East Meadow
HERALD Walk in the Woods goes virtual
Meet the ‘Humans of East Meadow’
Protesters speak out in Hempstead
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Vol. 20 No. 24
JUNE 11 - 17, 2020
Congressional hopefuls discuss protests izens agree that the actions of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were “evil,” LiPetri In the past week, many Long said, and everyone can unite Islanders have taken to the around peaceful protest. streets to protest police brutality “As a result of the outcry, proand systemic racism and to tests occurred,” he said. “Prohonor the life of George Floyd. tests evolved. Peaceful protests While many reiterate the we can unite around. Rioting importance of votand looting we caning and have encournot. Rioters and lootaged others to regisers are taking the ter, local candidates good name of the are also listening to peaceful protesters.” the concer ns of He added that their prospective “antagonistic opporconstituents. All tunists” are destroyfour hopefuls for the ing the purpose of seat in New York’s the peaceful protest2nd Congressional ers’ message with District spoke with their actions. the Herald about the ANDrEW “You know, I’m Black Lives Matter gArBAriNo glad that you’ve protests ahead of interviewed all the Republican the June 23 primary. candidates, because candidate “The death of I m i g h t h ave a George Floyd was a unique perspective heinous act,” said among them,” DemRepublican State Assemblyman ocratic candidate Jackie Gordon Mike LiPetri. “There have been told the Herald. “One, I’m a peaceful protests, and that’s black American. Two, I spent 27 great. However, we cannot be years in the military as a mili[painting with] a broad brush tary police officer, so I have a law against all law enforcement.” enforcement background.” LiPetri spoke about the Gordon, a former Babylon impact the police have on peo- town councilwoman, said she ple’s everyday lives. Police offi- was heartbroken when she saw cers, community leaders and citContinued on page 5
By J.D. FrEDA
jfreda@liherald.com
Brian Stieglitz/Herald
CollEgE sENiors iN the East Meadow and Salisbury communities held a car parade to celebrate their graduations. Leading the parade and serving as grand marshal was Jasan Stewart, left, a graduate of Nassau Community College, with his brother, Karl Bouyer, a graduate of W.T. Clarke High School.
College graduates parade through East Meadow By BriAN sTiEgliTZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
While many college graduates missed the chance to don their caps and gowns on their campuses because of the coronavirus pandemic, college seniors from the East Meadow and Salisbury communities didn’t let that stop them from celebrating together. Roughly a dozen cars driven by local college graduates lined up in front of Bowling
Green Elementary School in East Meadow last Sunday. Gathered on the lawn of the school was a crowd of about 20 supportive friends and family members who cheered for the graduates as “Pomp and Circumstance” played from a Bluetooth speaker held by one attendee. The sound of sirens followed, as trucks from the East Meadow and Westbury fire departments escorted the graduates west in a circle around the neighborhood before they returned to the
school parking lot. Lulette Infante, of Salisbury, hosted the parade and drove with her daughter, Kaitlyn, who is graduating from St. John’s University, where she studied marketing, international business and international marketing. “I’ve been seeing so many high school parades, but I didn’t see anyone doing anything for the college grads,” Infante said. Continued on page 5
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eaceful protests is how this country was built.
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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By Melissa Koenig mkoenig@liherald.com
As a mother of a young black son, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages worries about his safety. “It pains me to think that one day he walks out the door and he might not return, and not by the hands of an accident, but by the hands of a police officer,” Solages, a Democrat from Elmont, said at a rally on June 4 to gain support for legislation that would reform police practices throughout the state. “It hurts me to know that we all, in this great country, do not have access to peace, justice and liberty.” The rally came a little more than a week after George Floyd, an AfricanAmerican, died at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis. Police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes before he stopped speaking or moving, and in a video of the incident, Floyd could be heard saying he could not breathe and pleading for the officer to stop. It is just the latest incident of police violence against black people in the United States. In 2014, Michael Brown Jr. was fatally shot by a white police officer in Missouri, and in New York, Eric Garner died after New York Police Department officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold while arresting him. Now, state officials are doubling down on their efforts to pass police reform legislation. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on June 5 that he would work with members of the State Legislature this week to pass a ‘Say Their Name’ Reform Agenda, including revising Section 50-A of the Civil Rights Law to allow for greater transparency of police officers’ prior disciplinary records, banning chokeholds, prohibiting false race-based 911 reports and designating the attorney general as an independent prosecutor for matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians at the hands of law enforcement. Additionally, members of the state’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus have proposed a legislative package comprising a dozen bills that would increase transparency, create more oversight of police departments, ensure suspects get medical attention, establish strangulation as a crime in the state and ban police from using racial and ethnic profiling. All of these bills are currently sitting in committees. “This is not sexy legislation,” said Assemblyman Phil Ramos, a Democrat from Suffolk County who chairs the caucus said at a rally to increase support for these bills on June 4, “but these are things that are necessary to dismantle and take down that blue wall of silence.” To do so, they are advocating for the full repeal of Section 50-A of the state’s Civil Rights Laws. The provision makes all police officers’, firefighters’ and corrections officers’ personnel records “confidential and not subject to inspection or review” except by court order. “We don’t want to reform 50-A,” Solages said, “we want to repeal it.”
Photos by Melissa Koenig/Herald
MeMBers of the Valley Stream Presbyterian Church’s WANTED Project and elected officials gathered outside the Nassau County Supreme Court on June 4 to express their support of police reform legislation.
the legislative package Members of the state’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus are pushing for legislation that would: ■ Repeal 50-A, which makes police records confidential ■ Making falsely reporting an incident as a hate crime an offense ■ Establishing the Office of Special Investigation for deaths following a police encounter
MeMBers of the state’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus include Sen. Kevin Thomas, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Assemblyman Phil Ramos and Assemblywoman Taylor Darling. That law prevented the New York Civil Liberties Union from receiving records from the Nassau County Police Department it requested under the Freedom of Information Law. “It’s time for a real cultural change by and for the police, and for those who need their protection,” said Susan Gottehrer, director of the Nassau County chapter of NYCLU, “and it’s time for oversight and accountability.” But in order to get these bills passed, she said, the legislators need to gain support in the State Senate. “If you are marching with protestors,” Gottehrer said, “you better be in legislating tomorrow.” Nia Adams, a community organizer for the Long Island Progressive Coalition, added that the repeal of Section 50-A is “the least” state legislators could do, and said, “Today and tomorrow and every day, Black Lives Matter.”
asseMBlyMan Phil raMos led the rally.
■ Allowing the Chief Administrator of the Courts to release data to evaluate criminal justice policies ■ Affirming the right to record police officers ■ Repealing limitations on the removal of police officers ■ Requiring law enforcement to provide needed medical attention to those in custody ■ Establishing the crime of strangulation, and creating penalties for the disregard of banned procedures ■ Imposing criminal liability for the failure to obtain medical care for a distressed person in custody ■ Banning racial and ethnic profiling ■ Reducing arrests for low-level offenses ■ Expanding the use of body cameras
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
State officials call for police reform
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Words for All minority — at one of the universities in When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, addressed her high school alma which I teach. That is true. But there is an mater on June 4, her most profound com- undertone. The words act like a code to ment regarding George Floyd’s death was, marginalize and measure all of us based “ . . . I realized the only wrong thing to say on race, creed, age and religion. What right does anyone have to evaluate who is to say nothing . . . “ we are and what we can conI am not a royal watcher. tribute based on what we I am not a person who can look like? The measure say I know and can share a must be our contribution to great deal about complex learning, to leadership and subjects like race relations, to society. How dare anyone politics or economic injushave a conversation in every tice. But I am an ordinary corner of academia that woman of many roles and I isn’t about celebrating the know at this moment, the unrivaled diversity of peowrong thing to say is to say ple? nothing. As I teach, I look at my As a mother, I am speechstudents’ faces and see the less when it comes to the present and the future: my right words African Americolleagues, my neighbors, can parents must use to my fellow New Yorkers, our explain to their children auren ev America. For them, for how to respond to law everyone and anyone who enforcement. But I state that feels apart and afraid, I offer the very idea that this is the reality in 2020 is simply and emphatically my lone, ordinary voice in the chorus of millions to proclaim at this moment our wrong. As a wife, I have found a man who country must become safe and just for all. respects all people, who I give my utmost admiration unlike the guys I dated and A contributing writer to the Herald since rejected as a young woman for their casu- 2012, Lauren Lev is an East Meadow resial conversations about “them” and “us.” dent and a direct marketing/advertising executive who teaches advertising and No more. No more. As an employee, I once was reminded marketing communications courses at the that because I am not young or a woman Fashion Institute of Technology/SUNY, of color I am an exception — part of the LIU Post and SUNY Old Westbury.
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Neighbors iN the News
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Every life matters to us … Dear neighbor:
We live and work in this community. The lives of each and every one of you is important to us and we are here to tell your stories — from beginning to end. That includes the final chapter. At this difficult time, I want to remind you that obituaries in all Herald Community Newspapers are, and have always been, completely free. COVID-19 has taken far too many, far to soon. Let us help you commemorate the life of your loved one with a story and photo celebrating their life. Contact our Executive Editor Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com or call 516-569-4000, ext 203, if you would like to memorialize a loved one in the Herald, regardless of their cause of death. Stuart Richner Publisher srichner@liherald.com 1091720
Courtesy Third Class Mass Communication Specialist Gabriel Martinez
E.M. resident serving in the Philippine Sea Adam Lachman, of East Meadow, a second-class machinery repairman in the United States Navy serving abroad the forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). The ship is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5 and provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Above, he is manufacturing a pin for a helicopter in the machine shop of the ship.
News brief School budget, board election deadlines extended Saying “No New Yorker should have to choose between their health and their right to vote,” N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended the deadline for mailin ballots in local school budget and school board elections, originally scheduled for Tuesday. Hand-delivered ballots still must be received by 5 p.m. on June 9, according
to a news release, but mail-in ballots may be received until June 16. In the same executive order, the governor allowed absentee ballots in the state’s presidential primary to be counted if postmarked no later than June 23. This means voters may mail their ballots as late as the day of the election.
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District still mulling in-person graduations Leading the procession as grand marshal was Jasan Stewart, 23, who recently graduated from Nassau Community College, riding with his brother, Karl Bouyer. Bouyer is graduating from W.T. Clarke High School, where he was on the football and wrestling teams. Stewart, who has cerebral palsy, is known throughout the community for the support he has shown at his brother’s games. “At every football game and every wrestling match, Jasan is there to cheer on Clarke,” Infante said. “Now it’s our turn to celebrate him.” Bouyer will join the LIU Post men’s wrestling team in the fall.
High school graduations
Meanwhile, the East Meadow School District is still deliberating whether it will hold in-person graduations at W.T. Clarke and East Meadow high schools. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that outdoor, socially distant graduations of up to 150 people would be permitted beginning June 26, as long as there aren’t any significant upticks in Covid-19 case numbers or deaths in the interim. Patrick Pizzo, the East Meadow district’s assistant superintendent of busi-
Brian Stieglitz/Herald
Korrine Hernandez recently graduated from SUNY Old Westbury, where she studied education. She and other college seniors in the East Meadow and Salisbury communities held a car parade on June 7 to celebrate their graduations. ness and finance, said that there are a lot of “moving parts” that the district must consider. “Everything’s under review right now,” Pizzo said, adding that school officials must parse any legal conditions of Cuomo’s order
before taking advantage of it. “We need to make sure [we’re] interpreting it correctly,” he said. O n S u n d ay, t h e d i s t r i c t a l s o announced an extension of the deadline to vote on the East Meadow School
District budget via absentee ballot. The vote includes two additional propositions: an addendum to a $58.8 million joint school district and East Meadow Public Library bond; and the library budget and the Board of Education and Library trustee races. “Fortunately, this gives us the opportunity to get more votes,” Pizzo said. As the school year comes to an end, another tradition that East Meadow seniors had to miss was the annual walk through the hallways of the district’s elementary schools, when the seniors greet their old teachers and the current students. As a virtual alternative, Carly Salzman, a guidance counselor at the high school, created a compilation video in which elementary school teachers sent messages to graduating seniors along with their old class photos. “I wish we could see you in the hallways of Parkway and give you a big hug and take pictures and probably cry,” said Jane Dunne, a teacher at Parkway Elementary School. “I just wanted to say that you will always have a special place in my heart.” To watch the video, go to https:// youtu.be/HosPWKH3Z88.
Candidates discuss BLM protests continued from front page the video of Floyd’s death. “The first thing I saw was my son’s face [super]imposed on his face, just for a moment,” Gordon said. “Then my military police background came to mind. Our creed is to protect and defend. Police officers’ creed is to protect and serve. In those minutes, George Floyd wasn’t being protected or served.” Gordon said she had been to a number of protests in the past week, and she commended the Nassau and Suffolk County police for their handling of those she attended. “I think the departments have done a great job,” she said. “I’ve been to one in Nassau County and a few in Suffolk County. They were great. The police did their job. At some they stood on the side, monitored and were watchful to make sure the people were safe. [At] other protests, they became more engaged and interacted with protesters.” Democratic candidate PatriJacKie Gordon cia Maher, of East Meadow, a Democratic former executive of a nonprofit candidate health care agency and the Democratic nominee in the 2014 congressional race, who is now working on an advanced law degree at Hofstra, said she believed the key to bridging any gaps between police and protesters is mediation by community leaders. “I would like to have regular meetings with police departments and community leaders,” she said. “If we had these on a large scale, these meetings within communities of color and with communities finding it difficult to be under-
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olice officers’ creed is to protect and serve. In those minutes, George Floyd wasn’t being protected or served.
andrew Garbarino
Jackie Gordon
stood, letting them come forward and speak, and having police be there to listen. I think that would be very beneficial.” Maher added that she believed in the police, and that a mixture of dialogue and more nuanced anti-bias training for cadets would benefit the community. The fourth candidate, Republican Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino spoke about the Long Island protests from Albany. “Peaceful protests are how this country was built,” he said. “Protesting for something they want, they’re doing that. They have to stay peaceful. When they start talking about things like calling for the defunding of the police — if you’re going to have law and order, you can’t just have it some of the time. A cop was arrested for murder. You then can’t support the looting if law and order is what you’re striving for.” Garbarino added that the Legislature “must not be reactive, but proactive.” He is currently working on reading new bill proposals in the Assembly. “We need to create legislation that addresses the problem and doesn’t swing to the extremes every time,” he said. “Our job is to not stoke the fire. We want to bring everyone to the middle and go, ‘OK, what do you want, and how do we get there?’ Ask community and ask police. We need to create legislation so that the same things don’t happen.” While protesters are fighting for their needs to be met, police officers, Garbarino said, are under heavy scrutiny,
Patricia Maher
Mike liPetri
and feel that their jobs are becoming more difficult due to the actions of a few “bad actors” that most police officers do not want to protect. He added that he doesn’t believe there is any inherent or institutional racism in the police force. LiPetri echoed that sentiment, and Maher said that since she has never been a member of a police department, she couldn’t speak on the topic. Gordon said she respected law enforcement officers, but conceded that it would be hard for her to say definitively that there isn’t a possibility of “some form of systemic racism in an institution like the police.” Gordon said, “I would say the most important thing to take away right now is that every American life matters. In order for us to move forward as a nation, we have to acknowledge that every single life matters. When one is [ex]tinguished, it cannot be just discarded like trash.” Maher finished by saying that “change in America comes, but it doesn’t come easy sometimes.” Garbarino said he was happy that peaceful protesters were using their voice to institute change, but did not agree with the demonization of police. LiPetri ended by reiterating that the 2nd C.D. needs strong elected officials to advocate for and appreciate first responders, which he would continue to provide if elected.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Photos by Christina Daly/Herald
More than a thousand people gathered across from Hempstead Town Hall to protest the death of George Floyd and others who died at the hands of police. They came to show solidarity and protest in the hope that the laws will change and people of color will be treated equally. Many signs listed the names of those who have been victims of violence.
Protest held at Hempstead Town Hall By chriStina daly Dozens of protests have taken palce across Long Island since the death of George Floyd, 46, on May 25. Shawn Fullerton and his mother, Belinda Watkins, a member of the Hempstead Chamber Board, held a rally outside of Hempstead Town Hall last Friday in the hope of bringing everyone together and changing the laws. Belinda told the crowd, “I’m tired. I’m tired of telling my son it’s not safe to go outside. I’m tired of shedding tears. I’m tired.” More than a thousand people gathered across from Hempstead Town Hall to protest the death of Floyd and others who died at the hands of police. They gathered to show solidarity. Many signs listed the names of those who have been victims of violence. Other signs stated, “It’s freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody,” “No Justice, No Peace,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Silence=Violence,” “All lives can’t
matter until black lives matter,” “My skin color is not a crime,” “I can’t breathe,” “This is not a riot, this is a revolution” and “It’s not white vs black, it’s everyone vs racists.” Hempstead Deputy Mayor Charles Renfroe, the Rev. Sedgwick Easley of the Union Baptist Church and Barbara Powell of the NAACP Hempstead Branch attended the protest outside of town hall. As drivers went by, they honked and yelled in support, which was met with cheers by those gathered along the street. One of the few young protesters at the event, 8-year-old Maleah Malone, said, “I care about black people, and I’m marching for them. They shouldn’t be treated this way.” Her mother, Shaunte Malone, she said her children would be the ones living in the world protesters were working to create. Dorothy Goosby said it’s so important to get people involved. “I’ve been going through this, what they’re going through, my whole life,” she said.
Shawn Fullerton and his mother, Belinda Watkins, a member of the Hempstead Chamber Board, held the rally in the hope of bringing everyone together and changing the laws. “no juStice, no peace,” chanted Maleah Malone, 8, and her brother Kendrelle, 9, as they held their signs high. Their mother said they would be the ones to live in the world the protesters were fighting for.
During the rally outside of Hempstead Town Hall, Julia and Daniel Tellerman registered participants to vote.
ProteSter SteFanny cardona held her sign toward the police officers across the street who lined the sidewalks outside of Hempstead Town Hall.
What a little girl is teaching the world about racism sbrinton@liherald.com
Around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, I stood atop the Long Island Rail Road trestle in Merrick, looking out on the sea of people who filled Sunrise Highway as far as I could see, east and west. Officials later estimated the number of demonstrators who attended the Black Lives Matter protest at 3,000 to 4,000. The next morning, I tried to imagine Sunrise Highway with 20 million people. Would they even fit along its 120.6 miles? Twenty million was the number of Twitter users who had, as of Friday morning, watched a 15-second video I shot of 7-year-old Wynta-Amor Rogers, of Uniondale, marching beside her mother, Lakyia Jackson, at a different Black Lives Matter protest through Merrick and Bellmore, on Wednesday. (The views climbed to nearly 23 million by Monday.) In the video, taken around 6:30 p.m., Wynta-Amor chants with the protesters, “No justice, no peace!” Many among the thousands who commented on the post described WyntaAmor as “fierce.” Yes, she was. Her hands moved to the beat of the chant. Her fingers pointed furiously. At the end, she raised her fist, seemingly in anger. Her fiery spirit was evident in her eyes. Wynta-Amor, it appeared, had fully inter nalized the emotion of the moment. She was breathing it in, living it. I was live-tweeting the protest to chronicle it for the Heralds. When I posted the video, I never imagined it would go viral. By the time the protest ended two hours later, 25,000 people had viewed it. By midnight, a million had. Thirty-six hours later, 20.2 million, and counting. People from all parts of the globe viewed it. In effect, this little girl broadcast a central message of Black Lives Matter for all in the Twittersphere to see: We must have justice to find the lasting peace our society seeks. Later on Wednesday, Wynta-Amor’s mom tweeted to thank me for the support that day. “We have to show our kids the right way,” Jackson said. “Yes, Wynta-Amor,” she added, “mommy will help make your future better and all the rest of the kids in the world.” Thursday morning, my wife said she went to bed the night before with Wynta-Amor’s words ringing in her ears. She couldn’t escape them. There was a certain melody to them, a righteous power. Wynta-Amor wasn’t the only one whose passion you could feel that afternoon. There were also 21-year-old Adriana Brutus, of Elmont, and her 24-yearold brother, Matt, who are black. They gave impassioned speeches at the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, about a half-hour before I took the video of Wynta-Amor. “I’m scared every time I come outside,” Adriana said through tears. Her words left me thunderstruck.
Photos by Scott Brinton/Herald
AdriAnA BrutuS, 21, of Elmont, a nursing student at NYU, said through tears that she does not feel safe leaving her own home.
ProteSterS At the June 3 demonstration marching on Sunrise Highway toward Babylon Turnpike.
As it happened, I later learned, Adriana had been communicating via Instagram with my own 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra. They’re both NYU students. Adriana is studying nursing, and Alexandra, business and technology management. Why must Adriana be afraid all the time? I thought. What sort of society do we live in that she must worry for her life because of her color? My daughter has never felt that level of fear, nor has my 17-year-old son, Andrew. As black people, Matt Brutus said, “We can’t buy property. They redline us. They say you have to go to school here.” BLM protesters aren’t saying they want to take anything from white people. They’re just saying they want an equal shot at life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness — but that’s hard, if not impossible, for them when racism seems woven into the institutional fabric of our nation. A number of Merrick and Bellmore residents stood on their stoops and on street corners applauding the protesters on Wednesday and Thursday. They cheered and banged on pots. Now and again, though, someone called out, “All lives matter!” Sometimes the protesters ignored those shouts. Sometimes they chanted, “Black lives matter! Black lives matter!” louder and louder. The all-lives-matter folks just don’t get it. The BLM protesters aren’t saying black people’s lives matter more than anyone else’s. What they’re saying is, in
the eyes of a society with a centuriesold history of systemic racism, black lives have never mattered as much as white lives — but they should. They must, if we are to live in harmony with one another. To chant “Black lives matter!” is to affirm that the lives of black people do, in fact, matter. White people don’t have to proclaim their lives matter because they already do, according to society. In the past, a black man could die by noose because he looked the wrong way at a white woman. The George Floyd case, a number of pundits have said, is a modern-day lynching, captured for all to witness on cellphone video. The question is, what will each of us do about it?
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
WyntA-Amor rogerS, 7, marching during the Black Lives Matter protest in Merrick on Wednesday. The Herald’s video of her chanting, “No justice, no peace!” had more than 20 million views on Twitter as of Friday.
By Scott Brinton
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Humans of East Meadow keeps growing By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
A collage of stories from members of the East Meadow community is recorded on the Instagram page @ humansofem_, or Humans of East Meadow. Based on the Instagram account @humansofny, run by Brandon Stanton, each post showcases a photo and human-interest story about students, teachers and staff members at the East Meadow School District. Clara Song, a freshman at the University of California Los Angeles, and Sabera Hossain, a freshman at Stony Brook University, started the localized account last year before passing the torch to W.T. Clarke High School junior Raheem Sheikh and East Meadow High School seniors Emily Heneghan and Aliyah Sumigcay. “We interview fellow students and teachers at East Meadow High School and W.T. Clarke High School to promote community values and inspire strong connections with fellow students,” Sheikh said. Originally, they planned to make Humans of East Meadow a club, but decided instead to pursue it as a personal project without the school’s affiliation. “The page also allows students to see faces they would not see everyday while bringing the community together,” Sheikh said. The account recently passed its 100th-post mark and currently has over 1,400 followers from the East Meadow community. “I really enjoy hearing stories about finding a community in the high school, especially through model congress and music and band,” Heneghan said. “You hear the stories of true connections that are made
and friendships that could last a lifetime.” The page has remained active through the pandemic by interviewing students over Facetime or Zoom. Heneghan said that her recent interviews would begin with students discussing the pandemic before segueing into more personal stories about staying home and their relationships with their family. Heneghan said she has been focusing her recent interviews on seniors. “I wanted to get as many of their stories out their before we leave,” she said. Heneghan and Sumigcay are graduating this month and Sheikh plans on building the Humans of East Meadow team with another student from W.T. Clarke High School and two from East Meadow High School. “One thing we changed this year is we each have our own spheres of influence and it shows in how we conduct our interviews and posts,” Sheikh said. One of Sheikh’s recent posts featured an AB Bio teacher at W.T. Clarke High School. “A lot of people wonder about teachers’ personal lives,” he said. “We get a lot of insight into what they look for in students, what their grading process is life . . . and what their life is like and how it shaped their teaching style.” Asked what he looks for in students, one teacher told Humans of East Meadow that it wasn’t necessarily good grades, but it was having a good heart. Next year, Sheikh said, his goal is to reach more people and surpass the 2,000-follower mark. “I want to see more students getting involved and reaching out to us to be interviewed,” he added.
Courtesy Instagram
ThE INSTAGRAm pAGE @humansofem_, or Humans of East Meadow, showcases the stories of students, teachers and staff members at the East Meadow School District.
The pandemic’s affect on students with disabilities By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
Since schools have shifted to remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, students with disabilities have been facing their own challenges when it comes to accessing education and related services. Students with disabilities have an Individualized Education Plan coordinated with their school that entitles them to special education and instruction. During the pandemic, schools have had to adjust the IEPs provided to their students. But without an apt alternative, such students are at risk of behavioral regressions, said Nicole Iannarone, the founder of Cornerstone Behavior Services. “Many families don’t have access to in-home services,” she added. “There has been a lot of inconsistency and schools should be implementing IEPs to the fullest capacity.” Iannarone’s agency offers in-home services to students with autism, ranging from pre-school children to adult learners. Iannarone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has been working in the field of Applied
T
he biggest challenge for them is the break in their routine and structure.
NIcoLE IANNARoNE
Founder, Cornerstone Behavior Services Behavior Analysis since 2010. She lives in Wantagh and services families throughout Nassau County. Through the pandemic, she has been providing all of her services virtually and sitting with students for onehour sessions. “The biggest challenge for them is the break in their routine and structure,” she said of her students. To compensate, she has had to be “overly generous” with their schedule and add additional time for movement breaks and cleaning up. She stressed that students should not have free, open access to items in their homes because they wouldn’t have such access in a classroom setting.
Iannarone added that she sets “simple and specific goals” to work with students and goes “back to the basics” when it comes to virtual learning through Telehealth. In starting Cornerstone Behavioral Services, Iannarone said, her goal was to “work one-on-one with [learners] and stay personal with their families.” Through the adjustments she has had to take due to the coronavirus, she said, “parents are the reason we have been so successful.” Iannarone has specialized in treating challenging behaviors and helping learners develop language skills. When she was a graduate student, she conducted research on food selectivity and refusal. Over the years, she has treated many learners with their challenges involving food. Cornerstone Behavioral Services is comprised of Bachelor’s-level behavior therapists, registered behavior technicians and board certified behavior analysts. Iannarone said that she hopes to gradually transition her agency back into the homes of her students around Phase II, which began Wednesday on Long Island.
Nominate a senior for a Herald superlative How to enter Nominate your favorite graduating high school senior today at www. liherald.com/seniorsuperlatives or on Instagram (see @longislandherald for instructions). The categories, among others, include: ■ Most likely to be at the beach ■ Most likely to become a billionaire ■ Most likely to change the world
that I enjoyed in my childhood. Not only does this give me an opportunity to express myself in a new way, it also allows me to prepare artwork for my future college dorm. I will look at these paintings on my wall with pride, knowing I turned an upsetting situation into a positive one. And to be recognized as a Senior Superlative means a lot.” Her father, Michael Stein, said “Adina has loved to paint and draw from an early age and has shown improvement the past few years. She has spent her free time during the quarantine period painting various art projects on canvas with plans to decorate her college dorm in the fall. Her creativity and artistic skills will com-
plement her academic endeavors in the future.” “We thought this was a fun way to honor these high school students who are graduating in extremely atypical times,” said Stuart Richner, president of Richner Communications and publisher of Herald Community Newspapers. “We would also like to thank the many businesses and organizations from the community that stepped up to sponsor the Herald 2020 Senior Superlatives to allow these graduating students to be recognized.” Sponsors to date include Sacred Heart Academy, Oceanside Family Dental, Ritz Jewelry and Tim White Home Improvement.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
Richner Communications, publishers of Herald Community Newspapers, is now accepting nominations for the Herald 2020 Senior Superlatives. Nominations are currently open through Instagram (see @longislandherald for instructions) and online at www.liherald.com/ seniorsuperlatives until June 15. Winners will be published in the Herald’s commemorative Graduation 2020 section, presented by Molloy College, on June 25. Parents, family, classmates and friends are encouraged to nominate graduating high school seniors for the chance to be crowned Nassau County’s Most Likely to Succeed, Most Likely To Cure Cancer, Best Artist, Best Athlete, and more. Students can even nominate themselves. Additionally, each Herald 2020 Senior Superlative winner will be entered into a drawing for a $500 VISA gift card, presented by Herald Community Newspapers. Adina Stein, a senior at George W. Hewlett High School, said, “This is a great way to be honored this year. Finding out that my senior year would be cut short was very upsetting to me. I realized I wouldn’t be able to have my last school spirit week, prom, a traditional graduation, and other fun events we have spent many years looking forward to. After realizing that I can use this time to work on my productivity and look forward to my college freshman year, I decided to try painting again, which was an activity
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Photos courtesy Melody Schiller
StudentS at Barnum Woods Elementary School took part in the first virtual Walk in the Woods, continuing the annual health walk that is held in conjunction with the school’s Flag Day ceremony each year.
Walk in the Woods goes virtual By Brian StieglitZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
Every year, on Flag Day, the students of Barnum Woods Elementary School have sported red, white and blue as they waved flags and walked a mile through the community for Walk in the Woods. The school’s annual health walk continued this year, despite the coronavirus pandemic. From June 1 through 5, students and staff members participated in the first virtual Walk in the Woods by walking at their own time and pace and recording their progress — while practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. Some walked around the neighborhood, while others took to their favorite hiking spots across Long Island. Fifth-grade teacher Gene Vassel and nurse Daryle Abeshouse started the walk in 2013 and the Barnum Woods Planning Management Team has hosted it each year. Melody Schiller, the PMT president, said that the first virtual event was “a resounding success.” “People got a chance to remember that, especially during these unprecedented times of great stress, we can hopefully still get outside and enjoy exercise, walking and our beautiful local environment,” she said. Abeshouse brought the idea of holding the walk virtually to the PMT, which was committed to continuing the event as a way to promote health and exercise. Teachers posted the flyer on their Google Classroom pages. Students, parents and community members then posted their goals, pictures and signs across social media. The PMT and Parent Teacher Association also continued the tradition of the Barnum Woods Field of Flags, created by the Skoros family last year, to provide comfort for walkers and pass-
Some walked around the neighborhood, while others took to their favorite hiking spots across Long Island. erby at the school. “With the support of our Principal Gregory Bottari, Assistant Principal Harriet Alfano, Central Administration, the School Board,Teachers, Staff and Parents working together we were able to emphasize that a simple neighborhood walk is a wonderful thing,” Schiller said.
ParticiPantS walked at their own time and pace and recorded their progress — while practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. teacherS got involved in the walk and posted their times on social media.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
GETTING BACK TO OUR LIVES BEGINS WITH OUR HEALTH. To our fellow Long Islanders: For months, we’ve all endured a crisis that has reshaped our world. And, although our daily lives will be affected for some time to come, we’re beginning to move towards some sense of normalcy and optimism. Along with the desire to protect lives, we all want to get back to living. And living well starts with your health. Your total health. That’s why we’ve instituted extensive safety measures throughout our hospitals and physician offices. There’s no need to ignore health issues or postpone procedures, because we’ve made it safe to get the care you need. The new summer is here. Now is the right time to refocus on your greatest asset of all—your health. Just know that, at Catholic Health Services, we’re here for Long Island and, most of all, we’re here for you. Sincerely, The Catholic Health Services Medical Staff
St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center® • Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center • St. Charles Hospital St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center • Mercy Medical Center • St. Joseph Hospital
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Covid-19
hometown heroes
Gary Glick
M
Bellmore commander, Jewish war Veterans Post 652
e and a group of veterans got together in early May to start our website called We-Are-Vets.US. We started this website from nothing. First, we put it out to all veterans’ groups, and we’re slowly but surely bringing in info on their vets to keep them informed. By making our site, we share people’s stories — from World War II and the Korean War to Vietnam. We have connections to the Northport [Veterans Affairs] Hospital and the Stony Brook nursing home, and veterans can also find some shopping discounts. I was one of the lucky ones when I went into the service. I signed up in 1969 and never had to go to Vietnam, but it took 40 years to find out about all these other guys that did go or went to other wars and served our country. Now we’re getting them the help they need — that’s the key. I’ve been in the background, and I like being in the background. If people would come out of the woodwork to help others, we could help many, many more. Especially younger people with fathers, mothers and relatives that are veterans. I think our work helps keep people connected. Many of our Jewish War Veterans are much older than me, and it’s hard for them to join Zoom calls — many don’t even know what a computer is. We share people’s stories on the site, including a recent memorial fund, which is still going.
Frank lukasik
east meadow director oF literacy, east meadow school district
I
am also lucky enough to be working for the school district as the director of literacy for the past five years. As social media has grown, you see several opportunities to use your platform and get your message out to a wider audience. That’s what I’ve been doing with Twitter and in this instance, Facebook. I created the East Meadow Literacy Facebook page and before the pandemic, it started as weekly read aloud on Sunday nights. I’d get on and read to the kids and their parents. Now I’ve been doing it daily. I want to help kids who don’t necessarily have access or want to relax and hear a good story. I’ve been working with the PTA to collect books of various levels. Some of our schools have food collections so something we will continue to have is access to books through donations of our community members. The community is donating books, I’m taking the books, breaking it down into appropriate grade levels — K through 1, 2 through 3 and 4 through 5 — and I repackage the books in Ziploc bags to create literacy to-go. I have this position because this is a passion of mind and helping kids find out who they are as readers and writers. For some people, it takes a while and I think that whatever we could do to nurture that, it’s our responsibility to continue to do that as best as we can. During this pandemic, we still need to out there helping kids find out who they are through reading and writing.
hometown hero
hometown hero
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
their Front-Line stories as toLd to our reporters Sergio DeCiantiS Dr. Jeffrey reynolDS eynol MaSSapequa garDen City preSiDent, Ceo, faMily & CHilDren’S aSSoCiation HeMpSteaD anD wantagH
owner, Cara Mia Due reStaurant SeaforD
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don’t know how many trips I made to the hospitals [for donations] honestly. I can’t give you that number, and we also gave to some families that needed a little help. I wouldn’t mind helping out anyone who needs a meal. I’m more than happy to help. My businesses are all food-related. I have Cara Mia in Seaford. Once they gave us the heads-up that we can’t open dining rooms for public, we had to adapt. We did takeout only, and the community stood by us. I’ve been in Seaford for 14 years now [with the restaurant], so it feels like my home. My wife works at Lenox Hill Hospital in the city. She works in the surgery department. She’s been busy every day, but lucky for her, she’s been able to do a lot of her work from home. We basically had to flip our work into a way we never had to do it before. Even though we were only open at the restaurant for a few hours, it was more stressful. Usually you have a longer period of time to prepare those orders, but we didn’t have that. But online, tons of Seaford people, and even Wantagh and Massapequa, were writing about the restaurant and to support local business, and it was nice to see that support. I wanted to give it back, and we did, in donations.
ne of the first questions that comes to mind in speaking with Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds is: How does a person with so many responsibilities find any time to sleep? Yet, the president and chief executive officer of FCA (Family and Children’s Association) not only sleeps; he is also a triathlete and a runner of marathons. The Garden City resident’s work at FCA bears more than a passing resemblance to a marathon. It is harder to find a need FCA doesn’t address than to list what the charity does. Founded in 1884 to help indigent children, FCA now serves a wide variety of material and mental health needs across Nassau County, including substance abuse, human trafficking, homelessness and a host of issues affecting seniors. One of its shelters is in Wantagh. “The economic stress is as high as I’ve ever seen it, and a lot of the issues we deal with are hard to quantify. But the ripple effect is going to be huge. “Many who lost their jobs also lost their health insurance coverage and may not be able to afford COBRA payments. People who were on prescription pain medication might look for cheaper alternatives, like street drugs. But the heroin supply has been pretty dry lately, so we’re also seeing a big increase in day drinking. “I worry about what happens next, as we [continue to] flatten the curve...A lot of people are falling through the cracks.”
HoMetown Hero
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MSSN poll: Residents reluctant to return to normal Experts urge community to follow guidelines MSSN’s experts recommend that people remain vigilant and wear masks in public. Hand washing is key, as is maintaining social distancing and avoiding unnecessary gatherings, even through the summer months. These practices can help reduce a second surge. people’s attitudes will change, Although a vaccine is still some months away, early research shows promise that a vaccine could prevent a resurgence of Covid-19. Science is on our side. Right now, there is still too much unknown about a potential vaccine, and I assume that uncertainty is what we are seeing reflected in the poll results.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a phased reopening of Long Island’s economy. During Phase One of the reopening, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson Valley may begin construction staging to prepare for resuming projects, curbside retail, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing. However, most residents made it clear they are not willing to resume their pre-pandemic activities, the poll showed. New York City is the only region to remain on New York’s Pause, Cuomo’s 10-point executive order to keep New York safe during the coronavirus outbreak, but it was due to start reopening June 8. One-third of area residents polled have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or know someone who was. Nearly all respondents said they will continue to wear a mask to protect themselves until circumstances change. Only 3 percent of respondents reported that they do not wear a mask. “ Ve r y f ew a s p e c t s o f d ay - t o - d ay l i f e h ave remained unchanged during the Covid-19 era,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s executive vice president for clinical and professional affairs and chief medical officer. “It is a positive sign that the vast majority of people remain reluctant to resume normal life post-Covid-19. The public health education that has been going on during the last two months has made a lasting impact, which is good. The virus is still out there and active. We must remain vigilant in our social distancing effort. There is good reason why we should not be returning to life as normal just yet.” New York City has been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Long Island and Westchester
County also have been particularly hard hit. This is Mount Sinai South Nassau’s second Truth in Medicine poll, sponsored by Bethpage, on the region’s response to coronavirus. The first poll, conducted February 5-9, found that 62 percent of respondents were very concerned about the coronavirus outbreak. However, at the time, residents saw the flu as a more serious threat than coronavirus. A majority of respondents in this poll said they felt comfortable receiving medical care, going to an emergency room and returning to work, only if safety precautions were followed. Fifty-two percent said they would go to a beach or park with social distancing and sanitizing practices in place. Nearly one in 10 respondents has either personally delayed seeking treatment or has a family member who did so for chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness in the limbs or slurred speech due to fear of catching the virus. Thirteen percent of those who had been infected with the virus or had a family member who was have delayed care. As the rates of Covid-19-related hospitalizations and deaths decline, some 25 percent of poll respondents said they would still not visit an emergency room. Sixty-three percent said they would seek emergency care only if social distancing guidelines and sanitizing measures were enforced. There is concer n among physicians about the impact of delayed medical care. For example, individuals with chest pain who avoided the emergency room could damage their heart muscle and cause additional blockages or, worse, a severe heart attack. “People should not delay seeking care, including going to an emergency room if necessary,” . Sharma said.. “Visits to emergency rooms remain low compared to pre-Covid-19, which is an indication that people are delaying seeking treatment due to coronavirus fears. We have taken all necessary precautions, including deep cleaning and segregation of Covid-19 versus non-Covid-19 patients in our ER, so people should not put their health on hold. It’s more dangerous to sit home when you are experiencing serious symptoms.” In every case of the poll, men are more willing than women to resume public activities, both with and without restrictions. Respondents under age 50, especially parents of children under age 18, are more likely to return to the workplace, go to the beach or a park, attend a religious service, eat in a restaurant/go to a bar, attend a sporting event and go to a movie than older respondents and those without children. Courtesy MSSN; compiled by Mike Smollins
News brief Proposed state bill to aid small business and nonprofits Proposed legislation approved May 27 by both the State Senate and Assembly would give industrial development agencies more to support small businesses and nonprofit organizations during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure needs to be signed by the governor. The bill enables IDAs to offer grants and in-kind donations to small businesses and small not-for-profit organizations for personal protective equipment and fixtures - like plexiglass -
needed to prevent the spread of Covid19. It authorizes IDAs to provide up to $25,000 in loans to small businesses and small nonprofits to help remain viable. Industrial development agencies help to foster economic development. “It is devastating to see many small businesses close in our communities putting thousands out of work,” State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, (D-Long Beach), a co-sponsor of the measure, said in a news release. “We need to make it easier for our downtowns to bounce back
and this bill will help jump-start the economic rebirth of Long Island.” Through the current health crisis, small businesses and small not-for-profit organizations have been forced to pare services or shut down operations. The result has been thousands of people unemployed and communities devastated. Current law limits IDAs from providing loans and donations to businesses even though they are in desperate need of short-term financial assistance to remain viable.
“I commend Senator Kaminsky for leading the way to give IDAs the ability to give grants and loans to small businesses to help them recover and reopen after this horrible pandemic,” Nassau County IDA Chair Richard Kessel stated in the same release. “IDAs all across the state have millions of dollars that can be used to invest in the economy and help our downtowns. Nassau will certainly be part of this.” –Jeffrey Bessen
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
Two-thirds of Long Islanders and New York City residents would not attend a sporting event, watch a movie or ride mass transit because of Covid-19 fears as Long Island reopens, the latest Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital public health poll shows. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they would not shake someone’s hand, while most were still eager to have children return to school. Seventy-one percent of respondents with children under the age of 18 said they will send their children back to school in the fall, although 52 percent will do so only with appropriate social distancing and sanitizing practices in place. Sixteen percent said they will not send their children back to school in the fall. A majority of parents believe remote learning has gone “very well” or “well.” Concern about coronavirus returning in the fall is high. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 meaning “not concerned at all” and 10 meaning “extremely concerned,” the mean level of concern was 7.71. Concern is higher than average among Hispanic respondents, women and those 65-plus. The Mount Sinai South Nassau Truth in Medicine Poll, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, is a quarterly survey of Long Island and New York City residents that aims to gather data about attitudes on key public health topics and help spur education to improve public health. The poll was conducted May 11-14 via landlines and cell phones with 600 residents in New York City and on Long Island. Poll findings are subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percent. The latest findings showed that the majority also is uneasy about flying on an airplane, eating in a restaurant, or going to a bar, the poll showed. Despite 100,000 recorded deaths due to coronavirus nationwide, notably, 55 percent of area residents said they are either unsure (30 percent) or would not (25 percent) roll up their sleeves for a vaccine, if one were available. In a previous Truth in Medicine Poll, sponsored by Bethpage, conducted in early February before the height of the outbreak, 55 percent of respondents said they would get vaccinated compared to just 45 percent now. Respondents 65 and older remained committed to getting a vaccine, with 53 percent saying they would get vaccinated in both polls. This poll showed that interest in a vaccine also increased depending on whether or not the respondent was diagnosed with the virus or knew someone personally who was. “It’s disturbing that there is reluctance about a potential vaccine,” Department of Medicine Chairman Dr. Aaron Glatt said. “However, we’re hopeful that as one is developed, tested, and proven effective,
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Spread the news(letter) not the virus! Stay up to date with the latest Nassau County news. Sign up for an online account at www.liherald.com to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox.
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What you need to know today.
By NICHOLAS RONTANINI
Melissa Koenig/Herald
ASSemBLymAN ed RA, at the lectern, proposed legislation allowing business owners to get marketing grants from the state. He spoke about it at a news conference on June 3.
Businesses to get marketing grants under proposed bill By meLISSA KOeNIg mkoenig@liherald.com
A bill in the New York State Legislature would help small business owners better market themselves and promote their businesses, as Long Island’s economy begins to reopen. Under the “New York First” bill, A10473, money from the State Department of Economic Development and the New York State Urban Development Corporation would be used to provide small business owners grants of up to $10,000 for marketing campaigns, consultation services and search engine optimization lessons. The business owners would have to apply for the funds, detailing how they would use the money and listing any additional business assistance services they receive. They would also have to identify the specific target audiences they are trying to reach, and explain how they would measure their success. Additionally, local Chambers of Commerce, business improvement districts and other nonprofits that support local businesses could apply for the funding to create cost-effective ways to encourage New Yorkers to shop local. “We need to do everything we can to promote small businesses,” Assemblyman Ed Ra, a Republican from Franklin Square who introduced the bill in the State Legislature on May 22, said at a news conference last Wednesday, adding that the state already has the money set aside for economic development.
That money could instead be used to promote the state’s “mom and pop” shops, he said, rather than the large online retailers that New Yorkers have been buying from, since Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the New York on Pause order in March. The order declared that all non-essential businesses would be closed statewide to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Only “essential” personnel, including health care workers, grocery store employees and pharmacists, were allowed to continue working. But Kevin Hyms, president of the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce who expressed his support for the legislation at the news conference, said, “All businesses are essential,” and Assemblyman Doug Smith, a Republican from Holbrook, noted that 95 percent of the businesses in New York are small businesses. “Our communities are built on small business,” said Eric Alexander, of the Long Island Main Street Alliance. “Now is really the time to let the communities know it’s time to reopen.” Long Island began to “un-pause” and reopen its economy on May 27, when construction, wholesale trade and retailers were allowed to restart operations for curbside pickup. If the number of deaths, hospitalizations and new Covid-19 cases remain stable or decline, professional services, finance and insurance, real estate and leasing companies could begin to reopen this week.
Let us Know News Brief items including awards, honors, promotions and other tidbits about local residents are welcome. Photographs may be emailed as well. Deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, week prior to publication. Send to bstieglitz@liherald.com
Even though more children today have special needs, an effective education program can be hard to come by. But many East Meadow school officials and parents agree they don’t have that issue because of Special Education Director Patrice Dobies. “Patrice Dobies, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, is a child advocate first,” said Ethan Mann, a parent who has worked with Dobies on special education committees. Dobies, 59, of New Hyde Park, has worked for 13 years to improve and innovate programs to help children with special needs. She has a professional diploma in administration and a Master’s degree in special education, with a concentration in learning disabilities. She helps special needs students from ages 3 to 21. Her initiatives improved pre-existing programs, including establishing a competition for visually impaired students and retooling a program to help students with autism learn life skills. The Braille Challenge is a competition encouraging visually impaired students to learn Braille. Dobies hosted the 12th annual challenge on Feb. 1. East Meadow became the first school to host the challenge 12 years ago, although it has happened each year since 2000. Dobies hosts the program, dedicated to helping visually impaired students receive assistance in learning Braille. The challenge consists of listening, writing and reading tests, and charts and graphs to read. “The Braille Challenge is just one of the wonderful fulfillments of my profession,” Dobies said. “What draws me to the challenge is the same draw [as] 12 years ago . . . providing students with an opportunity for Braille readers and writers to unite for a fun competition that celebrates learning.” Helping students make the most out of their education is part of being a special education director. The former special education teacher-turned-administrator takes this heart when helping visually impaired students, both at the challenge and in school. Dobies’ days are filled with meetings with parents and principles. She also works with the students, spending a lot of time listening to their concerns. “The children are used to seeing her
come into the buildings, come in and out of the classrooms,” said Carrie Kelsey, chairperson of the committee for pre-school special education. “She knows their names, and she’s at all of their events at night.” Dobies is known for having a gentle approach that makes even reserved students comfortable talking to her. “I think that they pick up on that, and they get a sense of that because it’s such a non-threatening environment where she gets to know them,” said Melissa Stanford, who now works with Dobies in the district office. Dobies encourages students to advocate for themselves. She says children will need these skills in the future, and she helps to prepare kids to enter the world when they leave school. She recalled one student who was looking for a new kind of Braille that would be a better personal fit for him. “He was very apologetic,” Dobies said. “And I said, ‘No, no, don’t be apologetic, you’re advocating for yourself in a very appropriate way, so you need to tell me what you need’.” Another way Dobies has helped teach students like skills was by advocating for an apartment for autistic students to teach them the skills they will need after leaving school. The apartment, built three years ago, is used to teach students adult tasks such as cooking meals and washing laundry. This learning environment is open to everyone in the program and configured to help facilitate education in everyday activities. Now with the coronavirus pandemic forcing schools to close down and move instruction online, Dobies is facing a new challenge. Students with special needs can particularly struggle with unexpected changes. She says students are having a difficult time adjusting to the change in routine, and the crisis is affecting the special education department as well. “I probably work too hard, too late, too long,” she said. “I put my soul into the job and has affected my [personal] life outside of work.” But Dobies still loves her job. “I really feel I have a great job and the best job in education because I can really make an impact on students, and really change their lives,” she said. “And that’s the best part.”
Public Notices
LEME1 0611
LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the fiscal affairs of the East Meadow Fire District for the period beginning on January 1, 2019 and ending on December 31, 2019, have been examined by an independent public accountant, Johnson & Meyers, CPAs, LLP, and that the report of external audit by the independent
public accountant has been filed in my office where it is available as a public record for inspection by all interested persons. Pursuant to Section 35 of the General Municipal Law and Section 181-b of the Town Law a written response and corrective action plan shall be prepared by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the
East Meadow Fire District within ninety days and filed in my office where it will be available as a public record for inspection by all interested persons. Dated:East Meadow, New York June 5, 2020 ATTEST:Diane Bartone Secretary East Meadow Fire District 122076
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Patrice Dobies makes a difference in East Meadow
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Installing a bidet: no simple project Q. Because of this crazy time, we couldn’t get toi-
let paper, so I saw an advertisement for a bidet that attaches to the bottom of the toilet seat and ordered one. After weeks of waiting, there seemed like toilet paper was back in the stores, but then the bidet arrived. With no job to run off to, I decided to put the bidet on, and the instructions looked simple enough. That’s when I discovered that, like you often say, nothing is simple, and you’re right. My toilet is the kind that is sleek and modern, called “low profile.” Since we have never replaced the toilet seat, I didn’t know that the seat was Ask The attached with hidden bolts Architect that can’t be loosened or taken off. After going on YouTube, I saw in an instructional video by Kohler, the maker, that with a special-order kit that includes a flat tool, new bolts and special expanding sleeves, which I would need to use with a bunch of drill bits, a screwonte eeper driver and a mallet, I could do this “simple” job. I called a plumber, who looked at it and made one of those sounds like air rushing out of a balloon, and he said, after he couldn’t get the screw to loosen, either, that the toilet might get damaged if they drilled it out but they could try. If it got damaged, he said, as a backup, be prepared to replace the toilet and select what you would want to replace it. Even though I’m now searching for a new model toilet, I thought other readers would want to know about this problem before they go through this, as well. It all started with a simple roll of toilet paper that could have been available if people hadn’t swept them off the shelves in a panic. What would you do in this case?
M
L
A. I not only got calls from people I knew that they ordered the bidet attachment around early April, but I ordered one myself, and learned from your question that there were many who are experiencing the same issues. I’m often told by prospective clients that they want a simpler look, something more modern and “updated.” People seldom want to hear the truth when they have an idea about how to make things simpler, and I didn’t imagine that the engineers of that type of sleeklooking low toilet, with no indents or hidden places to clean, would actually be more complicated to work with. Who would have imagined that changing a toilet seat would mean changing a toilet? When people see something in a magazine, like an incredible staircase with no walls underneath or a fancy sports car, I wonder if they really understand the amount of complicated engineering that goes into the “simple” design. I would drill out the bolts with the kit standing by from the manufacturer and have the toilet selected, readily available to purchase for installation. Good luck!
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opinionS
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table neighborhoods are the backbone of every community. But in places like New York state, where housing costs continue to rise dramatically, housing stability is threatened for far too many, particularly families and individuals who rely on public assistance. On any given day, more than 92,000 New Yorkers are homeless. The gross inadequacy of housing subsidies is a critical factor in the rise of homelessness and housing instability. Long don Island is home to FRiedMan about 1,800 homeless households staying in shelters, while another 3,200 or so families and individuals struggle to get by on public assistance allowances that cover only 40 percent to twothirds of their monthly rents. These households are on the brink of becoming homeless, and most will find themselves facing eviction, having to double up with family or friends, or living in shelters or places not fit for human habitation. This crisis is manifest throughout our
D
state, where, for example, more than 150,000 children experience homelessness over the course of the school year. Many of the more than 80,000 public-assistance households that struggle to pay their rents every month will constitute the next wave of families and individuals to lose their housing. These families will need to find shelters, hotels, tents, abandoned buildings, cars or sofas where they can spend a night, a week, a month, a lifetime after literally losing the roofs over their heads. We have learned a great deal about the impact of housing instability and homelessness on individuals and families. Children who experience the intense stress of these hardships don’t do as well in school, and are more likely to have behavioral issues; adults are less likely to secure jobs and keep them, and more prone to mental and physical health problems; and families are often less able to succeed as cohesive units. But it doesn’t need to be this way. There is a solution in the form of legislation that has been pending in Albany for the past few years called Home Stability Support. HSS is a common-sense remedy
H
to the homelessness crisis that is supported by 129 members of the State Assembly, 37 state senators, more than 100 faith leaders, including the New York State Council of Churches and the New York State Catholic Conference, as well as dozens of local officials and scores of human services agencies and other advocates. The design is simple: HSS would bridge the divide between public-assistance housing allowances and reasonable rents in order to enable homeless and at-risk New Yorkers to leave or avoid the impermanent shelter system and secure stable housing of their own. Critics of the bill point out that the state had no resources for a program like HSS even before the coronavirus pandemic. But with homelessness in the state at record levels, shelters are overcrowded, and it costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year to leave this problem unsolved. HSS would not only help our homeless neighbors and those at risk of becoming homeless to become stably housed, it would also contribute to neighborhood stability and benefit taxpayers by preventing evictions, helping those
ousing instability turns the lives of children and adults upside down.
fleeing unsafe homes and reducing the use of costly shelters. Moreover, the pandemic has exposed longstanding systemic inequities: wealthy families have been weathering the crisis away from dense metropolitan areas, while low-income workers have lost their livelihoods or continue to be exposed to the virus. While some have been able to work from home, others have neither a computer nor access to the internet. For the rich, the pandemic presents investment opportunities never seen before, but for the poor, it means the total depletion of their savings. Now that New York state is slowly coming back to life after the lockdown, it is critical that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders recognize the need to end the vicious cycle of homelessness for families. Almost everyone in the Legislature agrees that Home Stability Support would be the immediate solution to our statewide, cyclical homelessness crisis. Now it’s now time for Cuomo to ensure that the post-pandemic comeback isn’t built on the backs of low-income communities. Don Friedman is a former managing attorney of the Long Island office of the Empire Justice Center, a statewide legal services and advocacy organization for low-income New Yorkers.
My own silver lining is in the mirror
on’t go changing to try and please me . . . Don’t change the color of your hair.” —Billy Joel
Why would women stretch out on their backs with their hair floating behind them in vats of lye? Apparently, in the 1600s that was the price of beauty for fashionable women in Venice. It was what one did on the Rialto to bleach one’s hair into “golden” locks. I mention this because my husband and I recently had “the talk.” There are lots of pandemic-fueled talks going on now Randi in America, and while this one kReiSS started in a jokey kind of way, with a slow burn, it quickly ignited. The accelerant was oldschool ageism. I realized we were talking about identity. I asked him if he liked my hair, which has been growing in gray since I decided not to risk Covid-19 by going to a hair salon. (As businesses open, I realize this
is now my personal choice.) Yes, it is a loaded question from spouse A to spouse B. Of course, just by asking, I’m making his opinion of my appearance important. And it is. As an older, pretty traditional couple, that has been the way we roll. We tell each other if a sweater looks too worn or pants are too tight. We accept opinions on new shoes or eyeglasses. We have an actual agreement that we don’t say anything negative about each other’s appearance before we go out for the evening, but upon returning, we are allowed to say, “Burn that shirt.” When I asked about my going gray, he said, “I like your hair dark.” Well, I liked it better when my hair was dark, too, but it can’t get dark unless I go to a salon, or color it at home, which is a project I am not taking on. Besides, why should I? Why was I hitched to a wagon that dragged me to a salon every eight weeks for a “touch-up”? When I said I didn’t plan to change my hair, he said, “Well, OK, but I like it better the other way.” “Well, OK,” I said, “I liked it better when you had wavy black curls and rip-
i
pling muscles in your arms.” The double standard suddenly popped out in high relief. Why is it OK for him to have gray hair and not think that it diminishes him in any way, and I have to dye my hair in order to “improve” my appearance when I start to show signs of aging? If the pandemic had not struck, confining us to home base and prohibiting socializing, I probably would have continued to color my hair indefinitely. But now? I’m done. Every eight weeks I’ll go to the theater instead, for the same money, should the theaters ever open again. Meanwhile, stuck in the house, I’m getting comfortable with the me in me. I’ve outgrown that woman with highlighted hair and ritualized applications of makeup. While we’re at it, let’s burn the bra. I see my husband’s eyes scan my upper torso and I know what he’s thinking. I go for it: “I’ve decided not to wear a bra anymore.” “I noticed,” he says. “Don’t you think your clothes look better when you wear a bra?” “My clothes would look better on a mannequin with Barbie Doll measure-
probably would have continued to color my hair indefinitely. But now? I’m done.
ments,” I say, “but I am an imperfect human woman, and bras are uncomfortable, and I don’t want to be pinched and wired into place anymore.” I mean, why don’t fat guys wear Spanx? I know some men color their hair, but most don’t, whereas some 70 percent of American women color theirs. The selfimprovement industry comprising hair coloring, makeup and dieting has been largely aimed at women. We have been all too willing to believe that we aren’t thin enough or pretty enough or sexy enough in our own skins. Especially as we get older, it’s big business to convince women to cover the evidence of aging by dyeing hair, applying more makeup and submitting to surgeries. This is a very old story, but it has been made new again by the coronavirus, which reminds us what is important in our lives. In the age of masks, it is unmasking us. When your partner asks what you think of her going without makeup, a bra or hair color, or he asks if he can forgo the haircut, there are only eight acceptable words to utter: “I love you just the way you are.” Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
Include Home Stability Support in the recovery phase
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Herald editorial
East Meadow
June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
HERALD
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Protests should lead to reforms in New York
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assau County wound ing on the sidewalk. That led down a whirlwind police to escort the BLM proweek of Black Lives testers around the counterproMatter protests testers. through local neighborhoods The next day, roughly 2,000 last week that were, with one BLM protesters turned out in exception, peaceful and upliftMerrick and marched through ing. local streets, from Sunrise Tens of thousands marched, Highway to Merrick Road, on to from Valley Stream to Bellmore Bellmore and back to Merrick. and from Hempstead to Long They chanted and cheered, Beach. They came seeking jusrapped and sang. This time, tice for George Floyd, killed by many local residents came out a Minneapolis police officer to welcome them. who pressed his knee into The day after that, 4,000 proFloyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 testers turned out, and they seconds. kept coming every day through At the same time, the protestlast Sunday. Outstanding! ers said they wanted social jusOn Saturday, a group of tice for all people, regardless of about two dozen protesters skin color. rushed at Nassau County police It’s about time that protests officers while to protest on the of this magnitude happened Meadowbrook Parkway in Merhere in Nassau. Often in the rick in the rain, according to past, when protests of this kind authorities. One officer’s ankle took place in response to an was broken. Another suffered a injustice, they happened in big bruised nose and a scratched cities like New York, Washingcornea. ton and Los Angeles. That left This should never have hapGov. Andrew Nassau residents with the dispened. No one should have Cuomo tinct impression that the social attempted to protest on the injustices that black people parkway, particularly when it have faced were not their concern. This was wet and slick. As one Facebook user time, protesters brought the demonstracommented, to do so would have been a tions to our otherwise quiet suburban “death wish.” neighborhoods, making them impossible More important, police never should to ignore. have been injured. The NCPD did an excelBravo! lent job of maintaining the peace and And these protesters weren’t taking no keeping everyone safe throughout the for an answer. In Merrick, a group of week. They didn’t deserve this. about 30 people, a number of whom were There were only 11 arrests of protesters from local neighborhoods, tried to stop 150 last week, all in Merrick, and all were Black Lives Matter protesters from march- among those who tried to jump onto the
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don’t understand how you can see that murder on videotape and not be outraged. I said from Day One, I share that outrage.
dianne ramdass Circulation Director ■
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letters D.A.: Reforms are greatly needed To the Editor: The horrific murder of George Floyd has moved millions of Americans to action, seeking to end systemic racism and mistreatment by law enforcement and a fairer criminal justice system. These issues are not new to our country, our community or to me as district attorney. We have seen large, peaceful protests across Nassau County that showcase the diversity of our communities dedicated to justice, alongside the professionalism of our law enforcement agencies, working under challenging circumstances. As the county’s chief law enforcement official, I believe this is an important moment to listen to those voices in our community calling for change, to reflect on how we can improve and to affirm our commitment to do better. I wanted to share with you what action we’re taking in my office, how we’re working with our law enforcement partners to better serve the public, to announce my sup-
Meadowbrook. We seem in this nation to be in a perpetual cycle of violence against people of color, followed by protests that at times turn violent, as they did in major cities around the country last week. It’s time that we end that cycle. Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed his call for enactment of the “Say Their Name” reform agenda, saying that police have to do their jobs, but do not have the right to abuse those they police, and that society will no longer tolerate delayed justice. The Say Their Name agenda would: ■ Make public prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers by reforming Section 50-a of the state’s Civil Rights Law. ■ Ban chokeholds by law enforcement officers. ■ Prohibit false, race-based 911 reports and make them a crime. ■ Designate the attorney general as an independent prosecutor for matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement. We fully support passage of this legislation, and we call on the State Legislature to act on it immediately. “Police have to do their jobs, protect public safety,” Cuomo said. “There’s also police abuse. There’s abuse of power. Protesters — most of the protesters are peaceful — they are indignant. It is righteous indignation. I don’t see anybody who can see the Mr. Floyd video and not be indignant. I don’t understand how you can see that murder on videotape and not be outraged. I said from Day One, I share that outrage.”
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opinions
T
he largest pandemic in 100 years gave us a crash course in public health. We quickly learned the epidemiological concepts of “flattening the curve, the risk of exposure, asymptomatic carriers, incubation periods, and why we must quarantine. Even though everyone may not have understood these concepts, we all learned what to do: isolate and minimize contact with others to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This was enforced here through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “New York State on Pause” — even marTine if you wanted to HackeTT go to school or a bar or a movie, you couldn’t because of the policies that closed them all for the sake of the public. Individuals had to sacrifice for the greater good. Eventually these policies, and changes in behavior, worked. On Long Island, the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 has dropped from 20 percent to 2 percent over the past six weeks. The number of daily deaths in New York City
dropped to zero last week for the first time since March. Nassau and Suffolk were among the hardest-hit counties in the United States, and we have been meeting the metrics of declining hospitalizations and deaths, and are moving toward reopening. We also learned that even though a virus cannot be seen by the naked eye, we can see its effects on the body. We understand that this invisible agent can be spread without the knowledge of those who have it, and that it can be deadly. The same is true for police brutality and its root cause, structural racism. Invisible to some and supported by many who are unaware of its impact, the overwhelming police presence in communities of color takes a continuing toll on people of color. Just as electron microscopes made it possible for viruses to be visible 90 years ago, police brutality is now visible is cellphone documentation that is viewed and shared on our myriad screens. The shocking and deeply disturbing video of George Floyd’s death as a direct result of a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on his neck made it painfully clear how racism
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icroscopes have made viruses visible, and cellphones allow us to see brutality.
LeTTers port for pending legislation to promote trust and accountability, and to remind every Nassau resident that our doors and our hearts are open to all those we serve. Please continue to share your ideas with me. I am listening. ■ My office will partner with the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University to analyze comprehensive charging and case disposition data to identify racial disparity and bias, and publicly report the findings of that review as well as any corrective action warranted. ■ We will also address the appearance of a conflict by seeking the appointment of a special prosecutor for all new cases in which police officers are credibly accused of criminal conduct in the course of their duties. ■ We will expand and enhance annual mandatory implicit bias training for all staff, and review our training curriculum to ensure that anti-bias education is an ongoing component. ■ We will continue our work to recruit and promote prosecutors, investigators and staff that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. ■ We will expand our Community Councils, which already include our African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, South Asian American, Faith Leaders, Student and Community Partnership Program advisory councils to
and law enforcement violence intersect. The fact that Floyd’s autopsy revealed that he also had Covid-19 the month before he was murdered further connects the vulnerability of black people to public-health threats. The protests that followed across the United States and the world demanded an end to systemic racism. The American Public Health Association states that racism structures opportunity and assigns value based on how a person looks. The result is conditions that give an unfair advantage to some and unfairly disadvantage others. Racism hurts the health of our nation by denying some people the opportunity to attain their highest level of health. We know that in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Covid-19 deaths have disproportionately affected black residents. In 2018, the APHA also recognized that law enforcement violence was a publichealth issue. Racism and injustice have resulted in the deaths of more people than the 110,000 that Covid-19 has caused thus far in the U.S. We have seen that public-health solu-
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 11, 2020
A virus and police brutality: two public-health problems I
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tions can work to reduce the virus’s toll. However, just talking about what to do — wearing masks, social distancing, disinfecting — does not work unless those recommendations are followed rigorously. tinue t Without conscious and vigilant action, ty is th Covid-19 would continue to spread and larly fa cause sickness and death. But as we wait on pub for a vaccine and the building of herd immunity, we may one day gain control of the virus, and live our lives without thinking too much about it. There is no similar one- or two-shot solution to an unjust societal system. Eliminating the public-health problems of police brutality and systemic racism will require public-health-sized solutions: consistent monitoring; education about how structural racism, especially on Long Island, came to be a force in our schools, communities and health care system; policy changes; and changes in citizens’ behavior and attitudes. Police brutality, and the underlying causes of systemic racism, require the 3,200 o same unprecedented level of action and gle to g ances t resources we used to address the pandemic. We are all connected, whether we thirds househ see it or not. homele Martine Hackett is an associate professor facing family of public health at Hofstra University. places Thi
Framework by Christina Daly
ensure broader geographic representation of Nassau’s communities. Many jurisdictions, including New York City, have established civilian oversight boards to provide independent review of complaints against police officers. These boards investigate and recommend discipline for officers accused of misconduct, refer potential criminal conduct for possible prosecution, and use tools like mediation to help improve relationships and trust between law enforcement and the public. To promote transparency and independence, we encourage Nassau County to establish a civilian police review agency. We encourage the Legislature to increase juror pay from the antiquated rate of $40 per day to $150 per day to promote more diverse and representative juries. For those who are self- employed, rely on tips or hold multiple part-time jobs, the cost to serve is simply too high. Legislation is pending to repeal Section 50-a of the New York State Civil Rights Law, which shields the personnel records of police from disclosure. Greater transparency regarding police misconduct and discipline is important to improve policies and oversight and promote public confidence. I support significant reform to Section 50-a. However, police officers do dangerous work. The overwhelming majority do their jobs with courage and integrity. And repeal that does not afford protection of officers’ personal information could endanger officers
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Why backs w them i 1600s t fashion
An installation in Pratt Park — Glen Cove
and their families. As we work to address police misconduct, it is important to be mindful of the essential role law enforcement plays in protecting our communities, and the difficult and often dangerous situations officers face. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse and other conditions, exacerbated by work stresses, necessitate the ready availability of mental health services to ensure that officers can continue to safely perform their jobs. Officer suicides have occurred at an alarming rate in recent years, and wide-
spread protests and broad-based criticism will undoubtedly compromise morale. It is important that policymakers engage with law enforcement leaders and rank-and-file officers to ensure that as we move forward to address wrongdoing, we create an environment that sup-quickly ports the good work of the thousands of school police officers who serve the people of I rea Nassau County with professionalism andty. integrity every day. I ask has bee MADELINE SINGASnot to r Nassau County district attorneysalon.
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June 11, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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