Franklin Square/Elmont
HERALD Mother, daughter leave hospital
Fridays are for free pretzels
elmont church spreads love
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Vol. 22 no. 20
MaY 12 - 20, 2020
Sprucing up the community Valley Streamers and Elmonters look to start community garden But the vacant lot on North Central Avenue isn’t the only site being considered by nearly A house once stood at the 40 Valley Stream and Elmont intersection of North Central residents who are members of Avenue and North Drive in Val- the 22nd Assembly District ley Stream, but it was demol- Community Garden Coalition. ished in the early 2000s, and for Others in the virtual meeting the past decade, the parcel has suggested they build the garden sat dor mant as a Town of in the Mill Pond area of Valley Hempstead property. Now Val- Stream, or in a vacant lot near ley Stream and the Pep Boys on Elmont residents Hempstead Turnare petitioning pike in Elmont. town officials to O n e m e m b e r, let them develop it Lorrie Sand, suginto a community g e s t e d Va l l e y garden. Stream’s Village “We live here, Green, so gardenand we’re asking ers could tap into for this,” Denise the village’s water Riggio, a resident MiChaelle supply. But Solagof the area for 50 es said they could solages years, said at a always use water virtual communi- State assemblywoman barrels, and Mary ty garden interest Callahan, a coordimeeting on May 4. nator for the CorShe has been working with the nell Cooperative Extension, Cornell Cooperative Extension, noted that an irrigation system which helps promote sustain- c o u l d g r e a t l y r e d u c e t h e ability on Long Island, and amount of water necessary for S t a t e A s s e m b l y w o m a n garden maintenance. Michaelle Solages, who proWherever they choose, coaliposed the idea of a community tion members agreed that the garden in the 22nd Assembly site should be easily accessible, District in January and has and Muhammad Tahir Vali secured a $9,000 grant for its creation. Continued on page 4
By Melissa Koenig mkoenig@liherald.com
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Christina Daly/Herald
Celebrating grandma, safely Charlotte Arena created a sign for her grandmother at the Plattduetsche Retirement Home’s driveby Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday. Story, more photos, Page 3.
All aboard the food train
Franklin Square residents feed veteran in need By Melissa Koenig mkoenig@liherald.com
M o re t h a n 8 0 F r a n k l i n Square residents have volunteered to help a local World War II veteran who has struggled to keep food on the table for himself and his 65-year-old mentally disabled daughter during the coronavirus pandemic. “T he community really stepped up for this,” said Gina
Centauro, who lives in Franklin Square and organized a “food train” for Rosario Trovato on May 4. The 98-year-old Trovato had reached out to her charity, Rescuing Families Inc., a few weeks ago, Centauro recounted, saying he needed essential items such as masks, gloves, paper towels, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. But after talking to him every other day, and dropping those items off at
his Garden City South home twice a week, Centauro found out that Trovato was also having trouble getting food. He didn’t want his home health care aides going shopping, out of fear that they might contract Covid-19, Centauro said, and when he went shopping himself, “there was nothing left for him.” “The pandemic has been Continued on page 4
t’s really what we, as a community, want it to be.
WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.
Don’t put off seeking help for medically necessary care in fear of COVID-19. Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All incoming patients are tested for COVID-19 within two days prior to admission. Our frontline staff of physicians, nurses and support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.
DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.
mountsinai.org/southnassau
Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Photo top left courtesy of Jeff Basinger, Newsday.
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May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
Photos by Christina Daly/Herald
staff at the Plattduetsche Retirement Home organized a surprise Mother’s Day car for its residents.
Plattduetsche honors its mothers, at a distance By Melissa Koenig mkoenig@liherald.com
The 105 residents at Plattduetsche Park haven’t been able to see their families since the State Department of Health required all nursing homes to restrict access on March 13. But that all changed on May 10, when the administration surprised all the mothers and grandmothers with a drive-by Mother’s Day parade. They had reached out to the residents’ families about the parade, Administrator Steven Kordisch explained, who were able to keep it a secret until the big day, when they drove around the complex twice and were able to speak to their loved ones through car windows. “It was really uplifting,” he said, adding that the mothers and grandmothers at the home “were all thrilled to see their families.”
the logan faMily and Buddy the Elf, above, visited their family for Mothers Day. tyler flynn sat in the trunk of his SUV, left, holding up a sign for his grandmother. BarBara DeeKs was elated to see her family, far left, and blew them a kiss as they drove by.
May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Google Maps
Valley Stream and Elmont residents are considering developing a community garden at this vacant lot on North Central Avenue in Valley Stream.
Community members plan to build garden Continued from front said it should also be “scalable, so if the pilot program succeeds, we can develop it more.” The group could plant whatever members wanted, Solages said, although many agreed they would like to use non-genetically modified products. Some members envision hosting fundraisers at the garden, such as wine and kids’ parties. Geeta Arjune suggested they plant apple trees and have a large fall or Halloween festival. They could also develop an educational program, Riggio said, and Karen Milazzo proposed hosting field trips at the garden, in which the coalition could charge local school districts to have children plant flowers in pots to bring home. “It’s really what we, as a community, want it to be,” Solages said. Community gardens have proven to bring people together, Callahan said. One in North Amityville that she helped develop about three years ago represented a “unique coming together of private-public partnerships,” and encouraged people to interact in an open space. Another one, in Roosevelt, has beds that residents can rent, and others set aside for children to grow their own flowers. But before any of that can happen, Solages said, the group will need to
Possible locations ■ Empty lot at the intersection of North Central Avenue and North Drive in Valley Stream ■ Near Mill Pond ■ The Village Green in Valley Stream ■ Vacant land near the Pep Boys in Elmont finalize a location. Suggestions can be made on the coalition’s Facebook page, she said, and Riggio offered to take photos of each possible location. Once that is decided, the residents can begin writing letters to town and village officials, requesting a permit for the garden. Solages said she would like to get it up and running as soon as possible, so the Community Garden Coalition could “hit all the growing seasons.” “I think we’ve got a good year to start,” she noted, with Riggio saying it was something they could do while social distancing. To get involved in the community garden planning, join Solages’ Community Garden Coalition group on Facebook.
Franklin Square/Elmont
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MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/franklinsquare or www.liherald.com/elmont ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: fseditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 214 E-mail: fseditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Franklin Square/Elmont Herald USPS 017066, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Franklin Square/Elmont Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Courtesy Charlie Grippaldi
Venturing Crew 2718 started Operation Thank a Veteran in March.
Residents, scouts come together to help feed vet Continued from front hard on all of us, but especially the elderly and disabled population,” she posted in a Facebook group she set up on May 4. “We thought what better way to help than to get our community involved in a meal train.” Residents would cook low-sodium meals for him, Centauro explained in a Facebook Live video on the page, and she could deliver them to his house with notes from the people who made them. Trovato loves Italian food, she wrote, but doesn’t enjoy Mexican or Latino food, and is “not overly particular about breakfast.” Initially, Centauro said, fewer than two dozen people volunteered, but within a day, the group grew to more than 80, including Gabrielle Brino, who decided to join after she saw the post on Facebook. “They live locally, and I wanted to help feed them,” Brino said. “That’s the least I could do during this horrendous time.” Elmont resident Anemone Mahadeo agreed, and said she got involved because she has been feeding those in need since her fifth birthday party in Guyana, when her grandmother suggested she hand out food rather than have a birthday party. “It’s something that was instilled in me,” Mahadeo said, noting that she also gives out food one a month at the Bethany House in Roosevelt. She planned to make a chicken
and pasta dish for Trovato. Even the Boy Scouts decided to help out. Venturing Crew 2718, sponsored by Franklin Square VFW Post 2718, volunteers with the local veterans, and created an initiative called Operation Thank a Veteran in March, raising money to buy food for local vets. “My youth members and adult leaders have a deep connection with our veterans,” Crew Leader Charlie Grippaldi said, “and feel it’s important to help the men and women who fought for the freedoms we enjoy in this country.” So, he said, when the VFW contacted him about Centauro’s efforts, the scouts “were more than willing to help,” Grippaldi said, and committed to bringing Trovato three days’ worth of meals — three lunches and three dinners — every Tuesday. They get the food from local restaurants — like Antonio’s Italian-American Deli in Malverne, DaVinci Gourmet Market in Franklin Square, Tulip Caterers in Franklin Square and Patsy’s Pizzeria in Queens — all of which have donated to scouting events in the past. “It’s our way of giving back,” Grippaldi said, noting that the Venturing Crew now feeds six veterans a week. Anyone who would like to help Centauro’s cause — which doesn’t have to include cooking a meal, Grippaldi added — can donate to the Venturing Crew’s efforts at www.crew2718.com.
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Nassau honors its ‘health care heroes’ County executive comes to NUMC for National Nurses Week By Bridget downes bdownes@liherald.com
In honor of National Nurses Day, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and other county officials paid tribute Wednesday to the health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic. “These are our heroes,” Curran said at a news conference outside of the Nassau University Medical Center, joined by nurses and other medical staff. “They are the crucial part of our health care infrastructure . . . and oftentimes they take the place of the family. In people’s last days, they’re the ones there, providing care and holding the hands. It’s difficult work, it’s emotionally taxing, and it’s incredibly important.” Some health care professionals are sleeping in RVs, staying in their basements or even camping out in tents in their backyards, the county executive noted, to maintain self-isolation orders. Others go through meticulous self-decontamination measures, including changing
in the garage and showering before hugging family members. “You are our warriors and we want to thank you for what you’re doing each and every day,” Curran said. “As I say, this crisis has not created heroes, it has revealed the heroes already among us.” To date, the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management has distributed 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment to health care workers and first responders. Dr. Anthony Boutin, CEO of NUMC, thanked Curran for coming to the hospital to celebrate National Nurses Day. “I commend our hard-working nurses, all our valuable employees working hard here,” Boutin said. As of Wednesday, the hospital was housing 52 patients who tested positive for Covid-19, and 20 whose results were pending. “This is a significant achievement. We have a 74 percent decline at our peak here at NUMC,” Boutin said, “and I’m happy to report some good news. We are discharging our 565th patient today.”
nassau County exeCutive Laura Curran, left, came to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow last Wednesday to pay tribute to nurses in honor of National Nurses Week.
State, Northwell test in minority communities By sCott Brinton sbrinton@liherald
New York state and Northwell Health are partnering to increase Covid-19 testing in the minority communities hardest hit by the virus in downstate New York, Governor Cuomo said Saturday. Testing will take place at 24 churches. Two Nassau County houses of worship — the Union Baptist Church in Hempstead and the First Baptist Church in Westbury — will be among the 24. Results of the state’s diagnostic testing and antibody testing surveys found the highest rates of Covid-19 infection in low-income and minority communities, according to the governor. Additionally, a state survey of all newly hospitalized Covid-19 patients found communities of color are most impacted. Of the 21 zip codes with the most new Covid-19 hospitalizations, 20
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t is a cruel fact that when you look at disasters and emergencies, the poorest and most disadvantaged people often pay the highest price. andrew CuoMo
New York state governor have greater than average black and/or Latino populations. “It is a cruel fact that when you look at disasters and emergencies, the poorest and most disadvantaged people often pay the highest price, and the Covid-19 pan-
demic is no different,” Cuomo said. “The fact is that low-income and minority communities are suffering the most. It is not right, and we have to address it.” Michael Dowling, Northwell Health’s president and CEO, said, “Given the prevalence of the coronavirus within communities of color, it’s imperative that we act quickly to prevent further spread of the virus. Among the ways we can protect our communities — beyond social distancing, wearing facemasks, avoiding group gatherings and basic hand hygiene — is through testing.” The governor also announced preliminary results of the state’s antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the New York City region. Roughly 14 percent, he said, had Covid-19 antibodies. By comparison, 16 percent, or 1 in 6 people on Long Island, tested positive for the antibodies, and 19 percent, or 1 in 5 people, were positive in New York City.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
Photos courtesy Nassau County
County and nuMC officials demonstrated proper social distancing while honoring nurses.
May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Hempstead allocates $2M for food banks By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com
The Town of Hempstead has allotted $2 million of a $133 million federal aid package toward 14 food banks across the town to help ensure residents in need are fed during the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said Tuesday. Announcement of the allocation, made with the nonprofit Long Island Cares food bank, was the first act of the town’s newly created Economic Relief Advisory Committee, which will recommend how funds from the federal government’s economic stimulus package should be distributed. “Nobody in our town will go hungry because of the hardships they have experienced due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Town Supervisor Donald Clavin Jr., a Republican from Garden City, said. “Between many of our residents losing their jobs and the grocery stores struggling to meet demand, this funding will keep our food banks stocked for the next couple of months so our residents can be reassured with quality meals.” Food distribution centers, run by Long Island Cares staff, will be located in Baldwin, Elmont, Lawrence, Roosevelt and other communities, and will be open two days a week for a total of eight hours. Times are subject to change depending on community need. For more information about where the food banks are located or how to schedule a pick-up or delivery, visit licares.org or call (631) 582-3663. Each family will receive a 20-pound box of food that can feed up to six people for a week. Each box will contain non-perishable, nutritious food, and staples such as milk and juice. Pet food will be provided if needed, and fresh produce will be available when possible. The federal funding will also support the Nassau Center for Collaborative Assistance, Long Island Cares’s satellite location in Freeport, and will go toward food distribution in Hempstead, Uniondale, Merrick, Bellmore and Oceanside. Clavin thanked U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York City, and the Long Island congressional delegation for helping to secure the stimulus funding. He added, “We’re very fortunate to have Governor Cuomo’s historic leadership at this very desperate time in our state’s history. Our town government looks forward to working with the county and state governments to ensure these funds are used appropriately and efficiently to produce the greatest possible outcome for our
Courtesy Town of Hempstead
the town of Hempstead is devoting $2 million in federal stimulus funding to help feed the hungry across the town, Supervisor Donald Clavin said Tuesday. communities.” “The launch of the economic relief advisory committee is the first of many steps that will be taken over the next couple of months to regain economic stability for our town, its businesses and residents,” said Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, a Democrat who represents the 1stCouncilmatic District, and who contracted the coronavirus and recovered. The town’s Economic Relief Advisory Committee comprises leaders from business, labor, education and the community, and includes: • Joe Belluck, Attorney and Founding Partner of Belluck & Fox, LLP: Before helping to found Belluck & Fox, a firm that specializes in mesothelioma cases, 18 years ago, Belluck took on large tobacco companies as the State of New York representative. • John Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor: Durso represents workers in the supermarket, health care, pharmacy, delivery, dairy and retail food service industries. He is also international vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, and vice president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store
Union. • Charles Fuschillo Jr., President and CEO of Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: Before joining the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in 2013, Fuschillo served 16 years in the New York State Senate, drafting more than 200 laws. • Margarita Grasing, Executive Director of Hispanic Brotherhood: Grasing is also a former board member of the Rockville Centre Education Foundation, Nassau County HIV Commission and County Coalition of Youth Agencies. Kevin Law, President and CEO of the Long Island Association: Law is focused on fostering economic development and improving Long Island’s business climate. He is co-chair to the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council and was formerly a trustee of the Long Island Power Authority and chief deputy county executive in Suffolk County. • Mitchell Pally, Chief Executive Officer of the Long Island Builders Institute: As CEO of LIBI, Pally works to foster home ownership across Long Island. He was also chief counsel to the New York State Senate Committee on Transportation and the Legislative Commission on Critical Transportation Choices. • Geoffrey Prime, Mayor of Incorporated Village of South Floral Park: Aside from his mayoral duties, Prime is a criminal defense attorney and founding partner of Prime & O’Brien in Garden City. He is the past chairman of the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees. • Stuart Rabinowitz, President of Hofstra University: Before becoming Hofstra’s president in 2001, Rabinowitz was dean of its law school. As president, he founded the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Peter S. Kalikow School of Government and Fred DeMattheis School of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as the National Center for Suburban Studies and the Center for Entrepreneurship. • Cherice Vanderhall, Village Attorney of Hempstead Village: Vanderhall specializes in employment litigation and family law. She previously served as Hempstead Village deputy attorney. “The Covid-19 outbreak has affected us all,” Law said. “As part of the Economic Recovery Advisory Committee, I am committed to doing my part to get the Hempstead community back on its feet in the wake of this pandemic. The multiple perspectives and backgrounds this committee has to offer will ensure the maximum potential for this funding is realized for Hempstead residents.”
Little Leaguers parade in Point Lookout By Darwin YaneS dyanes@liherald.com
Little Leaguers took part in a car parade at Town Park in Point Lookout on Friday as a way to pay homage to a season lost because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The parade was put together by Town of Hempstead officials and fire departments from Merrick and Island Park. Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin and members of the Town Board were on hand to cheer paradegoers. “This gives the local Little Leagues a chance to come down here, in a little bit of open space, and get cheered on,” Councilman Anthony D’Esposito said. “We just tried to bring some smiles to the kids’ faces and let them know they’re not forgotten. As soon as this gets past us, we will do anything we can to get them back to whatever sea-
son we can.” Merrick resident Al Belbol and his son Joseph, 12, took part in the parade. Belbol, who coaches his son’s Little League team, said Joseph practices every day in the hope there will be a season this year. He added that the parade gives players a sense of hope. “It means a lot to him to just be able to get his uniform on, feel pride in playing for the Merrick-Bellmore Little League,” Belbol said. “These kids are dying to play baseball.” Some Little Leagues represented in the parade were Merrick and Bellmore, Long Beach, Point Lookout, Island Park and Garden City South. New York Mets Legend Ed Kranepool, who was on the 1969 World Series team, was a special guest for the event. “Over the years, I’ve been to many Little League functions, and this is one of the greatest you can be part of,” Kranepool said. “Everybody be safe.”
Darwin Yanes/Herald
the BelBol familY from Merrick took part in the parade on May 8.
Philly Pretzel Factory offers delivery with a twist The Caiazzo family knew they wanted to help those who are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, and decided the best way to do so was to deliver free pretzels to community members every Friday. “I know that everyone’s having their ups and downs,” Franklin Square Philly Pretzel Factory co-owner Joe Caiazzo explained. “It hits everyone’s hearts.” When the pandemic began, he said, they wanted to thank health care workers. His mother is a nurse, he noted, as is co-owner Debbie Smith. So, on April 11, they posted a video on social media telling health care workers they could just walk up to the store on Franklin Avenue, tell the clerk they work in the health care industry and get a free pretzel, no purchase necessary. “Every day, health care workers leave their families to take care of ours, and we are so grateful,” Manager Michael Caiazzo said in the video, adding that giving them free pretzels is “the least we can do for all the sacrifices you guys are making.” But the Caiazzos also wanted to do more for community members who are
struggling during this tough time, and decided to create Free Pretzel Fridays. It started at the end of April, with them delivering pretzels to 200 Franklin Square residents who called the store with their address, and now they are holding social media polls every week, in which people can vote to get free deliveries in their hometown. On May 8, they were delivering them to Valley Stream residents, and by 11:30 a.m., Michael said, they had already received close to 40 calls. And, Joe said, “the phone’s have been lighting up all morning,” and they even had to add another phone line. “Everybody’s so nice,” Michael said.“They’re very sweet and very understanding.” Now, they plan on treating residents in neighboring communities — such as Malverne, West Hempstead and Garden City South — and plan on delivering them to Floral Park residents next week. “We’re having a lot of fun,” Michael said, “and I’m glad everyone’s enjoying it.” To place an order for three free pretzels to be delivered to your house, simply call the store on the Friday the Pretzel Factory will be in your neighborhood at (516) 407 - 3300. No purchases are necessary.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
By Melissa Koenig
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May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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vPhotos by Peter Belfiore/Herald
Mildred Songcuan waS successfully discharged from LIJ Valley Stream on May 8, after 15 days hospitalization due to the coronavirus.
Elmont mother and daughter discharged from hospital By Peter Belfiore pbelfiore@liherald.com
Medical Staff waved Songcuan and her daughter, Melissa Morales, goodbye after the two were discharged the same day. Morales’ parents had been admitted to LIJ the same day on April 24, and while Isaias had initially gone home after appearing to recover, on May 6 he returned to the hospital in a worsened condition, and placed on a ventilator. Covid patients that have reached the stage in which they need the mechanical device to breath for them are usually not expected to survive, but on Friday he was taken off of it. It was “a major accom-
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Mother’s Day came early for a local family on May 8, when after being both hospitalized due to the coronavirus, Mildred Songcuan, 61, and her daughter Melissa Morales, 40, of Elmont were discharged from LIJ Valley Stream on the same day. Roughly two dozen doctors and nurses lined the hospital lobby for the occasion, and greeted the two as they were carted out of the building with cheers and applause. Despite the heavy shroud of protective gear, the emotion was clear on their faces. It was a bittersweet moment, however, for the mother and daughter, who were leaving behind husband and father, Isaias Songcuan, 61, who had become the most gravely ill of the three, and was remaining in the hospital’s intensive care unit. As has become typical for Covid-19, the disease brought on by the coronavirus, it tore through the household, spreading among family members. While they were wheeled to their respective ambulances, Songcuan said it was a “blessing” to be able to return home with her daughter. Morales, who is a mother herself, said quietly through sobs that she could not wait to hold her own daughter.
plishment” for him, Terry Pando, nurse manager at LIJ said, adding to the family’s good news. Morales recounted the tearful departure she was given with her father, whose prognosis was now improved. “I told him to stay strong,” she said, “to hang in there.” Morales was admitted to LIJ at a later date, on April 30, and placed in the same room as her mother. Nurse practitioner
Dr. Ruby Benjamin, who helped oversee their care, said having Covid patients who are family in the same room together tends to aid them psychologically, allowing them to communicate instead of suffering in isolation. Success stories such as the one last Friday provide a morale boost to her staff, Pando said, which has been under siege in recent weeks, overseeing a high volume of Covid patients from neighborhoods that, during the pandemic’s peak, had been among the hardest hit in Nassau County. As is the practice for all Covid discharges at LIJ, the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” played over the hospital loudspeakers to accompany the Songcuan and Morales’ exit. “We haven’t had too many happy events like this,” Pando said. “ … To see a mother and daughter together and seeing the husband reach a major milestone -- it means so much.” David Seligman, executive director at LIJ, said he hoped their story would serve as an inspirational reminder that despite the death toll caused by the virus, the vast majority of patients go on to recover. “It’s one of the things that hasn’t got enough attention,” he said. “There’s been so much focus on patients that haven’t done well, but most patients have been able to ride out the storm successfully.”
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Covid-19
Local Hometown heroes
Dr. Nathan Rothman Critical care chief at St. John’s Hospital
ing the virus to others. Holidays and birthdays are also celebrated virtually via Zoom. My daughter often makes dinner for me. I drive up to her house, pop the trunk, and one of my grandchildren puts the food in the trunk because they won’t interact with me personally out of caution.
Sharon Raiola Mammography technician
Coming home at night was a treat, but I never wanted to bring anything into the house, so I would leave my shoes in the car while getting changed outside and trying to avoid getting chased by raccoons.
As the chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, I am managing an intensive care unit that went from a bed count of 16 to 50, which is an additional 34 beds. Recently, I have devoted most, if not all, of my working hours tending to Covid-19 patients, when in the past I would see patients with various illness. As a physician, the Covid-19 pandemic has altered my professional life as well as the way I interact with my family members. My wife and I moved to Woodmere in 1979 and raised our three children in the community. I also have 13 grandchildren living in the community. Why do I mention this? Because I have not been able to hug or kiss them since the start of the pandemic out of caution since I work with Covid-19 patients each day. One of the biggest concerns of health care workers is the risk of inadvertently spread-
Individually, and as a community and nation, we will pull through this crisis and come out stronger than ever.
HOMETOWN
HERO
Yma Arroyo Owner, Village Juice Garden
Things have definitely slowed down here at the Village Juice Garden and we’re working at a much different pace than what we’re used to because of the pandemic. But I think we also provide something that gives people a sense of good health, positivity and good feelings. Things have definitely been slower, but we’re going to ride this out until we can’t. I’m going to do what I can to make sure that I can stay here. We’re just staying positive with it all. Fortunately, we’re in a great town and everybody’s supporting us, coming by and buying what they can. Any
contributions that businesses can get are helping to keep the lights on. With everything that nurses and doctors are going through, I went ahead and called by brother, Keith Perez, who works at Mount Sinai South Nassau in the dialysis department and I thought, ‘you know, I would really love to get you guys some lunch.’ I know I’m not in the best position, but I just dropped it off. All the nurses and all the doctors and everybody that I got to see . . . they were just so happy to see that people are doing this. It’s hard for them right now and things are really crazy for them. I just thought that I’m going to pay this forward. That’s really where my heart was at. What others have done for me makes me feel like I should do more as well.
HOMETOWN
HERO
horrible to watch. I would come home at midnight and not fall asleep until 4 a.m. I was up thinking, “Is that patient going to make it? Is that patient going to be here tomorrow?” This is so out of my comfort zone.
But, it’s gratifying to know you’re helping.
I used to work days at NYU Winthrop’s outpatient mammography office, but when NYU decided to limit the staff, I was given a choice to stay home and not make money or work at the hospital. I decided to join the hospital staff, and became a part of its Prone Team, turning patients in the Intensive Care Unit from their bellies onto their backs so they could breathe easier. Once I really saw what was going on, it’s a mess. You’re like, “How could I not be here? How could I not help?” It was
HOMETOWN
HERO
Mariana Peredo Nurse at Mount Sinai South Nassau
Every day we go in not knowing what to expect or what we’re going to see that day, and it’s been mentally, physically taxing for most of us. Emotionally it’s draining every day. Nursing in particular is always draining. It’s a difficult job, but I don’t think any of us expected to experience anything like this. I’ve had to help families say goodbye to people before, but this became a whole new world where people were succumbing to the virus alone in a bed surrounded by people in masks, and gowns, and gloves and it’s just something that I never
thought I would see in my lifetime. The severity of it has definitely taken a toll. When you’re a nurse you’re used to having a certain amount of patients with different disease processes happening, but when you have a certain amount of patients and they all have Covid, and they’re all really sick all at the same time, every single day we have to pull whatever energy we have right out and do what we have to do for these people, because I know that if my family member was in the hospital alone I would want the nurses and doctors to do everything they could. I do want to emphasize it though that it has been an extreme team effort. We have janitorial staff, kitchen staff, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. It’s been a joint effort, and everybody’s been putting in 110 percent every single day, because I think we know that if we didn’t it would most certainly cost lives.
HOMETOWN
HERO
11
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
ONE THING THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF RIGHT NOW. HEROES. THANK YOU TO OUR NURSES AND CAREGIVERS Our heroes come to work every day and do the practically impossible. They protect and care for our communities’ most vulnerable citizens during this time of crisis. This Nurses Day, we’d like to take the opportunity to give our heroes the recognition they deserve.
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May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
12
Courtesy Cecil Mathew
The FirsT ChurCh of God partnered with Salvatore’s of Elmont to deliver food to hospital employees.
Elmont’s First Church of God loves its city By Melissa Koenig mkoenig@liherald.com
Congregants at Elmont’s First Church of God have been showing essential workers just how much they care with their “Love Our City” initiative. The church founded the mission long before the coronavirus pandemic, and its members participate in community service projects, strategic partnerships and community events “to show the love of Jesus Christ to our 34,000 neighbors in Elmont and the surrounding areas.” “We want to show a little practical application of love,” Pastor Cecil Mathew explained. Since the pandemic began, he said, the missionaries have tried to “boost and
thank the health care workers.” They set up a GoFundMe on April 3 to provide meals for frontline workers and neighbors in need whle helping support local small businesses, and have since sent food and pastries to local pharmacists, hospital employees and police “as a thank you” for those who “don’t have a choice to stay home.” They’re willing to do “whatever we can to help,” he added. Donations to the church’s efforts can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/lovelong-island. For more infor mation about the church and its mission, visit www.FirstCOG.com, and to partner with the ministry, please reach out to Pastor Mathew at cecilmathew@FirstCOG.com.
PRESENTS PRESENTS THE PRESENTS PRESENTSTHE THE THE
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LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING, ANNUAL DISTRICT ELECTION, AND BUDGET VOTE OF VALLEY STREAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT THIRTEEN, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK TO BE HELD ON JUNE 9, 2020 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Education of Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen shall hold a public hearing for the purpose of discussion of the proposed budget of expenditure of funds for the school year 2020-2021; that such public hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. remotely in the Cafeteria of the James A. Dever School, 585 N. Corona Avenue, Valley Stream, New York. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the vote by the qualified voters of Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen upon the following propositions and elections will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 by absentee ballot. PROPOSITION NO. 1 DISTRICT THIRTEEN BUDGET The vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures of Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen for the school year 2020-2021 and authorizing the levy of taxes to meet the estimated expenditures of money during said school year will be held on June 9, 2020 as set forth herein. Copies of the proposed budget, together with the text of any resolution which will be submitted to the voters as well as copies of the estimated expenditures of Valley Stream Central High School District for the school year 2020-2021 may be obtained by any taxpayer of the School District on the District’s website during each of the 14 days preceding the voting day, except on Saturday, Sunday or holidays, and at such annual election. While Education Law §1716(2) requires the budget also be made available at School District offices, any public library/free association library within the District, and the polling place, this year that will not be possible due to Executive Order 202.26 and the prevalence of the COVID-19 virus and potential for spread through our personal interaction.
Notice is further given that pursuant to Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law, the District is required to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value on the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by the statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. PROPOSITION NO. 2 DISTRICT THIRTEEN EXPENDITURE FROM CAPITAL RESERVE PROPOSITION P R O P O S I T I O N : Expenditure of no more than $160,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund established on May 15, 2018, to finance projects for the acquisition and installation of smartboards, classroom redesign, air conditioning equipment and apparatus and the installation of such air conditioning equipment and apparatus at the District’s facilities and sites. Shall the Board of Education of the Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen be authorized to expend from the Capital Reserve Fund which was established on May 15, 2018 (“Reserve Fund”) pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law, for the following capital improvement project of acquisition and installation of smartboards, classroom redesign, air conditioning equipment and apparatus and the installation of such air conditioning equipment and apparatus at the District’s facilities and sites in the approximate amount of $160,000, and other work required in connection therewith; and to expend from the Reserve Fund therefor, including preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto an amount not to exceed the estimated total cost of One Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars $(160,000)? PROPOSITION NO. 3 DISTRICT THIRTEEN EXPENDITURE FROM CAPITAL RESERVE PROPOSITION P R O P O S I T I O N : Expenditure of no more than $400,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund established on May 15, 2018, to finance projects for the renovation of the Willow Road School and Wheeler Avenue School library facilities.
Shall the Board of Education of the Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen be authorized to expend from the Capital Reserve Fund which was established on May 15, 2018 (“Reserve Fund”) pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law, for the following capital improvement project of renovation of the Willow Road School and Wheeler Avenue School library facilities in the approximate amount of $400,000, and other work required in connection therewith; and to expend from the Reserve Fund therefor, including preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto an amount not to exceed the estimated total cost of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars $(400,000)? PROPOSITION NO. 4 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET SHALL the proposed budget of expenditures of Valley Stream Central High School District, Nassau County, New York for the year 2020-2021 be approved and that the sum be raised through a levy upon the taxable property in the Valley Stream Central High School District, after first deducting the monies from state aid and other sources, as provided by law. PROPOSITION NO. 5 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT CAPITAL VOTER PROPOSITION SHALL the Board of Education be authorized to appropriate and expend the maximum amount of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand dollars ($3,500,000) from the Capital Reserve Fund established on May 17, 2016 for the purpose of completing capital improvements as follows: Central High School: Renovate and ReSod South Side of Central High School Athletic Field Memorial Junior High School: Elevator Replacement; Kitchen and Serving Line Renovations; Teacher’s Entrance Stoop Reconstruction. North High School: Tennis Court Renovations; Gymnasium Lobby Refurbishment South High School Gymnasium Lobby Refurbishment; Perimeter Fencing Replacement ELECTION OF TRUSTEES PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that for the purpose of electing two members of the Board of Education of the Valley Stream Union Free School District Thirteen, an election will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 by absentee ballot. The following are the vacancies to be filled on the Board of Education:
a) The office of Frank Chiachiere, a member of the Board of Education, for a threeyear term commencing July 1, 2020 and expiring June 30, 2023. b) The office of Sean Douglas, a member of the Board of Education, for a term commencing June 9, 2020 and expiring June 30, 2023. c) The office of Patricia Farrell, a member of the Board of Education, for a threeyear term commencing July 1, 2020 and expiring June 30, 2023. d) The office of Vinny Pandit, a member of the Board of Education, for the remainder of the threeyear term which began on July 1, 2018 commencing June 9, 2020 and expiring June 30, 2021. NOMINATION PETITIONS PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that each vacancy is a separate, specific office and a separate petition is required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. Each petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District, must state the residence of each signer, must state the name and residence of the candidate, and must describe the specific vacancy for which the candidate is nominated, including at least the length of the term of the office and the name of the last incumbent. Petitions nominating candidates for the office of the Board of Education must be filed with the Clerk of the District by Monday, May 11, 2020, by delivering the petition to a secure drop box located at 585 N. Corona Avenue, Valley Stream New York 11563, or by emailing a copy of the completed nominating petition to the District Clerk at mrosamilia@valleystream 13.com. No person shall be nominated for more than one separate office on the Board of Education. A nomination may be rejected by the Board of Education if the candidate is ineligible for office or declares his/her unwillingness to serve. In the event of the physical absence of the District Clerk from the District, nominating petitions are to be received and acted upon by the Acting District Clerk in the same manner as required of the District Clerk. Voting machines may be used for the tabulation of all votes upon propositions and the election of Trustees. The meeting and the election will be conducted according to the Education Law and the rules previously adopted by the Board of Education. REGISTRATION
State readies to reopen; L.I. ‘close,’ Cuomo says By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com
Long Island is “close” to meeting the criteria to reopen its battered economy, Governor Cuomo said at his Monday press briefing. He did not, however, elaborate. His statement appeared to contradict a prediction made Friday by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, who said Nassau would not be likely to meet the state’s stringent reopening requirements until the end of June. Curran asked the governor to look closely at reopening of the retail and construction sectors. Many sectors of Long Island’s economy have been shut down since mid-March because of the coronavirus epidemic. On Monday, Cuomo said the state’s economy would open by region, and in phases. Rural upstate counties with relatively low numbers of coronavirus cases would come first, and several such counties are already ready to reopen, he said, adding that the retail and construction industries would be among the first allowed to restart operations. Retail, however, would be for curbside pickup only, no in-store browsing, the governor said.
The state is set to reopen its economy, at least partially, on Friday, May 15. Preparing for the reopening, he said, will be “what this week is going to be all about.” Statewide, the number of overnight deaths dropped below 200 for the first time since mid-March, Cuomo said. From Sunday into Monday, 161 people died, an 80 percent decline from the state’s peak of the crisis on April 9, when 799 people died overnight. The state will follow federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that call for a 14-day decline in the infection and hospitalization rates before the economy can begin to reopen. Cuomo noted that a number of states are not following CDC guidelines during the reopening of their economies, which many are forging ahead with, even though their infection rates continue to climb. In addition to a drop in infections and hospitalizations, New York state is requiring that counties and regions demonstrate that adequate testing and contact tracing are available, and that hospitals have 30 percent of beds available for use in the event of a second wave of infection. Cuomo also spoke of allowing certain recreational activities such as tennis during the reopening.
Public Notices
Pursuant to Executive Order 202.26, the Budget Vote and Election of Board of Education members will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. The Executive Order directs that the budget vote and election be conducted by an absentee ballot process in lieu of in-person voting. Therefore, there will be no voting at the polls for this year’s annual Budget Vote and Election. The District will mail absentee ballots with a postage paid return envelope to qualified voters. In order to be counted, absentee ballots must be received in the office of the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on June 9, 2020. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to Section 2014 of the New York State Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the New York State Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Section 2014 of the New York State Education Law and has voted at any annual or special district meeting within the past four (4) calendar years, such voter is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote pursuant to Article 5 of the New York State Election Law, such voter is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register should do so on-line no later than May 26, 2020. There is no provision for in-person registration for this election. Those wishing
to register to vote should v i s i t https://www.dmv.ny.gov/ more-info/electronicv o t e r- r e g i s t r a t i o n application in order to do so online. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that military voters who are not currently registered should visit https://www.dmv.ny.gov/ more-info/electronicv o t e r- r e g i s t r a t i o n application in order to do so online. ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the Valley Stream Union Free School District 13 by requesting and returning a registration application to the District Clerk by email to mrosamilia@valleystream 13.com or fax sent to 516-825-2537. The request for the registration application may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the registration application by either mail, fax or email. Military voter registration application forms must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 14, 2020. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the Valley Stream Union Free School District 13, may request an application for a military ballot from the District Clerk and return such military ballot application to the District
Clerk by email to mrosamilia@valleystream 13.com or fax sent to 516-825-2537. In order for a military voter to be issued a military ballot, a valid military ballot application must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., on May 14, 2020. Military ballot applications received in accordance with the foregoing will be processed in the same manner as a non-military ballot application under Section 2018-a of the Education Law. The application for military ballot may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the military ballot by mail, fax, or email. A military voter’s original military ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person to the office of the District Clerk at 585 N. Corona Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11580. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military ballots shall be canvassed if they are received by the District Clerk before the close of polls on June 9, 2020 showing a cancellation mark of the United States Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or received not later than 5:00 p.m. on June 9, 2020 and signed and dated by the
military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than the day before the election. ELECTION DISTRICTS The boundaries of the four election districts are as previously adopted by the Board of Education by a resolution adopted on January 28, 1959, and which resolution is filed in the minutes of the District Clerk’s Office. Pursuant to Executive Order 202.26 issued by the Governor of the State of New York the election shall take place only by absentee ballot. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that this Board shall convene a special meeting thereof within twenty-four hours after the filing with the District Clerk of a written report of the results of the ballot for the purpose of examining and tabulating said reports of the result of the ballot and declaring the result of the ballot; that the Board hereby designates itself to be a set of poll clerks to cast and canvass ballots pursuant to Education Law 2019-a, subdivision 2b at said special meeting of the Board. Dated: May 4, 2020 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, VALLEY STREAM UNION Valley Stream, New York FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT THIRTEEN, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, NEW YORK MaryAnn Rosamilia District Clerk 121828
13
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
Public Notices
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15
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
Place Homes HERALD Market •
HERALD
Renovate or tear down? Q. I just bought a house that needs a lot of attention. It has little if any insulation, a sagging first floor, cloth-covered wiring with only a few three-pronged outlets that I doubt are grounded, and water stains in the ceilings. I’m thinking it may be cheaper to tear down, so I want to look Ask The into making the new house totally state-of-the-art, Architect meaning energy-efficient and storm-resistant, with computerized, wireless controls for a new boiler, sound system, lighting and security. I just wonder if, after investing in all this, is it worth it? Am I overimproving and out-pricing the house so I’ll never get my money back? A. Home ownership
Monte Leeper
is a challenge in many ways. For some, a home is a place to shelter, sleep, cook and entertain. For others it’s a little more like a place to enjoy time by a fireplace and a haven to relax or turn into a laboratory of gadgets and gizmos. If you’re concerned about value versus overpricing, then, other than a basic home, more upgrades are relative to comparable homes in the area. Making your home more, I often tell homebuyers, is based on your level of expected benefit and how long you hope to live there to enjoy the rewards of your hard work. State-of-the-art is ever-changing. Decide why you need the upgrades and how long they will last. If the upgrades have a return on investment, like superior insulation that reduces energy bills, solar electric or water heating, reflective or wind-resistant roofing and siding or radiant heat, then reducing bills makes the value greater. Adding a superior sound system, built-in computer and voice-controlled appliances, or a swimming pool and outdoor kitchen, are luxury items that may either become outdated or increase maintenance and insurance costs, which can actually lower the attractiveness to some future buyers who are looking at affordability. The traditional home, built 100 years ago up to the present, has basically the same structural configuration, either using amateur or unsound guessing to be over- or under-built or, since around the 1950s, a more enforced, regulated engineered construction. It’s pretty costly to just throw a home away, so you have to be sure to compare the existing with a replacement. Good design starts with sight orientation, the sun, winds, sounds and adherence to municipal zoning requirements. Decide if the size and shape of the existing home are a benefit or not. Insulated windows that allow uniform daytime lighting save energy. Properly sized overhangs screen harsh summer sun rays and allow windows to be open during a rain for fresh air. Look at what you have, what needs are not being met and how costly the renovation will be before starting over. If the home has a lot of dry-rotted structure or a crumbing or sinking foundation, replacement makes sense. If not, consider what’s useful to keep, and start from there with a trained, licensed professional. Good luck! © 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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16
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HErald
Crossword Puzzle
17
opInIons
I
’m trying to find the right word. Is it “hate” or “jealousy”? I’m not sure what the right label is for us East Coast residents, but it seems that a substantial number of Republicans in the U.S. Senate and House have a built-in hostility toward us. This dislike goes back many years, and may even be tied to the Civil War. Every time an eastern state asks for help from certain Congress members, it is met with a mean rebuff and a tirade. One great example is the Sept. 11 first responders, many of whom have died JeRRY from their expokReMeR sure to toxins at the World Trade Center site. Considering that 3,000 innocent people died in the terrorist attacks and thousands of first responders risked their lives trying to save them, Lower Manhattan should be considered hallowed ground. Nevertheless, it took years before the Long Island congressional delegation and other state officials persuaded Congress to approve a long-term extension of disability payments for those heroes. The fight against that effort was led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ken-
tucky. A number of Republicans from around the country who fought against the aid request backed him up. Republicans are now looking for ways to stick it to New York and other coastal states that are drowning in debt created by the coronavirus pandemic. The relief bills passed by Congress showed great favoritism to some Midwestern states at our expense. Businesses in Nebraska and North Dakota were treated better than suffering New Yorkers. More pandemic hospital gear went to Florida than to our health facilities, and most of it wasn’t needed. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, which have large populations, are essentially being told that they’re not entitled to more financial assistance because they are “blue” states. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has told McConnell that we’re dealing with life and death, not party registration. McConnell has gone out of his way to single out New York, claiming that our deficit was due to high pension costs and that we had no legitimate need. Once he staked out his position, he was joined by senators from Iowa, Wisconsin and Arizona, who pledged that the Northeast would get nothing as long as they were in the Senate. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, whose state is home to millions of trans-
R
planted Easterners, chimed in with his own diatribe against the northern states. What is fascinating about this meanspirited attack against New York is that these same senators aren’t reluctant to visit Wall Street to beg for campaign cash. A few years ago, when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spoke out against directing money to the dying first responders, U.S. Rep. Peter King, who represents many of us, told Wall Street money people to withhold contributions to Rubio or any other member who opposed the 9/11 aid. New York state had more than 335,000 cases of Covid19 as of Monday morning, the most in the country. Our hospitals and their personnel have been under enormous strain keeping up with this terrible virus. We are paying a high premium for masks, gowns and other desperately needed items, and the federal government has been accused of intercepting and diverting medical supplies from several states. Police and firefighters are working long shifts in order to keep up with the emergency demands of sick people. There are sad stories about the death of first responders and thousands of other local people every day. Another obligation of the government, in the event of a future epidemic, should be to coordinate the food supply. It is a trag-
elief bills passed by Congress favored some Midwestern states at our expense.
edy to see farmers destroying millions of pounds of crops and dumping fresh milk while hungry people are lining up at food banks all over the country. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue knows a lot about the farm business, but he has been clueless about how to move products to those in need. And, of course, Republicans in the Senate oppose expansion of the food stamp program for people in need. As a former state legislator who crafted budgets for 12 years, I understand that state deficits are connected to the number of Medicaid patients and the high demand for human services. School districts have always been given a high priority in state spending plans, but this year they face dramatic cuts. That means higher school taxes, and guess who will pay the bill? New York state’s fiscal crisis is tied directly to the high cost of health care, education and other ways in which it meets people’s needs. The Republican claim that deficits are tied to pension costs is an outright lie. But, if I have to choose between jealousy or hate to describe what they feel toward us coastal states, I think both words apply. Jerry Kremer was a state 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.
Will this plague lead to a new dark age?
s
ometimes a black hole opens in a culture and civility falls in. History teaches us that sometimes, good will and decency are trumped by avarice and authoritarianism. Read the stories of the Salem witch trials, the genocide of the Holocaust, the purges in Rwanda and the “ethnic cleansing” in the Balkans, and you begin to connect the dots. I think we are on the cusp of such a moment, and I fear for our future. The cracks in the foundation of our culture began with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency and his very first lies about the crowd size at his inauguRandI ration, a seemingly kReIss small false note that presaged disaster. Over the ensuing years he systematically dismantled many well-functioning stanchions of government, fired legions of experienced government officials and replaced them with sycophants and hacks. The ground rumbled as he attacked the trusted agencies to which America has turned in times of trouble: the CIA and the
FBI. When the information coming from these bureaus reflected badly on him or his administration, Trump undermined their credibility, and by doing that, their efficacy. The crack widened with sick appeals to the racists and the know-nothings and the haters among us. Then, because sometimes we are caught in the confluence of a perfect storm, the coronavirus pandemic struck. It is the worst time to suffer through the worst epidemic in a generation, with the worst leader who has ever risen to power in the United States of America. Bad luck all around. We are living through a nightmare of unnecessary deaths caused not by disease alone, but by mismanagement and incompetence. From the beginning, Trump lied about the pandemic and what government was doing to stop its spread. He missed every single opportunity to make it better. Most disturbing, the lying and corruption at the top are trickling down. The crazies, the anti-vaxers and the hoax-mongers are having their moment. And they are being encouraged by the president, who ignores guidance from the best and brightest scientists and doctors we have in the
T
fight. Now, this week, I am seeing the black hole in our society opening wide. Who will fall in? The most vulnerable, of course. People will go back to work, not because anything at all has changed as far as the spread of Covid-19 is concerned, but because they need to support themselves. Because the president missed the opportunity to control the spread of disease, he tells the meat packers they have to show up. He knows they will go home to parents and grandparents and spread the disease. The cost of doing business. This is now the acceptable sacrifice: that tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of working people and older people, especially those in nursing homes, will die so the economy can stumble forward. It did not have to be this way. There will be a virtual culling of old people in this country. To accept this calculated loss of life isn’t just un-American; it is depraved. Yet here we are. The way forward from this mismanaged crisis is difficult and complicated. We need reliable testing so we can know who is sick, we need contact tracing when someone
he crazies, the antivaxers and the hoax-mongers are having their moment.
falls ill, and we need the truth, most of all, on a daily basis, from a reliable source. Most people who need to work and have work will work. But it is the federal government’s responsibility to see that the tests and protections that can make that process safer are in place. Enough dissembling from the president. The fact that he has frequently deployed the “witch hunt” defense, from the Mueller investigation to the impeachment hearings to his handling of the pandemic, is exquisite irony. He is the witch hunter in chief, going after news outlets, reporters, political opponents and now even iconic scientists like Anthony Fauci, who are the only source of reliable information on the pandemic. As one of the characters said in “The Crucible,” the story of the Salem witch trials, “I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem — vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!” Their prey may be riding different imaginary broomsticks these days, but Trump’s witch hunters are still sowing havoc and reaping revenge. Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
New York & company: the states Republicans love to hate
18
Herald editorial
Franklin Square/Elmont
May 12, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
HERALD Established 1998 Incorporating the Franklin Square/Elmont Record Peter Belfiore Editor Melissa Koenig Assistant Editor Donna laWlor Advertising Account Executive office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: fseditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ clifforD ricHner stUart ricHner Publishers MicHael Bologna Vice President - Operations ■ scott Brinton Executive Edtitor JiM HarMon
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Stay strong, Nassau
t
he weekend was cold and windy, which likely prevented many people from venturing outside to potentially crowded spaces like the Jones Beach Boardwalk. For now, that’s a good thing. The more people stay home, the better. The coronavirus breeds among those in close contact. We know, however, that people will grow increasingly eager to get outside and see one another as the weeks wear on. Nonessential workers have been at home for eight weeks, and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran warned last Friday that it could be another six weeks before the economy fully reopens downstate. Hospitalizations, Cuomo explained, are declining but remain persistently high, and the fear is that opening the economy will lead to a spike in the Covid-19 infection rate — and thus the hospitalization rate, which could, in turn, increase the death rate. Deaths have declined to a quarter of what they were at the virus’s peak on April 9, when a staggering 799 people died overnight. From May 10 to 11, by contrast, 161 died. We mustn’t focus solely on statistics, though. Each reported death is a grandmother or grandfather, mother or father, wife or husband, sister or brother. Someone like Mike Field, a Valley Stream emergency medical technician and 9/11 first responder. He died on April 8 at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital, of complications of Covid-19. He caught it after transporting a patient. He was 59. Or Jim Adelis. He died April 4, at age 67. He organized Trees for Troops each year at Dees’ Nursery in Oceanside, sending Christmas trees to our troops overseas. And there are so many more. We must not forget them. Their memories should haunt us over the coming
Where to find help ■ The Long Island Crisis Center in Bellmore is a 24-hour suicide-prevention hotline. Its motto is, “Any problem. Any time. Anyone.” It can be reached at (516) 679-1111 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ■ The North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center is a nonprofit chilweeks. If they don’t, we may be tempted to let up on social distancing. We may forget to wash our hands and wear masks. But we simply can’t, or others will die. Make no mistake: We will be tempted to let up. Warmer weather is almost here, and we’ll all feel spring fever. We will desperately want to get out of the house and spend time with family members, friends and coworkers with whom we have interacted only via Zoom for weeks. We’ll want to return to our favorite restaurants and bars, shops and museums, ballparks and bowling alleys. We must be smart, however, and heed Cuomo’s warnings. We must understand that the coronavirus is an indiscriminate, remorseless killer. We may no longer want to hide, but until the government tells us it’s safe to return to life as normal, we must stay strong and abide by the rules. In the end, we will eradicate this disease, but doing so will require patience and diligence — and, yes, a vaccine. We understand the need to reopen the economy. People fear losing their livelihoods, and worry about paying their mortgages and putting food on the table. A second surge of the virus, however, could be deadlier than the first, and keeping hospitalization and death rates at the lowest
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letters Ending racial disparities To the Editor: The coronavirus epidemic has shone a bright light on already existing racial disparities in health outcomes. Our African-American and Latino communities are experiencing a disproportionate impact from Covid-19. This is unacceptable, and I wanted to take a moment to share with you how Nassau County is working to close the gap: ■ We created a hotline, (516) 396-7500, where all symptomatic residents can make appointments for Covid-19 viral testing, regardless of insurance and immigration status, in partnership with our community clinics run by Long Island Federally Qualified Health Centers. In addition to increasing testing capacity in the Freeport, Hempstead, Elmont and Westbury centers, the county is covering the cost of staff, and provid-
dren’s mental health agency. It can be reached at (516) 997-2926. ■ The Nassau County Office of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Developmental Disabilities Services can be reached at (516) 227-7057.
possible levels is a bit like balancing a scale. If too many people fail to socially distance, then we will tip the scale in the virus’s favor. That could lead to a second, longer shutdown of the economy, and possibly a second Great Recession, or even a depression. The federal government has put in place a number of programs, amounting to billions of dollars, to aid desperate New Yorkers. It likely isn’t enough, and as we have written in recent weeks, more needs to be done — the government must help fund states’ annual budgets to guard against cutbacks to schools, hospitals, and fire and police departments. There is funding, though, providing at least temporary relief, helping Long Islanders survive the next month and a half. Accessing that money may require persistence and a load of paperwork, but at least Congress allocated the funds, which are only now starting to stream through our local economy. If you are feeling desperate, understand that you’re not alone. There are tried and true institutions here in Nassau County to aid people in need at times like these (see box).
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opiNioNs
ew York state’s Division of Licensing Services has adopted new regulations to address widespread housing discrimination. They take effect on June 20, and represent an important step forward. Yet much more state action is needed. The regulations come in response to irrefutable evidence of housing discrimination on Long Island. That was the focus of a joint hearing held on Long Island in December by three State Senate committees, at which I testified on behalf of ERASE Racism. But the problem eLaiNe isn’t limited to Gross Long Island. It is statewide and systemic. That’s why more state action is needed. The Senate committees’ hearing was sparked by Newsday’s three-year investigation of real estate sales practices on Long Island. It exposed widespread evidence of civil rights violations, employing a research technique — involving paired testers (one white, the other “of color”) and the expertise of the Fair Housing Justice Center — that mirrored an earlier investigation by ERASE Racism that demonstrated racial discrimination in real estate rental practices.
The problem, however, is not limited to sales or rental markets, or even to real estate. Stark patterns of residential racial segregation are evident across New York and the United States. They are the result of intentional, coordinated actions of federal, state and local governments, the housing and banking industries, and other institutions over many decades. Those patterns have been sustained by those institutions, which all need to work aggressively to end them. The new Division of Licensing Services regulations require real estate brokers and their employees and agents to notify — and obtain signed disclosure forms from — prospective buyers, sellers, renters and landlords about antidiscrimination laws. They also require the prominent display of information about how customers can file complaints about the services provided with the licensing agency. The new regulations thereby send two clear messages to real estate agents. First, the state has underscored that they must abide by fair housing statutes, and that their license to practice is contingent on compliance. Second, the state has clarified that the Division of Licensing Services plays a vital role in fair housing enforcement.
This step should, however, be just the first of many by the state. At the joint hearing in December, ERASE Racism and the Fair Housing Justice Center proposed a five-point plan for New York, with the following core points:
w
e should support programs that expand access to housing in all neighborhoods.
■ Create a well-resourced, proactive, and better-coordinated fair housing enforcement strategy. Complaints of discrimination must be investigated in a timely and thorough manner, but significant resources must also be devoted to conducting proactive testing investigations, since victims of discrimination usually don’t know what properties they were not shown. ■ The real estate industry should take affirmative steps to ensure compliance with fair housing laws. The Long Island Board of Realtors has a special responsibility here, but industry-wide action is needed. That action should include the
Letters ing testing kits, personal protective equipment and other essential items. ■ We have funded food distribution sites that have already begun providing meals in our hardest-hit communities, including Hempstead, Uniondale, Freeport and Levittown. We are adding more locations throughout the county. ■ Last year, I hired Andrea Ault-Brutus to serve as our first coordinator of health care equity. This is already helping us increase access to health care and improve outcomes in our communities of color. ■ I have conducted Zoom discussions with African-American and Hispanic community leaders, clergy and the NAACP. The conversations have been critical in understanding and addressing concerns in the community. We will keep working to provide critical resources to every community, and we will keep fighting for better health care for all our residents — during and after this crisis. Stay strong. LAURA CURRAN Nassau County executive
Small businesses need relief To the Editor: The news outlets are bombarding us with
■ Fully utilize the licensing power of the state to better regulate real estate licensees. The new regulations respond to that recommendation. The Division of Licensing Services should also determine whether licensees have engaged in conduct that warrants disciplinary action, including possible suspension or revocation of licenses.
talk about Covid-19 statistics, the Small Business Administration snafu and more. Small businesses, however, are often overlooked in the media. As a Schedule C tax filer, I am eligible to collect Pandemic Unemployment Assistance under the CARES Act. The program enables me to collect benefits even though I am a sole proprietor. I applied for PUA on March 16. I have been certifying for benefits every week. Throughout this time my online account with the state Department of Labor says that my case is still pending. There has been no change to my status, and with the exception of a single payment of $600, I have seen nothing. I keep receiving assurances that the system is backlogged, and that eventually I will get everything that I am entitled to back to day one. Despite my best efforts, and the efforts of my state representatives, I cannot get a definitive answer as to when I will start seeing regular payments. Two months later, I am out of patience and money. Time and effort are being funneled into case tracking, SBA fixes and hospital preparedness. There is no discussion about greasing the process at the Department of Labor. Many self-employed friends of mine are in the same situation. We wait patiently for an answer that is never forthcoming. The system is broken and needs a rapid fix. The governor tells us that we have to continue to
hiring of more diverse sales forces.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — May 12, 2020
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More state action is needed for fair housing
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’m “h ■ Affirmatively further fair housing in wh all housing and community development Co activities at the local, state and federal substa levels. New York’s Human Rights Law U.S. Se should be amended in two ways: 1) to tility to explicitly prohibit discriminatory action many y by local public agencies involved in hous- Civil W ing, land use and zoning, or community development to ensure that their efforts are not perpetuating segregation by making housing unavailable based on race or national origin, and 2) to require state agencies and departments, local jurisdictions, public housing authorities and other public entities receiving state or federal funds for housing and community development to “affirmatively further fair housing” and take no action materially inconsistent with that.
■ New York State should implement fair housing legislative initiatives, policy changes, and support for programs that expand access to housing opportunities in ering t all neighborhoods. Among other actions, terrori respon the state should enact an “equitable share” housing plan and establish a mini- them, L ered ha mum affordable housing goal for every Nev community. Long Is All five of these steps need to be imple- other s mented for New York to achieve fair hous- approv ing statewide. ty paym agains Elaine Gross is president of Long Island- Majori based ERASE Racism.
Framework Courtesy Ryan McDonough
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A public space designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí — Park Guell, Barcelona
shelter in place and not reopen our businesses. If that is the case, then we need economic relief. I would have no problem remaining closed if I had the funding I so desperately need. Without it, I have two alternatives: file for bankruptcy or reopen my business. It is incumbent upon
the governor to ease the unemploy-ensuin tled ma ment bottleneck. govern STEPHEN WANgELgovern Lynbrookwith sy The Wangel owns the Kitchen Loft. trusted turned
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• Advanced and pre-entry health screenings for patients and staff • Plexiglass reception barriers • Social distancing with extended time between appointments and direct entry to exam rooms – bypassing waiting rooms • Masks for everyone, at all times • Continuous disinfecting measures in all areas Because in this crisis, protecting each other should be everyone’s top priority.
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