Tim Baker/Herald
The 2026 National Hockey League’s All-Star game, to be hosted at Elmont’s own UBS Arena, will serve as an appetizer to the 2026 Winter Olympics hosted in Italy. Story, Page 9.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 27, a fire, which originated at the Jadwiga’s Polish American Deli on West Lincoln Avenue, ravaged a row of neighboring businesses on Rockaway Avenue.
After more than five hours, the skeleton of the building remained, but the trio of storefronts — Hearing Center of Long Island, Valley Stream Pharmacy, and Orange Skye Day Spa—were gutted beyond recognition.
Mayor Edwin Fare described it as a “total loss.” In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, police taped off the ruined storefronts, most of
them stripped of their front windows and doors, with charred rubble and shattered glass spilled onto the sidewalk.
The sidewalk debris has since been swept clean and the vacant storefronts have been boarded up —standing now as a sore reminder of the loss to business owners and the community — and a blow to a main business district still struggling to restore its commercial presence.
“I found out about what happened when I arrived at the office that morning,” said Dr. Larry Cardano, owner of the Hearing Center of Long Island. “We had made a home there for myself and my patients for over 20 years so it
A total of $2.4 million from the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project’s funding agreement has been allocated to the Elmont school district for security enhancements of doors in the district’s six elementary schools. A Feb. 5 news release from the district reported that the money, generated by operations at Belmont Park, was received by the district and earmarked for the purchase and installation of security doors in classrooms throughout the district. According to Candace Gomez, the school district’s attorney, the funding agreement with the New York State Urban Development Corporation, also known as Empire State Development, was finalized in June.
Ia lockdown.
“The doors also will have sensors on them with latches,” Thomas Galante, a business consultant for the district, explained at the Feb. 6 Board of Education meeting. “So you can hit a button and the entire building on the interior — no one’s going in and out of any doors or any classrooms.”
t really is going to be important to help offset taxes here and add educational services.
Asked by Elmont resident Trecia Wong how the board decided that the funds from ESD would be used to enhance security, and what other measures were considered, Galante said that other schools were bolstering their door security.
Interior doors in the school buildings will be replaced with secure doors that will offer more protection in the event of
Even though the funding agreement was reached eight months ago, Galante explained that the installation of the doors could take 18 to 24 months. The school still needs to have details drawn up and sent to the state for building permit approval, after which vendors will submit bids to do the work,
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Bob Beckwith rushed out of retirement as a New York City firefighter to help a friend find his missing son at ground zero, three days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that shook New York City — and the country — to its core.
This selfless choice turned Beckwith into a beacon of hope for the nation when he stood on the rubble at President George W. Bush’s side — hope he embodied until the day he died on Feb. 4. He was 91.
Beckwith ultimately succumbed to a 9/11-related melanoma, and was remembered by family, friends, leaders and a large number of off-duty firemen during Beckwith’s Feb. 10 funeral in Baldwin, before he was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.
Some will remember Beckwith for the iconic photo and video featuring him with Bush on Sept. 14, 2001, while others recall how Beckwith was a humble man who would sit in the back row of St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin every Saturday evening while still finding time to visit a Levittown diner with his friends each week.
Beckwith enjoyed playing the piano, fishing, watching “Jeopardy,” spending time with his grandchildren, and attending their lacrosse games. He also took part Irish step dance competitions, and spent time at the Baldwin American Legion post.
Beckwith was an ordinary man, he would proclaim, who by chance was given the opportunity to uplift Americans during one the country’s darkest times.
Beckwith was retired for more than a decade after 30 years of service with the New York City Fire Department when he learned the son of his old friend, Jimmy Boyle, was missing amid the ruins of the twin towers.
However, for the fortunate few who have assets, including life insurance, that may exceed roughly seven million dollars, there is a significant tax liability. Changes in New York estate tax law in the last few years introduced a “fiscal cliff”. Whereas formerly New York only taxed the amount over the exemption, if you exceed the limit today (by a mere 5%) they tax the whole estate. You’re over the cliff!
The tax is surprisingly large. On a roughly seven million dollar estate, the taxes payable to New York exceed five hundred thousand dollars. An estate over ten million would owe over a million in estate tax.
These New York estate taxes are avoidable if you have a spouse and you create an estate plan using two trusts, which doubles the exemption. Another way to avoid the fiscal cliff is to use the “Santa Clause” providing that you gift to charities of your choice all amounts over the exemption. Gifts to charities are deductible
inspiring words, with his arm draped around Beckwith.
“America, today, is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, and for the families who mourn,” Bush said at the time.
Bush would remain close to Beckwith, and shared a statement for former U.S. Rep. Peter King to read at his funeral.
“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of Bob Beckwith,” Bush said, explaining how the retired firefighter raced toward danger, showcasing the resilient spirit of all Americans during 9/11.
“I want to say that no one is indispensable,” King said in his own eulogy. “Bob Beckwith is indispensable. He was one of a kind.”
Beckwith was born April 16, 1932 in Astoria. After graduating from Rice High School in Manhattan in 1952, Beckwith joined the U.S. Navy n the tail end of the Korean war, before going on to study at LaGuardia Community College.
After graduating, Beckwith held various jobs like driving for UPS. But it was in 1964 Beckwith became an FDNY firefighter, kickstarting a 30-year career with the department.
Having lost two sons of his own, Beckwith understood the grief Boyle was going through.
So, he sprang into action and headed to ground zero while the rest of the nation remained in shock.
Beckwith later described how he was just in the right spot at the right time. Bush was paying his respects to those lost at ground zero, and wanted to speak directly to those who were digging through the rubble looking for survivors.
The president spotted Beckwith, and had him stand next to him where, using a megaphone, Bush delivered
from estate taxes.
While the Federal estate tax exemption of 13.61 million is “portable”, i.e. if the first spouse doesn’t use their exemption or any part of it, it passes to the surviving spouse, New York does not allow for portability. It’s use it or lose it.
The Federal exemption is expected to be reduced from the 13.61 million exemption, passed by the Trump administration, to the 6.94 million, adjusted for inflation, that New York uses, at the end of 2025. For larger estates, there remains a planning opportunity by making gifts while the higher exemption is in place. You may use any of your Federal estate tax exemptions to make gifts while you are living. These gifts are reported to the IRS and get subtracted from what you may give at death.
One added attraction to gifting is that New York does not tax gifts -- so that gifts may also be used to avoid onerous New York estate taxes at death. There is a minor exception that gifts made within three years of the death of the donor are brought back into the donor’s estate for New York estate tax purposes.
Beckwith met his wife Barbara at a picnic in 1956. They were married a year later, settling down on Fairview Avenue in Baldwin, where they raised their six children.
Beckwith retired from the FDNY in 1994. He would find himself enjoying time at home, entertained by his two great-grandsons with a smile across his face.
Besides his wife, Beckwith is survived by daughter Christine; sons Bob, Richard and Stephen; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by sons Joseph and Tommy.
Christine Rivera/Herald
Members of American Legion Post 1033 in Elmont gather with veterans and auxiliary members from across Nassau County at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck. Auxiliary President
Debbie Tirman, Adjutant
Bill DePietro, Treasurer
Sharon Davis, Sgt. at Arms Ralph Esposito, Vice Commander Phoebe Ervin, Auxiliary Treasurer
Joanne Esposito, Chambers Member
Sharran Murphy and Auxiliary Secretary
Theresa Tribble.
American Legion veterans and auxiliary members all across Nassau County — including members of Post 1033 in Elmont — gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck on Saturday for the annual Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night.
This year’s celebration marked the first time that the American Legions of Nassau County hosted the 69th annual Valor Awards presentation for active duty service members of the American Legion Aviators’ Post No. 743.
The program also acknowledged several distinguished guests, including Department Commander Timothy Collmer, Vice Commander Michael Rodriguez, 10th District Commander James Trainor, Nassau County Commander Sean Hood, Suffolk County Commander Kenneth Dolan, Queens County Commander Casey Bileris and Nassau County Legionnaire of the Year Al Ficalora of Baldwin Post 246.
Members of the American Legion Auxiliary — the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization — the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders were also recognized for their contributions and service.
The first Valor Award was presented in 1953 to United States Air Force General Henry “Hap” Arnold for his leadership during World War II.
Since then, it has become an annual tradition to recognize military aviators who performed a feat of valor, as determined by the Chief of Staff of each of the U.S. Armed Forces.
In recognition of their accomplishments in the line of duty, this year’s Military Ball and Post Commander’s night event recognized three esteemed aviators for their distinguished acts of valor.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Zachary Bowers, a fleet standardization flight examiner and instructor pilot from Sacramento, California, was presented with the 2019 Aviator Valor Award for a Medevac rescue in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where he and his crew helped transport a 60-year-old man with respiratory failure and high-risk morbidly obese pregnant female who was at risk of bleeding out if she went into labor despite poor visibility, high winds, heavy rain and engine anti-ice failure. Both individuals were successfully transported to a hospital in Anchorage. The 60-year-old man was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. Had he not been transported to the hospital, he would have died.
Lt. Lars Anderson served both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard as a flight instructor pilot.
He was presented with the 2020 Aviator Valor Award for a non-maritime Medevac rescue of two men in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Throughout the course of his military career he has accrued more than 5,500 flight hours and has received five Humanitarian Service
Medals and numerous commendations for his service. He currently works as a commercial airline pilot and resides in Tennessee, with his wife, Kelly, and four kids Bengt, Hannah, Annika and Linnea.
U.S. Air Force Captain David C. Bennett, the operations flight commander of the 40th Helicopter Squadron at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, is a UH-1N pilot in support of nuclear defense operations. He was presented with the 2022 Aviator Valor Award for a search and rescue mission where he rescued an elderly man, who was suffering from a severe medical emergency in his remote mountain cabin. Bennett calculated an optimal fuel state to allow the crew to have largest amount of power to affect the rescue, which proved critical as whiteout and downdraft conditions in the landing zone required maximum torque available for takeoff. Coordinating with local emergency services, Bennett set up a transfer at the international airport, due to the inability to offload at Benefis Hospital. He has served as a resource advisor, chief of scheduling, executive officer and currently holds the rank of instructor pilot.
Hundreds of veterans and their families gathered around to celebrate the accomplishments of these three men, who in the face of danger, showed unparalleled bravery and expertise.
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was totally unexpected.
“My first thought was how we’re going take care of our patients.”
WAs roughly 21 fire departments across the South Shore and 150 firefighters raced to the scene, fire officials were not able to stave off the blaze from completely engulfing the commercial building from the inside.
e had made a home there for myself and my patients for over twenty years so it was totally unexpected.
Dr. Larry CarDano Owner Hearing Center of Long IslandMayor Fare was saddened by the loss but stressed no lives were lost: “Property can be replaced, people cannot.”
Apart from three firefighters, no one was harmed. The cause of the fire, after more than two weeks, remains “indeterminant” according to the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office.
Why the fire was so devastating Fire officials said that a vulnerability in the building’s design caused the fire to spread faster.
It all began at the rear of the stores. By the time firefighters entered the building, the fire had already made its way into a common loft space between the ceiling and the roof, spanning the tops of all four stores, which firefighters described as a “cockloft.”
Cockloft fires are notoriously difficult and dangerous to put out, according to fire experts. For one thing, cocklofts are combustible empty spaces designed to trap and disperse heat through vents. When on fire, they are prone to smoke explosions, commonly known as backdrafts, as oxygen meets extreme heat within their confined space.
That’s just the dangerous part.
“We had heavy tin ceilings we had to pull down to access the cockloft,” said Village Fire Chief Patrick Scanlon,
according to reports. “Tin ceilings are very labor intensive and very hard to pull down so we needed long hooks and a lot of firefighters to help put it out.”
“In this case with these stores, you had the regular drop ceiling with white tiles. That was approximately eight to 10 feet from the floor and then a gap to the tin ceilings, which was holding the fire back in the cockloft,” said Village Fire Department media liaison Brian Grogan. “When these ceilings come down, there’s a bunch of wiring that comes down with it, which can be an obstacle, tangle up or get stuck in our boots, and those have to be clipped.”
As firefighters toiled to reach the cockloft, the odds of sparing the rest of the building from the fast-moving flames evaporated with each passing moment. In the end, the building’s fire safety deficiencies were no match for
the blaze. The interior had been laid to waste.
Not all buildings are as susceptible to fire destruction as large as the one seen on Rockaway Avenue. Experts note that depending on fire code requirements and building factors, newer commercial buildings whose stores share a cockloft space often have fire barriers or gaps between them to lessen the damage In the event of a fire.
The fire-ravaged building on Rockaway Avenue was built in 1937, noted Mayor Ed Fare, when many of the currently existing “zoning and building codes, and many safety and fire regula-
to donate to the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce’s business relief fund, go to: bit.ly/
ValleyStreamrecovers.
tions” weren’t in place.
Officials from the Nassau County Fire Marshal confirmed Fare’s assessment, referring to the building as a “pre-existing, non-conforming” structure.
It did not have firewalls or any sort of fire protection in the cockloft space, noted village fire officials, adding that Rockaway Avenue is home to several of these kinds of older commercial buildings. Some house rows of stores or cluster them together; several of which are “tricky” to navigate and handle should they ever become a battleground for firefighters.
Fare assured that current safety standards will be met if the commercial space is rebuilt.
“Current codes must be followed for all reconstruction,” assured Fare. “This responsibility will fall to the owners and their design, architectural, and engineering professionals to comply with all State, County, and Village codes.”
At least for his business, Cardano has found hope in the ashes of the disaster. He’s moved his practice right around the corner to 20 West Lincoln Avenue.
“In the long term, the new location has more space and allowed us to upgrade our equipment, setting up our office based on the newest methods of treatment,” said Cardano, who started seeing patients in early February. “So there is a silver lining in this dark cloud.
“I was surprised at the outpouring of support, calling and texting me to show their support and ask how they can help. I’m glad we’re able to get into our new location so quickly, and I extend my condolences to the other business owners.”
On Feb. 7, an unidentified individual stole a package from a residence on Litchfield Avenue in Elmont at midnight.
On Feb. 1, Franklin Square resident Deborah R. Fama-Curcio, 69, was arrested for allegedly shoplifting from King Kullen on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset at 7:10 p.m.
On Feb. 2, Malverne resident Chad
Walsh, 31, was arrested for allegedly shoplifting from Walgreens on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square at 4:39 p.m.
On Feb. 12, Hempstead resident Jose Genaro, Hernandez Perez, 54, was arrested for alleged criminal mischief at Green Gas Station on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont at 11 a.m.
On Feb. 12, Elmont resident Deval D. Booker, 32, was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Babylon Turnpike and Carroll Street in Roosevelt at 1:25 a.m.
People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.
Courtesy Valley Stream Fire Department Valley Stream residents and business owners come to terms with the destruction of longstanding businesses on West Lincoln avenue and rockaway avenue on Jan. 27.the bids will be reviewed and a vendor will ultimately be approved by the board.
According to redevelopment project estimates, roughly $154 million, the result of an agreement between the state and Nassau County, will go to the Sewanhaka and Elmont school districts over the next five decades. Sewanhaka will have to negotiate its own agreement with the developers, according to the Elmont school board.
The leases negotiated for the development of the Belmont Park property included payments to be made to ESD for the benefit of the affected tax jurisdictions, including the school districts, the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County.
“By entering into the critical funding agreement, ESD has secured and delivered much-needed resources for the community,” Empire State Development’s downstate communications director, Emily Mijatovic, said. “As the project moves forward, ESD will continue working diligently on behalf of the Elmont community to ensure the delivery of promised funds and benefits from the development.”
At the Feb. 6 meeting, Simmonie Swaby, of Elmont, who advocated for the redevelopment project, expressed concerns about whether the agreement satisfied the benefits negotiated for the
ing this district will receive by far from any organization other the state of New York,” Galante said. “So it really is going to be important to help offset taxes here and add educational services.”
School board Vice President Tiffany Capers responded to attendees’ questions about the press release sent out by the district, and said that it had not been cleared with the school district’s attorney or a majority of the board. The release, Capers said, was sent out by board President Nancy Garlick and Trustee Michael Jaime.
Some community members were outraged, and one audience member called out that “people are being froze out” of decision-making.
Dwayne Palmer, of Elmont, said, “To have a trustee say in an open meeting that there were two members that are unilaterally making decisions that affect the funding sources of this community, right? — not their money, our money — is wholly unacceptable.”
community.
“I live in the community — people hold me accountable, hold others accountable who went out and said this was a good idea for this town,” Swaby said. “So if there are benefits as it relates to these payments, I want to fully understand it to make sure the district is getting its just desserts.”
Galante said that the funding agree -
ment is to the schools’ advantage. The school district’s news release stated that additional funds would be determined each year for the duration of the 49-year agreement between the district and ESD.
“I think when all is said and done — and this is my own gut — but over 49 years, at the pace that this revenue is, this will be the largest amount of fund-
Gomez clarified that while the release was not approved by the entire board, the funding agreement itself was voted on by the board. Garlick said that a release does not have to go to the board vice president before it is posted.
“That statement speaks for itself,” Garlick said. “Every statement does not need to be approved by the vice president and the president.”
OpenAI, an artificial intelligence and research company, publicly released ChatGPT-3 on Nov. 30, 2022. Now, a little more than a year later, the sophisticated chatbot — with more than 180 million monthly users — is seemingly developing faster than users can keep up. To understand how this language model became one of the most technologically advanced virtual assistants in the world, you have to go back nearly 75 years.
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First part in a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools, and over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.
Artificial intelligence — it all starts with an idea. One developed by a computer programmed to mimic the human intelligence process through learning, reasoning and self-correction.
AI is already deeply ingrained in society. Whether it be smartphones with virtual assistants like Siri and Bixby, search engines making suggestions for what we’re looking for online, to even the spam filtering and email categorization in email platforms like Gmail.
The fast-growing advancements of AI may be hard to keep up with, especially as more and more platforms develop that specialize in AI like ChatGPT and Canva.
Television and news outlets focus more on how AI can turn your dog into a Muppet, or how it can instantly write a sonnet about someone’s favorite desserts.
But AI is finding its way into more and more of our everyday lives and it’s something that has institutions like our public schools racing to find the best ways to not only adapt, but to appropriately integrate AI into the classroom.
receives,” ChatGPT responded when asked what it was designed for.
It’s commonly used to answer a variety of questions, or brainstorm ideas. It can help draft emails and compose essays. It can help with extensive research, and even translate text from one language to another.
And for those looking to be a little less serious, ChatGPT can tell jokes, strike up a casual conversation, and even participate in storytelling and roleplaying scenarios.
But it can also write term papers, or essays. Or complete homework. And detecting when AI is being used is virtually impossible. That has created some concerns for school administrators, while at the same time tasking them to redevelop curriculum that prepares future minds for a future where AI is prevalent.
Ting Wang, a Stony Brook University associate professor who also directs its Algorithmic Learning, Privacy and Security Lab, describes the original conception of AI as “a feeble attempt to recreate intelligence and to help humans achieve specific tasks.” He believes developers have come a long way in achieving success doing just that.
ChatGPT is a popular example of this. Launched in late 2022, the software describes itself as an online interface that is “like having a conversation with a very knowledgeable and helpful friend — except this friend is actually a computer program.” It has been trained on swaths of data, making it capable of completing many different tasks ranging from gathering information, getting some helpful advice, or even looking to simply have a friendly chat.
“ChatGPT is designed for generating human-like text based on the input it
“From the academic perspective, I think one of the challenges is that it’s becoming harder and harder to obtain these AI models because they’re super expensive, the training costs, and have a requirement of huge amounts of data,” Wang said. “Those type of resources are not so accessible for the academia world.”
Google, Bing and other search engines have used forms of artificial intelligence for years, but more recently began making its integration more obvious. Google integrated what it calls “generative AI” into its systems some 20 years ago, which typically predicts the next word in a search phrase.
ChatGPT also can edit certain articles, blog posts or other forms of writing. If someone asks ChatGPT to write an email with specific requirements, for example, the AI can handle it because its “training” has covered these sort of scenarios. What makes ChatGPT unique from other AI platforms, Wang said, is the massive amounts of data that “trains” it.
“You can see many artists, especially digital artists, using this program to create content that you cannot easily create manually,” Wang said.
Brett Tanzer — a product management vice president for Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure — says models created by AI developers are installed in products like Bing and Microsoft Copilot, an
A reporter asks ChatGPT to describe not only itself, but the artificial intelligence language model that powers it. AI has gone from science-fiction to science-fact, and schools are among a number of institutions around the world working to adapt.
AI companion technology which utilizes ChatGPT among other language models, to aid users in their day-to-day lives.
This helps users brainstorm alternatives for ideas on a given issue if they get stuck.
“It’s already being applied to help people reduce workforce time,” Tanzer said.
Creatives aren’t the only ones utilizing AI for their work. Many in the health care industries are using AI products like those offered by Microsoft to accelerate medical research for advanced treatment and diagnosis of diseases.
“That’s really helping practitioners and doctors in their day-to-day experiences with patients,” Tanzer said.
Educators are utilizing AI in classrooms around Nassau County. In Franklin Square, for example, a robot named Milo interacts with students to help them hone their social and emotional skills.
Pamela Taylor, Franklin Square’s pupil personnel services director, said at the time the school had done a lot of
training to bring Milo into the classroom.
While Milo is the first robot of its kind to be used in a Long Island classroom, its ability to work with students on their confidence in emotional skills is something Taylor is eager to spread throughout the district.
“We are looking to expand,” she said, “because he’s appropriate for all learners.”
An artificial intelligence elective course at Bellmore-Merrick school district’s Sanford H. Calhoun High School is teaching students about the basic principles of AI through exposure to machine-learning algorithms in Python computer programming language.
Danielle Caliendo, a math and computer science chair at Calhoun, says this course prepares students for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“It also equips them with the skills necessary for today’s world where artificial intelligence is shaping the way we live and work,” Caliendo said, in a
The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is coined by John McCarthy. Computer scientist Arthur Samuel develops a program called ‘Samuel’s Checker Players’ to play checkers, which is the first to ever learn the game independently. Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Lederberg create the first ‘expert system’ called Denral, which was AI programmed to replicate the thinking and decision-making abilities of human experts. The purpose of this program was to map the structure of molecules, and to help chemists identify unknown organic molecules. MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum creates the first chatbot called Eliza to simulate human conversations. The program was designed to mimic human conversation, utilizing words users entered into a computer, and then pairing them to a list of possible scripted responses. 1952: Nicole Wagner/HeraldThe U.S. government
little interest in continuing to fund AI research.
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AI is booming. Government funding led to breakthroughs in research. The use of the expert system program becomes more popular, allowing computers to learn from their mistakes and make independent decisions. This leads to the development of the Fifth Generation Computer project, with a goal of creating computers that could converse in human language and express reasoning on a human level.
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recent interview.
What does the future hold for AI?
Overall AI research at Stony Brook is intended to maximize the practical impact of artificial intelligence. Wang works on AI’s resilience against malicious manipulations, preserving privacy among users, and making the data written by AI more transparent and interpretable to users.
“People don’t have a great understanding of what AI can and can’t do,” Wang said. “I think people use AI as a magical box, and it actually may not work as expected for normal users.”
Yties to transform power in engineering, productivity, health care and cybersecurity.
Wang envisions ChatGPT becoming even more customizable and personalized than it is now. Although it’s already quite adaptable, users have their own individual requirements and writing styles that ChatGPT is not necessarily trained to understand.
ou can see many artists . . . to create content that you cannot easily create manually
TIng W Ang associate professor Stony Brook UniversityAs AI models become more sophisticated, Tanzer said, Microsoft has its sights set on developing models with advanced capabili-
“You may want the program to draft an email in your own style and have your own specific writing requirements,” Wang said, “and currently, the chatbot may not be able to do that.
”It’s an ever-evolving landscape,” Wang said. “I think from the perspective of classroom teaching, people are still trying to figure out what is the best way to harness the power of AI, and at the same time kind of limit and curve the harmful impact of this technology.”
third-grade students at franklin Square’s John Street School learn how to hone their social and emotional skills with the help of milo the robot. equipped with adaptive artificial intelligence, milo is designed to read facial cues from those around him to teach students techniques to cope with their emotions.
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Deep Blue — a computer run by the AI program alpha–beta search algorithm and developed by IBM — beats world chess champion Gary Kasparov, becoming the first computer program to beat a human chess champion. This kickstarts an era introducing AI into everyday life through innovations such as the first Roomba and speech recognition software on Windows computers.
Apple releases Siri, the first popular virtual assistant, found primarily on the company’s iPhones.
Amazon releases the Echo, powered by a voicecontrolled intelligent personal assistant named Alexa. These devices are smart speakers equipped with microphones for voice commands.
Google releases the Google Assistant and its voice-activated speaker: the Google Nest.
OpenAI starts beta testing GPT-3, a model that uses deep learning — a method of AI that teaches computers to process data in a way that mimics the human brain — to create code, poetry and other writing tasks.
Sewanhaka High School’s gym was rocking from the opening tip of a Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball firstround playoff game Feb. 15 and senior Jordan Tucker made sure it stayed that way.
Tucker scored the first nine points for the hosts and finished with 24, and classmate Dylan McLennon added 15 as the eighth-seeded Indians cruised to a 67-39 victory over No. 9 Hewlett in front of a rowdy crowd.
“We love playing at home it’s a different type of energy,” said Tucker, who brought the house down midway through the second quarter with a breakaway dunk that gave Sewanhaka a 20-10 lead. “We’re like a family,” he added. “We feed off the crowd and each other.”
Senior Dominic Reed added 9 points for the Indians (15-6), who advance to face top-seeded Great Neck South in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Rebels received the only bye in the 17-team tournament.
“We don’t care what seed we are or who we play,” Sewanhaka head coach
Jay Allen said. “We’re just going to get after it.
“Today we came out with intensity and never let up,” he added. “We scouted a lot of Hewlett games and noticed they didn’t face much pressure, so that was a big part of our game plan and the kids executed.”
Sophomore Justin Ortiz had 18 points and junior Justin Ogilvie added 9 to lead the Bulldogs, who finished 13-8.
“We had a really successful and fun season even though we took our lumps today,” Hewlett head coach Andy DeBernardo said. “It was a wild and wacky environment, but our kids weren’t nervous. We just didn’t play well. They took us out of our offense and we couldn’t recover after scoring only 15 points in the first half.”
Sewanhaka led from start to finish despite senior point guard Nasir McMillan relegated to the bench for most of the first half after picking up two personal fouls within the first three minutes. Juniors Matthew Abreu and Miles Gurley picked up most of the slack and chipped in 5 points apiece.
“We’re a very deep team,” Tucker
said. “Next we have the No. 1 seed. Great Neck South is a good team, but we’re not scared of them. We’re just taking it one game at a time.”
McLennon’s biggest impact in the playoff opener came in the second quarter when he scored nearly half of his points, including a layup at the buzzer that gave the Indians a 28-15 halftime advantage.
The margin swelled in the second half. Sewanhaka had an 11-6 run to start the third quarter and took a comfortable 16-point lead into the fourth. The still-buzzing crowd exploded with under a minute remaining when senior Ernchi Belizaire put the icing on the cake with a three-pointer.
“Our kids kept their focus throughout the game,” Allen said. “We played a really difficult schedule and I always felt that would benefit us come playoff time.”
A defensive adjustment at halftime and a dominant third quarter led by junior Makayla Daube and senior Grace Glynn spurred No. 9 Mepham to a come-from-behind 51-41 victory at eighth-seeded Elmont last Friday in a Nassau Class AA girls’ basketball first-round playoff matchup.
Daube had a game-high 19 points and game-high 22 rebounds and was instrumental during a 16-point run by the Pirates that began with senior point guard Ashley Felsberg’s basket just before halftime and included more than half of Glynn’s seasonhigh 14 points in a third quarter that saw the Spartans held scoreless.
“This was such an incredible team effort,” said Daube, who had 11 fourth-quarter points to help Mepham (12-9) protect the lead. “We’ve had some good wins this season, but not in this type of environment with so much at stake. I’m really proud of everyone.”
The Pirates, who trailed Elmont by as many as nine in the first half, advance to face top-seeded and defending county Class A champion
Manhasset in the quarterfinals. Felsberg had 10 points and senior Briann Frier sank a pair of threes in the first quarter.
“We switched from zone to man after halftime and got results,” Mepham head coach Jim Mulvey said. “Elmont shot the lights out in the first half and we had to make an adjustment.
“Makayla put us on her back in the second half, Grace played off the charts, Ashley hit some big shots and got everyone the ball, Brianna kept us close in the first quarter and Sophia [Beck] worked tirelessly on defense,” he added. “This is a tough gym for a visiting team to win in.”
Junior Charlotte Hines paced the Spartans (14-7) with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Sophia Manchoon hit for 9 points, all from behind the arc, and juniors Kyla Moore and Kaitlyn Paulino added 8 and 7 points, respectively.
“All season we were looking forward to getting to this point and advancing, but we just didn’t play with the poise and patience we needed to in the second half,” Elmont head coach Pete Lawson said. “We rushed a lot of shots and Mepham did
a great job on the boards. Once they made their run, we got away from what got us there. It became a domino effect.”
It was only the second defeat in 12 home games for the Spartans, who had control early thanks to the hot hands of Manchoon and Hines. They combined for all but two of Elmont’s opening-quarter points as it built a 19-11 lead.
Daube, who was limited to a free throw in the first, scored seven points in the second but the Pirates still trailed 28-22 at intermission.
The tide turned dramatically after halftime. The Spartans were unable to find the bottom of the net in the third quarter and were outscored 14-0. Mepham’s largest lead was 11 early in the fourth.
“As we kept falling further and further behind, we tried to get it back all at once instead of running our offensive sets,” Lawson said. “We were out of sync and they were rolling.”
The next National Hockey League All-Star Game will be played at UBS Arena in Elmont.
The announcement came Sunday afternoon during the first intermission of the Islanders-Rangers Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium. Islanders legend Denis Potvin broke the news alongside Islanders legend Bryan Trottier during a live interview on ABC with reporter Emily Kaplan.
It’ll take place in 2026 and serve as an appetizer to that year’s Winter Olympics. There will be no All-Star Game next season as the NHL pivots to a 4 Nations Face-Off.
“The National Hockey League is thrilled to have the best and brightest of our game hosted at the spectacular UBS Arena for the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We have been looking forward to UBS Arena playing host to one of our major League events since before construction of this wonderful arena began. We have every confidence that the Islanders organization, led by Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, will deliver a celebration that will make the greater New York region and the NHL proud.”
Additional information on the NHL’s midseason showcase including its dates, ticketing and broadcast information, will be announced when available.
“We are honored to be invited to host the National Hockey League, the game’s finest players and fans from around the world to join us in New York for the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend,” said Malkin, the Islanders’ Majority Owner.
“Whether our guests will be watching the talented players on the ice in UBS Arena, a building built specifically for hockey, shopping in Belmont Park Village
or enjoying pre- and post-game festivities in The Park, the 2026 All-Star weekend will show NHL fans the outstanding destination we have for hockey, shopping and entertainment,” he added.
The 2026 All-Star Weekend will mark the second time the Islanders host NHL All-Star activities, with first being the 1983 edition featuring the Campbell Conference All-Stars defeating the Wales Conference All-Stars 9-3, and Wayne Gretzky claiming NHL AllStar MVP honors at Nassau Coliseum.
Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students at Elmont’s Clara H. Carlson School participated in a Scripps Spelling Bee Competition last month.
Fifteen students competed in the spelling bee after winning their individual classroom spelling bees.
Mackenson Michel, a sixth grader, was named the first place winner by correctly spelling “laundry.” Andrea Persaud, a fifth grader, was named the second place winner, and sixth grader Danilo St. Cyr was named the third place winner.
Michel and Persaud will be submitted to the next level by taking an online test, which would qualify them to compete at the county level.
— Nicole Wagner
Competition.
the school’s Scripps
“After an impressive All-Star Weekend earlier this month, the players are looking forward to raising the bar even higher at UBS Arena in 2026 where we know the New York Islanders will be great hosts for the event,” said Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director. “The NHL All-Star Weekend will be an exciting lead-in to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.”
Fans can sign up to receive news and updates on the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend. Visit www.nhl.com/ Islanders for more information.
Students at Sewanhaka High School learned about teen dating violence during a workshop held by The Safe Center Long Island on Feb. 12.
Ashna Balroop, a senior at Sewanhaka High School, was inspired to spread awareness with her classmates about the issue of domestic violence in teen dating as part of a project for student organization Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, also known as FCCLA. She chose to advocate for teen dating violence after reading up on the topic.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends are dating, and it’s a really important topic that needs to be talked about,” Balroop said.
The workshop helped raise awareness about teen dating violence, covering signs of unhealthy and abusive relationships. Students learned about intensity, possessiveness, isolation, sabotage, belittling, guiling and volatility
“Whether it is verbal or physical, dating violence can encompass anything that makes you feel uncomfortable,” Balroop said.
It also helped students recognize characteristics of safe and healthy relationships. They learned the importance of communication, trust and mutual respect through an activity using orange flags.
During the activity, students were given orange flags to write down what they believed were characteristics of healthy relationships. Then, students and Alyssa Fouad, the educator from The Safe Center, discussed the characteristics to help all participants gain a better understanding of what safe relationships look like.
Fouad told students that they should always be a support system for their peers if they see signs of teen dating violence.
“Creating a safe environment for someone else is extremely important to stop teen dating violence,” Balroop said.
When Balroop surveyed students after the workshop, all of them felt that it was informative.
She reached out to The Safe Center to see how she could support their shelter. She decided to partner with the organization to host a drive at the school collecting: female hygiene products, body wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, washcloths, loofahs, sponge puffs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap. These items help support those who utilize The Safe Center’s resources.
Balroop said the drive was successful, as more than 50 items were collected to help support The Safe Center.
Sewanhaka senior Ashna Balroop and Alyssa Fouad, an educator from the Safe Center Long Island, worked together to gather items for the shelter in Bethpage that supports survivors of domestic violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call (800) 799-7233
Text “START” to 88788
Visit TheHotline.org to chat online
The Safe Center Long Island: Call (516) 542-0404
Visit TSCLI.org to chat online
— Nicole Wagner
Sewanhaka senior Ashna Balroop collected items for the Safe Center Long Island throughout the months of January and February to help survivors of domestic violence.
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.
That’s how the journey started for Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, the beloved character from his acclaimed picture book of the same name. Now, Long Island Children’s Museum takes the magnifying glass to Carle’s curious bugs in its newest exhibit, “Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit.”
Created by the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, it’s a follow-up of sorts to last year’s popular Mo Willems exhibit, which also encouraged kids to step into the creative imagination of a beloved author-illustrator.
Visitors find themselves inside the pages of Carle’s colorful books. His “Very” series — all illustrated in his hand-painted tissue paper collage technique — introduces five special insects who take journeys of discovery. Each story is a testament to Carle’s love of nature along with his recurring themes of friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination.
The colorful picture books — more than 70 in all — have been captivating young children since Carle’s first publishing effort, the counting book “1,2,3 to the Zoo,” in 1968.
From there, his “Very” books took off the following year, beginning with the one that started it all, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” of course. Families were immediately captivated by Carle’s little bugs with big emotions.
There’s a deep-felt connection to the insects, according to Ashley Niver, the museum’s education director.
“Children have a fascination with things that are even smaller than they are because they’re usually the ones looking up at the world,” she said. “I find that they have a lot of care and concern for these small living things. They enjoy the roleplay of being a friend of one or becoming one, like wearing the wings of a butterfly and flying around.”
And, naturally, the insatiable caterpillar holds a special place in everyone’s hearts.
“We’ve had parents mention that they read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ as a child and now they are reading it to their child,” Niver says. “The messaging is something that resonates.”
The exhibit may be indoors, but the focus is fully on the outside world, exploring the diversity of the insect kingdom through Carle’s imagination.
“A lot of people relate to ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’
• Now through May 12, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older; additional fees for theater programming
• View the events calendar at LICM.org for additional information, or call (516) 224-5800
• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.
but there are a lot of other lovely stories,” Niver says. “I don’t think that everyone is as well-versed in some of his other books, so I’m happy that this features some more of them.”
Tumble in the grass, weave a web, find a friend, and even become a butterfly during your visit.
Upon arrival, visitors can follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s path on a journey through largerthan-life pages of the book, eating foods on the way to becoming a butterfly. Once the end is reached, you’re now ready to spread your wings.
The Very Busy Spider component includes a giant, web-like structure to step through. This activity tests dexterity, strength and flexibility as kids move across the challenging surface.
At the Very Busy Spider’s Weaving Wall everyone can try to spin their own web on the large wall, experimenting with a variety of stringy materials.
Master new skills at the Very Clumsy Click Beetle Playscape. Here, visitors rummage across a pile of pebbles, crawl through tall blades of grass, step across stepping stones, and walk across the stem of a poppy flower in this playful landscape. Step up to the challenge and persevere like The Very Clumsy Click Beetle.
Also try to catch some light at the Very Lonely Firefly “Find Your Light” interactive station. Move hands and body to lure a firefly toward you. Even work with others to attract multiple fireflies and try to form a group of the beautifully lit insects.
At another component, kids can touch The Very Quiet Cricket and his friends on a relief mural to trigger a sound and create a one-of-a-kind musical composition. The various insect sounds harmonize together to make a “symphony” comprised of rhythms and sounds found in nature.
The exhibit’s studio portion offers up facts about Carle’s life and artistic process.
“Yellow was his favorite color,” Niver says. “Yellow was always the most challenging for him, which I thought was a cool fact. He only mastered four shades of yellow.”
After all that busyness being a bug, families may want to relax by taking a moment to read some books. The nook area is a cozy spot where everyone can nuzzle up in a reading cocoon and read the “Very” stories together.
Through his stories, Carle reminds us: “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life — music, paintings, theatre, dance and sunsets.”
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actor. Experience her inimitable talent in a spellbinding evening of song that showcases her extraordinary vocal range. Winner of six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy, McDonald possesses a ‘lustrous lyric soprano’ (The New York Times) and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. This stage and screen icon lends her luminous voice and committed stage presence to an intimate concert of Broadway favorites, standards, seldomheard gems, and so much more, accompanied by pianist Jeremy Jordan. With Tony wins in all four eligible acting categories, countless other theatre honors — and a National Medal of Arts conferred by President Barack Obama in 2015, among her other accolades — McDonald is among the most lavishly awarded performers of our time.
Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $60. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.
Celtic-punk rockers Flogging Molly have hit the road with their ‘Road to Rebellion’ tour, sure to rouse audiences with their anthemic odes to the Emerald Isle. Formed in L.A. in 1997 by Irish expat Dave King, the band got its start (and its name) from local bar Molly Malone’s, where they performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for eventual success. Their infectious Celtic-tinged reels are perfect for dancing along to, for those who love their Irish heritage, and those who just want a good time. Expect an eclectic mix of old favorites, sing-a-longs, rare acoustic numbers and new material — all strung together by King’s cheeky tales and jokes and first-rate musicianship. With numerous latenight television appearances, a soldout Salty Dog Cruise through the Caribbean, and a yearly St. Patrick’s Day Festival in L.A., the band’s juggernaut continues.
Sunday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
$79.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
Tusk goes their own way, visiting the Landmark stage with their dynamic tribute to Fleetwood Mac,, Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Since forming in 2008, Tusk has prided themselves on being the ultimate tribute to ‘70s supergroup. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note for note renditions With Tusk it’s all about respect and authenticity. A group of seasoned musicians that go back some 25 years, their attention to detail, talent and reverence of their subjects has been critically acclaimed, resulting in their accolades as the premiere purveyors of ‘Mac. Time, trust, and close friendship have cultivated an intimate familiarity with each other’s musical nuances, shaping each performance with such precision that even the slightest variation, virtually imperceptible to all but the five musicians sharing the stage, is met with a wink and a nod, and usually an inside joke. Tusk is more than a band; they are a family. So if you’re jonesing for your fix of Fleetwood, you’re in the right place! Made up of Kathy Phillips (as Stevie Nicks on vocals), Scott McDonald (as Lindsey Buckingham, guitar and vocals), Kim Williams (as Christine McVie, keys and vocals), Randy Artiglere (as John McVie, bass) and Tom Nelson (as Mick Fleetwood on drums) the five-piece band will transport you back to the group’s glory days with a set list including hits such as the “The Chain,” “Dreams,” ‘Go Your Own Way,” and more, alongside rare gems fans will love hearing again. $63, $53, $45. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.
It’s a beautiful sunny summer day in the meadow. Leo Lionni’s beloved children’s books come to life once again, in “Frederick,” on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 6:15 p.m. (sensory-friendly performance); Saturday, Feb. 23 ,11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Mouse friends Nellie, Sunny, Baby, Ernest, and Frederick are playing their musical instruments and having fun singing, until a leaf falls from the sky — autumn is here! Winter will be coming soon. All the mice get to work gathering supplies for winter, except, where is Frederick? He is gathering supplies, too, in his own unique way.
With toe-tapping Americana music inspired by bluegrass, gospel, and folk, this is an engaging tale about the power of the arts, community, and that no mouse gets left behind. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.
On exhibit
Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Our Gilded Age,” examines the appearances and the realities of an era that mirrors our own in many ways. Like the nation’s economy, American art and literature flourished during the Gilded Age. The art of John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Louis Comfort Tiffany and others adorned palatial residences designed by Stanford White and Ogden Codman Jr., architect of the museum’s own quintessential Gilded Age mansion.
Drawing heavily upon the local literary history of Long Island, including William Cullen Bryant, Mark Twain (who named the Gilded Age), Walt Whitman, Edith Wharton and others, the exhibition will include paintings, fashion, decorative arts including period silver and china, photographs, manuscripts, first editions and other historic memorabilia.
The “Upstairs, Downstairs” approach to the life of a country house brings to life not only the storied conspicuous consumption for which the Gilded Age was infamous, but also the real lives of these many individuals who maintained the palatial estates where that lifestyle was enjoyed.
On view through March 10 Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
The South Shore Audubon Society welcomes all to join its members for another in its series of bird walks, at Hempstead Lake State Park, Sunday, Feb. 25, starting at 9 a.m. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet in parking lot #3, off Exit 18 of the Southern State Parkway. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if it rains, snows or the temperature is below 25 degrees. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.
The effervescent multiinstrumentalist singer-songwriter returns to My Father’s Place with music from her recently released album, “Hey Guys, Watch This,” Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Recorded in Charleston, West Virginia with The Carpenter Ants and a roving retinue of musical compadres, her album traces the haunted sounds of Appalachia to a renaissance of revelry.
Franklin Square elementary school students are welcome to drop by Franklin Square Public Library for help with their homework, Wednesdays. Students will work in small groups with National Honor Society students from Carey High School. No registration required. 19 Lincoln Road. For more information, visit FranklinSquarePl.org or call (516) 488-3444.
Join Scott Defrin, owner of European Decorative Arts in Greenvale for Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibit related program “Collecting Decorative Arts During the Gilded Age; Connoisseurship vs. Decoration,” Sunday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m.
Residents of the Sewanhaka Central High School District can participate in the district’s monthly Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month unless otherwise indicated. Meetings will be held in the library at Floral Park Memorial High School until further notice. For more information, contact (516) 488-9800.
New York was the center for collecting during the Gilded Age. More money was spent on fine art, decorative art and interior decoration than at any time in American history. From Carnegie to Frick, and Morgan to Vanderbilt, Defrin discusses the different approaches to collecting among these magnates and how their fortunes helped establish the permanent collections of today’s museums.
Limited seating with registration required.1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.
A Taste of Thailand
Princesses and other enchanting heroes and heroines take to the stage, when Plaza Theatricals presents its Winter Princess concert, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, 11 a.m. Take part in an interactive sing-a-long featuring an array of everyone’s favorite winter characters. $15. See it at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore (Friday) or at Elmont Memorial Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont (Saturday). For tickets, visit PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.
You only have one heart. Getting your coronary calcium score can save your life. Mercy Hospital offers free cardiac screening, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A coronary calcium score is like a ‘mammogram’ for the heart to screen for blockage(s). This simple, non-invasive test can indicate coronary artery disease before the onset of symptoms or heart attacks. For eligibility, you will need to meet any of the following criteria: Be between the ages of 40-70 years old; history of smoking, high cholesterol or blood pressure (even if controlled), diabetes, overweight with BMI >25, family history of heart disease. Limited appointments available. 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. call (516) 626-3729 to register or visit CHSLI.org/mercy-hospital.
See a movie on Elmont Memorial Library’s big screen. See the 2023 dramedy “Dumb Money,” Friday, Feb. 23, 2:30 p.m. The ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, it’s based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop into the world’s hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy vlogger Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich – until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down. Rated R. First come first served. 700 Hempstead Turnpike. For more information, visit ElmontLibrary.org or call (516) 354-5280 ext. 223.
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Feb. 13 FRANKLIN SQUARE/ELMONT HERALD — February 22, 2024 1245321
ANTOINETTE BIORDI
4X AWARD-WINNING REPORTER NEWS 12 ANCHOR/REPORTER
SARA GORE TVHOST, NBC UNIVERSAL LUXURYREALESTATESPECIALIST, SERHANT.
BROKER OF THE YEAR
Ron Koenigsberg
President American Investment Properties
CONSTRUCTION GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Kulka Group
FATHER & SON POWER TEAM
Dan Pulatani
Vice President
MP Construction D, Inc.
Mel Pulatani
President
MP Construction D, Inc.
ENGINEERING
Christopher W. Robinson, PE
President
R&M Engineering
INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Beth Donner
Founder
Beth Donner Design
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
Eric Alexander
Director Vision Long Island
POWER DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR
Steven Krieger, Esq.
CEO
B2K Development
POWER REAL ESTATE DUO
Kathy Kirby-Viard
Owner & Broker
Signature Premier Properties
Peter Morris
Owner & Broker
Signature Premier Properties
PROJECT OF THE YEAR
TRITEC Real Estate
Shoregate Project
PROJECT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR
Michael F. Puntillo
President
PX4 Development, LLC
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT / DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR
ATTORNEYS
Marna E. Bernstein, Esq.
Partner
Cullen and Dykman LLP
Elisabetta T. Coschignano, Esq.
Member
Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano PLLC
Jack M. Martins, Esq.
Partner
Harris Beach PLLC
Jacquelyn L. Mascetti, Esq.
Partner Herman Katz LLP
BROKERS
Paul Leone
Senior Vice President
CBRE
David B. Sargoy
Director-Commercial Real Estate Division
Brown Harris Stevens Commercial Real Estate
DEVELOPERS
Pelops Damianos
Principal Damianos Realty Group LLC
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Brad Griggs
Senior Manager, Economic Development
Amazon
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
International Empire Electrical Corp.
ELEVATOR
Donald Gelestino
President & CEO
Champion Elevator Corp.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Chuck Merritt
President/LEED AP
Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Lisa M.G. Mulligan
CEO
Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
Kelly Murphy
Acting Executive Director
Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
TAX CERTIORARI
Cara P. Cronin, Esq.
RichnerLIVE’s third annual R.E.A.L. Awards will spotlight entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries in Long Island’s real estate and related industries who have achieved success in their respective roles while also being actively involved in community contributions and advocacy.
To
PRODUCED BY
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit a local charity.
Joseph A. Farkas
CEO & Founder
Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL BROKER
Gina Coletti
Licensed Real Estate Broker
GC Advisory Group Inc
RISING STARS
Daniel Scarda
Director of Corporate Finance
The Crest Group
Marco Scarda
Director of Business Development
The Crest Group
Jonathan Schuman
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Blue Island Homes
Justin Breslin
Vice President
Breslin Realty Development Corp.
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Stephen Cadorette
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Cushman & Wakefield
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Sara Gore TV Host
NBC Universal
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Mark Stumer
Principal Mojo Stumer Associates
Partner Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, PLLC
TITLE INSURANCE
Angelo Santomauro
Senior Partner & Vice President
All State Abstract
RESIDENTIAL AGENTS
Michelle Keegan
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Julia Krispeal
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
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Deborah Pirro
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
ATTORNEY
Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.
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Michael Foley
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Frontline Realty Group
Dr. Sharon R. Frank
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Sharon R. Frank Real Estate LLC
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Leatherman Homes
Connie Pinilla
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The Connie Pinilla Team at Compass
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Cornelius Group Real Estate
LEGAL NOTICE
STATE OF NEW YORK
SUPREME COURT:
COUNTY OF NASSAU
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, v. HERNANDO SANCHEZ, ET AL.
Defendants.
NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
THAT
In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on March 2, 2023, I, Joy S. Bunch, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on March
5, 2024 at North Side
Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Ct. Dr., Mineola, NY, at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows:
41 Hoeffner Avenue Elmont, NY 11003
SBL No.: 32-356-69, 70, 71, 72, & 73
ALL that a certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York.
The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 025657/2009 in the amount of $755,589.60 plus interest and costs. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale.
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604
Tel.: 855-227-5072 144625
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS
FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL
CAPACITY BUT SOLELY
AS TRUSTEE FOR VERUS
SECURITIZATION TRUST
2019-INV2, Plaintiff, vs. ZEESHANA KHAN, ET AL., Defendant (s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 14, 2023 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, New York on March 6, 2024 at 2:30 P.M., premises known as 1314
GLOBE AVENUE, ELMONT, NY 11003. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon
erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 32, Block: 571, Lot: 30, 31, 32 & 33. Approximate amount of judgment is $613,580.26 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 612216/2020.
If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Referee.
LOUIS IMBROTO, Esq., Referee Roach & Lin, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 144631
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Successor Trustee to Citibank, N.A., as Trustee for Bear Stearns ALT-A Trust, Mortgage PassThrough Certificates, Series 2006-6, Plaintiff AGAINST The Estate of Rita A. Rodriguez a/k/a Rita Rodriguez, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 15, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 4, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 74 Village Avenue, Hempstead a/k/a Elmont, NY 11003. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Elmont, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York,
SECTION: 32, BLOCK: 685, LOT: 18.
Approximate amount of judgment $393,667.80 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #606791/2018. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844) 400-9633. Heather D. Crosley, Esq, Referee
53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706
01-085675-F01 79086
144558
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
INDEX NO: 608851/2017
Notice of Sale
COUNTY OF NASSAU
----------------------------- X
Easton Capital Corp. Plaintiff, - against745 Anderson Corp., Juan DeJesus Portela Arce, Liliana Portela Gil, “John Doe” and “Jane Doe”, said names being fictitious, parties intended being possible tenants or occupants of the premises, Defendants. ------------------------------X
745 Anderson Corp. Juan DeJesus Portela-Arce, Liliana Portela-Gil, et. al., Third-Party Plaintiffs, - againstClaudia Echeverri, Kevin Blass, Shahram Delafraz, Kevin Finn, Rafael Raffaelli, Third-Party Defendants.
NOTICE OF SALE, SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
Easton Capital Corp. v. 745 Anderson Corp., Juan DeJesus Portela Arce, Liliana Portela Gil.
Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly filed on July 26, 2023, I the undersigned referee will sell at public auction at the at the CCP (Calendar Control Part Courtroom) in the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on Tuesday March 5, 2024 at 2:30 p.m., the premises known as: 745 Anderson Avenue, Franklin Square, NY 11010. Said Premises known as Section 35, Block 577, Lot 25 on the tax maps of Nassau County.
Approximate amount of Judgment: $811,299.70 plus interest, legal fees and costs.
Premises will be sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment under Index No. 608851/2017.
Michael Langer, Esq., referee
Kevin P. Finn, Attorney for Plaintiff 400 Post Ave Suite 305 Westbury, NY 11590
Dated: January 25, 2024 144588
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, V. MICHAEL A. SCOTTO, JR., ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated March 23, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT is the Plaintiff and MICHAEL A. SCOTTO, JR., ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 7, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 171 FRAME STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE, NY 11010: Section 35, Block 189, Lot 28-29: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED SITUATE, LYING AND BEING NEAR FRANKLIN SQUARE IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608113/2018. Carlo Manganillo, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
144692
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF MASTR ASSET BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-AM3, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AM3, V. SHARON SPERANZA, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated December 4, 2019, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF MASTR ASSET BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-AM3, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-AM3 is the Plaintiff and SHARON SPERANZA, ET AL. are the
Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 12, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 247 PASCHAL AVE, FRANKLIN SQUARE, NY 11010: Section 33, Block 308, Lot 52-53: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT FRANKLIN SQUARE, IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 011081/2013. Janine T. Lynam, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 144724
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $814,558.58 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 608829/2017 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.
Peter Kramer, Esq., Referee. (516) 510-4020 MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 12/20/2023 File Number: 16-300038 CA 144690
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU
The
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2007-3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-3
Plaintiff, Against JUAN S. ARBOLEDA A/K/A JUAN ARBOLEDA, ET AL Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 03/07/2023, 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 3/13/2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 267 Seidman Place, Franklin Square, New York 11010, 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 Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.
Section 0033 Block 603
Lot 85 And 86.
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST VIVIAN PRYOR, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered September 7, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 11, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 29 Litchfield Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Franklin Square in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 35, Block 31, Lot 391 & 392. Approximate amount of judgment $662,737.09 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #001660/2016. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Martin Dehler, Esq., Referee
Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 20-002195 78821 144668
Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, NA, successor to The Bank of New York Trust Company, NA, as trustee, for the Chase Mortgage Finance Corporation Multi-Class Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-S2, Plaintiff AGAINST Karina L. Cantillo, Roger D. Cantillo, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 26, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 7, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 1010 Park Lane East aka 1010 Park Lane, Franklin Square, NY 11010. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Franklin Square, Town of Hempstead in the County of Nassau, State of New York,
SECTION: 35, BLOCK:
561, LOT: 29. Approximate amount of judgment $797,923.92 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #613422/2022. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Ronald J. Ferraro, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-095906-F00 79205 144674
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NASSAU
SUPPLEMENTAL
SUMMONS AND NOTICE
Index No. 605387/2023
Date Filed: 2/8/2024
U.S. Bank Trust National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee for ICW MAT Trust, Plaintiff, -againstSusan Dzrewicki; Melissa Fowler, if she be living or if she be dead, her spouses, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and place of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; Capital One Bank USA NA; J&J Capital Realty Associates LLC;
State of New York, and “JOHN DOE”, said name being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, and any parties, corporations or entities, if any, having or claiming an interest or lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants.
PROPERTY ADDRESS:
714
Elm Street, Franklin Square, NY 11010
TO THE ABOVE NAMED
DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED
DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Jeffrey A. Goodstein, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered Feb. 2, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF
SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $356,125.00 and interest, recorded in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office on July 21, 2021, at Book M 45647 of Mortgages, page 126, covering premises known as 714 Elm Street, Franklin Square, NY 11010 a/k/a Section 33, Block 444, Lot 21 Lot Group 21-24. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.
Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is situated. NOTICE
Third and fourth graders at Franklin Square school district’s John Street School participated in an educational, immersive experience with Submerge Storytelling, a local company founded by Cory Levine that offers engaging curricula and enrichment for grades K-5, between Feb. 12 and 16.
The students were tasked with exploring Emmy’s bedroom, a Submerge Storytelling character, to investigate for clues and codes to predictions and solve problems.
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— Nicole Wagner
Marie King, Robert King as heir at law, next of kin, and devisee of the Estate of Marie King, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Internal Revenue ServiceUnited States of America
Dated: October 19, 2023
Frank M. Cassara, Esq.
Foreclosure
Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, NY 14624 (585) 247-9000
Fax: (585) 247-7380
Our File No. 22-091028
#101171 144882
Search
LEGAL
SUPPLEMENTAL
All the heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, devisees, grantees, trustees, lienors, creditors, assignees and successors in interest and the creditors, assignees and successors in interest thereof of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff of Marie King, Defendants.
TO THE ABOVE
DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY
SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorneys within twenty (20) days after the service of the Summons exclusive of the day of service or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear, or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in this Complaint.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED
THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to foreclose a mortgage recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on June 28, 2006 in Liber 30666, mortgage page 158, covering premises k/a 750 Seabury Avenue, Franklin Square, NY 11010 a/k/a Section 35, Block 579, Lot 25.
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.
Dated:Westbury,New York
February 7, 2024
Edward Wiener, Esq.
Stein, Wiener & Roth, LLP
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU, SSA NE ASSETS, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. IMPERIOUS CORPORATION, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order
Cassidy as heir at law, next of kin, and devisee of the Estate of
DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Jeffrey A. Goodstein, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, dated January 24, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.
Attorneys for Plaintiff 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315 Westbury, NY 11590 (516)-742-1212
79742/RUSHMORE #101158
144855
Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 29, 2023, 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 March 27, 2024 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 389 Hunnewell Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Elmont, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 35, Block 62 and Lots 19-20. Approximate amount of judgment is $445,342.51 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608286/2021. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.
Jane Pastor Shrenkel, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 202085-2 144985
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Q. Our house is large and very old, with a third story that was partially finished before purchase. We finished the rest of the attic and put in a few bedrooms and a bath. Recently we hired an architect to enlarge our kitchen into our backyard and make a nice entrance to a porch and patio with a fireplace. The architect made the plans, after several meetings, changes, etc., and then put them into our building department to pull a permit. We next got a notice that our attic is in violation, and we had to either take out all the finishes and bathroom or file plans to get a state permit.
None of this has anything to do with the kitchen or patio, which we hoped to have by summer. We suspect our architect made this much more complicated for us, but now we can’t undo what he did. Naturally, he gets more money to do more plans and permits, which we also think is rather sneaky and uncalled for. Can we report the architect for doing this to us, and can we pull back the permit so we can make all this go away and just do our kitchen?
A. So you believe everyone is out to get you, including your architect, and you have the right to “pull back” your permit, ignoring the conditions of your house. It doesn’t work that way.
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Unfortunately, even though most local governments know that most homes have violations, the governments choose not to prosecute every homeowner, since it would be bad for the business of getting re-elected, so code violations go on without a word until you make the first move, which you did, by coming to the attention of the building officials whose job is public safety.
Every day of the week, people ask if we can’t just look the other way. We absolutely can look the other way, but eventually who will believe us for lying or not doing our job? The issues of your home easily come up by simply bringing up satellite images, on-line accessible documents, including tax department records, showing what is in the home and whether the third floor was finished. Your building official doesn’t need the architect or you to figure out the truth about the illegalities in your home. When your architect shows the actual conditions, which he is required to do, including walls removed, walls finished in rooms that the building department has no previous record of, or other changes, he’s only doing his job. Imagine the scrutiny an architect would receive if a building official walked in to check the conditions and discovered that you and the architect had lied.
I have stated in this column, many times, the statistic that only five people out of 100 will survive a fire on the third floor. Ninety-five people will die of smoke inhalation or burns. So do the right thing and follow through, whichever way you choose. I’m pulling for you.
© 2024 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question”
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February is American Heart Month, and this is a story about my heart — literally and figuratively. It’s the reason I am where I am today.
I was born with a significant heart defect called dextrocardia, as well as a ventricular septal defect. Basically, my heart was on the wrong side of my chest cavity and inverted — and it had a hole in it.
SETH I.
When I was 3 months old, my doctors told my parents that I needed openheart surgery to close the hole. At the time, however, my mother was pregnant with my sister. My parents decided to wait until my sister was born before I underwent surgery. But somehow, for some reason, my heart decided that it had to be whole, and the hole I was born with began to close. My heart could stay as it was — imperfect and misplaced, but untouched.
Growing up, I found that I was doing a lot of things half-heartedly, so to speak. Schoolwork wasn’t heartening, and there were few things that excited me. I dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but I couldn’t muster up the resolve to pursue that dream — LSATs, law school, internships, thousands of dollars in loans, six more semesters of school, and years of building a professional profile.
Deterred by these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I remained listless through my early 20s. For a few years after college, I worked in sales. I was good at it, but my heart was definitely in a different place.
That is, until it wasn’t.
went more than a dozen cardioversions to restore the heart’s regular rhythm, and tried various cocktails of medications, all to no avail.
A fter openheart surgery, I decided there was nothing I couldn’t make it through.
In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, also known as an irregular heartbeat. It’s fairly common among senior citizens, but as a 20-something in college, I was now a member of a not-so-enviable exclusive club. Over the next several years, I battled my irregular heartbeats, under-
Eventually I met a cardiologist who specialized in adults with congenital heart defects — adults like me. He informed my family and me that the hole in my heart had reopened, and that it was substantially larger than it was when I was a child. This was causing my irregular heartbeat, and it would at last need to be closed. At age 25, because of the placement of my heart, I was about to undergo a potentially first-of-its-kind open-heart surgery.
On March 15, 2007, after five hours of surgery, I awoke with a heart that was beating normally for the first time in almost five years. Making it through that operation sparked something in my soul. Instead of whining about what I had to do to get to where I wanted to be, I decided to ball my fists up, dig in and do it. After all, I had just made it through open-heart surgery. Was there
anything I couldn’t make it through? I finally sat for the LSAT and got myself into law school.
That’s the attitude that’s gotten me to where I am today. When I was burning the candle at both ends, cramming for law school exams and eventually the bar exams, I would remind myself that I was getting stronger. When I was struggling to build my own law practice while juggling my responsibilities as a husband and father, I would remind myself of all that my heart could handle.
Naturally, when I saw an opportunity to run for office, a chance to represent and fight for all the communities our local government has left behind, I knew that I could take the heartburn of an arduous campaign, and that I could win over hearts and minds. That’s the mentality that I bring to my law practice, and to my work with my fellow legislators.
The arc of my life’s journey is proof that we are all stronger than we know — that we are all more capable than we can comprehend.
Seth I. Koslow represents Nassau County’s 5th Legislative District.
Iread “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” my first banned book, when I was 12. My friend lent me the book, and I found the good parts by the dogeared pages. The experience did not compromise my moral compass or corrupt me in any way I can discern. I am not recommending the book for today’s 12-year-olds, because it’s a pretty boring read, but I am advocating that a broad spectrum of books be available to students who choose to read them.
This month, Library Lovers Month, I want to push back hard against the selfappointed literature vigilantes across our country, who are removing books from school library shelves and banning them from classrooms under the guise of protecting children from inappropriate subject matter.
It’s called censorship, and the problem, of course, is who gets to decide what is appropriate or not. In the past, librarians have had full discretion in selecting books. They are trained for the job and trusted in their choices. In
the best libraries, the books reflect all the ways that children and teenagers can be in the world, including gay or trans or identified with any race or religion or socio-economic group.
work for vulnerable kids.
I don’t know if a book has ever saved someone’s life, but I know for sure that battles over books are endangering lives by keeping young people from information and stories that might validate their choices in important ways.
book-ban list, by definition, express feelings, experiences and political views that the prevailing culture prefers to pretend do not exist.”
SFor some young people, the school library is the only place they can read about kids just like themselves. They can learn that others share their confusion or anxiety or fear of being different.
tudents need open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers.
I don’t believe that a teenager can “catch” being gay or trans from reading about it, the underlying prejudice being that there is something wrong with that identity. We can’t scrub young adult literature for references to slavery or minority struggles or even violence, because the best writing reflects real life.
A couple of weeks ago, The New York Times told the story of a librarian in Idaho who organized a “Rainbow Squad,” welcoming children of different backgrounds to read and talk about books. A local church group protested, and the community is battling over whether the Rainbow Squad should be banned, along with the books they’re reading.
I wonder how this group threatens anyone, even as it creates a support net-
In The Washington Post last week, columnist Kate Cohen wrote about the school board in her hometown, Rockingham, Virginia, deciding to ban 57 books in the school library. One-third of the books feature gay or trans characters. Cohen wrote, “Freedom to read is the closest thing we have to freedom to think.”
This month, there can be no more pressing public business than to guarantee age-appropriate, open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers, for students across the land.
What can we do? Each of us can become familiar with our school and community libraries, stay informed about the books available to teens and oppose efforts by any groups of book police to decide what teenagers should read. In some communities in Florida, a single parent’s complaint about a book in a school library can get it banned.
As Cohen wrote, “The books on any
I think how lonely and desperate teenagers trying to figure out their lives without access to books must feel. Wellwritten books on racism or sexuality or addiction are a far better source for our kids than TikTok.
We read books for many reasons beyond wanting to be entertained — to solve the mysteries in our lives, to be dazzled or outraged by the way others live. Sometimes we can find our beliefs and lives affirmed in the pages of a new book.
The reason authoritarian entities, be they runaway school boards or governments, ban books is to limit access to ideas that might challenge their power.
We resist by reading and sharing.
The New York Public Library is offering free access to banned books for teenagers anywhere in the country through SimplyE, its e-reader app. The latest banned book pick is “All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It is available to all readers ages 13 and older.
There are worlds out there to be explored. I have had this joy in my life, and I want the same for every reader.
Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
in the past couple of weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of something we haven’t seen much of over the past couple of years: snow.
So much, in fact, that schools in our communities had no choice but to close. And because of that, we have just one thing to say to our school districts in Nassau County: Thank you for the snow day.
Yes, education works best when it’s rigorous and on a schedule. If the young minds loading buses each day were robots, then we’d probably be hesitant to interrupt the routine. Thankfully, our children are living, breathing people. And all of us can use a break from time to time — especially one we didn’t expect.
Anyone who grew up in a climate susceptible to winter almost assuredly experienced at least one snow day in their life, if not several. They go all the way back to the 19th century, when schools became gathering points children would flock to — and where safety would become paramount.
In places like Long Island, where crews are adept at clearing roads, even the best can be overwhelmed by significant storms and heavy snowfalls. And while it might feel like a free day off for many of our young learners, nearly all school districts have built snow days into the schedule — meaning any unexpected days off will be made up later in the spring.
We here on Long Island understand
the value of snow days, but not everyone shares those values. In fact, there is a growing contingent of education leaders right in our backyard who have been working hard to wipe snow days from existence.
It’s not that New York City has it out for an occasional unscheduled school closing. It’s just that the city’s education department has capitalized on the expansion of technology necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, which made remote learning for all not just possible, but practical.
For the 1.1 million students who attend more than 1,800 schools in the city, instead of sitting inside a classroom to learn on days when it snows, they are sitting in their living rooms and bedrooms instead. All while other people their age, living just a few miles away, grab their snowsuits and sleds and enjoy the winter beauty Mother Nature has delivered.
Learning is important, but snow days are valuable. Quite valuable, in fact. Beyond safety, they provide a muchneeded mental health break — not just for students, but also for the adults responsible for their learning.
The pressure of academic demands and extracurricular activities can be intense. That can lead not just to stress, but even to burnout.
Snow days give all of us a chance to recharge and relax with some unscheduled playtime outdoors. And that’s important, too. We hear too much about
To the Editor:
We are professional firefighters!
I take exception to the comment made by writer Brandon Cruz in his article “Long Island needs more volunteer firefighters” (Feb. 8-14) that our volunteer firefighters are not “professionals.” Cruz reports that if new volunteers don’t join local fire departments, communities will need to hire “professional” firefighters.
Our volunteers are professional firefighters, just not paid for what we do for our communities. We, as volunteers, don’t just put on turnout gear and rush into a burning building without the needed, required and constant training provided by the Nassau County Fire Service at its training facility in Bethpage, and here in Lynbrook, our own department’s training and drills at our training facility in Wilcox Alley.
Back some 44 years ago, the Lynbrook Fire Department was facing a firefighter shortage, and formed the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department for youngsters 12 to 17, to interest them in firefighting, with the goal of becoming firefighters when they turned 18.
During their time as juniors, the youngsters learn
how video games, computers and television keep so many of our kids indoors. But freshly fallen snow is irresistible, and will almost assuredly get them outside to have some fun. It’s good for their physical health in a way that sitting in front of a computer, watching a teacher on Zoom, just can’t provide.
And a snow day is a chance to build community. Families come together to shovel sidewalks, or maybe help neighbors in need. Children get together, working to build snow forts, or even a snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a top hat.
And who doesn’t love an impromptu snowball fight?
All of that comes with many parents still working remotely, which helps mitigate child-care issues and costs that might otherwise accompany snow days.
Just remember that these days are not breaks for everyone. Let’s not forget the municipal workers who wake up early to plow the snow, as well as the brave souls at utility companies, hospitals, and fire and police departments who, as first responders, are always prepared for the worst.
Each one of our children will spend more than 1,200 days in class through high school. Let them have a break. And let’s show New York City yet another reason why more and more people choose to live and work here on Long Island.
Because on Long Island, snow days are cool.
How many potholes do you swerve to avoid during your daily commute to work, school, the grocery store or a family or friend’s house? How many times have you yelled in anger in your car for someone to “Fix the roads!”? At a time when our communities are grappling with numerous challenges, the proposed state executive Budget’s significant decrease in the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, also known as CHIPS, demands immediate attention, or the shouting at potholes will get worse.
The proposed reduction of $60 million in CHIPS funding isn’t just a number on paper; it translates into real consequences for our local roads and bridges. These are the very arteries that connect our neighborhoods, facilitate commerce and guarantee the smooth flow of daily life. The condition of our roads makes the difference in whether we get to a doctor’s appointments on time, and, even more critically, the time it takes emergency
services to respond to a call. A reduction in funding jeopardizes the safety, functionality and longevity of our transportation infrastructure throughout nassau County.
Local governments, tasked with maintaining nearly 87 percent of the state’s roads and half of its bridges, are already struggling with budgetary constraints imposed by the state property tax cap, rising pension and health care costs and unfunded mandates. The proposed reduction in CHIPS exacerbates these challenges, making it harder for localities to address the critical needs of our communities. The escalation of natural disasters, exemplified by the extensive flooding Long Island has faced in the past year, underscores the heightened urgency for an adequately funded CHIPS.
Pthe cost of materials and labor continues to rise, stagnant funding levels become insufficient to meet the evolving demands of maintenance and improvement projects.
equitability, fairness and parity are indispensable when funding our state’s infrastructure. The current proposal fails to acknowledge the growing disparity between the needs on the ground and the resources allocated from the top.
otholes? We’ve got ’em. New York’s highway system ranks 49th in the nation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed $60 million cut overlooks the impact of inflation on local highway departments. Across the country, the Federal Highway Administration Highway Construction Cost Index notes a 58.6 percent increase in highway construction costs over the past two and a half years. As
basic firefighting methods without actually fighting fires. When they turn 18, they join one of our fire companies, begin formal basic training at the county Fire Service Academy and are considered probationary firefighters for one year while they complete additional training.
Yes, we always need more volunteers, but our junior program is helping to fill our ranks.
Many area fire departments have also formed junior programs, based on ours, to help fill their own ranks. Admittedly, the juniors aren’t always enough, and some years are better than others. Lynbrook’s chief of department and three assistant chiefs came through our junior program. This isn’t the first time that all four chiefs have been former juniors. Many of our current volunteers came through our junior program.
There are now 30 youngsters in the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department. Two former juniors joined fire companies last month alone when they turned 18. It is estimated that over 40 percent of our juniors go on to become Lynbrook firefighters.
STeve GroGAn LynbrookGrogan is a 56-year member of the Lynbrook Fire Department and an
ex-captain and honorary chief. He co-founded the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department, and is the department’s public information officer.
We need more governance, less politics
To the editor: re County Legislator Delia Deriggi-Whitton’s column “Stop playing petty political games with county resources” last week: The difference of opinion between the legislative minority leader and the majority leader illustrates the difference between governance and politics. n assau would benefit from more of the former and less of the latter.
The millions of dollars in American rescue Plan Act funds at issue, having not been spent as intended, present a “windfall.” Shall we have Bruce Blakeman billboards or firehouse funds? Are we improvident grasshoppers or prudent and ant-like? Shall we squander millions on a 125thbirthday party or prudently invest in libraries, cybersecurity and clean water?
BrIAn KeLLY
Rockville Centre
To bridge this gap, I am actively advocating for greater state investment in local roads. our state’s infrastructure is in dire need of attention, as evidenced by new York’s highway system ranking 49th in the nation, according to reason’s 27th annual Highway report. This statistic might not surprise you, but it reflects the reality faced by commuters given the consequences of a deteriorating transportation network.
Local roads are the lifeblood of our communities — they connect us from our homes to our businesses, our schools, our libraries and all the places that make our neighborhoods feel like home. While the proposed budget con-
tinues valuable programs like extreme Winter recovery, PAve-nY, and Pave our Potholes, the reduction in CHIPS by $60 million, and in the State Touring routes Program, by $40 million, threaten the stability of our local infrastructure.
The state-backed mantra “Local roads are essential” rings true only when backed by tangible actions that demonstrate a commitment to valuing and prioritizing our local roads. Increasing the CHIPS base level by $200 million and maintaining allocations for BrIDGe-nY, eWr, PAve-nY, STr and PoP will strengthen the foundation laid over several state budgets. While preserving certain programs, the proposed state budget for this year falls short of recognizing the urgency and scale of the infrastructure crisis facing our localities.
During your next commute, don’t let your concern for the condition of your local roads be contained in your car — let your voice be heard. Join me and dozens of our local towns and villages in calling for the governor to support an increase in funding for our local roads in this year’s budget.
Ed Ra represents the 19th Assembly District, and is the ranking Republican on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
Framework by Tim Baker
