honored

Scores of East Meadow School District students were selected to perform in the 2023 Nassau Music Educators Association All-County Festival at Long Island University Post this month.

NMEA is a dedicated group of teachers and professionals who believe in the value of a quality music education taught by qualified music educators, according to the organization’s website. East Meadow’s student musicians received this tremendous honor because of their strong New York State School Music Association solo evaluations and via teacher recommendations.

In addition to their All-County accomplishment, several East Meadow students were also selected to perform in the 2023 Long Island String Festival Association’s festivals. Formed in 1956, LISFA encourages and supports kids’ musical development and the conductors, celebrating the power of string instruments in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The district commends all of its aspiring musicians who were accepted to take part in these illustrious festivals.

Courtesy East Meadow School District Woodland Middle School’S sent seven students to the 2023 Long Island String Festival Association festival.

THE

FAMILY Pavilion

— named for Feil Organization chief executive Jeffrey Feil — will feature an expanded emergency department at Mount Sinai South Nassau, along with 40 critical and intensive care beds, and nine new operating rooms. Feil’s foundation donated $5 million to the hospital.

Feil family donates $5M for new pavilion

Gift is single largest donation in Mount Sinai South Nassau’s history

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

The Louis Feil Charitable Lead Annuity Trust has pledged the largest single gift in the history of Mount Sinai South Nassau — $5 million. And, in return, it will help usher in a new state-of-the-art facility, with the Feil name on top.

The new four-story, 100,000-square-foot building, is scheduled to open in another year. And when it does, it will be named the Feil Family Pavilion.

This new $130 million pavilion will double the size of the hospital’s current emergency department, increase the critical and intensive care inpatient capacity to 40 beds, and add nine new operating rooms.

“Mount Sinai South Nassau is our local hospital, and we are grateful for the expert care it provides to our communities on the South Shore,” said Jeffrey Feil, chief executive of the Feil Organization— and a longtime Rockville Centre resident — in a release. “We are so fortunate to have an outstanding medical center right in our backyard. The Feil family is honored to support the growth of Mount Sinai South Nassau.”

The Feil Organization is a real estate investment, management and development firm based in New York City with more than 70 years of expertise. Feil’s portfolio commands millions of square feet in industrial, commercial and retail, as well as more than 5,000 residential properties and thousands of acres of undeveloped land across the United States.

Feil and his family — including his parents, the late Gertrude and Louis Feil — have been longtime supporters of the hospital. With their latest gift, the family has donated a total of $17 million to benefit the hospital and the patients it serves.

The family previous gifted $2 million in 2019, and $1.5 million in 2018 to help centralize the hospital’s cancer care services.

The family also donated $3 million in 2011 that supported the continued growth and expansion of the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center.

“This generous gift by the Feil family will have a direct impact on improving patient care on the South Shore,” said Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai South Nassau, in a release. “We are deeply thankful for their generosity and support. It will be the hospital’s distinct honor to name the new patient care tower in honor and recognition of the Feil family, and their longstanding commitment to Mount Sinai South Nassau.

“Their support and commitment has been vital to the growth of our emergen-

cy services and cancer care program as well as the hospital’s tradition of excellence in the delivery of advanced care services.”

The Feil gift is the second major contribution made to the new four-story patient building currently under construction. Last year, the hospital’s immediate past board chair, Joseph Fennessy, made an undisclosed gift to the hospital that earned his family’s name on top of the pedestrian entrance to the new emergency department. Additional naming opportunities remain within the new pavilion, officials said, including nursing stations, lobby areas and surgical suites.

It’s part of an overall $400 million capital building fundraising campaign Mount Sinai has undertaken in recent years.

Currently, South Nassau’s emergency department treats 65,000 people each year, but is designed to handle half that. When construction is complete, the emergency department will nearly double the size of a football field, increasing its annual capacity to 80,000.

In addition, the department will feature centralized nursing stations that will allow for direct oversight of patient rooms. There also will be bedside triage, expanded pediatric trauma treatment areas with an adjoining radiology area, a decontamination room, dedicated areas for geriatrics and behavioral health, and a spacious waiting and reception area with free Wi-Fi, and charging stations for phones, computer tablets and laptops. The operating room and its surgical suites will be configured and designed to accommodate the nonstop advancements in surgical technologies and equipment. The combined impact of the redesigned and larger operating rooms will allow Mount Sinai South Nassau and its staff of surgeons to increase its surgical scheduling capacity to accommodate projected volumes in same-day, elective, and emergency surgeries.

The new surgical suites also could pave the way for an open-heart program at the Oceanside campus, pending state health department approval.

“The ultimate beneficiary of the Feil family’s generosity is our South Shore community that turns to Mount Sinai South Nassau for compassionate, quality health care,” said Tony Cancellieri, cochair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s board of directors, in a release.

“On behalf of the hospital’s board of directors, we are grateful to our dear friends Jeffrey and Lee Feil and their entire family, and are honored to name the pavilion as a permanent expression of gratitude for this gift and the ongoing support of the Feil family.”

TONY CANCELLIERI, CO-CHAIR of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s board of directors, joined Feil Organization chief executive Jeffrey Feil, and Andrew Triolo, vice president of facilities, design and construction at Mount Sinai South Nassau in front of what will become the Feil Family Pavilion at the Oceanside hospital. Feil’s foundation donated $5 million to the hospital.

Photos courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau

ANTIQUE STORE:

SHOPPING

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.

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National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop

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Furniture Gallery of Long Island

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What A Girl Wants

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Gemelli Gourmet Market North

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Cathy’s Touch

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Morton’s Official Camp Outfitters

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Furniture Gallery of Long Island

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Karako Suits of Lynbrook

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Abby’s Parkside Nursery & Florist, Inc.

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Hicks Nurseries

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Empire Pawn of Nassau

Matthew James Jewelers

WINDOW TREATMENT STORE:

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spotlight athlete

Repeat county title for Clarke

By ViNCeNt MatUla sports@liherald.com

It was a special moment for the Clarke boys track and field program Feb. 8 as it took home the Nassau Class C championship at St. Anthony’s High School.

One of two seniors that the Rams saw win an event was Jayson Emile, who took first place in the 600 and 1000 meter runs. Emile is one of five captains for Clarke and has been a pleasure to watch not just this season, but throughout his high school career, coach Brian Doxey said.

JURRel hall

West Hempstead Senior Track

hall stole the show at the Nassau Class C Track and Field championships Feb. 8 to help the Rams to a secondplace finish. He captured the triple jump (school record 44-feet, 11-inches), high jump and long jump titles, matching a feat he accomplished last spring.

BasKetBall plaYoFFs

Friday, Feb. 17

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class AA quarterfinals

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A ffirst round

saturday, Feb. 18

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class A first round

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA quarterfinals

tuesday, Feb. 21

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A quarterfinals

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class B semifinals

Friday, Feb. 24

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class AA semifinals

saturday, Feb. 25

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA semifinals

Monday, Feb. 27

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class A semifinals

tuesday, Feb. 28

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A semifinals

Wednesday, March 1

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class B finals

saturday, March 4

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA and A finals

“Jayson is one of the toughest competitors I’ve had on my team in many years,” Doxey said. “He’s someone you can depend on to get the job done and that’s why he’s one of our captains.”

The other senior on Clarke to win a county title in an event was Kelvin Wang as he took the top spot in the weight throw. Wang, another one of the Rams captains, also finished third in the shot put. “He’s really been helpful with getting the younger guys up to that next level,” Doxey said. “He stays and helps teach them how to throw properly. Aside from his ability to throw, he’s a very good team leader.”

Rounding out the captains for this year’s group are Cortland commit Andres Ventura, “JD” Azcona, and Joseph Partridge.

Junior Christian Hunter took part in three events on the night, placing second in all of them (55 meter hurdles, long jump, and pole vault), earning himself All-County honors. Despite not finishing on top, Doxey knew it was going to be a battle in each and has high hopes for Hunter next year.

“He was an all-around athlete for us last year,” Doxey said. “This year, we wanted to develop him in those same events again. For him to place second in all three of those events was outstanding.”

Along with Hunter, Clarke had three different freshmen that placed throughout various events at the county championships. Runners James “JP” DeRose, Noah Saenz, and Michael Buririesci all made their mark during the evening and will look to use this experience in the years to come.

“It’s always great when freshmen can show that they have potential right off the bat, let alone score us points at a top-notch meet like the county championships,” Doxey said. “Those three right off the bat are going to be something special.”

As a team, the Rams finished third in both the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays to score crucial points. Emile joined Ricky Wang, Andrew Ng, and Ethan He as the

runners in the 4x400 while Ventura, Saenz, Constantine Pozapalidis, and Jacob Soriano took part in the 4x800.

Clarke will look to use its momentum from last week’s Class C championships at the state qualifiers in hopes of bringing more hardware home.

The state meet takes place March 4 at Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

Eric Dunetz/Herald JUNioR ChRistiaN hUNteR was a three-event All-County finisher for the Rams, who took home the Nassau Class C title last week.

Free emergency mental health care for vets

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

Military veterans in “acute suicidal crisis” can now receive free emergency mental health services, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The care also includes inpatient care up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

Starting in mid-January, veterans were able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost. They don’t need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit.

The new legislation says veterans who were discharged after more than two years of service under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible for the care, which will either be paid for or reimbursed by the VA. The expanded care is meant to “help prevent Veteran suicide by guaranteeing no cost, world-class care to Veterans in times of crisis,” according to the release.

“Free or not free, the priority is getting them health care,” Pete Wenninger, immediate past commander of the East Meadow American Legion Post 1082, said. “Being burdened with a cost is not going to be helpful to them, but it is critical that when a veteran needs mental health, that they get it.”

The policy will provide, pay for, or reimburse for treatment of those who qualify as emergency suicide care, transportation costs, and follow-up care at a facility. It will also help veterans out by making appropriate referrals for care following the period of emergency suicide care, determine eligibility for other VA services and benefits, and refer them for other programs and benefits.

“I think it was a great move,” Ralph Esposito, director of the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency, said. “These kids coming home today from Iraq, Iran, and everything, they’ve got problems and they’re hurting.”

A NeW pOLIcY will allow veterans in ‘acute suicidal crisis’ to receive free mental health care, including inpatient care up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

The policy will also apply to former members of the armed forces, including service reserve members, who served “more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation,” those who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and those who were the victim of sexual assault, sexual bat-

tery, or sexual harassment while serving.

“The need is more and more, that’s why the government — I believe — started this program,” Esposito said. “They see it, it’s happening all over, and we’re doing all we can to get them out.”

At the Nassau VSA, Esposito said that vets that go there get vetted. If they need mental help they are sent to speak with counselors that are right there for them. There’s also a food pantry that they can take food from and other toiletries.

“It’s heartbreaking because they’re young,” he said. “It’s a big thing, but I’m really happy that they did this and that we have this program going.”

According to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report for 2022, there were 6,146 veteran suicides in 2020, which is 343 fewer than in 2019. The number of suicides was “lower than each prior year since 2006,” according to the report.

“Veterans have a hard time dealing with the military experience,” said Frank Salamino, quartermaster for the East Meadow Veterans of Foreign War Post 2736. “They have a very hard time — I know myself first hand.

Salamino added that this is a step in the right direction for veteran care, but that more should be done. Starting, he said, with talking to veterans before they leave the service about what they’re thinking and what they need.

He went on to explain that appointments are hard to come by, and are oftentimes spread out with months in between. “It took me a long time to get some help,” he said.

“Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve — no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they’re enrolled in VA care,” VA Secretary for Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said in a statement. “This expansion of care will save Veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

My mother may soon be applying for Medicaid. How does this affect funeral arrangements?

The latest Medicaid regulations now permit individuals to set aside a portion of their assets in an irrevocable trust account in order to have funds for future funeral expenses.

When an individual approaches the time when Medicaid coverage seems likely, social workers generally advise families to look into this funeral pre-funding option.

Here’s how we can help:

Family will make an appointment with us to discuss just what we are do when the death occurs. discuss options and record their wishes not just about preferred funeral home services but cemetery, church, monument inscription, newspaper notices, We inform the family of exactly what the funeral home and third party costs at the present time.

Funds to cover those expenses can then deposited in our FDIC insured PRE - PLAN Trust. The Trust pays sufficient interest to allow us to guaranty those future funeral home costs into the future.

While the funds remain in the name of the individual going on Medicaid, eligibility to receive Medicaid coverage is not affected.

Neil Miller/Herald

Town urged to reject ‘discriminatory’ maps

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

“Change the boundary, redraw the lines” was the message dozens of community members tried to articulate to the Hempstead Town Board last week. But in the end, many felt their pleas were completely ignored

Don Clavin faced some heat from the crowd after the town supervisor decided to cut the microphone feed for each speaker off exactly at the required three minutes they were allotted to speak. When Deputy Town Supervisor Dorothy Goosby — who notably challenged Hempstead’s discriminatory at-large voting system in 1988 — was asked if she had anything to say about the redistricting process, she declined to comment.

The Hempstead redistricting saga is nearing its end, and opponents of the proposed maps are not giving up without a fight. A group of angry voters rallied outside of Hempstead Town Hall minutes before the Feb. 7 meeting to air out their frustrations.

Former county legislator Dave Denenberg, who organized the rally, said there is an ulterior motive behind the elected officials drawing the district lines they way they’re doing it.

“Whenever there’s redistricting, you see a political machine do exactly what they always do: They are going to draw districts in a way that tries to maintain their majority,” Denenberg said. “But that’s voter suppression.”

Mimi Pierre-Johnson, founder of the Elmont Cultural Center, said she saw a “glimmer of hope” at the redistricting commission’s last work session. The three commission members seemed they would finally recommend one of the six map proposals to the Hempstead Town Board. These options included the town’s preliminary “Skyline” map, as well as five alternative proposals from civic groups and local attorneys they say would help provide a

more equal voice for minority groups.

But that optimism was quickly extinguished when the commission failed to put forward a map, and instead agreed to officially recommend the town board produce a final map that keeps communities of interest intact.

Since the first day of the redistricting process, the concerns raised by opponents to the initial town-drawn maps circle back to a single theme: District lines should be redrawn to have a more balanced demographic represen-

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES WITH CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS

tation. That means creating three “minority-majority” districts, that would allow minority communities a chance to elect someone who would be more likely to represent them on the town board.

For example, 90 percent of Elmont’s population are people of color. However, the current map proposal places Elmont in a district with Garden City, which has an 88 percent white population.

Placing Elmont in a district with neighborhoods they have nothing in common with dilutes the votes of its residents and impairs the outcome of elections, claimed Claudia Borecky, president of the Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club, in a letter to the Hempstead Town Board.

“People told heart-wrenching stories of how hard they and their ancestors fought for the right to have a vote that counted,” Borecky said. “Yet, the motion made by the redistricting commission for the Town Board to only consider keeping communities whole is totally deaf to what your constituents plead.”

Under the guidance of the Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders law firm and redistricting expert Sean Trende, the Town Board released a redistricting map proposal last month, which they say takes into account public comments as well as the views of the redistricting commission.

However, some doubted these intentions.

“If (the town) passes this map, I’m going to Garden City because that’s my district,” Pierre-Johnson said. “I’m going to show up with my friends to (Garden City) town meetings, to the zoning board, because I want what they have for Elmont.”

Critics also questioned the map’s compliance with federal and state voting rights protections — specifically the Voting Rights Act and New York’s John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. If Hempstead finalizes the current map as it stands, it could expose the town to costly litigation at the taxpayers’ expense.

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Ana Borruto/Herald

FORMER NASSAU COUNTY legislator Dave Denenberg leads a rally outside of Hempstead Town Hall just before a town board meeting discussing redistricting. As the mapping process nears its end, voters are getting louder about their demands for three minority-majority districts.

STEPPING OUT

Dinodaze to life Dinosaurs of all kinds

By Karen Bloom

he herd is back. Kids of all ages

Quest — the traveling dinosaur “experience” — returns to Nassau Coliseum for four days of prehistoric adventuring. Jurassic Quest takes families back to the days when these prehistoric creatures ruled the lands, Friday through Monday, Feb. 17-20.

• Feb. 17-20; times vary

• Tickets start at $22; available at MonsterQuest.com or NassauColiseum.com

• Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

This immersive spectacle features a bevy of lifelike dinosaurs — of all shapes and sizes — that are an impressive lot. They transform the arena environment to a time 165 million years ago during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods where visitors can get up-close and personal with the creatures.

“They are all life-size and authentic,” Park Ranger Marty (aka Marty Hoffman) says. “You get to see what dinosaurs are really like, hearing the different sounds they made.”

Described by Park Ranger Marty and the Jurassic Quest folks as North America’s largest and most realistic event, the creative team collaborates with leading paleontologists to ensure each dinosaur is painstakingly replicated, from coloration to teeth size, to textured skin, fur or feathers — drawing on the latest research about how we understand dinosaurs and these ancient creatures looked and moved. Plant settings, sound effects, lighting and electronics add to the authenticity of the setting.

But perhaps what makes the experience more than just a spectacle is the way it pulls on the heartstrings. As Park Ranger Marty — who proclaims himself a “dinosaur nerd” — put it: “It’s a great time for everyone. Especially the kids, but also the adults. We’ve all had that time in our lives when we loved dinosaurs. Then we get away from it. When we take the time to see them through the kids’ eyes, we reconnect with that love of dinosaurs we all had.”

It’s all self-guided, so visitors proceed at their own pace. That means you can approach the mighty T. rex, check out the 50-foot-long Spinosaurus, largest known carnivorous dinosaur, even longer and heavier than the T. rex, also the enormous Apatosaurus with its whip-tail, along with sea creatures, and many others.

“One hundred sixty million years worth of dinosaurs are here,” Park Ranger Marty enthuses.

And there are those baby dinos, “hatched” specifically for Jurassic Quest: Cammie the Camarasaurus, Tyson the T. rex, and Trixie the Triceratops.

“People really love them,” Park Ranger Marty says. “Kids want to hang out and pet them. It’s an amazing thing to see. The interaction between the babies and the kids is really fun.”

While the dinosaurs are the main draw, of course, the event includes a fossil dig, where budding paleontologists can dig up bones, along with an excavation site, with actual fossils and themed rides, among other activities.

“There really is something for everyone,” Park Ranger Marty says. Plus an education component is worked in — and the kids won’t even realize it.

“We like to think of dinosaurs as the ‘gateway science,” he explains. “Kids are learning about biology and geology, and more, when they explore dinosaurs. Also other sciences like astronomy and engineering. It all relates back to dinosaurs andancient plants. And this all comes out of the kids thinking dinosaurs are cool.”

Park Ranger Marty and Dino Trainer Dustin hanging out, at left, with a Tylosaurus skull. Open wide! An enthusiastic young visitor, at right, finds his way into an Allosaur head

Alan Doyle

The prolific Canadian singersongwriter has boundless appeal. The moment he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with his band Great Big Sea, Canadians fell in love with the pride of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, whose effusive charisma and sense of humour was eclipsed only by his magnetic stage presence. His influence is now being heard in a new generation of artists as his solo work continues to endear him to roots music fans everywhere. That’s clearly evident on Doyle’s latest EP ‘Rough Side Out,’ which finds him collaborating with Canadian country music superstars Dean Brody and Jess Moskaluke, while at the same time offering his own distinctive interpretation of contemporary country. His songs all have a strong personal meaning, according to Doyle, who believes ‘the best songwriters in any genre are the ones who can look in their own backyard and find something they want to sing about.’

Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. $41, $37, $29. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Dublin Irish Dance

The acclaimed Dublin Irish Dance ensemble visits Long Island with their new production, ‘Wings: A Celtic Dance Celebration.’ Wings features exquisite Irish and World champion dancers alongside Ireland’s musical and vocal virtuosos. Complete with original music and choreography, this groundbreaking production, infused with world dance and musical influences, will thrill audiences with its transformative emotional energy and imaginative design. The vivid and illuminating production portraying rich Irish heritage themes, in spectacular dance and musical performances by this superb cast that will thrill audiences of all ages. Everyone will be entranced by these world champion Irish dancers as they defy gravity in this captivating spectacle.

Friday, March 17, 8 p.m. $60, $45, $35. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

THE SCENE

Feb. 23

Art talk

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Feb. 23, 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. 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

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

The Hot Sardines

The band brings their distinctive sound to the Landmark stage, Friday, March 3, 8 p.m.

Their unique recipe blends hot jazz and sultry standards from the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s, rich New Orleans sounds, a dash of ’40s Paris flavor, and vibrant musical surprises. It’s all steeped in salty stride piano and the music Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller used to make. The result is straight-up foot-stomping jazz. Their name says it all: their iconic ‘hot’ styling will paint a vibrant picture with smoky sounds and audiences revel in the steamy, swanky influence of their art form. With their contagious brand of joy, grit, glamour and passion, they invoke the sounds of nearly a century ago, yet stay right in step with the current age. $60, $50, $46. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at

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.

On stage

Mo Willems’ popular The Pigeon comes alive on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Saturday, Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb.12, 2 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 15-17, noon. Pigeon is eager to try anything, with the audience part of the action. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.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

Taco Tuesday

Head down to Chipotle, at 2312 Hempstead Turnpike, in East Meadow, Tuesday, March 7, to benefit East Meadow High School’s “Funding the Cure” Leukemia and Lymphoma Society team. The students are raising money to help those who are battling blood cancer. Grab a meal between 4 and 8 p.m. to help them reach their goal.

Family theater

The beloved fairy tale springs to life in a delightful musical romp, presented Plaza Theatrical Productions, Monday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m.; Friday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m.; Sunday, Feb. 26, noon. All the ingredients that have made this story a perennial favorite are here, including Cinderella, a zany Godmother, a trip to the royal ball, and a glass slipper. Tickets are $16. Visit the Plaza stage at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. For information/ tickets, go to PlazaTheatrical. com or call (516) 599-6870.

Absolute Adele

Vocalist Jennifer Cella, who performs with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, returns to her alma mater, Nassau Community College, with a tribute to Adele, Saturday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Mainstage Theatre, Garden City. Tickets are available through the NCC online box office at Nassau. BookTix.com/seating.php. For information, visit NCC.edu or call (516) 572-7676.

4H School Break Program

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau offers a February break program for kids at East Meadow Farm, Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 21-24. Youngsters can participate in varied educational activities during school break, at 832 Merrick Ave., in East Meadow. Children in grades K-6 will explore environmental science, healthy living, agriculture, and S.T.E.M., while developing the soft skills that will help them succeed in life. It is both indoors and outdoors so participants must dress for the weather. (In the event of rain/ snow bring boots, snow pants and gloves) The activities for the week include: animals, cooking, arts and crafts, STEM, and more. To register go to tinyurl.com/4hemfarm.

On exhibit

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.

Voyage

The Journey tribute band visits The Paramount, Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. The popular band takes everyone back to the ‘80’s when Journey’s timeless music ruled the airwaves. Hailed by fans and critics alike as the world’s top Journey tribute band, this group performs their music with chilling accuracy. Fronted by Hugo — a dead ringer for Steve Perry, both visually and vocally — he continues to delight fans with his miraculous resemblance, exact mannerisms and identical voice to Steve. Fans agree that Voyage delivers an experience to the original Steve Perry-fronted lineup. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY. com.

Long Island Nets Basketball Clinic

The Long Island Nets invites kids to a full day of basketball fun, hosted by the Town of Hempstead, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1-2:30 p.m. The team will be leading a free clinic for ages 8-14, offering tips and tricks to help the young athletes improve their skills, at Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike. Each clinic participant will receive a voucher for 4 free tickets to the Long Island Nets vs. Fort Wayne Mad Ants game. To register, visit TinyURL.com/ TOHLINBA

Full LIRR service to East Side finally coming

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

Commuters are riding the high of never-before-seen rail service aimed at connecting the Long Island Rail Road to the bedrock of Midtown Manhattan at Grand Central Madison.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority celebrated a turning point with the long-anticipated opening of its 750,000-square-foot East Side Manhattan transit hub with the first shuttle train from Jamaica station on Jan. 25. Now the terminal is set for a full rollout of regular train service beginning Feb. 27.

The East Side Access Project, as it was known, has already drawn a daily rush of commuters — albeit under a limited format with shuttle service from the Queens station to Grand Central Madison.

Rather than plunging straightaway with full service, MTA officials said the station is in a soft-launch phase, enabling riders to slowly acclimate themselves to the additional shuttle service from Jamaica, find their way around the facility and test out commuting options.

Once Midtown’s terminal comes fully online, it will no doubt reorder the MTA’s transit system and send ripples through its 11 Long Island train branches, each offering direct or transfer service to Penn Station on the West Side, and Grand Central Madison.

For LIRR commuters, this change will

be felt most acutely in adapting to an overhauled train schedule that divvies up Manhattan-bound train service between the two sister terminals.

Some commuters may feel more taken to the change than others with the promise of greater accessibility and efficiency to their commutes. Still, others can’t help but groan over the foreseeable loss, and longing for their preferred service lines and connections.

But at least for MTA chair and chief

executive Janno Lieber, the change is a net-gain for most commuters — and a sign of economic renewal for the metro Long Island area, with a 41 percent increase in service.

Grand Central Madison provides “faster, more convenient travel that brings Long Island closer to the heart of the City,” Leiber said, in a release. “The new schedules are going to be a major shot in the arm for the local economy and the effort to get people back to offic-

es, theaters and shopping.”

But critics are quick to point out that the often-touted 41 percent service increase — raising the number of daily trains from 665 to 936 — is relative to current service which has experienced a major cutback of its own compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Weekday ridership continues to hover at about 65 percent of what it was before any of us had ever heard of Covid-19.

And while MTA officials expect nearly 45 percent of riders to shift over to Grand Central Madison, there are nagging concerns about the potential travel headaches brought by the decline in available morning rush-hour train service to Penn.

Take, for example, the fact that the Long Beach branch which will get 10 additional rush hour trains from its current 13 at Penn Station. Yet, it will have two fewer rush hour trains at Penn Station with shared service lines to Grand Central Madison.

“The new schedules are designed to have more evenly spaced trains and fewer large gaps in service,” MTA spokesman Dave Steckel said. “There will also be more frequent service to Queens and on the Ronkonkoma and West Hempstead branches. New service promises decrease travel times from Long Island to Manhattan, and reduce crowding at Penn Station.

“We will continue to monitor and adjust service based on ridership trends and other factors.”

Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Seniors are stressed, but they shouldn’t have to be

continued from front page

cost of higher education increased by 169 percent between 1980 and 2019, while wages for workers between ages 22 and 27 increased by only 19 percent during the same period of time.

Nicole Leibowitz, an East Meadow High guidance counselor, said the application process changed over the years, becoming more tech-centric, which can be good or bad, depending on how tech-savvy a student is.

“I think in years past it was simpler,” she said. “Now it’s become so much, with all of the digital aspects of the application. But in some ways, it has become much easier because it’s online.

“Students shouldn’t worry about college applications to the point where the anxiety affects them. I think the only way to lessen the anxiety is to break the process up into manageable parts. The idea is to break it up mentally so a student can feel like they can accomplish things instead of cramming it all in at one time and feeling extremely stressed and anxious.”

Senior Zehra Jafri said that she has benefited from working with the high school’s guidance department. “The … process was much easier than I thought it would be,” she said. “The guidance counselors provided a lot of resources, such as Naviance and Common App, which helped with the application process.”

Naviance is a college and career readiness software provider that partners with high schools and other learning institutions to help students plan for college and careers. Common App is an admission application that allows students to apply to more than one college at a time.

East Meadow High offers collegebound students other services. On Jan. 31, Richard Gatteau, student affairs vice president at Stony Brook University, came to speak to juniors and their parents about the college planning process during the Junior College Planning Night.

Junior Sevi Ozgur said that the discussion was helpful. “It calmed me down, actually,” she said. “It ended up making (the college application process) seem less scary than it initially was.”

Ozgur’s classmate Jakub Brachowski agreed. “Everything Dr. Gatteau said was very informative,” Brachowski said. “He knew what he was talking about, and it

made me confident about my eventual time in college.”

Leibowitz, who also spoke at the event, emphasized that students shouldn’t feel alone in the college application process.

“The college application is a collaborative process,” she said. “It’s not just the student, and I think it’s important to involve all of the players, including the parents, the counselor, and anyone else who is needed to help the student.”

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LEGAL NOTICE

WELLSPRINGS CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK, PLLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 04/11/22. Office: NASSAU County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, 446 EAST MEADOW AVENUE, #723, EAST MEADOW, NY 11554.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

137072

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SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, DLJ MORTGAGE CAPITAL, INC., Plaintiff, vs. MARJORIE E. RODRIGUEZ

A/K/A MARJORIE

RODRIGUEZ, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 16, 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 11501 on March 7, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 75 Merrick 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 East Meadow, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 485 and Lot 9. Approximate amount of judgment is $709,047.25 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 008030/2016. 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.

George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.:

170938-1

137068

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT -

COUNTY OF NASSAU

FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, Against LINDA PINIZZOTTO, ET AL.

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/06/2018, 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 3/7/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 1619 Midland Drive, East Meadow, New York 11554, And Described As

Follows:

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 New Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.

Section 50 Block 461 Lot 26

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $328,351.89 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 10660/2012

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

Glenn R. Jersey, Esq., Referee.

McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573

Dated: 1/23/23 File Number: 560-5930 LD 137070

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE OF THE HOME EQUITY

MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED TRUST SERIES INABS 2005-C, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES INABS 2005-C, Plaintiffagainst - THOMAS A. BOHM, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on April 17, 2018. 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 “Rain or Shine” on the 2nd day of March, 2023 at 2:30 PM.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at East Meadow, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 351 E Meadow Avenue, East Meadow, (Town of Hempstead) NY 11554.

(Section: 50, Block: 420, Lot: 11)

Approximate amount of lien $700,839.68 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 012937/09.

Janine Lynam, Esq., Referee.

Davidson Fink LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618

Tel. 585/760-8218

For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

Dated: December 27, 2022

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.

136984

Referee, BRONSTER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf. 156 West 56th Street, Ste. 902, New York, NY. File No. 308765.009- #100062

137255

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

HSBC Bank USA, National Association as Trustee for ACE Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2006-HE1, Asset Backed PassThrough Certificates, Plaintiff

AGAINST

Lemuel Stephens; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 30, 2018 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 13, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 189 Newport Road, Uniondale, NY 11553-1121. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Uniondale, in the unincorporated area of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 34 Block 364 Lot 255. Approximate amount of judgment $598,737.15 plus interest and costs.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. NEW YORK LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP.,

Pltf. vs. ANGELINA MIRANDA AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE BOLTON A/K/A

JOSEPHINE M. BOLTON, et al, Defts. Index #606580/19. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered October 4, 2022 and order to appoint substitute referee entered January 10, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 15, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., prem. k/a 3rd Street, East Meadow, NY a/k/a School District 3, Section 50, Block 410, Lot 56. Approx. amt. of judgment is $1,107.88 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. Foreclosure auction will be held “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, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

MALACHY LYONS, JR.,

Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, Hempstead, New York, and available at hempsteadny.gov, where it may be inspected during office hours.

ALL PERSONS

INTERESTED in the subject matter will be given an opportunity to be heard with reference thereto at the time and place abovedesignated.

Dated:

Hempstead, New York February 7, 2023 BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

KATE MURRAY

Town Clerk

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor 137313

curve for a distance of 200 feet.

HEATHERFIELD ROAD (TH 4/23)East Side -NO STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 50 feet north of the north curbline of Rosedale Road, north following the curve for a distance of 133 feet.

ALSO, to REPEAL from Section 202-1 “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” from the following locations:

EAST MEADOW (NR) VALLEY STREAM MAY LANE (TH 114/06)

East Side - NO PARKING ANYTIME - staring at a point 134 feet north of the north curbline of Kalda Lane, north for a distance of 35 feet.

(Adopted 4/18/06)

HEATHERFIELD ROAD (TH 646/68)West Side - NO PARKING ANYTIME - starting at the north curbline of Rosedale Road, north then northwesterly for a distance of 236 feet.

(Adopted 4/22/69)

Approx. amt. of judgment is $1,764.09 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. Foreclosure auction will be held “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, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

MICHAEL ALPERT, Referee, BRONSTER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf. 156 West 56th Street, Ste. 902, New York, NY. File No. 308765.008- #100078 137356

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU

Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

136922

LEGAL NOTICE

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 001454/2014. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Michele A. Baptiste, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff

175 Mile Crossing Boulevard

Rochester, New York 14624

(877) 430-4792

Dated: January 12, 2023

137253

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 16 of the Town Law of the State of New York, as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, Hempstead, New York, on the 28th day of February, 2023 at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day, to consider the proposed amendment of Article XXXIV of the Building Zone Ordinance, in relation to flood hazard zones. The proposed amendment is on file in the office of the Town

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on The 28th day of February, 2023, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations:

ELMONT

LUDLAM AVENUE (TH 607/22) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the west curbline of Fieldmere Street, west for a distance of 40 feet.

LUDLAM AVENUE (TH 607/22) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the east curbline of Fieldmere Street, east for a distance of 40 feet.

(NR) VALLEY STREAM

HEATHERFIELD ROAD (TH 4/23)West Side -NO

PARKING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 50 feet north of the north curbline of Rosedale Road, north following the

HEATHERFIELD ROAD (TH 53/76)East Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at the north curbline of Rosedale Road, north then northwesterly for a distance of 180 feet.

(Adopted 4/27/76)

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 7, 2023 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 137332

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. NEW YORK LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP., Pltf. vs. ANGELINA MIRANDA AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JOSEPHINE BOLTON A/K/A

JOSEPHINE M. BOLTON, et al, Defts. Index #615088/18. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered December 6, 2022, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 21, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., prem. k/a 3rd Street, East Meadow, NY a/k/a School District 3, Section 50, Block 410, Lot 55.

U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST,

V. ADAN SALGUERO, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated November 14, 2022, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST is the Plaintiff and ADAN SALGUERO, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 28, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 740 BARRY PLACE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553: Section 50, Block 360, Lot 23:

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

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 613459/2019. Mark Ricciardi, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR AMERIQUEST MORTGAGE SECURITIES INC., ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-R2, Plaintiff, vs. AURELIA F. VILLEGAS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 22, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 27, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 1902 Freeman 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 50, Block 12 and Lot 1-4. Approximate amount of judgment is $607,754.64 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 014586/13. 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.

Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 136910

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Now we need a ResCheck?

Q. We are in a quandary about insulation. Our house was built in 1948, and isn’t insulated well. We decided to add a master bedroom and kitchen extension and insulate as much as we can. Our building plans examiner wants something call a ResCheck from our architect, and wants to know how much of the house we’re going to do. We only want to tell them about the additions, even though we want to do our attic and the whole exterior from the outside, if we can. We understand that if we tell the plans examiner about the rest of the house, they can make us do a more expensive energy analysis, which we don’t think is necessary. Also, our contractor wants to only insulate the attic floor, but the architect said that the latest energy code requires us to insulate the roof and not the attic floor. Can you advise?

A. It’s frustrating that if you were not in the permit process, you would just insulate, but the moment government learns that you are doing everything the right way, with permits, they make things more involved.

A ResCheck is the name given to a 10-page energy-analysis document, complete with areas of windows and doors, walls, floors and ceilings along with calculated heat loss and energy coefficients. It’s like taking an exam and the way it is done, to be registered with the state online, we don’t get to know if the numbers provided will pass until we get to the end of the document. If it’s failing the requirements, we aren’t shown why, so we have to start over, trying to guess what needs to be beefed up.

I like to do these in the presence of clients so they understand that it’s serious business, not just some form to fill out. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do these analyses in front of the contractors who often contradict the ResCheck by substituting lesser fiberglass batting for the higher-rated foam material, to save money and labor, since they usually need to get a subcontractor to install foam instead of using their own cheaper laborers.

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In general, when your project constitutes more than 50 percent of home building area or dollar value compared with the home value, then the examiner wants a more expensive and involved Home Energy Rating System engineer to provide a much more detailed report. This includes a test at the end of the construction in which the home is pressurized using air fans, then gauges are applied, usually at a front door opening, to determine how quickly the house loses pressure, thereby gauging the amount of gaps where air can leak to the atmosphere. This gives an accurate idea of how much cold or heated air can get into the house, which you’re trying to avoid by insulating.

Since this is a big question, tune in to my next column for the rest of the answer. Stay warm and good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

FINDS

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Two isn’t always a winning number

There are all types of numbers associated with politicians. Pollsters are constantly bombarding us with numbers. Defeated candidates keep complaining that they won, and say they have the numbers to prove it. But the bottom line in this discussion is that the number 2 is by far the worst number to be attached to any political figure.

As living proof of the value of being second, I cite Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. There is no question that either of them would become No. 1 if anything happened to her/his boss. But looking at their scope of responsibilities shows that they have very little to do. Harris is rarely in the news, primarily because she hasn’t been given that much to do on a daily basis. She’s called upon to attend important funerals, but the press rarely says much about her.

With the 2024 presidential election coming up, there is speculation about whether President Biden will make Harris his running mate if he decides to run again. Most political observers think she would be a drag on the 2024 ticket, because she hasn’t been associated with any winning issues. Shortly after she took on her official duties, the president assigned her the responsibility of helping solve the border crisis, which is proving more difficult than curing cancer. There was an opportunity for Harris to make some serious recommendations on how to solve the crisis, but she felt the issue was too toxic and declined to actively take on the role. She has been lobbying for the passage of the George Floyd Act, which would better clarify what the role of the police should be, but she wouldn’t be able to make any waves without Biden doing the heavy lifting. There’s also a possibility that the president has chosen not to boost her credentials because of the 2020

debates, when she went out of her way to attack Biden on school segregation. No matter how you try to define the role of the vice president, it’s very hard to write out a list of specifications. The president decides what the V.P.’s job will be, and there are many examples of presidents giving their vice presidents serious duties. President George W. Bush delegated most of his high-level duties to Dick Cheney, and many claimed that Cheney became the real president. But the late Vice President James Nance Garner, who served under Franklin Roosevelt, is said to have had the best definition of the job, describing the vice president’s job as not being worth “a bucket of warm spit.”

Delgado’s situation is an interesting one. He’s a graduate of Colgate University and Harvard Law School. He was a very effective member of Congress who was willing to resign to take on the No. 2 position in Albany. Gov. Kathy Hochul spent every waking hour of her time as lieutenant governor traveling to every

corner of the state. She got to know every local chamber of commerce, and elected officials marveled at her nonstop visits. There is no doubt that her tenacity helped her get elected governor.

Currently, however, the only job Delgado has is to preside over the State Senate, which isn’t the most exciting work. No doubt after April 1, when the state budget is out of the way, Hochul will decide what role he will play. Delgado is personable and articulate, and was well received during his campaign swings. He could be a great advocate for the governor’s programs. She is badly in need of someone who can reach out to the Assembly and Senate members and make some friends. Delgado could help her a great deal in that role.

But either way, being No. 2 in government is hardly the best job in the business.

Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.

Minx or madman: the George Santos story

Don’t mess with puppies, George. From what I’ve read and what I’ve heard in statements coming out of your very own mouth, you seem estranged from most commonly held beliefs of what is true and what is false, what is a factual statement and what is a lie. What happened and what didn’t happen.

RANDI KREISS

Assiduously, I have ignored the media high jinks and political circus surrounding your behavior, but last week’s revelation of the alleged puppy caper in Pennsylvania’s Amish country in 2017 unleashes my inner Cujo.

Oh yes, the temptation to joke is overwhelming due to the ridiculousness of many of your quasi-legal escapades and the seemingly endless stream of revelations concerning your grandiose claims, self-promotion and transgressions.

Last week we read in The Washington Post that a farmer in Pennsylvania had come forward with a story about you “buying” golden retriever puppies from him with rubber checks. Other

farmers have come forward with similar claims. Related to these charges is the story about the “charity” you claim to have established, Friends of Pets United, but the Post reported that no IRS records of the group could be found. It also reported that you stole money that had been raised to help a disabled veteran care for a dying dog. A disabled veteran?? A dying dog?? What’s wrong with you, George?

I am very disappointed in you. If I were your mother — but oh, wait, your mother died tragically in the 9/11 attacks, unless she didn’t. Can’t be sure. Well, if I were your mother, I would get you some help. The impulse among us in the media is to point at you, since you have become something of a one-man sideshow. But dude, you need serious therapeutic intervention.

New York City, or worked for a bank, or owned various houses, or knew people in the Pulse nightclub shooting, or graduated from NYU or played high-stakes volleyball.

Some say your name isn’t even George Santos. Pinning down the truth as torrents of lies pour from your mouth is like pinning down Jell-O. You are inventive and indefatigable in your stream of wishful thinking out loud, Walter Mitty on a bad trip.

How long will the Republicans allow the public evisceration to continue?

What we can be sure of is that you aren’t Jewish, or Jew-ish, despite your repeated claims to the contrary. According to The Forward, even though you said that your grandparents escaped the Holocaust, they actually were safe and sound in Brazil at the time. There’s no proof you were really mugged on your way to pay a delinquent rent check in

Mostly this is terribly sad. You need help, but you won’t find it in Congress or any public office, for now. Why not step down and save yourself further humiliation?

You can’t expect assistance from your mates in Congress, George. As long as you have a pulse and can vote the party line, they will let the public evisceration continue. You won’t find solace in Congress or real collegiality or decency. You are a GOP vote. Full stop.

Readers, from my perch in the press, the buffoonery of George Santos and his enablers fits perfectly into this time and space. Congress and the Senate have always had their share of nudniks, but Santos is part of a wave of new-age

liars. The toxic lies spewing from people like Marjorie Taylor Green, Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Lauren Boebert and Ron Johnson are poisoning the processes of government. They are all using Santos in what has become a spectacle and a shame.

Last, a shout-out to our neighbors in the 3rd Congressional District, the people of Mineola, Great Neck, North Hills, Port Washington and Oyster Bay. Assuming all of you are literate and somewhat paying attention, how did George Santos sweep by you and right into office? Was holding a Republican seat really a wise trade-off for allowing a candidate with not even a passing appreciation for the truth represent your interests in the People’s House?

As we approach the birthday of another George, the George of American history, who could not tell a lie, I wonder what the people of that era would do with someone like Mr. Santos? Hopefully summon some empathy and not put him on public display. During the reign of another George, King George the First of England, someone like our George might have officially played the part of the fool.

Now we don’t quite know what to do with him.

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

Who’s got less to do, the vice president or the lieutenant governor?

JERRY KREMER

Gambling addiction is no game

the Kansas City Chiefs edged the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL’s biggest game Sunday night, watched by more than 100 million people around the world.

But more than 50 million sports fans here at home in the United States had more invested in the game than pride in their favorite team. They wagered as much as $16 billion on Super Bowl LVII, according to the American Gaming Association. And just like football, someone’s going to win, which means someone has to lose. The thing is, being on the wrong side of a good bet is more common than not.

The money bet on the Chiefs and the Eagles was said to be more than double the total spent last year, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals. And these days that betting involves more than just choosing which team will win.

Take prop bets, more formally known as proposition bets. They aren’t tied to the outcome of the game — like traditional spreads, moneylines and totals. Instead, they focus on more non-traditional occurrences like the length of the national anthem, or what color Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach.

Prop bets are currently the biggest driver of revenue for many sports gambling sites, according to news reports. That is, except in New York, where the law requires that all bets be tied to the game itself.

letters

Lafazan should rethink his GEORGE Package

To the Editor:

Nassau Legislator Josh Lafazan’s recommendations last week to prevent future egregious candidate misrepresentations a la George Santos (“A useful way to enshrine a name we’d sooner forget”) are unnecessary and provide for a cure worse that the disease. Lafazan’s recommendations are to enshrine in law at all levels the following:

1. Mandatory background checks for all candidates “just like any employee.” There are significant legal restrictions on the nature and scope of employee background checks, and this is unnecessary, as the most rudimentary opposition research would have exposed Santos.

2. Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding office. Lafazan couldn’t possibly have thought this through. So, any foreign country simply has to issue an arrest warrant to remove our public officials? Talk about foreign interference in elections.

Even with those restrictions, New York-based gamblers placed more than $472 million in legal sports bets during the Super Bowl between the Rams and Bengals — part of a larger $16 billion wagered in the first year of legalized online betting in New York. So far, based on the weekly figures from the state gaming commission, this year’s figure is predicted to be even larger. All from a practice that didn’t even exist here a couple years ago.

There are currently nine different mobile applications legally recognized by the state, with FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesar’s Sportsbook among the bigger ones. FanDuel and DraftKings began a decade or so ago, focused on fantasy sports, in which fans build their own teams and compete against each other using real-life game statistics.

But as sports gambling has gained more widespread legal acceptance, the influence of those two companies has grown, and they have shifted gears and focused most of their attention on this new, much-more-lucrative market.

There are strong opinions on both sides on whether gambling should be legal, or if it’s even moral. But something many agree on is that if you’re going to gamble, do it responsibly. Wager only what you can afford to lose. Don’t stretch — or even break — those limits.

And no different than a casino, mobile and online sports betting can also lead to problem gambling.

Like many addictions, gambling can be attributed to the release of dopamine brought on by the thrill of risk-taking and the potential rewards. Gambling, for the most part, is perfectly legal. But then again, so are cigarettes and alcohol.

But gambling is sometimes considered a “hidden addiction,” because it’s not something that might be as obvious as drugs or alcohol, manifesting physical symptoms, although some gamblers have problems with sleep, anxiety, depression and guilt.

For the working-class poor, gambling can also create a perpetual loop in which addicts throw away much-needed and typically hard-earned cash that would otherwise be spent on necessities like housing and food.

The good thing, however, is that there are services in place to help. The Long Island Problem Gambling Resource Center, for example, offers several services for individuals and families impacted by gambling.

These issues shouldn’t necessarily disqualify any talk of bringing a new casino to Uniondale, but they certainly should be part of the conversation — a big part of it. Every resource should be available to keep wagering responsible, and to avoid the destruction of families — both functionally and economically.

As always, if you or a loved one are dealing with problem gambling, you can get help by calling (516) 266-8342, or visiting NYProblemGambling.org.

How political extremism became the norm

Viewing the American political scene today, I can’t help thinking about what Yeats wrote more than a century ago: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

I’m not suggesting anarchy is imminent, or that our governmental structures are collapsing, but there are warning signs that should be heeded for our nation to cope with the enormous challenges facing America at home — and throughout the world — effectively. Not only is there bitter partisanship between the parties, there are also bitter divisions within them.

There can be honest debate as to when this severe fracturing began. Politics is always a combat sport. The days of peace, love and harmony — the “good old days” — never existed. Certainly not during the 28 years I was in Congress. But no matter how bitter the debate and severe the divisions were, certain lines weren’t crossed.

Richard Nixon had reason to contest the 1960 election results, but gracefully conceded the race to John F. Kennedy. Al

Gore challenged George W. Bush’s razorthin electoral vote margin in 2000, but conceded with class after losing a similarly razor-thin 5-4 decision in the U.S. Supreme Court.

I believe the major turning point in the rules of political combat was the 2016 TrumpClinton race and its aftermath. It wasn’t just the heated charges and countercharges of the campaign, but the refusal of some Democrats to accept Trump’s victory, and much of the mainstream media’s defense of their erroneous predictions.

Nor was it just the refusal of prominent Democrats such as Rep. John Lewis to attend President Trump’s inauguration, but the allegations made by Democratic leaders, the intelligence community and major segments of the mainstream media that Trump’s election resulted from his campaign colluding with Russia.

This led to the Mueller investigation, which went on for almost two years, tying up the Trump administration and — with media support — giving credibility to the unprecedented belief that an American president was elected by colluding with a foreign enemy.

Being on the House Intelligence Committee and sitting through endless hearings, listening to countless witnesses and

studying reports and analyses, I was convinced there was no collusion whatever. Stripped of defensive rhetoric, the Mueller report reached the same conclusion. But the damage had been done, and the political well was further poisoned.

Then there were the riots in the summer of 2020, which raged throughout the country following the police killing of George Floyd. At least six people were killed. Cities like Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, were under siege. New York streets became nightly war zones. Police stations were attacked and set on fire. Churches were vandalized. The White House itself was threatened.

Yet Democratic leaders offered only perfunctory disapproval of the violence, emphasizing that most demonstrations were “peaceful.” Following a night of violence in Brooklyn — in which bottles and other objects were thrown at cops — then Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, “I stand with the protesters.”

In Manhattan, the Democratic district attorney refused to prosecute hundreds arrested for looting and rioting, including a getaway driver aiding those caught on video vandalizing St. Patrick’s Cathedral. All further poisoning the well.

Then, beginning on election night in 2020, Trump — citing no credible evi-

dence — charged that the election was “rigged” and “stolen.” Never explaining why, in a rigged election, Republicans would pick up 12 House seats while he lost the popular vote to Joe Biden by more than 7 million, Trump continued to attack the results.

The culmination of this constant onslaught — whether intended or not — was the disgraceful and violent assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. No rational American — certainly no Republican claiming to be a patriot — can defend that outrage in any way.

Shockingly, however, too many Republicans are willing to minimize the violence as just a protest out of control, and still deny the election results.

What the nation saw last month, when it took 15 ballots over five days for Republicans to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House, was a further rejection of tradition and civility. It is an ominous sign that this was the most protracted election for speaker since the decade preceding the Civil War.

It’s time for the sane forces on both sides to step forward. The United States has come too far as a nation, and faces too many challenges, to allow the voices of anarchy to prevail over our traditions and values.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. A version of this essay originally appeared in The Hill.

Framework by Tim Baker

3. Make it a misdemeanor (i.e. a crime) for a candidate to lie about his or her background. Just what we need: candidates routinely trading criminal charges. (“You only graduated cum laude, not magna cum laude!”) Again, basic opposition research is all that’s needed, not competing police reports.

This is an example of a politician giving the appearance of “doing something” about a problem that may very well make it worse.

TeRRANCe J. NOLAN Lynbrook

Who will stand up to the extremists?

To the editor:

As a student of history, I am distressed each day as I read and listen to the news, and I wonder:

When did it become appropriate to ignore a congressional subpoena and then be rewarded with the speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives, the thirdmost important position in the nation?

Why is it OK for Supreme Court nominees to lie at their confirmation hearings and then, after being appointed, overturn decades of court precedent?

When was it determined that politicians

should be permitted to ignore experts in curriculum, history scholars, trained teachers and trained librarians to ban books, whitewash American history and ban topics that are contrary to their ideas? Isn’t the purpose of education to expose students to diverse ideas?

When did it become fashionable to elect people to Congress who lie, yell, curse and bully — people who have no ability to legislate, and no understanding of the word “compromise”?

When did we turn our backs on the hardfought-for rights of all people and return to the days when voting rights were restricted?

In the end, the real question is, when will the moderates in government, and the many moderates in the country, stand up to the extremists on both ends of the political spectrum? Left alone, they will destroy our democracy. We would be wise to remember the words of the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, about the Nazis.

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

An ’80s Glow Party and a father-daughter dance — Valley Stream

ReNA BOLOGNA Bayville

the turning point in the rules of political combat was the 2016 TrumpClinton race.

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