Franklin Square/Elmont Herald 02-29-2024

By NICoLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

Community

improve voting efficiently and prevent long lines and delays in voting.”

“We know there was a lot of emotion in the room last

Lifelong Franklin Square resident MaryAnne Grey, an executive director of the Franklin Square Civic Association, sponsored a banner for her father James Muscarello to honor his World War II military service. Grey brought her father to see his banner with family members on his 98th birthday, June 5, 2019.

Hometown Hero applications open

By NICoLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

Franklin Square residents can honor their local heroes during this year’s Franklin Square Civic Association Hometown Hero Banner Program.

Banners can honor a local hero who has either served in the military, as a first responder or healthcare worker through the program. The project started in 2019 when the civic association’s board looked into the program after seeing it presented in communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

FSCA Hometown Hero Program Coordinator Adrienne McKenna said since its implementation, the program has taken off with 80 military service members and 17 first responders honored.

“We’ve really received wonderful feedback on it,” McKenna said of the community’s reception for the project. “They’re very proud that we’re doing it.”

In 2021, the civic association expanded the program to include first responders and healthcare workers following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“People were really appreciative of all of their efforts,” McKenna said.

The first responders and healthcare worker banners are hung on lamp posts at Rath Park between Fenworth Boulevard and Naple Avenue, though some veterans’ banners are hung at Rath Park per request. Military service members’ banners are hung on lamp posts near Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718, on Lincoln Road, between Hemp-

Elmont library board reinstates early voting

By NICoLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

Community members celebrated the Elmont Memorial Library board’s unanimous vote to reinstate early voting at the facility at a board meeting on Feb. 22.

In January, residents were outraged at the board’s decision to discontinue hosting early voting at the library, based on alleged “safety concerns” that arose during electioneering in the run-up to last fall’s election, when early voting took place between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. Last week, community members cheered the board as it announced its decision to bring early voting back.

Timprove voting efficiently and prevent long lines and delays in voting.”

“We know there was a lot of emotion in the room last month,” Dwayne Palmer, of Elmont, said, “so we thank you for your consideration of rescinding your early decision.”

he community is going to hold up their end of the bargain and be trained as poll workers, and we’ll stand in the gap.

LYNETTE BATTLE President, Elmont Memorial High School PTSA

Board Vice President Natasha Warburton-Welch told the audience of around 20 people that trustees had met with the Nassau County Board of Elections to discuss the library’s concerns about early voting. The Board of Elections, Warburton-Welch said, agreed to “increase staffing outside the polling place to direct voters to the appropriate entrances to ensure the safety of the patrons, staff and voters, and to endeavor to increase staffing within the polling site to

Lynette Battle, president of the Elmont Memorial High School Parent Teacher-Student Association, thanked the board for listening to community members after the heated board meeting on Jan. 25.

“The community is going to hold up their end of the bargain and be trained as poll workers, and we’ll stand in the gap,” Battle said last week. “So that’s partnership, that’s collaboration, and thank you for hearing us.”

Palmer credited the board’s leadership for reaching out to the Board of Elections after the January meeting. He said he believed early voting is a “vital” resource for the community.

“We know that this year is going to be a contentious vote,” Palmer said. “We already know that there’s going to be problems — there are already prob-

Courtesy MaryAnne Grey

Plattduetsche residents learn online security tips

Residents of the Plattduetsche Home Society were visited by the Nassau Library System’s Techmobile Coordinator Gabriel Kane on Feb. 20 as part of the Franklin Square library’s community outreach initiative.

The Techmobile is a mobile technology lab designed to help address digital equity and inclusion issues among the 54 member libraries, and their communities, within the Nassau Library System.

“With this resource we allow those libraries, and their partners, the ability to expand their operational footprint deeper into the communities they serve,” Kane said.

During the session, residents learned about online searching techniques, starting with a brief primer on search engines. They discussed concepts like lat-

Gabriel Kane, Nassau Library System Techmobile coordinator, visits the Franklin Square Public Library to inform residents about tech services, offering one-on-one tech assistance.

eral reading and how to locate credible sources online, including discerning the difference between a search result and an advertisement. Additionally, they discussed password management techniques and best practices when browsing the internet.

Kane answered residents’ questions about mobile device notifications, password management software and device operating systems. He offered one-on-one device assistance for residents who needed additional help.

The Techmobile is available for bookings by member libraries, and Kane said the Nassau Library System is always looking for opportunities to share its services with like-minded organizations.

— Nicole Wagner

Photos courtesy Franklin

Night at the Races returns in Franklin Square

Neighbors of Franklin Square and surrounding communities are welcome to take part in Franklin Square-based nonprofit Rescuing Families’ third annual Night at the Races on March 15.

The event will be a bit different this year, as silent auctions will take the place of raffle baskets offered in the past. Long Island Silent Auctions will host the auction, offering items like sports memorabilia, designer handbags, movie memorabilia and more.

Event participants can look forward to the annual interactive horse race, where people are able to own a horse and select a rider to take part in the festivities. People cheer on horses as they go around the track and people can place bets on the horse that they believe will be the winner.

“It’s very funny, it’s very cute, and you know, everybody loves cash,” said Gina Centauro, founder of Rescuing Families. “It’s a chance to win money.”

There will also be a prize wheel that attendees can spin to win a number of prizes from for $5 a spin, including Starbucks gift cards, wine bottles, jewelry and more.

As per tradition, the event will host a derby hat competition for whoever has the craziest derby hat.

Last year’s event welcomed around 170 people, and tickets for this year’s Night at the Races are still available. Tickets for the Night at the Races the event cost $40 and can be purchased online at RescuingFamilies.org. The event will be hosted at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718 in Franklin Square on Lincoln Road from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on March 15.

“It’s different than what we usually do, but it’s a really fun night,” Centauro said of last year’s Night at the Races. “We had a really good crowd, it was very interactive and everybody had a great time.”

Profits from the event will go towards Rescuing Families’ upcoming project at the Reyes family’s home in Valley Stream. The project will help retrofit the home to increase the home’s accessibility for Douglas Reyes, a 43-year-old man who became paraplegic when he was 18 years old after a swimming accident.

For any community members who are skilled or unskilled with tools, Rescuing Families is always open to add a helping hand to its team. For more information on how to help out, visit RescuingFamilies.org.

— Nicole Wagner

Keith Rossein/Herald file photos

Rena Capri, John Iaconna, Jane Duke, Christine Smith, Lorraine Brudecki and Charlie Iannotta enjoyed a Night at the Races during last year’s event hosted by Rescuing Families in Franklin Square.

Vincent Centauro and Gina Centauro, founders of Franklin Square-based nonprofit Rescuing Families, welcomed neighbors to the second annual Night at the Races event at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718 last year.

Carolyn Foley and Linda December bid on horses during the interactive horse race at the 2023 Night at the Races hosted by Rescuing Families.

Rosie Iannotta and Charlie Iannotta wore derby hats to compete in last year’s derby hat contest.

In the event of their death, many people wish to provide for the adequate care and feeding of their beloved dog, cat, bird or other pet. Here is an abridged version of New York’s statute authorizing a trust for your pet:

a. The intended use of the principal or income, of a trust for the care of a designated domestic or pet animal, may be enforced by an individual designated for that purpose in the trust instrument. Such trust shall terminate when no living animal is covered by the trust.

b. No portion of the principal or income may be converted to the use of the trustee or to any use other than for the benefit of a covered animal.

c. Upon termination, the trustee shall transfer the unexpended trust property as directed in the trust instrument or, if there are no such directions in the trust

instrument, the property shall pass to the estate of the grantor.

d. A court may reduce the amount of property transferred if it determines that amount substantially exceeds the amount required for the intended use. The amount of the reduction, if any, passes as unexpended trust property pursuant to paragraph (c), above.

e. If no trustee is designated or no designated trustee is willing or able to serve, a court shall appoint a trustee and may make such other orders and determinations as are advisable to carry out the intent of the grantor and the purpose of this section.

If you are interested in setting up a trust for your beloved pet, please make an appointment to see us for a free consultation. Should you have no one to take care of your pet, try PetEstates.com, who will perform this service for you.

K-9 Kai worked with Officer Chris Peters since he was a puppy. He died in January after 8 years of police service and 3 years of retirement.

NCPD says goodbye to K-9 Kai

The Nassau County Police Department said goodbye to Kai, a retired K-9, on Jan. 4. Kai was born on March 25, 2011, joined the NCPD in March 2012 and retired in early 2020.

K-9 Kai, alongside handler retired police officer Chris Peters, dedicated his life to the NCPD and its citizens. The hard work, endless training and dedication of K-9 Kai and Peters lead to numerous apprehensions and arrests of dangerous subjects during his career. In addition to apprehending criminals, K-9 Kai protected the citizens of Nassau County by conducting well over 100 bomb sweeps and aiding in locating missing persons.

When K-9 Kai wasn’t busy with his police responsibilities, K-9 Kai and Peters would visit and conduct demonstrations for various groups and people, including but not limited to school children, Boy and Girl Scouts, Police Explorers and community leaders.

K-9 Kai, to those who didn’t know him, looked as if he was all business at all times. But those who worked closely with K-9 Kai knew he was a mush at heart — except if you tried to take his “Chuck It ball.” Those in the unit say they can still hear the whistle of that ball through the air as K-9 Kai gave

Kai helped find missing people, arrest criminals, and performed more than 100 bomb sweeps.

chase.

The NCPD, along with County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder, expressed their sympathy to Peters and his family. The department is extremely grateful, they said, for the dedicated service K-9 Kai provided to the NCPD and the public. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Photos courtesy Nassau County Police Department

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Community celebrates return of early voting

Continued from page 1

lems. We want to kind of make sure … that everybody that wants to vote has the opportunity to in our public utility. So, thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you again.”

Library board Trustee Ellice Bekier said the board wanted to ensure that library patrons, staff and voters would be safe during early voting.

“We got a commitment that there are going to be people watching out for us and providing safety, and that’s what we wanted,” Bekier said. “We didn’t mean to disenfranchise anybody, but we had to provide for safety.”

Mickheila Jasmin-Beaman, of Elmont, echoed Battle’s sentiments, thanking the board for its willingness to collaborate with community members. Jasmin-Beaman said that 21 people had volunteered to work as poll workers at the library so far.

“The community heard you,” she said, “and right after the meeting, we reached out to all of our contacts, and it was very easy for me to get that information to the Board of Elections.” Jasmin-Beaman said the volunteers would be trained on Zoom, and receive certificates to serve as poll workers.

Sheldon Miekle, of Elmont, challenged attendees to take an active role in the library board’s decision-making process.

“We entrust our advocates, our trustees, to make the right decisions,” Miekle said. “However, if they don’t have the support of the community coming out, how are they going to make the decisions without knowing? So, what I’m trying to ask is that we continue to channel this energy that we have in a positive direction.”

Board President Livingstone Young thanked the

audience, and invited everyone to come again to foster open communication between the board and the community. Warburton-Welch agreed, thanking community members for being involved.

“We are always open to hearing the needs and recommendations and suggestions from the community,” she said. “We are here for you guys, and we are happy that you guys are here for us as well.”

Nicole Wagner/Herald

Sheldon miekle, of elmont, thanking the elmont memorial Library board for working with the community and the nassau County Board of elections to rescind its decision to discontinue early voting at the library.

Blakeman defends banning trans athletes

By PARKER SCHUG

pschug@liherald.com

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says he’s protecting athletes in his executive order last week banning some transgender participants in female-centric sports in county facilities. But the action also has raised concerns — and legal questions. Some of which were brought before the Nassau County Legislature on Monday.

We’re confident that as soon as this executive order comes before court, it will be shut down

BoBBy HodGSon director New York Civil Liberties Union

“An individual’s gender is defined as the individual’s biological sex at birth,” Blakeman wrote in his executive order, which demands any sport entities interested in using county facilities to first designate themselves based on male, female or co-ed categories, and then only accept athletes who meet that criteria according to the gender that was originally listed on their birth certificate.

There are nearly 100 facilities in the county that will be impacted, Blakeman told reporters last week.

But Bobby Hodgson — director of LGBTQ rights litigation at New York Civil Liberties Union — says those impacts may not be felt long.

“Were confident that as soon as this executive order comes before court, it will be shut down,” Hodgson said.

The executive order primarily targets athletes born biologically male, but who now identify as female, from participating in teams intended only for girls or women. Blakeman’s order does not require facilities to ban athletes born female and now identifying as male from joining male-centric teams.

Blakeman, however, was quick to add last week, that trans athletes identifying as females aren’t completely banned — they will still be able to participate in co-ed leagues as well as male competitive leagues.

Nassau County Legislator Samantha Goetz backed Blakeman’s directive, citing safety and integrity.

“This is about protecting our female athletes,” said Goetz, whose district primarily represents Oyster Bay. “This is about making sure they’re not denied opportunities for scholarships, or any type of opportunity that comes with playing sports, recognition and things like that.”

Eva Nordman, an 8-year-old who plays basketball, softball and soccer, said it was also about keeping sports equitable.

“Boys have different chromosomes than girls and that makes them stronger,” Nordman said. “It’s not fair if they

college, whether it’s high school, whether it’s just a community league — and it is an unfair advantage for someone who’s a biological male to compete against a biological female.”

Dawn Foster — a former deputy county attorney and an Oceanside resident — stopped by Mineola on Monday to speak out against Blakeman’s executive order in front of the county legislature on behalf of her family.

“In 2021, when I finally stopped fighting against myself and accepted that I was a woman and needed transition, we felt fortunate to live in Nassau County,” Foster said, calling the executive order unlawful, and condemning what she described as efforts to demonize trans women. “That feeling was shattered last week.

“Blakeman and Goetz press conference was a total of repudiation of the humanity of trans people, implying that we are cheaters, liars and bullies.”

compete against us.”

Protesters gathered outside of Blakeman’s news conference last week led by Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of Gender Equality New York, chanting, “Trans kids are our kids.” They will get some support from the NYCLU — a notfor=profit legal right group — say they will consider taking Nassau County to court over what Hodgson described as a disregard of state human rights and civil rights laws.

An amendment to the state’s human rights law in 2019 outlawed gender identity and expression discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, and non-religious schools, according to state officials.

Hodgson is not alone. State attorney general Letitia James condemned Blakeman’s order, calling it “transphobic and

deeply dangerous.”

“In New York, we have laws that protect our beautifully diverse communities from hate and discrimination of any and every kind,” James said, in a statement. “My office is charged with enforcing and upholding those laws, and we stand up to those who violate them and trespass on the rights of marginalized communities. We are reviewing our legal options.”

But Blakeman told reporters last week he knew of no state policy that could threaten his executive order

“This is not precluding anybody from participating in sports,” Blakeman wrote in his executive order. “What it is, is identifying that there are women and girls who spent a tremendous amount of time and effort to excel and compete in their sports that are women’s sports whether it’s the WNBA, whether it’s

Foster already had support from some county legislators like Carrié Solages and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.

“I have never, in my many years of government service, had a constituent or parent complain to me about this issue,” Solages said, “making it clear that this embarrassing and illegal order is just another attempt by County Executive Blakeman to distract from the many issues that plague Nassau County.”

But Blakeman is not going to let those efforts dissuade him.

“We are finding out, in the last few months, there was a movement for biological males to bully their way into competing in sports or leagues or teams that identify themselves — or advertise themselves — as girls, or female or women’s teams or leagues,” the county executive said last week. “We find that unacceptable. It’s a form of bullying.”

Parker Schug/Herald photos

Victoria Argueta, from left, Sophia Argueta, Eva Nordman, Julia Nordman and Jenna Nordman join Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman at a news conference, telling reporters he’s banning some transgender athletes from participating in female-centric sports in county facilities.

Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of Gender Equality New York, front, protests outside a Mineola news conference last week where Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced he was banning some transgender athletes from participating in female-centric sports in county facilities.

Elmont Memorial students present research projects at LISEF

Five Elmont Memorial High School science research students recently presented at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.

The Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, also known as LISEF, is a competition for the most advanced high school projects, and the participants present to professionals in their subject areas from local universities, scientific institutions and in the field.

Junior Aafia Ahmed, senior Umar Ahmed, senior

research

Aafia Ahmed qualified for the second round of the event and will compete on March 5 for the opportunity to represent Long Island at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

— Nicole Wagner

Gianna Marsh, sophomore Kahela Michel and junior Emaan Tehseen were the five students from Elmont Memorial High School who presented their

projects at LISEF.

Gianna Marsh, a senior at Elmont Memorial High School, presents her project at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.

Photos courtesy Sewanhaka school district Elmont Memorial High School students Emaan Tehseen, Aafia Ahmed and Umar Ahmed present their science research projects at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.

Elmont Memorial High School sophomore Kahela Michel presents at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.

Elmont tops East Meadow in quarterfinals

By ANDREW FANTUCCHIO sports@liherald.com

The Elmont boys’ basketball team remembers the feeling of losing in the Nassau County semifinals last season.

“We were all there when we lost,” Cassius Moore said. “We know the emotions we had, and we turned that into motivation. We put in the work day in and day out and live with the results.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the results fell in Elmont’s favor as it went on the road and defeated East Meadow in front of a packed house by a final of 80-54 in a Class AA quarterfinal playoff matchup.

Moore led the fifth-seeded Spartans with 26 points, knocking down five field goals, including four from beyond the three-point arc.

“He’s scoring the ball, and he’s also locked in on defense,” Elmont head coach Ryan Straub said. “Obviously, he’s scoring from all over the place, but he’s making everybody around him better.”

Elmont had four players score in double figures as Ebubenna Nwabudu contributed 11 points, while Nassir Edwards and Osagie Ekhator tacked on

10 each. But the offense didn’t come easily to start.

In a highly physical contest, Elmont and East Meadow traded blows early as the much smaller Jets stepped up to the Spartans from the opening tip.

“That’s what we do to everybody,” East Meadow head coach Tom Rottkamp said. “We try to attack the rim and then cave the defense in and kick it out to our three-point shooters.”

Point guard Will Casseus led fourthseeded East Meadow with 14 points, flying around the floor before darting to the rim, where has was able to finish with both hands.

But near the end of the half, Elmont’s size and use of the full-court press was too much for East Meadow to handle. Methodically, the Spartans broke down the Jets (16-6) bit by bit and eventually pulled away with a 12-0 run in the third quarter.

“Everything starts with defense for us,” senior Kymani Dias said. “We got to make sure our defense is very good so we can turn it into offense.”

Although he was limited to just nine points, Dias provided the exclamation

for Elmont as he ran in from the corner and soared through the air, slamming home an alley-oop feed from Moore late in the game.

“I was hyped, but I see it all the time in practice,” Moore said. “He’s the most athletic dude on the team. I just throw it up there and watch him go get it.”

With their season now over, the young East Meadow squad now sits where Elmont once was: defeated but motivated for more.

“It’s historic for this school to get to this level,” Rottkamp said. “You saw the size of the crowd. Let’s face it, I’m coming back with 10 Seniors next year, all with great experience at this level. This is only the first half of the process.”

Meanwhile, Elmont (18-4) carries on and will face Conference AA4 rival Sewanhaka in the semifinals next Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Farmingdale State College, still trying to make up for last year.

“We talk about it, but, of course, you got to take it one game at a time,” Straub said. “We have big goals. We’re focused on making a run to the championship.”

Media Origin Inc./Herald

Cassius Moore, right, poured in 26 points as Elmont ended East Meadow’s 16-win season in the Nassau Class AA quarterfinals.

How Franklin Sq. honors hometown heroes

Continued from page 1

stead Turnpike and Roosevelt Avenue.

Honoring heroes close to home is something McKenna believes brings a “small community feel” to Franklin Square.

Sponsors can choose to honor a hometown hero—an individual who has lived in or still resides in Franklin Square. They can also sponsor an honored hero to recognize the contributions of a military or first responder hero who may not reside, or who may never have resided, in Franklin Square. The honored hero’s sponsor must live in Franklin Square.

“We kind of expanded it because we received so many requests for it, and we hated to turn people away,” McKenna explained. After numerous requests, the program expanded to include honored heroes in 2022.

McKenna honored her father, James Costas, who served in the Army during World War II with a banner. While her father wasn’t able to see his banner as he died in 2006, she feels it is a privilege to honor his service and others in the community.

Sfamily.”

The banner program brings a great sense of pride for community and country to Grey each year.

“Seeing people over the years, that I’ve come to know, come up there and see their family, their father’s, brother’s, son’s banner hung up is just—it’s a really special and emotional time,” Grey said. “It’s a very heartwarming feeling for the community.”

eeing people over the years, that I’ve come to know, come up there and see their family, their father’s, brother’s, son’s banner hung up is just—it’s a really special and emotional time

Maryanne Grey Franklin Square Civic Association executive director

MaryAnne Grey, an executive director of the FSCA, sponsored a banner when the program started in 2019 for her father Joseph Muscarello, a World War II Army veteran.

Muscarello was a Franklin Square resident since the early 1950s, and saw his banner hung outside the VFW Post 2718 on his 98th birthday, June 5, 2019. He died on Dec. 12, 2020, but the memory of bringing him to see the banner remains a special moment for Grey.

“It really brought a lot of memories back for him, from the war, and his friendships from that time,” Grey said. “So, you know, it was just a really special event for me and the rest of our

maryann Scatamacchia and adrienne mcKenna cleaned up banners last year in preparation for neighborhood display.

Applications to sponsor a hero can be mailed with a completed application, highresolution photo of the honored individual in uniform where applicable, and a $135 check payable to the Franklin Square Civic Association. Once purchased, the banner will be hung from Memorial Day to Veteran’s Day 2024 before being returned to the sponsor in late fall after display. The banner will be eligible to be hung for the 2025 program as well.

The application form can be found online at Bit.ly/ FSCAHometownHeroes.

The sponsor needs to include the hero’s name and their years of service. For military heroes, sponsors will be asked to include a war or conflict their hero has served, indicate whether they are a member of VFW Post 2718 in Franklin Square, if they are a Purple Heart recipient and if they were a prisoner of war. Banners are available for purchase through March 31.

For neighbors who would like to support the program but don’t have a specific hero to honor, sponsors can fill out the application form and check off the “sponsor only” box to donate any amount they wish to contribute.

Any inquiries for the program can be forwarded to McKenna at hometownheroes@fsqcivic.org or call (516) 592-3405.

franklin Square

Jonathon israel helped assemble banners to honors veterans like raymond p. Walsh, who served in the u.S. navy during the Korean War.

File photo courtesy Lisa DelliPizzi franklin Square community members can honor local heroes for their military service, civic duty as a first responder or a healthcare worker through the franklin Square Civic association’s Hometown Hero Banner program. applications to sponsor a banner are open through march 31.

Civic association Vice president

Student performance brings circus into town

Sixth graders experienced the circus at Franklin Square’s Polk Street School on Feb. 16 when they performed circus tricks taught to them by their physical education teachers.

For several weeks prior to the show, learning skills like walking on stilts, juggling, spinning plates, using Diabolos and more. They performed what they learned in front of their peers and families earlier this month.

— Nicole Wagner

Photos courtesy Franklin Square school district

Sixth graders at Franklin Square’s Polk Street School walk on stilts, performing in front of peers and families.

Polk Street School students in the Franklin Square school district juggle in front of a crowd of peers and families on Feb. 16.

Franklin Square sixth graders at Polk Street School perform with Diabolos on Feb. 16.

STEPPING OUT

Her theatre life

Tony Award nominee Sheryl Kaller directs Off-Broadway’s ‘The White Chip,’ a play about alcoholism and recovery

By Iris Wiener

When Valley Stream native Sheryl Kaller was 12, she knew she wanted to be a director. It was 1973. She went to a Sunday matinee of “Pippin,” and Ben Vereen sang “Magic to Do,” immediately clinching her dream.

“I always knew theatre was the only place where we can authentically use our imaginations,” she says. “I had the Spidey sense of knowing that it was a collaborative art.”

It was the start to a journey that would lead her to a Tony nomination as she directed Broadway (“Next Fall,” “Mothers and Sons”) and Off-Broadway plays, including “The White Chip,” which follows a theatre director who finds himself spinning out of control with an addiction to alcohol. The play, exploring his journey to recovery, runs through March 9, at MCC Theater.

“Broadway and Off-Broadway always felt like my community,” Kaller says. “My parents were very vigilant about getting me in to see theatre all the time. It informed my exposure to the art and my love of New York City.”

As Kaller grew up in the Green Acres community of Valley Stream, she performed in community theatre with her mother, while her father — who repaired car seat covers for a living — would use his knowledge of sewing to design costumes for the shows. (“They were horrible actually,” Kaller says, laughing at the fond memories.)

In her senior year at Valley Stream South High School, Kaller got her first taste of directing. After landing the role of Rosie in “Bye Bye Birdie,” she realized a big number — “The Telephone Hour” — could use some major help.

“I said to the director, who was great, ‘With all due respect, may I redo (the number)?’ So I redid the whole ‘Telephone Hour.’ That’s when I knew I was much better at directing than acting, and it led me to go to Emerson College — as a director, not as an actor.”

In 2019, Kaller directed “The White Chip” at OffBroadway’s 59E59 with the support of acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally, who, much like the play’s narrator, was

• Now through March 9

• Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, 511 W. 52nd St., Manhattan

• Tickets available at WhiteChipPlay.com

a recovered alcoholic. When McNally died during the pandemic, Kaller knew she had to bring the play back to the New York theatre community.

“In the world of Covid and in the world of losing community, we felt it was really important to bring it back because ‘The White Chip’ is a hopeful sobriety story, and a serio-comedy. There’s a lot of fun things in it,” she says of the play, which found its new home at the MCC Theater. “We are building community and doing service with this show, while entertaining at the same time.”

According to Kaller, after the pandemic, alcoholism in women doubled, while in men it was up a third.

“AA and addiction meetings were all on Zoom, and everybody kind of fractured,” she says. “This is a story that makes you laugh and cry. It also talks about how there’s no shame in being an addict. Shame touches everybody’s lives in one way or another.”

In deciding to take the piece on again, it didn’t hurt that Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford was at the show’s helm as producer.

“She’s very magical,” says Kaller of Ashford, who recently starred in Broadway’s “Sweeney Todd” opposite Josh Groban.

“The White Chip” has such an important message that it also boasts celebrity supporters and producers Jason Biggs, John Larroquette, Edie Falco and Hank Azaria. The pandemic even inspired playwright Sean Daniels to create The Recovery Project, an initiative working to heal the stigma of addiction and recovery through the development of new plays, theatre education programs, and outreach.

“All of our fancy producers are sober people,” says Kaller, of the importance of the play and the initiative. “Every producer who came on board financially was incredibly gracious. They don’t have the best deal in the world because a lot of the money is going into The Recovery Project. If you’re an actor, a designer, in the PR department, if you’re cleaning the toilets, you need resources. At all of our performances so far, at least one person has asked us for help. We have a QR code that gives them resources whether or not they have health insurance.”

The play continues to remind Kaller of the importance of community, a lesson that harkens back to her roots on Long Island.

“One thousand Long Islanders showed up to my dad’s funeral,” she recalls. “I grew up in such a beautiful community there. My heart will always be on the ‘Guyland.’ I got the wonderful suburban, great education at Valley Stream South, and yet I got to go into the city all the time. But I will always remember all of these people who showed up for my family.

“I wish Long Islanders would start coming back to New York theatre because we really do build a lot of beautiful community in the city and it’s worth it. It is apparent with ‘The White Chip’ and with so much more.”

Tusk

Tusk goes their own way, with their dynamic tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Since forming in 2008, Tusk has prided themselves on being the ultimate tribute to the ‘70s supergroup. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note-fornote renditions. Seasoned musicians who 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 every performance with precision. More than a band, they are a family. 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 transports you back to the group’s glory days.

Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. $63, $53, $45. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 7676444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

The Irish Tenors

These gents will warm your soul with the beauty of Irish music. The Irish Tenors have been the acknowledged Celtic music kings since bursting upon the scene during a 1998 television special. With 10 bestselling albums to their credit, they share company with the likes of The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli as the biggest money makers PBS has presented. They’ve since become a part of the Irish movement in America, with plenty of talented Irish acts coming after them. They have stood the test of time — audiences of all ages love the Irish Tenors. Now comprised of classically trained tenor Anthony Kearns, doctor-turned-vocalist Ronan Tynan, and tenor Declan Kelly, their repertoire is wide-ranging and they also introduce — or reintroduce — their audiences to Ireland’s exquisite jigs, reels and ballads.

Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $70. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com,TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Crystal Dickinson, Joe Tapper, and Jason Tam star in playwright Sean Daniels’ autobiographical comedy, a wry theatrical journey of recovery.

Photos by Jenny Anderson

Sheryl Kaller in rehearsal.

THE Your Neighborhood

Janeane Garofalo

The comedianactress, who reigns as the queen of the alt-comedy scene, is eager to speak her mind on her current stand-up tour, when she visits the Landmark stage, Friday, March 8, 8 p.m.

Considered by many as an American institution since she first burst on the scene in 1992, the outspoken activist has plenty to say, in her own inimitable comedic style. Known for her incisive, cynical sense of humor, the SNL alum has branched out into many memorable film and TV roles, including “The Truth About Cats and Dogs,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Ratatouille,” “Steal This Movie,” “Reality Bites,” “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion,” “Mystery Men,” “The Ten” and “The Cable Guy,” along with including the final season of NBC’s “The West Wing.”

Garofalo’s informed opinions and unflinching honesty on topics ranging from everyday life to pop culture inspire laughs and strikes a chord with audiences everywhere. Often a lightening rod for controversy, Garofalo finds a way to get her point across with her trademark sense of humor. Known and respected worldwide, Garofalo was also instrumental in the successful launching of the first liberal radio network, Air America Radio, where she hosted her own talk show, “The Majority Report.” A lightning rod for controversy, her opinions and candor have inspired laughs, as well as striking a chord with the left, right and everyone in between. $33, $28. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

Family theater

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s stories, this clever adaptation puts the audience front and center, literally, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, March 1, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Saturday, March 2, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, March 5-7, 10:15 a.m. and noon. Kids become cast members, singing dancing, and acting onstage alongside the professional cast.

One of our most interactive shows at LICM Theater, this production received rave reviews in its prior run. Going beyond the traditional telling of the Oz stories, “Journey to Oz” uses personal journal entries and historic newspaper headlines to bring the history of author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow to life. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion take the audience with them on this lively, playful trip down the yellow brick road.

$10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, 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.

Elmont BOE meets

The Elmont Board of Education meets, Tuesday, March 12, 8

p.m. at Stewart Manor School. 38 Stewart Ave., Garden City. For more information, contact (516) 326-5500.

Historical Society honors veterans

Franklin Square Historical Society honors Franklin Square veterans and Boy Scout Troop 93, Friday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Plattduetsche Park Restaurant. If you know of a Franklin Square veteran the Historical Society can honor, contact Bill Youngfert at (516) 775-7260.

Nellie McKay performs

The effervescent multiinstrumentalist singersongwriter 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.

Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. 221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. For tickets/information, visit MFPProductions.com or call (516) 580-0887.

Homework help

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.

Franklin Square BOE meets

The Franklin Square Board of Education meets, Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m., at Washington Street School in Franklin Square. 760 Washington St. For more information, contact (516) 481-4100.

Having an event?

‘Jersey Boys’ outing

Friends of the Franklin Square Public Library sponsor a trip to the John Engeman Theater in Northport to see “Jersey Boys,” Wednesday, April 3. Bus will depart from Franklin Square Library at 11:30 a.m. and return approximately by 5:30 p.m. $135 per person, including gratuities and transportation via deluxe coach bus. Payable by check or money order at the circulation desk.

Tickets are non-refundable and seats are limited. RSVP on or before March 20. 19 Lincoln Road. Visit FranklinSquarePL. org or call (516) 488-3444 for more information.

Dueling Pianos

John Arden Music presents an afternoon of great music, rousing sing-a-longs, hysterical comedy bits and lots of fun, Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m. No registration required. First-come-first-seated. 700 Hempstead Turnpike. For more information, visit ElmontLibrary.org or call (516) 354-5280 ext. 223.

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.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Learn what to watch for in yourself and others, at Franklin Square Library’s informative program, Thursday, March 5, 10:30 a.m. Learn the difference between normal aging and Alzheimer’s, common warning signs, importance of early detection, next steps for the diagnostic process, and resources available to you. 19 Lincoln Road. Visit FranklinSquarePL.org or call (516) 488-3444 for more information.

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Sunday, March 10, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-Yoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.

Art explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Family

Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, March 2 and 9, noon-3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork. Kids and their adult partners connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

N E W S R E L E A S E

Sewanhaka Central High School District

Serving: Elmont, Floral Park, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park

Administrative Offices: 77 Landau Avenue, Floral Park, NY 11001

Dr. Thomas P. Dolan, Interim Superintendent of Schools

February 1, 2024

SEWANHAKA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT REMINDER TO PARENTS OF PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOL CHILDREN:

TRANSPORTATION

REQUEST DUE BY APRIL 1

Sewanhaka Central High School District parents are reminded that New York State Law requires a written transportation request annually - by April 1 - from parents or guardians of students who plan to attend private or parochial schools within or outside the school district in which they legally reside.

Proof of residency in the Sewanhaka Central High School District must be submitted with all new applications. Requests must be submitted by April 1, 2024, for the school year beginning September 2024. New residents are required to apply within 30 days after having established residency in this District.

Transportation application forms for the 2024/2025 school year have been distributed to current private and parochial school students as well as to the private and parochial schools. Additional forms are available at the District Administrative Offices and on the district’s transportation webpage: https://www.sewanhakas chools.org/page/transport ation.

Applications must be completed and returned by April 1, 2024.

Sewanhaka Central High School District Transportation Office 77 Landau Avenue Floral Park, NY 11001 144615

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

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. 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

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

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

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

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

PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING

THE ANSWER WITH THE

COURT.

Dated: October 19, 2023

Frank M. Cassara, Esq.

Senior Foreclosure

Attorney LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, NY 14624 (585) 247-9000

Fax: (585) 247-7380

Our File No. 22-091028

#101171

144882

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:

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 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 ANS 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

answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in this 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, dated January 24, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

Index No. 609139/2023

SUPPLEMENTAL

SUMMONS

Plaintiff’s Address: 11022 28th Drive, # 190 Phoenix, AZ 85029

Action To Foreclose

Mortgage On Property

Situated In NASSAU County CAG National Fund I LLC, Plaintiffs -againstThe Unknown Heirs of Marie King, James King as heir at law, next of kin, and devisee of the Estate of Marie King, Donald King as heir at law, next of kin, and devisee of the Estate of Marie King, Maureen Cassidy as heir at law, next of kin, and devisee of the Estate of 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

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

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

Attorneys for Plaintiff 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315 Westbury, NY 11590 (516)-742-1212 79742/RUSHMORE #101158

144855

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU,

Just married

Jeffrey Clark Lochard and Mireillie Dorsaint of Elmont were married on Feb. 16 at Hempstead Town Hall by Town Clerk Kate Murray. Resident interested in obtaining their marriage license or scheduling a wedding ceremony should call the Office of the Town Clerk at (516) 8123014 or visit HempsteadNY.gov/ Marriage.

Public Notices

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

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Nathan L. H. Bennett Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, Town Hall Plaza, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, New York, on the 12th day of March, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section

197-2 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “U-TURNS PROHIBITED” at the following locations:

ELMONT JOHNSON AVENUE (TH 31/24)NO U-TURN/THIS BLOCK/ 7AM TO 4PM SCHOOL DAYS - All traffic traveling east bound and west bound on Johnson Avenue between Belmont Boulevard and Stewart Street shall be prohibited from executing U-Turn maneuvers during this time period on School days.

FRANKLIN SQUARE

MADISON STREET (TH 55/24)NO U-TURN - between Polk Avenue and Jackson Avenue.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 27, 2024

Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY

Town Clerk 145117

that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following location: ELMONT

LEIGHTON ROAD (TH 50/24) South SideNO PARKING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 249 feet west of the west curbline of Keswick Road, then west for a distance of 43 feet.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: February 27, 2024

Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 145114

More than 3,000 newspapers have closed across the country since 2005, resulting in countless communities losing essential platforms for sharing their stories.

The Empire State Local News Coalition intends to reverse that by advancing new legislation and initiatives that would protect jobs, and incentivize small business to advertise.

Coalition formed to advocate for local journalism

STAFF REPORT

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 12th day of March, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 3/6/2024 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.

132/24. ELMONTMukesh Patel (Royal Beer), Renewal of grant to maintain one doublefaced, illuminated, detached pylon sign, setback 8’ from Hempstead Tpke. & 11’ from Clinton St., N/W cor. Hempstead Tpke. & Clinton St., a/k/a 1294 Hempstead Tpke.

134/24. ELMONT - Zeida & Raymie Urcuyo, Renewal of grant to maintain 2-family dwelling with lot area variance., W/s Terrace Ave., 140’ S/o Atherton Ave., a/k/a 150 Terrace Ave.

147/24. FRANKLIN

SQUARE - Gary & Jane Ferraro, Variance, side yard, maintain two (2) a/c units attached to dwelling., S/s Gehrig Ave., 67.77’ E/o Hewlett St., a/k/a 839 Gehrig Ave.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

This notice is only for new cases in Elmont & Franklin Square within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 145109

A statewide group of local news organizations — comprising of more than 100 newspapers across New York — have launched The Empire State Local News Coalition, a joint advocacy effort to advance a legislative package intended to deliver long-term sustainability to the sector.

The coalition launches at a watershed moment for the journalism industry as well as democracy. More than 3,000 newspapers have shuttered across the country since 2005, resulting in thousands of layoffs and countless communities losing essential platforms for sharing their stories.

In New York state alone, newspapers have declined 40 percent between 2004 and 2019. Since then, the number of journalists has halved, and there has been a 60 percent decrease in overall circulation.

There is a growing number of communities with little to no access to local newspaper coverage. More than a dozen New York counties are down to just one newspaper, and Orleans County in Western New York is the first with no local newspaper at all.

The decline of local journalism is a threat to the health of our democracy, as research from the Democracy Fund shows there is a direct correlation between the breadth of local media coverage and levels of civic engagement — an especially significant factor in an election year.

If newspapers continue to shutter, communities across the state risk being effectively disenfranchised, losing the ability to shape policy conversations, and hold local officials accountable.

“The Empire State Local News Coalition is dedicated to advancing a legislative package with bipartisan support aimed at providing a lifeline to newspapers across the state,” said founding member Zachary Richner — director of Richner Communications, the parent company of Herald Community Newspapers — in a release. “All New Yorkers deserve to have their voices heard, and hometown newspapers are key to that mission.

“We urge government officials and

local stakeholders to rally behind us, safeguarding democracy, and bolstering the future of local journalism in New York.”

The Empire State coalition is championing what it describes as a robust legislative package intended to ensure local papers survive through the 21st century and beyond. Key priorities include:

• The Local Journalism Sustainability Act (S.625B, A.2958C) — Sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the bill would provide tax credits to local news outlets for the employment of local journalists, while providing job stability and paving the way for more hiring opportunities, and an expanded workforce in the future.

• Incentivizing small businesses to advertise in local media — This win-win proposal, according to organizers, would encourage local businesses to advertise in local media, driving revenue for hometown papers, while connecting businesses with their customers.

“Democracy places a responsibility on citizens to be informed so they can effectively participate in the electoral process, and in local government,” said Bill Shumway, editor and publisher of North Country This Week in Potsdam, in a release. “A trusted local news source is essential for that to happen. Healthy communities need an unbiased news organization to connect, enrich and inform citizens.”

“The bottom line is that this proposed legislation would be a major game changer,” said Mark Vinciguerra, president of Capital Region Independent Media out of Clifton Park. “We would be able to increase the number and type of journalists we have on staff. It would allow us to cover more beats, do more video reporting, investigative reporting, and expand our ‘Good News’ initiative we have started.”

A 2022 analysis found more than 350 newsrooms across the state would benefit from the local journalism payroll tax credit. This includes 53 newsrooms in New York City, with 21 of them being ethnic media outlets.

To learn more about the efforts, visit SaveNYLocalNews.com.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

EDITOR/REPORTER

Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business.

Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

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Our floor is expanding

Q. Last fall we had the walls removed between our living room, dining room and kitchen. We had a new kitchen installed with an island plus a wall of cabinets. Now the new flooring is rising at the seams, everywhere. We have a heated floor, and the flooring was specially chosen because it clicks together and “floats.” We were told that with the floor being able to move, it would be better with the heated floor. What caused this, and what can we do?

A. Your floor is expanding, and the ridges at the seams are rising, because the floor has nowhere else to expand to. This problem is common, and was caused by the floor being limited from expanding because the cabinets and island, along with heavy furniture placed over the finished floor, keep the floor from expanding when the heat is on. Wetting the floor to clean it also causes expansion, and should be limited or not done with water at all.

Solving this problem is easier said than done. Basically, anywhere the floor is unable to move defeats the purpose, and only by freeing up the floor will the problem work itself out. There’s a simple wall molding that our ancestors used that seems to be generally forgotten. Even though I include this detail in most of the drawings I prepare, I rarely see this last little strip of molding being installed. What the molding does is act like a gap cover, since properly installed flooring has a quarter- to halfinch gap at the edges of the floor, including around a fixed island and around the room’s perimeter. The whole perimeter will need to be cut so the trim molding will need to be added, unless the vertical trim board has been installed with a space, in which case the flooring has to be able to float (slide back and forth) under the vertical wallboard trim.

Our ancestors were very observant of nature, and skilled finish carpenters passed along their knowledge of the way materials behave. I worked for a finish carpenter while in high school, and learned that molding and trim weren’t just a finishing touch, but also a necessity to hide the places where materials needed room to expand and contract, at ceilings, floors, stairs and doors. Miracle materials have come along since then that were supposed to change the industry, like plastic moldings that are more temperature stable, but nature never disappoints. Natural or not, materials all have to work together, whether it’s the way they react to moisture, sunlight, heat or cold.

You’re going to need to get the contractor to organize the flooring installer and the finish carpenter to coordinate cutting the floor, and either install the shoe molding or space the vertical trim baseboard so the floor moves and adjusts underneath, even at the island and kitchen cabinet bases. Hopefully, the flooring was installed over a moisture-proof expansion membrane. Then enjoy your floor.

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Reflections on the special election

It isn’t often that a congressional race becomes the center of national attention. But that was the case in the campaign between Tom Suozzi and Mazi Pilip to succeed the disgraced George Santos in the 3rd Congressional District.

In less than 12 months in office, Santos became a joke — a very sick joke. After the House of Representatives voted to expel him in December, Gov. Kathy Hochul set a special election for Feb. 13.

pETER KInG

Under state election law, candidates in a special election are selected by party leaders. Not surprisingly, Democrats selected Tom Suozzi, a seasoned veteran of the political wars who had represented the district in Congress for three terms before giving up his seat to make an unsuccessful gubernatorial primary run against Hochul in 2022.

Nassau GOP Chairman Joe Cairo set up a selection committee (that I was part of) that interviewed 22 potential candidates, and overwhelmingly recommended Pilip. Not wanting to repeat the Santos calamity, Cairo had Pilip vetted by several firms, and she passed with flying colors.

Ordinarily it would be a gamble for a relative newcomer who had served barely one term in the County Legislature to run against a veteran like Suozzi, but Pilip personified the American dream. She’d escaped from Ethiopia to Israel with her family when she was 12, and served in an elite parachute unit in the Israel Defense Forces. She was highly educated, married a Ukrainian cardiologist, moved to the United States and raised seven children in Great Neck. She was the first Republican ever re-elected in the 10th Legislative District.

IPilip was the new running against the old. She was coming off a solid victory against the odds in a Democratic district, while Suozzi had lost badly to Hochul in the primary. Pilip was the legal immigrant who supported strong border security, challenging the candidate of the party that had allowed more than 8 million illegal migrants into the country, many of whom were overwhelming New York City and the parts of Queens that fall in the 3rd District. She was the candidate who was endorsed by the Border Patrol Agents’ union, while Suozzi had recently boasted of throwing Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of Nassau County when he was county executive. Pilip, a

trained soldier, supported strong defense at a time when Israel was at war with Hamas, Russia had invaded Ukraine and China was threatening Taiwan.

Though the Democrats had a significant registration edge over Republicans, 39 percent to 28 percent, President Biden’s popularity was at record lows, and Suozzi was on record saying he supported Biden “100 percent.”

heard there was real concern in the Suozzi camp right up to Election Day.

Pilip campaigned tirelessly, and was making strong inroads. Suozzi countered by separating himself from prevailing Democratic positions on immigration, border security and support for police and didn’t seek Biden’s endorsement.

In the campaign’s closing days, every published poll had the race within the margin of error. A Republican poll had Pilip up by 5 points. Suozzi never got above 50 percent in any poll, a bad sign for a virtual incumbent. Democratic sources and some friendly reporters told me there was real concern in the Suozzi camp right up to Election Day. When the numbers were in, though, Suozzi won, 54 percent to 46 percent.

It’s still early, but my preliminary thoughts are that:

■ The snowstorm on Election Day hurt Republicans, but not enough to make the

Tdifference.

■ Suozzi effectively managed to separate himself in the eyes of the voters from the sins of his party on immigration and support for the police.

■ Democratic congressional campaign committees provided extensive financial support to Suozzi early on.

■ Though Pilip actually garnered a higher percentage of votes against Suozzi than former President Donald Trump did against Biden in 2020, she couldn’t overcome the built-in Democratic registration edge.

■ Cairo and the Nassau Republican organization worked hard and effectively, but Pilip didn’t receive financial support from national Republicans comparable to what Suozzi received from Democrats.

■ Pilip was handicapped by having to campaign against the backdrop of the antics of congressional Republicans like Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Green, who come across as a gang that can’t shoot straight.

Suozzi won. No complaints. No excuses. But Pilip ran an excellent and courageous campaign, and has an excellent political future.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

Leadership means knowing how to count

here are four qualifications to be an accomplished federal or state legislative leader. You must meet the legal minimum-age requirement; you need the approval of voters; you must have the confidence of your party’s delegation; and you must know how to count. The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, seems to meet three of those qualifications, but earlier this month he showed that he doesn’t know how to count.

JERRY KREMER

Three weeks ago, the House majority suffered two embarrassing defeats that just don’t happen under ordinary leadership. The House’s attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas fell short by one vote, and a separate bill to provide aid to Israel lost by a much wider margin. In most legislatures where there are good floor assistants and a leader who can count, those types of things don’t happen.

I spent 23 years in the Assembly, and voted on thousands of bills. Most of them weren’t controversial, so they sailed through with more than enough votes. A few very hot potatoes got passed as well, sometimes by only one or two votes. To accomplish that, the leadership sent appointed members, called whips, to every section of the floor to make sure that there was an exact count prior to a vote on any bill.

EJohnson’s explanation for his loss was that “the vote was not a reflection on the leader, but reflected the nation, which is very much divided.” The country may be divided, but the Republican House has a bigger problem. A small group of members, ranging from as few as 10 to as many as 60, has the ability to stop action on any legislation, and the rest of the House delegation is left out in the cold. To make things worse, any one member of the House can invoke a rule that calls for the removal of the speaker and, bingo, it happens. Ask Kevin McCarthy, and he’ll tell you how he lost his job.

Despite telling the world that he wasn’t to blame, Johnson fell back on the

aphorism often attributed to Otto von Bismarck, that laws are like sausages, and it’s best not to see them being made. That may be true, but to the best of my recollection, in my time we made laws in committee meetings, and didn’t expose ourselves to the public seeing our lawmaking.

The even bigger problem for Johnson is that the current House has the worst record for significant lawmaking in the past 50 years. To date, only one bipartisan bill has passed, and dozens of bills passed by the Senate are piled in the House trash. The one bill that was proposed by a bipartisan Senate committee, which deals with border security and stopping the flow of immigrants, was pronounced “dead on arrival” by Johnson before he even saw its details.

Getting back to the two House mishaps earlier this month: Aside from failing to count Republican votes, Johnson assumed that a Democrat who was sitting in a hospital room wouldn’t attend the session when the impeachment bill was put to a vote, and therefore there would be just enough Republican members present to pass the bill by one vote.

Relying on the opposition party to bail you out is a very risky business, because your adversary is not in the business of saving your skin when there’s a tough vote.

Johnson eventually found a way to push through Mayorkas’s impeachment, but he faces headaches of a bigger magnitude. There was a March 1 deadline to fund the government and avert a partial government shutdown, and without Democratic votes, the majority party would be in deep trouble. In addition, the Senate adopted a bill to fund Ukraine and Israel in their ongoing wars with Russia and Hamas, respectively, and to help Taiwan. Johnson will have to deliver on some of those issues, even though some of his members are adamantly opposed to sending any more money to Ukraine.

Being a leader is a tough job, and in the House, sadly, it only takes one member to kick you out of the job. In the end, even if you’re a leader and can count, the job isn’t worth it.

Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.

HeraLd editoriaL

Let’s be sure we don’t relive some of our history

Black History Month is a chance for us to celebrate the many contributions African-Americans have made to the country. They’ve done this despite discrimination and oppression — something even Long Island, in the past, was not immune to.

For example, when we think of slavery, we think of the Deep South before the Civil War. In fact, slavery existed in New York until 1827, and the state had more enslaved people than all the New England states combined, many of them on Long Island.

At the start of the American revolution, there were roughly 10,000 enslaved Black Americans living on Long Island — nearly half of the state’s total enslaved population. While they were allowed more mobility and financial opportunities than their counterparts in the South, the claim that slavery wasn’t as bad in the North is largely inaccurate.

Throughout the 1700s, New York lawmakers created the Black Codes, which historian and author richard Moss — in his book, “Slavery on Long Island” — claimed were “the harshest criminal laws and penalties enacted by northern colonists.” Punishments for striking a white person included two weeks’ imprisonment and corporal punish-

Letters

Leave trans kids alone

To the Editor:

ment.

Enslaved people were forbidden from gathering in groups of more than three, and prevented from owning property. Children born to enslaved mothers were automatically enslaved at birth. And testimony by enslaved people was inadmissible in court.

One common practice at the time on Long Island and New York was shipping unruly African-Americans to the Caribbean slave colonies. Conditions on islands such as Barbados and Jamaica were particularly brutal, with less than a third of slaves surviving on some plantations.

Even after slavery ended in New York, discrimination did not. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the number of AfricanAmericans in the Town of Oyster Bay dwindled from roughly 17 percent to less than a half-percent as racist real estate practices and federal policies prioritized homeownership for whites while driving Black Americans — and other minorities — from the area through a mix of intimidation, legislation, and rising property rates.

When Levittown — long touted as the model of the modern American suburb — was created in 1947, non-whites were expressly forbidden from owning any of the 17,400 new homes, with the deeds

Bruce Blakeman couldn’t care less about girls’ sports.

By signing an executive order to ban teams that allow transgender girls and women from playing in Nassau County athletic facilities last week, Blakeman continued to distract from his shirking of responsibilities as Nassau County Executive.

Since his marginal win over Laura Curran in 2021, after campaigning on the promise of $128 million in tax cuts, Blakeman has rejected every cut in annual budget proposals.

In 2022, amid the highest rates of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in the county, he issued a series of orders against mask mandates in schools.

What has he been doing instead in his capacity as executive? Attacking the participation of the county’s small percentage of transgender girls and women in athletics, a right that is supported by experts in the field, including the National Women’s Law Center. Blakeman’s order does not mention transgender boys and men — instead he hides his under-researched and dangerous order behind a thin veil of Victorian-era patriarchal values and personal opinion.

“Part of good government is listening to your constituents,” Blakeman said in a recent interview. Listen to this constituent, Bruce: Do your job, and leave trans kids alone.

CArTEr ALLEN Garden City

themselves preventing ownership by “any person other than members of the Caucasian race,” according to a 2011 research paper by Baruch College Sociology professor robert Courtney Smith. robert Moses, the urban planner and public official who is best known today for creating Jones Beach State Park and the state parkway system, designed Long Island parkways to make them impassable for buses, frequently the only mode of transportation for non-white and lowincome families. While some latter-day historians question the validity of this claim, Moses was also known to have fought against integrating public swimming pools in the 1920s.

African-Americans have continuously defied the odds and obstacles set against them — whether it be Jackie robinson playing Major League Baseball, or mathematicians Creola Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson helping NASA put men on the moon. recognizing those contributions — and learning from our mistakes of the past can open the door for even greater accomplishments in the future, as we look to remove more barriers.

The late Maya Angelou once said that “history, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. But if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

last week, “It’s Library Lovers Month — borrow a book.” Libraries are the greatest thing. They open the world to anyone willing to look. Not everyone bothers to look, but those who want to have the opportunity.

Writing climate change into the K-12 curriculum

waLaN sINGer

e are living in the midst of a climate emergency, with the expectation that conditions will significantly worsen in the near future. In January, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded. In New York state, climate change is impacting the environment, society and the economy as extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity. Floods are more frequent, and the growing season for crops is changing. Climate disasters have cost the northeastern United States over $80 billion since 1980. In response to the threat of a climate catastrophe, there is a renewed push to include climate awareness in the K-12 school curriculum. New Jersey was the first state to mandate climate change lessons in its public schools. New York State Senate Bill S278A would amend state education law, “establishing a course of instruction and learning expectations on climate education in all public pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools.” There is a com-

panion bill in the Assembly, A1559A.

Over 200 educational professionals and organizations representing tens of thousands of members have signed a letter in support of the state legislation. It reads in part:

“New York State has set ambitious climate change adaptation and mitigation goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This Act commits the state to 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, and a reduction of at least 85% below 1990-level (greenhouse gas) emissions by 2050. The CLCPA implementation plan recognizes that actions to address climate change will be needed at scale and across all sectors of the state, including ‘the need for P-12 curricula to include climate change education,’ as well as ‘a coordinated effort on outreach and education across all sectors of the economy.’ Addressing climate change is an educational project, and we stand ready as educational professionals to assist New York State as it addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapidly changing climate.”

tincludes a guide for teaching about climate and climate change. The Climate and Resilience Education Task Force offers a toolkit for supporting climate action and education.

he New York City Department of Education isn’t waiting for legislative action.

While New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California want to expand student understanding of the threat of climate change to the world as we know it, a number of states governed by Republican Party climate change deniers, including Florida, Texas and Virginia, are committed to ignorance and obfuscation. In Connecticut, Republican State Rep. John Piscopo is demanding that lessons on climate change include unsupported challenges to the scientific consensus that human action and the emission of fossil fuels into the atmosphere are the primary engine of global warming. Piscopo charges that scientists and teachers who want a climate-awareness curriculum are trying to indoctrinate students.

different grade levels, such as “Rain School,” by James Rumford, a picture book for kindergarten through thirdgrades about children living in the town of Kélo, in the Central African country of Chad. Every year their school must be rebuilt because the building is destroyed by powerful storms.

Monica Pagan-Guzman, who teaches third grade at Public School 83 in East Harlem and took part in the program, started a lunch club in which students discuss climate change.

This month, the Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers co-hosted a climate change training session for up to 500 educators.

The National Wildlife Federation is already asking teachers to pledge to teach at least 10 hours a year to promote climate change awareness. Its website

Letters

We need to keep that going, and not be controlled by closed-minded people.

You may not know that about one-third of Nassau County libraries allow adult patrons to borrow a telescope just like a book. I have been promoting the Library Telescope Program for almost eight years now, and I work with 17 Nassau County libraries so far.

Everything I do is free to the library. It just needs to buy the telescope and various accessories directly from vendors, totaling about $450. I help by modifying the telescope to make it easy to use and transport, and provide maintenance as needed. I also provide staff and patron training on how to handle and use the telescope, as well as periodic astronomy-related presentations. In March I will be doing eclipse presentations at eight libraries, and occasionally I do Moon Parties as well. All at no cost.

There are now over 1,000 libraries running the Library Telescope Program, mostly in the U.S. and Canada, but also in other countries.

TOM LYNCH Lynbrook

A neighborly winter surprise

To the Editor:

Looking out my bedroom window, noticing the snowfall had just about stopped, I decided to gear up and start the removal process. As I was clearing off the car, readying to start the shoveling, I noticed that part of my front walk has been cleared. Looking even closer, I saw a body working on the front entranceway. My neighbor has often started snow removal for me as I have done for him, so I thought for sure it was either him or one of his sons helping out.

As I got closer to the sidewalk, I realized for sure that this helper, a young man, was unknown to me. I asked why he was helping, and he said, “I got up early, noticed the snowfall and decided to do some shoveling.” He was finishing up the last section of sidewalk, so I went inside to grab some cash to give him, but when I came back outside, he was gone. Off to job No. 2, I suppose.

Whoever you are, thank you!

PHIL GRELLA Rockville Centre

The New York City Department of Education isn’t waiting for legislative action. Last summer, 39 city elementaryschool teachers took part in a four-day training on “Integrating Climate Education in N.Y.C. Public Schools.” The workshop included children’s literature that teachers can use in their classrooms at

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, human-caused climate change has impacted the globe with the burning of fossil fuels. The debate in classrooms and the political realm should not be over whether climate change is happening, or to what extent it puts human civilization at risk, but rather how societies and individuals should respond. On my website, alansinger.net, I have high school-level lesson material aligned with my book “Teaching Climate History: There is No Planet B.” The package includes documents for use in both science and social studies classes.

Dr. Alan Singer is a professor of teaching, learning and technology and the director of social studies education programs at Hofstra University.

Framework by Tim Baker

At Ogden Elementary School’s Father-Daughter and Special Person Dance — Valley Stream

“The Vacant Space Revival Program qualified us for on-bill credits that really help me manage costs.”

—George Karatzas, James Cress Florist, Smithtown

Unoccupied business spaces are an opportunity to help bring vitality to downtown areas. For George Karatzas, owner of James Cress Florist, staying downtown was a priority, but costs were prohibitive. Then George applied for our Vacant Space Revival Program, which has provided $2,462 in bill credits to help offset his overhead.* And Smithtown continues to have a business that brings warmth and charm to the area. It’s a beautiful thing to see come together—just like George’s floral arrangements.

psegliny.com/EcoDev

*Incentives, grants, and savings will vary with every project.

“The Vacant Space Revival Program qualified us for on-bill credits that really help me manage costs.”

—George Karatzas, James Cress Florist, Smithtown