Mentors share lunch with mentees
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The Sorrano family, 3-year-old Michael on his father, Jonathan’s, shoulders, and 7-year old-Olivia in front of her mother, Diane, were festively dressed for East Meadow’s Memorial Day parade. Story, more photos, Page 3.
As the nation and world turn the corner on what was one of the deadliest global pandemics to date, one thing hasn’t changed: Many U.S. veterans continue to need support, whether with food, housing, mental health services, or other needs.
Gary Glick, the commander of the Department of New York
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More than 20 veterans from surrounding communities visited East Meadow High School students on May 23 to share what it was like for them to serve.
“We wanted to come here and tell the high school students what it was like to serve,” Frank Belardo a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2736, in East Meadow, said. “We wanted to do this before Memorial Day to teach the students and honor those who did not come home.”
Frank Salamino, quartermaster for Post 2736, and Belardo rounded up as many veterans as they could to participate, and students gathered to listen to them during their social studies periods.
the seniors. “Memorial Day is dedicated to honoring and remembering the men and women who have died while serving in the country’s armed forces.”
Memorial Day has four purposes, Baglivo told the students: to honor the sacrifices of those who died; to remember and reflect; to maintain national unity; and to pay homage to those who served.
“Memorial Day encourages people to reflect upon the cost of freedom and the tremendous sacrifices made by members of our military,” Baglivo continued.
“It provides a solemn occasion to remember the fallen heroes and express gratitude for their unwavering commitment to defending the nation.”
of the Jewish War Veterans — which operates the local Post 652, serving Bellmore, Merrick, East Meadow and several surrounding communities — said he feels the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on veterans mirrors its powerful impact on people in general.
“Covid, I think, did a job on society itself,” Glick said. “It has people thinking. I would say there could be like a half-dozen (veterans) that didn’t come back
(in person). It has dropped the attendance down — a lot of these guys, and I understand, they’re in their 80s, 90s.”
The pandemic, Glick added, has contributed to veterans losing touch with one another.
“Covid did take a toll on us,” he said. “Even when we had the Zooms, the older guys — they won’t do it. They lose touch with each other, and that’s another
“Memorial Day is a special holiday observed in the United States on the last Monday of May of each year,” Frank Baglivo, the school’s chair of English and social studies, told
East Meadow seniors watched a color guard made up of service members bringing in the flags. They said the Pledge of Allegiance and listened to the national anthem. Master Sgt. Peter Gong, who served in Vietnam
Continued on page 4
I t was something I’ll always remember, and without a doubt I would do it over again.
ToM KEllY Navy veteran of the Vietnam WarBill Windy/Herald
By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@liherald.com
The country officially returned to normal on May 11 with the end of the federal public health emergency surrounding Covid-19 — but for many, it’s been pretty close to normalcy for months.
Virtually no one asks for proof of vaccination. Masks, while occasionally seen, have found themselves primarily back on the faces of medical professionals. And the floor markings intended to help people put six feet of distance from their neighbors have almost faded into time.
Yet, the federal end to the emergency is far from ceremonial. Washington has stopped buying vaccines and treatment, although plenty of supplies already purchased remain on-hand. It once again became more difficult to qualify for Medicaid — something that has loosened significantly at the height of the pandemic. However, states like New York isn’t expected to address eligibility at the more local level until later this summer.
And, of course, many of the financial assistance programs that had almost become commonplace are long gone, but free vaccines for children remain thanks to efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pfizer and Moderna — the two major pharmaceutical companies that supplied most of the country’s vaccine doses — vow they’ll continue providing free vaccines to those who can’t afford it, or don’t have the insurance to cover it.
Much closer to home, government officials with Nassau County as well as the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, had nothing to say about the pandemic. County Executive Bruce Blakeman went after mask mandates — especially in schools — within minutes of being sworn in more than a year ago.
“The governor should adhere to the law, follow the science, and allow local officials to decide what is best for their hometown communities,” Blakeman said at the time. “Nassau is not in crisis, and shouldn’t be painted with the same broad brush as the rest of New York state.”
This week — and in the coming weeks — the Herald is exploring local life in a post-pandemic world. We’re following up on the heroes and the stories that filled these pages from the very beginning of the pandemic lockdown, to the height of the virus invasion, to the aftermath. All with the hope we never have to experience such troubled times ever again.
And more local programs, like the Household Assistance Program that offered a $375 per household grant from federal funds, as well as the Emergency Rental Assistance Program — ended last fall, with a lot of the money unclaimed.
In the end, nearly 6.7 million positive cases were reported statewide, with New York City accounting for nearly half of that with 3.1 million cases. Long Island reported 1.1 million cases, while 5,346 people in Nassau County died.
Nearly 85 percent of people in Nassau received at least one vaccine shot, representing more than 1.1 million people — the best overall percentage in the state, behind the 88 percent from Queens and Manhattan.
One woman the coronavirus would not defeat was Nancy Casale of Wantagh. Last year, the then-95-year-old walked out of the Glen Cove Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on her own power, after months of fighting Covid-19 and its aftermath.
“Nancy is a wonderful soul, said Lynda Torel from the Glen Cove center. “At 95, she’s energetic, eager and willing — all the qualities that make her a fighter. She’s been on a fantastic journey. She never said ‘no.’”
Laura Lane/Herald file
NANCy CAsALE stops to thank pulmonary rehabilitation director Lynda Torel outside the Glen Cove Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation last July, after battling Covid-19 and its aftermath for months. Nancy never let her age — 95 — stand in the way.
Veterans marched along with students, East Meadow organizations and businesses, local Boy and Girl Scouts, politicians and firefighters all for the same purpose: to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The Memorial Day parade kicked off from East Meadow High School, made its way through Hempstead Turnpike and Prospect Avenue, and finished with services at Veterans Memorial Park.
Ed Freeberg, an Air Force veteran and a lifetime member of the Jewish War Veterans Post 652 in Merrick, who was recognized as this year’s Grand Marshal. During the ceremony, the national anthem was sung and an invocation was given.
Wreaths were placed by the memorial in the park by various local organizations.
counTy legislaTor Tom McKevitt posed with Ed Freeberg, an Air Force veteran and a lifetime member of the Jewish War Veterans Post 652 in Merrick, who was recognized as this year’s Grand Marshal.
samaTna Pierre, middle, with brothers Vavenchy, left, and Divenchy, had their flags ready on Memorial Day.
nevin gonzalez, aT left, with his mom Megan were excited to watch the parade.
continued from front page
with the U.S. Army and Air Force reserves, played taps.
For roughly 30 minutes students visited veterans seated at various tables, with a list of more than 30 questions to ask them, including where and when they served, how long, how old they were, and whether they would do it again.
“I learned about the different jobs that go into making the military work smoothly,” senior Gianna Devita said. “I talked to one veteran who was a mechanic in the Air Force. It was definitely eye-opening getting to hear their experiences.”
Both Salamino and Belardo said they enjoyed the questions the students were asking them. Salamino said that it was important to teach students what it’s like to be American.
“I enjoyed the questions because today’s kids are afraid of going into the military,” Belardo said. “But I’m living proof that they took care of you and it was fun. It wasn’t just a job, it was also an adventure.”
Senior Ama Nkrumah said she found the event really interesting, and liked seeing how passionate all of the veterans were when they were sharing their experiences.
“I talked a lot with Mr. Christopher Hubert,” Nkrumah said. “He had a lot to say, especially with his stories. He was a submarine vet, and he had a lot of scary encounters when he was doing that.”
Tom Kelly, an East Meadow resident who served in the Navy during the 70s, said it was nice to share with the students about how proud he and other vets are to have served.
“It seems like less kids are going down that route of joining the military. So you just have to keep reminding them about
One of the most common and devastating misconceptions about elder law estate planning is that it is too late to save money from nursing home costs. On the contrary, there are crisis planning tools that may save substantial assets from being spent on nursing home costs, even after the client has already entered the nursing home. Almost always, if there are assets left, much can be saved.
There are only three ways to pay for nursing home costs – your own assets, long-term care insurance (owned by less than five percent of the population), or Medicaid provided by the government.
Many people know about the “five-year look-back period” and assume nothing can be done without advance planning. The five-year look-back rule means that if you gave any gifts away within the last five years, when asking for Medicaid to pay for expensive nursing home costs, the gift amount creates a penalty period, which results in a period of ineligibility for Medicaid coverage.
Despite the five-year look-back, New York law allows people to protect assets from nursing home costs, even without pre-planning. For single applicants, you may be able to save about half of the assets through the “gift and loan” strategy. For married couples, where one spouse needs a nursing home, “spousal refusal” may protect substantial amounts of assets for the spouse at home. These techniques are discussed in detail at trustlaw.com, under “Practice Areas”, then “Medicaid Strategies”.
The five-year look-back rule does not affect eligibility of Medicaid home care, also known as “community” Medicaid. Currently, an applicant may transfer their assets out of their name and still qualify for home care in the next month.
Many assets, such as retirement accounts, rental properties and the family home in some cases, are exempt from Medicaid. The bottom line is that if someone you love is in failing health, the sooner you consult an elder law attorney the more you will likely be able to save.
the commitment to America and how proud we are,” Kelly, a member of American Legion post 1082, said. “It’s something that should be carried on. It seems like it’s
a dying art these days, but I hope not. It was something I’ll always remember, and without a doubt I would do it over again.”
The high school seniors watched the veterans parade as a color guard.
Moriches Field Brewing Company received $18,750 to revitalize an empty downtown space.
(Cheers to that.)
Revitalization grants are just one of the ways we help businesses on Long Island and in the Rockaways. For Moriches Field Brewing Company, a grant from our economic development program was a perfect fit to help them renovate a previously vacant property. A discount through our Vacant Space Revival Program saved them more than $4,000 on their electric bills, and rebates for upgrading to LED lighting are keeping them saving month after month.
Helping revitalize our Island, one business at a time, is something we’re proud to be part of and something definitely worth celebrating.
Grants | Rebates | Incentives | Assessments | Community Support
For more information, visit PSEGLINY.com/EcoDev
By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com
The Hofstra softball team captured its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title since 2018 in dramatic fashion and in the process kept a tradition alive for the storied program.
The Pride, aided largely by five fifthyear players who used an extra year of eligibility due to the canceled 2020 season at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, made sure the freshman class from 2019 experienced the taste of a championship and an NCAA regionals appearance after knocking off Towson with a 5-4 walk-off victory on May 13. The come-from-behind win on Hofstra’s home turf of Bill Edwards Stadium in which the Pride trailed 4-2 in the sixth inning, kept the program’s streak going of every freshman class since the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in the early 1990s hoisting a championship trophy.
“We had a very special fifth year class who really wanted to be part of that championship culture,” said second-year Hofstra coach Adrienne Clark, who as a player led the Pride to four straight CAA titles from 2002 to 2005. “It was really incredible.”
One of Hofstra’s fifth-year players, Angelina Ioppolo, stepped up in the clutch with Hofstra trailing 4-3 with two outs in
the bottom of seventh when she delivered a two RBI bases loaded single to left field setting off a raucous celebration. The hit scored fellow fifth-year player Kasey Collins with the tying run with senior Chelsea Manto then crossing the plate to clinch Hofstra’s 13th CAA title and 21st conference championship overall.
Hofstra faced adversity in the 2023 CAA title run when it fell to that same Towson team 2-1 the previous day to put the Pride in the losers bracket of the double elimination tournament. After staying alive with a 9-8 win against Long Island rival Stony Brook on the evening of May 12, Hofstra forced a deciding game with another elimination win, 6-4, against Towson.
Fifth-year player Meghan Giordano stepped up in the CAA championship run with a key three-run homer in the first Towson win to produce some key insurance when the Pride were clinging to a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning. She then blasted a solo homer in the decisive game to tie the game 2-2 in the fourth inning.
One of the biggest hits in Hofstra’s CAA championship journey came off the bench from junior Brianna Morse when the Mepham High School graduate hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh with the Pride trailing 4-3 to help spark the eventually winning rally.
“She is such an amazing athlete and
person,” Clark said of Morse. “We had a lot of unsung heroes on the team.”
Morse’s younger sister, Alanna Morse, had a standout freshman season starting at third base and produced three hits in Hofstra’s NCAA regional losses to Oklahoma and Cal.. The game against topseeded Oklahoma, who entered the tourney at 54-1, on the Sooners’ home field was broadcasted nationally on ESPNU.
Another local talent who shined in the postseason was sophomore pitcher Anna Butler of Seaford, who threw two key innings of relief in the 9-8 Stony Brook win and also got time out of the bullpen in both of Hofstra’s NCAA regional games.
“She is extremely competitive in everything that she does,” Clark said of the Seaford High School graduate. “She did an incredible job of mixing up her pitches.”
While Hofstra was shut out in both of its NCAA tourney games against stiff competition, Clark hopes the experience pays dividends as she looks to grow the program back to when she was an assistant coach with the Pride decade ago and the team reached the NCAA super regionals.
“They were fearless in how they approached those games,” she said. “The experience of competing in a regional sets up the success of future teams.”
By MALLoRY WILSoN mwilson@liherald.com
Stew Leonard’s, in East Meadow, was on a mission to help military families of those on active duty have a better Easter this year. Operation Easter Basket was an effort that the grocery store came up with to help military families have special meal for the holiday. Local volunteers — Boy Scout Troop 362, members of Girl Scout Troop 1315, American Legion Post 1082 and Veterans of Foreign War Post 2736 —
Prynne? And if so, who was she?
In Hawthorne’s book, Prynne is the woman who must wear the letter “A” for the rest of her life as a symbol of having committed adultery. In Albanese’s reimagining, Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish seamstress, comes to meet Hawthorne during the 1800s. The book dives into what it meant to be American in the 19th century, and how women were targeted for being different. “This is Hester Prynne finally tells her own story,” Albanese said. “This novel asks the question, was there a real Hester
And what would she tell us if she could?” This is Albanese’s third historical novel, and her first one set in America after her other two took place in Europe. Her first book, published in 2000, was contemporary; she switched to historical fiction because she liked reading those types of books, and that’s what was getting the best reception. Her first historical novel, “The Miracles of Prato,” coauthored with her friend Laura Morowitz and published in 2009, was well-received, Albanese said. So she took that genre and ran with it.
It’s been more than a market decision for Albanese. She said that doing research for her historical fiction books transports her back to being a student and spending hours at the library reading encyclopedia after encyclopedia to get the information that she needed for an assignment. “I always think about when I
school, in high school, we always had to write reports — and that my reports, then, as it would be now, consisted of physically going to the library and literally sitting on the floor with all my different books,” she said. “I love doing that, and I kind of feel like that’s what I’m doing when I Continued on page 2
bad thing. The veterans are my brothers. We treat each other as family.”
The loss of members takes a considerable toll on posts that are already strapped for attendees. Frank Salamino, the quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2736 in East Meadow, is constantly looking for new members, and the pandemic hasn’t helped. Two Post 2736 members died of Covid.
“We need every member when we can,” Salamino said. “It was a big loss when they died.”
Ralph Esposito, director of the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency, said he saw many posts struggling with the same membership issues.
were suffering. But it excluded veteran groups, which are 501(c)(19) organizations, because of their tax-exempt status.
A change was formally made by the federal government in regard to veterans organizations recouping money from the American Rescue Plan in March 2022, with corresponding local legislation passed in Nassau County in April 2022.
“(The money) is really tied to the fact that during 2020, veterans halls had significant losses because they weren’t able to rent out their halls,’’ Nassau County Legislator Tom McKevitt told the Herald last year.
“We had a lot of posts, a lot of legions that weren’t able to sustain their membership,” Esposito said. “They had a lot of members who never came back and the posts weren’t making any money because there were no parties keeping them alive.
“We lost a lot of vets — a lot passed on, and a lot never went back to their posts.”
During the pandemic, American Legion and VFW posts, among other veterans organizations, lost money — as did many people and businesses. The American Rescue Plan, a stimulus package in response to the pandemic, provided assistance to nonprofits, which have 501(c)(3) status, that
When the change was approved by the government, veteran groups received $10,000 each, but at the time, McKevitt said that number could grow as the administration explored where extra Covid funds could be allocated.
Salamino said it was rough, and isolating, not to be able to have meetings for over a year. They had met at American Legion Post 1082 hall in East Meadow, which was closed.
“A lot of men wouldn’t even go to hospitals because they were scared to get Covid,” he said. “It had a big impact on them without a doubt.”
Glick has long tried to make sure that all veterans understand the benefits to which they’re entitled — and there are a
lot of them across Long Island in need of assistance. Glick will frequently help veterans suffering from PTSD, some as old as 80 or 90, who’ve never received help before. Some veterans aren’t even aware they’re eligible for any benefits, he said.
“There’s 130,000 of us out here (on Long Island), and I’ll tell you right now, there’s maybe a handful that know what’s going on,” Glick said.
Esposito, who runs the Vet Mart food pantry for veterans out of the Veterans Service Agency in East Meadow, still sees many people coming for food. The pantry, which served 30 to 40 vets a week before
As the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, veterans organizations are still in need of support. Many suffered from monetary losses, among other things, at the height of Covid19-related lockdowns.
the pandemic, now sees nearly 40 a day, he said.
“I think it’s because there are still people who are afraid to go out, they think Covid is still out there,” Esposito said. “The older people, you don’t see them out as much because they’re compromised and one sniff of this virus, they think they’re dead.”
It’s been a little harder to get food, Esposito said, but he has some consistent places that donate often to Vet Mart, including the Elmont school district, Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, and a few hospitals and supermarkets.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest youth employment program, connecting the Town of Hempstead (TOH) and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experience each summer.
By participating in structured project and work-based opportunities, Long Island youth are better prepared for careers of the future.
Career Exploration: Hone your research skills and uncover exciting new career possibilities.
Structured Work-based Opportunities: If you're a TOH and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20, you can get paid to learn about different careers and make a positive impact in your community through work-based activities.
Work Experiences: TOH and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20 can develop job readiness skills and explore diverse career pathways through paid summer jobs in various industries throughout Nassau County.
Earn Money: Don't miss out on the chance to earn money while gaining valuable experience and exploring your career options!
Partner with the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) at HempsteadWorks and provide valuable work experience to youth while expanding your business's staff at no cost. The program pays participant wages in full, so there's no financial burden on the hosting employer. As a SYEP worksite, you can play a vital role in the region's economic development and access a pool of talented, hyperlocal youth who are the future workforce.
Please review the important information below for details on this summer's program.
SYEP 2023:
Participants can work up to 30 hours per week
Rate of pay is $16 per hour, paid by the TOH Participants go through physical clearance and drug screening
Worksite Responsibilities:
Ensuring youth time and attendance procedures are followed, and the timesheets are complete and accurate Supervision of participants, along with guidance and training as appropriate Monitoring youth attendance, punctuality, and job performance
They come from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds and even more diverse plans for their individual futures. They are Minority Millennials, and they visited Hofstra University recently as a way to prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders.
The summit — which took place at the school’s David S. Mack Complex — was known as “We are the Future,” featuring sessions and presentations from a lineup of today’s thought leaders that included elected officials the state’s lieutenant governor, a number of New York City councilmembers, and Assemblywoman Taylor Darling.
The summit featured workshops and panel sessions designed to emphasize the importance of civic power, financial literacy, and taking on leadership roles. It featured live programming aimed to promote civic power and economic freedom, all while educating and empowering Black and brown young people from across the five boroughs and Long Island.
Minority Millennials is a nonprofit civic and youth development organization founded in 2017, and serves as a resource for emerging generations of color as they seek equity in social, political and economic developments.
“We created Minority Millennials and
now the We are the Future summit to bridge the gap between policy culture,” said Dan Lloyd, founder and president of Minority Millennials, in a release.
“We firmly believe the fundamental piece to economic freedom is ensuring young people of color are educated about the value of civic engagement.
• A warm, inclusive community fostering a lasting love of Jewish life and learning through a creative curriculum for K-6!
• Engaging activities! Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Jewish Dungeons & Dragons, Cooking, Youth Group for grades 2-6, and more!
Once a person understands their role in society and how powerful their voice is within a larger democracy, their leverage of power shifts, and their ability to develop both personally and professionally dramatically increases.”
In an effort to access inter-generational networking opportunities, the summit
included panel sessions and keynote presentations from New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams, as well as Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison, and Gen-Z activist Chelsea Miller.
“Coming up, the people who had the biggest impact on me and my future were the people who looked like me. Who gave me a chance. And who led by example,” said Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso, in a release. “I’m glad to see the We are the Future summit creating this opportunity, not just for young adults, but for the adults who have a responsibility to empower the next generation of change-makers.”
AT&T was a major supporter of the summit, providing 1,000 free tickets for Long Island, Bronx, and Brooklyn high school students to attend.
“AT&T is proud to support such an important and meaningful summit, and applauds the organizers and all of the esteemed presenters for their commitment to engage in meaningful conversation about the importance of civic responsibility,” said Magdalonie ParisCampbell, a spokeswoman for AT&T, in a release. “As a company that connects people across all aspects of life, we are thrilled to support this effort to engage so many New York City and Long Island youth with the opportunity to inspire them to be the next generation of changemakers and civic leaders.”
Courtesy Daniel Lloyd
Top-seeded MacArthur entered the Nassau Class A softball championship series undefeated and riding a 23-game winning streak including a pair against Clarke, but the Rams found a way to win the opener.
However, the Generals marched back in a big way behind senior pitcher Taylor Brunn and after staying alive with a Memorial Day shutout victory secured the county title Tuesday afternoon with a 12-5 win at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
MacArthur trailed in the decisive third game before taking its initial turn at-bat as Clarke senior Olivia Wanser blasted a grand slam in the top of the first. The Generals answered with a four-run first to tie and exploded for five runs in the fourth and added three more in the sixth.
“We have a lot to be proud of,” said Clarke coach Rachel Barry, a 2008 MacArthur graduate who played four years of varsity softball for coach Bobby Fehrenbach. “At one point during the season we were ninth out of 10 teams in Conference 1,” she added. “The girls never looked back and just kept working.”
MacArthur stayed alive Memorial Day with a 1-0 victory behind a determined Brunn, who struck out 11 and got all the support she needed in the top of the sixth thanks to some heads-up baserunning by junior Nicole Stuckenschneider.
“After we lost the first game, Taylor talked about the possibility of wearing a MacArthur
uniform for the last time,” Fehrenbach said of Brunn. “That kind of struck a chord with everyone and they all rallied around each other.”
Stuckenschneider led off the inning with a single and moved to second when senior Colette O’Brien reached on an error. After two flyouts to Clarke’s Michelle Diaz in center, junior Savannah Brennan delivered a hardhit single to left to put the runners in motion.
After rounding third, Stuckenschneider hesitated to continue home and O’Brien was stranded between second and third as a result. As the Rams attempted to cut down O’Brien for the final out of the inning, Stuckenschneider bolted for the plate and beat the throw for what proved to be the game’s lone run.
The Generals failed to pad their lead in the seventh. They loaded the bases with nobody out on two walks and a single but Clarke senior pitcher Emily Brown shut the door. Brown struck out six in Game 2.
O’Brien made back-to-back nifty plays at shortstop in the bottom of the seventh and the final out was a liner to sophomore Hailey Trapani in right.
In the series opener last Saturday, the Rams handed MacArthur its first loss this spring with Brown starring in the circle and with the bat in a 5-1 decision. Her two-run homer in the third and clutch pitching in the fifth and sixth, when the Generals loaded the bases with two outs, was the difference. Junior Madeline Millman reached base three times and scored twice.
Ron Manfredi/Herald photoMeaningful connections between students and mentors were celebrated during the Nassau County Bar Association Mentor Program luncheon wrapping up the 26th year of the program that helps local elementary and middle school students.
The event, hosted at Domus, the bar association headquarters in Mineola, included a menu suitable for youngsters and the young at heart featuring macaroni and cheese, pizza, chicken fingers, french fries and lemonade,
For 26 years, the Bar Association mentored students in the late-elementary and middle school levels at Woodland and Clarke middle schools in East Meadow; Great Neck North and South middle schools; Schultz Middle School in Hempstead; Jackson Main and Barack Obama elementary schools in Hempstead; Jericho Middle School; Turtle Hook Middle School in Uniondale; Grand Avenue Elementary School in Uniondale; and Westbury Middle School.
“This program has been in existence for more than a quarter of a century,” Rosalia Baiamonte, the president of the Nassau County Bar Association told the students. “I want you all to know students, that it is a joy for us to have you here and for us to be conducted in your lives in the way that we are, and we hope that you derive as much joy and learning from this as we do from hosting you here.”
Dorian Segure, a law and civic responsibility teacher at Schultz Middle School in Hempstead, was given an award recognizing his outstanding service to the mentor program.
“I have the most pleasing opportunity at this moment to present an award to a man who thinks like a man of action, but acts like a man of thought,” Dorian Glover, an attorney who mentors students at Barack Obama Elementary School in Hempstead, said. “He’s one who on a daily basis shares our beloved profession of law and courts to young people, and if he has touched one person — and we know he has — he has improved our lives in our community.”
Segure brought two students from Hempstead High School, juniors Angie Rivera and Glendy Hernandez, who have gone through the program as middle school students and are now mentoring students in high school.
“It’s really inspirational,” Rivera said. “It’s great work to help students. It’s amazing and me honestly, I love it just being able to see the students grow.
“My brother is a part of the program now in middle school and it’s really nice to see him mature and grow as a person.”
The program has some important names on its roster taking on the roll of mentors. Maxine Broderick, a judge for the Nassau County District Court in the 10th judicial district, has been a mentor at Barack Obama since the beginning.
“I grew up in and was born and raised in the village of Hempstead so I wanted to make a contribution to my local neigh-
borhood,” Broderick said. “There can be a lot of negativity about young people in the Village of Hempstead so when I actually got into the schools; I found out that these kids are great, they’re very eager.”
Randi Bernstein, a guidance counselor at Clarke Middle School said she loves to see the connections the kids make with their mentors.
“I believe it’s a wonderful thing,” Bernstein said. “Students need someone who is a good role model, and talking to someone who’s been successful — it works.”
Grand Avenue Elementary is a recent addition to the program.
Nadine Patterson, a social worker at the school shared that there is heavy emphasis on mentoring in the building, and they’ve had other mentor programs for over 20 years.
“Mentoring is always good, and it’s always a great opportunity for kids to meet outsiders from the school,” Patterson said. “We were so happy to have this collaboration.”
ALAN hOdISh IS the founder of the program that has now finished its 26th year.
StudENtS fROM thE 11 schools that participated in the Nassau County Bar Association Mentor Program got to enjoy a special luncheon on May 25.
MENtORS, MENtEES ANd school officials from East Meadow’s Clarke Middle School enjoyed their lunch.
By Karen Bloom
t’s the end of era. The South Shore Symphony’s distinguished music director and conductor Scott Jackson Wiley will pass on his baton after the orchestra’s performance at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre on Sunday.
Broadway comes to Long Island with Plaza Theatrical’s staging of ‘Mamma Mia,’ based on ABBA’s timeless songs. Journey to the Greek Isles in this jukebox musical. ABBA’s greatest hits are woven into the sunny tale, an ultimate feel-good show. On the eve of her wedding, a bride’s quest to discover her father’s identity brings three men from her mother’s past back to the place they last visited 20 years ago. Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs — from ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Take A Chance On Me,’ to ‘Super Trouper’ and ‘Thank you For the Music’ — an enchanting story of family and friendship unfolds. Relive those ‘70s melodies in a joyous show that’ll have everyone humming along.
The annual concert at the majestic church is a fitting finale to Wiley’s 25-year tenure. The full orchestra — all 80 musicians — demonstrate the breadth and depth of their musicianship performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” The Diocesan Choir with guest soloists — along with organist Michael Bauer, director of music at St. Agnes — also participate. The vast work, lasting nearly 90 minutes, commands a complete orchestra, with extra brass, choir, soprano and contralto soloists.
“This is the third time in 25 years that we’ve played it,” says principal cellist Wayne Lipton, who is delighted the orchestra has another opportunity to perform Mahler’s masterpiece with Wiley at the podium.
“It’s an overwhelming experience with the sound of so many musicians. The music is just incredible,” he says. “It’s a very dramatic piece. Each time we do it, the audience jumps to their feet at the end.”
He expects a similar reaction yet again.
“The organ in the last movement is very powerful. Plus, we have a huge amount of brass, five trumpets and 11 or 12 French horns. So that’s a lot of firepower, plus two harps and the organ. You add it all together and it’s a powerful statement. If I were going out as a conductor, this is the piece I’d want to conduct. We’re so pleased to play it as his swan song.”
By Karen Bloom
• June 4, 7 p.m.
From their roots in the Five Towns back in 1983, the South Shore Symphony has grown and flourished as a regional orchestra of note. For much of that time, Lipton — as the orchestra’s president since 1991 — and Wiley, who came on board in 1997, have been a forceful presence in guiding the orchestra through its many phases of growth.
Thursday, June 1, 2 p.m.; Friday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 4, 2:30 p.m., $49, $45 seniors. Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont. For tickets, visit PlazaTheatrical.com, or call (516) 599-6870.
• Free admission; $20 per person suggested donation
• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• St. Agnes Cathedral, 29 Quealy Place, Rockville Centre
“When Scott arrived, we were playing at South Shore Middle School. Since then, we’ve grown exponentially,” Lipton says. “For me, I’ve learned the orchestral repertoire as principal cellist. He took his time with us and challenged us. One of his greatest attributes is as a teacher.” (Wiley taught at Mannes College and as a diction coach in Italian, French, Spanish and Catalan, among his other roles).
• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum
“I’m proud to have been the music director of the South Shore Symphony for these past 25 years and to be named its Conductor Laureate,” Wiley says. “It’s been immensely rewarding to have worked in close collaboration with Wayne Lipton, an important leader in the community. Through the orchestra’s residency at the Madison Theatre and under its director Angelo Fraboni, we have established an enduring bond with Molloy University, and have forged extraordinary musical partnerships.
• Visit SSSymphony.org for information
“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.
“I am also proud as well to have founded and directed Long Island Lyric Opera, under the sponsorship of Marty Bevilaqua, and to have brought operatic masterpieces by Mozart, Bizet and Puccini to the Madison Theatre. A home for all serious orchestral musicians, I am particularly pleased that the South Shore Symphony continues to draw an ever-increasing number of its players from the ranks of the gifted and dedicated music teachers of Long Island, who are the true stewards of music in the community.
Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.
The orchestra’s move to the then-newly opened Madison Theatre on the Molloy University campus in 2012 brought Wiley and his orchestra to greater prominence. New collaborations included a yearly performance of “The Nutcracker” with local dance company, Leggz Ltd. Dance. There was also opera and musical productions with University’s CAP21 theatre arts students, and special guests.
“I’m honored to pass the baton to maestro Adam Glaser, of Hofstra University and the Juilliard School, and I look forward greatly to following the orchestra under his leadership.”
“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”
“It’s been a long and successful trip with Scott,” Lipton adds. “I’m thrilled to have been a part of his life all these years.”
As for Wiley, an accomplished French hornist who also plays the violin, the piano, and the flamenco guitar, it’s a time of transition. But not certainly not “retirement,” in the traditional sense.
This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.
Wiley will remain active as music director of the Centre Symphony Orchestra in Manhattan and as a guest conductor. He will also continue as a conducting teacher and coach, and with his own studies.
His musical journey continues, as it surely does for the South Shore Symphony. “It’s been a wonderful year,” Lipton adds. “This the best orchestra we’ve ever had and a nice way to end our run with Scott. We’re a wonderful family of people creating together and there’s much more to come.”
“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to
Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
It’s time to drag out that neon once again and give your hair its best ‘80s ‘do. Those crazy days are back— as only Jessie’s Girl can pull off. The band of NYC’s top rock/pop musicians and singers gets everyone into that ‘Back to the Eighties’ vibe with a 10th anniversary edition of their popular concert experience. It features a lineup that includes four pop-rock vocalists dressing and performing as ‘80s icons, backed by a dynamic band. Throw on top of that dynamic choreography, audience participation, props, costumes bubbles and confetti — and you have a party that audiences don’t want to leave. Jessie’s Girl has mastered over-the-top renditions of the some of world’s most unforgettable songs, all while dressed up as the iconic characters of that decade. This is theatre meets live music, covered in ‘80s glitz.
Friday, June 2, 8 p.m. $45, $35, $30, $20. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com, or ParamountNY.com.
Can art change the world? It’s a question that’s been at the focus of our collective culture for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, art as a path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.
The Americana singersongwriter visits the Landmark stage, Friday, June 9, 8 p.m., with her timeless songs that blend traditional folk, country, and gospel influences. Iris DeMent is considered one of the finest singer-songwriters in America today, with an inimitable voice as John Prine described, “like you’ve heard, but not really.” Her unforgettable melodies are rooted in hymns, gospel and old country music. Praised for her storytelling and songwriting abilities, her career has spanned over three decades, seven studio albums and collaborations with John Prine, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, among others. On her transcendent new record, “Workin’ On A World,” DeMent faces the modern world — as it is right now — with its climate catastrophe, pandemic and epidemic of violence and social injustice — and not only asks us how we can keep working towards a better world, but implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing. Her songs are her way of healing our broken inner and outer spaces. $43, $38, $33. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.
Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Eye And Mind: The Shin Collection,” highlights the extraordinary collection masterworks assembled by 31-year-old connoisseur Hong Gyu Shin, an internationally recognized figure in the global art world. He shares his treasures, including works by Whistler, Lautrec, Boucher, Daumier, Delacroix, Klimt, Schiele, Balthus, Warhol, de Kooning, Gorky and many other important names from art history provocatively juxtaposed with the painting and sculpture of our own time from both Asia and the West. On view through July 9. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure a spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.
Join Nassau County Museum Director Charles A. Riley II, for a Director’s Seminar, Tuesday, June 20, 4 p.m. He’ll discuss “Baldessari and the Making of the Avant-Garde.” John Baldessari’s roster from Cal Arts featured many who would gone on to be art stars. Examine not only Baldessari’s own art but some of the famous assignments offered by the man many consider the most influential art school teacher of the 20th century. Participation is limited; registration required. $40, $20 members. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org or call (516) 484-9337.
Global resort developer Las Vegas Sands, Nassau Community College (NCC) and Long Island University (LIU) will partner to create a new, comprehensive hospitality program for Long Island’s college students.
Here’s what you should know about the program’s potential impact on the Long Island area.
The strategic partnership will generate new career opportunities for students and graduates interested in hospitality management and culinary arts industries, both of which are expected to see significant local job growth if the proposed Sands resort and entertainment center is built.
“We are extraordinarily proud to be working with Long Island University and Nassau Community College to build a world-class hospitality program, creating new pathways to success for Long Islanders,” said Ron Reese Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs for Las Vegas Sands. “We want to make sure that any Long Islander that has the desire to be part of this exciting new industry can build the skills and confidence to join us.”
Together, this collaboration will support sustainable job growth, economic development, and new career opportunities for students on Long Island and throughout the New York metropolitan region.
Who We are:
The partnership is helping build a bridge between the two colleges, empowering NCC graduates to advance their two-year associate’s degrees to four-year bachelor’s degrees at LIU’s nearby campus.
NCC is recognized for outstanding associate’s degrees, certificates, and workforce development programs in hospitality, culinary arts, business, humanities, nutrition, theater, and technology. The collaboration is expected to lead to programs in hotel and casino management, security and surveillance, meetings and banquets, entertainment, and food and beverage. Sands and NCC will explore a variety of learning models, including internship and experiential learning components for students.
With its proximity to the proposed Sands resort, the partnership makes plenty of sense for Nassau Community College.
“Our students will have the opportunity to master the craft of culinary arts inside a modern learning laboratory that is opening next year at 108 Duncan Avenue on the NCC campus in Garden City, New York,” said Dr. Maria Conzatti, acting president of Nassau Community College of the State University of New York. “NCC alumni with an associate’s degree who wish to further their education toward a bachelor’s degree in business hospitality and related majors can seamlessly transfer to one of the nation’s leading private institutions, Long Island University Post campus in Brookville, Nassau County. Locally educated students with convenient access to professional job
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Nassau Community College’s proximity to the proposed worldfamous Sands resort and entertainment center would place our students at the forefront of the hospitality, culinary arts and business industries.
portunities will translate into a wide range of economic and societal benefits to the Long Island community.”
Through the partnership, LIU will also seek approval for additional Bachelor’s and Master’s degree offerings that support in-demand careers in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts.
Long Island University President Kimberly R. Cline supports the project because it will help create new areas of studies within the university.
“We are proud to partner with the Sands Corporation and Nassau Community College to build a stronger economic foundation for our region and create pathways to numerous career opportunities in hospitality and culinary arts,” she said.
This partnership is an extension of Sands’ long history of partnering with educational organizations, investing to build a strong local workforce, and advancing the skills of the hospitality industry in the communities it calls home. The company’s hospitality education initiatives span contributions to higher education
institutions, scholarship programs, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship support from company leaders and experts.
Other examples of Sands’ collaborations with educational institutions include its relationship with Northampton Community College near its previously-owned resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In Las Vegas, the company also co-founded and continues to support the Sands Center for Professional Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Harrah College of Hospitality. In addition, the company recently established a $1 million scholarship program to help advance hospitality careers in Singapore in conjunction with its iconic Marina Bay Sands resort, which also regularly hosts, trains and employs hospitality students onsite through a variety of developmental programs.
The project: Sands is proposing a Long Island integrated resort development that would include outdoor community spaces, luxury hotel rooms and a world-class live performance venue honoring the long legacy of live music at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
There’s more: The resort also would feature celebrity chef restaurants, experiential events and venues, and ballrooms with flexible meeting and conference space. Other planned amenities include high-quality casino gaming, representing less than ten percent of the project’s total square footage; a luxurious day spa; a swimming pool and health club; and a variety of other entertainment programming.
This public-private initiative would be contingent on the Sands being successful in securing the opportunity to develop a multi-billion-dollar resort complex on the site of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. To learn more about the Sands as the world’s preeminent developer and
Last week, plans by Las Vegas Sands to redevelop more than 70 acres at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale took another leap forward as the Nassau County Legislature voted 17-1 to approve the land lease agreement the county unveiled last month.
"The overwhelming bipartisan approval of lease terms with the Sands by the County Legislature affirms that Nassau County has made the right decision," County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, in a statement. "This is the first hurdle to overcome to provide a world-class entertainment center with a luxury spa and hotel, creating thousands of jobs and economic prosperity for Nassau County."
It is an agreement that gives the Sands control over the land, where it intends to build a resort that would include hotels, a casino, outdoor community spaces, meeting and conference space, a performance venue and restaurants for $4 billion.
Within 60 days, the Sands will give the county an additional $54 million. After the casino opens, the county will be guaranteed $25 million in the first three years of operations, and $50 million per year thereafter, Blakeman said at the April news conference announcing the lease agreement.
New York State still needs to approve a gaming license to Las Vegas Sands.
"The approval granted today by the Nassau County legislature is an important step in our company's efforts to secure a New York gaming license and ultimately develop a worldclass hospitality, entertainment and gaming destination," Robert Goldstein, Sands chair and chief executive officer said in a statement.
More than just philanthropy, Sands Cares manifests Sand’s dedication to working hand-in-hand with communities to inspire positive impact. Through Sands Cares, the company integrates corporate giving, nonprofit capacity building and team member volunteerism to address the priorities they’ve identified in communities. Below is a sampling of Sands Cares recent work in Nevada.
Las Vegas-based Green Our Planet is the latest graduate of the Sands Cares Accelerator, a global initiative aimed at advancing nonprofits to deliver greater community impact. Coming out of the three-year journey, Green Our Planet is emerging with sustainable growth in its three Sands Cares Accelerator focus areas: growing its school hydroponics garden program, launching the HydroHealth corporate hydroponics garden program and improving its marketing capability.
Green Our Planet’s hydroponics program blossomed from 20 schools in Nevada to 200 schools in 33 states over the past three years, in part due to its work in the Sands Cares Accelerator. The nonprofit’s other two focus areas of strengthening marketing and launching the corporate hydroponics garden program also contributed to this growth. As part of the new corporate program, every hydroponics garden purchased by a company funds a school hydroponics garden.
“We are now the largest science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) school garden and hydroponics program in the United States,” said
Ciara Byrne, founder and co-CEO of Green Our Planet. “We have been able to mature our organization and infrastructure to meet this growing demand in large part due to the financial support, guidance and mentoring we received through Sands Cares Accelerator.”
Inspired by Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson, the Sands Cares Accelerator marries his legacies of creating successful businesses and giving back to communities through meaningful philanthropic involvement. During the threeyear membership, nonprofits focus on building their capacity in a strategic area or enhancing a program offering to better serve the community. Sands serves as a catalyst and mentor for helping organizations achieve their goals.
“Sands and the Sands Cares Accelerator provided valuable partnership and inspiration during a crucial stage in our organization’s lifecycle,” Byrne said. “Because of the resources we received in this program, Green Our Planet is well positioned for long-term, sustainable growth.”
By the NuMbers7 Number of properties worldwide
1990 Year their first property was opened
42,000
Number of team members worldwide
Las Vegas Sands announced it will contribute $100,000 through Sands Cares to Dress for Success ® (DFS) Southern Nevada. The commitment will support the organization’s core program and its free workforce development services for women who are unemployed and underemployed, as well as fund renovation of its Career Center and computer lab.
Sands’ Team Member resource group for women and their allies, EmpowHER, is consulting on and will provide volunteer support for the Career Center renovation effort.
DFS Southern Nevada is the local affiliate of the leading global nonprofit employment resource for women. The organization empowers women in Southern Nevada to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the develop-
ment tools to thrive in work and in life. Since its founding in 2009, DFS Southern Nevada has helped more than 13,000 women of diverse backgrounds and experiences on their road to achieving economic independence.
“We are honored that Sands has become a key partner in our efforts to empower underserved women to plan and achieve economic independence, putting them and their families on a path to a better life,” Norma Intriago, executive director of DFS Southern Nevada, said. “This critical funding from Sands Cares funding will help us reach more women in Southern Nevada to let them know they are not alone and that they have support to sustainably transform their lives, as well as bolster our Career Center, ensuring we can offer these critical services for years to come.”
Las Vegas Sands Announces a $100,000 Sands Cares Donation to Dress for Success
Support The Whaling Museum by participating in Sandbar restaurant’s Whale of a Drink, Whale of a Cause fundraising effort, now through June 21. Enjoy the Sandbar’s iconic cocktail, the Whalebone, and a portion of the purchase will be donated to the museum. A “mocktail” version is also available. To help promote the fundraiser, mixologist Dan Leopold will offer a mixology demonstration and Whalebone tasting at the Museum’s Whales & Ales event on June 3, 2:30-3 p.m. Funds will support the Whaling Museum’s community education programs during its 2023 summer season. 55 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor. For information, visit SandbarColdSpringHarbor.com.
Support PFY, a division of Long Island Crisis Center, at a 30th Anniversary Benefit celebration, Tuesday, June 13, 6-10 p.m. With drag bingo and performances by Ivy Stalls and Syn; also special guest honoree actor-authoractivist Maulik Pancholy. The event, honoring PFY’s 30 years serving Long Island/Queens’ LGBTQ+ communities, is at Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury. For more information and tickets, go to tinyurl.com/pfyevent2023.
The East Meadow Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to Community Day, Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Head to Senator Speno Park for free fun entertainment, rides, giveways, food and more. 745 E. Meadow Ave.
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.
Get your game on at a weekly bingo game at East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, in East Meadow, starting at 6 p.m. Prizes, progressive games, bell jar prizes and refreshments will be provided.1400 Prospect Ave. Proof of vaccination is required. For information, contact (516) 483-4205
Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure, Saturday, June 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and listen to Arnold Lobel’s “Frog and Toad Are Friends.” Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens. org or contact (516) 333-0048.
Wantagh’s historic Temple B’Nai Torah is part of the cause to provide pantries and shelters with fresh produce, Mark your calendar and join in a garden party on June 10. 2900 Jerusalem Ave. For more information send an email to rfauci@gmail.com.
Colin Jost
The SNL star brings his standup act to The Paramount stage, Thursday, June 1, 8 p.m. As one of SNL’s main writers, he’s never at a loss for words. $89.50, $79.50, $69.50, $59.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 7453000 or Ticktmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
Back by popular demand, families will enjoy a musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Thursday and Friday, June 1-2, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Saturday, June 3, 2 p.m. Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with swiney suspense perfect for young audiences. Together with nutty backup singers, The Squirrelles, the comedic duo even gets the audience involved in the action. $9 with museum admission ($7 members), $12 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org
Enjoy a musical interpretation of the classic novel at Westbury House, Friday, June 9, 7-10 p.m. Before there was Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote “The Beautiful and Damned”: a story that delves into the psychological tribulations of, at first, having everything you’ve ever wanted. What first presents itself as a beautiful love story quickly turns harrowing as the characters struggle to keep themselves afloat. As New York City tumbles into the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald’s characters tumble down a financial and psychological spiral they may never recover from. This adaptation by Long Island native Brooke Di Spirito combines Fitzgerald’s meticulously detailed novel with the elements of a stage musical: a brand new script, score, choreography. Reservations required. $40. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.
A multivehicle crAsh, which began in East Meadow and ended in Bellmore, caused several injuries and led to one arrest. A tractor-trailer overturned in the parking lot of the North Bellmore Stop & Shop after striking several cars, police say.
seven vehicles, four adults and two children suffered minor injuries and were transported to an area hospital for treat-
A 16-year-old student passenger on the school bus also suffered a minor injury, and was treated at the scene.
The operator of the tractor-trailer, Maxwell Taylor, 56, was arrested without further incident. He suffered minor injuries, and was also transported to a hospital for treatment.
not stop and continued southbound, colliding with seven occupied vehicles near Stop & Shop on Jerusalem Avenue in Bellmore, before it overturned in the grocery store’s parking lot.
As a result of the collision with the
Taylor is charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an incident. He was released on an appearance ticket, returnable to the First District Court in Hempstead on June 14.
–Jordan Vallone■ An Amazon package was reportedly stolen by an unknown suspect on Vista Lane in Levittown on May 16.
■ An East Meadow woman reported that the catalytic converter was stolen from her car while parked on 6th Street on May 17.
■ On Front Street in East Meadow, a woman reported that $50 was stolen from her parked car on May 17.
■ A man reported that the catalytic converter was stolen from his car while parked on Henry Street in Bellmore on May 17.
■ A man reported that various items were removed from his car while parked on Clocks Boulevard in Massapequa on May 21.
■ A woman reported that her Garmin GPS was stolen from her car while parked on North Delaware Avenue in Massapequa on May 23.
■ On Merrick Road in Wantagh, CVS reported that an unknown suspect stole five cases of beer from the store on May 23.
■ On Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, CVS reported that an unknown man stole various items from the store on May 24.
■ Shane A. Buckley, 28, of Oceanside, was arrested on May 20 for allegedly shoplifting from 7-Eleven on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow.
■ Alexandra Fairfull, 37, of Bellmore, was arrested on May 22 for allegedly shoplifting from Target on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown.
■ On Weaving Lane in Wantagh, a man reported that unknown suspects damaged his rear sliding door on May 19.
People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.
When it comes to thinking about the coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy to focus on how youngsters were affected in terms of their education. But youth sports took a big hit due to the restrictions during the pandemic — and some East Meadow organizations did their best to make sure that kids could stay active.
Depending on the sports season, some were in full swing when the pandemic shut things down. Different precautions needed to be taken so that sports could finish, or start their seasons.
For the East Meadow Baseball and Softball Association whose season starts in March, they were among the first to be affected.
“We got hit very hard with Covid because in the beginning both the Town and the County had restrictions on using public places,” Steve LaSala, commissioner of the association, said. “We had no games scheduled in the beginning until they started relaxing some of the outdoor requirements.”
To allow kids to play and be active, while also making sure that everyone was staying safe, the associations separated kids in the dugout as well as move some of them onto the bleachers to maintain social distancing.
LaSala said that they had each team use a different baseball to avoid cross contamination, there was no sliding allowed to avoid touching, and masks were worn until they were no longer so heavily required.
Games were difficult to schedule because time was needed between each game to sanitize everything. Everyday the bathrooms were sanitized three to four times. The dugouts were disinfected twice a day on weekdays, and during their busy time on weekends, they were cleaned after every game. The association had an outside company come in to make sure everything was up to par.
“It was tough,” LaSala said. “Even though we were outside and tried to do social distancing it was difficult at times. Part of us were happy that kids were back playing after everyone was inside for a while.”
What really hit the association hard, though, was the drop in registration.
“Our registration dropped that first year,” LaSala recalled, “probably close to 60 percent.”
The registration numbers are slowly creeping back up, LaSala said, but they’re still not back to pre-pandemic enrollment. They used to have roughly 1,400 kids registered and now they’re only around 1,000.
For the Salisbury Mens Athletic Association’s flag football league, whose season runs from September to the end of November, they tried their hardest to keep the league running.
Pre-pandemic they had about 350 kids who would sign up for the league. They came out of it with about 310 kids, and are now working their way to the roughly 330.
The biggest issue for the league was filling in spots when someone got Covid, or had to stay home due to being exposed by a family member or classmate.
“We had to navigate playing with less kids or borrowing a kid from a different team just so you had enough to play,” Dave Schwarz, the head director for the league. “It just showed how interconnected we all.”
It got tough, he said, when everyone was so close to each other and following the path of exposure.
“You had parents doing the right thing calling us up and saying, ‘look, my son was exposed to so and so who he sits next to in class,’ and all of a sudden you’re making phone calls to find out who else was directly exposed,” Schwarz said. “We had to find kids to play in the holes.”
St. Raphael’s CYO basketball program starts in mid-September and goes until March depending on their playoffs. In 2020, Dave Hudzik, the director of the church’s CYO basketball program, had two teams in the final eight. Right before the final game, everything got shut down.
“It was a huge accomplishment,” Hudzik said. “And when it got shut down and we couldn’t play it really stunk.”
For their 2020-21 season, it was wonky. Some parishes decided not to have leagues, and a consultant company came in to talk about different protocols. The season didn’t even start until late February and went until May.
“My whole thing, while on a conference call with all the directors from different parishes that were going to participate, was I don’t care what we have to do, if we can get these kids on the court, and they can play games — that’s the home run,” Hudzik said. “I said that anybody who doesn’t want to participate, doesn’t have to and I’ll keep their spot and they
can come back next year.”
Hudzik said it was him that persuaded the pastor to let the league play.
“I went to him and said, ‘listen, I think we should do it,’” he said. “These kids are home from school, they’ve got nothing going on and they’ve been home all summer and since March.”
The kids played but there was no spectators allowed, and Hudzik said that parents watched through the windows.
During their 2021-22 season it was getting closer to normal, but some parishes still weren’t playing. They had spectators back, but they had to mask, and that’s when things got a little interesting, said Hudzik.
“I had parents, mostly from other programs that came to St. Raphael’s, that were rumbling about the masks,” he said. “But it was what we had to do to get the kids to play and I said I would shut it
MANY YOuth SpORtS were affected by the pandemic. The St. Raphael’s CYO basketball league had to make many changes to have their season.
the SALISBuRY MeN’S Athletic Association’s flag football league had to figure out ways to fill holes on teams when kids got Covid or were exposed.
down if people couldn’t follow the rules.”
LaSala, Schwarz and Hudzik all agreed that the time the away from youth sports and socialization changed the way the kids played when they got back.
“I think sports definitely teaches children fellowship and how to interact a little different from you do in school,” LaSala said. “I definitely think some of the social skills were slow in coming back for the younger ones.”
Kids are meant to be active, Schwarz said.
“Not just social interactions, but everybody knows like from an educational perspective, from a psychological perspective, that kids need to play,” Schwarz said. “For me it was a lot of isolation and that’s bad for kids.”
Not only did socializing skills suffer — the kids moving up were behind on their skills as well.
Excited about summer, but nervous about sharks? There are a few things to know.
Above all, state officials have a comprehensive plan they say will ensure swimmers and boaters will be safe from sharks this summer. Joining forces to make that happen are the state’s parks, recreation, and historic preservation office, along with the environmental conservation department and the state police. All will increase surveillance along every state park beach.
“With New Yorkers and visitors alike preparing to enjoy our beautiful Long Island beaches all summer long, their safety is our top priority,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said, in a release. “I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities, follow guidance, and take precautions to ensure a safe and responsible beach trip this summer.”
How state officials will patrol parks deserves a big thanks from technology. Some 18 drones will monitor beaches for sharks — up from eight last year, Nearly three-dozen state staffers — from police to lifeguards — have or will be trained, all by Fourth of July weekend.
Two new Yamaha WaveRunners — what many might know as jetskis — have been assigned to lifeguards to patrol both Jones Beach and Robert Moses state parks.
To keep swimmers away from high levels of fish activity — where sharks are more likely to prowl — buffer zones will be created between swimming areas and surf fishing areas.
“The action being taken along the South Shore of Long Island will give us eyes in the sky and along the coastline,” state parks commissioner Eric Kulleseid said. “Over the past two seasons, we’ve learned that drones are the most effective mecha-
nism to detect environmental conditions that could attribute to shark activity.”
Those environmental conditions include areas with seals, schools of fish, diving birds, and murky water. Shark activity also can be higher at dusk, night and dawn, according to experts.
Should a shark be sighted at any beach, swimming will be suspended for at least one hour. That sighting then will be referred to the Long Island Coastal Awareness Group,
an environmental organization which consists of more than 200 people from municipalities, agencies, and private beach operators from Queens and Long Island.
There was higher-than-usual amount of shark activity off of Long Island last summer, including one documented shark attack on Jones Beach. Other places on the island with confirmed shark attacks included two on Smith Point Beach, and one each on Ocean Beach, Seaview Beach, and Fire Island.
The Ocean Beach attack was identified as a sand tiger shark, which is native to Long Island’s waters. Typically docile, these are the sharks one might see on a trip to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.
One of the attacks at Smith Point Beach was confirmed to be a tiger shark — most likely a juvenile.
None of the attacks were fatal, but the increased activity prompted the environmental conservation department to ease fears. State biologists Jim Gilmore and Chris Scott made two things clear to reporters last year — shark activity is not as dangerous as “Jaws” might lead you to believe. And shark activity means the environment of Long Island waters is doing well.
According to Gilmore and Scott, Long Island beachgoers may have let their guard down in recent years because the environment had not been thriving enough to support normal levels of shark activity.
“Many of our coastal shark species are protected now because they had declined,” Gilmore said, at the time. “And they were an important predator in the marine environment. So overall, this is good news for the marine environment and our ecosystems.”
Scott emphasized that seeing these ocean predators at Long Island beaches is completely normal.
“If you went to the woods in Alaska, you might see a bear,” he said. “If you go to the ocean here on Long Island, you might interact with a shark.”
Michael Malaszczyk/Herald file
By mallorY WilSon mwilson@liherald.com
Two new monuments have joined Eisenhower Park’s Veterans Memorial in field 6 ahead of Memorial Day. The area was packed on May 28 as a Memorial Day service was conducted.
One of the new monuments was dedicated to disabled veterans of Nassau County. The other paid homage to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials said this monument is Long Island’s first memorial honoring those who served in those areas.
The Iraq and Afghanistan monument is made up of four large granite slabs with messages engraved on them. In the middle sits a bronze battlefield cross complete with boots, a rifle and a helmet. The etchings on the slabs depict maps of Iraq and Afghanistan showing where some of the main battles took place. The outer two slabs show soldiers with touching quotes.
“When our values and freedoms are tested there are volunteers that answer our country’s call. We call them soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines,” one slab reads.
“The values of a country can we measured in the character and compassion of the men and women who defend those values,” the other reads.
Veterans from across the county came to Eisenhower to see the monuments.
“This is very special,” said Steve Seidenstein, 41, of Bellmore, who served in multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. “This is the time to honor our fallen brothers and sisters who have
given the ultimate sacrifice and to appreciate all the service that they and all of us do currently to keep America free.”
Seidenstein said he comes from a military family and that is what ultimately led him to serve. He was a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division and later served as a military police officer.
“This is why we’re here,” Frank Salamino, quartermaster of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 2736 in East Meadow, said. “We have to pay honor to the people who are fallen veterans. This monument is important because no one noticed them until 20 years later.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR
ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES
TRUST 2007-1
MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1, Plaintiff, Against KAREN JONES A/K/A
KAREN B. JONES A/K/A
KAREN B. LICHTENSTEIN, et al.
Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 03/24/2023, 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 6/12/2023 at 2:00 PM,
premises known as 769 Van Buren 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 in at East Meadow, Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.
4
Section 50 Block 436 Lot
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $765,254.16 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 601311/2019
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.
Peter Kramer, Esq.,
Referee. (Phone #: (516) 510-4020) McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 4/20/2023 File
Number: 16-301208
LD 139462
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Pltf. vs. XENOPHON ANAXAGOROU, et al, Defts. Index #601442/2020. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Feb. 28, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on June 27, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. premises k/a 1844 McKinley Ave., East
Meadow, NY 11554 a/k/a Section 50, Block 172, Lots 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Said property beginning at the corner formed by the intersection of the Southerly side of Aberdeen St. and the Easterly side of McKinley Avenue, being a plot 100 ft x 100 ft. Approximate amount of judgment is $617,510.72 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the sale. RALPH MADALENA, Referee. PINCUS LAW GROUP PLLC, Attys. for Pltf., 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556. #100374 139720
along with other elected officials, and members of various veterans organizations came to show their respect and support for those who served and the new pieces.
“It’s touching, it’s very touching,” Lecia Rodriques-Whyte, who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years and in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, said about seeing the monument, “(It) makes you remember soldiers that died because of hidden wars or tragedy in the military, but it’s touching and I think it’s beautiful. We deserve it.”
Rodriques-Whyte, 65, of Elmont, is the commander of the American Legion Post 1033 in Elmont. She also works with a lot of soldiers in mental health at the Brooklyn VA hospital. She said that people shouldn’t judge homeless veterans on the streets.
“There’s a lot of hidden wars,” she
said. “Soldiers have suffered so much in the military with different types of illnesses, and they come home and it really bogs them down.”
The funds for the monument were raised by various veterans groups, said Kevin Colón, the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Levittown-Island Trees Post 9592. They raised more than $100,000 for the piece itself, and the County paid for the installation.
Colón, 42, is a Marine Corps veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and 2004.
“We wanted to make this monument inviting to all members of the veteran community and their families,” Colón said. “I felt it was important to recognize Iraq and Afghanistan, and ensure that our Gulf War veterans finally received the recognition that they deserve.”
H ebrew Academy of Long Beach seeks educators to join our exceptional school faculty in fostering a culture of academic exploration and excellence and dedication to spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth of all students. We are currently looking for candidates in the following divisions:
Lev Chana Early Childhood: Early Childhood Assistant Teachers
HALB Elementary School: Assistant Teachers
Part Time Morah
Middle School Morah
Full Time Rebbe
Middle School Math Teacher
DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys:
English Teacher
Science Teacher
Learning Center Teacher
Assistant College Guidance Counselor
SKA High School for Girls:
Graphic Design Teacher
Ivrit Teacher
Halacha Teacher
AP Computer Science Teacher
To learn more about our school community, please visit www.halb.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please send resumes or inquiries to resumes@halb.org
The Monticello CSD is seeking forward thinking and dynamic School Building Principal who can lead MCSD’s highly engaged faculty, staff, parents, students, and community. The successful candidate will have a vision of educational excellence, be highly motivated, and demonstrates an ability to impact student learning.
Starting Salary: $150,000
NYS SDA/SAS/SBL Certification Required plus 2 yrs. of previous administrative leadership and 3 yrs. exp as a classroom teacher preferred.
Please apply online by June 15th at https://monticelloschools.tedk12.com/hire or OLAS EOE 1134561216569
The successful candidate should possess: Knowledge of research-based instructional programs & practices; exp. w/ teacher supervision & evaluation; a record of successfully improving learning experiences and enhancing school to home communication; and can provide a supportive environment with knowledge of social-emotional competencies, restorative practices, and promote a culturally responsive educational climate.
Salary Range: $95,000 to $105,000
NYS SDA/SDL/SBL Certification Required plus 3 yrs. exp as a classroom teacher preferred.
Please apply online by June 15th at https://monticelloschools.tedk12.com/hire or OLAS EOE
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Enjoy the summer breeze from your inviting porch, then step inside and be greeted by a stunning formal living room, spacious formal dining room, and eat-in kitchen which features an island and room for a full dining table with a convenient laundry room beyond. Continue on to the oversized den with a cathedral ceiling, skylights, and cozy woodburning stove you can enjoy on a chilly night. Swinging French doors open to an inviting paver patio overlooking the expansive, fully fenced-in yard, large enough for you to add an inground pool, sport court, and more. The second floor boasts a king-sized primary bedroom (once two separate bedrooms) with a jacuzzi-tub en suite plus two additional bedrooms. Hall stairs lead to the thirdfloor attic which is perfect for storage. With a detached 2-car garage, this property has it all. $1,149,000.
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Q. We finally found a home and have fixing-up to do. The first thing is new roofing. We interviewed roofers. One told us he “cuts” in the valleys where the roof meets, and another said he would not recommend that. What do you recommend, and are there other things we should know? The gutters are old and sagging, and not really draining, either.
A. A roof is one of the first things any home buyer should look at before a purchase. The slope of the land and the roof condition are very important.
Roof shingles are chosen depending on the slope of the roof. For example, a steeper slope will get greater wear due to the velocity of the running water, so a heavier architectural shingle is my first choice. Thinner shingles can be used on less sloped roofs, although I recommend the longerlasting, more heavily constructed shingles for steep and low slopes anyway, because they tend to last longer.
If the slope of the roof is less than 3 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontally, called a 3-in12 pitch, then you should pay more attention to the underlayment. You should pay more, and get the self-adhering, flexible membrane, often referred to as “ice and water shield,” although that is actually a trade name of W.R. Grace. The code refers to the membrane as “ice barrier underlayment.”
The current building code allows for roofing shingles on a 2-inch to 12-inch pitch, but be mindful that building codes establish the minimum requirement, and failure can easily occur on a lower sloping roof when ice forms and water pools and backs up under the shingles and through the hundreds of nail holes that were made when the shingles were nailed into place. Flexible membrane underneath has performed very well over the life of roofing, and grips the nails to limit leaking, but be safe and have the membrane installed across the entire roof. The code requires only that the membrane be installed around the perimeter edges of the roof and on either side of the roof ridge.
As for cutting the valleys — the troughs where the roofs join — I understand that many roofers like the look and believe that seeing the clean metal valley is better because the water runs faster, but the tradeoff is that any time you cut a material and create a joint, the possibility for water penetration is increased. Ice and snow buildup in the valley can cause water to dam and get into the roof.
I recommend weaving the valleys by alternating the shingles and not exposing the valley trough, which should still be installed underneath the woven shingles, over membrane, because, as I have often written, redundancy is the most important thing in construction to prevent leaks. Have the gutters installed so that the downspouts are attached at corners, on trim. It’s a cleaner look. Good luck in your new home!
© 2023 Monte LeeperReaders 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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Long Islanders have all kinds of non-romantic love affairs. They love their school boards, their teachers and their garbage collectors, and they even show some love for their utility companies. But when things go wrong, the love affair is over. That applies especially to the companies that provide electricity, gas or cable service. The shortest of the love affairs is when the lights go out for a long period of time.
The problems with lighting companies date back to the early 1960s, when the Long Island Lighting Company was Public Enemy No. 1. Those of you who were living on Long Island at the time should remember that just uttering the word LILCO would get somebody mad. It was a powerful organization that had many friends in high places, but it made mistake after mistake, and its ratepayers wanted heads to roll. The company’s biggest calamity was when power was knocked out for weeks while its chair-
man was in Italy. He didn’t come home until it was too late, and that was the moment of truth.
For the following 20 years, ratepayers demonstrated, howled, screamed and went to war against LILCO, demanding that the state take it over. In 1988, Gov. Mario Cuomo signed a bill establishing the Long Island Power Authority, whose sole purpose was to take over LILCO and keep the lights on forever. LIPA bought out LILCO, and took over its workforce and operations. LIPA did a decent job, but it was always understood that someday the Long Island operation would be contracted out to a larger utility company.
Around 2010, LIPA decided to publicly ask the utility industry to consider operating on the island. Two companies, Con Edison and Public Service Electric and Gas, offered to become the power provider. Con Ed was well known, but many new arrivals from New York City had a bad taste in their mouths from its service, and PSEG began to get serious consideration. It had a lot of friends in high places, and in a short time won the con-
tract to provide electrical power to Long Island’s 1.3 million residents. The utility got a bad break when, two days after its contract took effect, the Island was hit with a major snowstorm, but we Islanders can be very forgiving, and PSEG was spared any criticism.
The romance with PSEG continued for quite some time, until we had three 100year storms in one year. Thousands of ratepayers were without power for weeks, and the company’s response was slow and inefficient. Part of the reason it was unable to get its customers post-storm relief was the aged power system. Its communication operation, as well, was antiquated, and the grid had to be made stronger and more efficient. That took money, and that meant rate increases. PSEG began taking long-overdue steps such as massive tree trimming, but the bonds of love had already broken.
Over the past few years, there has been a new effort to get the state to consider letting the power system be managed locally again, but with a whole new approach: municipalization, which means that LIPA would be overseen by a
whole new bunch of local citizens who would be responsible for its operation. The state created a commission and gave it $2 million for hearings and consultants. To date, the process has fallen flat, and it will be some time before it gets moving ahead again.
There are two things wrong with the drive to let John Q. Citizen run the power system. First of all, why not sit down with other power companies and see if they are willing to be the operators? It’s possible that we can find a company with the credentials to keep the lights on without jumping into some untested, citizenrun operation.
Second, even if we can’t immediately find a suitor, giving a group of local neighbors the power to dictate to professionals is a very dangerous move. Long Islanders don’t ask for much in the course of the average day. They need their lights to stay on, and the best way to accomplish that is to have people running our system who know what they’re doing.
Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.
Of course, we must have a summer to take up the subject of summer reading. Which reminds me of a great book about Krakatoa, which was blown to oblivion in 1883 when a volcano erupted, creating what became known as the year without a summer. The book “Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded,” by Simon Winchester, explains that the massive volume of debris thrown into the atmosphere darkened the world for months, not just in Indonesia, but around the globe.
of those people who eventually combusts from the pressure of awful news in the world and starts screaming at the TV or running down the street with my hair on fire. When I was a kid, my escape from stress was reading, and it still is. Still, it’s so hard to concentrate when I see with my own eyes glaciers the size of Rhode Island breaking off the Antarctic continent.
Possibility of Life,” by Jaime Green, on the search for other life in the universe. Think of it as the ultimate escape: Who’s out there, and how can we make contact? Spoiler alert: They won’t come in human form.
nonfiction account of an American soldier who goes back to Afghanistan after the war. His mission is to find the man who worked with him in country and help him escape.
RANDI KREISS
Anyway, what I was saying is that we’ve had plenty of chill winds this spring, but the days ahead look promising. If you’re still in indoor mode, you might pick up Winchester’s book and commiserate with the millions of people in the 19th century who lived in the shade of Krakatoa. I would put that book in the category of “escape,” and I would add a few to the list for those reading to run away. Heaven knows, many of us have our traveling pants on. I feel as if I could become one
But we must persist. Add to the escape literature a blockbuster by a prince of a guy, Harry, the Duke of Sussex. He narrates “Spare,” the audible version of his memoir, in a warm and ironic voice. His tone is intimate and his affect is humble. The royals are an endless source of skullduggery and palace intrigue. This book is infused with tasty morsels of delicious gossip.
Also, pick up “Priestdaddy,” by Patricia Lockwood, the comic memoir of her childhood in a rectory as the daughter of a priest. She uses her own life as copy, and she gets why it would be an entertaining subject even for those of us whose fathers aren’t priests but just fathers.
One more on that list would be “The
If distraction and escape aren’t possible, if you’re too consumed by the political and cultural moment, then just give in and read deeply and widely so you can broaden your base of information and at least understand why the world is going to hell.
I’m leaning toward nonfiction and short stories these days. Try “The Great Leveler,” by Walter Scheidel. In this wellreviewed nonfiction book, he argues that only catastrophes like pandemics and great, violent upheavals like world wars can ever address economic inequality. Hey, you’re depressed anyway — might as well be educated as to why.
“The Soul of America,” by the great Jon Meacham, is a glorious history that basically asks, over many illuminating pages: How do we save our democracy?
“The Naked Don’t Fear the Water,” by Matthieu Aikins, is a timely and telling
“Tenth of December,” on the other hand, is both escapist and deep. The short stories by George Saunders — author of the popular and weird “Lincoln in the Bardo” — are challenging, but you can do it. They require concentration and focus, and that’s a good thing, because it means you may be able to tune out the news. I can’t begin to explain the stories; they defy summarizing. But I urge you to read them and absorb what Saunders has to say about our American culture.
Finally, you can read any number of books about the rise of Donald Trump, the end of civility in America, the undermining of our democracy and the threat of totalitarianism. But if you truly want to examine the real possibilities of the past serving as prologue to the present, try a nonfiction masterpiece, “Hitler,” by Ian Kershaw. One critic called it “mesmerizing,” and said that what was most amazing was the number of opportunities when Hitler might have been stopped in his mad rise to power. Nuf said.
Copyright 2023 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
Broaden your base of info, and understand why the world is going to hell.
B ut giving neighbors the power to dictate to professionals is dangerous.JERRY KREMER
Established 2001
Incorporating:
Memory loss is common as we get older. Going to the grocery store and forgetting what you went there for. Trying to remember the name of an actor from your favorite movie. Even panicking because you have no idea where you left your keys.
These are experiences many people can relate to, especially once you reach your 50s.
But memory loss may be more than just a sign of aging. It can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. More than 55 million people worldwide live with the disease or another type of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Now is a great time to get checked, because early detection could make a major difference in how the disease progresses.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but doctors recommend medications like galantamine, rivastigmine and donepezil. They’re helpful, according to the National Institute on Aging, because they prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which is important for memory and learning.
Put simply, the drugs help nerve cells communicate.
There are opportunities for everyone to observe Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. Spreading the word about the
To the Editor:
importance of being tested for the disease as well as learning about the different types of dementia is something everyone should do.
And knowing the signs of Alzheimer’s can help you help others. The most obvious, of course, is memory loss — specifically about recent events. Difficulty completing tasks that were once part of your routine is another. And sometimes people’s personalities change, and they may become more aggressive, angry or hopeless.
Not being able to find the right word to express oneself is often another sign, as is an inability to do tasks that were once routine.
And while it might not seem related, it really is important to prevent and address hearing loss, even if it involves buying hearing aids. According to Johns Hopkins, hearing loss is estimated to account for 8 percent of dementia cases. Scientists believe hearing loss may actually be a cause of dementia. When you can’t hear, your brain works overtime as it strains to hear and fill in the gaps, which comes at the expense of other thinking and memory systems.
Researchers are also finding that hearing loss causes people to be less engaged. We can all think of a relative who sits in a corner and doesn’t participate at family functions, complaining they can’t hear
The Herald seemed intent on misleading its readers as to the actions of U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in last week’s story “D’Esposito wants George Santos out of Congress.”
The article stated that D’Esposito “spoke out in support of a resolution to expel his fellow Long Island Republican representative,” leaving the impression that he did all he could to remove Santos from Congress.
What the article left out, however, is that D’Esposito did not vote to expel Santos. Instead, he introduced the resolution that resulted in the matter of expulsion being referred to the House Ethics Committee, which has been investigating Santos since March.
D’Esposito disingenuously defended this vote by claiming that it would be the “quickest way” to rid Congress of Santos. Of course, that is false. The quickest way would have been for the majority of House Republicans — including all those who have called for Santos’ removal — to vote for his expulsion.
Instead, a direct vote on expulsion was blocked by the D’Esposito resolution. While D’Esposito’s rhetoric on Santos is welcome, actions speak louder than words. The people of Long Island and the nation deserved better.
JAy K. GOLDBERG WoodmereTo the Editor: Re Jerry Kremer’s column “Something’s going wrong in Florida” (May 18-24): I totally agree with his observations. Back in the 1970s, I was a Nassau County
Don’t ignore them. It’s important for them to be socially engaged, because they need to remain intellectually stimulated in order to avoid dementia. A little patience and encouragement from those around them can go a long way.
If you do find out you have early signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia, don’t give up. Find ways to train your brain to fight the disease. Do crossword puzzles, word searches, Sudoku. Play chess, or even video games. Challenge yourself to learn new information or skills, like how to knit. Enroll in a class.
And for those who can still find their keys, reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia by getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing your blood sugar.
Looking for a way to make a difference? Help people with Alzheimer’s by volunteering. The Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Center, in Westbury, often has volunteers helping at its day program. They act as companions, and help people with memory loss be creative in arts and crafts. It can be a very rewarding experience.
Until there is a cure for Alzheimer’s, it’s important to take care of yourself by being tested and helping those around you who may need that little push. And it’s important to take care of yourself, too.
Democrat. I spent many days at headquarters in Mineola. Today I’m living in St. Augustine, Florida. When we moved to this area, Ron DeSantis was our congressman. Then, amazingly, Trump propelled him to the governor’s mansion.
I agree totally with Kremer’s assessment of the person I call “DeMentis” because he’s so crazy. With a compliant and willing legis-
as a legislator who served during the height of corruption in Nassau County and witnessed the indictment of former County Executive Ed Mangano, I know firsthand how important it is to have mechanisms in place to protect taxpayer money from the pitfalls of waste and fraud.
Over the past few years, I have worked closely with my colleagues in the County Legislature’s Democratic minority caucus to strengthen the integrity of Nassau’s procurement system and make the process of awarding contracts as fair and secure as possible. We did so by increasing the rigor of our contract reviews; requiring vendors to submit the names of all principals and any political contributions they have made; and mandating the disclosure of any violations an applicant may have been issued.
Soon afterward, we created the Office of the Inspector General and appointed the county’s first inspector general, Jodi Franzese, with unanimous bipartisan
support following an extensive search. After the fights and scandals of the previous years, this was a truly proud moment in my legislative career, and represented real progress in our ongoing efforts to root out corruption in the county.
Operating as an independent official, the inspector general and their team promote transparency and increase the accountability of county operations by reviewing each contract to detect and prevent waste, fraud, and the abuse of taxpayer money in county procurement. Continued support for the office is critical to ensure the integrity of our procurement system — one that encompasses hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
At a time when the county has received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and tens of millions more in settlements from the opioid manufacturers and distributors who flooded our communities with dangerous, addictive prescription drugs, I believe this function is especially vital. And with the Legislature’s vote on May 22, the county is also likely to face an array of substantial contracts in the not-too-distant future relat-
lature, he is turning Florida into our country’s leading autocracy. This state is a stark contrast to what it was when we first moved here in 1992. At that time it was affordable, safe and sane. Today it is expensive, dangerous and crazy.
Kremer is correct in his commentary on the sad social and political conditions in Florida in 2023 under the misguidance of Ron DeMentis. I do not believe he can or will win the 2024 Republican nomination, but I am fearful that he can persuade the state legislature to change the twoterm governorship limit. That would be devastating to a state his policies have already crippled.
RICHARD CORTELL St. Augustine, FloridaTo the Editor:
During the coronavirus pandemic, New York froze. In particular, health care services froze in their tracks under the strain and demand, and shifted to responding to the new threat to the population’s health.
Unfortunately, health care services and interventions not related to Covid-19 were put on the back burner. As a result, nonCovid health issues were not prioritized, resulting in people getting sicker for a variety of reasons.
Although the pandemic was a prioritizing focus for health departments and the government, other issues did not need to be pushed to the side.
One issue that was left behind was the focus on reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases, with an increase in infections reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020. Due to the pandemic restrictions imposed to make people safer, many sexual health clinics and health care providers reduced service or close entirely.
Additionally, government resources previously dedicated to reducing STD rates were redirected to address the pandemic.
This allowed rates of STDs such as syphilis and gonorrhea to increase. This scenario is most harmful to adolescents and young adults, who are at disproportionately greater risk of testing positive for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as the CDC recommends routine testing for this age group. But the pandemic disrupted this routine for many.
In addition, disparities for marginalized communities, such as people of color and men who have sex with men, were exacerbated, with men of color who had sex with men disproportionately testing positive for STDs during the pandemic.
Although the government was required to redirect national health initiatives to address the crisis, a new way forward is needed, because these disparities persist, and there are proven methods of
ed to the redevelopment of the Nassau Hub in Uniondale, the outcome of which will profoundly shape our county for a generation.
However, it appears that there are efforts being made to weaken this crucial government watchdog at a time when I believe it is needed the most.
After her four-year term expired at the end of 2022, Franzese worked for months without being reappointed by the Legislature, putting herself and the entire office in an uncertain position. Without the protection of being formally appointed by a bipartisan, 13-vote supermajority, her ability to accomplish her mission of serving as an independent watchdog was inherently weakened. Our minority caucus introduced legislation in April to extend her contract through 2026. Unfortunately, the majority rejected our proposal.
I can’t help but wonder whether political considerations were a factor in the decision to stall Franzese’s reappointment. Consider this fact: If Republicans capture just one more seat in November, they will establish a 13-vote supermajority in the Legislature. With that, they
would have full control of every arm of county government, and could feasibly install an inspector general who would rubber-stamp whatever contracts come before the Legislature, undermining its ability to provide checks and balances as a truly coequal branch of government.
Such an atmosphere would be a tremendous disservice to county taxpayers. I fear it would also create a fertile breeding ground for a return to the troubles of our recent past at a time when those taxpayers simply can’t afford to go backward.
For all these reasons, I am passionate about preserving and enhancing ethics safeguards like the inspector general’s office. Not only do such entities protect taxpayer money from waste, fraud and abuse, but they also deter future bad actors and help to ensure that elected officials have all the information they need to reach informed decisions. The minority caucus will continue to fight tirelessly to improve the procurement process to make it more open, inclusive and cost-effective, because it is essential for Nassau County to continue down the path of good government and transparency.
Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, of Glen Cove, represents Nassau County’s 11th Legislative District.
Framework by Tim Baker
addressing them. Targeted interventions are required to eliminate these disparities, making better use of our local communities to keeping us healthier going forward.
Redirecting funding back to local organizations and health care providers that are addressing these issues is an impor-
tant start. Go get tested, and stay safe!
DANIEL MORALESThe author is studying for his master’s degree in public health and management at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.
I
t appears there are efforts to weaken this crucial government watchdog.DeLIa DerIGGI-wHItton
