Photos courtesy Uniondale school district
Elementary students, scholars were encouraged to dress as scientists, in makeshift white “lab coats.” From left were Yamileth Castro, teacher Monique St. Clair-Thomas, Jovera Robinson, Elijah Smith, Gabrielle Molly and teaching assistant Yaniris Capellan.
By STACY DRIKS
sdriks@liherald.com
While many children spend their summers at camp, Uniondale students are spending theirs building robots and creating art projects tied to science, writing and poetry.
Those activities are part of the Uniondale school district’s summer Passport to Innovation, a free five-week enrichment program that blends academics with hands-on projects designed to make learning feel more like camp than a classroom.
“We don’t call it summer school,” Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil said. “Not everyone can afford camps, swimming courses and all those programs. We want children of all economic backgrounds to have that opportunity.”
Now in its fifth year, Passport to Innovation serves 377 students. Middle-schoolers focus on coding, while elementary students take part in project-based lessons that blend literacy, math, STEM, art and real-world experiences.
Darrisaw-Akil added that the program is
important for the summer, because children’s minds are still active, and teachers want to find a way to continue to incorporate education. The district is using practical, hands-on projects in literacy and math, “so kids don’t feel like they got punished.”
California Avenue Elementary School hosted 170 rising pre-K to fifth-graders for the program, and each classroom had unique projects based on their grade level.
Rhonda Taylor, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, incorporated the word “passport” because she wanted students to feel as if they were traveling around the world. “Some kids don’t have the opportunity to be able to travel during the summer,” she said.
“Science is one of the things we really want them to explore,” Taylor added of the elementary students. “But not necessarily in the same way that they do it during the school year. We want this to be something that’s a little different.”
In one room, students used science to
By HAIlEY FUlMER hfulmer@liherald.com
As Haitian immigrants — such as those living or working in Nassau County under Temporary Protected Status — face uncertainty over their future in the United States, community members are expressing concerns while advocates have urged them to seek legal guidance to understand their rights and prepare for possible changes.
A June 25 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Syria has raised concerns for some immigrant families. Uniondale school officials said they continue supporting affected students through food deliveries with the local pantry and other family resources.
“Temporary Protected Status is an issue that deeply impacts many members of our community,” Legislator Vivianna Russell, who represents stated on July 7. “It is important that every voice is heard and that everyone has the opportunity to understand their rights and make informed decisions.”
A Haitian TPS holder who asked to be identified only by the alias Marie recently expressed anxiety, explaining that she has been saddened by the uncertainty surrounding the program. She encouraged members of the Haitian com -
munity to continue supporting one another and helping those who may feel overwhelmed.
“I am sad about the situation,” Marie told the Herald in a phone interview, through interpreter Claire Leon. “So, we have to stay united and stay together and support each other so they will not lose hope, that they stay safe, and hopefully something will come through for them.
Leon, an activist and health care worker from Valley Stream, said many Haitian immigrants came to the United States seeking safety, stability and a better future, but now fear losing the opportunities they worked to build.
“Now the American dream that everybody was wishing for is being taken away from them, and they don’t have anything to go back to,” Leon said.
She added that fear has also prevented some immigrants from sharing their stories publicly.
Concerns from Haitian TPS holders were also addressed during a July 7 virtual information session hosted by siblings Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages, both of whom represent Elmont. The virtual session brought together immigration advocates, attorneys and community leaders to provide updates
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By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Eyes turned skyward once again over Mitchel Field as Nassau County officials recreated one of baseball’s most improbable moments — Babe Ruth catching a baseball dropped from an airplane nearly a century ago.
“I knew nothing about this – a friend of mine sent me a picture of it and I didn’t know whether it was real or not,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. Following the discovery, he called Yankee President Randy Levine he said who didn’t know about this catch either. Together they contacted a Yankee historian who confirmed it with a video.
The ceremony, led by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, celebrated the famous 1926 publicity stunt, known as “The Catch,” which highlighted both Ruth’s celebrity and Long Island’s aviation history. Because Federal Aviation Administration regulations now prohibit dropping objects from aircraft, members of the Uniondale Fire Department recreated the feat by tossing baseballs to children attending the Nassau County Summer Recreation Program.
“We wanted to challenge each and every one of you to do the same, but the Federal Aviation Administration said, ‘No, Mr. Blakeman — you can’t drop anything from a helicopter or an airplane,’” Blakeman told the children. “So that’s why we have our great firefighters here today.”
Uniondale firefighters Jessica Ellerby and Jason Padilla climbed a 95-foot ladder and tossed more than 100 baseballs, one at a time, for campers waiting below to make their own version of “The Catch.”
For cousins Sky Bruzgis, of East Meadow, and Valentina Peranzo, of Levittown, the event offered a chance to become part of baseball history. The pair joined dozens of other children trying to catch baseballs falling from nearly 100 feet above.
“I had a lot of fun, but I didn’t catch the ball,” Bruzgis said.
Peranzo also came up empty-handed but said she enjoyed the experience just as much. Although both girls were familiar with Babe Ruth, neither knew about the legendary airplane catch before attending the event.
“It sounds crazy,” Peranzo said.
The cousins also shared what they enjoy most about the game. Peranzo said she likes throwing the ball and running the bases, while Bruzgis prefers batting. Whether they made the catch or not, every camper left with a baseball to keep as a souvenir, creating a lasting reminder of a summer day inspired by one of baseball’s most enduring legends.
A commemorative plaque now installed at Mitchel Field marks the spot where Ruth completed the famous catch on Aug. 25, 1926. To preserve the moment for future generations, the marker recognizes the publicity stunt that became one of the most memorable stories in baseball history and highlights Mitchel Field’s role in both the sport’s and Long Island’s aviation heritage.
Nassau County Legislators
during a “Fight for
urging the U.S.
and legal resources following recent court developments involving TPS.
Speakers emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision does not immediately end TPS protections or work authorization for Haitian immigrants and encouraged residents to rely on trusted legal resources rather than misinformation.
Eric Freeman, a representative of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said TPS holders should use this time to prepare by learning their rights, consulting licensed immigration attorneys and determining whether they may qualify for other forms of relief.
“The Supreme Court’s decision does not instantly end TPS protections and work authorizations for Haitian TPS,” Freeman said. “It is not time to panic. It is time to prepare.”
Freeman encouraged families to create emergency plans and remain informed as legal proceedings continue.
Julia Miller, supervising attorney at the Central American Refugee Center, Long Island’s largest immigration legal services provider, echoed the importance of seeking legal advice, even for
During a roundtable discussion in Elmont in April, advocates emphasize their support for Temporary Protected Status holders, and politicians urge action in the federal government.
individuals who have previously spoken with an attorney about their immigration status.
She said changing circumstances in Haiti and changes in a person’s individual situation could affect eligibility for other forms of immigration relief, including protections available to victims of trafficking, victims of crimes or other programs.
transform balloons into papier-mache planets as part of an informational writing lesson focusing on exploring.
“One of our core values is explore, so we thought we would explore planets,”
Michelle Minnelli, California Avenue’s assistant principal and the programs cocoordinator, said. Minnelli worked closely with her co-coordinator, Assistant Principal Natasha Garrett.
After researching their planet of choice, the students created models that complemented informational writing projects about the solar system.
Kristen Andino Rodriguez, a rising third-grader, chose Earth as her choice of planet because “people live on Earth, and I’m grateful I’m living here,” she said confidently.
“The children are picking a planet of their choice or the sun after learning a little bit about the solar system,” teacher Phyllis Halper said. “We did a little background knowledge, a little bit of research, and this will then connect to their informational writing piece.
“A lot of them chose the sun — even though it’s not a planet,” she laughed.
Cleveland Sterling., another rising third-grader, was one of them. “I learned that the sun is very hot,” he said. “I see the sun every day — it’s hotter than I thought.”
Halper explained that the program is not only good for education, but for bonding, and learning English as a sec-
Rising third-grader Kristen Andino Rodriguez showed off her papier-mache Earth, part of an informational writing and science project. With the help of her teacher, Phyllis Halper, who drew the lines separating water and land, Kristen colored it in. She and her classmates researched the solar system to choose which planet to create, but a majority chose the sun.
ond language.
“This is helpful, because some girls here don’t have the words, but they’re really learning.” she said, pointing to one student who was motivated to answer a question confidently, in English. “They came in knowing English, but they were emerging.”
A few doors down, Northern Parkway School English and literacy teacher Monique St. Clair-Thomas was guiding little scientists in how to build their own
Gabrielle Molly was a student in the robotics classroom, where she and her classmates became “little scientists” — and some even wore lab coats. Under the guidance of teacher Monique St. ClairThomas, students used specially decorated cardboard boxes as the base for stationary robot models.
stationary robots. The hands-on STEM activity encouraged children to use boxes, aluminum foil, googly eyes, string and other materials to create unique robotic designs while exploring creativity and basic engineering concepts.
“Every year we keep the same book — however, the teacher chooses what to do,” Minnelli said. “Ms. St. Clair-Thomas — that was her choice to make the robots. She had the kids bring in the materials, but someone else could have
went a very different route.”
In a third classroom down the hall, students sat quietly and listened to California Avenue teacher Diana Jackson explain the story of “Counting on Katherine,” by Helaine Becker. Students were practicing reading comprehension while discussing perseverance, overcoming challenges and following their dreams.
Field trips are an added benefit of the program. This year students visited the Long Island Children’s Museum, in Uniondale, and the Center for Science Teaching and Learning, in Rockville Centre.
“The children’s museum is always a great place for them to go because it’s right here in their backyard,” Taylor said. “There’s always a fun trip.”
Students begin each day with a “genius meeting,” where they gather as a group before heading to their classes.
Families are also invited to see what students have learned at the end of the program, while community partners including the Uniondale Public Library and Cornell University Extension contribute programming focused on literacy and healthy eating.
“I’m impressed and inspired that teachers do so much during the school year and then come here and say, ‘I have something else to give,” Darrisaw-Akil said. “They’re planning on what can they do to make this a great experience for our kids.”
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
Kickoff for the Nassau high school football season is just over a month away.
On Aug. 17, all 51 public high school football programs in the county will begin preparations for the upcoming season, scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 3 with a Conference IV battle between Island Trees and Oyster Bay. The vast majority of openers will take place the following Thursday.
The biggest news of the offseason came in the spring when East Rockaway and West Hempstead announced it would be joining forces. Longtime Rocks head coach Russ Pajer adds Dom Carre, who served as the head coach at West Hempstead since 2010, as defensive coordinator. Carre played for Pajer at East Rockaway in 1997 and ‘98.
“Our JV teams combined last year and it was a great experience,” said Pajer, who enters his 32nd season as head coach. “West Hempstead’s numbers are down to less than 20, so it was a no-brainer. It was a seamless process with both superintendents on board. It’s a good thing and we expect to have a strong team.”
East Rockaway/West Hempstead is seeded fifth in Conference IV and opens at Valley Stream North. Three of its home games will be played under the lights at East Rockaway beginning Sept. 18 against defending county champion Seaford. West Hempstead will be the site of the Week 3 crossover against Elmont, and the game will serve as Homecoming. A Homecoming will also take place in East Rockaway Oct. 9. In 2025, the Rocks went 2-6 while the Rams finished 4-4 and qualified for the playoffs.
“We expect to have between 30 and 35 kids on varsity,” Pajer said.
Crossover games add intrigue
Seaford, along with three-time defending Long Island champion Massapequa (Conference I), ninetime defending county champion Garden City (II) and South Side (III) are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
Massapequa and Garden City will clash in a muchanticipated crossover game Sept. 26 on the Chiefs’ home field at 1:30 p.m. The Trojans enter the season riding an amazing 66-game winning streak. The showdown, along with all the other crossovers between Conferences I and II, and III and IV, will carry a lesser power-ranking weight than the other seven games, Carey head coach Mike Stanley said.
Some of the other Week 3 matchups feature Carey at Oceanside, Long Beach at Farmingdale, South Side at Seaford, Plainedge at Lynbrook, and Freeport at Roosevelt (Thurs., Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.)
Seven teams switch conferences
Plainedge and Carey lead a group of six teams switching conferences for this season based on enrollment and size breakdown of each conference. Plainedge finished first in the regular season in Conference IV a year ago, going undefeated in the process, and bumps down to III. Carey was in III last fall but jumps up to II, essentially changing places with Glen Cove. East Meadow is no stranger to the top conference and heads there after a brief stay in II. Floral Park, Valley Stream North and Valley Stream South moved to IV from III.
Few coaching changes
Legendary Plainedge head coach Rob Shaver retired
Sept. 10 Long Beach at Carey
Sept. 10 Wantagh at Plainedge
Sept. 10 Lynbrook at Seaford
Sept. 19 Mepham at Calhoun
Sept. 26 Carey at Oceanside
Sept. 26 Garden City at Massapequa
Oct. 10 Oceanside at Massapequa
Oct. 17 Plainedge at South Side
Oct. 24 Massapequa at Farmingdale
Oct. 31 South Side at Wantagh
at the end of last season and the Red Devils are now led by former assistant Adam Hovorka. They’ll kick off at home versus defending Conference III champion Wantagh. And for the third time in four seasons, East Meadow has a new head coach with Matt Castaneda taking over. The Jets are seeded seventh in their return to Conference I and open at home against Hicksville. Former Elmont head coach Jay Hegi is the new head coach at Division.
Veterans in need received food, clothing and household essentials during a community giveaway hosted in East Meadow by the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency and General Needs. Roughly 200 pairs of sneakers and socks for men and women were distributed to veterans. Home Depot and PSEG donated household supplies, while Long Island Cares provided free groceries and fresh produce.
The event brought together volunteers and community partners to support local veterans by helping meet their everyday needs. Organizers said the giveaway reflected a collaborative effort to ensure veterans have access to essential resources and assistance.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 7:00PM
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION
July 30, 2026
Plaintiff, Against CARLA
DESROUILLERES; DAPHNE DORESCA; et al Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 05/19/2026, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 8/10/2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 199 William Street aka 199 Williams Street, Hempstead, NY 11550, and described as follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Section 34 Block 424 Lot 14 and 15. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $1,172,725.90 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 608883/2025 If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.
Jaime D Ezratty, Esq., Referee.
MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 6/19/2026 File Number: 560-5399 CA 161058
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF LB-IGLOO SERIES IV TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. COREY D’ANDRE ARMSTRONG
A/K/A COREY DIANDRE ARMSTRONG, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF
VERGELEAN ARMSTRONG A/K/A VERGELEAN ARMSTRONG-MOSS
A/K/A VERGELEAN A. MOSS, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 24, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 164 Willow Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 36, Block 78 and Lots 42-43. Approximate amount of judgment is $543,917.49 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #612151/2024.
Christy Marie Demelfi, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 242818-1 161052
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. CLARA ARANGO, et al, Defts. Index #617151/2025. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered June 23, 2026, I will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. premises k/a Section 36, Block 285, Lot 302. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days of sale as provided by law. The foreclosure auction will be held, “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health of safety concerns, then the Court appointed Referee will cancel the
foreclosure auction. ERNEST BARTOL, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY. #103066 161200
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L
ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. LESLEY J. TILGHMAN MCGEE, et al, Defts. Index #614581/2025.
Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered June 23, 2026, I will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. premises k/a Section 44, Block 31, Lots 247-248. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. The foreclosure auction will be held, “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or if there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed referee will cancel the sale. LAWRENCE FARBMAN, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY 11021. #103061 161198
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF STARWOOD MORTGAGE RESIDENTIAL TRUST 2019-INV1, Plaintiff, vs. KERRY K. MOHAMMED, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 6, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 81 Front Street a/k/a 81-83 Front Street, Hempstead, NY 11550. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Hempstead, Town of
Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 34, Block 301 and Lot 166. Approximate amount of judgment is $654,532.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #614376/2022.
Linda Agnew, Esq., Referee Friedman Bartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 230896-1 161192
LAMBERT WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-091156-F01 90598 161290
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION HEMPSTEAD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT HEMPSTEAD, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK
by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 185 Peninsula Boulevard, Hempstead, NY 11550.
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
Supreme Court County of Nassau Bank of New York Mellon f//k/a the Bank of New York as Trustee for Nationstar Home Equity Loan Trust 2007FRE1, Plaintiff AGAINST Elsa Dobladillo a/k/a Elsa M. Dobladillo, Pedro Dobladillo a/k/a Pedro A. Dobladillo, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 14, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, North sides of the steps, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 26, 2026 at 2:00 PM premises known as 159 Stewart Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, SECTION: 34, BLOCK: J, LOT: 295. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,077,362.91 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 617429/2023. This sale may be subject to the US Dept of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Real Estate Reporting Rule. In such event, all purchasers are required to provide the information needed for proper reporting in accordance with the terms of sale. For sale information, please visit XOME at www.XOME.com or call 844-400-9663.
Michele Baptiste, Referee FRENKEL
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Special Election will be held on Monday, August 17, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, at ABGS Middle School, 70 Greenwich Street, Hempstead, New York at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine upon the following item: (1) To elect one (1) member of the Board of Education, for a three (3) year term commencing August 17, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the Hempstead Union Free School District, may request an application for a military ballot from the District Clerk in person, by mail to the office of the District Clerk at 185 Peninsula Boulevard, Hempstead, NY 11550, by email to districtclerk@hempstea dschools.org or by fax sent to 516-292-0933. In such request, the military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application by mail, fax or email. A military voter must return the original military ballot application by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 185 Peninsula Boulevard, Hempstead, NY 11550. In order for a military voter to be issued a military ballot, a valid military ballot application must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 22, 2026. Military ballot applications received in accordance with the foregoing will be processed in the same manner as a nonmilitary ballot application under Section 2018-a of the Education Law. The application for a military ballot may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the military ballot by mail, fax, or email. A military voter’s original military ballot application and military ballot must be returned
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, a military voter’s original military ballot must be returned by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 185 Peninsula Boulevard, Hempstead, NY 11550. Military ballots shall be canvassed if they are received by the District Clerk before the close of polls on Monday, August 17, 2026, showing a cancellation mark of the United States Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or received not later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than the day before the election.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that qualified voters with disabilities who seek information about access to polling places may, in advance of the day of the vote, contact the District Clerk at 516-434-4012 for information about accessibility. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, in accordance with Education Law §2018-a and 2018-e, completed absentee and early mail ballot applications may not be received by the District Clerk earlier than the thirtieth (30th) day before the election, i.e., Monday, July 20, 2026 and must be received by the District Clerk no later than seven (7) days before the election, i.e., Monday, August 10, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, i.e., Friday, August 14, 2026, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or the agent named in the absentee or early mail ballot application. Absentee and early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on Monday, August 17, 2026. A list of persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued, and a list of all persons to whom early mail voter’s ballots shall have been issued, will
be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the office of the District Clerk on and after Wednesday, August 12, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., on weekdays prior to the day set for the annual election, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and on Monday, August 17, 2026, the day set for the election. Any qualified voter may, upon examination of such lists, file a written challenge of the qualifications as a voter of any person whose name appears on such lists, stating the reasons for such challenge. Any such written challenge shall be transmitted by the District Clerk or a designee of the Board of Education to the inspectors of election on the day of the election.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that those voters seeking information regarding this special election should contact the Office of the District Clerk at 516-434-4012.
Dated: Hempstead, New York July 1, 2026 By the Order of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE HEMPSTEAD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT Hempstead, New York Neil Boyle, District Clerk 161376
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY WEBSTER BANK N.A., Plaintiff against PRIMROSE CAMPBELL, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016 and 1131 Route 55, Suite 1, Lagrangeville, NY 12540.
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered March 25, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 27, 2026 at 2:30PM. Premises known as 507 Queen Street, North Hempstead, NY 11590. Sec 10 Block 325 Lot 19. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of
land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Westbury, County of Nassau, State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $217,122.45 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 615804/2023. During the COVID-19 health emergency, Bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the sale including but not limited to wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Should a bidder fail to comply, the Referee may refuse to accept any bid, cancel the closing and hold the bidder in default. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Property is being sold subject to a first mortgage.
Robert J Aiello, Esq., Referee File # NY202300000441-1 161432
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF
COUNTY OF NASSAU MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, -againstRAFAEL RIVERA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF CELINA RIVERA F/K/A CELINA MOJICA, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on May 4, 2026, wherein MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC is the Plaintiff and RAFAEL RIVERA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE
Chris Colucci / Herald
Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, at podium, was joined by Legislator Kayla Knight, left, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby to announce a $10,000 grant from the Nassau County Public Safety Committee.
By CHRIS COLUCCI
ccolucci@liherald.com
Around 11:30 a.m., minutes after Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti announced an initiative on July 16 to increase equipment for the town’s Shark Patrol, local beaches at Lido, Point Lookout, Malibu and Nickerson were shut down after a shark was seen off the coast.
The beaches were closed for roughly an hour after the confirmed sighting. No injuries were reported. The shark’s size and species could not be confirmed.
Eastern sections of Ocean Beach Park, located west of the incident, were temporarily closed. Lifeguards used Jet Skis to search the area and ensure security before eventually reopening access to the beach.
Town lifeguards spotted the shark and beachgoers were quickly pulled from the water.
The Shark Patrol followed protocol, with a lifeguard patrolling the water in a Jet Ski while drone operator Andrew O’Brien, a town lifeguard since 1996, monitored the area from overhead. The shark was initially reported to be heading west but was not spotted again.
Lynne Smith, a current resident of Char-
lotte, NC, grew up in the area and was visiting family in Lido Beach. Smith was sitting beachfront, unconcerned and unbothered by the shark sighting.
“We always vacationed in the Outer Banks with the kids when they were young, so you would always hear about sharks,” she said.
Smith noticed the lifeguards’ urgent activity, setting up red flags and pulling swimmers from the water, and asked if there was a riptide concern. “They said, ‘No, active marine life.’” She explained. “We saw the helicopter going. And the birds did get very active around here.”
At the news conference earlier in the day, Ferretti said that Rockaway Beach, located roughly 10 miles west of Lido Beach, has reported 23 shark sightings in the past eight weeks — 16 of those sightings happening just this month.
On July 2, a shark was spotted in Lido Beach, with a confirmed shark bite taking place at Jones Beach the following day.
“Every morning, before our beaches open to the public, town lifeguards sweep the waters with a drone equipped with thermal and infrared technology,” Ferretti explained.
HEMPSTEAD
Established April 12, 1956
Incorporating WEST HEMPSTEAD
Joseph D’AlessAnDro
2
Phone: (516) 569-4000
Fax: (516) 569-4942
Web: www.liherald.com
here’s a particular quality to the light when the smoke arrives. It goes flat and white, the sun turns into a coin you can look at directly, and the air smells faintly like someone three houses down is burning leaves. It has happened enough times now that Long Islanders recognize it.
The fires are in Canada. Ontario mostly, sometimes the prairie provinces — a thousand miles and more from here, far enough that the smoke spends days in transit before it reaches us. And it reaches us anyway. It settles over Rockville Centre and Garden City and Long Beach. It gets into the lungs of kids at day camp in Merrick who have never heard the phrase “boreal forest.”
There is something clarifying about that, if you let it be.
We are accustomed to thinking of our lives as local, and with good reason. This newspaper exists because the things that shape a day here — the school calendar, the traffic on Sunrise Highway, whether the field will be playable Saturday morning — are decided close to home by people you might run into at the deli. That proximity is the texture of life in a place like ours. The distance between a thing and its cause is usually short enough to walk.
To the Editor:
Barely a day goes by that I don’t receive at least one mailing from John Ferretti expounding on all of his successes as Town of Hempstead supervisor. He claims that he is hard at work for the people of the town. He claims to have lowered town taxes, that he is working to ensure that our water is safe to drink, and is working with Nassau County to protect religious institutions. Just because he makes these claims doesn’t mean they aren’t just alternative facts.
The truth is that since he became supervisor — with the questionable means by which he was made the incumbent for his election — town taxes have increased 12 percent, our
Smoke from a forest a thousand miles away is a different phenomenon. It did not come from anything anyone here did or failed to do. And at the end of that very long chain sits your daughter’s soccer practice.
Why more of it, and why now? Because the climate is warming and the northern forest is drying out as a result. Spring snowpack melts earlier than it used to. Summers run longer and hotter, and the peat and duff beneath the trees turn into something that holds fire the way a sponge holds water — slowly, deep down and for a very long time.
Fires that once burned themselves out now smolder underground through the winter and surface again in spring. More fire, more smoke. And the same atmospheric machinery that has always carried Canadian cold fronts down to the Northeast now carries the smoke with them.
The smoke isn’t doing anything unusual. It is riding the same currents that have brought us our weather since before there was a Long Island to bring it to — the northwest flow behind a front, the same air that gives us a crisp October morning and the frigid air of January. We have always been downwind of Canada. We simply had no occa-
sion to notice.
That’s what makes this worth sitting with. Not the fires themselves, but what they reveal about connection. Something we didn’t do, in a place most of us have never been, is now a feature of summer on Long Island.
And what we do continues downwind. The exhaust from the Meadowbrook, the fertilizer that leaves a lawn in Wantagh and ends up in the bay, the plume from a stack in Island Park — none of that stays put, either. Our runoff is someone else’s smoke.
There is a version of this line of thinking that curdles into helplessness, and we would steer away from it. Being connected to a place you cannot influence isn’t the same as being powerless. It is mostly an invitation to pay attention — to the bay, to the air, to the small local things that are, somewhere downwind, someone else’s inherited condition.
The sky has cleared — but it will haze over again. If not this summer, then next. And each time it does, it is worth taking a moment to notice the strangeness: that we are downwind of a forest we will likely never see, and that somewhere, someone we will never meet is downwind of us.
carry your heart
My husband, Donnie Kreiss, died on July 12, at home, just days after our 58th anniversary. He was 80, and had been living with pancreatic cancer since it was diagnosed in 2023.
Donnie did not go gently. As Dylan Thomas wrote, he raged against the dying of the light, from the moment he knew he had this relentless cancer until two Sundays ago, when he drew a quiet breath and then no more. Our son and daughter were with him.
My sister, Meryl Greenbaum, was with us. The loving good wishes of everyone he knew were with us.
He had been drifting away for the previous 10 days, suffering the side effects of three years of treatment. Still, in early June he was walking laps in our building, and in April the family had gathered for his birthday dinner. He pushed his athlete’s body beyond anyone’s expectation, and the night he died,
water rates are up 33 percent, and our energy rates continue to climb. Due to the lack of transparency, we have no idea where our hard-earned tax dollars are going or to whom.
I met Ferretti’s opponent, Joe Scianablo, for the first time when he attended a parlor meeting at my home. I was impressed not only with his background, but also his sincerity and his desire to continue serving the public. Scianablo has spent his entire adult life as a public servant. He served multiple deployments in the Marines in East Timor, Eritrea, and Iraq, then was a New York City police officer, focusing on domestic violence cases, in which helped victims find safety and justice. He is a former prosecutor in the Queens district attorney’s office, where he advocated for survivors of domestic violence.
I believed Scianablo when he said his focus would be to ensure that our tax dollars and resources benefit all the people in the Town of Hempstead, not just the favored ones. He isn’t a career politician, but will be a politician who has made a career of service. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to meet him to do so. I think you will come away as impressed as I was.
CHERIE FEINBERG Lawrence
we rang the bell for him, because every single day he lived since 2023 was a tribute to his courage.
triumph over adversity.
HDonnie never felt sorry for himself. In his last days on earth he was reaching out to friends who had heartache, relationship woes, business setbacks or medical problems. He preached a gospel of positivity, insisting on finding threads of hope. He left a legacy of goodness and generosity, changing the lives of so many people along the way.
e always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw.
Donnie was a native Lawrencian. He was born in 1946 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital to Lillian and Jack Kreiss, who lived at 16 Muriel Ave. in Lawrence. When he was 2, he contracted bacterial meningitis, which was usually fatal in those days. He was in isolation at St Joseph’s Hospital, in Far Rockaway, for two months. That was the first of his medical miracle recoveries, which included a fractured skull when he was 10, heart attacks at 40 and 50, bypass surgery, congestive heart failure and cervical spine surgery. He recited his near-misses enthusiastically, as if they were a resume, not of suffering but of
Donnie was a gifted athlete who ran track and played varsity football, basketball and golf. He was a beautiful man, and we fell hard in love as teenagers. We graduated together in 1964 from Lawrence High. When we married and settled in Woodmere, his second home was the Lawrence Golf Club, where his father was president and then, 50 years later, he was president. In recent years his home course was on Longboat Key, Fla., where last year he was named Most Inspirational Golfer of the Year, an award they created for him.
Don started his own business in 1969, selling slippers and bras and panties. He loved selling, and he was the best salesman because he could out-wait, out-talk and outlast any buyer he encountered.
He always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw. He drew on a deep well of generosity and kindness.
Our children, Jason, Rochelle, Jocelyn and Josh, were, as Auden said, his north, south, east and west. His grandchildren, Sabrina, Jacob, Elijah and
Emi, brought light and delight into his life. “Did you talk to the kids today?” was his mantra.
Despite his lifelong medical issues, Don was a rough and ready traveler, up for any adventure. We spent five summers exploring Montana when the kids were teenagers, and then for decades we traveled the world, from Komodo Island, in Indonesia, to the Alaska wilderness, from Bali to Singapore to Tasmania and New Zealand. Nothing stopped him.
Obituaries are the last public words written about someone. I never expected to write Donnie’s obituary, which I hope is more like telling the story of his life. Which is also the story of my life. As Cummings wrote, I carry his heart in my heart.
He trusted me to shepherd him through these last years, to get to the right doctors, to hold hands as we heard the diagnoses that limited his days. He wanted time, he said over and over again. I did my best, but time was not in my hands. I believe he would have wanted me to write this, the last words about him, from a place of love and longing, happy remembrance, and sadness that he did not have more days to grace our lives.
Copyright 2026 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
FraMework
8.04.2026 • 8:30AM - 3:30PM
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