Franklin Square/Elmont Herald 12-15-2022

tradition

New traffic light installed to reduce accidents

By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com

In response to a wave of traffic accidents in which pedestrians were seriously injured or killed, a new traffic light has been installed at an intersection close to Elmont Memorial High School.

should be in operation this week, just in time for the holidays, when traffic accidents tend to be more common due to higher volume on the roads.

Ana Borruto/Herald

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages and other neighborhood activists introduced the stoplight, at the intersection of Dutch Broadway and Diamond Street, near the high school on Elmont Road.

Solages said the traffic light

“We came together after many years, saw many tragic accidents in which young people were hurt or even died at the hands of drivers,” Solages said. “We now have this improvement that will allow our young to commute safely to school, to work and also enjoy the beautiful community that we have.”

Traffic safety has become a

Hockey players prepare young athletes for future careers

By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com

The 43 Oak Foundation, UBS Arena and the New York Islanders are teaming up to help young athletes with their future careers — on and off the ice — through their mentorship program.

On Dec. 6, the nonprofit foundation hosted its first-ever inperson mentorship session at UBS Arena for aspiring young hockey players who want to strengthen their leadership skills, gain exposure to the variety of college and career pathways and share common experiences as student-athletes.

Students were able to connect

with UBS corporate volunteers and the Islanders, as well as watch a game following the program between the Islanders and the St. Louis Blues.

The 43 Oak Foundation serves disadvantaged youth, ages 13 to 22, in the New York metropolitan area. The foundation’s mission is to aid the educational development of young minority or underprivileged athletes through hockey. The organization gives individuals without the financial means, or who face other barriers, the chance to be exposed to the sport.

“A lot of these kids need extra mentors in their life to guide them,” Sean Grevy, the nonprof-

it’s founder, said. “The mentorship piece to me is the single most important piece of the entire program, not the ice hockey. Nothing is more important than education.”

Through the sponsorship from UBS and the Islanders, the 43 Oak Foundation is able to provide transportation, equipment, ice time, funding for travel hock-

ey leagues, tournaments and other necessary resources for the young players.

Anneliese Mesilati, head of brand activation, sponsorship and events at UBS Americas, said the program is a combination of on-ice hockey training and the off-rink training with the mentorship sessions. Skills such as resume writing and pub-

lic speaking can often be overlooked, but are essential whether someone wants to become a professional hockey player or try another profession, she said.

UBS Arena staff and the management team have been part of the mentorship program, as well as some hockey players, who speak to the students about lead-

SEVERAl ElECTED oFFCiAlS and community leaders gathered at the intersection of Dutch Broadway and Diamond Street in Elmont to mark the new traffic light installation.

Christmas family tradition

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

It all started in the early 1950s when Frank Culmone’s father bought a wooden Rudolph at a local bar. The handcrafted red-nosed reindeer caught his eye, so he purchased it and gave it to his wife.

Every Christmas, the Rudolph hanged above their garage in Elmont and the rest of the house was decorated for holiday contests.

Later on, Frank’s father traced copies of the design on top of about five sheets of plywood to gift to his family members. Frank now displays the original Rudolph on his house during Christmas, while his son, Christopher, created his own copy from his grandfather’s original tracings. He currently lives in grandparents’ old house in Elmont — Frank’s childhood home.

“It means so much to me because when I go to now what was my mother’s house and it’s his house now, I see it all decorated,” said Frank, who is the president of the Franklin Square Civic Association.” Although my mother and father aren’t there, they would have loved it.”

Frank and Christopher both incorporate a combined old-fashioned and modern Christmas look. Christopher features his grandmother’s original nativity scene outside his home, which includes authentic Italian figures and a stable built by a priest, he said. He enjoys seeing what decorations his neighbors put up as well.

At Frank’s house in Franklin Square, he has an old Santa Claus figure positioned in the front window that was made in the 1950s by his wife’s uncle. Wooden candy canes are also featured, as well as a wooden manager he and Christopher built.

A recreation of Christmas in Rockefeller Center is

inside Frank’s garage and above hangs a lantern that the town exhibited during the holidays in Franklin Square around 25 years ago.

One year, he and his wife handed out candy canes dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Frank said they enjoy sharing their love for Christmas with the Franklin Square community.

“We’ve had strangers that we don’t know send us a Christmas card and it’s their kids in front of our garage,” Frank said. “It’s really touching – we can hear the kids get excited when they’re coming down the street because we’re on the corner.”

Not only does this continuation of the Rudolph family tradition strengthen Frank and Christopher’s connection as father and, but also their connection with the community.

Those in the neighborhood know that when Rudolph makes his appearance the Culmone residencies, it’s the “start of the holidays,” Christopher said.

Christopher shares his parents’ holiday spirit and it shines beyond his Christmas décor. He previously owned an ice cream and coffee shop in Franklin Square that he would deck out annually for the holidays. To him, Christmas is a special time of the year for everyone and he wants to contribute to the joy in any way he can.

“Growing up, I always looked for that spirit of Christmas – to see the Christmas lights on peoples’ houses and businesses,” Christopher said. “As I got older, I realized that now it’s my turn to do that. As a business owner, now I have to make these memories for children in the community and other families to remember.”

Courtesy Frank Culmone

FRANk CUlmONe shOwCAsed his father’s original wooden Rudolph front and center at his house in Franklin Square. The community looks forward to the decoration every holiday.

Rabbi Chaim Blachman shares his guide to Hanukkah

It’s Chanukah sometimes spelled “Hanukkah” and pronounced HAH-newkah and you are planning on attending a public menorah lighting. Here’s what you need to know.

In advance

First of all, there is nothing you need to bring and no particular way to dress. If you are a guy, you may want to have something preferably a kippah to cover your head. Also, if it is going to be an outdoor menorah, you may be outside for some time, so dress accordingly.

This event is truly open to the public, so please invite your neighbors, friends, neighbors’ friends, and friends’ neighbors. Obviously, kids are more than welcome.

Wait, why are we doing this?

Chanukah marks the miraculous victory of a ragtag band of Jewish freedom fighters who ousted the powerful Syrian Greeks from the Holy Land well over 2,000 years ago.

It was a victory of religious freedom against an oppressive regime of heavyhanded pagans who tried to force their

culture and beliefs on the Jewish people.

Then, upon entering the newly liberated Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the victorious Jewish armies found a small jar of pure olive oil with which to kindle the lamp that always burned there. Miraculously, the oil which was enough for just one day burned for eight days, the time it took to bring fresh supplies.

The sages declared that lights be lit in every Jewish home to commemorate the miracle, publicly marking G - d’s providence for His people and the triumph of light over darkness.

In recent times, the celebration spilled from Jewish homes and synagogues into the public arena, with Chabad Lubavitch sponsored public menorahs appearing in public squares, government buildings, shopping malls and common areas all over the world. It’s a global phenomenon, and you are part of it!

What to expect

The centerpiece of the program will be the lighting of an oversized menorah, the candelabra lit in honor of the Chanukah holiday. In Israel it is called a chanukiyah, but Jews in the rest of the world use the traditional term “menorah,” which

means “lamp” in Hebrew.

Every night of Chanukah, an additional flame will be lit, until all eight will all be burning on the eighth night of Chanukah. The central flame is not among the eight it is considered a “helper” flame to light the others.

In addition to some short blessings before the lighting and some songs after, there is not much else that needs to be on the program. You can expect there to be some light refreshments, often doughnuts or potato pancakes called latkes.

If you are a public official

You may be called up to kindle the menorah or even say one of the blessings. Feel free to ask the rabbi to review your part with you, so you’ll be sure to know what to do when. If you are asked to give a talk, you can find lots of great content and information on the Chanukah megasite at chabad.org.

Things to know

Even if you attend a public lighting— and even if you were the one to light the menorah—you still need to do so at home with all the usual blessings and prayers.

On the subject of blessings, it is possi-

ble that the traditional blessings will not be recited before the kindling of the public menorah. Why is that? Probably because the lighting you see does not conform to Jewish law.

Here are two common reasons why: the menorah is powered by electricity instead of old-fashioned fuel and wick, and the menorah is not being kindled at the prescribed time on the eight evenings of Chanukah after sunset.

You can assume that you are more than welcome to take pictures and videos. Post them on social media and let everyone know where you are. After all, the purpose of Chanukah is to #sharethelight.

The most important thing to know

There’s a good chance that someone is distributing menorah kits. If you do not have a menorah of your own, please take one and use it. If you already have a menorah, please take a kit and share it with a friend who can use one.

Happy Chanukah!

RABBI CHAIM BLACHMAN

Sue Greico/Herald

RabbI chaIm blachman of the Elmont Jewish Center lighting the menorah at their annual Hanukkah celebration in 2019. This year’’s Grand Menorah Lighting, Chanukah Party and Hakhel Gathering is on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 4:15 p.m.

Learning key skills for college and beyond

ership.

Eric Cairns, a former Islanders defenseman and the team’s current director of player development, talked about how he advanced his hockey career and offered a few pointers.

“Being coachable is very important in life,” Cairns told the crowd. “You have to be willing to be vulnerable enough to open up and think deeper within yourself. You got to do things that are uncomfortable in order to try and make yourself better as a hockey player, or even a person.”

During the mentor breakout sessions, the students are presented real-life challenges and are taught necessary life skills to prepare them for college, careers and beyond. At the recent session, the young athletes tested their presentation and interview skills in an exercise with their fellow hockey players.

Kashif Abdul-Mutakabbir, 13, was one of the dozens of young athletes who attended the mentorship session. He said he first started playing ice hockey when he was two and inherited his passion from his dad, who always wanted to play the sport but lived in a neighborhood with no hockey rinks.

Abdul-Mutakabbir said his father

asked if he and his brother wanted to pursue ice hockey and they were both “super pumped” to do it. He now plays in Brooklyn for Aviator Hockey and said he felt excited to see the Islanders play in person.

“I get to fulfill my father’s dream,” Abdul-Mutakabbir said. “The foundation helped me a lot because my dad is going through a lot currently. Mr. Sean (Grevy) has been able to help us out by buying hockey sticks and has helped with my hockey tuition for this year.”

Mesilati added that UBS Arena has developed a strong relationship with the Sewanhaka School District in creating events for the students in the community. They hosted a financial literacy and college prep day in September, which drew more than 400 juniors and seniors from five high schools. The high school students learned about investments, formulating budgets and money management.

Mesilati said it is crucial that the UBS Arena continues to create helpful initiatives like these for the community to engage in.

“Whether it’s financial literacy or sports management, we try to give access to the arena when we can,” Mesilati said. “It is really important that we integrate ourselves within the community. It’s a real long-term goal for us.”

Kashif abdulmutaKabbir listened as his group members and mentor shared their

Kenny johnson was all smiles talking with his fellow hockey players. At right, Bryan Torres offered advice to the young mentees during the breakout portion of the session.

Finding light in the darkness during the holidays

In the Jewish tradition, Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights. We light a special candelabra consisting of eight lights, plus a ninth helper candle. The origin of the holiday is a historical series of events that occurred more than two thousand years ago.

The ancient Assyrian Greeks captured the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem and turned it into a pagan shrine. In 165 BCE, the Jewish army, under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, recaptured the Temple and rededicated it. They relit the menorah in the Temple, which burned continuously day and night, as a symbol of God’s enduring presence. They also enjoined the celebration of this victory annually.

Even today, light is a powerful symbol in our lives. It chases away the darkness. It brightens our homes; it illumines our lives with learning and understanding. Keep in the mind that electricity has only been around for two hundred years and really in our homes for only a hundred years!

Every religion has a festival at this time of the year, which includes lighting lights of some kind.

Judaism also teaches that we must share the light. We place our lights in a window facing the street so that passersby can see them. Just as we can transfer a flame from one candle to another without reducing the light of the original candle, the light of the holiday season must be shared with everyone.

The events of Chanukah took place long before Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was part of the Jewish people of his day, who celebrated the victory of the Maccabees every year. Had the Temple remained a Greek shrine, there would have been no Judaism and no Jewish people when Jesus appeared!

Today, as we Jews celebrate Chanukah, our Christians friends celebrate the birth of Jesus and other friends are celebrating Kwanzaa. Lighting lights is common to all these celebrations. May the light of this season brighten our lives, illuminate our hearts and minds and dispel the darkness that tries to overwhelm us.

May God bless us all with a happy and joyous holiday!

RABBI ART VERNON Congregation Shaaray Shalom

Rabbi aRt VeRnon

Ana Borruto/Herald photos

Legislator

Elizabeth Forbes of the Gift of Giving Foundation and other generous volunteers spent the day handing out complimentary holiday gifts to the Elmont youth on Saturday, Dec. 10.

sports

Hofstra seeks CAA championship run

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

The Hofstra men’s basketball team is poised for another high finish in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and hopes it can carry over regular season success into the postseason.

The Pride won eight of nine games last year to end the CAA schedule, but was quickly bounced in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament by College of Charleston as the third seed.

“The goal is always to win a championship,” said head coach and former Pride star Speedy Claxton, who guided Hofstra to a conference title and NCAA Tournament as a star point guard in 2000. “We put together a tough non-conference schedule to prepare us for the physical teams we will face in conference play.”

Hofstra returned redshirt senior guard Aaron Estrada, the reigning CAA Player of the Year who Claxton says has a potential to become an NBA player. Estrada, who transferred to Hofstra from Oregon last year, scored 33 points in the Pride’s 85-80 home win against George Washington on Nov. 14.

“He is our hardest worker,” Claxton said of Estrada. “He is our best player for a reason because he is always in the gym working on his game.”

Estrada was sidelined by an ankle injury for the Pride’s Dec. 7 road trip to fourth-ranked Purdue and in his absence saw the emergence of red-shirt freshman guard Amar’e Marshall, who scored 24 against the Big Ten power.

Hofstra (6-4) opened the season with an 83-77 come-frombehind win at Princeton on Nov. 7 in which Estrada scored 27 points and the Pride ended the

game on a 10-1 run. The game also saw an emergence of sophomore guard Jaquan Carlos, who hit the eventual game-winning three pointer, the first of many clutch baskets he has made this season.

Sophomore Darlistone Dubar, a second-year Hofstra player after transferring from Iowa State, is making strides early this season averaging 10.9 points through the first 12 games. Redshirt senior guard Tyler Thomas, a Sacred Heart University transfer, has also provided an offensive spark, averaging 12 points a game including 26 in an 83-78 win against Iowa at home on Veterans Day.

Hofstra was picked second in the CAA preseason coaches poll behind Towson. The Pride’s CAA home opener is slated for New Year’s Eve at 1 p.m. against league newcomer North Carolina A&T. The Pride’s home conference schedule is highlighted by a Feb. 4 matchup against Long Island rival and CAA newcomer Stony Brook for a 4 p.m. tipoff.

pride women off to promising start

The Hofstra women’s basketball team is making strides early on in the new season after an 8-20 record in the 2021-22 campaign.

The Pride already achieved half of last year’s win total with a 56-53 home win against Army West Point on Dec. 7 that put the team at 4-4. It nearly got win number five last Saturday, but dropped a 62-61 overtime heartbreaker at Loyola (Md).

“I’m excited for what this season is going to hold,” said fourthyear head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “I truly believe we have a team that wants it and they’re willing to work for it.”

Hofstra returned six from last year’s team that reached the

CAA quarterfinals including AllCAA Defensive team selection Rosi Nicholson, who also displayed her offensive ability with 16 points in a season-opening 73-68 loss to Big Ten foe Rutgers. Senior Sorelle Ineza is also back after starting 11 games as a junior.

Baldwin native Brandy Thomas, a graduate student who transferred from nearby Long Island University (LIU), has become the team’s leading scorer early on averaging 13.3 points per game including 22 in a 76-68 loss at Wagner on Nov. 26.

“She’s very competitive and pushes everyone else to be competitive as well,” said Santos Atkinson of Thomas, Junior 6-3 center Zyheima Swint is the third leading scorer early in the season and gives the Pride a strong inside presence to complement its perimeter game.

The Pride’s roster features seven newcomers including Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes, a Stony Brook transfer who is the team’s fourth leading scorer. Junior guard Ally Knights, an Australia native who transferred from North Florida, is a key rebounder and defender also capable of hitting big jump shots.

New additions to the team this season also includes freshman Emma Von Essen of Rockville Centre, who shined as a four-year member at Long Island Lutheran. Von Essen is quickly gaining minutes and got her first start in a 74-71 victory against LIU on Dec. 3 in a game where she netted season-high 17 points.

Hofstra was picked to finish last in the 13-team CAA and will look to prove the doubters wrong starting with its league opener at Delaware on Dec. 30. The Pride’s CAA home opener is scheduled for New Year’s Day against Stony Brook at 2 p.m.

Photos courtesy Hofstra Athletics Communications PRiDE REDshiRt sENiOR guard Aaron Estrada, right, is the reigning CAA Player of the Year.

hOfstRA’s WOmEN’s tEAm is making early strides and aims

prove the preseason rankings wrong.

HempsteadWorks one-stop shop for job seekers

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

Searching for a new job at any stage can be daunting. Among myriad challenges are cold calls, maintaining contact lists, constantly updating social media profiles and customizing resumes, and recruiting references.

It’s enough to give even the most stalwart job hunter a feeling of timidity.

But there are resources available: HempsteadWorks. A joint effort between the Town of Hempstead’s occupational resources department and Long Beach’s city workforce development board, HempsteadWorks is intended to provide assistance at all phases of hunting for that next position.

Those services can include everything from workshops on how to create resumes and write cover letters, how to best approach a job interview, ways to utilize social media sites like LinkedIn, and even training and certification programs.

All for free to anyone living in the town or in Long Beach.

“If someone doesn’t have computer skills, we help them,” said Mary Drangel, a business services representative for HempsteadWorks. “Some don’t have a computer at home, so they can come in and use the computer resource room and work on their resume.”

HempsteadWorks, Drangel said, offers services for a wide range of professions — from truck driving to engineering.

“They are matched with a career counselor,” she said, “and we find out what their needs are and what career path they want to take. From there we have all of the services that they might need.”

While unemployment rates nationally and locally remain near record lows, there are still plenty of people in need of jobs, or even a new job. HempsteadWorks helps not just the unemployed, but the underemployed as well.

“For the adults, we have training and workshops so they can get a certificate or credential in any field,” Drangel said.

HempsteadWorks is especially skilled at helping young

and at-risk job seekers, Drangel said — even those with criminal records. The youth services program is currently helping nearly 150 Hempstead teens and young adults with job training, transportation and child care.

It’s a comprehensive program designed to eliminate potential barriers to getting hired.

“We want them to be self-sufficient,” said Nene Alameda, a co-worker of Drangel. “Some of the youth we work with have been involved with the justice system. We find companies that are willing to give them a second chance. We try to identify barriers and mitigate them. We want to help them find a sustainable wage to live on Long Island.”

The youth services program helps job seekers between 18 and 24 who dropped out of high school, have a criminal record, are homeless, pregnant, or economically disadvantaged. HempsteadWorks also has a program designed to help those trying to escape from the influence of gangs.

“We have a pro bono attorney to help them clean up their rap sheet,” Drangel said.

There are also services for those with physical and learning disabilities, as well as English language learners. Job seekers must, of course, have a legal right to work in the United States.

Job searches would be fruitless without jobs. Drangel and Alameda said that HempsteadWorks develops great relationships with businesses to meet their needs, and not just the needs of those looking for jobs.

A recent job fair in Freeport, for example, attracted 1,500 job seekers and 70 companies.

“I always feel like we’re a bit of a professional matchmaker,” Alameda said. “We work with companies to understand their needs, but we’re also working with participants who have workforce needs. How do we find that perfect fit?”

Drangel changes leadership, not her priorities

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

One of Hempstead’s most influential employment recruiters will soon find herself out of a job.

But on her terms.

Mary Drangel will retire from HempsteadWorks as a career center representative on Jan. 31, after 14 years of service.

But the Oceanside resident has a much longer resume with the Town of Hempstead, with jobs that include purchasing and procurement, the tax receiver’s office, and real estate. Drangel’s passion has been helping people find a job, and she exudes excitement when talking about helping them overcome the hurdles.

“It has been challenging, but also rewarding at the same time,” Drangel said. “I have to say, I feel proud of what I’ve done here.”

Drangel is getting ready for warmer temperatures with plans to move to Florida with her husband, Scott. He recently retired from the New York City’s environmental protection department. Their son, Michael, is a Rockville Centre resident, and Mary’s mother and two sisters live locally, so the couple plan to spend plenty

of time visiting back home.

Drangel plans to continue her passions for nature photography and hiking.

Drangel’s replacement, Nene Alameda, has been a part of HempsteadWorks since

June, and is intimately aware of all the programs and resources the office provides. Still, she is only grudgingly celebrating Drangel’s retirement.

“When they invent the machine for

downloading of brains, I want to connect to Mary and keep downloading everything she knows,” Alameda joked. “Everything she touches turns to gold.”

Alameda has been largely responsible for HempsteadWorks’ social media campaign designed to attract younger job seekers.

She also added QR codes — two-dimensional bar codes people can scan with their smartphones taking them to specific websites.

“Our flyers are very dynamic,” Drangel said. “When you look at them, you’re attracted right to them. Nene is phenomenal at creating flyers.”

While Drangel has had good things to say about her successor, Alameda credits Drangel for much of HempsteadWorks’ success — especially after Covid-19.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we just think out-ofthe-box and do a job fair on Zoom?’” Drangel said. When asked how she was going to do that, Drangel had a simple answer.

“I said, ‘I don’t know. I’ll figure it out’” she said. “And it turned out that it really took off.”

“Who would have thought that a job fair online right after the pandemic started would take off,” Alameda said. “I don’t want her to leave.”

Mark Nolan/Herald

NENE ALAMEDA, LEFT, and Mary Drangel reviewed plans for upcoming job fairs offered by the Town of Hempstead’s occupational resources department through its HempsteadWorks Career Center.

Mark Nolan/Herald

HEMPSTEADWORKS CAREER CENTER employees Lily Dou, far left, Tamia Anderson, Maria Reed, Kurt Rockensies, Eric Mallette, Mary Drangel, Nene Alameda, Christopher DeRita and Jeanie Robano-Stocker provide comprehensive career services for Hempstead town residents.

Legislature approves secretive cyber contract

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

A cybersecurity services contract unanimously approved by the Nassau County Legislature’s rules committee on Dec. 5 has raised the eyebrows of an open government expert since this approval came in secret.

Yet, such discretion is necessary, county officials, said, since they believe not giving away the game plan is the best way to protect sensitive data from hackers.

At issue is a contract for Nassau County’s massive computer network. But it’s not just how the vendor will operate that remains cloaked, but also how much it will cost — and who the vendor is. All of this, according to the expert, is standard information courts have ruled the public has a right to.

The crippling malware attack on Suffolk County’s network on Sept. 8 sent shockwaves through government offices nationwide charged with protecting computer systems. Nassau officials immediately urged the legislature to act, which is exactly what its rules committee did a few months later.

A full vote of the legislature is not required under county law for contracts.

But why a secret? It’s simple, rules committee vice chair Howard Kopel said: ransomware.

“The vendor suggested (secrecy) would be a very important thing,” the legislator said. “We don’t want the crooks to know who (the vendor is) and what their methods of operation are.”

Ransomware is when someone remotely locks up a computer network or servers, releasing them only after the owners of those networks pays a monetary ransom.

Yet, is computer security enough to keep the details of a taxpayer-funded project secret? Shoshanah Bewlay, executive director of the state’s Committee on Open Govern-

ment, disagrees. If the contract has been finalized and signed, Bewlay said, there is no reason not to disclose who the vendor is and how much taxpayer money is being paid.

“I can’t imagine what FOIL exemption would apply to permit the county to withhold the name of the vendor and value of the contract,” Bewlay said, referring to the Freedom of Information Law. “‘Cybersecurity’ isn’t on the list of exemptions to FOIL disclosure.”

Kopel said legislators were advised by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s staff it could be against the

law to provide more details about the contract.

They “told us not only is it unwise to release this information, but it’s potentially improper — potentially even illegal,” Kopel said. “We questioned the administration very closely for well over an hour, which is very unusual for a contract. We did vet this as closely as we could. We’re satisfied they did follow procedures properly.”

Blakeman spokesman Christopher Boyle defended the secrecy.

“This contract pertains to the cybersecurity of the county, and has been vetted by a committee composed of representatives from the office of the inspector general, county attorney, district attorney and police department to ensure its effectiveness and integrity,” Boyle said, in an email statement.

Public scrutiny of government contracts is a vital part of maintaining open government, Bewlay said. With the Nassau cybersecurity contract, the public does not know who the vendor is or how much they are being paid, or if the vendor is reputable or insured.

“Nobody wants hackers to compromise anybody’s systems,” she said. “But again, it is difficult to imagine how disclosing the name of a vendor — and the value of the contract for the vendor’s services — reveals the county’s critical infrastructure information such that it would be exempt from FOIL disclosure.”

Kopel agreed government needs better defenses against hackers, but also believes the public should trust the county that it is taking steps to protect the computer systems at the expense of details.

“What the public should know is that this is a huge problem,” Kopel said. “It is an ongoing, ever-present problem. Crooks will typically look for the easiest opportunity, the fastest buck.

“If we make it really, really hard, maybe they will go somewhere else.”

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Grand Central Madison deadline looms large

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

Only a few months ago, all signs were pointing to the imminent opening of Grand Central Madison — Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new, fully operational terminal in Manhattan’s East Side meant to redefine the way commuters get around by putting the Long Island Railroad to full use with a new terminal station.

The MTA has conducted a number of public meetings explaining new commuting patterns in the wake of updated train schedules. Top MTA and LIRR executives hosted private leadership events enlisting the help of business leaders and local leaders to hammer home the message: Grand Central Madison is coming by the end of this year, so get ready.

Passengers might have been ready, but the MTA apparently may not. Yet, the state organization has not veered from its message — the latest flurry of public advertisements relaying the sweeping words “All aboard for Grand Central!”

With the end-of-the-year deadline looming and still no official word about when

the $11.6 billion mega-project.

The MTA cleared a regulatory hurdle last month that would have otherwise derailed any hopes of opening train service thanks to a federal waiver that pushed the deadline for engineers to install new federally mandated safety technology meant to prevent Amtrak trains from entering East River tunnels until February.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan says passengers should be rest-assured technology is already in place that helps prevent trains from speeding, colliding or derailing. In the meantime, the MTA will have to submit weekly safety reports to the Federal Railroad Administration, and conduct tests before the terminal goes online.

Then came a project update that parts of the LIRR’s concourse and facilities at Grand Central won’t be completed until February. That, at least, according to a capital program committee meeting report from last month citing the need for additional time.

“Opening a facility this size is an enormous task,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction & Development, during that meeting. “It is a 700,000-square-foot terminal station with three-and-a-half tunnels to Queens attached to it. It’s like laying the Chrysler Building on its side to get a sense of the complexity of the systems that need to operate to make this concourse, terminal and platforms function.”

Torres-Springer is, nevertheless, hold-

ing fast to the MTA’s promise that passenger trains will run at Grand Central by the deadline.

“I want to emphasize that the terminal is complete in every visible and functional way,” he said. “The escalators and elevators are running, and the fire alarm is installed. So the project is looking great, and we’re confident about opening service this year.”

Torres-Springer noted, however, that while systems are installed, they are currently undergoing testing and commissioning to ensure the project meets safety and operational standards. A major challenge currently at play is finalizing the test of the terminal’s airflow system.

Happy Holidays From Breton Hills

“This is to confirm that we can move air quickly throughout the platform and the concourse in the event of a smoke condition,” he said. Testing “becomes very complex, and there’s a lot of (professionals) involved to make sure the system is safe.

“Obviously we won’t open our facilities before we are signed off on the safety of the system.”

Over the weekend, LIRR took over operational control of Grand Central Madison, making the terminal and tunnels federally regulated railroad territory. MTA officials described that as a significant step to getting the station up and running before the end of the year.

Welcome to Breton Hills! The best value in the North Shore! 55+ active adult gated community. Offering two bedroom/two bathroom upper or lower units, elevator option, two parking spaces, Tesla charging stations, clubhouse complete with gym and entertainment area and bocce ball court. Minutes to shopping, waterfront, and public parks.

The MeTrOpOLiTAN TrANSpOrTATiON Authority is entering the final hours before opening passenger train service from Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal ahead of its endof-year deadline despite hurdles and concerns over its completion.

Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority

STEPPING OUT

Toss off those shoes and skate away

alongBy Karen Bloom

f you’ve never tried “sock skating” you’re definitely missing out. Yes, there’s plenty to enjoy about putting on skates and zipping along the ice, but sometimes the effort of dealing with the cold feet, etc., may seem a bit much for a family outing.

Long Island Children’s Museum’s indoor version enables everyone to stay warm and content while experiencing plenty of skating fun. The museum’s “ice rink,” which first made a brief appearance in Summer 2021, is back for the holiday season in a big way, through Jan. 8.

“This idea grew out of the many (post-pandemic) requests we received for physical activity for the kids,” says Maureen Mangan, the museum’s communications director. “There is a need to get kids off their screens and into some physical play. This is a great way to burn off energy and an opportunity to have a winter experience inside — warm and cozy.”

In fact, it’s been so well-received that the museum plans to make this an annual event during the holiday season.

The 800-square-foot indoor Snowflake Sock Skating rink (the equivalent size of a four-car garage) opened in mid-November to the delight of the museum’s young visitors — and their adult companions, who are just as keen to be in on the action.

“The kids are eager to get on the ‘ice,’ Mangan says. “And the parents are, too. They go out with them. You’ll see them twirling and spinning.”

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Jan. 8, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• $15 admission

• View the LICM events calendar at LICM.org for additional information, or call (516) 224-5800.

•

The rink is made from a high-tech synthetic polymer surface that lets everyone slide around without blades, ringed by candy cane-striped posts topped with a “snowball.” Right outside, blue-hued bean bag chairs of various sizes have been placed so the “skaters” can take a break as needed.

Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.

“We frequently see kids fling themselves on the chairs for a quick rest before jumping back on the ‘ice,’” Mangan notes.

Off the “ice” a Snowflake Village beckons.

“We expanded on the concept to include plenty of experiential activities,” Mangan says. Kids can become a “baker” in the holiday sweet shop, step inside a giant (nine-foot) snowman and serve up some hot cocoa, take a turn in the rink’s “ticket booth” and “warm up” around the rink-side virtual “fire pit” where the entire family can relax, sit on a “tree stump” share stories and make some “s’mores.”

Adds education director Aimee Terzulli: “Kids use their imaginations as they take on roles associated with these familiar winter activities.”

Winter at its best — without the chill and the need to bundle up.

Families can slip on sock skates”’ and take a spin — whatever the weather — on the museum’s seasonal skating rink, with plenty of activities to occupy their ‘off-ice”’ time.

Buddy is back!

Step into the world of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole, in this special production of the holiday musical. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toymaking abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New Yorkers remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Directed by Madison Theatre artistic director Angelo Fraboni — a Broadway veteran — the charming show features a versatile cast of Broadway professionals and Molloy University CAP21 Theatre Arts students, with Matteo Mennella, of Rockville Centre, and Malverne’s Brady Schumacher sharing the role of young Michael Hobbs.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 3 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 18, 2 and 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2 and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, Dec. 22-23, 7 p.m. Madison Theatre, Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444, or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

Eileen Ivers

The Grammy-winning fiddler and her band return to the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center stage for a lively holiday show, ‘Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas.’ Ivers captures her Irish and American roots in a concert that blends traditional, story-filled, ageold Wren Day songs, poems, foot stomping, and hollerin’ roots music. Ivers and the ensemble combine their numerous instruments and voices in what surely is a soulful celebration capturing the true spirit and joy of the season. She continues to push the fiddling tradition boundaries from folk music staples to a fiercely fresh, powerfully beautiful, intense world stage experience, celebrating the glorious story of Christmas with unbridled joy.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m. Tickets start at $50, with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 8774000 or Aupac.Adelphi.edu.

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum

Photo:

THE SCENE

Art talk

Santa Ride

Engine Co. 3 of the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department is driving Santa around town, Saturday, Dec. 17. The community stops will be at three elementary schools at the following times: 4 p.m. at Washington Street School, 760 Washington St. in Franklin Square; 4:30 p.m. at John Street School, 560 Nassau Blvd. in Franklin Square; and 5 p.m. at Polk Street School, 960 Polk Ave. in Franklin Square.

Baby Shark Live: The Christmas Show!

Splash along with Baby Shark and Pinkfong, on the Tilles Center stage, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 6 p.m., as they journey into the sea for the holidays to sing and dance through some of your favorite songs. This immersive experience, on the LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, specially appealing to ages 2-6, will have families dancing in the aisles. Join Baby Shark and friends for exciting adventures into the jungle and under the sea to explore shapes, colors, numbers and more. Enjoy hit songs in this dazzling kids spectacular, including “Baby Shark,” “Five Little Monkeys,” “Wheels On The Bus,” and “Monkey Banana Dance,” as well as holiday classics such as “Jingle Bells.” Tickets are $69.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Dec. 27

Join Nassau County Museum Director Charles A. Riley II, PhD, for a Director’s Seminar, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 4 p.m. He’ll discuss “Photography: Beauty and Truth,” in a session that is keyed to the photojournalism of Robert Capa and the Magnum group as well as the pioneering work of Walker Evans and Lewis Hine. He’ll compare their approach with the digital manipulation of images (including video) in the media of our time and consider the relationship between the photographer as documentarian and as artist who holds the mirror up to nature. Participation is limited; registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Las Posadas Poinsettias

Celebrate Las Posadas, the popular Latin American tradition, at Long Island Children’s Museum, Saturday, Dec. 17, 1-3 p.m. Learn about the story of La flor de Nochebuena and the significance of poinsettias during this holiday, at the drop-in program. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM. org.

Wrap and gift

Teens can earn community service credit at the Franklin Square Public Library at the“Wrap A Gift, Gift A Gift” event, Saturday, Dec. 17 11 a.m.-noon., 19 Lincoln Road. Participants will wrap their gift and sew a holiday ornament for the library; while sipping on some hot cocoa. Those who bring two or three cans of canned food will receive community service credit. There will also be a prize raffle. For more information on registration, visit FranklinSquarePL.org/youngadult.

Grand Menorah Lighting

The Elmont Jewish Center hosts its traditional lighting of the menorah, Sunday, Dec. 18, 4:15 p.m., at 500 Elmont Road.

Enjoy a festive Chanukah Party with music, dancing, traditional Chanukah latkes, a hot food buffet, gifts for kids and more.

Holiday fun

Immigrant and Refugee Resource Fair

The New York Immigration Coalition hosts its Welcoming Immigrants and Refugee Resource Fair, Thursday, Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m. at Elmont Public Library, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, in Elmont. Attendees will learn about immigration legal services, ESL classes, Snap benefits, nutrition education and more. For more information, email Ivan Larios at ilarios@nyic. org.

Board of Education meeting

The Sewanhaka Central School District holds a Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 8-10 p.m, at Sewanhaka High School, 500 Tulip Ave. in Floral Park.

Having an event?

Visit the streets of 19th century London during the darkest days of the year, in this adaption of “A Christmas Carol,” with the Experiential Theater Company, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15-16, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18, 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 21-22, 10:15 a.m. and noon, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. Meet the Cratchit family, Mr. Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show that weaves together music, humor, puppetry and collaboration. Celebrate the change of seasons with this beloved classic tale. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org.

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times.

On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Matinee time

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. The story is narrated by the groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete, tells about the immortal winter sprite, who falls in love with a human girl named Elisa after rescuing her. Tickets are $15. Bring the kids to the Plaza stage at the Elmont Public Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

CITY CELLAR AMERICAN MODERN

Community advocates campaign for safety

top priority for the Elmont community in recent years following several pedestrian accidents and fatalities. One incident occurred in 2018 near the intersection of Dutch Broadway and Elmont Road, where a car struck four Elmont High School students, leaving two in critical condition.

Mimi Pierre-Johnson, president of the Elmont Cultural Center and a community leader, was heading home with her son at the time, witnessing the car whip off the road, flip into the air and strike a tree, utility pole and the four teenagers standing on the nearby sidewalk.

Carrié SolageS Legislator

“It happened in front of my son, and so for the longest time he would not cross the street,” Pierre-Johnson said. “It was traumatic for both of us because I wouldn’t even let him walk. I would take him to school.”

In 2016, a 12-year-old girl was crossing Elmont Road at Village Avenue on her way to school when she was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle. According to a previous Herald report, there was no crossing guard at the intersection.

“A number of people in the community helped with the funeral,” Solages said. “We’re responsible for each other’s children. It is a collective responsibility and when we have many people carrying the load, the load becomes lighter.”

After years of comprehensive road studies and walkthroughs between local elected officials and residents, a traffic light was installed in February in front of St. Boniface Church, off of Elmont Road and Dutch Broadway.

The speed limit on Dutch Broadway near the high school was also lowered from 30 to 20 miles per hour.

Other traffic lights have been added in neighboring communities over the last couple of months, including along Merrick Road in Valley Stream and Burnside Avenue in Inwood.

“This is an important step in ensuring that our communities are safe and sound,” Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages said. “It’s very exciting that we have this traffic improvement — as a mother who takes her kids to Dutch Broadway, I’m constantly worried about crossing this road.”

The elected leaders are also petitioning to add speed humps and other devices to make town roads safer. Other speakers urged drivers to be aware of the speed limit and to resist distractions, such as

recent history of pedestrian-related incidents

■ In 2016, Gabrielle Christina Johnson, 12, on her way to school, was standing at the corner of Village Avenue and Elmont Road — where there was no crossing guard — waiting to cross the street. She stepped off the curb into the street while the light was still green and was struck by an oncoming SUV. She died soon after at Franklin Hospital.

■ A car struck four Elmont High School students near the intersection of Dutch Broadway and Elmont Road in 2018, critically injuring two of them.

■ A pedestrian trying to cross the street was left in critical condition in 2019 after a police ambulance struck him at the intersection of School Road and Hempstead Turnpike.

■ A 58-year-old woman was crossing Hempstead Turnpike at the intersection of Elmont Road in 2019 when she was struck and killed as a car was making a left turn onto Hempstead Turnpike.

■ In 2019, a 72-year-old man suffered multiple traumatic injuries after a vehicle struck him as he attempted to cross Linden Boulevard at 239th Street.

■ A 53-year-old man suffered severe trauma and died in November 2021 after a car struck him on Elmont Road near School Road.

—Ana Borruto

using a cellphone while driving.

Pierre-Johnson said implementing these long-awaited safeguards was necessary to protect young people and others living in the area.

“We feel confident now that they have a safer street to go to school and go home from school,” she said.

Continued from front page

it is a collective responsibility, and when we have many people carrying the load, the load becomes lighter.

Ana Borruto/Herald the new traffiC light at Diamond Street and Dutch Broadway is a huge step forward.

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO BAC HOME LOANS SERVICING,

COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS SERVICING, LP, Plaintiff -againstLEVENTIS OMOTADE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated November 6, 2017, 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, NY on January 17, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at Elmont, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

Defendant(s)

LP FKA

Elmont man faces 25 years in prison for 2019 shooting

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 11/14/2019, 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. This Auction will be held rain or shine on 1/17/2023 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 178 Wellington Road, Elmont, NY 11003 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 32 Block 398 Lot 215

BEGINNING at a point on the Southerly side of Parkhurst Road, distant 490 feet Westerly from the extreme Westerly end of the arc connecting the Southerly side of Parkhurst Road, with the Westerly side of Croydon Road; being a plot 105 feet by 60 feet by 105 feet by 60 feet.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 2249 PARKHURST ROAD, ELMONT, NY Approximate amount of lien $619,130.02 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney.

Index Number 009763/2013.

MARK RICCIARDI, ESQ., Referee David A. Gallo & Associates LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 47 Hillside Avenue, 2nd Floor, Manhasset, NY 11030 File# 8325.317

{* Elmont Herald*} 135836

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee, on behalf of the holders of the Impac Secured Assets Corp., Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Series 2006-4, Plaintiff, Against Raymond Jackson, Yaffascha Jackson; et al.,

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $457,133.35 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 600531/2019

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.

Russell S. Burman, Esq., Referee.

SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570

Dated: 11/21/22 File Number: 34277 SH 135937

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU ANDREA LESZCZYNSKI AND DANIEL LESZCZYNSKI, Plaintiffs, - againstJERRY M. BOYD, NANCY WEBB KUEMMERLE, AND PATRICIA WEBB, as the Known Surviving Heirs-atLaw of Eleanor D. Evensen (now deceased), and Any and All Other Persons Who May Claim as Heirs-at-Law, Next-ofKin, Devisees, Distributees, Legal Representatives, and Successors in Interest of said Eleanor D. Evensen (now deceased), Their Spouses, Creditors, Mortgagees, Lienors, Assigns and Legal Representatives of Them, and the Successors in Interest of said Heirs-atLaw, Next-of-Kin, Devisees, Distributees and Legal Representatives of Them and, If Any Specifically Named Defendant or Any Defendants Named as a Class Be Dead, Then Their Heirs-at-Law, Next-of-Kin, Devisees, Grantees, Distributees, Spouses, Widows, Widowers, Executors, Trustees, Administrators, Assigns, Mortgagees, Lienors, and Successors in Interest and, Generally, All Parties

Having or Claiming to Have an Interest in or Lien Upon the Premises Described in the Complaint, or any Amendment Thereto By, Through, or Under Any of Said Specifically Named Defendants Herein or By, Through or Under any of the Other Defendants Herein Named Specifically as a Class, All of Whom and Whose Places of Residence Are Unknown to the Plaintiffs and Cannot After Diligent Inquiry Be Ascertained, Defendants.

SUMMONS AND NOTICE Index No.: 608938/2022

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, 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 this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

Pursuant to CPLR 507, Nassau County is designated as the venue of this proceeding as judgment demanded in the Complaint would affect the title to, or the possession, use or enjoyment of, real property located in Nassau County.

Dated: July 6, 2022

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an Order of the Honorable Danielle M. Peterson, a Justice of the Supreme Court, dated November 16, 2022.

This action is brought pursuant to Article 15 of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, to compel determination of claims to a 100-foot long by 20-foot-wide parcel of real property known and identified on the Nassau County Land & Tax Map as Section 33, Block 349, Lot 31 (“Tax Lot 31”).

Tax Lot 31 is more particularly described as follows:

All that plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, known and designated as and by Lot 31 in Block 14 on a certain map entitled “Floral Park Lawns, Section 3, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, Lot plan, property of Bernstark France Corp. Cyril E. Marshall C.E., November 28, 1925”,

filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on December 10, 1925 as Map No. 586, Case No. 3561. That said lot being located on the west side of Schenk Boulevard, 60 feet north of Drew Avenue, having dimensions of 20 ft. by 100 ft.

Tax Lot 31 is part of a larger 100-foot-long by 80-foot-wide parcel of real property located at 1310 Drew Avenue, Floral Park, New York, which property is known and described on the Nassau County Land & Tax Map as Section 33, Block 349, Lots 128, 30 and 31.

The relief sought in the above-referenced action, and the relief which may be granted in the event of a default, is a declaration by the Court that the Plaintiffs, Andrea Leszczynski and Daniel Leszczynski, are vested with an unencumbered fee simple title to Tax Lot 31 and are entitled to immediate and continued possession of same, and that the Defendants and every person claiming under them, be barred from all claim to an estate or interest in Tax Lot 31.

SAHN WARD BRAFF KOBLENZ PLLC

Ralph Branciforte, Esq. 333 Earle Ovington Boulevard, Suite 601 Uniondale, New York 11553 516-228-1300

Attorneys for the Plaintiffs, Andrea Leszczynski and Daniel Leszczynski 135568

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU Index No.: 605260/2021 Dated Filed: 4/28/2021

SUMMONS

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for NovaStar Mortgage Funding Trust, Series 2007-1 NovaStar Home Equity Loan AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2007-1 , Plaintiff, -againstArslan K. Choudhry a/k/a Arslan Choudhry; Ramel Smith & Associates, LP; Tiniqua Frasier; Nassau County Clerk’s Office “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants.

To THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

Floyd McNeil, 26, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of Malachi Blaylock, 28, according to the Nassau Country District Attorney.

In the early morning of September 15, 2019, McNeil shot Blaylock four times in the back at point-blank range with a highcaliber weapon in front of the entrance to 100 Terrace Ave. near Bedell Street.

After he was struck, Blaylock ran and McNeil chased after him while firing his gun in the middle of the street. McNeil fled the scene of the crime and left in an

Uber. He was arrested in Hempstead on September 24, 2019.

Blaylock was taken to NYU Langone Hospital for serious physical injuries and underwent multiple surgeries. He continues to experience reduced physical function and recurring pain.

“As Blaylock tried to flee with several gunshot wounds, the defendant gave chase to finish the job,” said Donnelly. “Floyd McNeil, without question, had an intent to kill — he will now spend decades in prison paying for this violent crime.”

Public Notices Public Notices

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 Plaintiffs Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and 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. David P. Sullivan, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nassau County, entered Nov. 18, 2022 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.

NOTICE OF NATURE F ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage recorded in the Public Records of the County of Nassau on March 24, 2009 in Liber M 33563 of Mortgages, page 532, covering premises known as 129 Terrace Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003 a/k/a Section 32, Block 453, Lot 46 and 47.

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 the mortgage company will not stop the 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: April 21, 2021 Rochester, NY LOGS Legal Group LLP Frank M. Cassara, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624

Telephone: (585) 247-9000 File No. 21-089055 #99940 135573

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com TO PLACE AND AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX# 613184/2019 FILED: 11/14/2022

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

NASSAU County Designated as the place of trial on the basis of situs of realty.

WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF UPLAND MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST A, Plaintiff, -againstMARY REYNOLDS, HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; FRANK S. CASTRONOVO, HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; ALFRED CASTRONOVO,

HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; SUSAN CASTRONOVO HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; ANN CASTRONOVO, HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; PATRICK CASTRONOVO, HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; DANIEL CASTROVONO, HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE TO THE ESTATE OF FRANK J. CASTRONOVO A/K/A FRANK CASTRONOVO; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE-TAX COMPLIANCE DIVISIONC.O.-ATC; CARYLE DESIR; MARLENE DESIR, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in a manner other than by personal delivery within the State. In the event the United States of America is made a party defendant; the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be

taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. 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 the mortgage company will not stop the 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. The Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Supreme Court of the State of New York and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of NASSAU on 10/26/2022. This is an action to foreclose on a mortgage. ALL that certain lot, piece or parcel of land together with the buildings and improvements thereon, situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau and State of New York (Section 32, Block 384, Lot 43), said premises known as 13 PINE STREET, ELMONT NEW YORK 11003. As of September 20, 2019, there is due and owing to the plaintiff, the principle sum of $261,461.55. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt described above.

KOSTERICH & SKEETE, L.L.C, 707 Westchester Ave, Suite 302, White Plains, NY 10604 135555

Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ADMINISTRATIVE

Richner Communications - a rapidly growing multimedia company and publishers of the Herald newspaper grouphas several administrative job openings: Receptionist (P/T), Accounts Receivable/Billing Collections Clerk

Multi-Media Coordinator (Hours Flexible)

Qualified candidates are fast learners with good organizational and people skills - entry level ok.

Role requires working knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to learn custom software programs.

If you would like to join a communitydriven, fast-paced environment, please send your resume to: careers@liherald.com.

American Software Resources Inc. is seeking 1 FT professional (40 HW) for the position of Data Engineer II at 4 Brower Ave, Ste # 4, Woodmere, NY 11598 for competitive salary. Data Engineer II: Analyze, Design, Develop & Test general computer applications software using Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx, Microsoft Project/Excel/Access/Visio, SQL Server, Power Apps, Sharepoint, SQL, Snowflake, Microsoft Analysis Services, Database Management, Spend Analytics, Supply Chain & Logistics Management, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Project Costing, Asset Management, Billing, Purchasing, Supplier Relationship Management, Root Cause Analysis, Lean Six Sigma. Educational & Exp Requirements: Masters in Comp Sci or Tech Mgt in Engg Tech or Info Tech + 12 months of experience as Comp Software Professional. We offer comprehensive benefits. Travel within the USA is required for the position. To apply send your resume to the above address.

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.

STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time

Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must.

Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

EDITOR/REPORTER

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.

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

HIRING MAIL SORTERS $16.00-$17.00, Pickers/ Packers Springfield Gardens, $17.00. Mystery Shoppers Ages 21-25 $20.00. 860 Long Island Ave., Deer Park NY 631-586-4699

OFFICE MANAGER/ RECEPTIONIST: Private Dental Practice Far Rockaway/ Lawrence. Insurance Experience Necessary. Great Salary/ Benefits. jonfriedmandds@gmail.com 917-435-7138

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Will Consider Part Time. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X286

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

RECEPTIONIST EXPERIENCED P/T Seasonal. Jan- Mid April. Franklin Square. CALL: 516-358-9455. FAX RESUME: 516-358-9483. E MAIL: ed@loturco.com.

1608 Ridgeway Dr, 12-1:30, NEW! Move Right Into This Completely Gut Renovated 4 BR, 3.5 Bth Col on 1/4 Acre Prop. New Kosher EIK, FDR, LR/ Fpl, Den & Enclosed Porch. Radiant Heated Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!! SD#20 $1,599,000

1534 Broadway #103, BA, Magnificent New Renovation! One of a Kind Ranch Style Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall Condominium with Doorman & Elevator. Just Move into This Gut Renovated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout. Large Designer Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm. Master BR Boasts Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet. Terrace Faces into Courtyard. Garage Parking Incl REDUCED $699,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedrooms (Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/ Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living BIG REDUCTION!! $699,000

E a ST ROCK aWay

8 Acorn Rd, 2-3:30, 5 BR, 3 Bth Front to Back Split on Beautiful Quiet St in Lynbrook SD#20. Fin Bsmt, Att Gar. CAC, Gas Ht, HW Flr. REDUCED! $749,000 8 Howland Rd, BA, 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch on Beautiful Tree Lined St in SD#20. LR, DR, EIK, Den & Enclosed Porch. Full Fin Bsmt., 1 Car Gar. CAC, Gas Ht, HW Flrs. Update to Your Taste! $699,000 Fa R ROCK aWay 33-47 Bay Ct., BA, Enjoy The Waterviews in This Bayswater 4 BR, 1.5 Bth Split Tucked Away in Cul de Sac. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. O/S Resortlike Yard on the Bay. Opportunity to Make This Your Dream Home! REDUCED $675,000

Apartments For Rent

Cemetery Plots

Herald

Home Sales

A sampling of recent sales in the area

Baldwin $580,000 Edwards Street. Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Updated eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. First floor bedroom. 2 car garage. Central location near all.

Taxes: $15,290.84

Bellmore $695,000 Oak Street. Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. New eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Spacious living room. Formal dining room. Many updates. Taxes: $11,737.22

Cedarhurst $940,000 Harbor Drive. Hi Ranch. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen. Den/family room. Deck and enlarged driveway. Security system.

Taxes: $8,470

East Meadow $580,000 Harton Avenue. Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. New eatin kitchen with quartz countertops. Open floor plan. Formal dining room. Den/family room and exercise room. Many updates, including whole house water filtration. Oversized property. Convenient location near LIRR and park.

Taxes: $8656.81

East Rockaway $599,000 Thixton Avenue. Contemporary. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Updated eat-in kitchen with quartz countertops and ample storage. L-shaped dining room. Den/family room and home office. 2 gas fireplaces and cathedral ceiling. Screened Trex deck.

Taxes: $14,931.77

Franklin Square $729,000 Craft Avenue Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in chef’s kitchen with cherry cabinets, granite countertops and high-end appliances. Open floor plan. Living room with vaulted ceiling. Large master bedroom. Den/family room.

Taxes: $15,077

Freeport $566,500 Maryland Avenue. Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Updated eat in kitchen with granite countertops. Living room with fireplace. Formal dining rom. Large bedrooms. Oversized property with patio and Trex deck. Second deck over 2 car garage.

Taxes: $11,596.47

Long Beach $620,000 W. Hudson Street. Colonial. Westholme neighborhood. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Formal dining room. Covered front porch. Spacious yard with fire pit. Central air conditioning. Parking for 5+ cars. Convenient location near LIRR, restaurants, shopping.

Taxes: $9,499.90

Oceanside $615,000

Davis Street. Ranch. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. L-shaped dining room. Den/family room.

Taxes: $13,090.82

Source: The Multiple Listing Service of Long Island Inc,, a computerized network of real estate offices serving Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Brooklyn.

Costs in the postpandemic world

Q. We are concerned we may have waited too long because of inflation. It seems nearly impossible to afford our renovation. We got “ballpark” estimates, and just look at each other in wonder when we think about how things changed from before the pandemic. Do you see prices coming down? Should we wait, rethink or do the repairs to our roof that led to doing the bigger job and just live with it? Are some cost increases real or made up?

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources. Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

A. Your decision will be made based on what you’re willing to pay, not on what you can afford. Some prices are dropping, slightly, but as a window representative said recently, if you were a trucker being paid more to haul perishable groceries than windows, which would you choose? Across the board, as the pandemic waned and people went back to work who were being paid not to work, they had to be enticed with higher wages at the same time that the world economy shifted due to war and sanctions. Who could have guessed that the U.S. would become the largest oil producer in the world?

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources. Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org

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TTY: NY Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org 1194471

People often look back in their lives and ask themselves, “How did we do it?” when pondering some of the most seemingly unmanageable situations. This is not to suggest that you gamble, but you must project the terms: whether you will need to earn more, and how, borrow more and work longer to pay, settle for a little less, change or abandon the goal.

The cost of any project is the number one question I get, and the most unpredictable, since, even before the life-changing pandemic, construction bids were generally all over the place. It isn’t uncommon to get an extremely low bid against an extremely high one and wonder why. The four primary factors in a contractor’s bid are overhead, labor, material cost and profit. Labor, and the choice of how much to add in for profit, would seem to be the most controllable, while overhead costs and material prices are often not controllable.

As I go about the everyday tasks of building design and construction, I speak with a whole range of people, from real estate salespeople to bankers, developers, contractors and tradespeople to lawyers, material representatives and the end users. The whole picture of where costs are going is influenced by many factors, and trying to pinpoint the cause of fluctuations is based more on people trying to simplify something extremely complex than on looking at a much broader picture.

Energy production dropped and costs increased. Fewer people were driving or working, so debt and prices increased. Add to this a world in conflict and the huge debt of war, and you begin to see that the project you want to do is affected by issues that are far beyond your control. Design can reduce some costs, finish material choices can save money, but only you can determine your willingness to “settle” or go for it. Good luck!

Monte Leeper

SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464

Miscellaneous

KING

CHRISTMAS DECOR: HUGE assortment. Call for details and pics $40 & under. 516-225-919

DOLLS, DOLL HOUSE MINIATURES & ACCESSORIES. Under $99.00. Call Joy Evenings, 917-743-7695 Leave Message

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

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

GOLDTONE LIGHTER BY Colibri, Brand new with butane refill, vintage $20,00 take all (516)579-9089

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

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

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

MANY NEW CHRISTMAS items, vases, musical statues, much more, everything under $10.00 (516)579-9089

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

Finds $100-$350

BODY CRAFT ROWING MACHINE: Folds For Storage, Original Over $1000. New Condition. $350. bbj1407@aol.com 516-889-3042

KITCHEN SET: Table/ chrome pedestal. 4 chairs with chrome and black vinyle seats. 5ft x 4ft smoked glass table.$200 Neg. 516.668. 8877

Finds $100-$350

MASSAGE TABLE: BRAND New. Still In Box. Asking $165.00. Call Anthony 516-872-8486

TREADMILL GYM SIZE Great Condition. $300 516 668 8877

SERVICES

Electricians

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

Handyman

HANDYMAN

Repairs and Installations for the Household. Careful and Reliable and Vaccinated. Licensed and Insured. 30-Year Nassau County Resident. Friendly Frank Phone/Text 516-238-2112 E-mail-Frankcav@optonline.net

Heating

AROUND THE CLOCK REFRIGERATION INC. Specializing In Gas Furnaces/ Ductless Heat Pump Installations/ Repairs. $99 Annual Gas Furnace Maintenance/ Inspection. FREE Estimates. Gregory 516-214-0178 gregory@clockhvac.com

Home Improvement

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636

CARPENTRY & PAINTING: Residential/ Commercial. All Phases. Licensed/Insured. FREE ESTIMATES! Anthony & J Home Improvements 516-678-6641

DON'T PAY FOR Covered Home Repairs Again! American Residential Warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE/ $100 OFF POPULAR PLANS. 833-398-0526

HANDY DANDY

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

* Full Or Partial Kitchens/ Baths *Painting *Sheetrock *Taping/ Spackling *Installations Ceramic/ Vinyl Tile *Carpentry *Alterations *Repairs/ More. FREE ESTIMATES. Dan 516-342-0761

WIREMAN/CABLEMAN FLAT TVs mounted, Phone, TVs&Computer wiring installed & serviced, camera &stereos , HDTV – Antennas- FREE TV www.davewireman.com Call Dave 516-433-WIRE (9473) 631-667-WIRE (9473) or Text 516-353-1118

Miscellaneous

BEST

Plumbing

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

ACURA 2003, 3.2 CLS, 2 door, Silver, Black Interior, 160K Plus. Needs Battery. $2100 516-668-8877

VOLKSWAGON 2012 BEETLE, Red Black Interior, 98K, Excellent Condition, Original Owner. $8000 516-302-7745

Autos Wanted

DONATE YOUR CAR TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH RECOVERY! Tax Deduction Receipt Given Upon Pick-up, Free Towing. 501c3 Charity. 631-988-9043 breastcancerresearchrecovery.org

DRIVE OUT BREAST Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup - 24hr Response Tax Deduction - Easy To Do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

Autos Wanted

WHEELS FOR WISHES benefiting MakeA-Wish® Northeast New York. Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Free Vehicle Pick Up ANYWHERE. We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not. 100% Tax Deductible. Minimal To No Human Contact. Call: (877) 798-9474. Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. www.wheelsforwishes.org.

Junk Cars Wanted

TILE

Tile

Satellite/TV Equipment

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1-866-595-6967

GET DIRECTV FOR $64.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included! Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-888-534-6918

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Education

to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required

Health & Fitness

ATTENTION VIAGRA USERS: Generic 100mg blue pills or generic 20mg yellow pills. Get 45 plus 5 free $99 + S/H. Call Today. 877-707-5523

Beware the lure of DeSantis

Former President Donald Trump has been hit with a barrage of bad news in the past few weeks. It’s also clear that his popularity is taking a hit due to the failure of his anointed candidates to win a number of contests around the country last month. With each passing day, more Republican voices are raising their fears of a potential wipeout in 2024, and are promoting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible presidential candidate. Having closely followed the actions of DeSantis, my advice to the party is to be careful what you wish for.

him. Some call him “tough” and others describe him as “forceful,” but none of his admirers are able to articulate what makes him so great.

issue, and cruise ship owners were forced to shut down for months.

JERRY KREMER

There is no question that DeSantis is a true conservative, and that he is outspoken on many issues. My friends who spend their winters in Florida rave about him. A number of them have chosen to become permanent residents, primarily to avoid New York state taxes. But I have yet to find one fan of DeSantis who can spell out specifically what they like about

There is no question that he comes off as a bold leader of his state. He embraces issues that he thinks will eventually make him popular beyond Florida, but he has been careful not to announce any presidential ambitions. If you take a close look at his record, you will find him to be anti-business, and reckless in his views on public education. One good example of his antibusiness attitude is the way he has treated Florida’s two biggest money generators.

At the height of the Covid scare, DeSantis decided that it was good politics to be anti-mask and impose no government health restrictions. Florida residents liked the idea that there should be no mandates, but many tourist industry leaders felt differently. The heads of the three biggest cruise lines insisted that their passengers wear masks when they were in public areas of the ships. DeSantis made numerous threats over this

The Walt Disney Company fiasco is another example of DeSantis’s poor judgment. Disney is the largest taxpaying business in the state, and its top attraction. The former Disney chief executive Bob Chapek criticized DeSantis for his position on gay education restrictions. DeSantis decided that Disney had no right to speak out and had the company’s special legislative status revoked. In the end, it isn’t Disney that will suffer as much as the communities that surround the park, which will be forced to pay for costly fire, police and health facilities in 2023.

DeSantis has decided that his administration must be the only voice on the education of Florida’s students. His education commissioner has recommended all types of restrictions that have frightened teachers around the state. Numerous teachers have left the Florida system for fear that they might be punished for teaching subjects that are not stateapproved. Next year, Florida will have a shortage of thousands of teachers, and

may be forced to hire people who are unlicensed and have no formal training. And, of course, DeSantis was anxious to get in on the program of sending immigrants to liberal northern cities as a protest against the Biden administration. In September he approved a plan to fly 50 immigrants who were detained in Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. They were not on Florida soil, and DeSantis used unauthorized federal funds for the trip. Even Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called the stunt a “terrible idea.” There are countless other DeSantis actions that merit some daylight, but it’s fair to say that most people outside Florida have no clue as to how reckless he is. You can bet that the national press corps will have a field day when he throws his hat into the ring of the presidential campaign sometime next year. For now, his is just a name being used by the “anyone but Trump” faction of the party, but if he’s the ultimate choice to run, the DeSantis story will not be a pretty one.

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.

Standing in the doorway of 2023, with the holidays ahead, I want to focus on the ways we Americans connect and love one another. This is a challenge during our great political divide, but my hope is that we can disagree peacefully, argue with civility, and celebrate our common appreciation for millions of things, from the majesty of our Rocky Mountains to same-day delivery by Amazon.

the problem. They feel loyal to the former administration.

The former president, now a 2024 presidential candidate, spoke last week about dissolving the Constitution. He hosted a dinner two weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago at which two guests felt empowered to indulge in antisemitic slurs. Perhaps we are reaching a tipping point. We need room for people to re-evaluate their loyalties and reconsider their alliances with people like the men and women who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

stand why many people are reactive to our brave new world and want to go back to simpler times. Life has been unfair to large swaths of people across America. I understand it, but the “simpler times” refer to a whiter, male-dominated heterosexual culture with little room for people who were different. Our world has changed, not fast enough for some people and too fast for others.

keep our elders safe through the holidays.

Across America, people of every stripe and every polka dot and from every corner of every small town, east, west, north and south, will be traveling, feeling the love of family, and sharing food at common tables.

There will be the inside family jokes and the debate over eggnog and the best recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

There has always been open and lively conflict across America, but we are witnesses, today, to disturbing political and cultural warfare, real threats to democracy. This time around could be the last time around if we don’t figure out a way forward.

RANDI KREISS

That said, I own every single word I have written about former President Donald Trump and his extremist followers. I believe with all my heart that his MAGA movement has already compromised our democracy, but not irreparably. I acknowledge — and I have the letters to prove it — that many readers see things differently. They see President Biden as

I have not yet heard any Trump loyalist defend his comments about the Constitution. The principles of this document are our reason for being as a democratic country. The words matter. How does anyone reconcile his verbal attack on the Constitution?

I believe in the possibility of change. As voters and our law enforcement agencies move toward holding the former president accountable, we will have time and space to find the best in one another again. May the accountability unfold with dignity and gravitas.

Looking at the rapid shifts in our society and culture, it is possible to under-

We can likely agree that political sideshows on all sides are unproductive and self-serving. We need to get behind quality candidates who can check off the basic boxes: Honest? Skilled? Work well with others? See themselves as public servants?

Let’s take a breather over the holidays.

Hanukkah is coming up, with remembrances of hope and heroism going back to ancient times. Jewish people and their friends will light the candles and eat the latkes and give their children food and goodies over the eight days.

Christmas and Kwanzaa approach with people feeling more comfortable gathering with family, especially with vaccines and healthy protocols in place. Some of us will mask up, not as a political statement, but as a sensible way to

This is the season of miracles. It shouldn’t take one to bring together a people who settled a new country, fought wars for freedom together, laughed at the same movies, cried together on 9/11 and suffered together during the terrible years of the pandemic. We should be able to get it together, literally and figuratively.

After the holiday parties, we have work to do. We have children way behind in their academic studies; teenagers psychologically traumatized by lockdowns; people, including hurricane survivors and immigrants, who need safe places to live and jobs and acceptance. If we are pulling in different directions, it will be challenging to move forward.

Two things can be true at once. We are divided, and we share values and traditions. We can try to stand in one another’s shoes instead of stepping on one another’s toes.

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

Yes, left and right, we are more alike than not

This is the season of miracles. It shouldn’t take one to bring us together.

Most people outside Florida have no clue how reckless the governor is.

Fusion can augment clean-energy creation

it existed for just five seconds — but it was enough to power a home for an entire day.

It was a result of nuclear fusion, taking place last February in Culham, England, a village of barely 500 people not far from the University of Oxford. A machine there called a tokamak created heat measuring upward of 270 million degrees Fahrenheit — 10 times hotter than the core of the sun — and used a series of high-powered magnets to contain it.

It produced 59 megajoules of energy, but like many experiments before it, it used more energy than it ultimately yielded.

All of that changed on Dec. 6, when U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm revealed that scientists working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California had accomplished what no others had done before: created a fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain.

All of this might not seem substantial, but the breakthrough is extraordinary. Especially in a world where new, cleanenergy sources are crucial for breaking our dependence on fossil fuels, which is rapidly destroying our environment.

Fusion would be just that: clean energy. When we hear about anything nuclear, we think either weapons, or dangerous — and highly wasteful — ways of generating power. Today’s nuclear power plants depend on a process that harnesses energy from splitting the atom, a highly radioactive process that just isn’t sustainable long-term.

But fusion is different. Instead of splitting atoms, scientists smash them togeth-

er. Unlike fission, we wouldn’t need uranium. Instead, fusion depends on isotopes of hydrogen like deuterium and tritium — both naturally available in seawater.

Of the two, tritium is radioactive. But the amount of fuel needed to create fusion is so small that very little waste is generated. Even better, fusion doesn’t produce carbon dioxide — the primary contributor to our planet’s so-called greenhouse effect — meaning that instituting technology like this could be the very means needed to reduce global warming.

Yet as much as all of this is being hailed as a breakthrough, don’t start planning for your fusion-powered car or home anytime soon. We are still years, if not decades, away from putting fusion to practical use. The Culham experiment lasted only five seconds, because that’s how long the magnets could withstand the heat. The Livermore experiments had better results, but it’s still only the beginning. Creating something that can become a regular part of our lives still requires far more research and development.

And the Earth might not have that long. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we have to move out society to a “net-zero” carbon emission system in a little more than 25 years. To even have a shot at reversing the climate change damage, we need to cut our current greenhouse emissions in half before this decade ends.

Fusion might not be here yet, but alternative energy sources are — like wind and solar. Our focus on electric vehicles is also a significant step, but not if we have to use

coal or other fossil fuels to generate the electricity to power them in the first place.

New York enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, requiring 70 percent of electricity consumed in the state to come from renewable sources by 2030, with the hope of being completely carbon-neutral by 2040.

It’s one of the most aggressive laws in the country, and one that PSEG Long Island — through the Long Island Power Authority — has been working around the clock to achieve. A number of projects are also well underway, including wind farms planned for 15 miles or so off the coast of Long Island.

Projects like that are certainly not without controversy. Fishermen fear that the wind farms will disrupt their livelihood and affect natural habitats. Closer to home, some Island Park residents have challenged plans of the Norwegian energy company Equinor to build a substation for wind energy in their neighborhood, rather than up the road a bit at the E.F. Barrett Power Station.

Achieving our renewable-energy goals will take a lot of work, as well as give and take, from both sides. And no matter what, we can’t lose focus on the end goal: To leave a beautiful planet for our children and grandchildren. The same beautiful planet we enjoy now.

But it will only stay beautiful if we make changes now. Otherwise, by the time we can turn five seconds of fusion power into something sustainable, there might not be a planet left to benefit from it.

letters

Should government manage electricity?

To the Editor:

Thank you for publishing the opinion piece by Ronald J. Rosenberg (“Energy efficient may become a contradiction in terms,” Dec. 1-8). Rosenberg clearly explained the importance of our upcoming decision regarding whether to name LIPA to oversee PSEG.

The public continues to see increases in rates and lower service. Management of both LIPA and PSEG give themselves large pay increases. Will the government do a better job at managing our electricity? The correct direction for the immediate future is unclear to me. I hope Albany will handle this situation wisely. The future will tell if we selected the correct direction for the public interests.

opinions

It’s a strange time to be a Jew, but when isn’t it?

igrew up in a non-religious family, but it was always important to my parents that we knew we were Jews, and my family followed certain traditional rituals. My father went to work on Saturdays, and the only religious holidays on which he shut his luncheonette were Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. My younger brother and I were bar mitzvahed, and attended youth services on Saturdays and holidays. The rule in our family was, no synagogue Saturday morning, no ball playing that afternoon; no synagogue on Jewish holidays, then you go to school.

aLan sinGer

My wife and I used to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas with our children, who are grown now and have kids of their own. For Hanukkah, we invited the staff and families from her day care center for a latkes festival in our apartment, where I turned 20 pounds of potatoes and four pounds of onions into potato pancakes and told the story of the Maccabees as a freedom struggle. After Hanukkah, we set up a Christmas tree with a giant origami peace crane as its crown and pres-

ents underneath, to be opened on Christmas morning.

As an adult, I’m a confirmed atheist. I joke that I’m an evangelical atheist because I recruit. I can’t support Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands on the West Bank of the Jordan River, and its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and Israel proper. I believe Israel has the right to exist, but not as a religious state, and not as an occupying power, and I won’t visit the country while these policies are in place. But I always identify as a Jew — a secular Jew, a Jew by birth, a Jew by history, and a Jew by tradition. I call myself a Jew, not Jewish, because I know that in many households in this country, the word Jew is still used as a curse.

Today there is a lot of antisemitism in the air in the U.S., and I feel that it’s important to publicly be a Jew. The losing gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania, Republican Doug Mastriano, said he wanted America to be a Christian nation, and attacked his opponent, Democrat Josh Shapiro, who won, as an “elitist,” but we knew he meant Jew. In the past, attacks on the “Rothschilds” for supposedly controlling global banking were really claims that Jews somehow

Letters

She’ll take O’Connell’s agenda

To the Editor:

Excellent column by John O’Connell (“I’ll take the GOP agenda — without Trump — any day,” Nov. 24-30). The headline was deadon, and very refreshing. (The Herald’s liberal slant is relentlessly consistent, and regularly has me gnashing my teeth.)

The Republicans have to move on from Donald Trump, and they need to do it decisively and quickly. If Trump would put the country above his ego, he would step into a background role and let new leaders take the reins and reassert many of the policies his administration instituted. That would win the next election.

I fear we’ll have him as a Republican nominee or a third-party candidate, and either scenario is a loser. I Hope I’m wrong, but we’re running out of time to get our country back on track.

LINDSAY ANDERSON Glen Cove

Modernize the ‘Bottle Bill’

To the Editor:

Concerned citizens across the state are pushing for a modernization of New York state’s 40-year-old bottle deposit law. The proposal would increase the deposit from a nick-

secretly ran the world. Few people remember the Rothschilds, so now the antisemites blame George Soros, another Jew, and claim he is the evil puppet master conspiring with his co-religionists.

Kanye West has declared that he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people,” and basketball player Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to a book and movie that denies that Jews are really Jews. These claims echo positions taken by a small group that calls itself the Black Hebrew Israelites. West and Irving may be nuts, but it’s dangerous to dismiss deep antipathy toward Jews as the work of cranks.

Former President Donald Trump has been very cozy with antisemitic groups, and we know what happened in Europe in the 1930s.

Recently I attended a play about the Holocaust, and I suspect that very few non-Jews were in the audience. It was a one-actor show about the life of Jan Karski, a Polish Christian who put his life at risk to help European Jews, and it was excellent. As a teacher, as I sat there with tears in my eyes, I wondered how relevant the Holocaust and the murder of European Jews is to American students today who aren’t Jewish. The Holocaust

happened over 75 years ago, and for students, that’s ancient history. Since then there have been so many other horrific events — genocides in Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and the Congo and wars and the forced displacement of populations all over the world — that the near-extermination of European Jewry no longer stands out, at least for me, as a topic that deserves a special place in the school curriculum.

Politically, I’m on the left. I can’t support the Israeli occupation, and I don’t agree with expanding Holocaust education. But I am a Jew, and I know that if antisemites take power, my family and I will be threatened. I am a Jew, which is why I am compelled to fight for rights for all people — for sexual, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, and for immigrants and refugees, no matter their legal status. I fight for their rights as the best way to protect my own and my family’s. Shalom.

Dr. Alan Singer is a professor of teaching, learning and technology and the director of social studies education programs at Hofstra University. He is a former New York City high school social studies teacher and editor of Social Science Docket, a joint publication of the New York and New Jersey Councils for the Social Studies. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/ AlanJSinger1.

Framework by Tim Baker

el to a dime and would expand the types of containers recycled to include sports drinks, iced teas, juices, wine and liquor. Dairy products and infant formulas containers would be exempt.

Enacted in 1982, the New York State Returnable Container Act, commonly known as the “Bottle Bill,” has been extremely successful in boosting the state’s recycling rates, and has reduced litter. But expansion of the types of bottles recycled would bring immediate and long-lasting financial and environmental benefits to solid-waste programs. It is essential that New York City’s Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management support efforts to improve the Bottle Bill and call on our elected officials in Albany to act now.

As it stands, the bill requires a 5-cent refundable deposit to be placed on eligible beverage containers. When it was passed, the law covered only beer and soda bottles, but it was subsequently expanded to cover wine coolers and water bottles. It requires retailers who sell covered beverages to accept returns of empty containers for the products they sell and to refund the deposits. It also requires beverage distributors to compensate retailers for the cost of collecting and recycling empty containers by paying them a small handling fee per container.

JOSEPH M. VARON West Hempstead

Varon is a volunteer with the Long Island Chapter of Food & Water Watch and a member of the Jewish Climate Action Network.

Horse and carriage rides at the Christmas tree lighting — Bellmore

my wife and I used to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas with our children.

Buy a Brick

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

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