East Meadow Herald 07-20-2023

Soccer team heads to Sweden

E.M. High senior receives county award for her service

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

As a middle-school student, Kiran Maharaj wanted to be involved in school clubs, but ultimately shied away from them. Now, the incoming senior at East Meadow High School not only started her own, but received an award for her efforts.

Maharaj, 17, started the Red Cross Club in her high school at the beginning of last school year, and on June 27 she was recognized for all the good that the club has done with the SHIELD award from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office. The award is given annually in recognition of a student’s service,

honesty, integrity, excellence, leadership and duty.

“I didn’t know that anything I’d been doing had been receiving this level of acknowledgement,” Maharaj said after receiving the award. “I was really surprised, but I was also really honored. It made me feel so good, and that’s how I knew that what I was doing was actually making an impact on the community around me.”

Even though last year was the club’s first, it had no shortage of activities with community benefit in mind. Together, Maharaj, as the president, along with 20 club members, went to work.

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Keeping the community safe for decades

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

For nearly 40 years, a group of dedicated community members have acted as the neighborhood eyes and ears of the Nassau County Police Department. Crime Watch, a subgroup of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations, was created in 1985, after a string of burglaries plagued East Meadow and Salisbury, and it is still alive and alert today.

The council was already in its ninth year when Norma Gonsalves, its founder and a former longtime county legislator, decided to go a step further in the community’s crime-prevention efforts. The main goal of the council was to unify the two areas of town that make up the East Meadow School District — East Meadow and Salisbury — and Gonsalves knew she could call on residents for help.

tion are no different now than they were in 1976,” Gonsalves, now 88, said. “We became very active in the community because things started to happen.”

East Meadow was seeing roughly 35 burglaries a month in the 1980s, Gonsalves said, and she couldn’t understand why. When she learned that Levittown and Uniondale, which border East Meadow on the north and south, respectively, had civilian patrol groups, she knew that was what she and her neighbors needed to do.

NoRMA GoNSAlVeS founder and chairperson, Crime Watch committee

“The goals of the organiza-

When she approached inspectors from the NCPD’S 1st Precinct, however, she recalled, they didn’t want to hear about a patrol group.

“He said, ‘You’re not going to be anything more than vigilantes,’” Gonsalves said of her conversation with an officer at the time. “I said, ‘Trust me, if I’m in charge, there’s no vigilantes.’”

The 3rd Precinct was more ConTInuED on pAgE 12

Courtesy District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s Office Kiran Maharaj, left, receiving the SHIELD award from District Attorney Anne Donnelly on June 26. The award is given to students who take initiative to make a positive change in their communities.

We became very active in the community because things started to happen.

Leading the way in making a difference

One of the first projects was sending little notes to kids in the hospital. During the winter, they held a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Ian. The club partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Bellmore Charitable Foundation Inc., raising $180. The funds were used to purchase gift cards and send them to the Sanibel Captiva Island Kiwanis Club in Florida.

They club members also made Valentine’s Day cards for those in the Bristal Assisted Living in East Meadow. Towards the end of the school year they hosted a blood drive through the New York Blood Center.

Their biggest project, though, was a relief efforts drive for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. The drive exceeded anyone’s expectations, with hundreds of items donated by East Meadow students from Feb. 10 to 15 — ranging from coats and undergarments to toiletries. Everything filled a 15-foot U-Haul truck.

The donations were taken to the Turkish General Consulate in New York City and delivered to the victims via Turkish Airlines on Feb. 17.

“I really just wanted to do something that would give me a chance to create community service for other people and give back to the community in any way I could,” Maharaj said. “I didn’t really expect it to go this far and be as big and have us have the opportunity to do something as important as the Turkey drive. I really just wanted to do little things like send out care packages and Valentine’s Day notes. But when we got the opportunity to do the drive, I couldn’t pass it up.”

Maharaj said that she has always been the type of person who liked to take charge. She considers herself a perfectionist, so the club was a great way to execute something she had planned in her head.

“It was a little nerve-wracking and a little overwhelming because I was scared I wasn’t going to be good at it or

people wouldn’t get the message,” she said. “As time went on, people were really supportive and everybody said that they liked it and enjoyed what we were doing and they liked being able to give back and it warms my heart.”

Maharaj made it a priority to stay busy and after the pandemic she knew she wanted to find areas that could provide her with a creative outlet. Apart from her own club, she’s also a member of three other clubs. She’s also in honors and Advanced Placement classes.

For college, she’s not too sure what path she wants to go, but she knows it will be something in liberal arts.

She’s a movie buff and recently went to a New York Film Academy film camp.

For now, the rising senior is working on her AP class summer assignments and planning what she wants to do next year for her club. She wants to do another blood drive and do other collection drives.

“There’s nothing really as big that I’ve been able to come up with yet,” she said. “I want to do necessity bags with toiletries and stuff that we can donate to shelters — just little things that I think are really important and often get overlooked.”

Courtesy East Meadow School District Kiran maharaj, center in white, started the red Cross Club at east meadow High School. one of the club’s activities was collecting items for earthquake victims in turkey and Syria.

Long Island soccer team heads to Sweden

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

East Meadow resident Aiden Mustafich and his soccer team, Hota Bavarian Soccer Club 2006, left on a trip of a lifetime on July 13. It took them a flight and a bus to get there, but ultimately they made it to Sweden to represent the United States during the Gothia Cup tournament.

The Gothia Cup, held in Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the world’s largest and most international youth soccer tournaments. Annually, roughly 1,700 teams from 80 nations come together to compete. The first tournament was held in 1975, and it is open to any club to register.

“When I heard we were going to Europe to play I was really excited,” Mustafich, 16, who is a right winger, said. “It’s a great opportunity for people on our team and I know a lot of people can’t say that they had the chance to play against kids from other countries.”

Seventeen kids from the team, the youngest being 15 and the oldest being 17, along with a few parents and their coach, Scott Knight, took the trip to Sweden.

The idea to head overseas for this tournament came from Frank Franzi, the father of Peter, 17, and Frank Jr., 15, from Franklin Square. When he was young, Franzi played on a Hota team and got to travel to the Gothia Cup, and he knew it was an opportunity that he wanted to give to his sons’s team.

“I went when I was 17 years old and it was the time of my life,” Franzi said. “So I promised the kids we would go and it would be a phenomenal experience playing internationally, which is different from the U.S.”

The ‘Hota’ in the club’s name stands for the Hotel Workers of America. The NY Hota Bavarian Soccer Club was the first, founded in 1922, and there are 20 additional Hota clubs around the world, primarily in Europe and South America. The NY club is located in Franklin Square.

What’s special about the club is that it focuses on skill rather than the ability to afford a travel team.

According to its website, the club represents, “a joint sportive effort,” and “the organization’s hands have always reached across borders and across oceans with the motto of ‘Good Will’ among all people.”

Travel teams are expensive, Franzi said, and he didn’t want any player to feel as though they couldn’t go because they couldn’t afford it.

“The problem with soccer is if you don’t have the money and you’re good, you can’t play because you always need someone to drive you to lessons and games and to pay for the training ses-

sions,” Franzi said. “Our club charges less than the typical fee and we offer scholarships to kids that can’t afford it.”

A few players admitted that they couldn’t afford the $3,000 fee, so Franzi got to work thinking of a way to raise funds. The team sold about 1,000 Krispy Kreme Doughnut boxes, and they got to keep a portion of what they sold. Those funds, combined with some other efforts, covered the kids who needed it.

“Frank wanted to do something for the group that was different and special that kind of supported their commitment to the sport and to the team and to the club,” Scott Knight, the team’s

coach, said. “We made it clear that if a player couldn’t go because of money, that nobody got left behind, and Frank was a rockstar for that.”

The team played a training match in Denmark on July 15 before heading to Sweden. They won their first game on Monday, beating a team from Germany and will play a game every day after that. They come back on Sunday.

“It’s a very dedicated group and I think they deserve the experience,” Knight said. “If we can be fortunate enough to be successful and win matches than that would be amazing.”

Mustafich said that he has confidence that his team can do well.

“I believe in our team to go pretty far,” he said. “Our experience together makes us special because not a lot of teams can say that they’ve been playing together since fifth grade. I think the chemistry from that time building up to now has helped us so much.”

Aiden Mustafich, from East Meadow, is just one of the boys who is competing in Sweden. Mustafich is a right winger for the team.

The team won their first game on Monday after beating a team from Germany.

Photos courtesy Patsy Mustafich

The NY Hota Bavarian Soccer Club 2006 got the opportunity to compete in the Gothia Cup tournament in Sweden. On July 13, 17 boys from the team made their way to Sweden.

East Meadow photographers receive recognition

Three East Meadow residents had the opportunity to be recognized for their outstanding photography skills from Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin. Eric Moskowski, Jack Borman, and

Jack Borman, left, was awarded a certificate for his photo from Town Supervisor Don Clavin.

Eileen Moynahan all were awarded the town’s 2023 Shutterbug Award. The Shutterbug Award is given those who have photos that appear in the town’s 2023 calendar. This was the 26th year of the award.

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Photos courtesy Town of Hempstead Eric Moskowski, left, had his photo featured in the town’s 2023 calendar.

HERALD SPORTS

Ducks rally for first-half championship

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

It was an eventful first half of baseball for the Long Island Ducks, who became the Atlantic League’s all-time winningest franchise (1,581 as of June 17), captured the North Division’s first-half title, and had four player contracts purchased by Major League organizations.

Ninth-inning magic in two games July 7 allowed the Ducks to snag first place in their division via a tiebreaker with York. Both teams finished 37-26.

Long Island scored three times in the top of the ninth to defeat Southern Maryland, 4-1, while York allowed two runs to Lexington in the top of the ninth and suffered a 7-6 defeat.

“We had one eye on the scoreboard all night,” Ducks manager Wally Backman said. “While we were up in the ninth inning, Dickerson [Alex] informed me York lost. All the guys knew when we took the field in the bottom of the ninth what was at stake.”

The Ducks closed the first half on a four-game winning streak and allowed only nine runs in the process.

The departures of Brett Kennedy and Stephen Woods Jr. left the starting pitching staff in a state of flux but not thin on talent. Stephen Tarpley, Robert Stock and Matt Solter all produced quality starts under pressure in the final week of the first half, Backman noted. Former MLB reliever Al Alburquerque (0.78 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) has been dominant and picked up the win in the clincher after Tarpley fired six strong innings.

Kennedy was the first Ducks player to depart during the season after signing with the Cincinnati Reds. After a six-week stint at AAA Louisville, Kennedy picked up a W for the Reds July 4. “Congratulations to Brett on this well-deserved opportunity to pitch again in the Major Leagues,” Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff said of Kennedy, who tossed five solid innings to defeat the Washington Nationals. “We are thrilled to have helped him achieve this milestone in his career.”

On his way to becoming the 29th Ducks alumnus to be promoted to the majors, Kennedy made three quality starts for Long Island and struck out 16 batters in 11 2/3 innings of work with a 3.09 ERA.

Three others had their contracts purchased by Major League or foreign professional organizations this season: Former three-time MLB All-Star and former New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy (Angels, Triple-A Salt Lake), nine-year MLB infielder Adeiny Hechavarria (Kansas City Royals, Triple-A Omaha) and pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. (Fubon Guardians, China.) The latter was 7-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts.

“We’re going to roll with a six-man starting rotation and not push anyone too hard in the second half,” Backman said.

“That’s one of the luxuries of winning the first half.”

Murphy played in 37 games with the Ducks. He departed tied for fourth in the Atlantic League with 47 hits, sixth in batting average (.331) and 10th in on-base percentage (.410), all of which lead the Flock.

He also totaled two home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, 64 total bases, nine doubles, one triple, 14 walks and an .861 OPS. Murphy compiled a 16-game hitting streak from May 16-June 1, the longest hitting streak by a Duck this season, and a 19-game onbase streak from May 12-June 1. Hechavarria appeared in 38 games with the Ducks. At the time of his departure to the Royals system, he led all Ducks and was tied for fifth in the Atlantic League with 12 doubles as well as tied for sixth in the league with 34 RBIs. He was also tied for the team lead with seven home runs while totaling 29 runs, 43 hits, 78 total bases, a triple, 21 walks and a .920 OPS. The 34-year-old reached base safely in 24 of his past 26 games going back to May 12, earning at least one hit in 21 of them. In that span, he compiled a .295 batting average with a .911 OPS.

Long Island’s offense in the first half was sparked by first baseman Sam Travis, who played all 63 games and batted .288 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. He also scored a team-high 50 runs.

“Winning the first half was a lot of fun,” said Travis, who played three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. “We still want to go out and win every game we play. We have a lot of season left. It’s a great group of guys. If it’s not one guy getting it done on a given night, it’s another.”

Dickerson is raking at the plate with a .352 batting average, .637 slugging percentage, 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 49 games. Former highly touted Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has also been dynamic at the plate with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in only 28 games with a .317 batting average. Outfielder Brian Goodwin, with a dozen years of MLB experience under his belt, batted .300 with 8 homers and 9 steals.

Regardless of what happens in the second half, the four-time league champion Ducks will participate in the Atlantic League playoffs for the 16th time in franchise history starting around Sept. 20.

Photos courtesy Long Island Ducks

First baseman Sam Travis enjoyed a huge first half at the plate with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Al Alburquerque has pitched lights-out (0.78 ERA) and earned the first-half clinching victory in relief.

Supporting troops with food-filled baskets

By MALLoRY WILSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Stew Leonard’s, in East Meadow, was on a mission to help military families of those on active duty have a better Easter this year. Operation Easter Basket was an effort that the grocery store came up with to help military families have special meal for the holiday. Local volunteers — Boy Scout Troop 362, members of Girl Scout Troop 1315, American Legion Post 1082 and Veterans of Foreign War Post 2736 —

Author Laurie Lico Albanese returns to hometown

Prynne? And if so, who was she?

In Hawthorne’s book, Prynne is the woman who must wear the letter “A” for the rest of her life as a symbol of having committed adultery. In Albanese’s reimagining, Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish seamstress, comes to meet Hawthorne during the 1800s. The book dives into what it meant to be American in the 19th century, and how women were targeted for being different. “This is Hester Prynne finally tells her own story,” Albanese said. “This novel asks the question, was there a real Hester

And what would she tell us if she could?” This is Albanese’s third historical novel, and her first one set in America after her other two took place in Europe. Her first book, published in 2000, was contemporary; she switched to historical fiction because she liked reading those types of books, and that’s what was getting the best reception. Her first historical novel, “The Miracles of Prato,” coauthored with her friend Laura Morowitz and published in 2009, was well-received, Albanese said. So she took that genre and ran with it.

It’s been more than a market decision for Albanese. She said that doing research for her historical fiction books transports her back to being a student and spending hours at the library reading encyclopedia after encyclopedia to get the information that she needed for an assignment. “I always think about when I

school, in high school, we always had to write reports — and that my reports, then, as it would be now, consisted of physically going to the library and literally sitting on the floor with all my different books,” she said. “I love doing that, and I kind of feel like that’s what I’m doing when I Continued on page 2

Living through hottest week in 125,000 years

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

The record for the highest global average temperature since at least 1979 was shattered a few weeks ago — and then that record was broken the next day. And then again two days later.

The Earth’s average temperature hovered around 62 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be a chilly day for the summer. Yet, on a global scale, it was a few degrees warmer than where it should be. These record temperatures have been, in part, due to the forming a weather phenomenon called El Niño. It’s created when the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean enter a warming phase as part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle.

There have been at least 30 El Niño events since 1900, according to meterologists, but many observers believe each of the seasons are becoming warmer over the years. And they’re blaming that on global warming.

“The first week of July appears to have been the hottest week on record globally,” said Mark Lowery, a climate policy analyst for the state’s environmental conservation department. “During that week, we saw four consecutive days of new records for the Earth’s hottest days.”

What the Earth experienced at the beginning of July was the hottest the Earth has been in more than 125,000 years, Lowery said. This extreme heat is

projected to get even worse over much of the world in the next couple of weeks, and will almost certainly continue into 2024 as El Niño remains intact.

“Once the Earth moves into the El Niño phase, it lasts about two or three years,” Lowery said. “So, we would have every reason to believe that there will be continued release of heat that will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere through 2024.”

That heat will be felt everywhere, even on Long Island. Alison Branco, climate adaptation director for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, said that as the air warms, the ocean also warms. And when the ocean waters become warmer they expand. This, in turn, will cause the sea level to rise off the coast of Long Island.

“For a long and narrow, very flat island, sea level rise is a major impact of climate change that we need to be thinking about all the time,” Branco said. “Because it’s really going to change the face of Long Island.”

And it affects not only the South Shore, but the North Shore as well, according to reports. Rising tides will create higher waves, which in turn will erode bluffs, causing them to eventually slide into the ocean.

But warmer water and a fear of higher tides aren’t the only things people living and enjoying Long Island have to worry about. Charles Rothenberg, climate and energy attorney from the Connecticut-based advocacy group Save the Sound, says warmer waters are acting as fuel for tropical systems.

“We can anticipate some significant tropical storms and hurricanes in the months ahead,” he said, adding marine life also be affected by these warmer waters. “There’s been a lot of conversations about the decrease in lobster populations.”

Lobsters tend to like water at specific cooler temperatures — something that won’t be much abundance of if ocean waters continue to warm, scientists say. Some believe more than half the lobster population available for fishing could be decimated within the next three decades.

The climate is changing, and despite best efforts to slow it down, it might be too late to stop it. But there are ways people can adapt, Branco said. First and foremost, they will need to start thinking about ways to cool off. That could mean buying air-conditioning systems, fans, or having access to a pool or ocean they can swim in.

“Our government needs to be thinking about these hotter temperatures, too, and making sure that we have the resources to help people cool their homes,” Branco said.

Storms have been coming, and they’ll continue to come, she added. Because of that, following evacuation orders is essential. Families also need a “go” bag ready for if they need to evacuate, Branco added. Also, a plan for the family to meet at a certain location in case of a disaster is very important.

“Investing in energy appliances, which helps reduce the strain on our electric grid during these very hot sum-

Ways to cool off in a hotter planet

■ Invest in an air conditioning unit

■ Buy a fan for your room

■ Go swimming in a pool or the ocean

■ Take cool baths or showers

■ Have water handy at all times

■ Wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing

■ Limit outdoor activity

mers, are very critical,” Rothenberg added.

But in the end, if people really want to help, they should support policies that help curb the impact of climate change, Rothenberg said. It’s vital to address the root cause of global warming, and that can only happen through collective action.

Nassau County is part of the Climate Smart Communities Program, intended to reduce greenhouse gases said to cause global warming on a local scale. But this was an effort supported by former county executive Laura Curran. Her successor, Bruce Blakeman, is not known to have taken advantage of the program, or instituted any of its recommendations.

Ben Fiebert/Herald

The Earth set consecutive record-breaking temperatures during the first week of July, and it’s not expected to get any better. El Niño is expected to affect weather through next year, meaning more hot temperatures are on the way.

Over 1,300 pounds of food collected from drive

Senator Steve Rhoads, volunteers, and East Meadow Boy Scout Troop 362, joined at the Stop & Shop in East Meadow on July 1 to host a Freedom Food Drive to help kick off the July 4th weekend. Volunteers collected nonperishable items, baby essentials, toiletries and hygiene supplies, household items, and pet essentials.

In just four hours, there was a total of 1,378 pounds of food collected, along with $361.50 worth of donations. Everything that was collected at the Food Drive was donated to Island Harvest and given to Long Island family and friends in need.

“We chose this weekend because we’re celebrating our

independence, and we count our blessings as Americans but you have to be cognizant of the fact that this isn’t a happy holiday for everyone,” Rhoads said. “Food insecurity is a problem that exists year round, not just during Thanksgiving, not just during the holidays, and we thought this was the perfect time to kick off the holiday weekend with the chance to give back to those who are less fortunate.”

The dedicated volunteers donated their time to help eliminate hunger on Long Island. Approximately 221,000 people on Long Island suffer from food insecurity— including 65,000 children, and statewide, more than 2.2

million New Yorkers classify as food insecure. With the food collected, Island Harvest will be able to provide approximately 9,750 meals to our neighbors in need.

“Senator Steve Rhoads’ Freedom Food Drive in support of Island Harvest Food Bank was an incredible success,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, President & CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank. “Senator Rhoads understands that the unfortunate reality is food insecurity exists all year round. By hosting his Freedom Food Drive during the Independence Day holiday weekend, he collected more than 1,300 pounds of food with the help of our generous and supportive neighbors from around East Meadow.”

Courtesy Senator Steve Rhoads’s office

Over 1,300 pounds of food was collected thanks to the Freedom Food Drive that Rhoads’s office put together. All of the food and funds collected went to Island Harvest.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order declaring July Rip Current Awareness Month on July 5 at Nickerson Beach, alongside the Nassau County Legislature’s presiding officer, Rich Nicolello, and Josephine De Moura, whose daughter drowned in a rip current.

Rip currents are county theme for July

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water headed away from shore that aren’t easy for recreational swimmers to spot. Nervous swimmers who find themselves caught in a rip current often try to swim against it, which only increases their risk of drowning due to fatigue that quickly turns into exhaustion.

Garden City resident Josephine De Moura lost her daughter, Alexandra, that way on Aug. 4, 2019. Alexandra, a standout gymnast at Garden City High school who went on to compete at George Washington University, was on vacation with some friends in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when she was swept from a sandbar. She tried to fight the rip current, but couldn’t.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman came to Nickerson Beach on July 5 to tell Alexandra’s story and to announce the month of July’s new designation in the county — Rip Current Awareness Month.

Blakeman was joined by Rich Nicolello, presiding officer of the County Legislature; Darcy Belyea, the county commissioner of parks, recreation and museums; and Josephine De Moura.

Blakeman cited what he described as “a terrible statistic”: More than 60 people in the United States have drowned in rip currents already this year. “So, we have to know how to negotiate our way out of rip currents,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing here today.”

Blakeman spoke about the dangers of the ocean and how to be safe, and signed an executive order giving July its new recognition. De Moura then spoke about her daughter.

“Her natural instinct was to fight against the current, and she tired out not knowing what to do and

drowned,” she said. “If I can save one family from the devastation that my family and I are going through, it is my mission. Knowledge is power.”

De Moura created a rip current safety course at Garden City High. In it, students learn how to navigate and escape from a rip current if they’re ever caught in one, by swimming parallel to shore until they are free of the current’s pull, and then swimming back to the beach. De Moura said her plan is to get the course into every Long Island school district.

Blakeman and De Moura then unveiled a new rip current safety sign at the entrance ramp to Nickerson Beach. It is one of eight new signs in Lido Beach that will educate beachgoers on how to identify a rip current and what to do if they are caught in one. The signs illustrate a rip current, showing how it moves, and also offer pointers on how to avoid them. The signs are dedicated to Alexandra.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents are more likely to occur at low tide, when waves are breaking over sandbars near the shore.

Blakeman also praised the local beach lifeguards, and reminded visitors that along with the new signage, the lifeguard crews’ green flags indicate where it’s safe to swim, while red ones mark where it’s not. Purple flags indicate that a shark has been spotted.

He also touted some of the additional technology town guards and county marine units have been using this summer — many of them in response to reports of sharks, but all of which will enhance ocean swimmers’ safety.

“We’re on the beaches with all-terrain vehicles, we’re in the sky with helicopters, we’re on the water with the police marine boats and we have drones that are flying constantly to make sure that all of our residents are safe at the beaches,” Blakeman said.

The new signs have diagrams of rip currents and bullet points on what to do if you are caught in one.

Brendan Carpenter/Herald photos

LIIFE collecting items for shelter dogs in need

The Long Island International Film Expo kicked off on July 19 at the Bellmore Movies — with lots in store for movie lovers. But on July 22, dog lovers and rescue advocates might just find there’s something for them to enjoy as well.

On Saturday at 11 a.m. the expo, better known as LIIFE, will present the feature documentary “For Satos Sake” — the recipient of this year’s Alan Fortunoff Humanitarian Film Award, as part of the “Reel LIIFE” film block during the expo.

For the past 26 years, LIIFE has been the premier filmmaker community on Long Island, and one of the most respected festivals of its kind in the world; each year showcasing hundreds of independent films.

“For Satos Sake” is an informative, inspiring, emotionally intense documentary that gives the viewers an insider look at the homeless animal crisis in Puerto Rico. It also highlights the incredible efforts made by a group of rescuers who have come together from all different walks of life for one common goal: To save the lives of these sentient beings often found struggling to survive on their own.

Filled with heartwarming moments, the documentary explores the resilience, strong will and heart of both the rescuer and their rescues, many of

whom despite against all odds and with the love and kindness from their rescuers, fosters and supporters, have secured forever homes where they now live happier and healthier lives.

In keeping with the spirit of the film, LIIFE will be hosting a rescue dog goodie drive at the event, collecting snacks, toys and other goodies for shelter dogs which will be donated to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, a boxer rescue, and several other local animal advocates.

Some items that can be donated include: Large edible Nyla bones, toys for aggressive chewers and large dogs, large Denta sticks, large bully sticks, jerky treats, Pupperonis, nudgies and soft treats.

For more information on the expo, drive and to see a line up of all the films being screened, visit LongIslandFilm.com.

–Jordan Vallone

‘For Satos Sake,’ a documentary that gives the viewers an insider look at the homeless animal crisis in Puerto Rico, will be screened at the Bellmore Movies during the Long Island International Film Expo on July 19. In keeping with the spirit of the film, LIIFE is collecting items for animal shelters and rescue groups.

Courtesy Long Island International Film Expo

THEATRE

Keeping a watchful eye on the E.M. community

amenable, so with its support, the East Meadow civilian patrol was created.

“We had cars patrolling up and down it didn’t matter where in East Meadow or Salisbury — we were there,” Gonsalves recounted. “We were all patrolling the area.”

Gonsalves received grants from the state to purchase radio equipment, and a dispatch center was set up in the basement of what was then the Nassau County Medical Center. Volunteers patrolling the neighborhoods would call in if they saw anything, and the dispatcher would call the police. Nearly 60 residents used their own cars, identified with special placards, to drive around day and night, in alternating shifts.

“People were very willing to step forward to do the patrols,” Joe Parisi, current president of the council, said. “They were instructed to never engage with anything that looked funny, just phone it in.”

The group accomplished what it set out to do, and as crime trended downward, fewer people were patrolling. In 2005, after 20 years of pounding the pavement, the civilian patrol dispersed.

“We had accomplished what we had to,” Gonsalves said.

What remained was the Crime Watch committee. Made up of seven people, with Gonsalves as the chair, they get together with officers from the 1st and 3rd precincts, along with Problem-Oriented Police, every two months to discuss what has been going on in the area, and Gonsalves shares any questions or concerns she may have with the offi -

Want to see the newest report?

To check out the latest crime reports from the Crime Watch Committee, go to Facebook.com/CEMCO1976.

cers, who, in turn, report the committee’s findings.

The committee shares its findings with the community on Facebook.

“The civilian patrol, during that course of time, really built up the relationship with the police,” Parisi said. “Now the committee meets with them and they have a rapport.”

Committee members had kept their eyes on the Coliseum Motor Inn for years before it was shut down in June. Through the years, they played a part in getting the motel to install more lights and change its locks in order to maintain safety.

“We never said to anybody to shut them down,” Parisi said. “All we were looking for was to protect the community and have the problems corrected — that’s the point of the committee.”

Now the group is keeping an eye on identity theft, elder scams, catalytic converter theft, and the trend lines for residential and commercial burglaries.

“Our job is to be visual to the point where we know what’s going on,” Gonsalves said. “We are the eyes and ears of the police department.”

Mallory Wilson/Herald

Crime Watch, a subgroup of the Council of east meadow Community organizations, had a civilian patrol group in the 1980s. to this day, there are still signs around the neighborhood.

STEPPING OUT

The Sixties Show

Environment as RT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

By Karen Bloom

n original and compelling voice in contemporary art, Courtney M. Leonard’s artistic perspective takes root in her heritage as a member of the Shinnecock Nation.

Her work amplifies Indigenous knowledge and expresses reverence for the earth and sea while advocating for their protection.

Trained as a ceramic artist, Leonard — who received an advanced degree from Rhode Island School of Design — has evolved her practice to reflect her many interests and pursuits, all in an effort to investigate narratives of cultural viability.

A sculptor, painter and filmmaker in addition to her calling as a ceramicist, Leonard is known for her immersive installations that immediately command attention.

Now her art comes into focus in the first retrospective of her work, “Courtney M. Leonard: Logbook 2004-2023” at the Heckscher Museum of Art, which also is her first solo museum exhibition in the New York metro region.

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Nov. 12

• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

project Breach, which she began in 2014. Conceived on the model of records kept by 18th century whaling ships, each “logbook” of Breach records — in ceramic, paint and video — one year of the artist’s experiences of “environmental fragility, shifting adaptations, and/or the ability to simply become anew.”

Pat McGann

That influential decade comes alive in the form of the Sixties Show. This dynamic night of nostalgia features all the sights and sounds of the decade, with a lively ensemble of accomplished musicians who know their way around the beloved hits of the ‘60s. You will be grooving along to note-for-note recreations of some of the greatest songs of that memorable era. Take a trip back to another time and place that was the 1960s, where an AM radio is blasting out the latest sounds from a convertible, on a warm summer starlit Saturday night on any street USA. The high-energy show is a largescale ambitious multimedia stage production, powerfully dramatized with a combination of special effects, narration, ‘60s archival audio, and newsreel footage and light show — a reminder of how uniquely inspirational, entertaining and historically significant the music and events of the ‘60s were and continue to be. It’s all meticulously recreated, combined with authentic period costumes and ‘60s-era staging and narration.

Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. $40-$55. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

• $5 suggested admission non-members; members and children under 13 free

• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington • (631) 380-3230 or Heckscher.org

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

“Her work is extremely beautiful and visually engaging,” says Heckscher Museum curator Karli Wurzelbacher. “It’s so well-made and deeply meaningful. So many important concepts are embedded within each piece.”

The two dozen pieces on view take over three of the museum’s galleries. Of particular note is the debut of her significant new work commissioned by the museum for its permanent collection. Titled “Contact 2,023…,” the approximately eight-foot-long wall hanging focuses on the moment of colonial contact on Long Island, by mapping the contours of the island with thousands of individual clay thumbprints resembling shells.

Sewn onto a cotton canvas with artificial sinew, each thumbprint becomes a “maker’s mark” indexing the artist’s contact with the earth.

A single installation contained in an entire gallery, Breach: Logbook 23|Alluvion takes its name from a legal term meaning the action of the sea or a river in forming new land by depositing sediment. Connecting the concepts of erosion and alluvion, Leonard explains:

“The purple and white of the quahog shell are formed by the water and minerals of a specific place. Alluvion speaks to the history of land, water, place, and to the displacement or disruption from loss of land due to erosion or imposed law. Yet it also speaks to the resiliency of our Shinnecock people and of our shoreline to heal itself.”

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

Concurrently with the Heckscher exhibit, Leonard created a site-specific outdoor installation for Planting Fields State Park in Oyster Bay, located in the Taxus Field, on display now through summer 2024.

“We’ve integrated the installation into the landscape,” says Planting Fields’ president and chief executive Gina Wouters. There, Leonard has expanded on her Breach: Logbook 23 concept, with full-sized shipping container integrated into the ground. The shape of the container structure itself is meant to evoke the body of a whale. As you enter through the jaws of a Northern Right Whale, you move through the whale’s body.

“It’s one amazing work with over 1,000 components,” Wurzelbacher notes.

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.

This monumental creation is a sister piece to two other artworks in Leonard’s Contact series. The two earlier works both map New York state. She created the first, “Contact 1,609… (2009),” on the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s “discovery” of Manhattan and what is now called the Hudson River. It is co-owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Autry Museum of The American West in Los Angeles. The second, “Contact 2,021… (2021),” was recently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will next be shown at the New York Historical Society beginning in August.

“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to discuss the collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart a pathway for national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and activism.”

“It’s essentially a root cellar, which was a natural refrigeration system and means of food sovereignty for indigenous people,” Wouters says. “She added to that the idea of a shipping container, bringing in the theme of whaling, so important to coastal Indigenous groups, yet abused by colonists. It’s an impressive, ambitious installation because of its scale. It’s wonderful to have this collaboration with the museum, and interpreted into our historic landscape.”

Brandi Carlile

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

The folk rocker is back on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Singer, songwriter, producer, activist, humanitarian, best-selling author — she’s done it all. Since the release of her breakthrough album ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’ in 2018, Carlile has won Grammy awards, earned Billboard’s Women in Music Trailblazer Award, and received several Americana Music Association accolades. She was honored with her seventh, eighth and ninth Grammys this year, winning for best Americana album with ‘In These Silent Days.’ Her song ‘Broken Horses’ won both best rock song and best rock performance. Don’t miss an evening of iconic songs such as ‘The Story,’ ‘That Wasn’t Me’ and ‘The Joke.’ Seemingly everywhere, Carlile has transitioned from an Americana powerhouse to a major headliner beloved by the industry and the public. Carlile’s career has been on a steep upward trajectory and her ‘Bramily’ — as her fans are known — is with her every step of the way.

Yarn/Wire

To that end, unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s permanent collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned the museum their selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing all media — from Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, For Freedoms, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia

Another important exhibit component extends Leonard’s ongoing

Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $51.50-$481.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with

Courtesy Heckscher Museum of Art

Top photo: Courtney Leonard’s large scale map of Long Island is made up of thousands of individual porcelain thumbprints resembling shells.

Courtesy David Almeida/Courtesy Planting Fields Foundation

Right photo: The artist’s first outdoor installation, at Planting Fields, intermingles her art with the landscape.

Can art change the world? It’s a question that’s been at the focus of our collective culture for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, art as a path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.

Courtney Leonard brings Long Island’s Indigenous tradition into focus

THE

Your Neighborhood Penn & Teller

July 28

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appear on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, July 28 brand of awe-inspiring illusions mixed with buddy-comedy shtick has kept the duo at the very top of the magic profession for the past 45 years. Their trademark is the updating of worn out or archaic routines, such as bullet catching or their recent adaptation of the classic bag escape trick (their version involved a trash bag and lots of helium). From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway to the longest running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues defy labels—and at times physics and good taste — by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy. Constantly evolving and refining their unique take on illusion, the pair’s slight of hand is always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old “trick” or something altogether new. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

On exhibit

July 27

Life Science of Summer

Aug. 14

Kids ages 6-9 can tour Old Westbury Gardens and examine how science is all around us in nature, Thursday, July 27, 2 p.m. Learn how plants grow and take home your own plant, as you participate in experiments of the water cycle and how we can use science to change the color of a flower both naturally

Oyster Bay Railroad Museum

SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 12:00 - 4:00PM APRIL - NOVEMBER OPEN TICKETS MEMBERS AGES 5 & UNDER AGES 6-12 AGES 13-61 AGES 62+ FREE FREE $5 00 $7 00 $6 00 1 RAILROAD AVENUE, OYSTER BAY OBRM.ORG Train memorabilia Interactive exhibits Vintage RaiL cars tothe Golden Age of Railroading Step Aboard & Step BackinTime (516) 558-7036 Admission includes access to: Oyster Bay Historic Landmark Station located at 1 Rai road Avenue Display Yard & Turntable located a 5 Bay Avenue Museum Gift Shop 1222873

LI TODAY welcome to

July 2023

What DEI means to

As part of its corporate responsibility programs, the Sands Diversity Statement identifies its values within diversity, equity and inclusion in the following ways:

Sands New York celebrates Juneteenth across Long Island

Last month, Sands New York Ambassadors joined with the Long Island community to celebrate Juneteenth at events across the Island, including joining with Black Legacy Partners and the Nassau County Branches of the NAACP at the Juneteenth Cultural Festival as well as participating in the One Long Island Spirit of Unity Juneteenth celebration.

With events such as these, Sands demonstrates its commitment to empowering and inspiring those who choose to work with and patronize the company and their properties including its team members, suppliers, partners and guests.

In short, service and collaboration are part of the DNA at Sands.

“Sands is committed to ensuring an inclusive, integrated and collaborative environment with deep appreciation and respect for the diverse backgrounds of our Team Members, guests and business partners,” Sands Diversity Statement states. “We believe a culture that celebrates diverse perspectives and promotes inclusiveness for all is propelled to success by the strength of the whole and inspires our positive impact around the world.”

Sands is focused on ensuring a thriving team member culture based on respect, integrity and opportunities for growth;

advancing the success of its extensive supplier network, including small businesses in host regions; and maintaining trusted relationships built on service, excellence and inclusiveness with guests of all properties.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of Sands’ corporate strategy, identifying five priority focus areas as part of its DEI program:

• Corporate Governance — Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of operations and ensure that all processes that impact DEI issues – both directly and indirectly – support the attainment of diverse, equitable and inclusive outcomes.

• HR & Talent Management — Foster an environment in which every team member is able to fully actualize their potential, resulting in a more diverse pool of skilled and experienced team members prepared for leadership positions within the company, as well as recruitment and selection practices at all levels that yield a diverse range of candidates.

• Supplier Diversity & Inclusion — Enhance opportunities, strengthen relationships and foster innovation with small, HUBZone, or local businesses and diverse enterprises majority owned by women, minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+ and the disabled to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the Company’s supply chain.

Diversity — Sands embraces all similarities and differences among people such as gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, country of origin, nationality, age, generation, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, language, ability status, veteran status, business experience, geographic background, job role function and physical appearance.

Equity — Sands strives to ensure Team Members have equal access to the same opportunities.

Inclusion — Sands strives to create an environment to support individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged and valued for who they are and for their contributions to our organization.

Continued on page 2

who we are:

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

Photo provided by Sands

Photo: Over the weekend of June 17-19, Ambassadors from Sands attended multiple community events in and around Long Island to celebrate Juneteenth.

• Community Outreach — Enhance our efforts to identify, understand and support causes and organizations that help to deliver on the company’s mission of increasing awareness and support for diversity, equity and inclusion in the shared community.

• Benchmarking & Communication — Promote a collaborative corporate culture by clearly communicating company values and progress around diversity, equity and inclusion and fostering mutual appreciation and respect among team members; develop a best-in-class approach for disclosure of the Company’s DEI metrics to ensure transparency, accountability and continuous innovation.

The Chairman and CEO holds the company accountable for delivering on these DEI initiatives. The Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs oversees the development and execution of the Company’s DEI strategy. Responsibility for planning and implementing initiatives resides with senior leaders overseeing departments that manage DEI priority focus areas. The Company has set quantitative and qualitative objectives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and measures progress against these objectives.

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS ON LONG ISLAND

To learn more about the Sands as the world’s preeminent developer and

Former Gov., Sands Senior Vice President David Paterson honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by NAACP

Former New York Gov. David Paterson, now Senior Vice President of Sands, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Hempstead NAACP at its 39th Annual Freedom Fund Luncheon.

Paterson was acknowledged by Barbara Powell, President of the NAACP Hempstead branch for his commitments and dedication to the community. The event was held on Saturday, June 24, at Verdi’s of Westbury.

“It was an honor and pleasure for me on behalf of the Hempstead Branch of the NAACP to be able to recognize the great accomplishments of the Honorable David Paterson,” Powell said. “A native son of the great Village of Hempstead, who has done so much for the State of New York.”

Paterson served as the 55th governor of New York from March 2008 to December 2010. He was the state’s first African-American governor, as well as its first blind Governor. Paterson is a graduate of Hofstra University Law School, dedicating most of his adult life to public service.

After working as Assistant District Attorney and on the staff of Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins, Paterson was elected to the State Senate seat once held by his father. In 2003, he was elected the Senate Minority Leader, and Paterson was sworn in as Governor on May 17, 2008.

In July of 2019, Paterson was named Vice President of Sands, playing a key role in executing Sands’ near unanimous support in favor of the lease transfer of the Nassau Hub property.

Photos provided by Sands Photos: Former Gov. David Paterson, Senior Vice President of Sands, was honored with a Lifestyle Achievement Award by Barbara Powell, President of the NAACP Hempstead Branch on June 24.

Weekly Mah Jongg

The JULIETS are back playing Mahjong and cards at Congregation Beth Tikvah, every Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks are optional; with contribution of $5 per person. 3710 Woodbine Ave., Wantagh , For more information, email mahjonggCBT@yahoo.com or call 516-785-2445.

Aug. 17

Write on: College essay workshop

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering a virtual workshop to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The final workshop, Thursday, Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/portal/ virtual_admission_webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Kiwanis Golf Outing

Participate in the annual Steven J. Eisman Memorial Golf Outing, presented by East Meadow Kiwanis and Borelli’s, Monday, Aug. 7, at Eisenhower Park Red Course, starting at 1 p.m. Includes 18 holes, gold carts, shot gun start, lunch, hole in one contest on all par 3s, dinner and drinks. Attendees are welcome to then go to Borelli’s, at 6 p.m., for more food, drinks and prizes to win. $275 per person. If you cannot attend the golf outing, you can still stop by for dinner for $75. For more information, contact Mike Litzer at (516) 536-1110 or Tom Gallagher at (516) 526-2229.

Bingo at Beth-El

Get your game on at a weekly bingo game at East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, in East Meadow, starting at 6 p.m. Prizes, progressive games, bell jar prizes and refreshments will be provided.1400 Prospect Ave. Proof of vaccination is required. For information, contact (516) 483-4205

Having an event?

July 21

Summer tunes

It’s night of tributes to musical icons at Eisenhower Park, Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. Enjoy Lamar Peters as Elvis Presley and Beyond Fab with their take on the great Beatles tunes. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

July 22

Farmers market

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau will be back with their farmers market Saturday, July 22, through October. Located in Eisenhower Park at Field 8, the CCE-Nassau Farmers Market offers varied items weekly. Their fresh food comes from numerous vendors.

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

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, July 21, noon; Sunday, July 23, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, July 24, noon; Wednesday and Thursday, July 26-27, noon.

Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

July 27

Mindful mornings

Practice the “art” of looking at art at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, July 27, 10-11 a.m., with NCMA Director of Education Laura Lynch. Mindful looking invites you to observe, question, and calmly reflect in a relaxed and supportive environment free of distraction. It’s an opportunity to experience and enjoy the art in the galleries or sculpture garden, together, making personal connection. $10. Space is limited and registration required. Also Aug. 3. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

On stage

Plaza Theatricals brings the iconic musical “Rent,” back to the stage, Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The acclaimed reimagining of “La Vie Boheme,” loosely based on Puccini’s opera and set on East Village streets, fire escapes, tenements, and cafes. This groundbreaking roller coaster ride depicting the joys and sorrows of an eclectic, diverse group of young artists and activists is always captivating. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $35, $30 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Preserving trees across Hempstead Town

Wild Ones holds fist ‘Walkie Talkie’ event

By JESSICA REN Intern

The Long Island chapter of Wild Ones held its first “Walkie Talkie” event last month, in collaboration with the Stearns Park Civic Association of Freeport. While out on a walk with arborists in the Stearns Park neighborhood of Freeport, 25 participants learned about tree identification and tree care.

Last September, Wild Ones, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices and preserve biodiversity, held its first meeting at the Merrick Golf Course. Noting an increase in the number of trees being cut down, the group is hopeful that it can work with municipalities like the Town of Hempstead to create strict tree-removal guidelines.

“We’ve had a rash of tree cutting,” Frederick Nass, the chapter’s president, said at the mid-June group walk. “We understand people want to have a swimming pool, but if you’re cutting a tree down, you need to replace it. It’s not just what you’re doing to your own property; it affects people around you and affects the community, so that’s what we’re trying to encourage people to understand.

“It’s something we all have to focus on for our neighbors and the health of the community,” Nass added.

The group’s ultimate goal is to collaborate with the town to revise its treeremoval guidelines and promote tree awareness and conservation among residents. Education is important — and the more people learn about their trees, the less likely they’ll be to cut them down,

Wild Ones maintains.

“I thought it’d be a great idea to have Fred come and speak at one of our meetings,” said Jill Kaplan, a member of the Stearns Park association, which organized the event with Nass. “That one didn’t work out, but it was meant to be, because here we all are with a bigger group.”

Arborists Olivia Calandra, of the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Kevin Siragua and Gary Carbocci, of Bartlett Tree Experts, led the group, which met on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Craig Avenue. The experts identified and discussed the trees they walked past, their importance to the ecosystem, how to care for them —

and how to encourage homeowners to plant more of them.

Members of the South Shore Audubon Society also took part, including chapter President Russ Comeau. Its mission is to promote environmental education; conduct research on local bird populations, wildlife and habitat; and to preserve and restore the environment.

“Many birds are in decline because trees are the only homes birds have,” Comeau explained. “There’s a number of bird species that used to breed on Long Island, and now they just pass by because there’s no place left for them here.”

Nass said his hope was to persuade the Town of Hempstead to pass an ordinance that would make it more difficult to cut

down native trees, taking into account the environmental consequences. It would be enforced, he said, through the use of permits and/or fines, and require either the planting of another native tree on the property of a homeowner who removes a tree, or paying into a fund to plant a native tree elsewhere in the township.

“It would be beneficial for all of us to get the Town of Hempstead to get on board with North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, and all other townships on Long Island that are protecting trees,” Nass said. “The Town of Hempstead is not, and they don’t seem interested in it. They think their constituents don’t want it, and we disagree, and we want to let them know that we disagree.”

An ordinance reflecting what Wild Ones wants to see implemented was proposed to the town by the chapter, and delivered to the office of Supervisor Don Clavin, earlier this year. As of now, it is still unclear what action will be taken towards the ordinance.

Nass plans to host another tree walk event in Merrick, in collaboration with the South Merrick Community Civic Association. Joe Baker, the SMCC’S former president, was also in attendance.

“Any civic associations or groups that want something developed, we’ll tailor it to what they’re looking to do,” Nass said. “We’ll go wherever people want us to give education, information and guidance.”

A link to a petition to support the proposed tree ordinance can be found on the Wild Ones of Long Island Facebook page. More information on the organization can be found on its website, WildOnes. org. Contact the Long Island chapter via email at wildoneslongisland@gmail.com.

Jessica Ren/Herald photos

Some of the event’s participants checked out a tree during the walk-and-talk event.

The new signs have diagrams of rip currents and bullet points on what to do if you are caught in one.

Tur n on the news and expect to be scared. Another senseless school shooting. Global warming hits home. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Threats from China. A new Covid variant. What’s going on here?

We want to feel safe. We want our friends and families to be safe. Yet, whenever we hear or read the news, panic-inducing stories bombard our brains. Fear can be addictive, destroying our ability to focus on other matters. It promotes panic. It cultivates hopelessness. It’s immobilizing. So how shall we cope when we hear about terrifying events in the world?

First and foremost, you must find the adult voice in your head that’s calming, reassuring, and hopeful. It’s there somewhere! Then tell the scared child within you to listen to that voice. Really listen. Breathe in those reassuring thoughts and calming feelings.

Isn’t that denial though? Bad

How to train your brain

things are happening. Frightening events occur. Yes, but that doesn’t mean we must immerse ourselves in information overload that escalates our fear. We can choose what to pay attention to at any moment of the day. Indeed, we must remind our brain that despite all the terrifying headlines and breaking news, we still live in an age where we’re healthier, safer, more affluent and living far longer than previous generations ever dreamed of.

If fear reigns, all the excitement, enjoyment, and juiciness are squeezed out of life. Then what remains? The everyday, mundane stuff and the terrible tragedies and catastrophes that become headline news. That is no way to live. So, whatever’s happening in the world,

do not allow fear to take up permanent residence in your brain. An occasional visit is okay and may be appropriate. But that’s it! Hence.

Do not exhaust your brain with media overload, worrying about every trouble, problem, and calamity happening in the world. Consciously and calmly determine how much media exposure is good for you. When you’ve had enough, turn your TV and digital devices off.

Turn on upbeat music that’s appealing to you. Then let your body and brain move to the music.

Since fear is contagious, spend minimal time with fearful, pessimistic doomsayers, more time with posi-

tive, optimistic go-getters.

Let go of obsessing about dangers, you can do nothing about. Instead, focus on what you can do -individually or with group effort- to help alleviate a fearful situation.

Tell your brain you won’t allow yourself to live in a helpless, vulnerable position. You deserve better!

Do all that and your brain and body will forever be grateful to you for helping it focus on the good things in life.

©2023

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist and success coach in private practice who specializes in helping people overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. You can reach her at LSapadin@ DrSapadin.com. Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

Linda Sapadin

Newest defense against sharks? Drones

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK Special to the Herald

The water is getting warmed along the southern shorelines of Long Island — the kind of water that attracts all kinds of marine life, including sharks.

The aquatic creatures have made their presence known in recent years, and 2023 was no exception. In fact, state officials warned Long Island beaches in particular could see a lot more sharks — and the sharks delivered.

There already have been five sharkrelated incidents on Long Island beaches this year, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul — most of them occurring around July 4. And there is still plenty of summer left.

Last year, there were eight shark bites on Long Island — for the entire season.

“We went from having one shark encounter in 2012 to eight just a decade later,” Hochul shared at a news conference last week at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. “Sharks are coming closer, and this is good news because the water is pristine, it’s cleaner than it was 50 years ago. But it’s also something that we need to be on-guard about.”

Lifeguards have access to Yamaha WaveRunner jetskis to better patrol the waters, and there has been more training for police and lifeguards on how to deal with sharks. And technology will come into play as well, with Hochul announcing 60 new drones will be deployed to supplement the existing 18 keeping watch.

“We want to make sure that none of our communities ever appear on ‘Shark Week,’ which premieres at the end of the month,” Hochul said of the popular Discovery Channel series.

Various shark species can migrate to Long Island, according to the state’s environmental conservation department, including the feared great white shark featured in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” But the most common sharks on Long Island

Taxation of Trusts

Revocable living trusts, where the grantor (creator) and the trustee (manager) are the same person, use the grantor’s social security number and are not required to file an income tax return. All income and capital gains taxes are reported on the individual’s Form 1040.

Irrevocable living trusts come in two main varieties, “grantor” and “non-grantor” trusts. Non-grantor trusts are often used by the wealthy to give assets away during their lifetime and for all income and capital gains taxes to be paid either by the trust or the trust beneficiary but not by them. Gifts to non-grantor trusts are reported to the IRS but are rarely taxable. Currently, the annual exclusion is $17,000 per person per year to as many people as you wish. However, if you go over the $17,000 to any one person you must report the gift to Uncle Sam, but they merely subtract the excess gift from the $12,920,000 each person is allowed to give at death. Most of our clients are “comfortably under” as we like to say. These gifts then grow estate tax-free to the recipient.

Grantor trusts, such as the Medicaid Asset

How to avoid sharks

■ Stay close to shore in designated swimming areas

■ Avoid swimming in areas with schools of fish, diving birds, or seals

■ Do not swim at dawn, dusk, or nighttime

an integrated way of monitoring all the shark movements,” he said. “If you take proper precautions like swimming in a protected area, if you don’t go in the water where this schools of fish or seals, you’re going to be completely safe. But on top of that, we in Nassau County have our helicopters in the air, and all-terrain vehicles that are available.”

What’s driving the shark activity on Long Island in recent years? Hochul has two theories — not necessarily at odds with one another.

are sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, and sand tiger sharks.

Sand tiger sharks —the species featured at Riverhead’s Long Island Aquarium — are typically docile, but have been identified as reportedly responsible for a few of the bites this year.

These measures are important for keeping Long Island beaches safe, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We have a very unified group that has

“Over the last 50 years, extraordinary measures have been taken to clean up the water here to make sure that it’s safe for swimmers and deal with the pollutants,” the governor said. “As a result, the sea creatures that are consumed by sharks are moving in closer — the sharks are following their dinner. I don’t know if this is proven, but the fact that the waters are warmer due to climate change may also be a driver.”

Protection Trust (MAPT), are designed to get the assets out of your name for Medicaid purposes but keep them in your name for tax purposes. You continue to receive income from the MAPT and pay income tax the same as before. The MAPT files an “informational return” (Form 1041) telling the IRS that all the income is passing through to you.

Gifts to non-grantor trusts take the grantor’s “basis” for calculating capital gains taxes on sale, i.e. what the grantor originally paid and, if real estate, plus any capital improvements.

In the grantor trust, however, no gift is made on the transfer to the trust because the grantor reserves the right to change who they leave it to on death. The gift is therefore said to be “incomplete” until death and is therefore includible in the grantor’s estate. Assets in the grantor’s estate receive a “stepped-up basis”. Instead of the grantor’s original basis, the heirs get the date of death value as the basis, resulting in capital gains taxes being due only on gains arising from the date of death to the date of sale, if any.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Flanked by Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages and state Sen. Kevin Thomas, Gov. Kathy Hochul shows off some of the drones that will be used to survey the waters on Long Island’s South Shore for sharks.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

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

A/K/A MARJORIE RODRIGUEZ, ET AL.,

Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 16, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 8, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 75 Merrick Avenue, East Meadow, NY 11554. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in East Meadow, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 485 and Lot 9. Approximate amount of judgment is $709,047.25 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 008030/2016. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 170938-1 140520

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

FEDERAL NATIONAL

MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION

Plaintiff, Against LINDA PINIZZOTTO, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/06/2018, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Front Steps of the Nassau County Courthouse, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 8/8/2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 1619 Midland Drive, East Meadow, New York 11554, And Described As Follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in East Meadow, in the town of New Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Section 50 Block 461 Lot 26

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

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction Glenn R. Jersey, III, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573

Dated: 6/5/2023 File

Number: 560-5930 RS 140463

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2017-RPL2, Plaintiff, Against FRANCISO MOLINA A/K/A FRANCISCO S. MOLINA, MARIA MOLINA A/K/A MARIA H. MOLINA, ET AL.

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/16/2022, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 8/14/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 786 Davis Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553, And Described

As Follows:

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

Section 36 Block 138 Lot 15

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

Index # 614717/2019

Heather D. Crosley, Esq., Referee.

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction.

SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570

Dated: 6/16/23 File

Number: 36603 SH 140621

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article

16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 7/26/23 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 475/23. - 476/23. NR WESTBURY - Pedro A. Plaza & Susan M. Plaza, Mother/Daughter Res. (2nd Kitchen); Variance, side yard, construct 2nd story addition & garage conversion to living space attached to dwelling., N/W cor. Melody La. & Lace La., a/k/a 2 Melody La. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Westbury within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

140784

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that the Commissioner of General Services of the Town of Hempstead has prepared revised parking field maps for the following location, which revisions consist of the adoption of the following public parking field map showing the adoption of four (4) “Reserved Parking” signs in parking field L-4, Levittown; the adoption of two (2) “Fire Department Only” signs and one (1) “No Parking

6 AM to 9 AM” and the repeal of two (2) “Eight Hour Parking” signs and two (2) “No Parking 6 AM to 9 AM” signs in parking field M-4,

Merrick; the adoption of two (2) “No Parking Anytime” signs, two (2) “Reserved Parking” signs and two (2) “No Parking

6 AM to 2 PM” signs in parking field WA-5, Wantagh; all in accordance with Section 80-4 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead:

LEVITTOWN

L-4

D’Esposito appointed to Holocaust council

U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents several South Shore Nassau County communities, was appointed by House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

meetings, is made up of 55 members chosen by the president, five representatives from the Senate and House of Representatives, and three exofficio members from the Departments of Education, the Interior and State.

Oriole Road Parking Field Levittown East End Turnpike Public Parking District (TH-244/23)

MERRICK

M-4 Franklin Place Parking Field Merrick Public Parking District (TH-95/23)

WANTAGH

WA-5 Commuter Parking (Part) Park Avenue Parking Field Wantagh Town of Hempstead

(TH-96/23)

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that a public hearing will be held at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the adoption of the following revised public parking field maps: Copies of the proposed public parking field maps are on file in the office of the Town Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: July 11, 2023

Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 140779

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

INDEX NO. 613099/2019

COUNTY OF NASSAU MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC

Plaintiff, vs. GRETCHEN DEITZ BARRETT, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving

Congress established the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council in 1980 to assist the country in commemorating the Holocaust and to raise private funds for and build the nation’s Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Council took over as the museum’s governing board of trustees after the institution’s 1993 opening. The museum is a separate entity of the U.S. government that functions as a public-private partnership and receives some federal funds to support building operations.

The Council, which holds two annual

D’Esposito added that he will fulfill his goals and contribute to a council with a longstanding mission of commemorating the Holocaust.

“As antisemitism continues to rise throughout our country and world, we must commit to teaching and recognizing the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust,” D’Esposito wrote on Twitter. “We must also commit to calling out and crushing antisemitism and other forms of hate when they arise.”

Public Notices

interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; ADVANTAGE ASSETS II, INC. A/P/O CITIBANK SOUTH DAKOTA; CITIBANK, N.A. S/B/M/T CITIBANK (SOUTH DAKOTA), N.A.; SLOMINS, INC.; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.

Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 22 FAMILY LANE, LEVITTOWN, NY 11756 Section: 45, Block: 309, Lot: 12

To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of

this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $544,185.00 and interest, recorded on August 25, 2008, in Liber M 33206 at Page 668, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York., covering premises known as 22 FAMILY LANE, LEVITTOWN, NY 11756. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this

foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated: June 30, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Veronica M. Rundle, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 140824

www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT:

COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-1, Plaintiff, v. GLORIA AYALA, ET AL.

Defendants. NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on April 21, 2023, I, En-Chia Anna Lin, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on August 21, 2023 at Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Ct. Dr. North Side Steps, County of Nassau, State of New York, 11501 at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows:

7 Second Street a/k/a 7 2nd Street Westbury, NY 11590 SBL No.: 11-166-114

ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being near Westbury (unincorporated area), Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 601170/2019 in the amount of $435,137.16 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 Tel.: 855-227-5072 140822

–Talya Lippman

Anthony D’Esposito

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT

EAST ROCKAWAY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (2 POSITIONS)

12 Month Position

Starting Salary $48,044–$50,462; increase pending contract negotiations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER NASSAU COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

Training and Experience

Salary Commensurate with School Related Experience

fooD Service helPer P/t SubStituteS: $15.58/hr.

cleANer SubStituteS: $18.00/hr.

buS Driver SubStituteS: $22.50/hr.

SecuritY AiDeS (DAYS & eveNiNgS): F/T (7 hours) $22.28/hr.

NYS Security Guard Licensing required, law enforcement background preferred

mAiNtAiNer (7:00 A.m. – 4:00 P.m.)

Salary commensurate with experience

Send Cover Letter & Resume to: egomez@bmchsd.org or eric gómez

Assistant Superintendent – Personnel & Administration

1260 meadowbrook road, N. merrick, NY 11566

Additional information can be found on our website at: www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted ASSISTANT TEACHERS: For Yeshiva

Of South Shore. Afternoon Hours. Competitive Pay. Please Send Resume To: monika@yoss.org

Bellmore-Merrick

To Arrange For An Interview

Civil Project Engineer: Involve in document control, safety reports, billings, contracts, subcontract, award letters, bid tabulations, executive summaries. Understand construction process and MEP equipment. Assemble project turnover requirements submittals, O&M manuals, warranties/guarantees. Coordinate and involve in regular schedule and budget updates; monthly report preparation; and coordination of daily activities. Prepare safety reports. Track daily reporting; assist in monitoring LEED submissions. Prepare and coordinate presentations. Change order tracking; review monthly payment requisitions. Work loc: Port Washington, NY. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated locs throughout

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university, AND

Four years of satisfactory administrative staff experience, which must include participating in budget preparation, and/or personnel and/or procurement activities.

NOTE: 1. Experience, as outlined above, in excess of the four-year requirement, may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

2. A Master’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university may be substituted for one year of the experience as outlined above.

Anticipated Start Date: Upon Civil Service Approval

Please submit letter of interest and resume to: Ms. Diane Drakopoulos Personnel Clerk 443 Ocean Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518 516-887-8300, x1-441 Email: ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

Manager On Duty

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November

5-8 Hour Shifts. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For All Issues That May Occur During The Event, Seeing Each Through To Resolution. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For Emergency Personnel Hourly Rate $25-$30 To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

MEDICAL FRONT DESK Monday- Thursday 9am- 6:30pm. Computer Literate. Valley Stream. Fax Info to 516-295-0017

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Part Time, Various Shifts. Retirees Welcome. Duties include: \Patrols throughout the Village, issuance of code violation citations. Qualifications: HS graduate or equivalent. Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record. Contact: Inc. Village of Atlantic Beach 516-371-4600 e-mail office@villageofatlanticbeach.com

Path Monitor

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Evening Shifts

Providing A Welcoming Atmosphere And Ensuring Guest Safety. Hourly Rate $20.

To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

PROFESSIONAL TAILOR For Dry Cleaners In Merrick. Flexible Days And Hours. Call 646-593-1357

VALLEY STREAM SCHOOL DISTRICT #24

75 Horton Avenue • Valley Stream, NY 11581

The Board of Education is seeking qualified applicants for the position of:

DISTRICT CLERK

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Good Clerical and Computer Skills, including Microsoft WORD, and speed writing

• Part-time Position – Approximately 15 to 20 hours per week, plus two evenings per month

• Principal responsibility includes preparing all Agendas, taking Minutes at all Board meetings, copying of all documents for Board and maintaining Board of Education records.

• Responsible for all aspects of Annual School District Budget Vote and Election of Board members

Send cover letter and resume to: Board of Education Valley Stream School District 24 75 Horton Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11581

By August 4, 2023

1222852

RECEPTIONIST FULL TIME: Busy OBGYN Office Rockville Centre. Answering Phones, Filing, Checking Insurance. Maureen 516-764-1095

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country

C entral H ig H S CH ool D i S tri C t

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 1390 Broadway #102, NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths,HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC,Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr Doorman, Valet Pkg,Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BAY PARK BA .190 Meadowview Ave Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!..REDUCED

$2,999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-429 ba

HEWLETT HARBOR 7/23, 12-2:0, 1051 Channel Dr, FIRST TIME ON MARKET!

3/4 BR, 2.5 Bth Split on Beautiful Ω Acre Parklike Property. Updtd Gran/Wood EIK, Spac LR/DR with Vaulted Ceiling & Fpl, & Fam Rm. 2 Car Att Gar.Endless Possibilities! SD#14...$1,349,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

HEWLETT HARBOR BA 246 Adams Rd, NEW TO MARKET! Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd., FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose

Overlooking 1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2 Bths. 2 Car Att Gar. Low Taxes! SD#20..$2,299,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Teacher Aides

Security Guards, Part-Time

Teacher Aides

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

The District is seeking part-time security guards (unarmed) for the 2023/24 school year. Prior law enforcement experience required. Great for retirees. $22.00/hr.

School Nurse, Part-Time

School Nurse, Part-Time

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

School Nurse, Full-Time The District has an opening for a full-time school nurse. 10-month position. RN certification required. Starting salary $48,671.00

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

HomesHERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Long Beach

Experience Ultimate Luxury

The unobstructed ocean views in this top floor penthouse 2 bedroom and 2 full bath condominium are breathtaking! This home has been designed to exude beach ambiance with every detail: from the golden brown porcelain floor tile to the deep sea pearl backsplash and designer moldings. Originally built as a 3 bedroom, the current bedrooms are graciously sized with abundant closet space. The primary suite features stunning expansive built-ins in addition to a deep walk-in closet. Both bathrooms are designed with beach undertones. The living room is airy and features a fireplace. The amenities: 24-hr concierge, private gym, 2 dedicated parking spots, personal washer/dryer in all units and pet friendly! Only two blocks to the train, an ideal base to explore all of Long Beach! $1,599,000 26 W. Broadway, Long Beach, NY, 11561 Unit # 1005

Jennifer Bartko McConnell Managing Partner 516-987-9688 jenbartko@gmail.com www.JenBartko.com

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services | Laffey International 860 W. Beech Street Long Beach, NY 11561 516-987-9688

Can I just start putting up walls?

Q. I’m doing a commercial space to expand my business, and I’m in a quandary about a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. First, the landlord is only giving me two months to build out the space, and I’m being told that’s not enough time to get plans and permits, which the landlord doesn’t seem to care about. If I just start putting up walls, is that acceptable? Will I get a violation if I get caught? Also, I was told I need a plumbing permit for a new sink and toilet — the ones that are there are disgusting. If I hire an expeditor to get the plans and permit, can they also get the plumbing permit so I can do the work myself? I was hoping this would go smoothly, but I can see there are going to be problems. What can I expect?

A. You didn’t say what the business was, and the first step is to confirm, with a search of records, whether the use is permitted. For example, some uses require special approvals, and each jurisdiction has limitations.

Tattoo parlors, animal sales and boarding, auto body work — these are a few of the many types of businesses that require special review, sometimes by a zoning board, a village, town or city board or both in the same municipality.

Just a heads-up: Your landlord only wants to rent the space. A landlord was put on the phone recently while I was going over a similar circumstance, and told me he expected the tenant would eventually get the permit, but it isn’t his problem. To answer your question, if you did get caught, the landlord or owner of the property is the responsible party, and can face violations in court, fines and, in extremely rare cases, conviction and jail for serious violations, especially calamities leading to death. Those are the ones we hear about in the news.

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An expeditor generally won’t be your first choice, since expediting is the handling of paperwork and filing. You need professionally prepared and sealed plans showing the space, fully noted and dimensioned, with code references to specific safety issues for the use. A pharmacy will have different requirements and licensing than a beauty salon or a day care, for example. Usually, a ceiling plan showing locations of lighting, emergency equipment, sprinkler heads, emergency lights and exit signs is required, along with heating and air conditioning vents and diffusers.

Depending on the locality, you may not be allowed to do your own construction or plumbing work, and if you were to ask, local building departments expect the licensed plumber to get their own permit, showing proof of licensing to do work in that community. I know, and building officials are well aware, that work goes on all the time without the delay of the permit process. Just keep in mind that public safety is everyone’s responsibility. Verify that the work is safe and code-compliant. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display

Recently I attended the annual Patriot Award Dinner hosted by the Seaford High School 9/11 Memorial Committee. This event, and other 9/11 programs in Seaford, are administered by the Memorial Committee, which was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the commitment to “always remember.”

Communities across Long Island were devastated by 9/11. None, however, has been more consistent or wideranging in its dedication to preserving the memory and legacy of that day and its victims than Seaford.

In November 2002, a commemorative plaza was constructed at the entrance to Seaford High School, dedicated to the alumni who lost their lives: New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Haskell, FDNY Firefighter Tim Haskell, New York City Police Officer John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein.

Each year on Sept. 11, more than 1,000 people attend a memorial at the plaza — last year, undaunted by a driving rain. Since 2002, Patriot Award scholarships

totaling more than $235,000 have been given to 112 Seaford High seniors who reflect the values of the graduates who died on 9/11. Honorary Patriot Awards have been presented to 59 people who selflessly service the Seaford community.

District students make field trips to the 9/11 Memorial at ground zero.

This year’s dinner was held at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As always, there was a large turnout, more than 300 people. The mood in the room was a mix of energy and respect. There was the energy of people who have been working for two decades to ensure that the memories and legacy of that day are preserved, along with respect for those who died and their family members, who were at the dinner, as they have been at so many commemorations over the years.

Among those sitting at my table were Monsignor Steve Camp and members of the Haskell family. Camp, now the pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Huntington, was a priest at St. William the Abbot in Seaford in September 2001. He officiated at funerals for victims of the attacks, and with his compassion and concern that did so much to help not only the victims’ families, but the Seaford community as well.

Tom and Tim Haskell were heroic FDNY members, as was their brother, Ken, who survived that day, and has dedicated so much to the Memorial Committee as its president. With Ken at the table were his mother, Maureen; his wife, Genene; their sons Kenny and Ryan; Ken’s sister, Dawn; and Tom’s widow, Barbara. No family has endured more than the Haskells. Somehow their spirit remains as strong as ever — as does the spirit of the other 9/11 families.

Seeing so many neighbors, friends and other familiar faces, I was pleased and reassured by the number of young people who were there who weren’t yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. I also gave a special hello to my sister, Barbara, a Seaford High graduate who put so much effort into making the dinner a success.

The student scholarship winners were very impressive, as were the Honorary Patriot Award recipients. Longtime Seaford High officials Tom Condon and Ray Buckley, who played strong leadership roles in forming the Memorial Committee and have continued their efforts to this day, spoke movingly, and then led everyone in an emotional and spirited rendition of “God Bless America.”

All these good, hardworking people gathered to show their unfailing dedication and commitment to their community and country more than two decades after America’s darkest hour exemplify patriotism at its best.

As I left that night, I thought about how wonderful it would be if the spirit of selfless dedication and commitment that these Seaford residents still demonstrate could once again predominate in our divided country. If the sense of unity and respect that Americans had in the days, weeks and months after the attacks could somehow be re-established. If we could work together on issues where we agree, try to find common ground where we disagree and do so respectfully, always remembering that we are Americans.

The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 could not destroy us or break our spirit. Instead we emerged more united. We owe it to our nation, and all those who were murdered that day, not to divide against ourselves, but rather to do all we can to recapture the unity we had then, and never forget that we are still the greatest nation on earth. As the hundreds of Seaford residents proudly sang at the conclusion of the Patriot Award Dinner, let us all proudly proclaim, “God Bless America!”

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

Chimps face N.Y. court test of ‘personhood’

W“hen you meet chimps, you meet individual personalities. When a baby chimp looks at you, it’s just like a human baby. We have a responsibility to them.”

U.S. Some 850 live in laboratories. About 250 chimps are in accredited zoos, 600 in sanctuaries, and 250 in private hands, such as carnivals and low-end zoos.

rarely accelerated new discoveries or the advancement of human health.”

The report added, “The majority of NIH-owned chimpanzees should be designated for retirement and transferred to the federal sanctuary system.”

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published June 11-17, 2015.

RANDI KREISS

–Jane Goodall, animal right activist Chimpanzee stories invite cheap shots, jokes and memories of J. Fredd Muggs (a regular on “The Today Show”), but the true story of these primates in modern times is both shameful and tragic. The continuing abuse of chimpanzees in research, and a New York state lawsuit arguing the “personhood” of chimps, demand our focused attention and action.

Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of our DNA. They are native to Africa and they are endangered, with only 180,000 to 300,000 remaining. Fifty years ago, there were probably a million chimpanzees roaming Africa. Deforestation, poaching and some people’s taste for bush meat have depleted the population.

Nearly 2,000 chimpanzees live in the

Chimpanzees are one of the four great apes, along with gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. But chimps are closer to humans in their DNA than they are to any of their ape brethren. They know how to use tools, have opposable thumbs and can learn sign language. They pass the “mirror” test, recognizing themselves in reflective glass, and they are self-aware; express grief, depression and joy; and play jokes on one another.

Yet for decades, these animals have been used for research in the U.S., by the National Institutes of Health and by medical schools and pharmaceutical companies. This research rests on the presumption that as higher beings, we have the right to subject other living creatures to pain and suffering to improve our own health and longevity.

The awful irony is that in 2011, the National Academy of Sciences concluded, “Most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary.” In addition, a 2013 NIH report confirmed, “Research involving chimpanzees has

We are the only developed country in the world that continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments. A number of countries, including Australia, the European Union, Japan and New Zealand, have banned the use of all great apes in experiments.

What got me thinking about the shameful legacy of abuse of chimpanzees was the news in April of a lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project seeking “personhood” status for two chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, now being held at Stony Brook University.

If the apes are freed, they will go to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for retired and rehabilitated chimpanzees in Florida. According to a spokesman, NhRP is not seeking personhood for apes so they can roam the streets. It is seeking only one specific right: the right to one’s bodily freedom, the freedom not to be taken and kept involuntarily for any purpose.

When I brought this subject up for dis-

cussion at a dinner table this week, the reaction of my friends — all kind, wellinformed people — was complete lack of concern for or interest in chimpanzees, abused or otherwise. They trotted out the old argument about it being OK to experiment on animals so people can live better lives. They said they just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees. They asked where I would draw the line. OK to experiment on dogs? Rats? Fruit flies? I do draw a line. No experimentation on any higher-functioning animal that is sentient, but self-aware and capable of emoting feelings and socialization. I can be OK with experimenting on mice and rats and fruit flies and other lower life forms.

We don’t have the moral right to experiment on chimpanzees. The systematic torture of chimps, once considered “research” and now discredited by the NIH as inhumane and ineffectual, must stop. Please join me in supporting Jane Goodall’s work to save and rehabilitate chimpanzees. Go to janegoodall.org, where you can learn, donate or volunteer.

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

The U.S. continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments.

We need to rekindle the sense of unity we had in the days after 9/11.

Established 2001

Incorporating:

Meadowbrook Times 1963-2001

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Mallory

Staying safe from shark close encounters

it won’t be long before the iconic film “Jaws” turns 50 — a fact that’s just difficult to imagine.

Yet this single movie, from a then unknown director named Steven Spielberg, singlehandedly created the summer blockbuster model many studios work to recreate every year, and proved the big screen could deliver big thrills.

HERALD

But “Jaws” had another, more lasting effect on society. It made many people fearful — or, at least, more cautious — about going to the beach. And it turned sharks, like the great white featured in Spielberg’s film, from ocean predators to living, breathing and biting beasts of pure evil.

Humans are a land species. Put us in the water and we’re at a clear disadvantage against anything that might mean us harm living in that environment. Especially something that can weigh more than two tons while boasting more than 300 teeth. Vigilance when in the water is essential — but demonizing an animal for simply acting on its nature is not.

In the years following the release of “Jaws,” many fishermen set out to hunt the great white, deeming the slaughter that came with it — cutting the population nearly in half — a way to rid the world of a man-eating predator.

But sharks are sharks, and for us to enjoy the ocean, we have to find ways of sharing it with these creatures, and everything else living below the waves. No one wants to be bitten, and hopefully most of us would rather stay as far away from

letters

Randi’s tribute to journalists still rings true — even today

To the Editor:

Keep your distance from the sharks

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Florida — where more than half of the country’s shark attacks happen each year — says it’s always good to stay in groups, since sharks are more likely to bite someone swimming alone. Also, don’t wander too far from shore — especially if it isolates you from other swimmers. It also takes you farther away from any help you could receive from land. Avoid the water at twilight or after dark. Those are the hours when sharks are most active. Even during the day, if the water is murky, be extra careful. And most important, stay in areas watched by lifeguards.

sharks as possible. Yet the cleaner, warmer waters splashing onto the beaches of Long Island will indeed attract all kinds of aquatic life, and sharks won’t be far behind.

Drones certainly make a difference, with the state tripling the number of the flying camera-equipped contraptions patrolling local beaches. They can cover more territory in a short time, rather than simply putting lifeguards on WaveRunners, and beachgoers are getting the added protection of both.

Long Island beaches attract a number of species of sharks, although few of them, other than dusky sharks and the great whites featured in “Jaws,” pose any immediate danger. But it’s still imperative to stay away, because if a shark did decide to turn on you, it’s a battle you likely wouldn’t win.

Sharks are the ocean’s dominant predator for sure — and humans should stay far away from them — but they aren’t evil. We shouldn’t be happy when a shark is killed, or wish for a world in which they don’t exist.

In the end, sharks are a key component to our very fragile marine ecosystem. And they are dying, with few people standing up to defend them because of the fear perpetuated by movies like “Jaws” and annual television events like Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.”

Even Spielberg regrets how the great white was portrayed in his 1975 film. When a British radio personality asked him last year how he’d feel if he lived on a desert island surrounded by sharks, the Oscar-winning director said it’s something he fears. “Not to get eaten by a shark,” he added, “but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975.”

Sharks may not actually hold grudges, but we can share the ocean with them, and keep ourselves safe, by steering clear of them. It’s the only way we can have the fun, relaxing summer we’ve always enjoyed on Long Island beaches.

Re Randi Kreiss’s column last week (reprised from Sept. 11-17, 2014), “Journalists become targets for jihadists”: We, in the field, doing the coverage and writing the story and taking the photographs, know the truth. The courage lies in the reporting of that truth.

Many of us are doing local, community news coverage, and our readers (and viewers) want our presentation of the facts and our intelligent analysis. We are in the same tradition of those who report the news from abroad. We must take chances to offer the public the facts.

I am one of an old breed. It is my personal and deep passion to (try to) make a difference. Whereas building a house, or representing others in court, or even serving as an elected official, can be meritorious, I take photographs. I offer them to news sources all over the world. I imagine when they are displayed in some newspaper, someone, somewhere, may say: “This is truth.”

However, this hopeful wish on my part may be completely false. As more and more photos are cre-

ated and offer images of terrible events in the world, the public may become numb, and people may say, “I can’t change anything in the world, and these terrible photos just make me feel really sad.”

Professor Lauren Walsh, of New York University, wrote about this common public reaction recently in an article in the global documentary magazine Zeke. “What is the value of a photojournalist?” Walsh wrote. In

You have no idea what teachers deal with

His name was David, and he killed himself in my second year of teaching.

The Long Island high school stopped functioning that day. David was an enormous personality. A terrific athlete with a giant grin. Some of his basketball friends read poems they wrote about him at his funeral.

David ended his life 11 years ago, and I still remember him now and then. The time I beat him in an impromptu rap battle between classes. He bounded down the hall, yelling, “Nolan is nice!”

The time I pranked him by pretending that a phone call from the main office directed him to pack his stuff and go to the principal’s office. (David was a habitual linecrosser.)

Or how I tried to teach him about selffulfilling prophecies, perhaps out of some intuition of the storm that surely raged within him.

I see his face, remember specific moments. David was a gifted athlete — not a great student, but what a personality. I spoke at his wake about how he brought people together. He knew every-

one, and everyone knew him. He was kind to other students.

His death remains the single worst experience I had as a teacher. I sought help for him, but I was a second-year teacher and didn’t realize how much danger he was in. No one did, not even his friends. I tried to put the pieces together afterward, to see how I missed any signs, but I only found more questions.

Two weeks ago, a former student of mine died in a dirt-bike crash. Last month, the murderer of a student I knew was sentenced. A year before his murder, two students I knew were attacked in the woods by a group wielding machetes, and left with scars on their necks and scalps.

When I started teaching, I quickly realized how many kids were suffering. Neighbors don’t always fully grasp the depth of hardship in their own communities. Students deal with abusive and drugand alcohol-dependent parents, incarcerated siblings, and violence in their neighborhoods — in addition to run-of-the-mill adolescent angst, which can be turbulent enough.

My wife teaches elementary school, and has come home crying because of the stress some of her students — some as young as 5 — have had to bear.

One time she asked a little girl why

Letters

the end, she stated that it is to offer visual evidence — evidence that offers proof when atrocities are committed by autocratic leaders, and that allows legal action to be taken to compensate the oppressed.

Thus, the photojournalist bears witness to the truth with visual evidence. I offer that critical truth, and I may actually change the world: I take photographs to protect the oppressed! And those overseas reporters, journalists and photojournalists — I believe, in my heart, they are in agreement.

If you want to do your own research on journalists abroad, look into the Committee to Project Journalists, at cpj.org.

JOe ABATe Writer/photographer Island Park

Two bills could expand recycling

To the editor:

New York has a chance to pass two bills that could significantly reduce the state’s plastic waste and improve its current recycling system: the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.5322/S.4246) and the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.6353/S.237A).

If passed, the Packaging Reduction

and Recycling Infrastructure Act would be the most progressive extended producer responsibility law in the country. The law would reduce packaging by 50 percent over 12 years, and remove 12 toxic chemicals from packaging — including PFAS, lead, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.

It would also prevent “chemical recycling” — or incineration — to count as recycling.

New York City spends $448 million to export its waste out of the state. Some of this waste ends up at the Covanta incinerator in Newark, where it pollutes an environmental justice community. By shifting the responsibility of recycling costs from taxpayers to packaging companies, the law would also ensure investments in reuse and refill systems and funding to improve recycling.

The Bigger, Better Bottle Bill would expand the current law, first passed in 1982. It would help reduce waste from common containers not currently under the law. To date, there are only nickel deposits on soda, beer and water. This bill would add non-carbonated containers like lemonade, iced tea, liquor and wine.

Moreover, the bottle bill would increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, which has proven to increase recycling rates and reduce bottle waste in states that have passed similar laws. It would also increase

she looked so tired. The answer? Her family had been huddled together all night in a corner of their basement, hiding from a gang that threatened to shoot up the house.

Another year, my wife taught a boy who, as a toddler, had been found by police sleeping on his murdered father’s chest. A group of teens had broken into the house and shot the dad.

This is part of education on Long Island. You can be certain that in just about every school there are students dealing with unimaginable grief and stress.

The mental, and at times physical, stress of helping children cope with grief can be overwhelming for a teacher. Knowing a child will go home — if he has a home — to an empty pantry, a house filled with trash or walls marked by bullet holes isn’t something you can just shelve at the end of the day.

A big part of 21st-century education is emotional learning. Mindfulness is a focus in classrooms, in the form of yoga and lessons on empathy and expressing emotions. Teachers benefit by learning these techniques, and being part of the conversation with their students.

During and after the pandemic, schools were, and still are, stretched to near the breaking point. Teachers have

endured ridiculous stress levels with pandemic-mandated changes, drops in highstakes test scores, being under fire by political groups for myriad illogical reasons, and more.

Yes, other professions are stressful. Highlighting the hardships of one job doesn’t exclude or diminish others. Law enforcement, first responders, social workers, landscapers, nurses, drivers — they all face stress and job-related hardship.

But there is a misconception that teachers are overpaid for four hours of work a day and summers off. How could that be stressful? Some people overlook the fact that teaching is more than time in a classroom, and involves more than helping a student learn the significance of Bastille Day.

Most teachers I know use the summer to decompress, and then plan and reimagine their classroom and teaching style. They take courses, read deeply, and contemplate better ways to motivate students.

As summer kicks into high gear, take a moment to thank a teacher and wish them a well-deserved break. It won’t be long before they’re helping a student with much more than long division.

Mark Nolan, the editor of the Lynbrook/ East Rockaway and Malverne/West Hempstead Heralds, taught high school English for 11 years. Comments? mnolan@liherald.com.

the handling fee from 3 cents to 5 cents per bottle — an increase that would vastly improve the livelihoods of thousands of recyclers known as “canners.”

Passing both bills is crucial, because they would work together to enhance

waste management in New York, leading to substantial waste reduction, improved recycling, and reduced landfill and incinerator use.

MARíA GuILLéN

Framework by Tim Baker

Oohing and aahing at the fireworks show overhead — Rockville Centre

In virtually every school on Long Island, there are students suffering with grief and stress.