East Meadow Herald 06-08-2023

Coliseum Motor Inn is closed

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

The Coliseum Motor Inn, in East Meadow, was closed by the Town of Hempstead May 30 due to unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, according to town officials.

An inspection of the hotel conducted by the town building department led to its closure. In a statement, Town Supervisor Don Clavin said that Nassau County police worked with other agencies to locate residents.

County spokesman Chris Boyle said that the Department of Social Services relocated 19 people from the beleaguered motel, on Hempstead Turnpike, across the street from Eisenhower Park.

“The safety of residents and neighbors remains a primary concern for the Town of Hempstead,” Clavin said in a statement.

The owner of the motel is listed as Mahadev Equity Partners LLC.

The town monitored the inn closely over the past year due to an increase in crime, Clavin’s office said. While the building is not fully condemned, it is closed and deemed “unfit for human occupancy.”

“Boy, am I glad they busted them finally,” Helen Meittinis, president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue and a resident of Salisbury, said. “I am so glad to hear about that, because there was nothing but crime going

Continued on page 2

Pizzo says old superintendent cost district aid

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

filed incorrectly.

Tim Baker/Herald

VolUNTEERS fRoM foUR churches gathered to make Hope Day happen last Saturday. From left, Michael and Karen Muntzenberger, Lourdes Montes, and Belgica and Jenny Escobar — all from New Hope Church in Westbury — helped make sure guests got what they needed.

Hope Day provides for community members

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

The sound of laughing children running filled the field next to Bowling Green Elementary School last Saturday as guests listened to music, shopped, shared some food, or simply enjoyed spending time together as families. What made it all even better was that it was all free.

That’s what Hope Day is all about — bringing communities together and providing them

with whatever they need.

Hope Day was created in 2012, after a Valley Stream pastor named Steven Milazzo, of Bethlehem Assembly of God, joined the nonprofit humanitarian and disaster-relief organization Convoy of Hope for an event that provided food to Nassau County’s needy. The idea has since spread across the county and the entire tristate area, and this year there were some 35 celebrations.

Hope Day at Bowling Green was started in 2015 by New Hope

Continued on page 19

The East Meadow school district’s administration building once again has a new name after education board members voted to strip a former superintendent’s name from the front of the building changing it to what it was once known as —Salisbury School. The decision was made after a current administrator accused him of “gross incompetence” that may have cost district taxpayers millions.

“There were computers lined up along the wall,” Pizzo said, “and it really looked like an arcade-type office setup.”

Campo, however, denied Pizzo’s allegations that multi-million dollar building projects were improperly “closed out” — a phrased used to describe the process of ending a project and applying for state aid.

“We went after every nickel we could because that’s the way it was,” Campo said. “To my knowledge, we didn’t lose any aid.”

lEoN CAMPo

Patrick Pizzo, East Meadow’s business and finance assistant superintendent, told board members May 24 that during his time as superintendent, Leon Campo mismanaged several projects that he ultimately had to try and fix after the fact. When he started with the district in 2008, Pizzo told the Herald he found “boxes piled up” and business employees searching for scraps of paper and “desperately scrambling trying to put pieces together” because paperwork had been

Former superintendent

Campo started with the district in the 1970s, becoming superintendent in 2006. He officially retired in 2008, but the education board asked him to return to his old job for the 2008-09 academic year. Campo was brought back again as interim superintendent between 2015 and 2017.

Pizzo told board members last month he discovered on his first day as the facilities and operations director in 2008 there were “terminal errors” in closing out projects from the early

Continued on page 4

To my knowledge, we didn’t lose any aid.

on there. It was prostitution, drug sales, and everything else.”

Nassau police reportedly arrested three men last month for allegedly having crack cocaine in their room. The three men were said to be living there.

Clavin’s office said that the unsafe and unsanitary state of the motel was severe. The structural steel was severely damaged, the brick walls were damaged from water intrusion and the outdoor stairways were heavily deteriorated. Because of the poor conditions, there were no adequate emergency exits.

Due to the exterior doors and windows being in poor condition, mold developed inside of the building and there were soiled carpets and flooring. Locks did not functioning properly. The roof was structurally unsound allowing water to enter the motel.

There was missing drywall throughout the motel along with missing or inoperable smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Steve Edmondson, former securities director at the motel around 10 years ago, said that he went to a Uniondale civic association meeting about a month ago where a deputy inspector from the

NCPD‘s 1st Precinct in Baldwin, said that they were going to close down the motel.

“I asked him if he was aware that the social services department has people living there,” Edmondson said. “He said he was well aware but they were going to close the place down because of drug activity.”

Edmondson said he remembers the fire marshal’s office and the police department coming in and giving the previous

owner 64 summonses.

“The old owner used to refuse to put social service recipients in there because it was too much of a bother,” Edmondson said. “They still have a bad clientele.”

He also recalls people being evicted from the Coliseum Motor Inn who would then head to the Bethpage Motel.

Edmondson is also with the Poor People’s Campaign, a nationwide organization that focuses on helping poor and low-

income people, and the Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy group that helps the homeless in New York City. One of his main concerns about the motel closing was whether or not the relocated people have adequate housing.

“We need housing, we need it now,” Edmondson said.

Kiwanis club serves up some flapjacks

East Meadow Kiwanis members donned their aprons and chef hats for the club’s annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on June 4.

Hundreds of community members spent their Sunday eating yummy pancakes, eggs, and sausages at Borrelli’s Restaurant in East Meadow. Since 2020, Frank Borrelli has donated the space for kiwanis to use.

The breakfast has been raising funds for more than 30 years, and is the club’s second-largest fundraiser, behind only the Steven J. Eisman Memorial Golf Outing. Money from the breakfast is used for Kiwanis scholarships for high school seniors and to send underprivileged children to Kamp Kiwanis, a sleep-away summer camp in Taberg, New York.

In addition to breakfast, there was a 50/50 raffle, prizes, and free blood pressure screenings. This year, the 501st Legion, an international organization dedicated to the creation and wearing of detailed replicas of villains from the “Star Wars” universe, stopped by as well.

GlEn CarpEntiEr, a kiwanis member and member of the East Meadow Fire Department made pancakes.

From lEFt, CathErinE Razzano, Michael Simms, Donna Goldstein and Graham Reinhardt all helped out by making pancakes at East Meadow Kiwanis’s annual pancake breakfast.

hundrEds oF panCakEs were made for attendees.

thE striCkland Family, from left,Catherine, Mary, Chris, and Elizabeth enjoyed their pancake breakfast.

Frank BorrElli, Front, owner of Borrelli’s Restaurant and Pizzeria is making and baking for the pancake breakfast with some assistance from Steve LaSala.

Maureen Lennon/Herald photos EvEry yEar East Meadow Kiwanis hosts their annual pancake breakfast event to raise funds for the club. Money from the breakfast is used for Kiwanis scholarships and to send underprivileged children to Kamp Kiwanis.

Campo: They ‘went after every nickel’ they could

continued from front page East MEadow

2000s. During that time, the building aid ratio for East Meadow was 52 percent, according to Pizzo, meaning that the district was eligible for more than half of the project to be paid for by the state.

For more than $55 million of projects, Pizzo alleged, deadlines to receive that aid had passed, resulting in a $29 million revenue loss. His findings were the product of five years of research and review by financial experts, which were then verified by two third-party experts in the field of capital close-outs and financial best practices.

“What he did was gross incompetence,” Pizzo told the Herald. “Lee Campo knows (this information) as well as I know it.”

The projects range from energy efficiency projects to construction. Pizzo says Campo was told of the findings in 2008, prompting Campo to then allegedly direct Pizzo to salvage as much money as he could, but to not share this information with the public.

Pizzo was able to recover nearly $23 million of the lost aid, he said. For close to $27 million of projects, he hired a new architect to come in to inspect projects that were never officially closed. That allowed the 18-month clock districts have to file the closure of a project to restart, ultimately saving more than $14 million in aid.

Another $8 million was added to those savings, Pizzo said, when the state announced an amnesty period in 2012

That left roughly $6 million lost by what Pizzo described as the “negligence of the era prior to my arrival.”

“I started on May 18, 2008,” Pizzo told the board, “and these projects were dead in the water long before then.”

If anything was actually wrong about how Campo managed the school district, it

would’ve been found in the large number of audits school districts go through that are mandated by the state, Campo told the Herald.

“I have been subject to many, many audits, and they don’t sing your praises,” Campo said. “They look at your deficiencies and make recommendations. Anytime somebody’s trying to now, at this point in time, disparage the work, I can say that it’s pure baloney because while the intent is to discredit me, they’re really discrediting very many boards of education, prior superintendents, assistant superintendents, other business officials — no one person runs a school district.”

State audits review expenditures, not revenue, Pizzo said. So, expecting such an audit to discover these issues would be misplaced.

“A lot of our revenue comes from the state,” Pizzo said. “The state’s not going to say, ‘Hey, you didn’t get all the money that you’re entitled to from us. Why didn’t you ask for it?’ Would they do that? There’s just absolutely no reason for them to go and look to help us on that.”

The state always partnered with the school district if projects were in jeopardy, Campo said. He also called the decision to come out with this information now, “carefully orchestrated,” while Pizzo

EduCation board members voted to strip former superintendent Leon Campo’s name from the Leon J. Campo Salisbury Center — reverting back to its original name, Salisbury School — after his former fellow administrator, Patrick Pizzo, accused him of mismanaging district projects that cost the district millions of dollars. Campo denies those allegations.

maintains the education board has known about these issues for years, only deciding now to come public with it because “it was a matter of having the truth come out.”

Depositions are pending for a race and age lawsuit between a former East Meadow school district administrator and the current administration — which includes Pizzo — along with current and former members of the education board. Campo says he’s a witness in the case for the plaintiff, and believes Pizzo has made these claims against him as a way to keep him quiet.

“I don’t run the litigation, I didn’t bring the litigation,” Campo said. “I’m just testifying the truth, and they don’t want that. They know it hurts them individually.”

The board decided to table the rest of the discussion over the claims at the meeting, but an emergency motion was made to change the name of the Leon J. Campo Salisbury Center back to its original Salisbury School. Campo’s moniker was added to the building in 2008 as a way to honor him.

“It was a recognition that I never asked for. Ultimately, it was an honor,” Campo said. “They decided they want to take away that honor, and they’ve got a reason to do it because they can’t get me to yield and give up the truth.”

■

■

Courtesy Patrick Pizzo

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

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.

WHAT THE PROGRAM OFFERS

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!

WORKSITE PARTNERS

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

Don Clavin Supervisor

Remembering James Landrigan on Park Avenue

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

Donna Landrigan said she remembers the sounds of the fire department radio coming through her house when she was growing up. Her father, James Landrigan, was a member of the East Meadow Fire Department Engine Company 2.

James died on September 28, 1977, in the line of duty from cardiac arrest at 49. He was out on a company training in East Meadow. At the time his two daughters Patricia and Donna, were 19 and 15, respectively.

On June 3, the Town of Hempstead dedicated Park Avenue in East Meadow — across the street from Engine Company 2 headquarters — in James’s honor. Members from the East Meadow Fire Department and the Smithtown Fire Department came to support the family.

“I feel honored, excited, all of the emotions are coming through,” Donna said. “It’s been a while since my father’s been gone, so this is just an honor.”

James, known to most as “Jimmy,” joined Engine Company 2 in October of 1961. In 1963, he was elected to the position of second lieutenant, a year later was made first lieutenant and an in 1965 he was made captain. He was made captain again in 1970.

After 15 years of dedication to the department, he was made a life member in 1976.

“Jimmy, as we all know and loved, love the fire service and was a quick learner,” Frank Ciaccio, of the East Meadow Fire Department, said. “Jimmy was an active firefighter who gave his all to his family, Engine Company 2, and the East Meadow Fire Department.”

Ciaccio talked about how much of a mentor

James was to younger firefighters. He shared a story of when a fire broke out during the construction of the Nassau County Medical Center. The building was being fed by propane tanks, and someone desperately needed to go in and turn them off. James didn’t hesitate to go in and shut them off. Another time, he rushed into a house fire to locate a missing child.

“Ex-captain Landrigan risked his life, just as he did on numerous other occasions,” Ciaccio said. “(His) heroic acts today would receive high honors and awards from town, county, and state, but nail then that wasn’t the case — he just did his job.”

Along with spending time as captain, he also served as chairman of the truck committee for the newly designed Mack fire engine in 1970.

The year he died, James finished in fifth place for the most alarm answers in the department. “His commitment to his community, the East Meadow Fire Department, and most of all the awesome members of Engine Company 2, was second to none,” Ciaccio said. “His dedication and commitment set an example for the members of his company who still follow in his footsteps. He’s never been forgotten.”

After he died, his badge number — 248 — was retired so that no one would be able to use it again. A plaque in his honor was made and erected in the firehouse for everyone to see.

“We love our fire departments,” Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said. “We embrace them, they’re our friends, our neighbors, our relatives, fathers, husbands, uncles, grandfathers, wherever it may be, and when we lose somebody that’s important we should take the time to remember them and to honor them.”

Protecting Your Future

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Qualifying for Medicaid to Pay for Long-Term Care

Spend-down. Look-back. Penalty Period. Uncompensated Transfer. These are just some of the terms Medicaid uses to determine eligibility for long-term care coverage. Medicaid is a combined federal and state program that pays for long-term care at home (community Medicaid) or in a nursing facility (institutional Medicaid). Asset, income and gift rules vary for community Medicaid versus institutional Medicaid.

To qualify for community Medicaid, an individual cannot make more than about $1,700 per month and cannot own more than about $30,000 in assets. A married couple cannot make more than about $2,300 per month and cannot own more than about $40,000 in assets. Applicants can “spend down” excess income to the allowed amount by paying for medical expenses.

To qualify for institutional Medicaid, an individual can keep $50 per month (the excess goes to the nursing home) and cannot own more than about $30,000 in assets. For married couples, the spouse at home can keep about $3,700 per month and can own between about

$75,000 and $130,000 in assets. If the spouse at home makes more than $3,700 per month, she may have to contribute some of the excess to the spouse’s cost of care. For married couples, the residence, up to value of about $1,000,000 and one car are exempt (not counted as assets). Everyone can have a burial trust worth up to $1,500 or any amount in an irrevocable pre-paid funeral trust.

Community Medicaid and institutional Medicaid also differ in “look-back” and gift rules. An institutional Medicaid application asks if you transferred (gifted) any assets in the last five years, hence the “five-year look-back period.” If the answer is yes, the transfer creates a penalty period, which causes a period of ineligibility for Medicaid coverage.

Community Medicaid does not currently have a look-back period, so you may transfer assets out of your name this month and qualify for Medicaid next month. New York is considering imposing a new thirty month lookback for community care in 2024. Now is the time to act to protect your assets.

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

the family of exactly what the funeral home and third party costs are at the present time. • Funds to cover those expenses can then deposited in our FDIC insured PRE

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

Mallory Wilson/Herald

FAMILY, ANd FRIeNdS of James Landrigan, and members of the Town of Hempstead gathered on June 3 to dedicate Park Avenue in Landrigan’s honor.

Supporting troops with food-filled baskets

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 —

Author Laurie Lico Albanese returns to hometown

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

Gillen announces second run for Congress

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

In a surprise announcement only months after losing her re-election bid to represent the Fourth District in Congress, Democrat Laura Gillen said Wednesday morning that she plans to run for the seat she lost to Republican Anthony D’Esposito.

She came out with a blistering attack against D’Esposito, saying he is aligned with the extreme elements of the GOP.

Gillen, a Democrat who had been Hempstead town supervisor, lost to D’Esposito in November’s election in what was widely regarded as a Republican sweep on Long Island.

In an early morning statement Wednesday, Gillen said she is running “because public service can be a noble calling that makes people’s lives better; but too many in Washington care about political gamesmanship, sound bites and photo opportunities than actually making real progress for our families.”

Gillen, a lawyer, returned to private practice after her loss to D’Esposito, a former New York City police officer and Hempstead town board member. During the fall campaign, D’Esposito, like other Long Island Republicans, hammered on the theme that Democrats were soft on crime.

In a phone interview, Gillen said she had decided to run for several prime reasons including the continuing gun violence across the country and the Republicans’ position on the debt crisis.

Republicans insist that President Biden reduce spending before they will agree to raise the debt ceiling.

In the brief interview, Gillen said D’Esposito had been “soft” on common sense gun control.

“You can’t be strong on crime and soft on control,” she said.

Despite D’Esposito’s fund-raising abilities so far, Gillen said she was certain she would be able to raise the money necessary to run for office.

She said she was entering the race early to be able top raise money, meet with voters and put forward her views on gun violence and the debt crises.

In her statement, Gillen noted that she is a lifelong resident of the 4th C.D., which includes Long Beach, Oceanside, and Rockville Centre, among other communities.

Gillen attacked D’Esposito, saying he “has aligned himself” with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, a Georgia Republican who persistently advances false theories that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

Gillen said D’Esposito “celebrates putting our economy on the brink of collapse and cutting critical national programs for public safety, veterans, seniors and our schools.”

Regarding the economy, Gillen was referring to ongoing talks between Biden and congressional Republicans about ways to resolve the national deficit.

“Historically,” Gillen said, “Long island’s congressional delegation had a long tradition of bipartisan representation where voices on both sides collectively advocated for residents from Atlantic beach to Montauk. We need to reclaim that

tradition to ensure our concerns are addressed no matter the political landscape.”

She also said “tirelessly work to finally pass common sense gun legislation that will protect our families.”

During the fall campaign, D’Esposito did not press for new gun legislation.

Matt Cap, a spokesman for D’Esposito, said, “Nassau County voters have already rejected Laura Gillen’s soft-oncrime policies as well as her record of support for raising taxes.

Congressman D’Esposito looks forward to campaigning on his record of lowering taxes, slashing wasteful federal spending and protecting neighbors in New York’s 4th Congressional District.”

D’Esposito succeeded Kathleen Rice, representing most of southern Nassau County at the federal level, putting a Republican in the office for the first time since Daniel Frisa lost re-election to Carolyn McCarthy in 1996. McCarthy served nine terms before retiring in 2015, and Rice has represented the district ever since.

Aside from D’Esposito, Republicans elected George Santos to congress from the North Shore’s Third District.

Above all, Republicans have attacked their Democratic opponents on the issues of crime and inflation, linking what they described as “liberal” bail reform laws on recent rises in crime, and blaming Democrats for the dogged inflation that continues to affect the economy.

D’Esposito focused his congressional campaign on affordability, promising more

funding to local schools, increased access to health care, eliminating the cap on state and local tax exemptions, and combating congestion pricing.

Throughout his race for congress, D’Esposito also stressed the importance of a limited, fiscally responsible government. He said numerous times that he will cut wasteful spending in Washington, and that a small government approach will help correct inflation.

The campaign trail was not free of jabs back and forth. Democratic campaign literature portrayed D’Esposito as an extremist on issues like abortion and guns, claiming he might support a nationwide ban on abortion and allow weapons of war on New York streets.

D’Esposito denied to the Herald he would ever support a national abortion ban, but did attack New York laws the he claimed allowed free access to late-term abortion. On guns he asserted that the focus of government should not be writing new laws, but cracking down on illegally possessed weapons.

Republicans meanwhile linked Gillen to a number of national issues on which they portrayed Democrats as weak. Mailers from the New York Republican State Committee declared that Joe Biden and Laura Gillen were raising taxes, responsible for the recent national rise in crime, and allowed fentanyl to flood into Nassau County.

Gillen countered by citing her record as town supervisor, during which time she claimed to have cut taxes.

Gillen has also insisted that a tough on guns approach can help to curb crime.

While Rice herself endorsed Gillen, D’Esposito boasted his own support from a long list of law enforcement groups.

Hebrew School registration open at Chabad

Registration is now open for the 2023-24 school year at the Chabad Hebrew School of Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh.

The Chabad is again offering a one-day-aweek Hebrew school for students in pre-K through eighth grade. Parents can choose a Sunday or Wednesday track.

The Chabad also has a Jewish Teen Club to students in eighth grade, that meets on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon and Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. There, teens can learn about Jewish heritage, gain leadership skills, socialize with other Jewish teens and give back to the community and Hebrew School.

Right now, there is a promotional, early bird discount, valid through June 15 — parents can get $100 off per child. All payments are refundable through June 30.

For program questions, email chs@chabadjewishlife.org or call (516) 833-3057.

For registration and billing questions, email office@chabadjewishlife.org, or call (516) 833-3057 ext. 107.

Visit ChabadJewishLife.org/chs in order to view more on the curriculum, schedule options and registration information.

–Jordan Vallone

Tim Baker/Herald REgISTRATIoN foR ThE Chabad Hebrew School of Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh is now open.

Laura gillen

W.T. Clarke Middle School puts on a great show

From May 5-6, approximately 70 students performed in the W.T. Clarke Middle School musical, “Oliver! Junior,” at W.T. Clarke Middle School, in East Meadow. The students demonstrated great dedication and enthusiasm throughout the rehearsals and performances, executing lines, staging and executing challenging

choreography. The East Meadow School District congratulates the entire cast and crew.

In addition, the district would like to extend a special thank you to Clarke Middle School’s musical directors Dawn Waters and Shane Pastore, as well as the lighting and sound team, their advisers, Neil Walowitz and

Courtney Ruvolo, and to Taylor Carpenzano for her assistance.

StudentS and Staff came together to put on a great show.

Courtesy East Meadow School District

Little leaguers march to show their pride

The weather was just right on June 3 for the long-awaited East Meadow Baseball Softball Association little league parade.

Hundreds of young athletes and their families met at Veterans Memorial Park and marched to the Little League complex on Merrick Avenue.

The East Meadow Fire Department’s Bag Pipes & Drums Corp. led the parade, followed by the athletes in EMBSA’s Challenger Program. Afterwards, participants enjoyed a barbecue at the little league complex, and the winners were decided in the annual banner contest.

East MEadow t-ball was ready with their banner to walk in the little league parade on June 3.

thE EMbsa’s ChallEngEr team helped lead the parade.

thE East MEadow Ponytails team held their banner with pride.

for their

minutes

Bill Windy/Herald photos

thE East MEadow Bluejays were excited

few

of fame. FroM right, lEn, Amanda and Ryan Skoros enjoyed the parade.

Eisenhower Park scenery in full bloom

Spring has sprung and it’s clear to see in beautiful Eisenhower Park. With the weather warming up, it may be nice to take a stroll in the park and see the trees and flowers in bloom.

The 930-acre park — larger than Central Park — has a lot to offer. See the wildflowers in bloom around the picnic areas while grabbing a bite to eat. Enjoy the fitness activities along the walk around the park. Set up a blanket in field 6 by the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater.

There are ducks, geese and tur-

tles to see in the pond behind the theater. During certain times, people can be seen racing boats in the water.

The Veterans Memorial is beautiful. Not only because of the gorgeous landscape surrounding it, but because the monuments honor those who served our country. Take a look at the different memorials.

Play a game of Bocce, or hit up the mini golf course. There’s an inline rolling skating area, and soccer and baseball fields. Numerous playgrounds and a pool offer a place for children.

on your walk, you may come across from twolegged friends.

There are plenTy of wildflowers growing throughout the park. Grab a camera, and see how many colors you can find.

The VeTerans MeMorial is a great area of Eisenhower Park to walk around. Visitors can read up about the different memorials, and enjoy some gorgeous greenery.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

The pond behind the Harry Chapin Theater is a great spot to walk around and get some sun and fresh air.

STEPPING OUT

by the basketful

Adventures await in local strawberry fields

By Karen Bloom

Get outside and get pickin’. Strawberry season has arrived, and those luscious berries beckon. So gather up your gang and venture out to one of the many “u-pick” growers for a day in the berry patch.

Strawberry season reaches its peak here with the transition from spring to summer, as the fruit grows and ripen throughout May and June. Of course, local is always best, so skip the California and Florida fruit from the supermarket and pick your own.

When you return with your bounty, settle in to whip up some yummy strawberry treats. These fresh gems are always terrific on their own, of course. But when used in a recipe? They’ll jazz up any meal.

in strawberry puree until blended. Pour batter into cooled pan. Bake cheesecake about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until edges are just set and center jiggles slightly. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

Stir together sour cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Spread sour cream mixture on top of cheesecake in an even layer. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Turn oven off and prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let cool in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place in refrigerator and chill until cold throughout, 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

Using the remaining strawberries, halve them and arrange in concentric circles on top of cheesecake to serve.

Iris DeMent

The Americana singer-songwriter Iris DeMent visits the Landmark stage with her timeless songs blending traditional folk, country and gospel influences. With an inimitable voice as John Prine described, ‘like you’ve heard, but not really,’ and unforgettable melodies rooted in hymns and old country music, Iris DeMent is considered one of the finest singer-songwriters in America today. Praised for her storytelling and songwriting abilities, her career has spanned more than three decades, seven studio albums, and collaborations with Prine, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, among others. On her 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 implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing.

Friday, June 9, 8 p.m. $43, $38, $33. Jeanne Rimsky

Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444, or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1-1/2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 2 pounds rhubarb, strings removed, stalks cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Double Strawberry Cheesecake

A classic cheesecake takes on added flavor with the addition of some luscious berries.

Graham cracker crust

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9-1/2 crackers)

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling and topping

• 16 ounces strawberries

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

• 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

Prepare graham cracker crust:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar together in a medium bowl. Press into bottom and at least 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch non-stick springform pan (if pan is not nonstick, brush first with melted butter). Bake until crust is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 300° F.

Then prepare filling and topping:

Hull 1/2 of the strawberries and puree in a blender or food processor. You should have about 3/4 cup puree. Beat cream cheese and 1-1/4 cups sugar in an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, on low speed, beating well after each addition, and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat

• 4 pints strawberries, sliced

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

In a food processor, pulse together 1-1/2 cups of the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the oats and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl.

In another bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, the remaining 1/4 cup flour, and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Spread the fruit filling in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using your fingers, press the topping into large clumps and scatter it over the fruit. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp, about 1 hour. Alternatively, divide the fruit and topping among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Strawberry

Smoothie

• 1 cup coconut milk (or almond milk or your preferred milk)

• 1 cup strawberries (tops removed)

• 1 banana

• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

Combine all of your ingredients in your blender in the order that they are listed (liquid on the bottom and frozen on top). Blend until smooth.

His ‘Bronx Tale’

Chazz Palminteri is back on the Paramount stage with his solo version of ‘A Bronx Tale.’ The powerful one-man stage play depicts his bruising childhood, which included witnessing a gangland killing in the Bronx when he was 9. Palminteri plays 18 characters — friends, enemies and family all come alive on stage. ‘A Bronx Tale’ became a hit after he wrote it in 1989, and the most sought after property since ‘Rocky.’ This is the original show he wrote and performed that made him an in-demand character actor and served as the basis of the acclaimed movie and Broadway musical. In the tradition set forth in the 1970s by such icons as director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, Palminteri has brought grit, muscle and an evocative realism to the sidewalks of his New York neighborhood, violent as they are and were.

Sunday, June 11, 7:30 p.m., $99.50, $89.50, $79.50, $59.50, $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Visit Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY. com for tickets/information.

Your Neighborhood

THE SCENE

The Bacon Brothers

That ‘Footloose’ feeling comes alive when Kevin Bacon takes to the stage, Friday, June 23, 8 p.m., as one-half of the Bacon Brothers, at The Space at Westbury. Bound by blood and a mutual love of American roots music, Michael and Kevin Bacon have spent the past quarter-century in a creative whirl, funneling their shared DNA into a genre-bending sound. They call that sound “Forosoco” — a blend of folk, rock, soul, and country influences, delivered by two songwriters who were born to collaborate — and it’s taken the siblings across the world, from shows in Japan to performances at American landmarks like Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. The Bacon Brothers turn a new page with their 11th release, “Erato,” whose five songs showcase the duo’s dynamic contrasts: quiet moments and big payoffs, organic instrumentation and electronic textures, self-penned songs and high-profile collaborations. Ticket are $45-$80; available at TheSpaceAtWestbury.com. The Space, 250 Post Ave. Westbury.

June 8

Breastfeeding Support Group

On exhibit

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.

Art talk

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.

Local colleges, the Sands creating world-class hospitality program

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.

It would create new career opportunities

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:

It would bridge a gap between LIU and NCC

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

Continued on page 2

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.

op-

The developer of a multi-billion-dollar flagship hospitality, entertainment and casino project on Long Island

Dr. Maria Conzatti, Nassau Community College Acting President

Photo by Sands New York

Photo: Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs for Las Vegas Sands, Ron Reese, announces its partnership with Long Island University (LIU) and Nassau Community College (NCC). Reese was joined by Dr. Maria Conzatti (far left), acting president for NCC, and Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, LIU President.

The creation of new studies specializing in hospitality management and culinary arts will offer unparalleled experiential learning and access to professional opportunities that will launch students to successful careers.

Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, Long Island University President

portunities will translate into a wide range of economic and societal benefits to the Long Island community.”

It would add new areas of study at LIU

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.

It’s nothing new for Sands

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

saNDs Macao

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.

About the project

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

The ParisiaN Macao reSOrTS arOUND THe WOrLD

The first Las Vegas-style casino in Macao and the first American-based hospitality development in Asia, Sands Macao blends entertainment and gaming amenities with easy accessibility from Hong Kong near the Macau Ferry Terminal.

The Parisian Macao is the shimmering beacon of the Cotai Strip, inspired by the magic and wonder of the famed City of Light, including a half-scale authentic re-creation of the world-famous Eiffel Tower.

Nassau County Legislature OKs Sands land lease deal

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.

LI TODAY

CareS BriefS

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.

What to know about Green Our Planet’s hydroponics program

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 NuMbers

7 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

Through June

Whale of a Drink fundraiser

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.

Having an event?

June 13

Passion for Pride

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.

East Meadow Community Day

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.

Bingo at Beth-El

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

Temple B’Nai Torah Garden Party

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.

Celebrate Israel

Salute Israel and celebrate the nation’s 75 years of independence, while welcoming Eisenhower Park’s summer concert season, when Sid Jacobson JCC joins the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island for IsraelFest, Sunday, June 11 Family activities, 4-6 p.m., followed by concert with Israeli pop singer-songwriter Harel Skatt, 6-8 p.m. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For more information, visit SJJCC.org/ israelfest.

On stage

Families will enjoy another musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, June 9, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Wednesday through Friday, June 14-16, 10:15 a.m. and noon. This musical comedy adventure stars Willems’ beloved character The Pigeon, who is eager to try anything and everything. When a bus driver takes a break from the route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take the driver’s place — a pigeon. The audience is part of the action, in this innovative mix of songs, silliness and feathers. $9 with museum admission ($7 members), $12 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

‘The Beautiful and Damned’

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.

Administrative Assistant

As we continue to expand and grow we are looking for an Administrative Assistant to assist our Multi/Media Advertising team. High Level Computer skills: Microsoft Office, Excel and ability to learn custom software programs. Friendly, outgoing, able to multi-task!

Full Time (will consider part-time) flexible.

Wearing orange to promote gun awareness

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

Orange is worn to remember and honor those who were killed or wounded by guns. Every June, people gather for nationwide Wear Orange events to spark change.

Wear Orange was started in 2015 by a group of teenagers who were honoring their friend Hadiya Pendleton who was shot in the back by two men at a park in Chicago when she was 16. Orange has become a defining color of the gun violence prevention movement because it is the color that hunters wear to stay safe.

The third annual Wear Orange event in Eisenhower Park on June 2 brought people together all over Long Island to promote common sense gun legislation and gun safety in the country. Wear Orange lasted from June 2 through 4 this year, with national Gun Violence Awareness Day being on June 2.

Tables were set up in the park with resources for those who want to get involved in the movement or for those who have been affected by gun violence. Speakers got up to share their stories or ways that they could help.

Some people who attended were survivors of gun violence. Others were those who lost family and friends to gun violence, such as Stephanie Draine, founder of Life After Loss ANDRE.

“The community pride has been great, getting more people out, being able to raise awareness of the impact of gun violence that’s not only affecting our communities, but also impacting us nationwide,”

Draine said. “So the fact that this is a national event, the message is getting spread around.”

Draine started her organization with her husband to raise awareness and help others after her 26 year old son, Andre Graydon, was killed in 2014. ANDRE stands for ability, navigate, depression, recovery and empowerment. The organization focuses on supporting all people with healing achieving empowerment through the grief process.

“Getting the message across, most importantly, for the community residents to know all of the resources that are available,” Draine said. “I thought that it was important to invite these organizations that are in the community, because as I deal with a lot of families, I hear, ‘I don’t know, we don’t have resources, we don’t have this.’ So by setting up a table and putting out the information, people are more aware of all of the choices and places that they can reach out to.”

Along with her organization, other groups were there as well. Moms Demand Action, a group that fights for gun safety in America, SNUG Hempstead, an organization that work with victims of community violence, BeSMART for kids, a group that raises awareness for secure gun storage, Northwell Health, STRONG Youth, an organization specializing in youth and gang violence prevention and intervention in Uniondale and others were there to educate the public on what they offer.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize, a family physician on Long Island with Northwell Health.

“We do this to honor, and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and urge action,” Iroku-Malize said.

“There’s a reason that you’re wearing orange, it’s not just to remember them, but to urge action and to remind people that this is an epidemic that exists, and that we need to do something about it.”

Iroku-Malize said that recent research shows that gun violence is now the number one cause of death for children within

the United States. According to the CDC, approximately 124 people die from firearm related injuries every day, and Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide that people in other high income countries.

Radiah Simmons, a mom of two from Hempstead, was there to share her and her daughters stories. Just last year her then-7 year old daughter was shot in her arm outside of her home. Three months

later Simmons was shot in the same spot.

“People that go through gun violence, it’s not just gang members,” Simmons said. “It’s not just people on the street, it’s not just people that you think is bad — it’s people that go to work every day and it’s little kids.

“They just want to play outside and their whole life could change in one minute.”

Mallory Wilson/Herald photos

TheRe WeRe ORANge hearts on display to represent those lost to gun violence.

STephANIe DRAINe, RIghT, and George Graydon Sr., founders of Life After Loss ANDRE attended the third annual Wear Orange event to raise awareness for gun violence and share resources.

FROM RIghT, ARLeNe Genden Sage, Maria Fumai Dietrich and Andreia Dhanram, all members of Moms Demand Action, manned the table to share information.

East Meadow church to host ‘Princess Ida’ show

The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island will present a concert version of its 2023 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic opera “Princess Ida” to the East Meadow United Methodist Church on June 10.

“Princess Ida” — which debuted in 1884 at London’s Savoy opera, with book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan — is a favorite with Gilbert & Sullivan aficionados, with its score in particular regarded as perhaps Sullivan’s greatest. The current production is the Light Opera Company’s first since 2007.

More dramatic in tone than any other Gilbert & Sullivan work, the opera is set in Eastern Europe during the 14th or 15th centuries, and its story concerns the dynastic rivalry of two neighboring kings — notably King Gama of Hungary, whose daughter, the title character, has fled an arranged marriage to the son of King Hildebrand and instead set up a college for women, where she teaches the then-unthinkable principles of women’s rights and equality for all, regardless of rank, gender, wealth or nationality. In the end the story boils down to whether the opera’s young people are doomed to grow into their parents, repeating all their mistakes, or if they can escape the machinations of their parents, move beyond hatred and violence, and forge a new future for themselves.

Most of the principal singers from the current production will appear in East Meadow, with Thomas Z. Shepard at the piano.

The show can be seen at the church located at 470 East Meadow Road in East Meadow at 3 p.m. Admission is $20. For more info call (516) 794-5855.

Joseph Anthony smith, left, plays Prince Hilarion and Kara Vertucci plays Princess Ida in the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2023 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘Princess Ida.’

KArA Vertucci stArs as the rebellious Princess Ida.

Giangregorio sponsors Medicare event

County Legislator Michael Giangregorio joined with Legislators Tom McKevitt and John Ferretti to sponsor a “Medicare Made Clear Event” at the East Meadow Public Library on May 16.

The event helped people who are enrolled in Medicare to learn about the benefits that they are eligible for and the different options that are available within the healthcare system for them. Medicare is a federal health insurance that has many

healthcare system that its users must navigate.

This program was led by Joy Poupko, who is an experienced Medicare advisor and senior health insurance representative. This event was designed to help anyone who is either planning to be or already is enrolled in a Medicare health program and answered questions about the fundamentals, coverage, options, enrollment, and different plans within the Medicare system. After the presenta-

Crime watCh

Larceny

■ A woman in North Bellmore reported that her car’s catalytic converter was stolen on May 21.

■ On Northridge Avenue in North Merrick, a man reported that his cell phone was stolen from his parked vehicle on May 24.

■ A North Massapequa woman reported that her catalytic converter was stolen while parked on North Broadway on May 24.

■ On Gerose Court in East Meadow, an individual reported that their leaf blower was stolen on May 25.

■ On May 27, a man reported that his key fob was stolen from his vehicle while parked on Barrie Avenue.

■ On Raspberry Lane in Levittown, a man reported that various items were stolen

from his vehicle on May 30.

Arrests

■ Erika Alvarez Naranjo, 29, and Domenica Alvarez Naranjo, 20, both from Massapequa, were arrested on May 27 for allegedly shoplifting from Macy’s on Old Country Road in East Garden City.

■ Consuela M. Barbetta, 38, of North Bellmore, was arrested on May 30 for alleged criminal mischief at 1961 Bellmore Avenue.

Criminal Mischief

■ At Tutor Time, located on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, a woman reported that two of her parked car’s rear view mirrors were damaged on May 25.

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.

Courtesy Nassau County Legislature

Churches work together to help those in need

continued from front page

Church in Westbury. Over the years, other churches have joined in, and now the event is a collaboration among New Hope, Iglesias Genesis in Westbury, Edge City Church in Mineola, and Shelter Rock Church in Old Westbury.

“It’s wonderful values as a church,” Corey Johnson, campus pastor at Shelter Rock, said. “One of the things that we want to do is to form Kingdom partnerships with other churches in the community, and also other organizations in the community that (are) doing work like this to meet people’s needs.”

Across the field at Bowling Green were a number of tents, each with something different to offer. One had new clothes for anyone who needed them, and another was stocked with new shoes. The shoes were so popular that the supply ran out about an hour into the event.

In preparation, volunteers from New Hope had purchased as many new pairs of shoes as they could, at the most affordable prices, with money that had been donated. There were a total of about 350 pairs of shoes.

There was an area where people could pick up bags of groceries donated by Convoy of Hope, and East Meadow Kiwanis sponsored a free pizza lunch. Other treats included popcorn and snow cones, which could be enjoyed while listening to a live band made up of New Hope parishioners.

“I like that we’re able to serve people who really, really just don’t have,” Christabelle Jeanty, a volunteer from New Hope, said. “There was a man that I met today and his shoes were broken and ripped, and we were able to get him a brand new pair of shoes with no holes, and no feet showing — that’s what we really want.”

A large section of the field was dedicated to kids. Inflated slides, games and more were there for parents to let their children enjoy for free.

A photo backdrop was set up so visitors could pose for family portraits. Health care professionals were on site to answer questions, and a community services station offered help to those who are homeless, help with health care, and mentoring programs.

“This is our way of giving back to the community, and it’s our way of showing that we love our community,” Mike Muntzenberger, a New Hope volunteer, said. “It’s fun to see everybody having fun and having their needs met.”

Next year, the churches hope to bring dermatologists,

cardiologists and other doctors to check for skin cancer and other conditions, New Hope’s pastor, the Rev. Dan Olson, said.

Volunteers from the churches were there ready to help anyone who needed it, and Olson said that’s one of his favorite parts of the event.

“I love to see all of my volunteers just relating with our guests as they’re working hard and serving, and it’s all with a smile,” he said. “I like to see people coming back, and I get to recognize their faces and connect with them.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

There were TenTs set up around the Bowling Green Elementary School field, each with something different to offer, like groceries.

Lucas Qu, 7, had a blast in the kids’ zone on Hope Day.

One secTiOn Of Hope Day was designated just for children to have fun and be free to play.

Can you make yourself change?

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

“

We know what we are, but know not what we might become.” Those are Shakespeare’s words. Yes, many people are pleased with themselves, yet recognize they’ve got a way to go to become the person they want to be. Not aiming for perfection, just making changes that will enhance your life, career, health or relationships.

Of course, you can initiate change but soon enough revert back to your old ways. If that has been your pattern, you may feel discouraged, giving up on the idea that you can make yourself change. Scratch that negative thinking! I’m here to tell you that you can change - without threats, self-blame or harsh criticism. The key to a lasting transformation is motivating yourself to want to change. Then you automatically gravitate toward your goal like a flower turning to the sun for nourishment.

career advice but hesitate to do so because she’s an intimidating character. Instead of letting your fear triumph, remember your mantra. You will not give up. You feel the fear AND do it anyway. You build up your self-muscle. You become courageous and competent. If it turns out that she won’t talk or is nasty to you, cross her off your list. But remember your mantraI won’t give up! I’ll find someone else who can help me accomplish my goal.

Accept Criticism and Learn From It!

Person to Person

If you’ve been told you’re lazy, stupid, crazy or will never amount to anything, I understand that you’re wary of people’s feedback. You don’t want to hear one more bit of criticism - ever.

Linda Sapadin

If you’re looking for ways to inspire yourself to stay on track, (even if a part of you feels like giving up), read on!

Remind Yourself Why You Want to Change

The beginning of change is relatively easy. You’re upset; you want to do better, so you decide to make a change. In contrast, the middle of the change process is harder. You’re no longer revved up. It just feels arduous, burdensome. Who needs this?

Now is the time to have a sit-down talk with yourself. Remind yourself why you initiated this change. Do you have goals that won’t be actualized unless you alter your behavior? Do you want to feel better about yourself? Do you wish to avoid negative consequences that are sure to occur if you fall off track?

Make Your Mantra “I Won’t Give Up!”

Though you want to change, a part of you doesn’t want to (i.e. it’s too hard, it takes too much effort.) If your mantra is “I Won’t Give Up,” you keep challenging yourself to move ahead despite any resistance or fear.

An example: you want to ask a VIP for

Yet, constructive criticism is often invaluable. You discover what’s working and what’s not; what advances you and what causes confusion. So see if you can accept good advice non-defensively. Ignore negative reflections on your character, such as “What’s wrong with you?” Instead focus on critiques that will help you perform better.

Reward Yourself for Progress

Is it easier for you to criticize or praise yourself? I hope your answer is praise! I hope you’re monitoring your progress, celebrating your successes and patting yourself on the back for staying on track. So how about creating an ongoing reward system for yourself, much like some businesses do? Stay on track for two months, reward yourself with a massage. Keep your anger in check for three months, treat yourself to a mini-vacation. Get the idea? I hope so! Once you’re moving toward achieving your goal, I hope you beam with pride.

©2023

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

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

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 6/14/23 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00pm to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 386/23. NR WESTBURYLeonor A. Tholl, Variance, side yards aggregate, maintain garage conversion to living space attached to dwelling., W/s Palm La., 80’ S/o Page La., a/k/a 70 Palm La. 387/23. - 388/23. EAST MEADOW - Louis Koss, Variance, rear yard, construct 2nd story addition open below, attached to dwelling; Maintain 8’ 8” high arbor., N/s Bard La., 594’ E/o Brisbane La., a/k/a 1784 Bard La. THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M.

401/23. LEVITTOWNViola Fredas, Variance, lot area occupied, maintain shed., N/s Meadow La., 214.39’ W/o Aldin La., a/k/a 31 Meadow La. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in East Meadow, Levittown and Westbury within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

139911

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS-SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NASSAU - REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC, Plaintiff, -againstRODERICK J. GEOGHEGAN JR., AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF RODERICK J. GEOGHEGAN, SR.; ANY AND ALL KNOWN OR UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AN INTREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF NICHOLAS TUMMINELLO; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; MEADOWBROOK ENDOSCOPY CENTER; GASTRO OPERATING COMPANY, LLC; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ACTING ON BEHALF OF DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; CHRISTINE M. TUMMINELLO; NICHOLAS CHARLES TUMMINELLO; “JOHN DOE #1 through JOHN DOE #10” said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, intended to be possible tenants or occupants of the premises, or corporations, persons, or other entities having or claiming a lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants - Index No. 600501/2022 Plaintiff Designates Nassau County as the Place of

Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Nassau County. To the above named Defendants-YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated May 1, 2023.

NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME - If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable David P. Sullivan, J.S.C. Dated: May 1, 2023 Filed: May 3, 2023. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 912 Winthrop Drive, East Meadow, NY 11554.

Dated: March 19, 2023

Filed: May 31, 2023

Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Meir Weiss, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000

F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120

F: (954) 343-6982

139981

OF NASSAU

UMB BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST XIII, Plaintiff, v. ANNA CABA, FRANCISCA CABA, JUANA CABA, ET AL. Defendants.

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on October 13, 2022, I, Janine T. Lynam, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on July 13, 2023 at The North Side Steps of The Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, County of Nassau, State of New York, 11501 at 2:30 PM the premises described as follows: 2216 1st Street East Meadow, NY 11554 SBL No.: 50-213-4,5,6

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

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

The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 139969

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS NOW HIRING !!

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Requir ements: Valid NYS Driver's License

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Administrative Opening Monticello Central School

Assistant Secondary Principal

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

DRIVING

OUTSIDE SALES

Administrative Opening Monticello Central School High School Principal

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

Assistant Elementary Principal

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

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

LINE COOK: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10am-6pm. Sandwiches/ Salads. Beach Restaurant. Great Summer Job. 516-835-2819

MULTI MEDIA

ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Will Consider Part Time. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

UP TO $20.70 NYC, $20.00 L.I., $16.20

Upstate NY! If you need care from your relative, friend/ neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA Program. No Certificates needed. 347-713-3553

Childcare Offered CHILDCARE AVAILABLE

2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Garden Town. Gourmet Kit W/Thermdore St Steel Appl Opens Into DR & LR. Primary BR w/Bth Plus Spac 2nd BR. W/D in Unit. New Self Controlled CAC. Oak Flrs, LED Lights. Near LIRR. Parking Avail. SD#14. You Don't Want to Miss This...$359,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA 1534 Broadway #205, Open House By Appt, BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER!!Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom(Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA 1638 RIDGEWAY DR.

FIRST TIME ON MARKET Well Maintained 6 BR, 3.5 Bth 3500 Sq Ft Exp CH Colonial on Beautiful St. LR/Fpl, Spac Fam Rm/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sun Rm Overlooking 1/3 Acre Resortlike Prop w/ IG Lap Pool, Hot Tub,Bar & Gazebo. Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Gar. SD#20...$1,149,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BAY PARK BA,190 Meadowview Ave Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!..$3,200,00 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-429 ba

HEWLETT HARBOR BA 1299 Seawane NEW! Move Right Into This Beautiful 4 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch with Open Layout in Prime Location. LR, FDR, State of the Art Kit & Great Room Overlooking Magnificently Landscaped æ Acre Property. SD #14...$1,799,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd., FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime Location! Granite/Wood EIK Opens to Dining Room & Living Room. Lower Level Den. HW Flrs, Gas Heat, CAC. Oversized Property! SD#14.Near

Administrative Opening Monticello Central School

Don’t Want to Miss This REDUCED! $359,000

1599 Lakeview Dr, BA, 4 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch on Tree Lined St in SD#14. Spacious LR, DR & Family Rm, EIK & Fin Bsmt. Att Garage. HW Flrs. Near Park, Trans, Shops & Houses of Worship REDUCED! $799,000

1534 Broadway #103, BA, Magnificent New Renovation! One of a Kind Ranch

Style Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall Condominium with Doorman & Elevator.

Just Move into This Gut Rvated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout.

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

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

Incl REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $599,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom (Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath

Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer

Removing a deck to add a room

Q. We started planning a project to add a room, 303 square feet, in 2015, and due to many delays, we received approval for a permit only in January of this year. The costs from when we originally started planning until now increased from an estimated $80,000 to almost $200,000. Part of the work was to remove the previous owner’s handicapped-accessible deck with a permitted roof, which, thankfully, we don’t need. We got an alternative estimate for a paving-block patio, which we understand doesn’t need a permit in our town if it’s on the ground. The contractor even said we could cover the entire yard. We still want to keep the roof, so do we need a permit for the patio, and do we need a permit for the footings to continue supporting the roof we want to keep?

IA. You can see, firsthand, what has happened with the economy and costs. Fortunately, you have an alternative to save money. People who are planning enclosed rooms aren’t as fortunate in the economy we’re now facing.

South Park Avenue Rockville Centre NY, 11570 516.678.1510

I have always recommended patios, properly drained, supported and finished, over the other choice of decking, where possible, not just because many jurisdictions don’t require a permit for the paving, but also because the maintenance is less for a patio, and it will last much longer than a deck system. Some communities have regulations for a permit to be filed for paving to show the authorities that the paving is “permeable” — that it still allows rain to seep into the ground to recharge the water supply deep in the earth below. Your location is in a town that doesn’t require a permit for anything that’s built less than 8¼ inches above the ground. Incidentally, the magic of 8¼ inches isn’t arbitrary; it’s the maximum height of a step in the building code.

I just returned from a trade fair where I had the opportunity to discuss material pricing with many suppliers, and the consensus is that prices for commodity materials such a raw lumber and cement will begin to fluctuate downward, but many said that they don’t anticipate manufactured items to come down again. Just as real estate has seen a dramatic increase, so now have materials and construction in general.

The biggest concern we should all have, if we care about the next generation and the health of our economy, is whether they will ever be able to afford what their parents had. Currently, only 9 percent of the next generation of American families own or have a mortgage on a home, while the majority of the generation has had to find alternatives, such as multi-generational living arrangements or apartments, trailers or recreational vehicles as permanent living, according to Building magazine, among other building information resources. I hope the existing deck roof already has a correct supporting footing in the ground. If not, good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

Monte

8, 2023

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Garage Sales LONG BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY Yard Sale 226 W. Penn St. Sat. June 10th 10am-5pm. Call For More Information 516-432-1192.

Garage Sales NORTH MERRICK: SATURDAY 6/10, 8AM-4PM, RAINDATE SUNDAY 6/11, WENSHAW PARK, BRIAN DRIVE, BRUCE LANE, CLARK STREET, EARL DRIVE, JENKINS STREET, ROSE LANE, SHAW DRIVE, SYDNEY DRIVE, WINIFRED DRIVE AND WHITTIER AVENUE. ANNUAL Community Garage Sale! Something for Everyone!

ROCKVILLE CENTRE 6/10, 10-4PM, 85 South Forest Ave, Furniture,, Treadmill, Holiday Decor, Guitar, Something For Everyone !

Announcements

WITNESS WANTED To The Accident That Occured On May 15th around 2pm At The Intersection Of Lakeville Road And Marcus Avenue. Please Call 347-235-0525

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

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Brick/Block/Concrete/Masonry

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Decks

DECKS DECKS Our Only Business COMPOSITES/WOOD Excellent References & Many Photos Lic./Ins. Free Estimates C & S DECKS 516-729-5859

Electricians

E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.

Handyman

HANDYMAN Repairs and Installations for the Household. Careful and Reliable and Vaccinated. Licensed and Insured. 30-Year Nassau County Resident. Friendly Frank Phone/Text 516-238-2112

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Home Improvement

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ROOFING GREAT PRICES ! NEW ROOF SPECIALS SIDING- Best Prices RENOVATIONS & ALL REPAIRS SUPER COMPETITIVE PRICES! Licensed / Insured. Free Estimates Nassau License. # H-0102710000 Call John - 516-852-9830

WIREMAN/CABLEMAN/HANDYMAN

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Miscellaneous

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Painting OLD SALT PAINTING Small Job Specialist Great Rates, Free Estimates 516-312-9643

Power Washing

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Tree Services

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Sprinkler Syst./Irrig.Wells

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now!

Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 844-947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

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Now pitching, after five weeks on the injury list ...

Last week I had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch before a Long Island Ducks game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The game was played at the Ducks’ home field, the Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip. The Ducks played well, and won 9-2. A normal person reading this might say, that’s nice, but no big deal.

Real baseball fans, however, don’t fit the definition of normal. For one thing, they never really grow up, and being on a professional baseball field, even just to throw one pitch before the game has even begun, is for many a childhood dream.

But living this dream includes living through and overcoming incredible tension and fear of failure. This is especially true if you happen to be a politician who knows that no matter how beloved you think you might be, there are thousands of fans just waiting to see you suffer the ignominious fate of bouncing the

pitch before it crosses home plate and settles into the catcher’s mitt. I know of several otherwise courageous politicians who will never accept the offer (or challenge) to throw out the first pitch. Or if they do develop some nerve, they throw the ball from well in front of the rubber, which, of course, is atop the pitcher’s mound, 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate.

To me, that shortened version doesn’t count as a real first pitch, so I always summoned the courage — more than I ever needed to deliver a major speech on the floor of Congress — to pitch from the rubber, and always succeeded, except for the one time, which I will never forget and always regret, when the ball faded away at the last instant and drifted off at the front of the batter’s box, forcing the catcher to make what looked like a hockey goalie’s acrobatic save.

Last week’s first pitch was particularly stressful. I had been successfully operated on for stomach cancer less than five weeks before, during which part of my stomach was removed and I was left with a 9-inch-long incision that

had to heal. The surgeon, who probably considered referring me to a psychiatrist, consented to my first-pitch antics if I threw it “softly” from in front of the mound. Reluctantly I agreed to those terms and conditions. Walking to the mound, I felt more tension than when I was being wheeled into the operating room.

But both times, my prayers were answered. The surgery had been successful, the pitch was over the plate, and the incision didn’t reopen.

Separate from my baseball delusions, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being able to associate with the Ducks organization. The team and its owner, Frank Boulton, have been a Long Island institution for a quarter century. Playing in the Atlantic League, the Ducks bring a solid, high level of baseball to Long Island.

Their roster invariably includes future and past major leaguers, the most current and prominent being their designated hitter, former Mets great Daniel Murphy. Also notable is their manager, Wally Backman, the star second base-

man on the Mets’ 1986 World Series champion team. No one, though, has been more beloved in Ducks history than Bud Harrelson, the Mets’ All-Star shortstop when they won the 1969 Series, who was a Ducks coach and team vice president for so many years until he had to step aside because of Alzheimer’s.

The Ducks are an integral part of the Long Island community, being active in charitable and veterans events and making their home games family-friendly and affordable. Being at a Ducks game is like viewing a Norman Rockwell painting depicting real America: kids, parents and grandparents enjoying an afternoon or evening of baseball; members of local organizations singing the pre-game national anthem; veterans, police officers and firefighters being honored on the field. All this and so much more makes me appreciate the Ducks and what they mean to Long Island.

Boulton initially invited me to throw out a first pitch at a game back in 2002, and it has been an honor to be invited back over the years. I’m proud to call Frank my friend and proud to be a loyal Ducks fan. Play ball!

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

No, I don’t have time to answer your survey

You don’t have a moment, and neither do I, but what does that matter? Ubiquitous, intrusive and endless surveys are a good idea gone rogue.

Suddenly, all of life’s experiences are followed up with an emailed questionnaire asking you to rate your doctor, car rental, pet groomer, colorist, breakfast cereal, political candidate, wine, motel, coffee or underpants. Have a moment? Have a moment? Have a moment?

vey popped up on my phone before I even left the premises. It was pages long and asked my input on everything from the hygiene of the location to the friendliness of staff at all levels and my thoughts about ever returning to that center or recommending it to others.

RANDI KREISS

The basic idea of soliciting people’s opinions about service and products and experiences is sound. But, as with many decent ideas today, folks are beating it to death with overuse. You can’t make simple purchases without the inevitable survey landing in your inbox.

Let’s agree that there are surveys you will consider answering and some you delete immediately for very good reason.

Example: I hurt my wrist last week and went to a local urgent care. The sur-

I was impressed with the place, the efficiency and the kindness of the staff and the thoroughness of the doctor. I was not so happy with one of the medical support people who poked around my wrist with some indifference to my pain level, and there was a place on the form to say so. I gladly filled out the online survey and happily signed my name. I will probably not go back there again, because I have my own doctor. That’s why I felt safe to relinquish anonymity.

complained about an eatery we frequent.

brain, I believe my doctor somehow can access the surveys and find out who threw him under the bus. I can imagine him in the evenings, poring over the surveys, tracking the patients who mentioned how freezing the examining rooms are or how frustrating the office phone system can be. He’s the guy with the needles and potions and sharp instruments at his disposal; I would never put anything online that wasn’t in the order of high praise. No. No surveys for me at my doctor’s office.

but fill out surveys, I would be giving feedback to Chukar Cherries, my food gift outlet of choice; Optum RX, my mail order drug company; Amazon; The Washington Post; BridgeBase, my online game site; UPS; Marriott Hotels; Chewy, my go-to store for pet supplies; American Airlines; and every magazine to which I ever subscribed.

But I have a busy life, and in order to discover how well I’m doing in my own arena, I developed a small survey for my son and daughter to complete. Just five easy-to-answer questions, which I emailed to them last week:

1. Did you have a happy childhood?

A few days later, I had a follow-up appointment with my physician to check my wrist. I see him twice a year. I chose him as my doctor because I like him and the way he works with patients. By the time I got into my car, swish, the survey popped up.

In the most suspicious part of my

Open Table, the restaurant reservation website, sends surveys all the time, soliciting consumers’ opinions about everything from food to service to ambience. In one happy exchange, I wrote a seriously negative review of a restaurant we frequent, explaining that our experience seemed to be an anomaly but it was awful, and I wanted the owner to know. I signed my name.

The owner called me and invited us back for a free dinner. We went. It was great. I said so in a follow-up survey. Good. Good.

Now, if I had nothing to do in my life

2. Do you have any memories of the time I flipped out, took the car and ran away from home when you were 5 and 2?

3. Why don’t you call more often?

4. Have you ever told a therapist any family secrets?

5. What are your feelings about adult children taking in their parents?

No surprise: There has been a complete communication blackout. I guess answering anonymously wasn’t an option.

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

But we got a free meal when I

This time I had no choice but to throw from in front of the mound.

HERALD

Our armed forces need your help

there were more than a dozen of them — some wearing caps denoting their military service, others in full uniform. They were veterans of various conflicts over the past several decades, many of them members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2736 in East Meadow. They paid a visit to East Meadow High School ahead of Memorial Day to ensure that the true meaning of the annual observance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom was not forgotten.

“We wanted to come here and tell the high school students what it was like to serve,” one veteran, Frank Belardo, said. “We wanted to do this before Memorial Day to teach the students, and honor those who did not come home.”

But that wasn’t the only thing on the minds of the veterans as they met with social studies classes that day.

“It seems like less kids are going down that route of joining the military,” Navy veteran Tom Kelly said. “So you just have to keep reminding them about the commitment to America, and how proud we are. It’s something that should be carried on. It seems like it’s a dying art these days, but I hope not.”

Kelly wasn’t exaggerating. America’s military forces are struggling to recruit new members. The Army, for example, missed its recruiting goal by 25 percent last year, according to the military industry news outlet War on the Rocks. In fact, the Army believes its overall forces will be reduced by 20,000 soldiers by September — part of an overall downward trend across the branches.

Young people just don’t see the military in the same light that previous generations did. They are bombarded by images of war, death and gruesome injuries, as well as many soldiers returning home and dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Yet that’s not the only factor causing a drain of personnel in the armed forces. The nation’s low unemployment rate means there’s less incentive for many to seek out the military. And the sheer number of people eligible to serve is lower than ever.

A Pentagon study last year determined that 77 percent of America’s 17- to 24-yearold population wouldn’t qualify without some kind of waiver. Many are overweight. Others abuse drugs and alcohol. And then there’s the growing number of young people who wouldn’t qualify because of mental and physical health issues, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 44 percent, the study concluded, would be disqualified for more than one reason.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, a ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shared during a hearing last year that “every single metric tracking the military recruiting environment is going in the wrong direction.”

“To put it bluntly, I am worried we are now in the early days of a long-term threat to the all-volunteer force,” Tillis said, according to Military.com. There is “a small and declining number of Americans who are eligible — and interested — in military service.”

So, what can be done? Many military leaders and lawmakers are trying to figure that out. The branches already offer a number of incentives to new recruits — from signing bonuses to education funding, solid (and free) medical care, room and board allowances, and a month of vacation every year, among other things.

But we must do more — and maybe we can, right here, closer to home. The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps has been a fixture in thousands of high schools — and even some middle schools — across the country since 1916. It gives young people a taste of what it’s like to serve, without leaving home. And it has been instrumental in not only providing stability for many young people over the decades, but recruiting for military service as well, since nearly half of them eventually do that.

The problem? There aren’t enough JROTC programs, especially in New York. Especially on Long Island. The vast majority are concentrated in the Southeast, according to the Rand Corp. South Caroli-

na and Georgia, for example, boast JROTC programs in far more than half their schools. New York? It’s less than 10 percent.

JROTC has been great at addressing demographic representation by being in many schools with larger ethnic diversity, Rand says. But geographic representation is severely lacking. Just 16 percent of young people live in states with high numbers of JROTC programs, while more than half of the total population of teenagers are in 28 states like New York where such programs are lacking.

More schools need to offer JROTC, but they can’t do it alone. Congress needs to expand JROTC overall — and pay for that expansion, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David Barno and Johns Hopkins professor Nora Bensahel say. At the same time, members of Congress — on both sides of the aisle — need to stop using the military as a political football.

“Painting the entire U.S. military as either woke or extremist undermines public support for the institution and the people in uniform, and often deflects examination of concrete problems that are affecting military capabilities and readiness,” Barno and Bensahel told War on the Rocks. “Elected officials should stop making broad assertions about the entire force, and instead focus their legitimate oversight role on the senior officials who testify in front of Congress.”

The brave men and women — like those who visited East Meadow High School — should forever be honored by all of us. But let’s not let their service and sacrifice become part of a dying breed.

Why I voted for a casino at the Coliseum

since 2014 I have had the privilege of representing the residents of the 2nd District at the Nassau County Legislature. Throughout that time, I have contemplated and made decisions on a full spectrum of controversial and consequential issues. Deciding whether or not to execute a lease transfer agreement between the county and Las Vegas Sands was one of the most difficult decisions I have been confronted with to date.

What made it so challenging is the fact that I don’t have the luxury of analyzing this or any other issue that comes before me as a lawmaker through a one-dimensional lens.

Because I am entrusted with overseeing and safeguarding Nassau County’s fiscal future, I had to carefully considering the tax revenue, economic development and job creation opportunities presented by the resort and casino Las Vegas Sands has proposed building at the

Nassau Hub. The last two factors are especially vital for the economically disadvantaged communities that I serve as a legislator.

As a policy maker, I must always be aware of the legislative atmosphere in which I am operating — and in New York state, legal gambling is a growing reality. Online sports betting became legal in January 2022, and in a 2013 statewide referendum, 67 percent of Nassau voters cast ballots in favor of the siting of seven new casinos throughout the Empire State.

As a community advocate, I researched, vetted and deliberated on the heartfelt concerns my constituents expressed about potential impacts of the Hub development on public safety, traffic and behavioral health. One especially important element of advocacy is robust community engagement.

To get the pulse of the communities I represent, I took part in numerous events in Hempstead, Uniondale and Westbury. In Uniondale — the host community for any development at the Hub — I met with leaders of the public

Letters

Give neighbors a chance to manage L.I.’s electricity

To the Editor:

Re Jerry Kremer’s column last week, “The PSEG love affair is over”: Mr. Kremer opposes “giving a group of local neighbors the power to dictate to professionals” operating a Long Island power company.

“Dictate” may be hyperbole, but it identifies the general problem: unaccountable power. The history provided — LILCO, LIPA, PSEG — demonstrates consistently inadequate infrastructure, a focus on shareholders over ratepayers, the interference of friends in high places, and the general disdain for customer concerns characteristic of near-monopolies. We can agree that “John Q. Citizen” ought not “dictate” to professional operators, but Mr. Citizen is also a ratepayer, dissatisfied by the “professionals’” history of mismanagement, and now seeks greater transparency, accountability and responsiveness.

Dictatorship by professionals is well known, and is what must be curbed. So long as the primary interests remain short-term corporate goals, the future delivery of Long Island’s electrons will replicate its past. Municipalization may not be the answer, but our history of failures suggests we try a new arrangement.

BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Clearing the air about marijuana

To the Editor:

Since the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act was enacted in New York in March 2021, confusion remains about marijuana’s legal and medical realities. As part of the North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse efforts to reduce the use and abuse of substances by our youth, we offer below some information on marijuana so you can inform yourself and your family.

The law allows those 21 and older to use cannabis wherever smoking tobacco is permitted, except in a motor vehicle or where the Clean Air Act is in effect. Specifically, it allows for adult possession of up to 3 ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of cannabis concentrate. An adult may grow up to three marijuana plants at home, and homes with more than one adult may grow up to six plants (three mature, three immature).

So, does that mean that adults can purchase adult-use marijuana locally now?

The answer may surprise you: no. Most Nassau County municipalities have opted out of permitting retail sales of marijuana in their jurisdictions. For a complete review of what is legal and illegal, go to government sites including NewYorkStateCannabis.org.

As important as legality is to the conversation about marijuana, equally critical is the discussion of its impact on teen health. Marijuana potency has steadily

library, the Fire Department, the Nassau County Land Bank and other key stakeholders to ascertain the community’s concerns and needs. I listened intently to public commentary presented through various media, and read dozens of emails we received from across the county to gain a fuller understanding of public sentiment.

During the Legislature’s May 8 Rules Committee hearing, it became abundantly clear to me that the lease transfer agreement would pass on May 22 with or without my vote. Given that fact, my charge was to ensure that the communities that would be most directly impacted by development at the Hub would not have to wait until its completion to receive the public benefits they were promised.

Following extensive and fruitful negotiations, I was pleased that Las Vegas Sands agreed to enhance its community benefits package by $25 million — $10 million for Uniondale, $10 million for East Meadow and $5 million for Hempstead Village. At least half of these funds would have to be disseminated during the construction of the proposed inte-

grated casino resort. Throughout that process, the collaboration with my legislative colleague Tom McKevitt, who represents East Meadow, which directly abuts the Hub, was invaluable in navigating the issues related to securing this funding for our respective constituents.

After balancing the array of public comments, completing a painstaking review of the more laudable elements of the Las Vegas Sands proposal, and factoring in the company’s agreement to invest tens of millions of dollars in bolstering crucial services and activities in the most directly impacted communities, I decided to vote in favor of the lease transfer agreement.

While the Legislature’s action on May 22 represents an important benchmark, there are many steps that must be completed before any construction begins. As this process continues to unfold, make no mistake: I will remain vigilant and focused on the series of actions to follow, and I will hold the entities associated with this project accountable for meeting their contractual obligations and fulfilling the commitments they made to the residents of Nassau County.

Siela A. Bynoe, of Westbury, has represented the 2nd District in the County Legislature since 2014.

Framework by Tim Baker

increased in the past decades, up from about 4 percent THC levels in the 1980s to an average of 15 percent today. More disconcerting is that marijuana extracts, used in dabbing and edibles, contain, on average, 50 percent THC, and can go as high as 90 percent.

Research suggests that kids who use cannabis may face greater mental health risks, such as worsened depression and anxiety, poor attention and memory problems. Specifically, using a cannabis product with a THC potency of over 15 percent

is linked to a three-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing mental health and other problems. Studies also suggest that 17 percent of those who start using marijuana in their teens will become dependent on it.

Given these risks, it’s important that parents know the facts and talk to their kids. For more info, go to NSCASA.org.

Rocco, Myles and Lily Pad hanging out at the Memorial Day Parade — Wantagh

Iwanted to ensure that the communities most impacted would receive promised benefits.

ALISON CAMARDELLA KEVIN McGILLOWAY President and vice president, NS-CASA