East Meadow Herald 12-08-2022

Tree lighting fun at Veterans Page 2

Young leaders in the district Page 15

Santa Claus pays visit to military kids

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

Military families from around the area shared a hot meal Dec. 4 and had a surprise visit from everybody’s favorite man from the North pole. About 30 chil dren, with parents either active duty or currently deployed, spent their Sunday at Borrelli’s restaurant in East Meadow thanks to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Flag football fun

Tim Baker/Herald

The Odd Fellows, a fraternal organization founded in 1819 that is focused on helping those in need, organized the event. The organization’s creed is “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the

orphans.” The name derives from the types of men who formed the organization.

This is the second year the group held a breakfast for mili tary families or those who live in the Mitchel Manor military housing development in East Meadow.

“It’s nice for the kids to hang out with other kids who under stand,” said Allison Vardakis, of East Meadow. “I think that’s the allure of military housing, and events like this.”

Vardakis brought her daugh ters, Holly, 9, Sophia, 7, and Oliv ia, 3, to the breakfast. Her hus band, Andrew, has been in the Coast Guard for 10 years, and Continued on page 14

Wanted: New superintendent for East Meadow schools

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

The search is on for a new superintendent for the East Meadow School District. The current superintendent, Dr. Ken neth Card Jr., announced his retirement after five years with the district effective Aug. 23, 2023.

District Wise Search Consul tants, a company contracted by districts to help find new person nel, has started the process of finding a new superintendent that is the right fit for East Meadow. District Wise was selected by the board of educa tion after a request for proposal

After reviewing and interview ing finalists, the board went with District Wise, according to Alisa Baroukh, the president of the education board.

The process is a long one, and to kick it off, the consultants aimed to gather feedback from everybody in the district on what they’re looking for in terms of a superintendent such as quali ties, experiences, and skills.

They met with central admin istration, the teachers union, students, monitors — everybody down to the school nurse and custodians got a say in what they were looking for in a superinten dent.

On Nov. 29, the district invited

community members to come to the Salisbury Center for a com munity forum. More than a dozen on hand and over 40 on Zoom tuned in to voice their opinions and concerns. Bob Frei er, Mark Kamburg, and Joann Kaplann on Zoom, all from Dis trict Wise, led the forum.

All of the input provided at the forum will let District Wise create a profile which they will use to recruit candidates.

“The only way to find the right fit is to find out about your district,” Kaplann said. “So we thank you all for being here this evening to help us learn about your district, learn about what’s important to East Meadow, and

what’s important characteristics for your next superintendent.”

All comments, opinions, con cerns and characteristics are given anonymously to the board after the company speaks with everyone. Then, the info will be used for questions when they screen candidates and will be used to create questions for the board.

“We are very conscious of how we handle our searches that everyone’s voices are heard,” Kaplann added.

Freier, who was on the Zoom when they asked students their opinions, said that they were all great and very open to sharing what they had to say. The top issues and characteristics that

The SMAA Flag Football league had their semi-finals on Dec. 4. Kids from East Meadow and the surrounding areas came together to show their sportsmanship on the field. More photos, Page 5.

All lit up and ready for the holiday season

The East Meadow Chamber of Com merce and the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations held the 23rd annual holiday lighting on Dec. 1. Dolo res Rome and Liz Fries, who coordinat ed the event, helped East Meadow spread holiday cheer at the event.

Representatives from both organiza tions, joined by local elected officials and members of the East Meadow Fire Department, gathered with local fami lies to light the giant Christmas tree and menorah at Veterans Memorial Park, on

the eAst MeAdow Fire Department was in charge of bringing a special someone to the park.

the corner of East Meadow Avenue and Prospect Avenue.

Holiday tunes were enjoyed by all from the East Meadow High School Holi day Ensemble. A craft table was set up for children to create Christmas crafts, and get their face painted. Yummy donuts and warm hot cocoa was handed out to keep everyone warm. The eve ning, full of community and holiday spirit, was capped by Santa Claus and his elves making a special appearance to greet children.

Christine Rivera/Herald photos

A crAft tAble was set up to keep kids occupied before the tree lighting.

Torah restoration for Temple B’nai Torah

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh recently took a giant step forward in unifying its diverse congrega tion by hosting a weekend-long spiritual Torah restoration.

The temple, located at 2900 Jerusalem Avenue, has a long and storied history. B’nai Torah is a reform Temple that includes members from Wantagh, Sea ford, Bellmore, Merrick, East Meadow, and various other communities on Long Island.

Originally known as “Suburban Tem ple,” it became Temple B’nai Torah in 2008 when it merged with Massapequa’s Temple Judea. In 2018, B’nai Torah absorbed congregants — and a rabbi, David Bar-Nahum — from East Meadow’s Temple Emanu-El, which closed down.

From Dec. 2 to 4, the Temple celebrat ed two Torahs. Both are from Europe; one came from Holocaust-era Czechoslovakia and the other came in pieces from vari ous countries of Eastern Europe. This Torah restoration event consisted of con gregants, led by a scribe, restoring the Torah by rewriting damaged Hebrew let ters, using a quill and ink.

For the Torah that was used during the Holocaust, Temple B’nai Torah’s goal is to make use of it rather than have it as an artifact from a dark time.

“Think about all the devastation from the Holocaust,” Joyce Rappaport, a con gregant from East Meadow and co-chair of the temple’s fundraising committee, said. “To think that this Torah survived, has been restored, and now will actually

be in use again is incredible.”

The temple kicked off its weekend cel ebration by having its senior youth group members read from the newly restored Holocaust Torah at the Shabbat service the evening of Dec. 2.

This was the first time this Torah has been read at a service since the Holo caust.

“We are having a really powerful gen eration-to-generation moment,” BarNahum said. “The next generation of our

community is now in touch with this scroll. It reminds us of the generations that perished in Europe but ultimately reminds us that, no matter how difficult things were, Judaism survived.”

On Dec. 4 the second Torah was restored in an all-day session, in addition to a brunch.

While many years have passed since three temples merged into B’nai Torah, many of the congregants still felt deep connections to their past temples. With

this Torah restoration, key figures at Temple B’nai Torah felt they have taken a decisive step to making the Temple more whole and unified.

“Everybody has traditions that they’re fond of,” Bar-Nahum said. “And so I think that part of the project here is to remind us that no matter which of the different legacy communities we might have come from, this Torah belongs to all of us.”

The weekend was led by both BarNahum and Neil Yerman, a worldrenowned sofer, or Torah scribe. Some of Yerman’s past work in the area includes the restoration of Torahs at Temple Sinai of Roslyn. On Dec. 3, Yerman led a Torah study group and taught congregants the history of both of the restored scrolls.

All were welcome for Sunday’s restora tion, including non-Jewish members.

“We are a very multicultural place, and everyone is welcomed,” Ronni Fauci, also from East Meadow and a Fundraising cochair, said. “My husband is not Jewish, yet he wrote in the Torah. We have con gregants from many different back grounds and no one is ever turned away from our doors.”

According to Fauci and Rappaport, nearly 200 people attended the restoration event, participated in weekend activities, and assisted in either writing letters in the Torah or helping with certain other aspects of the celebration.

“The Torah is God’s word to us,” David Bar-Nahum said. “We make a point to care for these scrolls, so that they last a long time and can endure. When we write letters in these scrolls, what we are really doing is ensuring that God’s word will last to the next generation.”

SofEr nEIL H. Yerman conducted the event with congregation member Ed Paley.

Karen Millindorf/Herald photos

TEMpLE B’nAI TorAH in Wantagh hosted a Torah writing on Dec. 4. Ronni Fauci, left, Rabbi Daniel Bar-Nahum, Cantor Rita Timman and Joyce Rapaport with the restored Torahs.

EMFD wants you to stay safe this holiday

In years past, the East Meadow Fire Department has responded to serious fires during the holiday. In some cases, the holiday lights or the tree itself were the cause. According to the National Fire Pro tection Association statistics from 2015 to 2019, fire departments responded to an average of 790 home fires per year that began with holiday decorations. Fires spe cific to Christmas trees added another 160 home fires per year. These fires caused an average of three deaths, and $10 million in damage per year.

NFPA adds that:

■ Some type of electrical distribution or lighting equipment, including decorative lights, were involved in almost half of these fires.

■ Nearly one in five Christmas tree fires were caused by decorative lighting.

■ 8 percent of Christmas tree fires were started by a candle.

■ In nearly one-fifth of Christmas tree fires, the tree was too close to a heat source.

Tree safety

Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gasses.

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree is likely and is a fire hazard.

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick ciga rette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for lon ger than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Never put tree branches or needles in a

fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center, or having it hauled away by our community pick-up service.

Never leave your home with the Christ mas tree lighting on. Such an opportuni ty for an undetected fire creates more advanced fire conditions, and gives little chance to the volunteers of the East Meadow Fire Department.

Holiday lights safety

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insu lation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory.

Do not link more than three light strands, unless the manufacturer’s direc tions indicate it is safe to do so. Many of

today’s LED holiday lights use less elec tricity, are cooler, and reduce the threat of electrical overloads, however, know the limitations to the extent of connecting light strands. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch. If you have a strand that is out, and unable to resolve, remove it from your live tree immediately. This could be a sign of problems to come. All decorations should be non-flammable or flame-retar dant and placed away from heat. If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Stay safe from lead

Some of the less expensive wiring that displays holiday lighting may contain lead, and some states require warning labels for holiday wiring.

The presence of lead is not accidental. In some cases lead is intentionally applied to the polyvinyl chloride coating on the wiring of the lights to prevent the plastic

from cracking and crumbling, to protect the string of lights from heat and mois ture, and to act as a flame retardant.

Alternatives to lead do exist, but they tend to be more expensive. Each year in the United States, roughly a quarter mil lion children below the age of six are found to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood. In children, early exposure to lead can cause learning disabilities, behavior issues, speech and language impairment, attention deficit disorder, and growth issues. In adults, lead expo sure can cause fertility problems, high blood pressure, digestive, and nerve dis orders.

The actual amount of exposure from our holiday lighting is likely low, unless you’re the kind to handle them often dur ing the year. That being said, you’re much more likely to be exposed to danger ous amounts of lead from lead based paints, and contaminated soils.

Nevertheless, when it comes to holi day lighting, professionals recommend that only adults handle them, ideally with gloved hands, and since lead isn’t easily absorbed through the skin, we should make sure to wash our hands thoroughly.

Candle care

We prefer our residents use no-flame candles such as battery operated, howev er, if you must use a burning candle, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never have any combusti ble materials near, under, or over a lit can dle. Never light a candle if you are drowsy or ready to fall asleep. Never leave the house with candles burning, or have pets free to roam. Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame candle, lighter, or matches.

On behalf of the Board of Fire Com missioners, the Chief’s Office, and mem bers of the East Meadow Fire Depart ment, we wish you, and your family, the safest and happiest holiday season while stressing the urgency for you not to leave holiday fire safety to chance.

Courtesy Metro

THe eAST MeADOW Fire Department warns residents of how dangerous dry Christmas trees can be. Always make sure nothing flammable is near your tree.

Dave Schwarz, the founder of the league, gave his team a pep-talk during their semi-finals on Dec. 4.

the SeaSon StartS every year in midSeptember, and culminates the weekend after Thanksgiving, all games are played on East Meadow elementary school fields.

Semi-finals for the SMAA Flag Football league

The weather was chilly but sunny on Dec. 4 for the SMAA Flag Football league’s semi-finals at East Meadow High School.

The league, started and run by Dave Schwarz, had over 315 kids play this year, the most since the coronavirus pandemic and second most the league has seen in the last 10 years. SMAA has been around for 28 years. They are with the NFL Flag, so each team name is named after an NFL team. The nonprofit leaguegives students from kindergarten through 12th grade an opportunity to compete in a friendly envi ronment. The league unites athletes from neighboring schools who would not other wise play on the same team. There is also an 18 and over a young adult league that runs from May through July run by Tim Ferdinand.

The season starts every year in midSeptember, and culminates the weekend after Thanksgiving, all games are played on East Meadow elementary school fields, except for the playoffs which are usually played at local fields, but this year the East Meadow School District gave the league the OK to play on the East Meadow High School turf field to help keep the East Meadow league local.

The sport is similar to mainstream football, but rather than tackling players, the defensive team removes a flag from the ball carrier’s flag belt to achieve a “down.” All referees and coaches are either currect or former players. The league tries to keep it in the family and employ local youths. A young coaches program is also in the works.

Clavin, Khzouz, Richner honored at gala

Money raised will help Nassau Community College feed the hungry

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

It was a night to remember, and a night to recognize the people and businesses that help make Nassau Community College what it is.

It was the annual gala of the Nassau Community College Foundation, taking place not far from the campus at the Cra dle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

Among those honored were Hemp stead town supervisor Don Clavin, NICE Bus chief executive Jack Khzouz, NCC administrator Charmian Smith, and Richner Communications, the parent company of Herald Commu nity Newspa pers.

Adorned in their best suits, ties and dresses, guests were immediately offered cham pagne and given a chance to pose for photos in front of a red carpet display. From there, it was a tour of the model planes and his toric aviation displays before being invited to sit at their respective tables in the main dining room.

ChARmIAN SmITh interim VP, academic student services, NCC

Leading the night off was Donna Drake of her self-titled inspirational tele vision show introducing guests like Joy Dedonato, an NCC alum, and executive director of the NCC Foundation.

“I’ll never forget the people I met and the values I learned at Nassau Communi ty College,” Dedonato said. “This place taught me to hit the wall, where you can not go further, and then go further any way.”

NCC president Maria Conzatti then introduced the honorees, selected for their support. Like Clavin and Richner Communications, both of which publi cize important notices to students, while also providing advertising and market ing.

Clavin, in fact, is a staunch supporter of the college, Conzatti said, thanking him for what he has done as an elected official. Like helping to organize The Nest at NCC — a non-profit organization that aims to alleviate hunger for stu dents, employees and their families.

“Some people say it takes a village to raise a child,” Conzatti said. “And were proud that this village raised so many students who come back to support our college.”

Baldwin’s Charmian Smith is NCC’s interim vice president of academic stu dent services, telling the crowd she was honored to know her colleagues recog nized her in such a way.

“This gala helps to bring us all togeth

er after the years of the Covid-19 pan demic,” she said. “It’s a great time to cel ebrate each other, our accomplishments, the community, and our families.”

Clavin is an NCC alum, and has count ed some of the professors there as actual members of his family.

“So many of my friends started their lives at this institution,” the town super visor said. “To be recognized is just hum bling.”

Stuart Richner talked about the importance of providing well-rounded learning experiences.

“Educating young adults takes a team of professionals and advisers, which we understand,” the Herald Community

Newspapers publisher said. “Here at Richner, we work as a team to pro vide hyperlocal news to our commu nities.”

Khzouz described his being hon ored by the foundation “amazing.” NICE Bus employs more than 1,000 people, transporting more than 70,000 each day in 450 vehicles. That’s more than a million miles a month.

“We have a mission, which we live every day,” Khzouz said. “That mission is to make sure our bus services are an asset to Nassau County institutions and its citizens.”

And now NICE is celebrating 10 years

in Nassau County.

“We use large complex vehicles to drive through Nassau County and Queens at peak rush hour with impatient New Yorkers. What could go wrong?”

Khzouz joked. “Yet, we prevail anyway.”

Proceeds from the gala will help The Nest at NCC food pantry. To make a dona tion, too, visit tinyurl.com/GiveNCC.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

ThE NASSAu CommuNITy College Foundation honored Hempstead town supervisor Don Clavin, NICE Bus chief executive Jack Khzouz, NCC administrator Charmian Smith, and Richner Communications, parent company of Herald Community Newspapers, during a fundraising gala last week.

mARIA CoNzATTI, pRESIDENT of Nassau Community College, honored Baldwin’s Charmian Smith during the Nassau Community College Foundation Gala last week.

SuppoRTERS AND INVITED guests gathered to celebrate four honorees at the Nassau Community College Foundation’s annual gala last week at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

It’s a great time to celebrate each other, our accomplishments, the community, and our families.

Balloon Mission is up and away to save

In its early stages, nonprofit sets tone for future

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Where do helium-filled bal loons go when they’re released into the sky?

Cynthia Seibold had that same question. And she discovered that the old axiom was true: What goes up must come down. But not in ways people might like.

The North Merrick resident with a background in insurance underwriting, spent a lot of time outdoors at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. She noticed, however, that among all the litter found in the various parks, preserves and beaches she visit ed, one category stood out: bal loons.

Or rather, shreds of bal loons. Seibold found their strings and what was left of their plastic or rubber bodies impacting trees and plants and, of course, wildlife — animals that could easily mistake bal loon pieces for food.

It’s not that bal loon releases — or how they poten tially threaten the environment — is something new. But the pandemic created a new surge of such helium-intensive events as a different way to share birth days, graduations and retirements.

“Balloons are (a) leading cause of pol lution in our waters and our air,” Seibold said. “They break down into microplas tics and nanoplastics. I kept saying to myself, ‘There has to be a better way.’”

She found it with her nonprofit, Bal loon Mission.

“Our program is to collect balloons before they end up on the land and in oceans, reducing our carbon footprint and the harmful microplastics that are gener ated from balloons,” Seibold said. “And for every balloon that is sold and respon sibly collected, we feel it’s going to be one less piece of litter that’s harming our wildlife.”

Still, Seibold wants to make one thing very clear: She is not “anti-balloon.”

“This is a growing issue,” she said. “I think people need to know that there are options of ballooning responsibly. We’re not telling you to not have your balloons, but discard them in an appropriate man ner.”

Although the nonprofit is in its early stages, Seibold has already received a great deal of support while building rela tionships with local and statewide organi zations. That includes the Hempstead town sanitation department, and the state environmental conservation department.

One of Seibold‘s primary goals is to

the get the message out that Balloon Mis sion is collecting balloons with plans to set up collection bins as early as January so people can properly dispose their holi day balloons.

Those bins will be cardboard boxes with Balloon Mission signage, Seibold explained. Locations are still being deter mined, but she hopes to have them in community-oriented locations like fire houses, Veterans of Foreign Wars halls and libraries.

On a national level, Seibold said, peo ple are noticing the effects balloons have on the environment.

“There was actually a New York Times article that came out in March of 2022 that talks about this surge in balloon fren zy,” she said. “We couldn’t celebrate and we couldn’t do things when we were in lockdown.

“We did these big balloon displays, and they’ve gotten even bigger, and it’s not going away. People want this — they want a balloon collection. They want options. They want to feel like they’re part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Through her research and communica tion with Hempstead town officials, Sei bold learned the municipality actually passed a local law prohibiting the inten tional release of balloons in 2019. Yet, bal loon releases still happen, she said, mak ing it important that signage goes up — perhaps sometime next spring — advising

against such activities.

Seibold is working closely with ACDS, an organization that offers lifetime services to people of all ages with intellectual disabilities. Formerly the Association for Chil dren with Down Syndrome, the organization has locations in North Merrick and Plainview.

Jane Cohen, the day habilita tion services supervisor at ACDS, says it’s important for her group to offer volunteers to various envi ronmental organizations, and that its members are excited about helping Seibold’s nonprofit.

“In January, we’re going to start collecting (balloons) from various pickup sites, and then we’re going to bring them back to our hub sites and sift through them,” Cohen said. Volunteers “can work on their office skills and note-taking, so they can feel like they’ve accomplished some thing. It’s very rewarding for our individ uals.”

ACDS plans to provide some 200 volun teers to Balloon Mission.

“We feel this is a symbiotic relation ship,” Seibold said, adding it “works in keeping with ACDS’s goal of increasing life and social skills, and work readiness for their participants.”

She also hopes to educate people on alternatives to balloons.

a practice of the past.

“I’m not looking to get rid of balloons — they make people light up,” she said. “I would like to start thinking of alterna tives. Can we blow bubbles? Can we send up a nice waft of smoke or sage into the air? It’s about finding these other ways of commemorating those moments in our life.”

Seibold hopes her nonprofit will get people thinking about ways to help find solutions.

“There are people that are smarter than me out there,” she said, “and I need those people in on the Balloon Mission.”

MANy ARE uNAwARE the helium-filled balloons they release can harm the environment. Sea turtles and other animals can mistake the balloons for food.

Photos courtesy Cynthia Seibold

CyNthiA SEiBOLD, fOuNDER and executive director of the nonprofit Balloon Mission, found an abandoned balloon at Lido Beach, a Hempstead town park. Seibold is on a quest to raise awareness about how damaging to the environment helium-filled balloon releases are, with hopes of making that

we’re not telling you to not have your balloons, but discard them in an appropriate manner.

CyNthiA SEiBOLD Founder, Balloon Mission

Two indicted for nursing home sexual assault

Two former East Meadow nursing home workers have been indicted by a Nassau County grand jury over a reported sexual abuse of a female resident and then cover ing it up.

Daniel Persaud, a former licensed practi cal nurse was charged in part of an overall 13-count indictment that includes sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of an incom petent or physically disabled person, endan gering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly or physically disabled, and forcible touching.

Carol Frawley and the facility she was the nursing direct at, Fulton Commons Care Center, were indicted on charges that include endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person,

and falsifying business records.

All of this stems from a reported forcible touching incident that occurred at Fulton Commons between Oct. 1 and Nov. 26, 2020. Persaud is accused of touching the breast of a wheelchair-bound resident, and sexually abusing another on Dec. 25, 2021 — although there has been no current prosecution of the second incident.

“The charges against Daniel Persaud and Carol Frawley are disturbing and appalling, and that those tasked with the care of our most vulnerable could cause such harm violates the trust New Yorkers are expected to have in nursing homes,” state Attorney General Letitia James said, in statement. “Fulton Commons, Frawley

and Persaud allegedly committed horrific abuses against a resident, and knowingly hid those actions. These heinous crimes will not go unchecked — and my office will ensure these individuals are held account able.”

According to the indictment, Persaud touched the breast of a resident who was in a wheelchair between Oct. 1 and Nov. 26, 2020. He also allegedly sexually abused another resident on Dec. 25, 2021, according to the indictment, even though he is only being charged with the first allegation.

Persaud and Frawley appeared before a Nassau County Court judge last Wednes day. They’re expected back in court on Dec. 21.

Mallory Wilson/Herald Two workers from Fulton Commons Care Center were indicted.

Thomas

Kearns

Search is on for the school district’s right fit

the students pointed out included: some one who has taught before and worked their way up, someone who is visible in the buildings and at after-school events, someone who can relate to students and staff, and someone who is good with bud gets.

“Every district is so unique and differ ent and we’re really focused on trying to find the right fit for each district,” Freier said. “There’s no blanket thing that’s great for a superintendent, other than I would say the common theme seems to be a curriculum background.”

At the community forum, the top char acteristics seemed to be: a curriculum background, experience working in diver sity, someone who is transparent, a strong leader, someone who focuses on student achievements, someone who will be visi ble in and out of the classroom, and some one who has a good rapport with staff and parents.

Some people in the room wondered how differing opinions would be handled. For example, some people wanted some one from within the district, while others wanted an outsider.

The consultants assured that all opin ions get brought to the BOE.

“There’s typically two sides of opinion, all those opinions get shared, and the board takes that into consideration,” Kamburg explained. “When we submit the report, we will typically highlight

comments that have been shared multiple times so they’re aware of that.”

Advertisements get placed for a candi date wherever District Wise thinks are the best places, including the New York State Council of Superintendents, and Education Week — a website for educa tion news and jobs. District Wise also does its own recruiting.

The search is still in the early stages.

Community and staff input has been taken, and the application for people who want to apply for the position ends Dec. 19. Then, Freier, Kaplann, and Kamburg will start interviewing people and do ref erence checks on the top candidates.

“Surprises are strictly for birthdays,” Freier joked. “We want to know every thing about this person. More so than the references they put on their application.”

Once District Wise brings the finalists to the BOE — around late January, early February — they provide them with everything they need to know about the candidates, help them come up with ques tions to ask the candidates, and even help them come up with some type of rubric to help them score the candidates.

There is no set number for the amount of candidates that the company will pres ent to the board, but Freier said that the least they’ve ever presented was four, and the most was nine.

“We tell all our clients not to give us a number,” he said. “We always feel that if we make your board’s job difficult, we’ve done a great job.”

Ideally, the person will be appointed before the May budget vote. They would start on Sept. 1.

If there are no candidates that the board is happy with, or if the candidate they pick winds up lasting less than two years, the search will start all over again free of charge.

“I know people feel that boards are going to do what they want to do, But they wouldn’t be going through this process if that was the case,” Kamburg said. “We’ve actually have met with more constituent groups than typical because (the board) really wanted to make sure every voice is heard on that individual group basis.”

All opinions need to be submitted by Dec. 10, and can be emailed to emsupsearch@districtwisesearch.com.

Mallory Wilson/Herald

District Wise search Consultants held a community forum on Nov. 29 to get feedback from the community as to what they’re looking for in a superintendent.

STEPPING OUT

Neil deGrasse Tyson

The festive tradition continues to delight arrives on

By Karen Bloom

local stages

How real is what you’re seeing up on the big screen? Astrophysicistlecturer Neil deGrasse Tyson knows and he’ll clue us in, separating fact from fiction — in a new installment of ‘An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies: The Sequel.’ Derived from yet another set of 30 films/television shows that range from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to ‘Mary Poppins’ to ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘Harry Potter’ to ‘The Lion King,’ this lecture is an entertaining and enlightening review of all the science that our favorite entertainment got wrong, combined with some of the stuff they got right. This lecture also incorporates the latest films as well as some classics that you may not have known had any science in them at all.

Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m. $250 (VIP), $100, $75, $50. $250 VIP ticket includes a post-show Q&A. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, Route 25A, Brookville. (516) 299-3100, or TillesCenter.org.

New York

its 40th season of the holiday classic, presented in the style of the legendary George Balanchine, on the John Cranford Adams Playhouse stage at Hofstra University.

The dance theatre closely follows the Balanchine tradition — from storyline through choreography, as well as sets and costumes. It is the largest production on Long Island, according to new artistic director, — and dance theatre alum Nicole Loizides Albruzzese.

The dance theatre’s version keeps to the tone set by company founder Frank Ohman, which remains true to the spirit of New York City Ballet’s Lincoln Center production. As a former student and New York City Ballet soloist under George Balanchine, Ohman was one of a select few authorized to use the original pas de deux choreography of his mentor, which continues to distinguish this production.

Through the years, Ohman created original dances and scenes to enhance Balanchine’s iconic vision. Now Albruzzese — who was a student at the dance theatre’s Ohman School of Ballet under Ohman and performed most of the children’s roles in “The Nutcracker” during her time there — returns as a professional dancer in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy before her international dance career, follows in her mentor’s footsteps in keeping to the Balanchine standard.

Special guest artists New York City Ballet principal dancers Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht take on the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, joining a cast of Ohman School students to bring the holiday classic to the stage.

With the elegant Christmas party scene, the battle of the toy soldiers and giant mice, the intense snow storm, and elaborate dancing in the Land of the Sweets, this “Nutcracker” is sparkling treat that maintains its enduring appeal.

Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18, noon and 5 p.m. $42, $32 seniors and children 12 and younger. Hofstra University, John Cranford Adams Playouse, Hempstead. For tickets, call (631) 462-0964, or visit OhmanBallet.org.

Curry’s interpretation at Tilles Center stars New York City Ballet soloist Miriam Miller as the Sugar Plum Fairy and New York City Ballet principal Tyler Angle as her Cavalier. Also of note, Fox Weather meteorologist (and Instagram and TikTok sensation) Nick Kosir joins the cast of more than 60 students and professional dancers as Dr. Stahlbaum, Clara’s father.

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, under the baton of maestro David Bernard, performs Tchaikovsky’s glorious score.

“This year, I’ve taken some elements and changed them to keep the production fresh,” Curry says. “Our professional dancers, along with our incredibly talented academy students, have accepted the challenge of these new variations and character developments. I’ve enriched the production with more theatricality and many new dramatic elements.

“Having our guest artists from New York City Ballet and the wonderful Nick Kosir is like having a very sweet cherry on top of an already decadent sundae.”

Company member Briana Laman dances the role of Clara, with fellow company member Ryan Cavaline as Nutcracker Prince. For this production, Curry has reinterpreted the central first act pas de deux in the prelude to Waltz of the Snowflakes (usually danced by a Snow Queen and a Snow King) for Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.

“Having this pas de deux danced by these two characters intensifies the connection between the two,” he says. “We see the arc of their relationship and gives the opportunity for Clara’s dream to have a more poignant and personal effect on our audiences.”

Saturday, Dec. 17, 1 and 6 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 18, 2 p.m. Tickets are $89, $69, $59, $49. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, Route 25A, Brookville. For tickets, call (516) 299-3100 or visit TillesCenter.org or EglevskyBallet.org.

Kenny G’s

The Miracles Holiday & Hits

Ring in the holiday season with smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. The crossover jazz icon has enjoyed phenomenal success across the pop, jazz and R&B charts for more than three decades. Known for his lyrical and emotive style, his music has garnered a devoted fan base and made him one of the biggest-selling instrumentalists of all-time. The sound of his sax is as iconic as his curly coif. Indeed, both are instantly recognizable. Expect an evening filled with a festive spirit and contemporary classics. A reprise of last year’s successful outing,’The Miracles Holiday & Hits Tour’ features a mix of holiday hits and fan favorites infused with his captivating and distinctive blending of genres. The tour follows the release of his 19th studio album, ‘New Standards,’ and the acclaimed HBO documentary ‘Listening to Kenny G.’

Thursday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.

NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road., Westbury. TheTheatreAtWestbury.com or LiveNation.com, or (516) 247-5200.

New York Dance Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Dance Theatre offers

Those sugar plum fairies and various figments of a young girl’s imagination come alive this month. The beloved holiday confection never goes out of style.

Courtesy New York Dance Theatre

Photo: Clara is enchanted with her nutcracker in the party that opens the ballet.

Eglevsky Ballet’s innovative ‘The Nutcracker’ Long Island’s professional dance company is known for its inventive staging of Clara’s delightful journey, featuring additional choreography by Executive Artistic Director Maurice Brandon Curry.

Courtesy Eglevsky Ballet

Photo: The enchanting snow scene is a shimmering showstopper.

THE SCENE

Shrek The Musical

See the uplifting tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey, presented by Nassau Community College Theater Department, now through Sunday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. All the beloved characters you know from the film are brought to life on stage for an incredible adventure that includes a wisecracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand — and that’s Shrek, of course. Nassau Community College’s Mainstage Theatre, Garden City. Tickets $18; NCC students free with valid ID; $15, veterans, alumni, seniors 60+, students and NCC employees. For tickets/information, visit NCC.edu or call (516) 572-7676.

Christmas Tree of Lights celebration

Mercy Medical Center Council of Leagues invites the community to its annual Christmas Tree of Lights celebration, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m. Enjoy some of your favorite holiday songs sung by Mercy’s carolers and refreshments. The festivities take place in front of the hospital, 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. Proceeds from the event will support the Endowment for Nursing Leadership and Education at Mercy Hospital. For information visit CHSLI.org/mercy-hospital.

Learn to dance Hip-Hop

Head to Salsa Latina Dance Studio, at 388 Merrick Avenue, East Meadow, every Thursday, 6:30 p.m., to learn how to Latin Hip-Hop dance with Matt There is a free trial class for all new students. No partner, and no experience needed to enjoy this experience. Parking is in the back of the studio. For more information, contact Edwin at (516) 902-7368 or email edwinguerrero352@gmail.com

Zumbathon

Visit Crunch Fitness for a Long Island Toys for Tots Zumbathon, Sunday, Dec. 11, at their location at 2501 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow. Tickets are $15; all ticket sales will go towards organization. Space is limited. Doors will open 12:30 p.m. on the day of the event. To register, visit toysfortotslizumba. eventbrite.com.

Salisbury holiday lighting

The Salisbury holiday and tree lighting will be on Friday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m., on Carmen Avenue next to Carvel. The East Meadow Fire Department will be there with Santa and holiday songs will be sung by the Salisbury school choirs.

Sugar Plum Ball/ Galactic Gala

Bring the kids to celebrate the season at festivities hosted by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, Sunday, Dec.11, noon-4 p.m., at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place. Kids ages 4-12, accompanied by their adult guest (Mom, Dad, grandparent, etc.), will enjoy a unique party featuring food, fun and some special guests including princesses, fairies and visitors from a Galaxy Far Far Away. With lunch, DJ, magic show, dancing, raffles, games, photo ops, and more. Cost is $75 per child, $100 per adult. Advance reservation only. All proceeds benefit CP Nassau. Register online at CPNassau.org or call CP Nassau at (516) 3782000 ext 651.

Having an event?

Holiday fun

Visit the streets of 19th century London during the darkest days of the year, in this adaption of the classic “A Christmas Carol,” with the Experiential Theater Company, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8-9, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 14-15, 10:15 a.m. and noon, , on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage Meet the Cratchit family, Mr. Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show that weaves together music, humor, puppetry and collaboration. Celebrate the change of seasons through this beloved literary tale. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald

LI Warriors Sock Hockey Clinic

Add some skills to your sock skating game with members of the LI Warriors recreational hockey league at Long Island Children’s Museum, Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. noon. Learn about stick handling and passing as you master wrist and slap shots on the LICM “ice” in a hockey clinic for ages 3 and up. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 4849337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Santa Claus drive by Celebrate the season, Saturday, Dec. 17, starting at 1 p.m. Engine Company 2 of the East Meadow Fire Department will

Matinee time

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.; Sunday, Dec. 12, noon. The story, narrated by a groundhog name

Photo: Angel A. Perez

A meal shared, and toys given for military kids

from front page

has currently been deployed since April.

“All of the kids and par ents here enjoy this because we don’t have something like this on Long Island for mili tary kids,” Vardakis explained. “In other states you might have a local USO chapter that might have a Christmas event or people will get together and buy Christmas gifts for military kids, but not here.”

The idea came from Vinny Cafiso, the past Noble Grand of the East Meadow Odd Fellows whose son, father, and father-in-law are members of the military. Cafiso who is friends with Frank Borrelli, the owner of Borrelli’s, asked him last year if he could host the breakfast at the well-known local eatery, and Borrelli quickly agreed.

Now, the new Noble Grand Mike Accurso has taken over the breakfast. Accurso joined the Odd Fellows 10 years ago to support his community.

“This is a great way to show apprecia tion for military kids and their families,” Accurso said. “I love seeing their smiles and interacting with the kids. They always seem so grateful that we’re remembering military families.”

In the past, the Odd Fellows held a Santa visit at Nassau University Medical Center, bringing gift cards. And during the coronavirus pandemic, Santa visited Mitchel Manor, delivering food and gifts to children.

After their stomachs were full of the breakfast spread cooked up by Borrelli, Santa paid a visit and gave each child an age appropriate gift.

Marisa Abroe, who lives in Mitchel Manor and is originally from Miami, brought her two kids Dominic, 8, and

Jaxon, 5. Her husband, Bryan, who is in the Coast Guard, has been stationed in Kings Point for almost three years.

“I love it,” Abroe said of the event. “My kids are very much still in the magic of Santa.”

She said that events like the Santa breakfast helps her to show her boys that there are other kids like them. “For me this is all about preserving the innocence of your child and showing them about connecting and having a sense of com munity,” she explained. “Especially being a military family and we move around and sometimes they feel left out but now we’re here and we’re all here for the same reason.”

For the older kids, the organization has a Dave and Buster’s outing planned for them next week where they will get breakfast, their own cards to play games, and presents.

continued

Courtesy Allison Vardakis

This is The second year that the Odd Fellows held this breakfast for military families.

Courtesy Allison Vardakis

sophia Vardakis, 7, received a special present from Santa at the breakfast on Dec. 4.

Herald Sc H ool S

HOBY ambassador, alternate selected at EMHS

East Meadow High School sophomore Alissa Mili was recently selected as a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership ambassador for the 2022-2023 school year.

Additionally, East Meadow High School sopho more Annabella Lanzer was named an alternate winner.

Founded in 1958, HOBY is an organization that strives to inspire and develop young volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.

The HOBY award is given to sophomores throughout the country who best represent charac teristics such as outstanding communication skills, sensitivity to the needs and concerns of others, courage to speak out for one’s beliefs and strong decision-making skills.

Both students will take part in the HOBY Leader ship Seminar, which will be held in June 2023.

East MEadow HigH School sophomore Alissa Mili, second from left, was recently selected as a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership ambassador for the 20222023 school year. Additionally, sophomore Annabella Lanzer, second from right, was selected as an alternate ambassador. They were joined by East Meadow High School Principal Richard Howard, far right, and high school counselor Carly Salzman.

LIJ Medical Center is in the top 10% of hospitals nationally for oncology, according to U.S.News&WorldReport. Northwell.edu/NoLimits

Our doctors are raising health by pioneering innovative approaches to cancer — from novel chemotherapy techniques to first in the nation robotic mastectomies with minimal scarring. Because when it comes to cancer, there’s no status quo. There’s only “how far can we go?”

Courtesy East Meadow School District

Public Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 12/14/22 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 823/22. LEVITTOWNBrian M. Kelty, Renewal of grant to maintain pool & pool equipment with less than required rear yard setback; maintain 6’ high wood fence & 6’ high wood fence atop 1’ high masonry wall (totaling 7’ high) larger than pool installation area & forward of the dwelling which may substantially obstruct line of sight., N/W cor. Farmedge Rd. & Solar La., a/k/a 152 Farmedge Rd.

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 838/22. EAST MEADOWTwin Oaks FM Holdings LLC, Variances, subdivision of lot, front width from & on street line to front setback line, construct dwelling with garage (Plot B) (demolish existing dwelling known as 2780 Woods Ave.)., S/s Woods Ave., 135’ W/o Bellmore Rd. 839/22. EAST MEADOWTwin Oaks FM Holdings LLC, Variances, subdivision of lot, front width from & on street line to front setback line, construct dwelling with garage (Plot A)., S/s Woods Ave., 187.30’ W/o Bellmore Rd. 840/22. NR WESTBURYAbdul Qadeer Iqbal, Variances, front yard average setback, side yards aggregate, construct portico, 2-story addition & 2nd story addition all attached to dwelling., E/s Kathleen Pl., 128’ N/o Stewart Ave., a/k/a 594 Kathleen Pl.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in East Meadow, Levittown and Westbury within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction.

There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of

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

135811

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 77-2022

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held November 22nd, 2022 , by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 77-2022, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 77-2022, amending Chapter 202 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include and repeal “REGULATIONS & RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking at various locations.

Dated: November 22, 2022

Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 135772

Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 135786

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 16214 RESOLUTION NO.1177-2022 Adopted: November 22, 2022 Councilmember Dunne offered the following resolution and moved its adoption:

RESOLUTION ADOPTING TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD PUBLIC PARKING FIELD MAPS SHOWING PARKING REGULATIONS AT CERTAIN PARKING FIELDS.

circulation in the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting.

The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Carini and adopted upon roll call as follows:

AYES: SIX (6) NOES: NONE (0) 135793

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 78-2022

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held November 22nd, 2022, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 78-2022, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 78-2022, amending Section 202-1 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include and repeal “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at various locations.

Dated: November 22, 2022 Hempstead, New York

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 1161-2022, adopted October 3rd, 2022, a public hearing was duly held on the 22nd day of November, 2022, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed adoption of the following public parking field maps showing the repeal of two (2) “No Left Turn” signs and the adoption of two (2) “Right Turn Only” signs in parking field L-5, Levittown; the adoption of two (2) “No Standing Anytime” signs in parking field S-2, Seaford; all in accordance with Section 80-4 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead: WHEREAS, after due consideration this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to adopt the following Town of Hempstead public parking field maps showing the revisions thereon; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following Town of Hempstead public parking field maps showing the repeal of two (2) “No Left Turn” signs and the adoption of two (2) “Right Turn Only” signs in parking field L-5, Levittown; the adoption of two (2) “No Standing Anytime” signs in parking field S-2, Seaford; all in accordance with Section 80-4 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead;

LEVITTOWN L-5

Hempstead Turnpike & Gardiners Avenue

Parking Field

Levittown

East End Turnpike

Public Parking District (TH-408/22)

SEAFORD S-2

Nelson Verity Plaza

Parking Field

Seaford

Town of Hempstead (TH-407/22)

and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and the Ordinance Book, and shall publish a copy of this resolution once in a newspaper of general

SUMMONS Supreme Court of New York, Nassau County. U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2021 SC9 TITLE TRUST Plaintiff- against-JACY L. CAMPBELL, AS PURPORTED ADMINISTRATOR AND HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WINSTON CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON W. CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON WASHINGTON CAMPBELL; JANALEE L. CAMPBELL, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WINSTON CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON W. CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON WASHINGTON CAMPBELL; CLIVE MALCOLM CAMPBELL, AS PURPORTED HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WINSTON CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON W. CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON WASHINGTON CAMPBELL; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF WINSTON CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON W. CAMPBELL A/K/A WINSTON WASHINGTON CAMPBELL; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (EASTERN DISTRICT); DISCOVER BANK; “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants. Index No. 612060/2022. Mortgaged Premises: 1090 Fayette Street Uniondale, New York 11553 Section: 50 Block: 346 Lots: 17 and 18. To The Above Named Defendant(s): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a Defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. If you fail to appear or to answer within the

15.

New business open for the community

Nassau Financial Federal Credit Union, located on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow, opened on Nov. 15. Also attending were Nassau Financial Federal Credit Union Chairman Everit Boccafola

and President/CEO John DeCelle, Richie Krug, Jr., President of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce, Nassau County Legislators Tom McKevitt and John Fer retti, and other friends and neighbors.

Marcio rodrigues dos Santos and Melissa Pimentel Goncalves had their wedding officiated on Nov. 15.

Dos Santos and Goncalves wed

East

Residents interested in obtaining their marriage license and/or scheduling a wedding ceremony should call the Office of the Town Clerk at (516) 812-3014 or visit hempsteadny.gov/marriage.

Public Notices

aforementioned time frame, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECTIVE of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a Mortgage to secure $189,500.00 and interest, recorded in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office on April 7, 2014 in Book M39614, Page 212, Control Number 961, covering the

premises known as 1090 Fayette Street, Uniondale, New York 11553. The relief sought herein is a final judgment directing sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is located. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do

not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO, LLP 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, (212) 471-5100, Attorneys for Plaintiff 135822

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

Courtesy Town of Hempstead Nassau FiNaNcial Federal Credit Union opened on Nov.

Meadow residents Marcio Rodrigues Dos Santos and Melissa Pimen tel Goncalves had their wedding officiated by Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray (left) on Nov. 15 at Hempstead Town Hall.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

HIRING

OFFICE

RECEPTIONIST

SECRETARY

to grow profitability, prepare reports on sales volumes and merchandising. Record accounts payable and receivable. Prepare closing reports. Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Public Accounting, Management, or any related area, plus 6 months of experience is required. Must be able to work 40 hours a week in rotating shift from 6 am to 12 midnight, across seven days a week including public holidays. Strong written, oral communications skills is required. Strong mathematics ability is required. Jobsite: Hewlett, NY. Send CV to: 1700 Broadway Management, LTD, 1700 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557.

TEACHERS:

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Apartments For Rent

CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For One Bedroom When Available. (516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/ (516)582-9978

More complications from Superstorm Sandy

This unique home boasts 2,494 livable interior square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms. The main floor offers a primary bedroom with ensuite, additional bedroom and full hall bathroom, bright living room with woodburning fireplace, eat-in kitchen with brick oven cooking, laundry room, den/family room with access to backyard patio and 2 car attached garage. 2 Additional bedrooms, den/office/exercise room and shared bathroom are found on the second level. There is also a full basement with utilities, storage, full bathroom, wet bar and endless possibilities. This home also boasts wood floors throughout, ample closets/storage on a 116 x 63 lot. Call for a private showing.

Q. We purchased our home with minor damage from Hurricane Sandy, and were told that because there was little or no damage, just mold in the unfin ished basement and new boiler, the house was fine, no title problems. But when we tried getting a permit for a shed, we were told we needed a permit for stormrelated repairs, including proof of our home’s value. We decided not to get the shed because of this, but we got a letter saying we still need the storm repair per mit, regardless. None of the neighbors we spoke to ever got this permit. It seems we’re being punished for being honest and trying to do the right thing. Is there a way around this problem? What if we do nothing?

A. My answer may be as confusing as your situ ation. I have seen no con sistency in this dilemma as I go from one munici pality to another, and I’ve asked why some impacted jurisdictions don’t require as much paperwork and scrutinizing as others. The answer from officials was generally that each jurisdiction made assess ments of the specific properties, and then recorded which ones were uninhabitable compared to which ones had various levels of needed repairs.

It may have been that at the time, when people were so devastated by their personal property loss es, it seemed like a bad policy to hurt homeowners further with permit requirements and lots of administrative paperwork. The concerns for peo ple’s emotions at that time have, seemingly, dimin ished. Your jurisdiction chose to notify people to submit estimates and property value statements, over a decade later, mostly when they apply for per mits for unrelated projects.

Apartments For Rent

EAST MEADOW: BRIGHT 1BR, LR/Kitchen Combo, Full Bath, Lots Closets And Storage. No Smoking/Pets. $1,700 All. 516-659-3189

MoneyTo Lend

I sat down to a Sunday-morning breakfast chat in a diner with the top elected official in your juris diction in February of 2013, four months after the storm, as a concerned citizen as well as a licensed professional and columnist. It was nice that they paid for breakfast, but I’m not sure they acknowl edged the level of problems I was seeing, from the lack of communication and enforcement with the public. I suggested that it was better to notify every one with specifics, not randomly ambush people when they applied for other things in the future, like you’re now experiencing.

I advised that everyone damaged by the storm could file basic repair letters, be contacted by block and lot numbers instead of all at once, and put the effects of the storm behind us all as quickly and painlessly as possible, but in a way that officially recorded people’s repairs in letter form and in a simple way. Building departments were extremely helpful in assisting people to get backup docu ments, and I saw an earnest effort to help the pub lic. But many homeowners ignored letters, did nothing and seem not to be affected by require ments.

Your story is an example of the result I predict ed. I wish I knew the answer. It may take another decade to figure this out. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

Antiques/Collectibles

EARLY AMERICAN COFFEE Table: 48"x28", Shelf on bottom of table, Nutmeg Finish, $55.00. 516-781-1520

FITQUEST EXERCISE BIKE: Echelon fit, Folds for storage, Hardly used $95.00. 516-902-6736

GIRLS CLOTHES SIZES 5 & 8: New with tags. Tops, Jeans. $8 each. 917-420-5814

Electricians

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

Handyman

HANDYMAN

KING

HENRI BENDEL BACKPACK & Wallet. Maroon, B/W Stripe. Ltmd edition, Brand New. $99 516-320-1906

HUMMEL : LOST sheep $45, the brother $40. Mint condition 646.206.4610

HUMMELS: CELLIST, THINKER, each $50. mint condition 646.206.460

WICKER COFFEE TABLE: 30"Wx18"Dx18"H, Brown Wicker Table, $25.00. Ginny 516-781-1520

Finds $100-$350

KITCHEN SET: Table/ chrome pedestal. 4 chairs with chrome and black vinyle seats. 5ft x 4ft smoked glass table.$200 Neg. 516.668.

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opINIoNS

Facing life — and death — with peace and love

John Casciani died last weekend. You don’t know him, but trust me, he wouldn’t want anyone to fuss over him. He came into this world quietly 88 years ago, and I’m sure would prefer the same exit now.

But you can’t have such a profound effect on someone’s life — to the point that you almost single-handedly changed it for the better — and expect them to experience your passing as an afterthought.

Casciani doesn’t deserve to be remem bered, but because I simply don’t know how to express my sadness that someone who touched and transformed so many lives as a teacher over the years no longer shares the same plane of existence we do.

with “peace and love” — something you always felt around him. Peace and love.

I can usually write a column like this practically in my sleep, but nothing seemed right to honor this man who did so much for everyone, yet didn’t want anyone to notice.

So, that’s what I did. I cried. Tears of sadness. Tears of happy memories. Tears of who I am. Tears of what I might have been if it weren’t for Mr. Casciani.

MICHAEL HINMAN

Writing isn’t just a profession for me. It’s how I cope. And the moment I learned of Mr. Casciani’s passing, I put pen to paper, sharing an anecdote from the very first time I met this fascinating chemistry teacher and photography club adviser from my high school days, and how he introduced me to the magical world of the darkroom.

I talked about the value of teachers, who are key to our self-discovery of who we are. I even shared Mr. Casciani’s way of making even the most mundane interest ing, like when he would wager his chemis try classes he could drink a glass of boiling water — and then actually do it.

But the moment I typed the final words of that piece, I closed the document and then dumped it in the trash. Not that Mr.

I was going through a bad time when I first met Mr. Casciani. We all remember being teenagers, and few of us can say it was easy. But Mr. Casciani truly changed my life. Not just teaching me the skills that helped me land my first newspaper job — the fact that I could devel op my own film and print my own pictures helped get me through the door of a daily newspaper when I was still in high school — but being someone who taught me it was OK to be fascinated by the world around us. That we shouldn’t be ashamed of that sense of wonder.

Yet I simply couldn’t find the words to express any of that. Outside of a few Face book interactions, I hadn’t had a direct conversation with Mr. Casciani since I graduated from high school in the early 1990s. But he would occasionally send me a note, usually asking me to help him remember some details about projects we worked on — like our school’s television program in the days when creating televi sion at the high school level wasn’t so easy to pull off — so he could reminisce.

He would sign each of those messages

But then I remembered something else Mr. Casciani taught me. Strength doesn’t come from not needing to ask for help — it comes from seeking help when you need it. Something pride inter feres with all too often.

So, I sought that strength inside of me and asked for help. Marcie Schellhammer is the assistant managing editor of the Bradford Era in north-central Pennsylvania, about 30 miles from where I grew up. She’s written so many beautiful columns about people that I cite her work to my own reporters when we need examples of the best way to honor people with our words.

I did everything I was supposed to do. I shared a favorite memory, and how what I learned from it changed my life. I shared the moment my eyes opened, and even talked about how Mr. Casciani helped mold me into the man I am now. But it still wasn’t working.

“That’s because you wrote it to write a column,” Marcie told me. “You didn’t write it with your heart. At least that’s my pro cess. I can’t write a memorial column with out crying.”

As always, Marcie was right. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t take the traditional approach in honoring Mr. Casciani. I can scream from the hilltops how important our educators are — and they indeed are. But the truest way to honor a man like Mr. Casciani is to put what he taught me into practice.

To admit when I’m struggling. To face it. To seek out help. And to never, ever be ashamed of it. I joke from time to time that Mr. Casciani would tell me the skills I was learning in the darkroom would be skills that would help me the rest of my life. And then, in my mid-20s, darkrooms went extinct in the shadow of digital pho tography.

But that has changed my life. I haven’t stepped inside a darkroom in about two decades, but the skills I learned there opened the doors at the beginning of my career that allowed me to sit here and write these words today. And for that, I will be forever grateful to Mr. Casciani.

We all have a Mr. Casciani in our lives. And we can never thank them enough for making the impact they did. So, if you can still thank them, please take a moment and do it now.

Peace and love.

Michael Hinman is executive editor of the Herald Community Newspapers. Com ments? Execeditor@liherald.com.

No, Gwyneth, I will not buy your face cream

In this season of marathon shopping, I started wondering why I buy what I buy. There are millions of choices when it comes to our cosmetics and cars and food and OTC meds and clothing and shoes and TV series and movies and furnishings and technology, and travel and education.

So why do I scan the shelves and pick out one sneaker among the many sports shoes for sale?

celebrity flogs a product, my avoidance mode kicks in. I love Matthew McCo naughey, but I’m not buying a Lincoln because he looks dreamy sitting behind the wheel in the TV commercials. I am not buy ing Gwyneth Paltrow’s skin cream thinking it will make me look like her.

does she know about shoes or me or the value of her product? As for the Kardashi ans, well, how much time do you have? Who are they, exactly, and how many of them are in the public eye, and what is their skill set?

ing crosses, and stigmata. After an outcry from religious groups, Pepsi canceled its ad.

My friends are my greatest influencers. I buy what they tell me to buy; I watch the TV that they suggest; I read the books they send my way.

I mean, why would I buy a Dior product because Charl ize Theron is their public face? She’s a gorgeous 8-foottall South African beauty. My life, inside this body of mine, bears no resemblance to her existence. Dior face cream will not help. I resist.

They endorse various hair products, and I imagine their pitch is to young people, but why? They are the most famous people who are famous just for being famous.

I also take seriously consumer reviews from reliable websites. I have found new doctors by reading online reviews.

We think we have the power of choice, but we are bedazzled by influ encers. Psycholo gists say that we are especially moti vated by celebrity endorsements that suggest we can acquire good looks, wealth, friends and celebrity itself by buying the car that George Clooney drives or wearing the ath letic shoes that Selena Gomez wears or drinking the Coke that LeBron James, Penelope Cruz or Michelle Kwan drinks. Various media put enormous money into advertising campaigns that feature celebrities touting their products. For me, it’s a waste of their time and money. When a

RANDI KREISS

I’m crazy about Reese Witherspoon and I love Crate & Barrel products, but I’m not buying a new couch because she’s their “brand ambassador.”

I can’t argue that celebrity endorsements don’t work, because apparently they pay off big time, or companies wouldn’t seek out famous people to push their products. I just don’t think it works for me, and I would urge others to look at their prospective pur chases in a clear-eyed way, setting aside the celebrity glam factor.

Drew Barrymore has associated herself with Crocs. What the heck? Should I buy a clutzy shoe because she tells me to? What

Epic flops and scandals have haunted the celebrity endorsement industry. Kanye West recently unraveled with his nonstop antisemitic rants. He lost Adidas, Balen ciaga, Foot Locker, Gap, and others. Michael Phelps was dropped by Kellogg’s years ago, after a photo circulated of him smoking marijuana. Today, with a net worth of some $80 million, he can boast associations with Intel, Sub way, Under Armor, Beats and Visa. The weed factor is passe.

Years back, according to E-News, Madon na landed a one-year contract as the celebri ty spokesperson for Pepsi. A two-minute family-friendly ad premiered wherein the singer revisited her eighth birthday. But the next day, Madonna’s video for “Like a Prayer” debuted. The video featured burn

I have one friend whom I love who has mysterious powers over my purchasing decisions. When we’re together, we some times shop. I find myself buying what she tells me to buy — even the outsized blouse with a geometric print that makes my eyes burn. Sometimes there’s a pricey item I don’t need, but if she tells me I need it, boom, it’s in the shopping bag. I don’t know what it is. My only defense is not to go shop ping with her too often. Because if she tells me I need the striped balloon pants in neon green, it’s circus time for me.

As we go about our Christmas and Hanukkah shopping, it might be wise to consider who is influencing our purchases. One of the oldest and longest-running celeb rity endorsements was launched by Jell-O in the early 1970s, when they hired a 37-yearold actor named Bill Cosby. Presumably JellO has wiggled onward without him.

Copyright 2022 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

I can’t argue that celebrity endorsements don’t work. Apparently they pay off big time.

W e all have a Mr. Casciani in our lives, and we can never thank them enough.

Roosevelt’s address to the nation, Dec. 8, 1941

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speak er, members of the Senate, and of the House of Repre sentatives:

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliber ately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japa nese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our secre tary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

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 gov

ernment has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false state ments and expressions of hope for con tinued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many Ameri can lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported tor pedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.

The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the impli

cations to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all mea sures be taken for our defense. But always, will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us?

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute vic tory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend our selves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

letters

Taking the air out of balloon releases

To the Editor: Thank you to Senior Reporter Jordan Vallone for her well-written piece, “Balloon Mission is up and away: Planning initial projects, nonprofit sets tone for future” (Bell more and Merrick Heralds, Dec. 1-7, liherald.com/merrick/stories/bal loon-mission-is-up-and-away, 152602). And bravo to Cynthia Sei bold, of North Merrick, for using the pandemic to start a nonprofit group, Balloon Mission, committed to stopping the inane practice of releasing balloons into the environ ment as a form of celebration.

Balloons are made of rubber, latex or nylon fabric, which does not break down easily — a polyure thane balloon can take up to 450 years to decompose, according to the University of Melbourne. In the wild, balloons get caught in trees and underbrush, where they are shredded by branches. Over time, they appear to disintegrate, but what is really happening is the bal loons are further breaking down

into microplastics, which then become ingrained in soil and water systems. From there, they are ingest ed by animals and marine creatures — and then by we humans at the top of the food chain.

In 2019, the Town of Southampton passed a law

banning the intentional release of balloons — with a fine of $350 or imprisonment for up to 15 days for a first offense. Subsequent offenses would receive harsher penalties. The Town of Hempstead has a similar ordinance on the books, also passed in 2019,

opinions

The red wave that wasn’t, and the crime wave that isn’t

Despite expectations, Republi cans ended up underperform ing on Nov. 8. Although Republi cans narrowly captured the House, Democrats kept the Senate and even managed to flip multiple state cham bers blue, including capturing the gover nor’s office in Arizona, of all places.

ing on the good people of Nassau County. For their part, the Democrats, as usual, were yet again unable to show a spine and attack the Republican narrative. But at any rate, it seems the Republican assault on our collective psyche was successful.

your chances of being a victim of grand larceny are? About 0.002 percent.

So what can we do?

aDaricHev

Peculiarly, however, Republicans had one of their best nights in none other than the deep-blue Demo cratic stronghold of New York. They flipped a stagger ing one-fifth of all Democratic con gressional seats here, and nearly unseated Demo cratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

How did they pull it off? Fear of crime. While in most of the nation, inflation and preserving democracy were the top two issues, poll ing from New York City in May showed that the No. 1 issue on people’s minds was crime — and it wasn’t even close.

Leading up to the election, the Republi cans unleashed a barrage of fear-monger

Letters

There’s just one problem. There’s no actual crime wave.

It’s completely normal to be worried about crime; we all deserve to be safe in our neighborhoods. But the facts just don’t bear it out. Did you know that the num bers of murders, rapes and sexual crimes have all gone down this year compared with last, according to offi cial Nassau County Police Department data? Surpris ing, I know. And all things considered, we’re actually in one of the safest periods ever in our county.

There have been increases in crime, but they’ve been related to property, not violent crimes. And even with the increase in property crimes, it is still exceedingly rare for a Nassau resident to be a victim of such a crime. The most common crime defined as “major” this year was grand larceny. You know what

But I can definitely understand the claim that we all feel an air of crime here in Nassau. Blame the media: 2022 saw a spike in the media coverage of shootings in New York City that went far beyond the actual num ber of shootings.

It sickens me. You turn the page, a shooting. Anoth er page, a corpse. The third page, a guy arrested for beating his girlfriend. The media fills us with dread, all to make money. And I see how my neighbors increas ingly construct their own fortresses, replete with video cameras, dogs and floodlights, all out of fear of passersby.

This fear has serious consequences, increasing anxiety, social withdrawal, and unraveling the social fabric of neighbor hoods. This is no way to live.

At the same time, I don’t want to live in a county where we see an increasing number of desperate people turning to theft to survive. After all, if you can’t work, you go hungry, and stealing catalyt ic converters beats going hungry.

Let’s start with a price cap on gas in Nassau County, to fight inflation and bring relief to millions at the pump. Next, the county should put people to work at a good wage to finally fix these damn pot holes. And thirdly, let’s keep kids off the streets by fully funding schools, and lower violent crime by having Nassau replace our lead pipes, which contribute to lead poisoning, which researchers have tied to aggressive and impulsive behavior.

Too bad the Republican-led County Legislature won’t do any of that. In fact, when adjusted for inflation, Nassau’s 2023 budget actually has less funding for spe cial education and early-intervention pro grams. Nothing about lead pipes, or gas price caps. Don’t the Republicans care about preventing crime?

It’s OK to have a healthy fear of crime, and it’s OK to take measures to keep your self safe. But I implore my friends: Don’t let politicians and the media manipulate you. It is imperative that we do not fear our neighbor.

Matthew Adarichev is a public policy major at Hofstra University, a political activist and an aspiring journalist whose work has appeared in the Hofstra Chroni cle and the Anton Media Group.

Framework by Tim Baker

but the fine for intentional release cannot exceed $100, and there is no provision for jail time. I would like to see Hempstead pass an ordinance with stronger teeth.

As a town resident, though, I am heartened to see Hempstead working with Balloon Mission to educate the public about the myriad dangers that balloon releases present — particularly to the 17,000 acres and 180 miles of coastal waterways under the town’s jurisdiction.

Finally, each of us can play our part in helping to reduce plastics in the environment. When you see a plas tic bottle or rubber balloon on the street in your neigh borhood, pick it up and throw it away. I’m a runner. When you run and collect garbage, it’s called plogging, a Swedish fitness term. Hempstead would do well, though, to add more trash cans for recyclables at its parks, like those at the Levy Preserve in Merrick. This way, when folks are out collecting garbage, they could easily recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

SCOTT A. BRINTON Merrick

Randi nailed it on air travel

To the Editor:

I really love Randi Kreiss’s columns in the Herald, and the one that I specifically liked was “Flying the notso-friendly skies” (Nov. 24-30), about JetBlue and the way they’ve changed their system so that they don’t really accommodate people very well.

I went on a trip about three weeks ago, and it was really hard to book a flight because I had a couple of problems, and, like you said, to reach somebody, it’s like reaching God. And yes, the snacks are pretty sad.

Thank you so much for your articles, Randi.

JuDITH WEITz Long Beach

Here’s hoping they’re bundled up out there — Sea Cliff Yacht Club

the numbers of major crimes in Nassau County have actually gone down this year.

mattHew

Buy a Brick

Celebrate or honor your loved ones this holiday season and give the gift of a lasting legacy in the Mount Sinai South Nassau garden, located at the corner of Oswald Court and One Healthy Way. Purchase an engraved brick, tree, or garden bench, or name the entire plaza and garden space that thousands of patients, visitors, and employees will see every year as they enter and exit the hospital’s front entrance

Honor a loved one or someone who made a di erence in your life. Remember a special person or celebrate a special occasion. Support Mount Sinai South Nassau’s mission and vision for a healthier tomorrow.