East Meadow Herald 02-23-2023

history on display

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Not many people would know which president served the longest or shortest term but East Meadow resident Brad Shafran would — and he might even have their signature.

Shafran, 46, owns his own autograph dealing company buying and selling historical, sports, and entertainment autographs. He specializes in presidents, so for Presidents Day, fifth-graders at Barnum Woods Elementary School got a special lesson.

He brought in some autographs and students from the five classes got to hold them while Shafran told them some presidential

Connecting trails from Manhattan to Montauk

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Stretching some 175 miles, the Long Island Greenway is intended to serve walkers and cyclists alike on a trail beginning in Manhattan and terminating on the east end of Montauk.

The brainchild of the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, the trail would connect parks, trail and other public land within communities, allowing people to bike, jog or walk for leisure. And, in many cases, could even become a green means to commute to work.

facts.

“The classes were really attentive,” Shafran said. “I think the teacher probably got them ready for it, but they asked a lot of questions, and they asked good questions, too.”

Shafran’s son, Brody, 10, was in one of the classes he visited on Feb. 16, but this wasn’t the first time that Shafran had given this presentation. His other son, Maxton, 13, got to experience the same presentation when he was in fifth grade. Shafran’s first presentation to students happened 15 years ago at a school his wife, Allison, taught at in Queens.

“I give them fun facts, and I kind of jump around the presidents,” Shafran said. “I give

Continued on page 16

Construction is set to begin next year, focusing on a 25-mile stretch between Eisenhower Park in East Meadow and Brentwood State Park.

John Cameron, Long Island Regional Planning Council chair, said in a release. “The Long Island Greenway will connect our communities and enable Long Islanders to better enjoy an active lifestyle.”

The Long Island Greenway will connect our communities and enable Long Islanders to better enjoy an active lifestyle.

JoHN CAMERoN chair, Long Island Regional Planning Council

“The abundance of beautiful parklands, trails and natural open spaces are one of the aspects that make our island such a desirable place to live,”

Carter Strickland, the Trust for Public Land state director, presented details about the project’s progress to the planning council last week. That includes a trail linking 26 parks, 46 train stations and 60 bus routes through a combination of offroad and on-road connections among more than two-dozen communities. It’s estimated to draw roughly 34 million visitors annually.

“Some of the benefits of ending in these existing parks — or beginning — is that they have bathrooms, they have parking areas, we can minimize that need to build anything new,” Strickland said.

“Along the themes of making the Continued on page 10

Tim Baker/Herald

BRAD SHAFRAN, AN autograph dealer specializing in presidential items, visited Barnum Woods Elementary School on Feb. 16 in honor of Presidents Day. He showed the fifth-grade students autographs and taught them fun presidential facts.

At Barnum Woods, presidents’ handwritten

East Meadow FD goes above and beyond

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

The members of East Meadow Fire Department are always there when people need them. But for four young firefighters, their call to service went beyond a normal, everyday emergency call.

It was just a routine Wednesday on Feb. 8 when the fire department got a signal 9 call — code for difficulty breathing. Siblings Connor and Kasey Cheswick, 18, and 21 respectively, were the first responders on the scene with the medic fly car.

They found an elderly man, in his mid-90s, struggling to breathe. The man told them that he had been trying to fix his fence and his ripped U.S. Navy and American flags after they had been ruined by a fallen tree a couple days prior.

“When we got there his front porch light was broken, the tree was in the driveway and he told us it had happen Sunday,” Connor said. “His fence had fallen over and his flags were all ripped.”

Once the man was treated and transported to the nearest hospital, their jobs were technically done. But the next day, Connor knew they had to do more. So, Connor, Kasey, and fellow fire department members Omar Benthami, 21 — who had responded to the call on the ambulance — and Aidan Finneran, 18, went back to the man’s house to fix his fence and replace his flags.

“I took a ride after class that morning to the house and the tree was down pretty bad,” Connor said. “So I asked the people in the class with me if they wanted to come help me. It wasn’t easy, the fence was pretty heavy, so they

offered to help.”

The four of them hit the stores and bought the man two new flags to fly in his yard. They bought nails and glue and went to work to mend his fence.

“We just decided that it was probably a good thing to go and help because we didn’t know how long he would be in the hospital for,” Kasey said. “He did so much for our country, so that was the least we could do to help him.”

It only took them about three hours and they later went to visit the man in the hospital to see how he was doing. They let him know that he didn’t have to worry about his fence and flags.

“He was so happy, it brought tears to his face,” Connor said. “He said that he couldn’t believe that there were still people out there like us, and then he asked what he could do for us, but we were like we don’t want anything.”

Helping out a veteran hit close to home for Connor and Kasey, whose grandfather served in the military. Finneran had two grandfathers serve during Vietnam, and other family members in the service.

“I would do anything to help veterans out,” said Finneran, who is considering joining the military. “When you swear in, you take the oath that says I’ll do my best to do my duty to God and my country and no matter the time or anything, and you have to be a special group and you have to go by that oath.”

The four volunteers also went back to the house one more time just to sweep the driveway and get rid of all the tree branches.

“I felt very rewarded,” Benthami said. “This is exactly why I signed up to do stuff like this, to help people. We are the future of the community and we need to make our presence known that we’re here for everybody.”

Courtesy Connor Cheswick ON FeB. 9, EMFD volunteers from left, Aidan Finneran, Omar Benthami, and Connor and Kasey Cheswick went to a vets house to fix his fence and flags.

Speedcubers show their skills at the library

By MALLOrY WiLsON mwilson@liherald.com

Over 20 kids — cubes in hand — showed up to the East Meadow Public Library on Feb. 18 for a mini speedcubing competition. Set in the library’s auditorium, these kids came to win.

Speedcubing is a competitive sport that involves solving different combination puzzles, like a Rubik’s Cube, as quickly as you can. The World Cube Association, a group run entirely by volunteers, has governed competitions with over 100,000 people over the past decade.

What started out as a pandemic activity for Woodland sixth-grader Angelo Dungca after his parents learned about the sport from a Netflix documentary, soon became a hobby that he started to share with other kids. At first he just showed kids at school how to do it, but then it evolved into a club that his mother, Faye, started.

“I said why don’t we see within the community, there might be other speedcubers here, other like-minded individuals,” Faye previously told the Herald. “We started opening it up more, and now we have people from Queens, Levittown, Suffolk, and people from the East Meadow area.”

They decided to name the club GANg, after one of the most popular cube-making companies — GAN. Meetings started twice a month but slowed down due to lives getting busy again. They even got a well-known speedcuber, Alex Maass, to come help out.

After that, they wanted to test their skills so they planned out a mini-competition. This one isn’t a WCA run competition, but an official delegate was there to see how the competition went. The cubing events included the three-by-three, two-bytwo, and Pyraminx. Prizes were given out. Maass even paid a visit again.

At the end of the day Jay Pharma, an

11-year-old from Hicksville, came out victorious in all categories. Jay, similar to Angelo, started cubing during the pandemic. He’s been to different competitions in multiple states, and has his own strategies.

“So when I’m inspecting (the cube) I see which color is best for the first step and when I put my hands on to start it I already know the first step,” Jay said.

“After that I look for patterns and colors to do the second step, and after that I learn a lot of cases and it’s just about recognizing the colors. When I recognize the colors for a specific case, I do that case for the last two steps and then it’s solved.”

Jay said he learned a lot of his skills from his brother, and from watching YouTube. He had first met some of his fellow speedcubers at the library when Angelo and Faye started the club.

“If you want to become good then you have to really practice and learn.”

Additional reporting by Tim Baker.

tHere

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Over 20 kids showed up to the East Meadow Library to compete in a mini speedcubing competition on Feb. 18.

eLLiOtt HirscH, 9, had his game face off as he competed in speedcubing.

JAY PHArMA, AN 11-year-old from Hicksville was victorious during the minicompetition.

Were tHree events including the three-by-three, two-by-two, and Pyraminx.

KOOL KIDS

District

On Feb. 15, students in East Meadow High School’s Athletes Helping Athletes program donated $500 to American Legion Post 1082.

Students present donation to American Legion

On Feb. 15, students in East Meadow High School’s Athletes Helping Athletes program recognized the American Legion Post 1082 with a special presentation.

The group presented Immediate Past Commander Pete Wenninger and First Vice Commander Leonard Volpe with a $500 check, which are proceeds from the school’s annual Field of Honor program.

“Thanks to people like yourself, we’re able to congregate, relax, have meetings and talk about what we’ve been through,” Wenninger said. “Your support is greatly appreciated and it means a lot to us.”

Every year, members of the East Meadow Kiwanis, Athletes Helping Athletes and other volunteers plant more than 200 flags at both East Meadow High

When Does a Trust Make Sense

By now most people know that trusts avoid probate which is required with a will -if there are “probatable” assets, in other words those in your name alone. While many assets can be set up to avoid probate by putting joint owners on or by naming beneficiaries, titles to real estate in New York may not have beneficiaries and there are tax and liability reasons for not naming joint owners on real estate. As a result, real property generally goes through probate.

Other reasons to use trusts, besides avoiding probate for the home, are as follows:

1. Out-of-State Property. New York residents who own property in another state face two probates, one in New York and another in the other state. However, you may transfer both properties into your New York trust and avoid the “multiple probate problem”.

2. Trusts Are Private. Unlike wills, trusts are not filed in court, so there is no public record of how much you had, who you left

it to, where they live, and who you left out.

3. Special Needs Children. If you leave assets to a special needs child in a will, the court will appoint a lawyer to represent the special needs child which will require your estate to pay two lawyers and significantly delay the proceedings.

4. Keeping Your Assets in the Bloodline. Wills generally leave assets to your children and have no provisions for what happens after they get the inheritance. As a result, when your child dies, assets often go to inlaws and their families. Trusts can provide that your assets will stay in your bloodline for generations to come.

5. Protecting Assets from Long-Term Care Costs. Wills take effect on death and offer no long-term care asset protection. Often, the cost of care ends up leaving nothing for the heirs at death. Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts not only avoid probate, but also protect assets from being lost to longterm care costs.

School and W.T. Clarke High School in honor of Veterans Day.

“The tribute that you guys do for veterans every year is very humbling,” Volpe said. “We want to give everyone who helped to put that together a heartfelt thank you.”

Wenninger wrote to the Herald that the post is looking to use the money to start up a new color guard, which he hopes would be used for local school sports and community events.

“With their donation we can keep on giving back to one another,” Wenninger wrote to the Herald. “Our flag, Pledge of Allegiance, and national anthem should be at all community events especially sporting at schools, and who better than the American Legion post to lead that.”

News brief

‘Keep our kids drug free’ CEMCO meeting

The Council of East Meadow Community Organizations will be hosting a special meeting on March 15 at 7 p.m. at the East Meadow High School little theater located at 101 Carman Ave., East Meadow.

“Keep our kids drug free” will feature Nassau County Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert John Obert-Thorn

talking to attendees about current drug trends, drug use and the developing brain, and warning signs of drug use and strategies to help prevent drug abuse and addiction.

This is the second time Obert-Thorn will be giving his informative presentation. Any questions contact President Joe

Courtesy East Meadow School

Mixing it up and making new connections at Woodland

At Woodland Middle School in East Meadow, the Social Emotional Learning Committee held a program to “mix it up” and, for one day, encourage students to meet new people, develop their social skills and work in teams.

On “Mix It Up Day,” sixth and seventh grade students received different colored bracelets during their homeroom period, each corresponding to a different team. The theme of the day was different decades and students participated in activities incorporating toys, characters and songs from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Additionally, throughout the day, eighth grade students practiced their team-building skills with exercises and gaming applications. Working collaboratively to accomplish a common goal, they participated in activities such as grand scale “Rock, Paper, Scissors” and “Land Mine Travel,” where teams had to direct their classmates across a field of “land mines” without stepping on a mine or bumping into another competitor.

Lastly, the students participated in an icebreaker, speed-chatting, and activities related to science, technology, engineering, the arts and math.

Courtesy East Meadow School District

Eighth-gradErs at Woodland Middle School in East Meadow played grand scale “Rock, Paper, Scissors” as part of their teambuilding activities.

Clarke’s Justin Soriano a county champion

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

For the second time in as many years, a member of the Soriano family is a Nassau County wrestling champion.

Clarke High School senior Justin Soriano earned the Nassau Division 1 title at 172 pounds on Feb. 12 when he defeated Wantagh’s Noah Corwin, a defending county champion, 4-2, in the final at Hofstra University. Soriano won five matches over the two-day tournament and while he didn’t record a pin, outscored opponents by a combined 37-3 in a dominant display.

It was just last winter when Justin’s older brother, Jordan, captured Nassau and state Division 2 championships in the 138pound weight class.

“It feels great,” Justin said. “I took a few deep breaths right before the match started and slowed my mind down mentally. I moved well and I’m just happy I

won

Soriano lost to Corwin at the prestigious Eastern States Tournament in January, and Clarke coach Mike Leonard said the strategy this time was for Justin to trust himself. “We just worried about us,” Leonard said. “Justin’s technique is almost flawless and he kept getting stronger and stronger during the season.”

Leonard said it’s impossible to outwork a Soriano. “Between Justin and his brother, nobody worked as hard as those two kids,” the coach said.

Justin’s road to the finals was void of drama. Seeded third, he had a first-round bye before winning 9-0 in the second round, 7-0 in the third round, and 11-0 in the quarterfinals on the opening day

of the tournament Feb. 11. He came back the next morning and defeated Syosset’s John Munoz, the No. 2 seed, 6-1. Munoz defeated Soriano eight days earlier in the semifinals of the qualifier at Long Beach.

“It’s impressive but not surprising he beat two kids he lost to,” Leonard said.

The state tournament takes place this Friday and Saturday at Albany’s MVP Arena. “The goal is to make sure I’m 100 percent healthy and doing all the little things that will help me go as far as I can,” Soriano said.

The Rams had one other AllCounty finisher as sophomore Justin Gonzalez took fifth at 152.

Three finalists for East Meadow

East Meadow had a strong showing in the county tournament and is sending a trio of Nassau runners-up to Albany.

The Jets finished sixth in the team standings, racking up 199 points thanks in large part to

finalists Matthew Rodriguez (152), Matthew Coffey (160) and Joseph Arbitello (285.) All three are headed to the state tournament.

Rodriguez, a junior, recorded three pins on the first day of the county event and then defeated Devin Downes of Plainedge, 10-6, in the semifinals. Rodriguez fell to MacArthur standout Paul Lichter, the top seed, in the final.

Coffey, a senior, dominated his first two opponents to reach the semis where he held off Hewlett’s Oleg Daniloff, 2-1, to reach the title bout. Herricks’ Joseph Mattei defeated Coffey in the final.

Arbitello, also a senior, had a pin and major decision win out of the gate and then emerged a hard-fought 6-5 winner over Farmingdale’s Richard Fera in the quarterfinals. Arbitello beat Manhasset’s Nacer Villalobos in the semis, 5-2, before running into Plainedge’s Vincent Petzold in the finale.

Lucky 13 and playoff berth for East Meadow

By BrIaN kaCHaraBa sports@liherald.com

Before the season, East Meadow boys’ basketball coach Tom Rottkamp predicted his team would be one of the most improved in Nassau County and welcomed the “challenge” to flip last season’s 9-13 record to 13-9 this year.

The boys answered that challenge and put a huge exclamation point on win No. 13.

The Jets soared down the stretch with five wins in their last six games, culminating with a 53-48 win over then-18-1 Baldwin on Feb. 11. The win pushed East Meadow’s final regular season record to 13-7, including an 8-4 mark in Conference AA-2 play.

“At this point, I wish it was 17-3,” Jets head coach Tom Rottkamp said jokingly.

Only one of the seven losses was by more than eight points. Two of them were by two against a pair of 15-5 teams in Great Neck South and Clarke and another was by five at 15-win Port Washington.

“They discovered how to play hard consistently for the whole 32 minutes,” Rottkamp said. “I think it’s been an issue for a lot of teams. They’re teenagers so you try to get them to focus for 32 minutes. That’s consistency [and] that’s discipline. Over the course of the season, we finally got there.”

Against Baldwin, East Meadow scored the first six points of the game and eight of the first 10 to start the second quarter, but the Bruins battled back each time and the game was tied at 22 at halftime.

After Baldwin took a 30-28 with just over four

minutes left in the third quarter, the Jets went on a 10-2 run that essentially decided the game. Josh Camacho’s put-back tied the game and Manjot Singh hit one of two free throws to put East Meadow ahead, but the Jets maintained possession after his second shot missed, which led to Frankie DeStefano’s baseline drive that pushed the lead to three.

Each team hit two free throws before Muneer Ibrahem’s 3-pointer from the left arc with about 20 seconds left gave the Jets a 38-32 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“The confidence never wavered and [that was] the key for us because Frankie didn’t hit any threes, so he scored 18 just getting to the rim,” Rottkamp said.

Camacho blocked two shots in the fourth and had a steal that resulted in Ibrahem’s turnaround jumper that increased East Meadow’s lead to 45-39 with two minutes remaining. Mazin Ibrahem’s 3-point play with 45.7 seconds left and five Jet free throws sealed the win.

“Josh was outstanding, and we told him that in the post-game locker room,” Rottkamp said. “He didn’t have a lot of minutes throughout the season, but when Isaiah Richards sprained his ankle at Port Washington, Josh knew he had to play a lot of minutes and he played so well [and] so tough.”

Unfortunately, the Jets couldn’t carry that momentum into the playoffs as they fell 73-51 to Hempstead in last Saturday’s quarterfinals.

DeStefano had a team-best 15.7 scoring average and earned All-County honors. Singh (12.4) and Muneer Ibrahem (9.7) were All-Conference selections.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald CLarkE SENIOr JuSTIN Soriano, top, captured the Nassau wrestling Division 1 title at 172 pounds.

Eric Dunetz/Herald

SENIOr FraNkIE DESTEFaNO, right, led the Jets in scoring (15.7 points per game) and earned All-County honors.

Rhoads expresses issues with budget proposals

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Sen. Steve Rhoads has gotten to work aiming to fulfill his campaign promise for a more affordable New York, with an initative named just that. “A More Affordable New York” is part of the Senate Republican Conference’s “Rescue New York” agenda. In a news release on Feb. 13, the conference claimed that Gov. Hochul and the Democrats are continuing their “same old tax and spend routine,” whilst the Republicans are aiming to deliver real solutions.

The release called out specific executive budget proposals the Republicans claim would exacerbate New York state’s low affordability. Some of these proposals include eliminating enhanced Medicaid payments to local governments, increasing unemployment taxes on small businesses, increasing payroll taxes in the MTA region, and giving state money to New York City to pay for the migrant crisis.

Gov. Hochul has claimed that this state money is aimed at mitigating those crises, including resettlement of migrants and proper funding of the MTA.

“The New York City economy drives the state of New York, MTA helps drive the New York City economy,” Hochul said during her budget presentation. “So it’s critically important to all of us.”

According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, this money is crucial to fixing the migrant issue — and simply letting up is not going to help anything.

“We will continue to need our federal and state partners to do their part, and we look forward to working in partnership with them,” Adams said.

But Rhoads is not buying any of it, and is looking to give financial relief to New Yorkers immediately.

“With inflation raging, Governor Hochul continues to push radical policies that make New York less affordable to live, work, grow a business, and raise a family,”

A more affordable n ew York

■ Eliminating costly unfunded mandates that drive up local property taxes

■ Protecting businesses from unemployment insurance tax hikes by creating an Unemployment Insurance Solvency Reserve Fund and repealing the interest assessment surcharge, which is the assessment on businesses to pay back the UI Trust Fund’s deficit

■ Repealing Congestion Pricing

■ Providing relief from heating costs geared toward the middle class

Rhoads said in the news release. “It’s no mystery why New Yorkers are fleeing. Democrats are poised to continue the familiar pattern of reckless spending and high taxes designed to punish Long Islanders and suburban residents and businesses across this state. That’s why I was happy to work with my Senate Republican colleagues to come up with an actionable plan that makes New York more affordable for middle-class families. Our plan

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES WITH CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS

includes eliminating costly unfunded mandates that drive up local property taxes, protecting small businesses and promoting organic business growth, repealing congestion pricing, and providing relief from heating cost during these upcoming cold winter months. Taxpayers deserve to have their voices heard and the Senate Republican ‘More Affordable New York’ initiative will put money back into their pockets and help make our state affordable once again.”

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Michael Malaszczyk/Herald file

StAtE SEn. StEvE Rhoads campaigned on delivering a more affordable New York, and restoring Long Island to its former glory. He has begun to work on delivering on that promise, starting with an initiative called “A More Affordable New York.”

Hempstead approves ‘discriminatory’ maps

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

They were angry, expressing those feelings as shame on the Hempstead Town Board. They are the group that has attended meeting after meeting, hoping to get some voice into how town board district lines would be redrawn, only to end up disappointed.

It was an unsurprising end, but one that resulted in boos.

“That’s nice, ladies and gentlemen,” Town Supervisor Don Clavin said, with unmistakable sarcasm. “That’s very polite of you.”

They had pushed for what they considered to be better representation on the town board — providing more opportunities for Hempstead’s growing minority populations to serve in elected positions through the creation of “minority-majority” districts. If they had passed, districts would be created where ethnic minorities were, in fact, the voting majority.

But none of them came to pass. Most surprisingly, with the help of Deputy Town Supervisor Dorothy Goosby — who notably challenged what she called Hempstead’s discriminatory at-large voting system in 1988 — who remained silent throughout the redistricting process, only to finally vote yes to the new map.

“In this moment in time, we are reinventing the same revisionist, segregationist history that has kept so many people behind,” said Mida Mereday of Baldwin. “Our voices have not been heard all this time — it’s not going to be anything different.”

Since the beginning of the Hempstead redistricting discussions, the concerns raised by opponents to the initial town-drawn maps has not changed: District lines should be redrawn to have a more balanced demographic representation.

some heat from the crowd gathered to discuss redistricting with claims he failed to listen to their concerns. Many of them had pushed for at least three ‘minority-majority’ districts, with the hopes of creating a town board that reflects the people living there.

But under the guidance of the Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders law firm as well as redistricting expert Sean Trende, the Town Board released a redistricting map proposal last month they said took into account public comments as well as the views of the redistricting commission — who recommended the board keep communities intact.

However, some doubted these intentions. When looking at the final map, attendees said there are communities still in danger of “packing” and “cracking,” such as Elmont, Uniondale, North Bellmore and Baldwin.

These methods fall under partisan gerrymandering — giving one side an advantage in a single district but no others, or simply breaking up voter blocs so a particular type of candidate can’t get enough support to win.

“The New York state constitution (says) the district shall not be drawn to discourage competition, or for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or any other particular candidates or parties,” said Terry Bain, a former immigration judge from Rockville Centre. “It looks to me like this proposal may violate this spirit, as well as the letter of our state constitution.”

If Hempstead finalizes this current map, it could expose the town to costly litigation — all at taxpayer expense. Especially since a number of people in the audience who oppose the new map say they are willing to take the matter to court.

Dan Oppenheimer, a Hempstead village resident, says it’s interesting the final redistricting map was adopted while one of the six council district seats — formerly occupied by now U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito — remains vacant.

As the vacancy approaches two months, some are anticipating the Hempstead town board will continue its ages-old tradition of appointing someone to fill the seat. These vacancies are often created when a council member runs successfully for another position. Recent appointments by the board to the town council include Thomas Muscarella, Melissa Miller and Dennis Dunne.

Clavin’s response to this practice when questioned about it was only that the board plans to “comply with Town of Hempstead law.”

“This is not something to do with voting representation when you have a history, year in and year out, of appointing rather than allowing for votes,” Oppenheimer told Clavin. “You are bypassing the electoral system that the districts are supposed to address.”

Ana Borruto/Herald HEMPSTEAD TOWN SUPERVISOR Donald Clavin faced

This week I feared that after 26 years of writing this column, perhaps I had nothing left to say, nothing left to write and nothing left to share.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Gurnichts. Zip. Zippo.

But it was then when I realized something: that I’ve got plenty of nothing and nothing’s plenty for me (also a pretty good song lyric).

With closets of clothes, I’ve nothing to wear; with cupboard of food, I’ve got nothing to eat, with 500 cable stations, there’s nothing to watch; and between rap and MTV re-runs and “modern” music, nothing’s worth listening to.

I perform a task and there’s nothing to it; asked “what’s up,” I admit “nothing’s doing.” I try to be moral, but as my Aunt Zooey constantly reminds me, I’m good for nothing, and though I’m filled with anxiety, I’m told there’s nothing to worry about.

I must see the doctor though nothing hurts, and check the news though nothing has happened. I’m actually exhausted from doing nothing, and confident that with every project, since nothing matters, nothing will come of it.

Indeed, I do have plenty of nothing because nothing ventured means nothing gained, and thus I forever experience much ado about nothing.

Still unclear whether nothing is sacred, I’m certain it’s enduring because everyone agrees that nothing lasts forever,

and eventually we all end up with nothing, with nothing to show for it.

Nothing is also independent because nothing is free, or as Persius put it, “out of nothing, no nothing can come, and nothing can become nothing.

Unreserved Judgment

An obvious commodity of quality since the rich want for nothing; nothing is special; nothing is new under the sun, nothing has meaning and nothing has lasting value.

Not for nothing, nothing is good enough for some, and nothing is too good for others.

For me, nothing says it like flowers, except sweet nothings whispered in your ear of possibly a hot dog with nothing on it.

For pure sarcasm, nothing comes close to my Aunt Zooey who, upon seeing me and my Cousin Mo approach, loves to comment, “here comes nothing with nothing.” Still, once I get past Zooey, nothing fazes me and nothing stands in my way.

In response to everything, however, I choose to quote Sgt. Shultz of “Hogan’s Heroes” and answer “I know nothing, confident that, as per my son Hillel who is so full of so much that nothing is too difficult for him to bear, “the person who knows nothing, knows something.”

I can only hope that the same can be said for those who write nothing and those who read it.

©2023 Ron Goldman

Two men arrested for alleged sale, possession of drugs

An East Meadow was arrested last week for operating a West Hempstead store that was allegedly selling drugs.

According to narcotics detectives in the Nassau County Police Department, an investigation was conducted on Feb. 14, around 3:30 p.m., at the Smoke Depot at 177 Hempstead Avenue. It was determined psilocybin chocolate bars, cannabis, gummies and vape cartridges containing THC were being sold.

The store clerk, Syed Haider, 33, of North Bellmore and store owner, Syed

‘Nothing for, thank you’ Let us Know

Hassan, 53, of East Meadow were arrested without incident. A large quantity of products containing THC, psilocybin, cannabis and U.S. currency were recovered and promptly removed from the store. Haider was charged with the criminal sale of a controlled substance. Haider and Hassan were also both charged with the criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Both defendants were arraigned on Feb. 15, at the First District Court in Hempstead.

News Brief items including awards, honors, promotions and other tidbits about local residents are welcome. Photographs may be emailed as well. Deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, week prior to publication. Send to mwilson@liherald.com

Syed Haider Syed Hassan

R on G oldman

Bike, jog, walk or run — 175 miles of new trails

continued from front page

most of our existing assets, that’s the whole vision.”

Throughout this 25-mile stretch, there are more than 130,000 residents who would find access. More than a dozen parks can be accessed by the trail, and another 36 schools and universities are within a mile.

One of the benefits of the trail overall, Strickland says, include a safer area for pedestrians and bikers to traverse.

“Long Island, unfortunately, kind of leads the state in terms of pedestrians killed or injured,” he said. “The statewide average is a third or a quarter of the amounts in Nassau and Suffolk, and it’s a public health crisis, and we’ve got to address it.”

Increased physical activity is another reason to support this trail.

“We know that in our day and age, obesity, chronic diseases are problematic,” Strickland said. “It’s what kind of plagues us. To prevent that, one of the best ways is to create recreational infrastructure, increase walking, or biking physical activities. It doesn’t always have to be super-rigorous.

“If we weave it into our lives, it’ll make us healthier, and overall reduce health care costs.”

The route aims to include the Nassau Hub, Belmont Park, and others throughout the island. The greenway would be the Long Island leg of New York state’s 750-mile Empire Trail that connects New York City to areas like Buffalo, Albany and Plattsburgh.

The plan is funded through a combination of private and taxpayer support. Now, the trust is applying for a federal grant to pay for the second phase of the trail between Riverhead and Montauk — approximately 50 miles.

They hope to get a grant under President Biden’s infrastructure law and its Rebuilding American Infra-

structure with Sustainability and Equity program. With the support of the planning council, Strickland sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation showing its support for grant money to help with the design stage of the next leg.

“The benefits of hike and bike trail networks are welldocumented,” the letter, signed by Cameron, stated. “Trails create more livable communities through the

revitalization of downtown areas and creation of transportation alternatives, improve public health by increasing access to recreational opportunities, and represent a meaningful equity investment in providing safe infrastructure to diminish reliance on private vehicle ownership.”

The trust hopes to be construction-ready for the second phase by 2025.

Courtesy Metro Commons

The Long IsLand Greenway, a 175-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail, is intended to encourage more Long Islanders to spend time in the natural world, on foot or by pedal power. The first phase of construction — connecting Eisenhower Park to Brentwood State Park — is set to start next year.

STEPPING OUT

By Karen Bloom

Pigeon is here. Elephant and Piggie, Knuffle Bunny, too. Families will have “Mo” fun at Long Children’s Museum, with “The Pigeon Comes to Long Island! A Mo Willems Exhibit,” which encourages all to step inside Willems’ imagination.

This being the children’s museum, of course, the traveling exhibit — co-organized by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art — is fully hands-on — inspired by the art and characters of the beloved children’s author.

“We know our audience, families, finds these books really appealing,” says Ashley Niver, the museum’s director of education. “Kids really relate to these characters, their feelings and how they work through their conflicts. The characters are playful and curious and the kids identify and respond to them.”

• Now through May 14, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older; additional fees for theater programming

• View the LICM events calendar at LICM.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800

The Hot Sardines

The band brings their distinctive sound to the Landmark stage. Emerging a decade ago from the underground parties of Brooklyn to touring worldwide and recording a string of albums that’s racked up more than 60 million streams across digital platforms, the Hot Sardines’ own “potent and assured” (The New York Times), “simply phenomenal” (The Times of London) brand of reinvigorated classic jazz landed them at the center of a whirlwind. 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 footstomping 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.

Saturday, March 6, 8 p.m. $60, $50, $46. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.

The familiar characters immediately get an enthusiastic response — including best friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny, and The Pigeon, that wily city bird best known for his antics in “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” Activities showcase Willems’ whimsy and humor, giving families opportunities to make art-inspired by Willems and learn about the rich social and emotional lives of the author’s characters. Illustrations, including sketches and other preliminary materials, are also on display.

At the heart of it all, the exhibit is designed to instill a love of reading.

“Mo Willems’ books are frequently the starting point for a child to understand the power of choice they hold in what to read and reread,” vice president for program and visitor experience Aimee Terzulli explains. “Willems creates characters that get children invested in wanting to spend more time with them as they choose to read more of his popular stories.”

The many components are approachable, even for the youngest kids. Highlights include:

• A bus station where kids can put on a bus driver costume and “drive around” the exhibit space.

• Kids can have hilarious conversations in the voices of Elephant, Gerald and Piggie at the “Elephone” double-sided phone booth.

• Use the hot dog launcher to launch foam hot dogs at The Pigeon and play the plinko game to give Duckling a cookie. “So silly and fun,” Niver adds. “Kids get a kick out of the hot dogs flying through the air.”

• Explore the laundromat and uncover Knuffle Bunny and other surprises among the clothes.

• Dress up Naked Mole Rat and send him down the runway for a one-of-a-kind fashion show.

• Work with the “lightbox” to try out illustration techniques that Willems uses for his books.

As always, related programming enhances the exhibit experience. The museum theater is especially active at the moment, with performances of Willem’s newest show “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!” (through March 25), followed by the return of the always-popular “Elephant & Piggie’s “We are in a Play!” (April 23 to June 3).

‘The Rocketman Show’

Remember when rock was young? You sure will at this tribute show. Rus Anderson, Elton John’s official body double for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour launch, recreates an early Elton concert complete with colorful and flamboyant costumes actually worn by Elton himself. Enjoy a nostalgic night of Elton’s greatest hits, wildest outfits and outrageous stage antics. Anderson recreates the magic and live persona of a young Elton like no other. Storming around the stage with a fun-loving sense of flamboyance; part diva, part soccer player, killer vocalist, fierce piano player, all rock ‘n roller. His painstaking attention to detail includes wearing outlandish and spectacular costumes, including Elton’s iconic boots, glasses and jumpsuits from 1973, as well as a sparkly Swarovski tuxedo from 1984.

Friday, March 17, 8 p.m. $60, $45, Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m. $65, $45, $35, $30. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

WHeRe WHen

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum Everyone enjoys Mo fun Each element in the gallery relates to specific books in the Mo Willems collection.

THE SCENE

March 18

Hands-on garden activity

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau offers a hands-on pruning workshop, Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m. to noon, at East Meadow Farm, at 832 Merrick Ave., in East Meadow. The workshop will include a talk on basic pruning techniques, what to look for while pruning, and more. To register, or for more information visit reg.cce.cornell.edu/ pruningworkshop-2023_228.

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

March 6

Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer

The young guitar sensation visits the Landmark stage, Saturday, March 6, 8 p.m. Nineteenyear-old Brandon Niederauer, nicknamed “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing, is living proof that dreams really do come true. Having performed in some of the most legendary venues with many of the most prominent musicians ofof our time, he has already earned himself quite the reputation. It all started at eight years old, when he watched the movie “School of Rock.”

From then on, his guitar rarely left his hands. Just four years later, Brandon was cast in the principal role of guitarist “Zack Mooneyham” in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production of “School of Rock the Musical.” And he never looked back. $30, $25. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

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, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, 2 p.m.; Thursday, March 2, 10:15 a.m. and 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

Family theater

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.

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.

Having an event?

The beloved fairy tale springs to life in a delightful musical romp, presented Plaza Theatrical Productions, 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.

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

Musical revue

Plaza Theatrical continues its season with “Bette, Babs & Beyond!,” a showstopping tribute to the legendary ladies of music, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. Celebrate the stories and songs of pop music’s most iconic women including Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Janis Joplin, and more. It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $40, $35 seniors. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

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.

Art talk

Meet Yong Yangliang when he visits Nassau County Museum of Art, Sunday, Feb. 26, 3 p.m. What a journey it has been for this famous artist, from Shanghai to the Metropolitan Museum to his new studio in Roslyn. His lyrical, dreamy work goes back to the fabled era of Tang dynasty literature and ink painting, the inspiration for the masterwork on view. Join him for a conversation on art, poetry and Asian aesthetics. Registration required. $20 non-members. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

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DEIRDRE O’CONNELL CEO

DANIEL GALE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

MEET THE 2023 HONOREES*

RichnerLIVE’s second annual R.E.A.L. Awards will spotlight entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries in Long Island’s real estate industry who have achieved success in their respective roles while also involved in community contributions and advocacy.

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President, Long Island Board of REALTORS®

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Becker Realty Services, Inc.

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Public Notices

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

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY 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

NOTICE OF SALE

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

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.,

District 3, Section 50, Block 410, Lot 55. 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

RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons:

EAST MEADOW WILSON LANE - west side, starting at a point 60 feet south of the south curbline of 5th Street, south for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-559/22)

FRANKLIN SQUARE HOFFMAN STREET - west side, starting at a point 29 feet south of the south curbline of Gabriel Avenue, south for a distance of 17 feet.

(TH-545/22)

MERRICK LITTLE WHALENECK ROAD - east side, starting at a point 173 feet north the north curbline of Linden Place, north for a distance of 20 feet.

compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act) with respect to employment opportunities.

137438

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

LONS MORTGAGE SERVICES, INC., Plaintiff, Against GEORGE C. BERGLEITNER III, MARIANNE BERGLEITNER, et al., Defendant(s)

Mineola, N.Y. 11501. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 3/27/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 344 Nursery Lane, Westbury, NY 11590, and described as follows:

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 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

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO.21527

RESOLUTION NO.5-2023

Adopted: January 10, 2023

Councilmember Muscarella offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS AND THE REPEAL OF CERTAIN OTHER LOCATIONS, WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY, SET ASIDE AS PARKING SPACES FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS. WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 1493-2022, adopted December 6th, 2022, a public hearing was duly held on the 10th day of January, 2023, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of certain parking spaces for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside certain parking spaces for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

(TH-547/22) BENSON LANE - south side, starting at a point 258 feet west of the west curbline of Kees Place, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-199(C)/22) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside a parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: GARDEN CITY SOUTH WELLINGTON ROAD SOUTH - east side, starting at a point 25 feet south of the south curbline of Terrace Avenue, south for a distance of 22 feet.

(TH-111/95 - 6/06/95)

(TH-552/22) ; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once in a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Goosby and adopted upon roll call as follows:

AYES: FIVE (5)

NOES: NONE (0) 137509

LEGAL NOTICE

The Fulton Commons Care Center is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, veteran status, political affiliation, disability or genetic information ( in

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 05/30/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 3/29/2023 at 2:30 PM, premises known as 1486 Cleveland Avenue, 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, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York Section 50 Block 522 Lot 28

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $463,351.48 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 608897/2017

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. George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 2/6/2023 File Number: 17-302739 LD 137490

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE UNDER THE INDENTURE RELATING TO IMH ASSETS CORP., COLLATERALIZED ASSETBACKED BONDS, SERIES 2005-4, Plaintiff, Against RAMIRO PAREDES GONZALEZ, JOSE A PAREDES, ET AL.

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered on or about 12/8/2022, 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,

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in thein the Incorporated Village of Westbury, Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York Section 10 Block 308 Lot 8 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $587,352.04 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 010406/15 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. Melvyn Roth, Esq., Referee.

McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 2/6/2023 File Number: 560-3331 LD 137488

Search

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET-TRUST 2017-RPL2

Plaintiff, Against FRANCISCO MOLINA A/K/A FRANCISCO S. MOLINA, MARIA MOLINA A/K/A MARIA H. MOLINA, ET AL.

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/16/2022, 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 3/30/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 786 Davis Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553 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 Hempstead Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York Section 36 Block 138 Lot 15

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $392,575.61 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 614717/2019

Showcasing some high-profile autographs

them little tidbits, and I try to gear a lot towards New York, talking about the presidents from New York and showing them specific examples of New York.”

There’s no PowerPoint presentation. Everything Shafran shares he remembers by heart. He brings autographs of various presidents and allows the students to touch and hold them.

“At some point maybe I’ll put together a PowerPoint,” he said. “But I think it’s more important to have the actual physical documents that the kids can see, touch, and feel.”

Shafran first got into presidents and signatures when he majored in journalism at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In one of his classes, he read a book about Mount Everest, and started getting really fascinated by it.

“I found out about Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to climb Mount Everest,” he said. “And I said, ‘wow, wouldn’t it be cool to own something signed by Edmund Hillary.’”

He explained to the students that autographs for him are like selfies for this generation. Before phones, everyone wanted an autograph.

“I said, well, back when I was a kid your age, we didn’t have cell phones, we didn’t have that access to taking a picture in the moment,” he said. “So the way that you connect to somebody would be to ask for an autograph, you have to write their name on a piece of paper, and that commemorates that moment that you had with them.”

Shafran started his own company, Shafran Collectibles in 2006, after working for an auction house. “I think the time had run its course the auction house,” he said. “I learned a lot and I learned enough that I knew what I was doing and wanted to try it on my own. And there’s a thrill of actually owning

the item.”

The first autograph that he ever bought was a William Taft piece, which he later sold to purchase a William

Public Notices

McKinley signature, and then a Franklin D. Roosevelt autograph.

“It was in a nice little frame, and my grandmother at the time, she was a little bit older, she was in an assisted living place, and I drove it over to her, and I showed it to her, and her eyes lit up,” he said. “She said, FDR oh my goodness, and I felt the connection that she had to something and that then made it feel special to me.”

All of the pieces he finds are from auctions, other dealers in the industry or other collectors. The most valuable items he’s sold are letters from George Washington, but the most special piece that he’s ever found is a letter signed by president Gerry Ford on the day that Shafran was born.

“I actually found it on eBay,” he said. “It was couple years ago, I was just fooling around on eBay looking at some stuff, and I clicked on it and said, ‘oh my goodness, oh my goodness,’ so I bought it.”

Every piece Shafran purchases needs to be verified, and after much training he’s gotten pretty good at recognizing fakes.

“I had to learn the difference between

FiFth-graders

and Jeffrey Liu listened as Shafran shared fun presidential facts.

shaFran, aBove leFt, has owned his own autograph dealing company, Shafran Collectibles, since 2006. He buys and sells a wide variety of historical signatures.

what’s printed and what’s authentically signed in ink, and you have to learn patterns of how presidents sign their names because obviously their secretaries can sign their name, or with the more modern presidents they have machines and computers,” he said. “So there’s really an art to it and it evolves.”

Shafran admitted that he enjoys sharing his craft with the students more than he thought he would, and he would like to do it again.

“It’s always great when you have a passion for something, but the passion I have doesn’t always translate to other people,” he said. “When I get to go and speak to students, I can’t say I connect to every single one of them — but I connect to many of them, so for me, it’s a lot of fun.”

Brody shaFran, front,

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Brad shaFran spoke to five classes of fifth-grade students at Barnum Woods Elementary School.

EMPLOYMENT

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Gorgeous Renovated Colonial

ResCheck, Part 2

Q. We’re 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 called 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?

Open House - Sunday Feb 26, 12-1:30

1608 Ridgeway Drive, Hewlett

Move right into this beautifully renovated 4 bedroom colonial with open layout. The spacious new granite/wood kosher kitchen with top of the line appliances is a delight. The living room with gas fireplace, formal dining room, family room and sun room will get plenty of use. The master suite boasts a new bath and walk in closet. This home sits on a 1/4 acre of property with patio and room for Pool! It also has radiant heat throughout the first floor, a fabulous finished basement, 2 car attached garage, new plumbing, electric, gas heating system and stucco exterior. It is in Lynbrook’s School District #20. Join me at an Open House Sunday, February 26 from 12-1:30 or Call to Arrange a Private Viewing 516-238-4299.

Ronnie Gerber 516-238-4299

OPEN HOUSES SUNday, 2/26/23

HEWLETT

1608 Ridgeway Dr, 12-1:30, Move Right Into This Completely Gut

Renovated 4 BR, 3.5 Bth Col on 1/4 Acre Prop. New Kosher EIK, FDR, LR/ Fpl, Den, Enclosed Porch, Radiant Heated Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!! SD#20 DRASTIC REDUCTION! $1,469,000 ALSO FOR RENT $6,500 per month

257 Willard Dr, BA, Spacious 5 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch With Open Layout. Main Floor Mstr Ste Plus Potential Mstr Ste on 2nd Flr., LR/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sundrenched Family Rm w/ Doors to Deck.

Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. Loads of Updates!! SD#20 (Lynbrook) No Flood Insurance Req. MUST SEE THIS! REDUCED!! $1,025,000

1534 Broadway #103, BA, Magnificent New Renovation!

One of a Kind Ranch Style Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall

Condominium with Doorman & Elevator. Just Move into This Gut

Rvated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout. Large Designer

Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm. Master BR Boasts

Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet. Terrace Faces into Courtyard.

Garage Parking Incl REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $699,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom

(Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/

Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces

Back. Easy Ranch Style Living BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER! $699,000 CE da RHURST

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Appl. Trex Deck Off LR .Primary Ste Features Updtd Bth & WIC.

Att Gar Plus 1 Pkg Spot incl in Maintenance. W/D. Pull Down Atti,.

SD#15. Convenient to Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship $449,000 Fa R ROCK aWay

33-47 Bay Ct, BA, Enjoy The Waterviews in This Bayswater 4 BR,

1.5 Bth Split Tucked Away in Cul de Sac. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. O/S Resortlike Yard on the Bay. Opportunity to Make This Your Dream Home! REDUCED! $675,000

RONNIE GERBER

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Mobile: 516-238-4299 Office: 516-623-4500 Ronnie.Gerber@elliman.com

Douglas Elliman Real Estate 2300 Merrick Road Merrick, NY 11566

Results t hat Move You

A. Last week I described the ResCheck energy analysis to show the designed heat loss that architects and engineers are required to prepare for most renovations, and the more expanded Home Energy Rating System that is prepared by a certified engineer for projects that constitute over 50 percent of the home area or value.

From what you’ve described, your contractor just wants to do whatever they want, and although the approved construction plans are supposed to be binding and the contractor must abide by them, this doesn’t happen as often as you would expect. Many times, the contractor waits to see whether the building official will notice that the plans weren’t followed, and the contractor then seems enabled to do whatever they want to when their work passes, anyway.

Since the owner usually just wants to get the job done the cheapest way possible, the building designer, who was held to a higher standard by a plans examiner than the contractor, is left to wonder why so much effort went into the energy analysis in the first place. When the plans require changing to match what the contractor did and what the inspector passed, the owner often uses the “m” word, for mistake, to describe to the architect why the plan changes should be done for free. Basically, the process becomes muddled in a power struggle, when the real intention was to protect the owner from expensive utility bills for the rest of their life in their home and to cut waste.

The reason for the attic rafters to be insulated instead of the attic floor is because many people have cooled air-conditioning ducts running through hot attics. Somebody figured out that this makes no sense, and that insulating the attic to be part of the air-conditioned space, at about 75 to 80 degrees instead of 120 to 130 degrees, just makes more sense. The latest energy codes require an incredible R-49, which is more than a foot-thick insulation, unless a “parts” method is broken down and identified, piece by piece, in the ResCheck previously described. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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

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Monte Leeper

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Is creativity a thing of the past?

Human civilization has developed side by side with technology — some may say, in competition with it. Technological innovations have diminished the need for workers in jobs requiring physical labor, efficient repetition or mass production, because such skills are easily replaceable.

Artificial intelligence is a leap forward in such technology that is no longer a dream of science fiction movies. Rather, it is a reality that threatens to change the way we interact with the world. AI recognizes our faces when we unlock our iPhones, gives us movie recommendations on our favorite streaming services, and now, with the creation of ChatGPT, AI is a student’s dream come true: It can write essays.

Historically, the replacement of humans with machines isn’t an uncommon occurrence. And now I can’t help

but ask, is creativity, too, a thing of the past?

Before machines, there were skills valued as attributes that couldn’t be replicated. During the Industrial Revolution, however, the skill of sewing a dress — and later, in the second Industrial Revolution, the ability to put a tire on a car — became devalued, because they were no longer abilities unique to humans. A “skilled” worker wasn’t enough; machines were just as “skilled,” and technology had raised the standard.

In more recent times, the achievements of NASA’s “human computers,” whose intellect put a man on the moon, no longer compare to the mathematical and computational power of the smartphones we hold in our hands. Even intelligence seems to be replaceable. Now a computer claims to generate creativity, jeopardizing the jobs of those with abilities like programming and writing. If your talent is something that a computer can do, it’s not good enough.

As a student with access to techno-

logical resources that simplify everything from conducting research to learning a language, I suppose I should embrace technological advancement. But quite frankly, I’m tired of it. For one thing, my dependence on the newest gadgets and gizmos has limited my practical abilities. I don’t know how to search through a library to conduct a research project. I find it difficult to study without online aids. And I can’t even hand in an assignment without internet access to Google Classroom.

Is it too much to ask to be able to turn in an essay without worrying that a teacher will question whether it was written by a robot?

I fear that technology has not only limited our independence in our daily activities, but has also undermined the values of hard work and self-achievement. My high school offers an introductory class called Writing Lab, giving ninth-graders a year of individualized instruction on how to craft a concise and engaging essay. But ChatGPT knows how to write an introduction, a thesis

and three body paragraphs — with citations in MLA format — in less than a minute, which is more than some freshmen can do by the end of the year.

The potential uses of ChatGPT raise a host of philosophical questions. If, supposedly, technology’s completion of creative tasks is as effortless as its mastery of physical labor, does this suggest that creativity isn’t a distinctly human quality? And that creativity itself is synthetic, predictable and reproducible?

I worry about what effect this will have on my own future. Will there come a day when years devoted to academic achievement will be devalued in an instant? And, even scarier, is every hour that I devote to my love of writing now worth no more than a two-minute chatbot query?

To ease my concerns, I imagine that we can learn to live in cooperation with technology, not in competition with it. The true value of progress lies in our use of the tools at our disposal to enhance, not replace, human achievement. Let’s remember that technology is our puppet. We are still its masters.

Thirteenth letter to my grandchildren

Hey, sweeties, Can it be that you are now 20, 18, 16 and 14?

Do you read the paper?? Are you catching this online? Or is this exercise something I do to feel connected with all of you, geographically scattered, but emotionally the pulsing blips on my grandma radar?

Stay with me. This is a big ask, and a big confession.

Authentic, uncomplicated love is a precious thing, and when I think of each of you, every single day, singing or sad, dancing, skiing, studying, making videos, shooting hoops, finding friends, making trouble, growing into your own skins, what I feel is that … uncomplicated love.

From time to time over the years, I’ve dedicated columns to you. The moments seemed to demand it. I imagine readers understand the impulse to put a pin in history for the next generation as we live our lives.

In 2008 I wrote a celebratory column etching in memory the election of

Barack Obama. Of course, you were only 5, 3 and 1. One of you hadn’t been born yet. You had no way to know how profoundly that election changed history.

Then I wrote in 2012. I was worrying about President Obama’s re-election. He was running again Mitt Romney, but Romney was a decent man, and the stakes didn’t feel like life and death. I wrote to you about the Arab Spring and concerns about the economy, but all in all, things were OK.

In 2017, my letter to you described the shocking political tragedy of Donald Trump’s election and all the ways it threatened our freedom, our democracy and our sense of right and wrong. It turned out worse than I imagined. Trump’s ascension cleaved America in half, and we are still in bitter conflict. By then you were 14, 12, 10 and 8.

In the next election, 2024, two of you will vote.

I start with the political because the personal we share day to day, with calls and texts and intuition and telepathy. My worries aren’t so much for each of you, but for all of us, collectively.

Since that 2017 letter, you’ve survived a global pandemic that killed more than

a million people in our country. One million. We closed your schools, subjected you to constant Covid tests, and canceled your sports, your proms and your college dreams. The pandemic threatened your health, confined you to your rooms and compromised your life for over two years.

We were scared, and we didn’t have any defense against a virus that could kill so many people so quickly.

I say this to acknowledge what you suffered, your disappointment and your pain in all that was lost. We can’t change the catastrophe that was Covid-19. The four of you, and millions of other kids, got through it, day after boring day, and I am in awe of your resilience and strength. How do you trust the world again? We read that anxiety and stress are epidemic among teens.

So this is your time, and your challenge.

The story of hope is written in our history. Teenagers have survived and healed and triumphed and lived brilliant lives after world wars, genocide and national disasters. Today in Ukraine, teens are fighting for their

lives. Every day in our high schools, teenagers must summon courage just to attend class in a gun-crazed society.

We have let you down with our disregard for our planet. We have allowed fakery to displace truth in our communications. We have sent clowns to Congress.

For those of us who believe in a free and fair and healthy America, our backs are to the wall. Across the country, women’s rights have been upended. In Florida, which is ground zero for racism and division, a state college won’t host an art display called Embracing Our Differences because it depicts racial and gender diversity. And Pensacola Christian College canceled a performance by an a cappella group because one of the singers is gay.

This is another pandemic, of bigotry and fear.

You kids have survived a historic global catastrophe. Give it its due, get the help to get yourselves healthy again, and then do the work that will make America healthy again. We can only move forward, and many of us are here to help. As I said, it’s a big ask, but I have faith in each of you and the energy of your rising generation.

Love, Grandma

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

RANDI KREISS

The four of you, and millions of other kids, got through the pandemic, and I am in awe.

Ilana Greenberg, of Valley Stream, is a sophomore at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, in Great Neck.

Technology has left us clueless in a real library, and now there’s ChatGPT.

IlANA GREENbERG

Teddy Roosevelt: a president who defied labels

Monday was Presidents Day, a holiday that, unless you work in a bank or the government or a school, you might have missed.

At the federal level, the holiday marks the birthday of George Washington, who was born Feb. 22, 1732. It’s observed on the third Monday of February, and is intended to honor not only Washington, but all the presidents — whether you liked them or not.

It’s easy to label many of our presidents. Washington, of course, was the “father of the country.” Abraham Lincoln was a liberator and a unifier — even if it took a war to make that happen. James Madison was a father, too — considered the “father of the Constitution.”

While many commanders in chief would find their way to Long Island for various reasons, none have a connection to our home like Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president, who spent the last 30 years of his life at his beloved Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay.

Although he was born in New York City, the Roosevelt family had a long association with Long Island, like many wealthy families in the city at the time. Teddy, however, came to love 150 acres or so of land on Cove Neck — just north of Oyster Bay Cove — that he bought just before he entered politics in 1880, when he was just 22.

He would spend upward of $500,000 in today’s money to build a 22-room mansion he had intended to call Leeholm, after his wife, Alice. But she died before the house was finished, and Teddy would

letters

Randi takes on George Santos

To the Editor:

Thanks to Randi Kreiss for her column last week, “Minx or madman: the George Santos story,” on the enigmatic nut job, George Santos, or whatever his name may be.

I worry for our kids and grandkids and the future of America. Just what is warping our brains? It started with the vast wasteland of TV for us baby boomers, and continues with portable devices/social media.

And why do 99.9 percent of the cuckoos surface in the Republican Party?

As I write, I’m babysitting for our newest grandson, who’s 2½. How to teach him the difference between good and evil, right and wrong? Is there hope? And is “Paw Patrol” a safe venue to begin his adventures?

Thank you, Randi, for your contributions each week. They’re a ray of hope, sanity and humor in a chaotic landscape.

remarry. Instead of naming it in honor of future First Lady Edie Carow, Teddy instead named it Sagamore Hill, an Algonquin word for “chief.”

Labeling Roosevelt is no easy task. When he first stepped into the White House as president in 1901, following the assassination of William McKinley, he was a Republican. Yet he was also described as “progressive” — something many Republicans today would consider an insult.

T.R. was certainly a conservative — for the environment, that is. In just a few years, he doubled the amount of forests protected by the federal government. He did so much that Congress limited the power the president had to designate national forests.

Teddy, however, was also an imperialist. “Speak softly, and carry a big stick — you will go far” summed up his approach to international diplomacy of coming in peace, but if things don’t go your way, be ready to back it up with might.

While we see the United States as a military superpower today, at the beginning of the 20th century it was not. European powers counted their soldiers in the millions. America? In the tens of thousands. It wouldn’t be until the U.S. entry into World War I — in the final two years of Roosevelt’s life — that President Woodrow Wilson would commit billions of dollars to build what he called a million-man army.

Even with a small military, Teddy was committed to supporting the Monroe Doctrine, which treated any European influence on the politics of the Americas

as a hostile act against the United States. Roosevelt used the doctrine not only to kick Spain out of Cuba, but also to construct the Panama Canal. The Monroe Doctrine had never been popular in other countries of the Americas, but it never bothered Teddy.

He was a fan of diversity, but only to a point. During the Spanish-American War, his Rough Riders took men from all walks of life. And T.R. appointed more African Americans to federal government positions than all the presidents before him — combined.

But Roosevelt made it clear that once you were an American, you were an American. That hyphens should be left at the door, fearing it would permit the United States to become a “tangle of squabbling nationalities.”

These are just some examples of where Teddy’s policies and philosophy conflicted with both major political parties of today. Then again, a lot has changed in the 120-plus years since he was in the White House, and where we draw the lines in 2023 is much different from where they were drawn in the sand in 1901.

No matter his philosophy, his triumphs — even his flaws — we can’t deny that Teddy Roosevelt was very much his own man, and because of that, was also a great president. The United States is a better place today because of his leadership.

Here’s hoping you didn’t overlook Presidents Day, and miss how special Roosevelt’s role was, especially right here in our own backyard.

It’s time for our energy to go public

most Long Islanders are rightly confused about who is responsible for our ever-rising electricity bills. On TV we see PSEG commercials. On the streets we see PSEG trucks. We get our electric bills from PSEG. Yet there is also the Long Island Power Authority, as well as National Grid. Who does what? And how does this add up to unnecessarily high electric bills?

Long Island has a unique way of providing electricity to customers.

The Long Island Power Authority, which most people know little about, owns the wires and substations. But this public authority hires private companies like PSEG to actually run the system. Nor does LIPA own any power plants. It purchases the electricity we use mostly from National Grid, the same company that sells natural gas on Long Island.

LIPA was created by New York state after the Long Island Lighting Company almost bankrupted ratepayers with its

failed Shoreham nuclear power plant. LIPA brought in another for-profit utility, KeySpan, to manage and operate the system. KeySpan was later bought out by National Grid. Still with me?

After National Grid badly mismanaged the preparation for and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it was replaced by PSEG, a New Jersey-based utility. PSEG’s own management performance proved so terrible during Hurricane Isaias, in 2020, that LIPA sued it for “corporate mismanagement, misfeasance, incompetence and indifference.” The suit was withdrawn only after a new LIPA-PSEG contract was renegotiated last spring, imposing more controls over PSEG for the remaining three years of the agreement, through 2025.

Three for-profit utilities — LILCO, KeySpan/National Grid and PSEG — have made lots of money off Long Island ratepayers. Even though LIPA pays PSEG an $80-million-per-year management fee, LIPA has faced continual frustration. Most recently, PSEG has been taken to task for its dismal customer satisfaction

Letters

The polarization began many years before Clinton and Trump

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column last week, “How political extremism became the norm”: Mr. King’s answer goes astray from the start, using Yeats too broadly. “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold…” applies to only one party. With Mr. King’s 28 years of experience in Congress, he must remember that the major turning point toward extremism was House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s intentional and explicit radicalism.

“This war,” Gingrich said, “has to be fought with a scale and a duration and a savagery that is only true of civil wars,” and he referred to Democrats as “ thugs,” “crooks” and “traitors.” Thus, Clinton-Trump in 2016 was the fruit, not the root, of our current polarization.

Mr. King is also surely aware of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s trajectory from Tea Party aggression through Freedom Caucus ideology to the “further rejection of tradition and civility” the current House displays. Mr. King’s call for the “sane forces on both sides to step forward” is disingenuous, because the sane Republicans have been culled. Mr. King, being among the sane, should volunteer his

counsel to any others he can find.

BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Go easy on the coffee, East Side LIRR riders

To the Editor:

Re Juan Lasso’s story “Full LIRR service to East Side finally coming” in last week’s issue: Not when it comes to critical ridership amenities. Remember the long lines commuters faced in the Seventh Avenue Penn Station LIRR restrooms? At the new $12.6 billion LIRR East Side Access Grand Central Madison terminal, nothing has changed. There are only two men’s restrooms, with a total of 18 urinals and 13 toilets; two women’s restrooms, with a total of 25 toilets; one lactation room; and two single-capacity gender-neutral bathrooms. If you have to go, you’d better have a strong bladder to make it from the upper- or lower-level platforms and mezzanine to a restroom on the Madison Concourse level.

LARRY PENNER Great

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who served as a director in the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management.

ratings. LIPA board members past and present have voiced serious questions about continuing to “outsource” our electrical system.

State legislators from Long Island, working with ratepayers, community groups and the Reimagine LIPA campaign, created after Isaias, lobbied for the establishment of a state legislative commission to chart a future for LIPA without PSEG. The Legislative Commission on the Future of LIPA, created last spring, has been tasked with coming up with a plan for 2025 that would allow LIPA to run the electrical system directly, saving ratepayers lots of money.

This is neither a radical nor a fanciful idea. Nonprofit, publicly owned electric systems are common. In some of the most conservative states in the nation, like Nebraska and Mississippi, virtually every community is served by a nonprofit utility. These public power systems are a matter of civic pride and customer satisfaction. Like water service, electric power works best when not run by private interests.

Hundreds of businesses on Long Island

have long sought the low-cost electricity made available by the New York Power Authority, the state’s nonprofit power supplier. The communities of Freeport and Rockville Centre have nonprofit municipal electric systems, and enjoy rates that are as much as 40 percent lower than what the rest of us PSEG customers pay.

How do they do it? They eliminate as much profit-making as possible from the cost of electricity. Getting rid of high salaries at PSEG and profits for its shareholders would mean major saving for ratepayers. Public ownership, through LIPA, of renewable electricity sources would dramatically reduce the cost of that electricity.

Eliminating the profit from the production of electricity is a sure-fire way of lowering rates. And it’s a tried-and-true idea. The New York Power Authority has been providing cheap electricity for over 60 years. LIPA and Long Island ratepayers need the same opportunity. Now is the time to move forward on the full municipalization of LIPA.

Fred Harrison, a retired history teacher at Calhoun High School in Merrick, is a ratepayer advocate working with Food and Water Watch, which is part of the Reimagine LIPA campaign.

Framework by Tim Baker

An iconic image memorialized at Eisenhower Park — East Meadow

Neck

For-profit utilities have made too much money off Long Island customers.

Fred Harrison