East Meadow Herald 09-03-2020

East Meadow

HERALD Neighbors seek help for WWII vet

EMFD looking for more recruits

Senator attends first virtual DNC

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Vol. 20 No. 36

SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020

$1.00

Fall H.S. sports are postponed East Meadow athletes, parents question superintendents’ call All of my daughter’s friends were on summer leagues, so it doesn’t make sense why they bstieglitz@liherald.com, tbellissimo@liherald.com can’t play in high school.”

A committee of Nassau CounAprea’s daughter, Sophia, is ty school superintendents voted an incoming sophomore at W.T. on Aug. 26 to postpone high Clarke High School, and comschool sports until Jan. 4, draw- petes on both the girls’ lacrosse ing ire from student athletes and and cheerleading parents in the East teams. When she Meadow School Disbegan her athletic trict. career last year, Since the deciher mother heard sion, members of that the school was the East Meadow in need of a new and Salisbury commascot, so she volmunities have been unteered to calling on Section become the Clarke VIII, the governing Ram. body for Nassau “My daughter County high school thrives in sports,” JohANNA APREA athletics, to reverse Aprea said. the decision at a Parent, “Through the pannumber of rallies W.T. Clarke demic, these kids across the county. High School have been away The first was last from their friends; Friday, at the Nassau they haven’t been BOCES Administrasocial. And sports tive Center in Garden City, teach kids tolerance. It teaches where Section VIII officials them how to overcome challengmeet. es.”

“We’re trying to get the powBut Pat Pizzarelli, Section ers that be to change their VIII’s executive director of athmind,” said Johanna Aprea, of letics, defended the postponeSalisbury. “It’s ridiculous that ment of sports. “We felt strongly these kids can’t play when you enough to make this decision could drive past any park right now and see kids playing sports.

Continued on page 3

By BRIAN STIEGlITZ and ToNY BEllISSIMo

W

Brian Stieglitz/Herald

PETE WENNINGER, ThE new commander of American Legion Post 1082, in East Meadow, gave the Herald a tour of the building, on Bellmore Road, last Friday. Above, he pointed out the original certification from the post’s formation.

American Legion bounces back from the pandemic

By BRIAN STIEGlITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

Like many community g roups in East Meadow, American Legion Post 1082 is trying to return to normal as the coronavirus pandemic drags on.

While members couldn’t meet through most of the summer, they held a service on Memorial Day, just two weeks after Commander John Devany died of complications of Covid-19. He was 72.

Devany lived in East Meadow most of his life and served in the Navy in the Vietnam War. He was the post commander for three years. “He did a great job as a leader, and we’re very proud of him,” said new Commander Pete Wenninger, 50, who joined the post two years ago, under Devany’s leadership. “He stepped up everywhere he went, and left his footprints.”

Welcoming a new leader

Wenninger has been an

American Legion member for 20 years, although he didn’t belong to a specific post until he joined 1082 in 2018. He was a national member, calling himself “kind of a nomad,” who traveled from town to town and attended meetings and events at various posts throughout his membership.

“The biggest misconception is that you have to dedicate yourself to one post when you become a member,” he Continued on page 3

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

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New A.L. commander seeks to inspire vets Preserving a home for vets

said, adding that the American Legion was formed in France after World War I to foster a community for American soldiers stationed there. Wenninger said he still believes the organization serves as a means of connecting veterans, and every time he travels out of state, he makes a point of visiting the local post.

Originally from East Meadow, he served in the Navy for six years after graduating from high school in the late 1980s, and, he said, he regrets not serving longer. “I was young, dumb, and little did I know as a young man the great service I was doing,” he said.

When he came home, he took care of his single mother and worked in the telecommunications industry. He started as a truck driver before taking on different technical and engineering roles at various telecom companies and then working at Verizon Wireless, where he has been for the past 20 years.

In addition to becoming active in the American Legion, Wenninger said that he discovered his leadership and public speaking skills through his involvement in the Patriot Guard Riders, which he joined in 2009. The national nonprofit was formed in 2005, as a response to protests at military funerals by the Westboro Baptist Church. After states began legalizing same-sex marriage, starting with Massachusetts in 2003, members of the church, which is headquartered in Topeka, Kan., began picketing military funerals to express outrage that soldiers fought to defend the LGBTQ+ community.

The Patriot Guard Riders started as a motorcycle escort service, providing a physical barrier between grieving families and Westboro members. “Our goal was to give the family and their fallen soldier the dignity and grace they deserved,” Wenninger said. “We wanted them to see

Post 1082 members Dan Carbonare and Bill McCrindle gave the Herald a tour in August 2018. At the time, the 120-year-old building, on Bellmore Road, had not seen many updates since the post acquired it in 1935. Lights flickered, paint had peeled off the walls, rooms were filled with clutter covered in dust and, after a storm, the building often flooded because of damage to the roof and the back door.

Post members have been raising funds to renovate it since they set up a GoFundMe page in May 2018, and community groups, residents and Eagle Scouts have held fundraisers as well, and helped the post make necessary renovations.

But most of its revenue comes from rentals to residents for christenings, charity events and other special occasions — all of which were on hold during the pandemic.

And there are still many repairs that need to be made.

“Most of the time, brilliance comes out of problems,” Wenninger said. “When we resolve the problems, when we clean up the issues, everyone could move forward together.”

As businesses were permitted to reopen, the post began hosting events again. Eagle Scout John Polumbo, of East Meadow’s Troop 604, recently upgraded the backyard, adding a fire pit and new benches. And, as Wenninger spoke with the Herald, a family was setting up a balloon arch in the yard, where they planned to hold a birthday party the following day.

The post is also holding in-person meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m. Wenninger starts each meeting and service by saying, “If we didn’t have vets, we wouldn’t have this country. If we didn’t have vets, we wouldn’t have these freedoms. Thank a vet today and every day.”

Brian Stieglitz/Herald

Pete Wenninger is the new commander of the American Legion Post 1082, in East Meadow. love, appreciation and honor instead of the hate brought on by the protesters.”

Three years into Wenninger’s involvement with the group, the funeral protests waned, and the PGR expanded its mission to honor both military personnel and first responders and to support their families.

Parents push back against delaying fall sports continued from front page now,” he said. “We took the cautious route, but we believe it’s in everyone’s best interests. There are too many unknowns.

“It’s just not time to allow kids to play sports,” Pizzarelli continued. “And my first and foremost concern is the safety of our student athletes.”

The postponement came just two days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that lower-risk high school fall sports — soccer, tennis, swimming, field hockey and cross-country — could begin practicing and playing on Sept. 21, while football and volleyball could begin practicing but not competing. Section VIII became the first of the state’s 11 sections to reschedule its fall season.

On Aug. 27, the Section VIII Superintendents Board issued a statement that the decision would be reconsidered, but made no promises about whether there would be any sports in the fall. “Section VIII is committed to reassess its position prior to the governor’s starting date of Sept. 21,” it wrote. “As always, we will act in what we believe to be in the best interest of the health and safety of all those in our charge.”

The plan now, Pizzarelli said, is to fit all three sports seasons in between January and June, when, it is hoped, the threat of Covid-19 will have declined. He said that Section VIII would aim to limit overlaps of the condensed, nine-week seasons.

Some parents called it a double stan-

Courtesy Media Origin Inc.

As of lAst week, sports were postponed this fall at schools across Nassau County, including W.T. Clarke High, whose football team had a successful season last year and won the Homecoming game against Locust Valley, 34-22. dard to reopen schools under state guidelines, but not to allow sports. “If they can open up school and have kids sit inside all day with masks on, why can’t they let less kids be outside and play sports?” asked Mariann DeRidder-Roche, whose son, Mathew, is an incoming senior and plays on Clarke’s baseball team.

“Even if they allow sports in January, they’re going to be so far behind because they’ve missed out on practicing,” Aprea

said. “And my daughter would have to choose between the two sports she loves the most. It’s just not right.”

DeRidder-Roche agreed, and said that Mathew was looking to play baseball in college, “but that could be ruined if coaches don’t see him play in the fall,” she said. “Some of these kids were planning to go to [NCAA Division 1] schools and get scholarships, and they’re going to take that away from them?”

All six of DeRidder-Roche’s children have played sports at Clarke, she said, including her late son who died several years ago. Now, his football jersey hangs in the hallway of the school and, his mother said, serves as a symbol of strength and pride to her sons and their friends.

“To pass his jersey now and not . . . be able to play — that’s just going to be heartbreaking,” she said.

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

continued from front page

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

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EAST MEDOW FIRE DEPARTMENT

EMFD seeking more volunteers interior teams, while controlling fire spread. Ladder Companies will also be called upon for auto accidents, as well as downed wires, carbon monoxide emergencies, gas emergencies, and so on.

There is one Rescue (EMS) Company:

By John J. o’Brien Sr. Your East Meadow Volunteer Fire Department is aggressively looking for new members to become Firefighters and or Medical Technicians.

As an East Meadow volunteer, making the difference in someone else’s tragedy gives you a feeling not easily duplicated. Whether it is a carbon monoxide emergency averted by a quick response, or an unconscious diabetic quickly stabilized, or a house fire held to one room saving a neighbor’s most precious valuables, its a great feeling to be a part of the team that made the difference. In recent years we have witnessed a wide range of ages of men and woman throughout the county applying.

Such individuals bring a lot to the table in maturity, confidence, and respect. They are excelling well and enjoy their fire service work. There is no better feeling than being there in someone time of need.

Openings are available in all fire and EMS companies. There is no experience necessary. We train you to be the best.

Research of our membership has found a large majority have gone on to lead successful careers as a result of joining our volunteer Fire Department. Your East Meadow Fire Department consists of men and women from all walks who have developed careers as FDNY Firefighters, Paramedics, Police Officers, Corrections Officers, Fire Dispatchers, Fire District Supervisors, Fire Marshals, Training Instructors, just to name a few. Many men and women have used their experiences gained here as a stepping stone. We see our department as a network of people who always have a desire to help one another, as well as our community.

Your East Meadow Fire Department consists of seven companies in five stations. The station you are assigned to would depend on your preference and your location in town.

There are four Engines Companies:

■ Rescue Company #5, Headquarters: East Meadow Avenue and Front Street

Courtesy John J. O’Brien Sr.

The eaST Meadow Fire Department is seeking new members to become firefighters and medical technicians.

■ Engine Company #1, Sta. 1: East Meadow Avenue, South of Franklin Avenue ■ Engine Company #2, Sta. 2: East Meadow Avenue and Park Avenue ■ Engine Company #3, Sta. 3: Newbridge Road and Carnation Road (Levittown) ■ Engine Company #4, Sta. 4: Carman Avenue and Bob Reed Drive (Westbury) Note: Engine Co. 4 also runs ambulance 6144.

Their job is ultimately to extinguish the fire. The Engine Company will connect to a hydrant, stretch their hose, and attack the fire. (Probably the biggest thrill you will have as a member).

East Meadow

HERALD HOW TO REACH US Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/eastmeadow ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: emeditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 234 E-mail: emeditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The East Meadow Herald USPS 336580, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to East Meadow Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1 Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Aside from fire Calls, Engine Companies also respond to auto accidents, fuel spills, downed wires, gas emergencies, and so on.

There are two Ladder Companies: ■ Hook & Ladder Co #1, Sta. 1: 346 East Meadow Avenue, South of Franklin Avenue ■ Ladder Company #2, Sta. 3: Newbridge Road and Carnation Road Note: Hook & Ladder Co #1 also runs Heavy Rescue 616.

Their job at a fire is the search and rescue of any persons trapped, confining the fire, forcing doors to assist the Engine in getting to the fire room, as well as opening the roof, and/or windows to vent and remove heat for the

Whereas Rescue Company #5 performs medical emergencies, Engine Company #4 offers the choice of Engine Company duties, medical duties only, or both. Their job is to treat and transport all patients to the hospital. In addition to medical emergencies, Rescue 5 and Engine 4 will also response to auto accidents, and most fires.

To become a member of the EMFD family the procedure is simple. You can call our Recruitment hot line at 542-4565, complete our on-line form, or e-mail us at JOBrien@EastMeadowFD.Com. Prospective members must meet the following criteria: Pass a fire service related medical evaluation yearly, be a US Citizen, reside in the East Meadow Fire District for a period of 6 months or more, and have never been convicted of a felony.

Other benefits to becoming a member are a small tax reduction after 5 years of satisfactory service available to all East Meadow firefighters and medical technicians who own a home, as well as a “Length of Service Award Program” which builds a pension-like fund for all members maturing at the age of 55.

Want to become a part of a great East Meadow family and you may the next resident to raise your right hand to be sworn in.

We urge any persons who have any thought of volunteering to please call us or complete our on-line request. There is no obligation to call and learn more.

John J. O’Brien is an active Ex Chief of the East Meadow Fire Department. He is the District Supervisor of the Jericho Fire District and has over 40 years of Dispatch and Supervisory experience.

Memorial set for Sept. 11 anniversary

By John J. o’Brien Sr.

our resolve as a country unified.

Friday, Sept. 11, will mark the 19th anniversary of the worse single disaster in American history. Join members of the East Meadow Volunteer Fire Department, our community leaders, local dignitaries, members of our Armed Forces and your neighbors in a ceremony of remembrance for those lives lost and those lives that were changed forever. Like any other American hometown, East Meadow will never forget the events of this tragic day, the heroes, our countless loses, and

Event Time: 7 p.m. sharp, please arrive by 6:45 p.m.

Location: Veteran’s Memorial Park at the corner of Prospect Avenue and East Meadow Avenue Social Distancing will be required John J. O’Brien is an active Ex Chief of the East Meadow Fire Department. He is the District Supervisor of the Jericho Fire District and has over 40 years of Dispatch and Supervisory experience.

Community raising funds to help WWII vet bstieglitz@liherald.com

Courtesy Promise of Hope, Inc.

MEMBERS of ThE Freeport and East Meadow communities are raising money to fund a health care aid for 97-year old World War II veteran Rev. Eugene Purvis and his wife Dr. Sylvia Purvis.

“He’s just such a positive person and everyone wants to make sure he’s okay,” said Christine Waters, who is also active in Freeport Cares and taught at Barnum Woods Elementary School in the East Meadow School District for 25 years, ending in 2017. She is now co-president of the East Meadow Association for Retired Teachers and is the edu-

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Members of the Freeport and East Meadow communities are rallying behind 97-year old World War II veteran Rev. Eugene Purvis to help him and his wife Dr. Sylvia Purvis with long overdue home improvements and health care assistance.

Purvis, who described himself as a “simple country boy,” was born in South Carolina in 1923.

He joined the U.S. Military right before his 20th birthday, where he was enlisted into the 435th Aviation Squadron, a unit of African American soldiers within the 20th Army Air Corps. His unit served on the Pacific front on the island of Saipan, where they were under constant fire from Japanese bomber planes.

Although Purvis and his fellow black soldiers faced discrimination during his time in the military, he said he never held any hatred towards anyone. He said that it was his faith in God, love for others and commitment to following the rules that led him to live a long and happy life despite any of the hardships he faced.

“I never got angry at anybody,” Purvis said. “When you live long enough, you find the truths in life… and I do feel sorry for those who hate others.”

After the war, Purvis moved to New York in 1946, and a few years later, he settled down in Freeport with his wife, Dr. Sylvia Purvis.

The couple has spent their lives in service to others, including founding the Children’s World Montessori School, a local, private montessori school for students in grades Pre-K through three.

Purvis is also an active member of Freeport Cares, a community group that works with the school district and village to promote programs and activities for Freeport families.

cation chair of the local branch of the NAACP. As Purvis grew older, Waters said, she and other members of Freeport Cares began taking turns caring for him and his wife. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Waters said, they delivered meals to their home. During those trips, they saw the disrepair and poor conditions of the Purvis’s home and wanted to improve the couple’s quality of life.

At the same time, Patrick Pizzo, East Meadow’s assistant superintendent for business and finance, invited Waters to a task force he was forming called the Economic Opportunity for All Youth Committee.

One of the group’s missions is to help young people find employment, mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities. Waters said that she thought of connecting the committee with Purvis so that they could find young people to help him and his wife.

Pizzo visited Purvis and enlisted the help of the committee, which connected Purvis to the Promise of Hope Foundation. The Copiague-based nonprofit assists families in need by providing them with financial and emotional support.

They installed a handicap-accessible bathroom on the first floor of the Purvis home and fixed its plumbing issues. But the Purvis’s are still in need of a daily health care aid. And Dr. Sylvia Purvis is under hospital care awaiting a possible cancer diagnosis.

“We want to make sure that whatever years they have left on this Earth, that they’re comfortable and know that they’re loved,” Waters said.

They set up a gofundme page last month that has since raised $6,890 of its $50,000 goal. To contribute, visit https://bit.ly/3jBgnAl.

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

By BRIAN STIEGLITZ

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

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Rice proposes bill to combat impaired driving If signed into law, bill would establish annual $5M federal grant program U.S. Reps. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City, and T roy Balderson, a Republican from Ohio, i n t ro d u c e d t h e b i p a r t i s a n D r u g Impaired Driving Education Act of 2020, which would establish an annual $5 million federal grant program for states to educate the public on the dangers of drug-impaired driving.

The latest available data from 2018 indicates that impaired driving was a factor in roughly 11,000 traffic deaths nationwide, all of which were preventable, the Congress members said.

Rice, who has fought drunken driving since her days as Nassau County’s district attor ney, introduced three pieces of legislation in 2019 to help end impaired driving.

“Despite common misconceptions, drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, and that’s why this bill to expand public education and awareness is so important,” Rice said. “I’ve been working on these issues for my entire career, and I have seen the immense pain and tragedy that they can cause far too many times. I thank Re presentative Balderson and the many advocacy groups who are supporting this legislation. We must keep working together until we can end i m p a i re d a n d d i s t r a c t e d d r iv i n g once and for all.”

“When someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, entire communities are put at risk,” Balderson said. “Sadly, this is a fact we know

“Too many Americans do not realall too well in the state of Ohio, where the opioid epidemic runs rampant. ize that driving under the influence of cannabis or prescripThis legislation takes critition medication impairs cal ste ps to educate our their ability to operate a communities about the vehicle safely, so efforts to risks associated with drugbolster information, educaimpaired driving, includtion and enforcement is ing those driving under the something we can all celeinfluence of opioids and brate,” said Michelle Kormarijuana.” smo, president and CEO of The Drug-Impaired Wine and Spirits WholesalDriving Education Act has ers of America. “WSWA been endorsed by Responremains steadfast in fightsibility.org, Wine & Spirits ing impaired driving in all Wholesalers of America, forms and commends Reps. the National Safety CounR i c e a n d B a l d e r s o n fo r cil, the National Organizatheir leadership and comtion for the Reform of Marmitment to the public on i j u a n a L aw s a n d t h e the health and safety of all National District AttorAmericans.” neys Association.

“Impairment is a persisD a r r i n G ro n d e l , v i c e tent roadway safety issue, president of traffic safety and we know drugand government relations impaired driving is a growfor Responsibility.org, said, ing concer n,” said Lor“In Washington state, 44 raine Mar tin, president percent of drivers involved and CEO of the National in fatal crashes between Safety Council. “We need 2008 to 2016 tested positive public awareness and outfor two or more substancrage to move the needle to es, with alcohol and tetralives, and this bill hyd ro c a n n ab i n o l ( T H C ) KathLeen RiCe save [ wo u l d p r ov i d e ] i n i t i a l being the most common funding to this end. We combination. This legisla- U.S. representative appreciate Congresswomtion is a giant step forward an Rice’s ongoing leaderin helping the public to u n d e r s t a n d t h e d a n g e r s d r u g - ship and relentless commitment to impaired driving and multi-substance this important issue.”

“Keeping our communities safe and impaired driving pose on our roadreducing fatalities on our nation’s ways.”

D

espite common misconceptions, drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Nassau sees lowest infection rate since March Thursday, Aug. 27, marked the highest number of Covid-19 tests conducted in Nassau County since the beginning of the pandemic, with 9,814 test results reported by the New York State Department of Health, and 0.5 percent of tests were positive for the coronavirus.

“Robust testing is key to successfully navigating the challenges we are set to face this fall,” County Executive Laura Curran said. “Nassau is still waiting for the federal Lauran government to provide the emergency aid required to prevent further economic catastrophe and gutting of essential services – including continued robust Covid-19 testing. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for

his leadership, including making sure New York continues to ramp up Covid-19 testing instead of slowing it down. We need more testing with quicker results – not less testing altogether.

Nassau has the line on the coronavirus, with a 1 percent positivity rate, throughout the summer. “But,” Curran said, “September will be a new challenge. None of this is easy, but we have no choice bu t t o re m a i n v i g i l a n t against a virus that has Curran claimed the lives of 2,197 residents and now more than 180,000 fellow Americans. Let’s keep doing what has saved countless lives and allowed Long Island to reopen safely: wearing a mask and social distancing.”

roads remains a top priority for prosecutors throughout the country,” said Nancy Parr, NDAA president and the commonwealth’s attorney for the City of Chesapeake, VA. “NDAA supports and endorses the Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act of 2020, which [would] provide vital federal funding to state and local governments, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving and protect our citizens across the nation.”

“With the majority of U.S. states now regulating marijuana sales for either medical purposes or for adult use, it’s important that traffic safety laws and practices comport with this new reality,” said Paul Ar mentano, NORML deputy director. “Both lawmakers and the general public can benefit from evidence-based messaging and strate gies reinforcing and strengthening responsible behavior.”

Congress previously funded efforts to train authorities to better detect and deter dr ug-impaired driving, but there remains a need for public education and awareness of this g rowing problem, according to Rice. The new federal grant program established by the Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act would provide funding to states to address this specific need.

The legislation is yet to be voted on by the House of Representatives, and must be approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the president to become law.

Town teams with Northwell on testing The Town of Hempstead and Northwell Health are launching three Covid19 mobile testing locations. The initiative, town and Northwell officials said, will provide increased testing to highrisk and minority communities within the town, which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Each week, three to four testing sites will be available, free of charge, at different locations throughout the town.

The testing facilities will be open Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. To find the nearest testing location, residents are asked to call (516) 821-2500.

Town Supervisor Donald Clavin thanked U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer for helping to secure the federal funding needed for the testing sites. “This collaboration with Northwell Health is

one that the town is extremely proud of and will continue our region’s ability to keep driving the numbers of Covid19 cases down to the lowest we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic,” Clavin said.

“We’re proud to partner with the Town of Hempstead to provide antibody and diagnostic Covid-19 testing and share prevention information at 16 sites within Hempstead town,” said Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez, senior vice president of community and population health at Northwell Health. “Education and testing are the keys to fostering healthy communities and limiting the spread of Covid-19.”

Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are encouraged by calling 8212500. For more information, visit hempsteadny.gov/.

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The 2020 Democratic National Convention did not include the usual fanfare, throngs of cheering crowds and delegates rubbing elbows and mingling with one another.

The convention was set to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where delegates would rally behind and cast their vote for Democratic presidential nominee. But to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s DNC featured a blend of prerecorded videos, live coverage and Zoom calls highlighting speakers and performers from across the U.S. and its territories.

This was the first DNC for State Senator Kevin Thomas, of Levittown, who has represented the state’s sixth district for nearly two years after unseating 15-term incumbent Sen. Kemp Hannon in the 2018 election.

He said he was looking forward to celebrating the Democratic party with fellow delegates from across the country. However, he said that the DNC translated to the virtual platform in a “creative” and “touching” manner that inspired unity by showcasing the personalities and backgrounds of each delegate.

“I especially liked the roll call and hearing the description of each delegate’s choices,” he said. “I think that’s something that they could definitely bring back at the next DNC.” The second day of the event included a compilation of prerecorded segments in which delegates from the country’s 57 states and territories officially cast their delegates’ votes for president. The roll call kicked off in Selma, Alabama, where Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell gave a tribute to civil rights activist and Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who died in July.

New York’s roll call, filmed with a

backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, featured Scheena Iyandé Robyn Tannis, an immigrant from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a registered nurse at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn.

“I am proud to be part of America’s fight against Covid-19,” she said. “But many health care workers don’t get paid sick leave or have enough protective equipment. I have two children with asthma and a mother who’s high risk. I worry every day about bringing this virus home to them. Joe Biden’s plan will help us take better care of your loved ones as well as our own.”

Along with State Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, she cast New York’s votes: 44 for Bernie Sanders and 277 for Joe Biden.

In addition to signing in to the virtual roll call over Zoom, Thomas spent breakfast each morning of the convention with fellow delegates through videoconference.

The New York State Democratic Committee led the Zoom call, where Chairman Jay Jacobs, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and other democratic leaders delivered speeches to the delegates.

When watching the four-day event, Thomas said he was especially moved by speeches delivered by Barrack and Michelle Obama. The former First Lady spoke on the first night of the convention from her living room wearing a necklace that read, “vote.”

“Hearing them both speak again was breathtaking,” he said. “It felt like they were speaking directly to the American people.”

The takeaway from the week, Thomas said, was to hold on to hope. “We’re gonna get through this darkness phase that we’re in right now,” he said. “And I believe that Biden and Harris will unite this country.”

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Councilman represents at GOP convention were there.”

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke with the delegates on the mornTown of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blake- ing of Aug. 24. “Vice President Pence came to thank man, a Republican covering the 3rd District, got to us for our vote and thank us for coming down,” be a part of what he described as the most unusual Blakeman said. “Around 11 a.m., President Trump convention he has ever attended. came down to speak in an informal disHe was one of six New York state delcussion on his accomplishments and his egates at the 2020 Republican National vision for the next four years. EveryConvention, which took place in Charbody was energized by that, and the fact lotte, N.C., and the White House from that he detoured his plans to thank the Aug. 24 to 27. Originally there were to be delegates in Charlotte was a very nice 94 state delegates, but the number was thing.” pared down to six because of the coroThe convention moved to Washingnavirus pandemic. ton, D.C. on Aug. 27 as Trump concluded “There are two types of ways to the festivities with a speech on the become a delegate: You can run for it in White House’s South Lawn, which your congressional district, and then Blakeman attended. “The crowd was there are a number of delegates the energized and excited and were moved state chairman can appoint,” Blakeman by the stories we heard from some of said. “I was one of the elected delegates the speakers,” Blakeman said. “I from the state’s 4th Congressional Disthought the president was really good in trict. When it was restricted from 94 to his speech, and he touched on everysix, I lobbied to [Nassau County Repubthing he needed to.” lican Chairman] Joe Cairo that I wanted Coming out of the convention, Blaketo go, and the squeaky wheel wound up man said he is “cautiously optimistic” BRucE getting the oil.” about the presidential election. “I feel New York GOP Chairman Nick Lang- BlAkEMAn that a successful candidate always has worthy said he was pleased to have run as if they were 10 points behind Town of Hempstead to Blakeman as a state delegate. “Although so we can’t take anything for granted,” I wish we could’ve been celebrating the councilman he said. “There has been movement in president’s nomination with all of our the past two weeks for the president in 94 delegates, I was proud to have Counswing states, and I feel good about the cilman Blakeman as one of the six state delegates,” numbers moving in the right direction for him.”

Langworthy said.

When looking back on the convention, Blakeman The process for the delegates to enter the conven- said he would remember the relationships he tion began a week before the pandemic, when Blake- formed with fellow delegates from across the counman said he was sent daily health questionnaires try. “We spent our time talking about what life was and a Covid-19 test. “I got to Charlotte on Sunday like in our own communities and the election,” he night, [Aug. 23], and it was pretty closed down,” he said. “The convention was very different but great. said. “Everything was consolidated around the con- The fact that it was historic because it was so vention center, as the Westin Hotel was like an restricted made it special for me to be one of about armed camp since the president and vice president 350 delegates there.”

By MATTHEW FERREMI mferremi@liherald.com

T

he fact that it was historic because it was so restricted made it special for me to be one of about 350 delegates there.

Courtesy Bruce Blakeman

ToWn oF HEMpsTEAd Councilman Bruce Blakeman was one of six New York state delegates at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

County executive serves as DNC delegate

By BRIdgET doWnEs bdownes@liherald.com

Over four days, elected officials and delegates from around the country attended the Democratic National Convention — including Nassau County Executive Laura Curran — but this time, virtually.

Many people streamed footage of the convention, which took place Aug. 17 through 20. Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, and Kamala Harris, for vice president.

“I think it would’ve been a lot more fun to do it the oldfashioned way, in a convention center with balloons and the crazy hats and everything,” Curran, of Baldwin, said. “It would’ve been a good experience; however, like everything else these days, we’re doing things a bit differently, so we did it over Zoom, virtually.”

It was the county executive’s first time attending the convention as a delegate. She had attended in 1992, before she was involved in politics and government, when Bill Clinton accepted the party’s nomination for president.

Curran said she attended some Zoom meetings throughout the four days in addition to delegate meetings, and watched parts of the convention via YouTube like other viewers.

“There were some meetings that I would go to, organized by the State Democratic Committee,” she explained, adding that she and other delegates voted by filling out a form and e-mailing it in. “So it was easy in

that I didn’t have to go anywhere or really take time off.

That was one plus.”

It’s a strange election this year, Curran said, between Covid-19 changing the rules and the uncertainties around voting.

“I would just encourage anyone who’s listening that no matter who you’re voting for — I’m not going to tell you who to vote for — just make sure that you don’t get turned off by the differences in this election and get out and vote, whether it’s absentee ballot or however you’re doing it,” she said, adding that it’s “so important for everyone to make their voices heard.”

“Being able to participate in the convention, even remotely, really reminded me of that,” Curran continued, “how important it is to vote, because that’s the thing that keeps our democracy alive. It’s the thing that keeps elected officials accountable to the people.”

She also urged voters to cast their votes in local races as well.

“It’s so important that we participate in this democracy because in the course of human history, it is a rare and beautiful thing, and we should not take it for granted,” Curran said, noting that voting helps hold policymakers accountable. “The best and easiest way to do that is to vote.”

“Whatever is going on in the world, whether we can be there in person or not, democracy is still happening,” she said. “It’s just happening in a new way. Democracy persists.”

Courtesy Alex Hanel DNCC

dEMocRATIc nATIonAl coMMITTEE Chair Tom Perez spoke at the Democratic National Convention — streamed to viewers remotely — on Aug. 19.

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EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

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hen the pandemic broke out, I knew I wanted to do some sort of service project for people affected

by Covid-19. Health care workers had been getting a lot of attention, as they completely should be, but I started to wonder what was happening with our veterans.

I came upon a hospital for veterans, and after some research, I learned that they were in need of Uber gift cards. Veterans there use Uber to travel to appointments or wherever they need to go, but many have been stuck there.

So, I decided to start a fundraiser to raise money to buy the gift cards, which I will distribute to veterans at the hospital. In total, I’ve raised roughly $5,200, and I’ll keep the GoFundMe fundraiser open for another week or two.

I got attention for it by posting on my Instagram story, which is my only social media page. Many friends sent it to their families, and my cousins were a big help to get the word out to extended family.

I was also able to post on the bulletins at St. Barnabas Church, Sacred Heart Church and the North Merrick Library, where I hung a few fliers as part of my “marketing” efforts.

I have 77 contributors on the GoFundMe page, which was opened on Aug. 3. GoFundMe itself generously donated $500 as part of its “Give Back” program, which sees donations go to funds that “touch the community.”

T

here are so many different factors that go into opening up again. Our committee developed with a goal to help all businesses come up with a plan so that people can come in and feel comfortable.

We’re here to help them discuss what they may need to do.

One of the things we did is create reopening kits for business owners so they have all the necessary supplies to keep employees and patrons safe and healthy, like facemasks, gloves and hand sanitizer and other [personal protective equipment].

Our reopening festival had a great turnout. We had 30 cars participate in a car parade and 150 at a drive-in showing of the most recent “Lion King” movie. Business owners were set up at villages to greet the community and show that they’re back in business.

Some businesses are still closed and some gyms are waiting to reopen. It’s been very difficult for them. Some have been going to parks or parking lots, but there are not a lot of alternatives. Hopefully they’ll be back on their feet soon too.

We’re available to answer any questions business owners may have about the reopening process. You could reach us at reopening@eastmeadowchamber.com. Someone will be there to help you and get you ready to reopen.

HOMeTOWN HerO

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o

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

Their fronT-line sTories in Their own words PhilliP Franco Kevin WiTT SeaFord MerricK direcTor oF aThleTicS, healTh and PhySical educaTion, SeaFord School diSTricT

chairMan, cedar creeK overSighT coMMiTTee SeaFord

ne of the things our committee monitors is the Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. We’ve had problems with odors a couple of times in the last year.

The people at Suez [North America, the company that manages the plant] have done a pretty good job at addressing some of our concerns. I was impressed last year when the odors were blowing onshore.

If you lived anywhere within a couple of miles of the plant, you could really smell it. It got bad enough a couple of times that the [Seaford Harbor Elementary School] had to be closed.

We understood the technical issues, and Suez addressed them pretty effectively.

This new project, the Bay Park Conveyance, is supposed to help with the nitrogen buildup from dumping effluent into the Western Bays. The nitrogen damages the marsh islands that are supposed to protect us from flooding during storms like Sandy.

The bay doesn’t flush it out, so the project managers want to send it over here to Cedar Creek through a pipeline and pump it a mile out into the ocean. The project managers say the system has the capacity to handle the effluent from Bay Park, but right now, even under normal conditions, pumps are breaking down.

This will probably be positive for the Western Bays, but I don’t think it’s a permanent solution — or even the most cost-effective. And it could take anywhere from five to 10 years to finish.

B

eing an athletics-focused person, I understand the value of physical activity to student-athletes and people from all walks of life. It is paramount; it's very important. But dealing with this virus, it's a very fluid situation. It is changing constantly.

As far as understanding the health concerns and safety of the kids, we are letting professionals like the [State] Department of Health and [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] dive into that. That is their expertise.

We are going to take advice from the county and state levels. Right now, we are just playing the waiting game.

But we need to know we have the right safety measures in place. Moving forward, when we are cleared, then we can put the right practices into place.

I highly doubt that there will be a low turnout for sports, even starting in January.

These kids are chomping at the bit to get out there. We will have a huge turnout, like every year. I know that they are in contact with their coaches often and are excited to get started.

We are all about the students here, and we want to see them safe, happy and healthy, and we understand the big picture. We are going to take the advice of the governing bodies who are the experts, but we are eager to start on our end.

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Find the support you need to assist your child

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comes are best when a collabou know your child. orative approach is used.

You understand what Have questions/concerns he means when he about your child’s speech and points to the door. You listen language development? Here to her talk and watch her are some milestones the play. You remember what experts look for: your older children did and √ Babbling by 6 months said at the same age. It is nor√ 1-2 words by 12 months mal to compare your child to √ 50 words by 18 months other children. It is also norStephanie Montano (left) and √ Combining words into mal to worry if you think your Christiana Neophytou, directors 2-word phrases by 24 child is not keeping up. months If you have a concern, Theralympic Speech, PLLC is ready to help. The multidisci- √ Answers verbally to simple questions by 36 months plinary therapeutic service provider will expertly and compassionately meet the needs of children (and √ Understood by an unfamiliar listener 100 percent of the time by 48 months adults) who are at risk for or diagnosed with developmental delays and/or disabilities. Directors Christiana Prior to beginning services, all children receive a Neophytou M.S., CCC-SLP, and Stephanie Montano comprehensive speech and language evaluation M.S., CCC-SLP provide outstanding services with a prior to treatment. Based on the evaluation, a treatteam of passionate experts that understand, develop ment plan will be made and services may begin. and wholeheartedly deliver state-of-the-art treatment. With over 40 therapists specialized in treating lanThe dedication, knowledge, and expertise of guage delays, Theralypmic Speech provides services Theralympic Speech leads to optimal success in the at their office/sensory gym in Ronkonkoma, but also treatment and evaluation of their clients. Their offers their services in homes, pre-schools and dayapproach is to create individualized treatment and care centers in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Most evaluation plans within meaningful contexts using major health insurance plans are accepted; services motivating interventions and the most up to date are also available through Nassau and Suffolk CPSE. For more information, contact Theralympic evidence-based practices to optimize the progress of clients. They assure the highest quality of treatment Speech, Christiana Neophytou M.S., CCC-SLP or and evaluations, nurturing the whole patient. They Stephanie Montano M.S., CCC-SLP at 631-240-3579. believe in a holistic approach, treating/evaluating the whole child, not just the disorder. Client outBack-to-School memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

Herald File Photo

The Nassau CouNTy Veteran’s Service Agency partnered with the Disabled American Veteran’s Post 145 and elected officials to deliver 250 pairs of shoes and boxes of facemasks to veterans at Eisenhower Park on Aug. 29.

Veterans Service Agency gives out 250 pairs of shoes The Nassau County Veteran’s Service Agency partnered with the Disabled American Veteran’s Post 145 to deliver 250 pairs of shoes and boxes of facemasks to veterans across the county at a drive-through event at Eisenhower Park on Aug. 29.

The event was the first for the DAV Post 145 under its new commander John Scalesi, of North Bellmore. Joining him was County Executive Laura Curran, District 19 Legislator Steve Rhoads and

VSA leaders Ralph Esposito and Paul Vista.

Over the course of three hours, veterans were able to drive through the park where they were greeted and thanked for their service before volunteers loaded a box of shoes and facemasks into their car.

—Brian Stieglitz

News brief Learn to cut college costs Webinar hosted by Lockwood College Prep

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

Late blooming or language problem?

SHARE YOUR LOSS, SHARE YOUR MEMORIES Dear neighbor:

We live and work in this community. The lives of each and every one of you is important to us and we are here to tell your stories — from beginning to end. That includes the final chapter. At this difficult time, I want to remind you that obituaries in all Herald Community Newspapers are, and have always been, completely free.

COVID-19 has taken far too many, far to soon. Let us help you commemorate the life of your loved one with a story and photo celebrating their life. Contact our Executive Editor Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com or call 516-569-4000, ext 203, if you would like to memorialize a loved one in the Herald, regardless of their cause of death.

Stuart Richner Publisher srichner@liherald.com 1100740

Do you worry about how you’ll pay for higher education for you or your children? Tuition prices can seem daunting, but solutions exist.

Join Andy Lockwood, best-selling author and college advisor, on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. for a virtual event that will show you how to cut college costs by 52.2 percent or more. “Many Long Island families mistakenly think they can’t qualify for financial aid because they’ve never heard about legal ‘loopholes’ in the financial aid formulas,” Lockwood said. “I’m planning to share at least four cost-cutting strategies any family can use to slash college tuition by 52.2 percent, or even more, in the webinar.”

Hosted by Lockwood College Prep and produced by RichnerLIVE, a Herald sister company, this webinar reveals how families can comfortably afford college, especially during tough economic times in the pandemic, even if they do not qualify for financial aid. You’ll discover strategies that can help you shave thousands off the cost of a quality education, including: ■ How Covid-19 affects college admissions and financial aid.

■ Methods to negotiate with top tier universities so they can cost less than a state school.

■ Types of savings accounts that do not penalize you in financial aid formulas.

■ The 529 Savings Plan.

■ Legal loopholes business owners can take to unlock cash buried in their businesses.

■ How one Huntington family negotiated an extra $38,000 per year from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lockwood will also answer your questions in real time. He is the co-owner and co-founder of Lockwood College Prep, an educational consultant company on Long Island, with his wife, Pearl Lockwood. He is also author of “How to Negotiate Your Crappy Financial Aid and Merit Aid Offer,” which has an updated edition on how coronavirus will impact your aid.

All who sign up and attend this webinar will receive a free copy of Lockwood’s book. Attendance is limited and no replay is planned. Register at liherald.com/virtualevents9-9.

For more information, call (516) 5694000, ext. 224.

FOCUS ON FAMILY WELLNESS

September 3, 2020

Adjusting to the ‘new normal’

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

your HEALTH body / mind / fitness

13

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.

Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.

DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.

To find a physician please call: 516-632-3936 or use our physician search tool at mountsinai.org/southnassau

Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Photo top left courtesy o

, Newsday.

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

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EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

Healthy habits make the grade

Is my child okay?

T

Be on the lookout for signs that your child is stressed about Covid-19

he Covid-19 health crisis has brought about many changes to daily life, and kids know that things are different. Like adults, kids and teens experience stress too. While small amounts of stress are a normal part of life, some young people may have worrisome responses to disrupted routines, social distancing, event cancellations, missed milestones, and especially the affect of the pandemic on schooling.

Reacting negatively to current events, school stress or other common stressors can lead to decreased academic performance, social isolation and even declines in mental health. Parents, family members and mentors are often the first to recognize signs of stress in children and help them learn coping skills to navigate challenging times.

Signs and symptoms Kids and teens may show physical, emotional and/ or behavioral signs of stress. These signs are relatively consistent throughout children of all ages; however, some indicators are less obvious than others. Pay special attention to any sudden shifts in behavior or unusual complaints your child brings up to you.

Physical indicators include: √ Headaches √ Upset stomach √ Chest pain √ Heart palpitations or increased heart rate √ Insomnia √ Nightmares √ Bedwetting √ Decreased appetite, comfort-eating, or bingeing √ Pretending to be sick to avoid activities Emotional indicators can include: √ Anxiety √ Mood swings √ Restlessness √ Clinginess √ New or recurring fears √ Increased crying, anger, stubbornness, or aggression √ Decreased concentration or motivation √ Emotional overreactions to minor incidents √ Regressing toward comforting behaviors from early childhood (i.e. thumb-sucking, nail-biting, sleeping with a stuffed animal) √ Social isolation, withdrawal, or unwillingness to participate in formerly enjoyed activities

What affects children and teens If you notice any of the physical, behavioral or emotional symptoms of stress, take a minute to consider what may be causing these reactions. Stress in children is commonly caused by significant life changes, both positive, like starting a new grade, and negative, like family turmoil or classroom bullying.

Remember that all kids are unique in what they find stressful. Younger children, preteens and teens react differently to triggers in their environment. So, an incident causing stress to an 8-year-old boy may not trouble his 15-year-old sister.

Potential stressors for kids of all ages: √ Conflict with friends, bullying, and peer pressure √ Changing schools √ Struggling in school (i.e. curriculum, grades, homework, socializing) √ Balancing responsibilities (i.e. school and extracurricular activities) √ Disappointing their parents √ Parental divorce or separation √ Financial difficulties within the family √ Unsafe or precarious living situation Potential stressors for children: √ New experiences and places √ Being away from home √ Performing in front of others (i.e. sports, speeches, recitals) √ Perceived dangers (i.e. kidnapping, fires, burglars, natural disasters, the dark) Potential stressors for preteens and teens: √ Going through puberty and bodily changes √ Poor self-esteem and negative thoughts about themselves √ Fear of the future (i.e. going off to college, getting a job) √ Cyberbullying √ Romantic relationships and dating √ Pressure to try drugs and alcohol with friends Strategies to alleviate childhood stress Ensure that your child feels safe. It’s important to Continued to Is my child ok?

Above photo: Kids, like adults, can struggle with emotional impact of the pandemic, especially now that they are headed back to school.

Now more than ever focus on health as your child heads off to class School is many things — a place where kids learn and grow cognitively, develop social skills, and become independent individuals. It can also be a place where they pick up germs and illnesses and bring them home. Especially, in our Covid-19 world, germs have taken on a new focus with terrifying intensity.

Now more than than ever, reinforcing essential health practices is imperative for a positive outcome — both at school and at home.

Teach your child proper hand washing We all know that hand washing is one of the most important ways we can prevent the spread of illness in the classroom and elsewhere — even prior to the coronavirus pandemic it mattered. Now it’s even more vital.

Remind your children that when they come in contact with germs, they can easily spread those germs — especially if they rub their eyes or scratch their nose. Then, it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the family is sick as well. But frequent hand washing can help slow this spread of germs.

By teaching your kids how to wash their hands properly — and to especially wash after blowing their nose, using the bathroom, and before eating — you can help them reduce the risk of getting sick, and keep them from infecting others if they catch an infection or illness.

Boost the immune system Clearly, keeping your child’s immune system strong is an important way to stay healthy and ward off illness during the school year. Getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, managing stress, exercising, making time to laugh, and the all-important hand washing can help reduce your child’s risk of getting colds, flu, and other infections._ But even with preventative measures, most kids will get between six and eight colds per year as their immune systems continues to develop. And with Covid-19, the need to prevent illnesses during the 2020–2021 school year is more important than ever.

Of course the most effective way to prevent disease is through vaccination.

But there is growing interest among parents in giving kids supplements like vitamin C and elderberry. However, you should always consult with your child’s doctor before giving them supplements.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend multivitamins for healthy children who eat a varied diet. It’s best that they get their vitamins from foods.

Maintain healthy habits Does your child know the importance of healthy habits to prevent colds, flu, and other infections? Try to keep our “new normal” from becoming even more complicated by taking preventative measures to avoid getting sick. Healthy habits include remembering not to touch eyes or to refrain from sharing cups and utensils with friends.

Kids may even need to learn not to share their face masks or to play with them while they are in school. Whether your school district will resume fully inperson or operate under a hybrid model, it’s still important that kids get a refresher on healthy habits like covering their cough and avoiding touching their face.

Some other things kids need to be reminded of is remembering to use a tissue instead of an arm sleeve, letting mom and dad know when they don’t feel well, and avoiding close contact with their friends at school.

Establish good sleep hygiene Making sure your children get enough sleep is a crucial part of keeping them healthy. In fact, studies show that missing sleep can impact kids in a number of ways. For instance, lack of sleep can lead to poor concentration, obesity, depression, suicide ideation, and injuries.

Not only is sleep an important part of a child’s physical and emotional health but it also can play a role role in how well they do in school, too. And to make matters worse, research suggests that kids Continued to Healthy habits Above photo: With the start of a new school year, take a proactive approach to your family’s well-being so everyone can learn and thrive without raising the risk of spreading Covid-19.

September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

16

Is my child okay?

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To keep the community connected,Lynbrook Restorative offers Zoom classes featuring games, entertainment and exercise. For more information contact Community liaison Denise Walsh 516-316-2977

Continued from Is my child ok? reassure the child that you will keep them safe and loved, and then take the necessary steps to ensure you can uphold your promises.

Talk to your child. Communicate in an open, supportive manner. Ask your child directly how they’re feeling and really listen to their answers.

No matter what they tell you, remember to stay calm and avoid making them feel judged or selfconscious. Also, don’t get upset if your child can’t or won’t open up. Some kids need more time and encouragement than others.

Younger children typically don’t have the vocabulary necessary to say “I feel stressed,” so they will use other words like “scared,”“sad,”“confused,” or “mad.” Meanwhile, preteens and teens may say dismissive things about themselves like “I can’t do anything right,”“no one likes me,” or “I have no friends.” Gently prompt the child to keep talking and try to pinpoint the driving force behind these statements. Emotional check-ins can be fun and easy too.

Develop healthy coping methods. Kids often aren’t equipped with the tools needed to lower their stress levels. Teaching mindfulness techniques or breathing exercises can be very beneficial in promoting relaxation. Additionally, you can explain how physical exercise can help combat the feeling of stress. Promoting a healthy lifestyle with balanced meals, time outdoors, and limits on their screen usage, including TV, cellphone, and laptops, is also recommended — especially when distance learning places more demands on screen time.

Spend quality time together. If your child is going through stressful changes in their life, show them that you’ll always be their pillar of support. Try to reduce their anxiety by planning fun activities together and regularly offering

praise, hugs, and affection to boost their feelings of self-worth. Having family routines, like weekday dinners together or Sunday movie nights, can also bring stability and comfort to a child’s week.

Manage your own stress. Children often follow the emotional cues of the adults in their lives. If you’ve been going through a stressful time and you’re feeling the negative effects of stress, anxiety or depression, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Parents and caregivers need to prioritize their own happiness too, so they’re able to serve as loving, attentive presences in their children’s lives.

Finally, don’t pressure your child into immediately telling you what’s wrong. If they are feeling scared or anxious, they may take longer to confide in you. Remember to always be loving and patient, and allow your kid to talk openly when they’re ready.

With younger children, they may truly not know or understand why they’re feeling stressed.

In these cases, consider speaking to their teacher or after-school youth mentor if you’re unable to pinpoint a stressor in your child’s home life.

When to seek professional help Despite the best efforts of parents and loved ones, some children may still be unable to open up. If your child or teen won’t disclose the source of their stress or you observe their symptoms worsening, it’s time to seek out professional help.

Don’t hesitate to contact your family doctor or get in touch with a trained therapist who specializes in treating children and adolescents. A child in crisis deserves your immediate help and support so they can return to enjoying their childhood to the fullest.

Eye on wellness One test every child needs before going back to school

hether the classroom is in-person, virtual or a combination of both, however your child attends school this fall, eye exams remain essential for success with their academics.

While Covid-19 remains at the forefront of our health concerns, it’s still important to prioritize a visit to the eye doctor.

“An annual comprehensive eye exam is essential for optimal wellness, as well as ensuring your child reaches his or her full academic potential,” says opthalmolgist Dr. Jennifer Wademan.

The incidence of visual impairment in preschool children is expected to increase 26 percent over the next 45 years, affecting almost 220,000 children, according to a recent study by the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute.

What’s more, kids have more demand on their eyes and vision than ever before due to the increased use of digital devices.

Not only will an eye exam help provide the clear vision necessary for a child to see the blackboard and work on digital devices without straining, but this essential visit can also detect a broad range of issues related to eye health and overall wellness.

Kids — and adults for that matter — don’t always know they are experiencing a vision problem. As a result, they may be compensating for vision issues by turning their head to the side, squinting or holding reading material up close or far away.

Get a comprehensive eye exam While 76 percent of parents said sight is the most important sense, only 50 percent take their kids for an annual eye exam, according to a recent survey conducted by YouGov and VSP Vision Care. It seems that many parents are under the incorrect impression that the vision screening conducted by the school nurse or at the pediatrician’s office is sufficient.

Although many schools offer abbreviated vision screenings throughout the year, they can miss up to 80 percent of vision problems, including serious conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye), which can lead to vision loss if not treated. An annual comprehensive eye exam is the best way to detect vision problems, as well as other conditions related to the eyes that can affect overall health and wellness.

“How a child’s brain processes visual information is complex, and a screening alone isn’t a substitute for a comprehensive exam, nor is it the most reliable way to track a child’s eye health,” says Dr. Wademan. “A comprehensive eye exam with an eye doctor however, evaluates multiple aspects of vision, including the closeup skills essential for reading, tracking and focusing.”

Don’t wait for complaints Among those parents who do not bring their children to the eye doctor annually, 72 percent of moms and 48 percent of dads said they would be motivated to do so if their child complains of discomfort or changes in vision.

Don’t wait for that first complaint! Certain changes to eyesight can happen gradually, and children may not realize that their vision is impaired.

Dr. Wademan points out that catching problems early is important.

“When a child’s visual system is not given a clear and focused image, and if his or her eyes are not working together, the child could fail to

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

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17

ever achieve normal visual acuity,” she says.

“These patients end up struggling to see well in adulthood, even with contacts or glasses.”

Above photo: Vision and learning are directly connected, as approximately 80 percent of what a child learns is presented visually. For success in the classroom, the sports field and more, start the school year right with a comprehensive eye exam.

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HEALTH MEMO

18

September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

Covid-19 restrictions can’t stop Maple Pointe residents from looking fabulous!

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f all the restrictions put in place due to this global pandemic, the ladies of Maple Pointe are missing the hair salon the most! Maple Pointe has a beauty parlor on premises, but the state order for no outside visitors has prevented beauticians from coming in and dolling up the residents.

Lucky for Maple Pointe, one of their very own Home Health Aides, Erika Schillingford, has a background in cosmetology! Erika’s warm heart and desire to care for others led her to rise to the challenge and fulfill her resident’s beauty needs — free of charge! She even goes in to work on her days off to make sure that she can get to everyone. Schillingford says, “I do it because I love the see the residents smile, and they feel the best when they look good. It’s the least I can do!”

Erica is one of the many rock stars on the Maple Pointe team. Erica has been a Maple Pointe employ-

ee for 18 years, and counting. She was recently named Noble Caregiver of the Year in 2019 by the New York State Center for Assisted Living. Her kindness, smile and sense of humor bring joy to Maple Pointe residents daily. Other Maple Pointe rock stars include Kara Constantine who was named Assisted Living Nurse of Year for 2020. The annual ceremony that honors this remarkable title was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic, but Maple Pointe was sure to have their own in-house celebration!

260 Maple Ave., Rockville Centre • 516-764-4848 Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

HEALTH MEMO

S

taying active when you live with a chronic lung disease is both important and challenging. When it’s difficult to breathe, exercising, even in its gentle forms, can seem nearly impossible. However, staying active can increase exercise tolerance and improve lung capacity.

There are many benefits of Tai Chi for people with lung disease. Adam Schwartz, Director of the Pulmonary Program at Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing, teaches Tai Chi to patients who have pulmonary issues. “Tai Chi is an effective training program for patients who suffer from COPD. Tai Chi can be a dynamic or free flowing form of moving meditation which helps bring about calm and peace of mind enhancing the flow of vital energy within the body”.

For people with chronic lung problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis, practicing Tai Chi has been shown to improve overall quality of life and decrease feelings of breathlessness.

Because Tai Chi is low impact and puts minimal stress on the body, it’s generally safe for people of all ages and fitness levels, including people with chronic conditions. This is good news for people with COPD because it gives them more fitness choices.

While Tai Chi was developed for self-defense, it has evolved into a gentle form of exercise,

Stay active with Tai Chi which promotes relaxation and calm through flowing movements. Tai Chi involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and is accompanied by deep breathing.

These meditative movements employ balance and weight shifting, breathing techniques, and cognitive tools such as visualization and focused internal awareness.

Numerous studies have shown that Tai Chi can improve balance, strength, relaxation, lower blood pressure and promote deeper breathing, among other benefits. That is why it is beneficial to patients at Lynbrook Restorative. Tai Chi encourages and promotes a quicker healing process for our patients who come to us for many different reasons.

If you are interested in trying Tai Chi, you can look for Adam’s Tai Chi video on the Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing Facebook page, under videos. Adam demonstrates both standing and sitting Tai Chi skits.

243 Atlantic Ave., Lynbrook • 516-316-2977

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

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EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

WE’RE ALL IN!

THE EMPIRE PLAN NETWORK

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NSPC is proud to announce that all of our world-class physicians are now in-network, participating providers with the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP).

We’re available for expert treatment of all brain and spine conditions.

September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

20

Computer Cleaning It has been a long couple of weeks same information replicated in differfor us — and a new form of summer ent locations throughout the C: drive cleaning has set in — not for our home to insure its safety. And if that’s not enough, we have used an external hard but our hard drives.

Turns out that after so many years drive (a little box the size of a thick of saving our personal and profession- stubby book) to save it again. All just in case — sort of like a a l wo rk o n a s p e c i f i c digital belt and suspenddesktop it’s now time to ers. play the “what is worthy” In essence, it is a walk game of keeping, duplidown memory lane withcating and removing out shoes. The time spent while reviewing our fammakes me feel as if I have ily history made of docucleaned a room from top ments, web sites, scans to bottom or cleared a and downloads. closet and bagged up the Because this computer clothes I haven’t worn in was shared at some point a few years. Every file I by four people over a open might only get two decade, there are whole to three seconds for confolders of files that have sideration. Does the file been finally opened for auren ev h ave a ny va l u e ? I f i t the first time in years. d o e s, g re at . B u t i f i t There are the stats from doesn’ t, what happens the little league games.

The homemade invite to our children’s next is so difficult and so final — I middle and high school graduation cel- hold my breath and hit the delete key. ebrations. The typed announcement to family and friends when my mom A contributing writer to the Herald moved — twelve years ago. There are since 2012, Lauren Lev is an East Meadstudent projects that were put through ow resident and a direct marketing/ “Turnitin”, Girl and Boy scout badge advertising executive who teaches marapplications, even notes from profes- keting fundamentals as well as adversional development programs with tising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of completion certificates.

As I am not a perfect electronic Technology and SUNY Old Westbury. organizer, I notice I have much of the

L

L

Protesters demand justice for Jacob Blake in Merrick

By AlyssA sEidMAn aseidman@liherald.com

Nearly 100 people marched through Merrick on Aug. 26 to denounce the police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis. On Aug. 23, Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer during an arrest. The shooting was captured on cell phone video and ignited new protests over racial injustice in several cities, the Associated Press reports.

The demonstration was organized by Terrel Tuosto, of West Hempstead, and Long Island Peaceful Protest, a nonprofit that aims to spread awareness about systemic racism and police brutality on Long Island. A lineup of local activists spoke passionately about the unfair treatment of Black and brown people by law enforcement, and demanded accountability from elected officials to prosecute officers who abuse their power.

Afterwards, protesters marched northbound on Merrick Avenue to carry their message through the hamlet, roaring as they chanted, “Black Lives Matter,” “no justice, no peace” and “say his name,” referring to Blake and others.

Tuosto delivered opening remarks at the gazebo under the Merrick LIRR trestle.

“It’s become way too commonplace in this country for a Black man or woman to be

shot by police as if our lives don’t matter,” he said. “Jacob Blake is only the most recent example, and there have been plenty.

Among the speakers was Akbar Rogers, a Freeport man who was wrestled to the ground while being arrested by village police last December. Video captured by a bystander shows seven white officers on top of Rogers, with one officer kicking him and another punching him.

“I’m lucky to be alive to share my truth, and God-willing so will Jacob as soon as he recovers,” Rogers said. “He got shot in the back multiple times, in front of his kids — who’s gonna be next?”

Rogers and other speakers called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James to launch an independent investigation into the Freeport Police Department concerning Rogers’ case. In July, U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand asked the state to investigate the arresting officers, who the Nassau County district attorney declined to prosecute on July 7.

“Law and order have to be applied equally to all,” Rogers added. “We need a change and we need it right now.”

Blake’s attorney said last Tuesday that the 29-year-old is now paralyzed as a result of the shooting, the AP reported.

Ronny Reyes contributed to this story.

CORRECTION In the Living in East Meadow 2020-21 booklet, published alongside the Aug. 27 print edition, the photo, right, ran with text printed over it and the following Chamber of Commerce and PTA information ran incorrectly. We regret the errors.

The information should have run as follows:

2020 Chamber of Commerce Officers

Listed under Board Chairman Franklin Camarano Jr. was World Gym, but it should read Evolve Health & Fitness; listed under Board Member Jerry Baldassaro was Town Planner Calendar, but it should read Raymour and Flanigan; listed under Board Member Rosemary Basmajian was Life Physical Therapy and Wellness Center, but it should read JagOne Physical Therapy, and listed under Mark Papagni was M.S. Mental Health Counselor, but it should read Creative Life Plans. Marcella Pizzo, a M.S. Mental Health Counselor, should also be listed as a board member.

Brian Stieglitz/Herald

BusinEss OwnErs And community leaders mentored students on the job interview process at the 12th annual Mock Interview Program hosted by the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce in March.

East Meadow PTA

East Meadow PTA Council President Veronica Nicastro could be reached at (516) 489-3136. The PTA Council first vice president is Donna Goldstein and the second vice president is Denise Michaelis.

Public Notices

LEME1 0903

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the Supreme Court, Nassau County, on the 7th day of August 2020, bearing Index Number 20-000425, a copy of

which may be examined at the Office of the Nassau County Clerk, located at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York, grants me the right to assume the name of Abraham Dawson

Devapiriyam. My present address is 2027 Lincoln Ave, East Meadow, NY 11554 The date of my birth is 11/17/2014 The place of my birth is Mineola, Nassau County, NY the

present name is Abraham Dawson Devapiriyam Samydoss.

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Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

The East Meadow High School President is Donna Goldstein and she could be reached at (516) 485 0736. The Special Education PTA information was listed under the East Meadow PTA Council, but it should have been listed separately and President Michele Brandeis could be reached at (516) 385 5256. The Woodland Middle School PTA president is Tracy Pulice and she could be reached at (516) 817-9574. And the Meadowbrook Elementary School PTA president is Elizabeth Morgan, who could be reached at (516) 902-1775, and the president elect is Alisa Lauer and she could be reached at (516) 770-2887.

The principal’s addresses were not listed correctly. Barnum Woods Principal Greg Bottari’s email address is Gbottari@ emufsd.us, Bowling Green Principal

Maria Ciarametaro’s e-mail address is MCiarametaro@emufsd.us, East Meadow High School Principal Richard Howard ‘s e-mail address is Rhoward@emufsd.us, McVey Elementary School Principal Ker ry Dunne’s e-mail address is KDunne@emufsd.us, Meadowbrook Elementary School Principal Kelly Di Scalfani’s e-mail address is Kdiscalfani@ emufsd.us, Parkway Elementary School Principal Jamie Mack‘s e-mail address is Jmack@emufsd.us, W. T. Clarke High School Principal Timothy Voels’s e-mail address is TVoels@emufsd.us, W. T. Clarke Middle School Principal Stacy Breslin’s e-mail address is Sbreslin@emufsd. us and Woodland Middle School Principal James Lethbridge ‘s email address is Jlethbridge@emufsd.us.

21

Employment

CLASSIFIED

Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail you ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify and ad.

VALLEY STREAM UFSD #13 Substitute Cleaners 2020-2021 School Year The Valley Stream School District is Currently Seeking Hourly Substitute Cleaners.

1099003

Help Wanted

F/T and P/T Special Education Aides Substitute Teachers

Substitute LPN/RN Nurses P/T and Substitute Monitors Substitute Cleaners

Make A Difference with Elderly Person.

4 Hours, 5-7 Days A Week.

Driver a Plus Call AGENCY 516-328-7126

DAYCARE TEACHERS AND ASSISTANT TEACHERS F/T In 5 Towns, No Experience Necessary, Bilingual English/ Spanish A Must.

516-812-9000

1099098

Handyman/ Maintenance Full-Time Call 516-238-3611

CLEANER P/T NEEDED For The West Hempstead Public Library. Hours Include Some Daytime, Evenings, Saturdays And Sundays. Duties Include The Cleaning And Maintenance Of The Library. Must Be Nassau County Resident. Salary $18.17 Per Hour. Contact Dorothy 516-481-6591, ext. 25, 9:00am– 2:00pm

CDL Class A, B or C

jcentrella@franklinsquare.k12.ny.us COUNTER PERSON F/T-P/T. Answer Phones, Take/Pack Orders, Service Customers. Good Pay For Right Person.

516-524-0506

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS: Certified For Five Towns Yeshiva. After noon Hours. Competitive Pay. Send Resume To: atmdayw@yahoo.com

Candidates should address letter of interest and resume to: Deputy Superintendent Please apply online via OLAS

516-481-4100 ext. 3630

DRYWALL INSTALLATION PERSON: Experienced, Capable of Taping and Spackle, Painting, Neat and Professional, Drivers License, Part Time could lead to full time. Call 516-341-1622.

Permanent & Per Diem Appropriate NYS Certification Required

Beth L. Friedman

if interested, please contact our Personnel office at

HANDYMAN WANTED

Must have clean driver's license.

Must be able to do light plumbing and carpentry. 4-day work week. $700 per week. 100% Medical & Dental, 401K, Uniforms, Paid Vacations, Sick and Holidays. Apply in person: MondayFriday between 9am & 7pm At: CALL-A-HEAD CORP. 304 Crossbay Blvd., Queens, NY 11693 I N S U R A N C E S A L E S / C U S TO M E R SERVICE: Full Time Position/ Oceanside Office- Various Office Duties, Internal Sales, Answering Phones - Insurance licensed and Computer Skills Required. Call Jon at 516-766-4025 JOB OPPORTUNITY $18.50 P/H NYC $16 P/H LI Up to $13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate!

Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

1100451

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8 Hour Day, As Needed

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Guaranteed Hours Comprehensive Benefits Package.

Free CDLTraining For Class B Permit Holders Guardian Bus 516-723-3287 Ext. 4107 employment@guardianbus.com

3.125x 3" Richner Communications

SubSTiTuTe CleanerS

UNioN Free School DiStrict

COMPANION/PCA Immediate Hire

1098770

4 Hours/Day, 5 Days/Week

North Merrick

Enhanced Referral Bonus

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Help Wanted

OFFICE ASSISTANT P/T

Small College Finance Office Seeking P/T Office Assistant For Answering Phones, Filing, Scanning, Data Entry, etc.

Quick Books Exp. Required NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE E mail Resume To:

reception@ wilsoncollegeconsulting.com

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Digital, Events, Sponsorships and Print Media Products.

Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Will Consider Part Time.

Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X286

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: PT, Various Shifts, Retiree's Welcome.

Duties Include: Patrols Throughout The Village, Issuance Code Violations Citations.

Qualifications: HS Graduate Or Equivalent, Valid Driver's License With A Satisfactory Driving Record. Willing To Work Evenings, Weekends, Holidays & Inclement Weather.

Contact: Incorporated Village Of Atlantic Beach 516-371-4600

RECEPTIONIST P/T

Afternoons & Saturday Mornings Phones, Filing, Cashiering, And Data Entry. $13.00 Per Hour Gregoris Nissan Subaru Service Center In Valley Stream Call Robert 516-872-9755 Email gregmotor@optonline.net Fax Resume 516-872-2457 ROUTES AVAILABLE AT CALLAHEAD Corp.

NO CDL required, 4 DAY WORK WEEK, (enjoy 3 days off). Run your own route. Year round No lay offs!

100% medical, dental, uniforms, 2 weeks paid vacation. 401K. Plus commission. Will train! 4am-2:30pm. .

Route driver $800.00 per week, includes $100.00 weekly bonus program. Plus 10-12 hours overtime. Apply in person Monday- Friday 9am-7pm at 304 Crossbay Blvd, Queens NY 11693

SALES F/T $ PHONE SALES REPS $

120 YR CO. F/T PD TRAIN/$45k+COMM-9/14 CLASS VP@MARQUISWW.COM 516-833-8440 ext. 4001 TRUCK DRIVERS NEEDED - F/T P/T 5 Yrs. Exp. Clean License. Delivering Office Furniture. 516-599-0633.

1080712

585 North Corona Avenue Valley Stream, New York 11580-2099

Sign-on Bonus up to $2500

Malverne Union Free School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

$18.50 P/H NYC • $16 P/H LI CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate!

Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid The Franklin Square School District has the following positions available: program you can hire your family or ParT Time Cleaner friends for your care.

4 Hours/Day, 5 Days/Week Phone: 347-713-3553 SChool moniTorS 5th_floor • Clients • m-Clients • Malverne • 41756 Malverne Richner Communic

by September 24, 2020

Competitive Salary

Malverne UFSD Office of Human Resources 301 Wicks Lane, Malverne, NY 11565 or Call 516-887-6419

Part-Time *NYSED Fingerprint Clearance Required For All Positions

www.oLASjobs.org

BUS DRIVERS WANTED

Applications may be picked up at:

MONITORS & SUBS

Contact Human Resources at: 295-7036 and 295-7037 For Further Information.

School Monitors Part Time $13.00/Hour. 17 ½ to 25 Hours/Week.

Starting Immediately!

Part-Time (HS Diploma Required)

Interested Candidates Should Apply online to OLAS at

Help Wanted

CLEANERS

TEACHER AIDES & SUBS

poSiTion REqUiRES nASSAU CoUnTY CiViL SERViCE CoMMiSSion AppRoVAL.

EMPLOYMENT

LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS POSITIONS AVAILABLE Part-Time - 5.75 Hours Various Locations

Job REqUiRES boTh inDooR CLEAning AnD oUTDooR gRoUnDS KEEping.

We are n equal opportunity employer and will hire without regard to religion, creed, race, color, gender, martial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Malverne UFSD Long Island, New York

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

HERALD

VETERINARY RECEPTIONIST FT Must Have Good Phone Skills And Love Working With Animals. Saturdays A Must. Willing To Train. One Weekday and Sundays Off. Weekdays 8:30am5pm, Saturday 8am- 3:30pm. Send Resume To: terryah@optonline.net

WAREHOUSE HELP

Dependable, Reliable Individuals Needed For Pick, Pack, And Ship. Duties Include: Organize Goods, Receive/ Count Inventory And Maintain Safe Clean Work Environment.

Start $15/Hr. Oceanside Location Email: info@srcomponents.com

Health Care/Opportunities

WE HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED!!!

HHA's, LPN's, Nurse's Aides Childcare. Housekeeping Day Workers No Fee To Employers

Evon's Svces: 516-505-5510 Eldercare Offered COMPANION-AIDE AVAILABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT. Experienced In Meal Prep., Light Housekeeping, Grocery Shopping/ Errands. Available Full-Time Or PartT i m e. C u r r e n t Ly n b r o o k R e fe r e n c e Available. Own Transportation. Call Althea 917-318-7558

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

Call the USA Classified Network today!

1-800-231-6152

Homes

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

HOME OF THE WEEK

• To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 e s t. 1 9 1 1

Hewlett Neck

French Chateau On The Water

T

his is a one of a kind custom built French Chateau nestled in Hewlett Neck. The mansion sits on over an acre of property and the back of the property is all waterfront with endless views of natural beauty. This custom built home was designed and built to the highest standards possible. The amount of thought and planning that went into its design is unrivaled by any other home.

The soaring ceilings greet you with a multi level entry and a custom designed Swarovski crystal chandelier. The marble flooring as you step into the home conveys an elegance long lost in today’s construction. From the inlaid gold in the powder room and the custom Italian iron railings to the free flowing stairway the list is truly endless. I can continue for hours describing the magnificence of this home, the pictures give you an idea but viewing the home in person will change your perspective on what makes a home spectacular.

Gil Shemtov Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Tripodi | Shemtov Team Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516.835.3333 Gil.Shemtov@Elliman.com

NYS Licensed Real Estate Salespersons

BestLiHomes.com • 516-418-3333

Contact one of our hardworking professionals today for all of your real estate needs!

1097214

1099323

2119 Bedford Ave. John Lawlor, CBR, SFR Bellmore, NY 11710 Michele Librett-Lawlor, CBR, SFR

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING?

1101200

*If your property is currently listed with another brokerage, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the listings of other brokerages.

1094137

“Going Above & Beyond to find your Dream Home”

JUAN JARA Licensed RE Broker Associate Cell: 516-318-0142 Juan@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

Rhonda Healy

CAMILLE GIARDINA Licensed RE Broker/Owner Cell: 516-318-1392 Camille@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

BELLMORE: SIMPLY AMAZING

Real Estate Salesperson, abR, SRS

Open Houses

Real Estate EAST ROCKAWAY 101 Emmet Ave, NEW WATERFRONT! Rebuilt in 2010, 4 BR 3.5 Bth Split w/ Pool, Outdoor Kit & Deck. Open Layout. Private Mstr Ste, 2 Car Gar, SD#20..$1,250,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

OneKey Multiple Listing Service

1099943

E: Rhonda@rhondahealy.com Verdeschi & Walsh Realty 1025 W. Beech St. | Long Beach, NY

BELLMORE: SIMPLY AMAZING! Multi-Generational, Customized, 3200 Sq-Ft, High-End, 1/4+ Acre, Park-Like Grounds. Chef's Kitchen, Master Ensuite, So Much More! $950,000 Martin Sorrentino, Signature Premier Properties 516-551-0082 EAST ROCKAWAY CHARMING Colonial 3 Bds, 2 Baths, Water Filtration System, 2 Car Garage. $505K. Call Persephone 516-809-1000 Coldwell Banker Real Estate

M: (516) 236-7269

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L U X U RY H O M E F O R S a l e S c r a n ton/Dunmore PA Dunmore Tax Based 1% Wage Tax Description and Pictures at: https://1520madison.wordpress.com Contact for details: 570-840-4000 1520madison@woodstaff.com

House For Sale

Multi-Generational, Customized, 3200 Sq-Ft, High-End, 1/4+ Acre, Park-Like Grounds. Chef's Kitchen, Master Ensuite, So Much More! $950,000 Martin Sorrentino, Signature Premier Properties 516-551-0082

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REAL ESTATE

OPEN HOUSES BY APPT SUNdAY, 9/5/2020 WOOdMERE 78 Burton Ave, BA, NEW TO MARKET! 5 BR, 4.5 Bth Col in Great Old Woodmere Location.

Large EIK, FDR, LR/Fpl, Den & Office. Full Bsmt, 2 Car Gar. Near All. SD#14........................................................................................................................ $939,000 960 Greenfield Rd, BA, 4 BR, 3 Bth CH Col in Academy Area. Spac LR w/ Fpl, FDR, EIK & Fam Rm. Main Flr Br w/ Bth. Mstr Ste/Bth/ Off. Walk up Full Attic for Poss Expansion. Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Gar. SD#14. Near All ............................................ HUGE REDUCTION! $889,000 HEWLETT HARBOR 236 Richards Lane, BA, 5 BR, 5.5 Bth Contemporary Home on an Acre Of Resortlike Prop with IG Pool. Open Floor Plan. Full Fin Bsmt. Main Flr Master.

SD14 .................................................................................................... REDUCED! $1,599,000 3 Payne Circle, BA, 5 BR, 3.5 Bth Spacious Split on Beautiful Street in Cul de Sac. State of the Art EIK, 2 Dens, Bsmt, & 2 Car Gar. SD#20 ................................................. $1,190,000 1290 Seawane Dr, BA, WATERFRONT PROPERTY on MACY CHANNEL! Build Your Dream Home on this 1.25 Acre Property in Prime Location .............................................$1,799,000 HEWLETT BAY PARK 159 Meadowview Ave, BA, Stately 5200 Sq Ft Colonial Featuring 6 BR, 6.55 Bths on Acre Of Resortlike Prop with IG Pool, Tennis Ct, & Outdoor Kit. Fin Bsmt, 2 Car Gar, Fabulous Location in SD#14.................................................................................................. $2,899,000 30 Heron Dr, BA, NEW! Magnificent 8500 Sq Ft Waterfront Home on 2 Acre Resortlike Prop w/ Pool, Tennis/Sport Ct, New Landscaping w/ Waterfall & 3 BR Guest House w/ Kit, LR, Den. 300 Ft New Bulkhead. 4 Car Htd Gar. SD#14 ......................REDUCED! $4,850,000 90 Anchorage Rd, BA, Over an Acre of PRIME WATERFRONT Prop on Macy Channel, 135' Bulkhead, Open Layout, Main Flr Mstr Ste, Potential for Expansion ....................$1,999,000 70 Heron Dr, BA, 6 BR Contemporary with Open Layout on an Acre of Parklike Prop! Move Right in! SD#14.................................................................... PRICE REDUCTION! $1,699,000 HEWLETT 397 Daub Ave, Spacious 6 BR, 4 Bth CH Colonial Built in 2004.Huge Gran/Wood EIK/St Steel Appl. 5 BR on Upper Level. Main Flr BR. Full Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. SD#14. Near LIRR & Houses of Worship .....................................................REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $1,100,000 WOOdSBURGH 891 Keene Lane, BA, Magnificently Renovated While Retaining Charm, Stone Cottage. 3 BR, 2.5 Bth with Tremendous Potential for Expansion.Brand New Mstr Bth. Over 1/2 Acre Property! Near All ........................................................ REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $999,000 EAST ROCKAWAY 1 Thompson Dr, BA, NEW! 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch w/Open Layout in Waverly Park Area.

Updtd EIK. O/S Prop w/Deck. Att Gar. SD#20 ......................................................... $599,000 62 Bulaire Rd, BA, NEW! Renovated 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch with Open Floor Plan on Oversized Prop. Gran/Wood EIK, LR/Fpl, FDR, Vaulted Ceiling in Den. SD#20 ........ $725,000 101 Emmet Ave, BA, WATERFRONT! Rebuilt in 2010, 4 BR 3.5 Bth Split w/ Pool, Outdoor Kit & Deck. Open Layout. Private Mstr Ste, 2 Car Gar, SD#20..............................$1,250,000

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HERALD

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

22

Open Houses

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 960 GREENFIELD Rd, BA,4 BR,3 Bth CH Col in Academy Area. Spac LR w/ Fpl, FDR , EIK & Fam Rm. Main Flr Br w/ Bth.Mstr Ste/Bth/ Off. Walk up Full Attic for Poss Expansion. Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Gar. SD#14. Near All. .REDUCED $889,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman RE 516-238-4299

WOODSBURGH 891 KEENE Lane, BA, REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! Magnificently Renovated While Retaining Charm, Stone Cottage. 3 BR, 2.5 Bth with Tremendous Potential for Expansion.Brand New Mstr B t h . O ve r 1 / 2 A c r e P r o p e r t y ! N e a r All...999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

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Q. My home has been under construction for a few years because we bought it as a flood-damaged property for a very low price. It’s our only chance at owning a home. It came with a permit from the previous owners, but we had the names changed and started work ourselves. There are two bathrooms, but the old plumbing permit is only for one of them, which is done except for painting. Can I do the rest of Ask The the plumbing myself, or do I Architect need to get a new plumbing permit, and do I need a plumber to do it? I know what needs to be done, and could save a lot by doing it myself. What do you think?

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projects, your home project is going slowly in order for you to afford it. onte eeper What I read into this situation is economics versus compassion — in other words, your need to be able to get this project to a livable, affordable home versus government regulations that may penalize you for taking too long or not using licensed professionals.

The current generation of homebuyers earns 20 percent less than their parents did, in comparative economic rates, and homes cost at least 100 to 400 percent more. Unfortunately, with all those very real statistics, the rules of local government generally work against you. As an architect, I find myself, daily, caught in the middle as a sounding board, like a therapist, for people who have nowhere to turn to figure out how to keep costs lower.

The truth is that your permit time allowance to complete the job has probably either already run out, or it will cost you more money to keep the permit active or start all over again. Jurisdictions want projects to run like clockwork and be finished in anywhere from six months to a year. That isn’t always possible if finances run out, or the workers stop showing up, or we have a pandemic, or worse.

You can understand that having a construction project going in the middle of a neighborhood can be a physical disruption to the surrounding neighbors and present an unsightly mess. You just want the job done without having to absorb the extra cost and penalties, and it’s frustrating when you’re told you have to shell out more.

You must speak to the building department that granted your permit, and ask if they have a process by which you can qualify to do your own plumbing.

In some jurisdictions you can qualify by taking a test and, of course, paying a fee. If the plumber who did the other bathroom will allow you to do the “grunt work” and review and test the job, that may save some money. It all comes down to asking the different parties what they will and won’t accept.

Your request isn’t unusual, and may yield affordable results. It’s always best to communicate. Good luck!

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

‘It’s our only chance at owning a home’ HERALD

23

September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

24

HERALD

Stuff

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 MERCHANDISE MART Antiques/Collectibles We Buy Antiques, Fine Art & Jewelry Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 40 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid.

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FINDS UNDER $100

Cable/TV/Wiring

Finds Under $100 2 MIRRORS: 24X36 - color 1) gray 1) silve r, p e r fe c t c o n d i t i o n , $ 1 5 . e a c h 516-297-2420 CRYSTAL WINE DECANTER with 6 glasses,brand new must see Paid $50.00 asking $25.00 (516)579-9089 ORIGINAL TIFFANY ASHTRAY with Certificate 4 1/2 " triangle shape, paid $100.00 asking $55.00 (516)579-9089 ROYAL DOULTON "OLD Country Roses" 5 piece place setting. 2/$70 516-546-7432 after 3pm SPINNING EARRING RACKS: perfect condition, $35 each, serious buyer only, 516-297-2420 S TA I R L I F T : G O O D C o n d i t i o n , $99.516-504- 8319

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ATTENTION BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LAB (BNL) (1947-Present) FAMILIES AND WORKERS: Did you file a claim after you or a loved one developed an illness or condition after working at BNL? Was your claim denied? We may be able to obtain Lifetime Healthcare and up to $400,000 in Compensation for you. We assist with initial claims, dose reconstructions, appeals, impairment ratings, wage loss, health care and home care. For more information, call Attorney Hugh Stephens at (716) 208-3525. No CompensationNo Fee 2495 Main St., Suite 442, Buffalo, NY 14214

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Wanted To Sell FREON WANTED: WE pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals.

Call 312-361-0601 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

MAZDA CX3 SPORT, 2019: AWD, 13K Miles, Excellent Condition, Asking $21,500. Call 516-592-2683 MERCEDES BENZ E350, 2006: 4-Matic, 70K Miles, Excellent Condition. Must See! $12,000. 516-603-8697 VOLKSWAGEN, PASSAT, 2002. 1.8 Turbo, Leather, 95K Miles. Good Condition, Needs Engine Work. $1,300Neg. 917-446-0124

Autos Wanted ***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highe$t Ca$h Paid$ All Years/Conditions!

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Motorcycles For Sale MOTORCYCLE: BMW R1200 MONTAUK, 2004. Pristine, Like New Condition, Low Mileage, Light Blue, $5,500.

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To Place Your Ad in the Herald Classifieds.

Call 516-569-4000, press 5 to speak to an Account Executive.

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NEED A CAR? Find it in the HERALD Classifieds.

Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

25

opinions

nyone who knows me knows that from the start, I have not been a fan of the current administration in Washington, D.C. I am likely to be in fundamental disagreement on almost every issue, from immigration to tax reform to health care. So I’m more than a little surprised to find myself agreeing with President Trump that we should do whatever we can to help our children return safely to their classrooms next month.

I’m not qualified to write about medical issues.

Those who are, like the president’s timotHY new Covid-19 Denton adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, have left some significant caveats unaddressed in asserting that such a return is feasible. First, Atlas assumes children’s near total ability to resist the virus “where no comorbidity exists” — in other words, where there is no other underlying condition. Unfortunately, some children do have underlying conditions, and recent data shows as well that they are more susceptible to Covid infection than originally believed, as evidenced by the surge in pediatric cases in countries where children have already returned to school. Atlas also ignores the

sizable adult staff in any school that may be infected by asymptomatic children.

And students’ and teachers’ daily interactions outside school are not currently subject to systematic contact tracing.

I’m a former public school teacher.

From 1988 to 1996, I taught English as a second language. I began teaching while living in Europe, where my students ranged from adults needing the language for a variety of professional reasons to students at the University of Vienna.

After returning to the U.S., I taught adult basic literacy in the New York City schools. My students were from dozens of cultural and educational backgrounds — from the Estonian engineer who spoke six languages to the Honduran refugee whose schooling in her war-torn country stopped in second grade. I taught also taught ESL and communications at the La Guardia campus of the City University of New York. CUNY’s open enrollment policy presented similar challenges, although with fewer extreme educational differences.

My curriculum had to take such diversity into account.

During the 1993-94 school year, I took a seminar facilitated by mentors from the Barbara Taylor School in Harlem. Students at the school came from all over the

i

’m more than a little surprised to find myself agreeing with the president.

Letters I could not have added anything to Wells’s essay, and it is the best opinion piece that I have read in defense of the police. And yes, the police need to be defended — not defunded.

Wells wrote, “The most important point that can be imparted to the public is that in almost every tragic police encounter, there is a common denominator: Catastrophes can be avoided by compliance. If you do not resist arrest, there is virtually no chance that you will be killed by a police officer.” So, very simply, do not resist arrest.

Whether innocent or guilty, plead your case in court, not with the officer.

The police are taught to use specific tactics when someone resists arrest, but they can be avoided if you do not resist. I believe people resist arrest because of a lengthy rap sheet rather than fear of the police. And if that’s the case, blame judges, not the police.

The fact that not one political leader is defending the police is a disgrace. But the police will always have my support. They are in more danger than any of the people they are called to respond to. And thank you, Herald for printing a letter that is actually important.

MArk VAN BrUNT Freeport

city, and many had been judged so incorrigible that they had been permanently expelled from public schools.

Teachers from the Taylor School disagreed with the assessment that such children were “unteachable,” and set about proving it. They adapted pedagogical techniques pioneered by the biologist Lev Vygotsky, who worked with a variety of special-needs children in the early days of the Soviet Union. Vygotsky taught children who, under the old czarist regime, had been almost entirely neglected.

What Vygotsky discovered — unsurprising to any experienced teacher — was that groups of students are much more than the sum of their individual abilities. Their achievements were measurably greater than that of students working alone, and the life experiences they brought to any learning situation provided raw material for a level of creativity not seen in individuals. Students learned from one another, even as teachers crafted lessons from their students’ real-life experiences.

Teachers in New York City schools treated so-called incorrigibles as isolated problems. The Taylor School created an environment that met them where they were and that enabled them to stimulate one another. In most cases, the result was

a transformation that had been thought impossible, with students equaling or outperforming “mainstream” students.

The weeks I spent with guides from the Taylor School completely changed my teaching. I learned to see my collection of individuals more as a collaborative whole.

For the remainder of my teaching career, what I learned in that course inspired me.

It still does.

Students don’t simply learn facts in preparation for a life of productive work.

They also learn to work collaboratively and to develop personal relationships — the social-emotional learning that is crucial to any child’s development, and that cannot be nurtured in isolation. They need to study together.

Since the start of the pandemic, the president has often seemed to be living in a world of magical solutions. Simply asserting that students and staff are safe does not make them so. But that doesn’t mean schools can’t find real, sciencebased solutions.

The safety of students and staff is paramount. But every professional educator I’ve spoken with agrees that collaborative learning in the classroom is superior to distance learning — if it can be done safely. We should make every effort to help them achieve this.

Timothy Denton is the senior editor of the Seaford and Wantagh Herald Gazettes.

Comments? Tdenton@liherald.com.

FrAmework by Jackie Comitino

Police need oversight To the Editor: re “recent laws endanger the police and public”: The lament by Brian Wells, the Long Beach PBA president, that recent changes in New York law endanger the police and public, continues the baseless campaign of fear by police unions.

The unions seem to believe that the uniform and badge should shield them from all oversight. The assertion that these reform measures are “antipolice” reveals the prevailing attitude that the police expect nothing less than total subservience.

The repeal of Civil rights Law 50-a finally permits some measure of accountability for past misconduct.

Officers will now be subject to the same cross-examination rules as any other witness. It was absurd that officers who had engaged in prior bad acts, including falsifying reports, excessive force and yes, even lying under oath, could be shielded from having a jury consider these acts when judging testimonial credibility.

I daresay Officer Wells would not support shielding a criminal defense witness from being “discredited because of unrelated complaints or incidents.” Indeed, well before Eric

A summer evening at Morgan Memorial Park — Glen Cove

Garner and George Floyd, police departments were quick to release unrelated prior criminal records as a means of discrediting the victims of officers’ misconduct.

To argue that placing restrictions on the use of force, and eliminating unique and special protections, strips officers of their civil rights is absurd. There is no right to use

excessive force or to be protected from legitimate cross-examination.

Ultimately, what the police unions object to is that the State Legislature no longer panders to them, and has risen from its knees to protect the people of this state from continued abuse.

JAY k. GOLDBErG Woodmere

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

A

A safe return to class should be the goal

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Herald editorial

East Meadow

September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

HERALD

Established 2001 Incorporating: Meadowbrook Times 1963-2001 East Meadow Beacon 1950-2020 brian stieglitz Editor audrey cohen robert cummings Advertising Account Executives office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: emeadoweditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.

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The CDC’s Covid-19 back-to-school checklist

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undreds of thousands of students will start school across Long Island next week amid the worst disease outbreak in the United States since 1918. It is indeed a time of fear and anxiety for many parents, who worry about their children contracting an illness whose cause is only loosely understood, whose symptoms can range from mild to debilitating, even catastrophic, and whose cure is months, if not years, away.

In our annual back-to school editorial, we normally offer government guidance on topics from students’ study habits to bus safety. This time, we provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s best advice on keeping your kids safe amid the pandemic of 2020.

According to the CDC, parents should: ■ Check their children each morning for signs of illness. Any child with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, severe headache, vomiting or body aches should not attend school. Any child who has been in contact with someone with Covid-19 should stay home as well.

■ Identify their school point person(s) to contact if a child is ill.

■ Know local Covid-19 testing sites in case their children develop symptoms.

■ Make sure their children are up to date with all recommended vaccines, including for influenza. All school-aged children should get the flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions.

■ Review and practice proper hand washing at home, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing and adjusting a mask or cloth face covering.

■ Be familiar with how their children’s schools will make water available during the day. Consider packing a water bottle.

■ Develop daily routines before and after school — for example, what to pack for school in the morning, like hand sanitizer and a backup mask, and what to do when children return home, like washing hands immediately, washing masks and changing clothes.

■ Talk to their children about precautions

How parents can help kids wear their masks According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, parents should: ■ Have multiple masks for their kids, so they can wash them daily and have backups ready.

■ Choose masks that: n Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face. n Completely cover the nose and mouth. n Are

secured with ties or ear loops.

n Have

multiple layers of fabric.

n Allow

for breathing without restriction.

n Can

be washed and machine-dried without damage or change of shape.

■ Label their children’s masks clearly, with a permanent marker, so they are not confused with those of other children.

■ Practice with their children putting on and taking off masks without touching the cloth. to take at school. Students may be advised to: n Wash and sanitize their hands more often. n Stay

students.

physically distance from other

n Wear a mask. n Avoid

sharing objects with other students, including water bottles, phones, tablets, pens, pencils and books.

n Use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Make sure they are using a safe product. The Food and Drug Administration has recalled products that contain toxic methanol.

letters In defense of the police To the Editor: I want to thank Brian Wells for his truthful and heartfelt op-ed defending the police, “Recent laws endanger the police and public” (Aug. 20-26).

I encourage anyone with a rational

brain to read it and then ask yourself if you don’t think the current anti-police craziness is a misleading, or rather total, lie. As president of the Long Beach PBA, Wells makes a plea for people to understand what is being said about them, and he honestly states what police have to deal with on a daily basis, and not what the liberal media spews out to the public.

■ Explain the importance of wearing a mask and how it protects other people from becoming ill.

■ Consider talking to their children about other people who may be unable to wear masks because of medical conditions like asthma.

■ Model mask wearing, especially when physical distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain.

■ Praise their children for wearing masks correctly.

■ Put masks on stuffed animals.

■ Draw a mask on a favorite book character.

■ Show images of other children wearing masks.

■ Allow their children to choose their masks, as long as they meet the school’s dress requirements.

■ Provide their children with containers or resealable bags labeled with their names to store their masks when they’re not wearing them, such as when they are eating.

■ Develop a plan as a family to protect household members who are at increased risk of severe illness.

■ Make sure their children’s information is current at school, including emergency contacts and people who are authorized to pick them up from school. If that list includes anyone who is at increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19, consider an alternate.

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opinions

alf hidden by shrubs and tree branches, there’s a bench in my backyard’s southeast corner, short and stout, its thin pine planks grayed by the elements and mottled with mint-green lichen.

Weakened by age, it is a delicate little thing, which no one has sat on for years, but there it remains, my wife and I stubbornly refusing to part with it.

We love that bench, survivor that it is. Superstorm Sandy sloshed through our Merrick neighborhood in 2012, flooding our yard with saltwater, liftsCoTT ing all manner of BRinTon lawn furniture from people’s yards and depositing it who knew where. That little bench — just large enough to fit two preschoolers — never budged.

My wife bought it 15 years ago to give our daughter and son — then 5 and 3, respectively — a place to sit under the shade of an old flowering dogwood tree.

I was marching to and fro on a recent balmy Friday evening, mowing the backyard lawn, when I was suddenly struck by how special that bench is, what it represents to my wife and me — years of happy memories wrapped up in an inanimate object. I

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stopped and stared at it as the remembrances coursed through my mind.

I’m feeling more emotional than usual these days. Covering the coronavirus pandemic for the Heralds has, at times over the past six months, shaken me to my core.

Covid-19 devastated New York state, particularly the greater metropolitan area.

Writing and editing stories about the deaths of so many good people takes its toll on your psyche.

At the same time, my son, Andrew, graduated from Kennedy High School in Bellmore in June, and three weeks he later turned 18, officially becoming an adult. He began his studies at Hofstra University last week. My daughter, Alexandra, 20, started her junior year at NYU this week. I am no longer the parent of children; I am the parent of two adults, capable of driving, voting and earning their keep.

It’s a strange thought that takes some getting used to.

That’s why, I believe, my thoughts have more often turned to those long summer days spent in the backyard, lost in play with the kids when they were young, their giddy chatter echoing through the neighborhood as they bounced through the sprinkler, bobbed in the inflatable pool, played hideand-seek or badminton, or kicked the soccer ball around until their legs gave out from

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fatigue.

Always, the bench was there. I hadn’t noticed how it had aged until that recent Friday. Only the brown metal centerpiece across its backrest, depicting an African savanna with a lion, a monkey, a gazelle, an elephant and a giraffe, is seemingly untouched by time.

Around the time our kids were in preschool, my wife and I planted 10 peegee hydrangeas, three dwarf cherry trees and two apple trees around our backyard, and later added two white pines in oversized pots beside the patio. Each set of flora was imbued with meaning.

When we moved in 18 years ago, a line of forsythia bushes separated our yard from our neighbor behind us. Each spring it exploded in yellow for two weeks. Then the neighbor, who has since moved away, cut down the bushes, and there was no longer any vegetation, any color.

So we ordered 10 one-foot-tall hydrangea seedlings for $3.50 each from the Arbor Day Foundation. They came packaged in clear plastic tubes, their fragile roots wrapped in wet paper towels to preserve them. These specimens weren’t much to look at at first; you hardly knew they were there. Each year they grew, though, and now they tower eight feet above our backyard, forming a tunnellike canopy along our rear fence line, burst-

or my wife and me, years of happy memories wrapped up in an inanimate object.

ing with puffy white flowers in mid-August.

We planted the cherries in honor of my wife’s parents, who kept a cherry orchard in their home village of Rajdavitsa, in southwestern Bulgaria. The white pines we planted for my parents, who maintained a pine forest in the front and back yards of my childhood home in Yaphank, in Suffolk County. And the apples we planted for our kids, so we could watch the trees grow with them. They’re now 30 feet tall.

The bench sits between the apples and the hydrangeas, their lush vegetation covering it in shade. The old dogwood died five years ago, and I cut off its branches then and chain-sawed its trunk down this summer.

These days, my backyard is quieter than it was — the giddy chatter is gone. Often I sit on a much larger bench on the opposite side of this space, between the hydrangeas and a massive holly bush. It’s a sturdy bench, made of teak, the kind that feels like it might last a century.

There I sit and find peace in the early morning or late evening, before or after a long day’s work, reflecting on all that was and all I hope will be.

My backyard has long been my sanctum to escape the sound and fury of the world beyond its borders.

Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@liherald.com.

Our free press shines a light in dark times

hat if Sam Adams, John Hancock and the other colonists living in and around Lexington and Concord had thought that Paul Revere was spreading fake news on the 18th of April in ’75?

That was the night Revere rode through the countryside, shouting that the British were coming, as indeed, 700 British regulars advanced toward the rebels.

What happened next was different from the richly Randi imagined version kReiss of history in Longfellow’s poem, but Revere did spread the news. And the citizens of Massachusetts believed him. And they believed the coverage of subsequent battles in the Boston Gazette.

What if Americans, fixed to their radios, hadn’t believed FDR’s shocking announcement on Dec. 7, 1941, that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor? He said, “It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many

days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.”

Roosevelt declared war, thereby telling Americans that they would soon be sending their sons and daughters overseas to fight and to support the war effort. A few days later, Nazi Germany declared war on the United States, and the great ship of state moved into battle mode.

People learned about FDR’s proclamations through the press and followed the progress of the war through our newspapers and the president’s radio addresses. What if a majority of Americans had suspected the news was unreliable? What if people had suspected that FDR might be leading the country into war for self-serving reasons, to get re-elected or to enrich himself and his family?

I think, too, of the immense sacrifice that was asked of the British people by Winston Churchill during the Blitz. He fixed their courage to a sticking point with the sheer power of his moral authority and his magnificent words. What if they hadn’t

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trusted or believed in him? What if a group within England had refused to abide by the draconian wartime rationing and restrictions because Churchill had been proven a liar or a fool? The citizens of London followed him through hell because they trusted him with their lives.

We are not similarly blessed. There are two parts to this problem of veracity and authenticity in the public arena. One is that our president is not worthy of our trust. He suggested from his first day in office that his version of the truth, although it might be verifiably false (like the number of spectators at his inauguration), was the truth. That makes it impossible for thinking people to follow his directives or believe in his leadership. The second part is that the president uses the term “fake news” to delegitimize reporters and news outlets that challenge him.

A society needs both a president who tells the truth and a free press that holds pubic officials to account.

We have a fair and free press that, from right to left and left to right, reports the news and expresses a broad spectrum of views. Viewers and readers can read and

hat if Americans had suspected the news about Pearl Harbor was unreliable?

tune in, inform themselves and process the different points of view. The blight that has infected journalism is the president’s accusation of “fake news” for any reporting that questions him or his policies. The idea that the reliable news outlets are disseminating “fake” information undermines the basic constitutional guarantee of a free press.

I know, because since Trump came into office, a fair number of readers have slung the “fake news” epithet my way when they don’t agree with something I write. Yet it is the press that has exposed the ongoing chaos in the Trump administration, the self-serving mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing tragedy of a man ill fit and ill equipped to be president.

If Donald Trump shouted that the British were coming, if he asked us to endure a blitz, if he declared war on another country, there would be a crisis of faith in his leadership. At the end of the day, I suspect we would need our free press to help us decide how to move forward as a country.

And how would that go if millions of Americans had been encouraged by the president to perceive widely respected news sources as “fake”?

Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

EAST MEADOW HERALD — September 3, 2020

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The little bench in my backyard

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September 3, 2020 — EAST MEADOW HERALD

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