Freeport
HERALD Leader
Freeport honors class of 2020
testing for covid antibodies
FHs holds online awards ceremony
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Vol. 85 No. 23
JUNE 4 - 10, 2020
Merchants say they’re hopeful, but worried By RoNNy REyEs and scott BRiNtoN
plants and flowers, she said she was happy that Freeport’s economy could start moving forward. rreyes@liherald.com, sbrinton@liherald.com “A lot of businesses are strugSelect businesses in Freeport gling to pay their bills and rent,” finally reopened on May 27, as Martin said. “It’s a scary time the region encompassing Nassau we’re in, but I hope that everyand Suffolk counties cleared the one can open up soon and have final hurdles that had kept them customers buying again.” shuttered. Mike Sorrentino, Wi t h C ov i d - 1 9 of the Nassau Hobby hospital mortality Center, on West Merrates low enough rick Road, said the and the number of shop has been able contact tracers high to operate with curbenough under the side pickup since the seven-point criteria pandemic began. He set by New York and said the store was its neighboring planning to officially states, businesses reopen on Thursday ranging from florists . sUsaN MaRtiN or Friday to sporting goods to “We’ re hoping landscaping have Duryea’s this can get more b e e n a l l owe d t o Flower Shop happy customers reopen under cercoming to the store,” tain conditions. Sorrentino said. Susan Martin, whose family Despite the reopening plans, runs Duryea’s Flower Shop, on some businesses in Freeport Guy Lombardo Avenue, said she said Phase One would not be was glad the shop could begin enough to help them. opening for customers to pick up Millie Kaland, who runs the their orders. The shop had start- Sea Horse Gift Shop on Wooded curbside pickup on Mother’s cleft Avenue, on the Nautical Day, but now customers can pick Milem with her husband, said up their orders in the store. their business depends on people While Martin would prefer to being able to come in and browse return to the days when her cus- the merchandise. And with restomers could browse the shop for Continued on page 7
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Ronny Reyes/Herald
FREEpoRtERs DaRlEyNE MayERs and Eugene Williams joined the protests in Nassau County on Monday, representing the Freeport/Roosevelt NAACP.
Freeporters ask for change
Join hundreds of protesters at County Legislature By RoNNy REyEs and scott BRiNtoN rreyes@liherald.com, sbrinton@liherald.com
People streamed into a demonstration in front of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola on Monday. They had come to protest the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. “It’s unbelievable that these things are still happening,” said Eugene Williams, of Freeport, who is the civic
engagement chairman of the Freeport/Roosevelt NAACP. “People are frustrated, and they’re making their voices heard.” Shouting “I can’t breathe!” and brandishing handmade signs, protesters arrived from across the county and beyond. A coalition of Nassau advocacy groups planned the demonstration, dubbed “Justice for George Floyd.” The protest followed the Memorial Day death of Floyd, 46, an African-American who
stopped breathing after Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. According to authorities, Minneapolis police responded to a report of a man attempting to pass a counterfeit $20 at a shop. Barbara Powell, an executive board member of the Hempstead NAACP, described Floyd’s death as a “modernday lynching,” adding, “PeoContinued on page 4
t’s a scary time we’re in, but I hope that everyone can open up soon.
WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.
Don’t put off seeking medical care, including elective surgery, in fear of COVID-19. Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 within three days prior to admission. Our frontline staff of physicians, nurses and support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.
DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.
mountsinai.org/southnassau
Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Photo top left courtesy of Jeff Basinger, Newsday.
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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What’s neWs in and out of the classroom
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
Herald ScHoolS
Photos by Christina Daly/Herald
Freeport Social worker Yasmin Chambers decorated her car with messages to the 2020 seniors.
Honoring the FHS Class of 2020 Freeport School District administrators and staff joined together on May 29 to hold a car parade for the Freeport High School Class of 2020. The parade began at the high school at 11 a.m. and made its way around the village, hitting major streets like Atlantic Avenue, Guy Lombardo Avenue, Columbus Avenue, Seaman Avenue, Long Beach Avenue and Merrick Road. Although the large parade had to be broken up into parts in order to allow traffic to get through, district staff members were able to finish the route to celebrate their high school seniors’ accomplishments.
Freeport HigH ScHool Principal, Joseph Mille, center, with the assistant principals, above, before the car parade. Freeport HigH ScHool librarian Paula Ennis, left, continued to drive the route with her daughter. tHe car parade made its way all around Freeport, far-left.
June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Demand for justice locally and nationally continued from front page ple are fed up and disgusted with how things are and how they keep repeating.” Patrick Ryder, the Nassau police commissioner, attended the rally. “People are here to speak their minds and get their message across,” he said. “What happened in Minneapolis should never have happened. We have a good relationship with our communities. People are exercising their rights, and we hope to continue to do so peacefully.” Leslie Davis, president of the Westbury NAACP, said, “We want to come together peacefully to support our communities. People all over the world are standing up against this injustice. This is a peaceful movement.” “George Floyd’s murder was visible,” said Darleyne Mayers, of Freeport, branch secretary of the Freeport/ Roosevelt NAACP. “We saw all eight minutes of it. It was reprehensible. We have to send a message, but we have to do it peacefully.” Among the protest sponsors were the Young Progressives of Nassau County, Indivisible of Nassau County (formerly Indivisible of Rockville Centre), the Hempstead NAACP, the Freeport/Roosevelt NAACP, the Nassau County chapter of the National Action Network, the Anti-Racism Project and Americans of Pakistani Heritage. As of Monday morning, protests against police brutality had swept across the nation, in nearly 70 cities, including in New York City, according to The New York Times. At times, they turned violent, as was the case in the city on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights. The Rev. Arthur Mackey Jr., of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, in Roosevelt, said the protests were further fueled by the failure thus far to hold the other officers who were seen in the video of Floyd’s death accountable for not stopping Chauvin. Mackey urged greater accountability in Freeport, raising the case of Akbar Rogers, a village resident who was captured on video being wrestled to the ground and punched and kicked by Freeport police officers during his arrest in December. “America is burning,” Mackey said. “It’s burning in Minneapolis, in Washington, D.C., in Los Angeles and New York City. And if we don’t want America to burn in Nassau County, we need to arrest the police officers who beat Akbar Rogers.” On Saturday in Brentwood, in Suffolk County, there was a peaceful demonstration attended by dozens of protesters who practiced social distancing. On Friday, County Executive Laura Curran tweeted a statement on Floyd’s death. It read, “I was horrified after watching the video of the death of George Floyd and hearing his cries. I believe charges must be brought to ensure the accountability and justice all should expect in our nation.” Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, but as of press time on Wednesday, none
of the other officers at the scene had been charged. “This cruel act,” Curran continued, “does not represent the vast majority of police officers who, with professionalism and honor, serve and protect our communities. Nassau is committed to community policing because it works. Building trust works, and we always strive to do better.” Gov. Andew Cuomo spent much of his Sunday coronavirus briefing addressing the protests that had turned violent, including in New York City. Racism is the central issue at hand, he noted. “People are outraged, and I understand that. I’m outraged,” he said, speaking of Floyd’s death. He added, however, “Violence never works.” “Burning down your own house never works,” Cuomo said. “It dishonors Mr. Floyd’s death. “The goal has to be effecting change,” the governor said. “Don’t tell me we can’t change . . . Use this moment to demand real change.” According to Cuomo, people must demand that federal and state legislation be enacted to: ■ Prohibit local investigations of officer-involved deaths. Any such investigation should be conducted by an impartial third party, he said. ■ Define one standard of excessive police force across the nation. ■ Require the release of officers’ records in cases such as Floyd’s death. “Be smart, be directed,” the governor said. “Help your community, don’t hurt your community. “George Floyd,” he said, “must not have died in vain.” Photos by Andrew Garcia/Herald
Betty Miller, of Freeport, carried a sign with the names of those who have died in encounters with police across the nation. hundreds of people came to the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Monday to protest the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.
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Dear neighbor:
We live and work in this community. The lives of each and every one of you is important to us and we are here to tell your stories — from beginning to end. That includes the final chapter. At this difficult time, I want to remind you that obituaries in all Herald Community Newspapers are, and have always been, completely free. COVID-19 has taken far too many, far to soon. Let us help you commemorate the life of your loved one with a story and photo celebrating their life. Contact our Executive Editor Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com or call 516-569-4000, ext 203, if you would like to memorialize a loved one in the Herald, regardless of their cause of death. Stuart Richner Publisher srichner@liherald.com 1087105
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Three vie for two open seats on BOE By Ronny Reyes rreyes@liherald.com
Three candidates are running for the two-open positions on the Freeport Public School District Board of Education. While incumbents Vilma Lancaster and Ronald Ellerbe hope to retain their positions, Donna Raphael is looking for her own seat on the board. Like the incumbents, Raphael is a long-time Freeporter who has had children go through the Freeport public education system. She has also helped foster an entrepreneurship program at the Atkinson School. Raphael said she was motivated to run because of the coronavirus pandemic, which brought unprecedented change to the district as it moved to an E-Learning model. She hopes to bring her experience from the nonprofit sector to close the gaps and help the district transition to the new format. Raphael also hopes to bring additional financial mindfulness to the
Donna Raphael
Vilma lancaster
board as the district continues to struggle with its budget and try to find monetary opportunities outside of taxes. Incumbent Vilma Lancaster works as the village assessor for the Village of Freeport, joined the Board of Education in 2011 after her children entered the school district. She said it was important for her to be on the board to help ensure an equitable education for all the students in the district. Lancaster also wanted to make sure that these opportunities also existed for students who were learning
Ronald ellerbe
English as a second language, as the district boasts a large immigrant population. After becoming vice president of the Board of Education last year, Lancaster also became the chairperson for community outreach, which has her meet with parents and community members to discuss issues affecting students. Part of these conversations involved enriching the district’s English as a New Language classes. Lancaster hopes to continue her time on the board to help continue
expanding the district’s educational programs while also advocating for an increase in state aid. Ellerbe, who also serves the Village of Freeport as a village trustee, has been on the Board of Education for nearly 25 years. He has also served as a board member of the Nassau Board of Cooperative Education Services and the Nassau County Planning Commission and is a past president of the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association. He has coached Little League baseball. Last October, Ellerbe was recognized as businessperson of the Year by the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce at its 35th annual awards breakfast, Citizen of the Year by the Freeport Salvation Army at its 31st annual civic dinner, and Member of the Month by the Freeport Chamber of Commerce for his work in the local community. Residents will have the opportunity to vote for two of the three candidates on June 9, via absentee ballots that were mailed out to each home.
OBITUARIES Gertrude Smith
Janice Bird-Ogden
She worked at Heni Jane and Samet’s Dress Stores on Main Street in Freeport. She was also a member of the Our Holy Redeemer Church, and later joined the Queen of the Most Rosary Church, in Roosevelt. She was the loving wife of the late Louis August Smith, caring mother of Michelle Smith and Sondra Smith Grummell, dear mother-in-law of Don Crummell and loving grandmother of Shayla and Miya. Mitchell Funeral Service, Inc., was entrusted with the final arrangements. A private gravesite ceremony was set at Greenfield Cemetery.
Janice Bird-Ogden, a long-time Freeport resident, died on May 18. She was the proprietor of the Bird Book Haven, a bookstore that operated in Freeport for more than a decade in the 1950s. Bird-Ogden is not only remembered for operating the book store, but also for standing firm in her decision to sell what was then controversial literature among her books despite pressure from the nearby by catholic churches. She was the beloved wife of the late Hubert Ogden, loving daughter of the late Lilith and Lorenz Bird and cherished friend of Freeporter Mary-Jane Reagan.
NEwS BRIEf Courtesy Freeport Public School District
FReepoRt HigH scHool Principal Joseph Mille helped honor high school music student through a virtual awards ceremony.
Celebrating music students Dozens of Freeport High School music students were honored during a vir tual awards ceremony on May 28. Through YouTube, various teachers in the district presented awards to high achieving students in the high school’s music department. Among some of the students hon-
ored were: Hannah Robinson for the Michele Mars Award, Jordan Figueroa Ellis for the Louis Ar mstrong Award, Tyler Hawkins for the John Philip Sousa Award and Alexandria Yarbrough, Melissa Moreno, Steven Martinez, Kevin Reyes for the String Director’s Award.
ToH rolls out beach services By DaRwin yanes dyanes@liherald.com
Hempstead officials announced a new “Coronavirus Concierge Service team” on May 22 to help keep patrons socially distanced and safe amid the pandemic while the town prepares to welcome hundreds of beachgoers on Memorial Day weekend. The initiative was introduced at a news conference at Town Park at Point Lookout. Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin announced that the concierge team would help with parking guidance, directions to bathrooms and swimming locations and assistance with social distancing, among other responsibilities.
The town will also give out hand sanitizers, gloves and face masks. “We’re trying to put forth the steps to protect not only you but our co-workers here in the Town of Hempstead,” Clavin said. Lifeguards will be on duty starting Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at town beaches. Pamphlets with the information will be handed out to residents when they visit the beaches. The Town of Hempstead operates the Town Park at Point Lookout, Lido Beach Town Park, Lido West Town Park, Town Park at Sands and also provides lifeguards for Nickerson Beach.
Business owners hope for better summer
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taurants still only offering takeout or delivery, there isn’t enough foot traffic on the Nautical Mile to attract customers. Kaland added that her business, which has been in Freeport for 29 years, relies on summer revenue, much like many of the village’s other businesses. She said that the slow winter season, followed by the closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, has hurt these businesses tremendously, and she fears many Millie KalanD might not surSea Horse Gift Shop vive next winter. “We lost Memorial Day and the Freeport Festival, which are big shopping days,” Kaland said. “Hopefully we can get that business back through Father’s Day, the shark tournament and the Fourth of July, but we might see a lot of small businesses disappear from Freeport.” Kaland and other business owners said they hoped Phase Two of the reopening could begin as soon as possible, but added that business might not pick up
library phases into reopening
w
e lost Memorial Day and the Freeport Festival, which are big shopping days.
Courtesy Google Maps
Duryea’s Flower shop is one of many businesses that began Phase One of reopening on May 27. again until restaurants can reopen. Because restaurants are the heart of the Nautical Mile, Kaland said, many tourists come to Freeport for the dining and ocean view. It’s when they’re done eating that they walk about The Mile and shop at local businesses like hers, she explained. The reopening of the economy will play out by region in three more phases: Phase Two: Professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, and real estate, rental and
leasing. Phase Three: Restaurants and food services, beyond takeout and delivery. Phase Four: Arts, entertainment and recreation, and education. “As more regions of the state begin reopening,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted last week, “we are carefully monitoring health data to make sure that everything is going in the right direction. We rely on science and data to guide us — not emotion or politics.”
The Freeport Memorial Library resumed curbside pickup of library materials on Monday, two and a half months after closing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Curbside pickup is available on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To use the service, call (516)379-3274 and tell the library staff what you are looking for. They will call back once the items are ready for pickup. When residents arrive at the north parking lot entrance to the library, a staff member will bring the items out. Please note that only items owned by the Freeport Memorial Library will be provided, as inter-library services have been suspended. At this time, only Freeport Memorial Library cardholders will be served.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
ON ApRIL 24, activists first protested outside the jail in East Meadow.
Photos by Brian Stieglitz/Herald
Nassau jail activists call for transparency By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
Activists for the rights of inmates at the Nassau County Correctional Center are calling on Sheriff James Dzurenda to provide daily updates on the number of Covid-19 cases in the jail and to release inmates with a high risk of contracting the virus. On April 24, activists first protested outside the jail in East Meadow for the same cause. Some held signs along the sidewalk and others honked from cars and drove passed the jail’s East Meadow Avenue entrance. Then, on May 20, the same group stood outside the county legislative building in Mineola and live streamed a rally calling for additional measures to be taken at the jail to protect inmates, correction officers and the community at large. Among the group were representatives of the Long Island Social Justice Action Network, New York Civil Liberties Union, New York Communities for Change and the Long Island chapter of New Hour for Women and Children. The activists said that the county never provided a space for members of the press or families of the incarcerated to ask questions about the jail in public. They are urging Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to add statistics about jail Covid-19 cases in her daily briefings about the virus and that such information also be posted on the sheriff ’s website. “They’re not just numbers, they’re our family members and our loved ones and they’re just as important as the people on the outside,” said Jayette Lansbury, a member of the Nassau County Jail Advocates and chair of criminal justice of the New York chap-
ter of the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Lansbury also criticized the use of “keep-lock,” or holding inmates in their cells for almost 24 hours a day to ensure social distancing and said that it “exacerbates already high levels of anxiety and depression.” In late March, Sherif f James Dzurenda posted a letter on the jail’s website detailing the steps it was taking to prevent the spread of the virus. Every new inmate is tested for the virus during initial processing and, if cleared, held for an additional 14 days in a New Admission Housing Unit. Inmates with Covid-19 symptoms are moved to a quarantine unit, where they are medically monitored, have their temperatures taken and meet with mental health staff members. Inmates in regular housing are still offered outdoor recreation in small groups. They are also given facemasks and free phone time to contact loved ones and support networks. Requests for comment from the sheriff following the May 20 rally were not answered as of press time on Tuesday. Dzurenda told Newsday on Thursday that fifty-seven inmates have tested positive for Covid-19 since March. Fortyseven have recovered, eight have been discharged and two remain incarcerated, the Newsday article read. The jail’s population, which changes on a daily basis, was 612 on Thursday. Serena Liguori, the executive director of New Hour, said that she and her fellow advocates “applaud meaningful steps taken by Nassau Sheriff Dzurenda to increase PPE provisions in the jail.” However, she said that they “urge transparency about the jail conditions for those who prove to be symptomatic.”
SOmE hELd SIGNS along the sidewalk and others honked from cars and drove passed the jail’s East Meadow Avenue entrance. AcTIvISTS fOR ThE rights of inmates at the Nassau County Correctional Center are calling for increased measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the jail.
NCC pulls programs for students with autism By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
Nassau Community College’s decision to remove a pair of popular programs designed to help students with autism spectrum disorder in and out of the classroom has parents and educators concerned. They want the programs restored. Citing finances as the main reason, NCC interim Vice President Valerie Collins sent a letter to the coordinators of both programs, known as ASPIRES and Achilles, to inform them that the programs would not be offered in the 2020-21 academic year. “Please do not make or continue to make any plans to recruit new students going forward,” read the letter from Collins, dated April 20. “The Achilles and Aspires programs will continue through the conclusion of this semester,” it continued. “The decision to end the programs this semester was, of course, influenced by financial concerns.” Roughly 35 students took part in the programs in the 2019-20 academic year. Multiple calls and emails to NCC requesting the amount of savings the cost-cutting move would bring for 2020-21 were not returned. Frances Viscovich, an NCC environmental science professor who coordinates the ASPIRES program, offered to volunteer her time and identified other individuals at the school who could assist at no cost. However, according to a statement released by NCC, volunteer hours could not be accepted. “I thought this would be my chance to give back to the community under Covid-19,” Viscovich said. “I felt like this would be my frontline volunteer work. These are such important programs. These students get essential individual and group counseling.” The ASPIRES program provides comprehensive support to students with ASD in weekly counseling sessions as well as programming designed to address executive functioning and social skill deficits. “The program started with one student six years ago,” Viscovich noted. “Now we have a waiting list. We should be promoting it, not ending it.” Wantagh resident Vanessa Kelly said her son Jimmy, a 2018 graduate of MacArthur High School, has seen con-
Christina Daly/Herald
The removal of two vital programs for students with autism has brought Nassau Community College’s decision into question. siderable improvement both academically and socially as a result of the ASPIRES program. His grade average has jumped from a B-minus in high school to an A-minus at NCC. “It’s a crucial program, and the social support has given Jimmy so much confidence,” she said. “He’s more independent as a student and a person.” The Achilles program has been around for nearly two decades and is for twice exceptional students — those who are gifted but learning challenged. Valerie Lagakis, an English and reading professor at NCC, has overseen the program since 2010.
“Students are specifically attending our school because of the Achilles program,” Lagakis said. “I’m upset for the new students who won’t be able to get into the program.” Baldwin resident Denise Baird is concerned her daughter Rebecca, a 2017 Oceanside High School graduate who just completed her first year at NCC, will not continue to excel at her current pace without ASPIRES. “The program is a Godsend,” Baird said. “Rebecca has benefitted a great deal.” State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach, is encouraging the college to reconsider its decision. “The ASPIRES and Achilles programs at NCC support our county’s differently abled students who have just as much desire to succeed as all other young people,” Kaminsky said. “The programs help them develop the tools necessary to thrive at the next level, and there is simply no substitute for what they provide.” On May 27, the Nassau County Legislature, which votes to approve NCC’s yearly budget, sent a letter to college President Jermaine Williams to inform him it would not approve the 2020-2021 as it stands. Presiding Officer for the County Legislature, Richard J. Nicolello, wrote to Williams: “I urge you to restore the funding to these programs for the upcoming academic school year and beyond. Without such action, I do not see a path forward for the approval of the proposed Nassau Community College budget for this year.” The college released a statement. “Nassau Community College is focused on providing all of our students with the support they need to complete their academics at the college,” Lindsey Angioletti, the director of marketing and communications, wrote. “After careful consideration, students in the ASPIRES and Achilles program have been transitioned from the formal program to now receive individual campus services in our Student Personnel Services area and our Center for Students with Disabilities. “While we appreciate the offer of a member of our staff to voluntarily run the program, contractually we were not permitted to do so,” the statement continued. “It is of the utmost importance to the college that the students in the former ASPIRES and Achilles program have access to the tools they need to succeed in their academic journey.”
Dentists reopen as Nassau preps for Phase Two By ScOTT BrINTON sbrinton@liherald.com
With the potential Phase Two reopening of Long Island’s economy approaching, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order Sunday allowing dental offices to return to work statewide June 1. At the same time, the governor said last Friday that barbershops and hair salons would be included in the Phase Two reopening. Previously, they had not been. The updated reopening timeline represents a continued drop in new coronavirus hospitalizations, intubations and deaths, according to the governor. Over the weekend, the number of overnight deaths fell to 56 — down from a high of 799 on April 9, he said. That is a 93 percent decline. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran called the planned opening of barbershops and hair salons “great news,” and said the governor’s order allowing them to reopen gives “our business owners the
certainty they need to reopen safely.” In addition, Phase Two reopening, now scheduled on Long Island for June 10, will include: ■ Office-based work. ■ Real estate services. ■ In-store sales — currently curbside pickup is allowed. ■ Vehicle sales, leases and rentals. ■ Retail rental, repair and cleaning. ■ Commercial building management.
Laura
A big question on many Nassau residents’ minds has been, when will restaurants reopen for dining? Only takeout and curbside pickup are allowed now. In-person dining can resume during the Phase Three reopening, which is scheduled to begin in Nassau June 24, if
the number of hospitalizations and deaths remains steady or continues to drop. Already Curran is planning for the reopening of restaurants. On Friday, she announced a plan to allow villages, towns and cities to shut down certain streets to facilitate al fresco dining, thus reducing the need for table capacity within eateries, enabling them to maintain six-foot social distancing. She is calling it “Open Streets.” “Continuing the county’s efforts to support the revival of our downtowns and busicurran ness districts,” the Nassau website reads, “the county will be fast-tracking permitting approvals for temporary road closures, with a decision within a week of receiving an application. To apply, visit www.nassacountyny. gov/OpenStreets. The Nassau County Industrial Devel-
opment Agency is also spending roughly $500,000 to provide 1,000 local small businesses and nonprofits with personal protective equipment. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees, minority- and womenowned, and businesses in economically distressed areas are eligible. Businesses can apply at www.nassauboost.net starting June 1. All Nassau County businesses must, by state mandate, prepare reopening plans, detailing how they intend to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and ensure the safety of workers and customers. The plan must include: ■ * Wellness checks for employees and customers. ■ Disinfection and cleaning routines. ■ Social distancing protocols. PPE supply for employees and customers. All businesses must also affirm to the state that they agree to operate according to state safety mandates.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
County Legislature won’t approve college’s 2020-2021 budget
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Silent vigil held outside nursing homes By Jill Nossa jnossa@liherald.com
Two weeks ago, nurses and nursing assistants participated in silent vigils outside of the Rockville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Grand Pavilion for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Rockville Centre as a way to pay respect for the patients and colleagues who lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. The local event coincided with vigils taking place across the state outside of nursing homes as a way to also recognize the extra burden employees have faced since the onset of the pandemic. “Every time someone dies, you lose a little part of yourself,” Felicia Glasgow, a nurse at The Grand Pavilion said. “I don’t think the management realizes what we go through.” Glasgow, 65, a licensed practical nurse, has worked at The Grand Pavilion in Rockville Centre for 30 years and has been working in the facility’s Covid unit since it was created in March. The outbreak, she said, has put strain on the staff, and has made it particularly hard to tend to her long-term patients, many of whom are chronically ill and need full-time care. “It’s one thing to take care of them under normal circumstances,” Glasgow said. “It’s another thing in a time of Covid.” She works the night shift and has had to work extra hours during the pandemic, partly because they are overloaded with patients and partly because they are understaffed. Glasgow, who lives in Roosevelt, said that she has even worked on her days off because no one else was available. She does this, she said, because she is dedicated to her patients. The patients, she said, become like family. “It’s sad to know we are doing everything we are supposed to do, giving the proper care, and we still lose them,” Glasgow said. “And we’re not being recognized for it.” She said she wants the corporate managers to recognize its employees’ worth. For five weeks, the nurses were getting an extra $2 per hour in hazard pay for their work during the pandemic. Then, the payments suddenly disappeared. “I did not see that hazard pay for a month, and then it only lasted five weeks,” Jessica Lizana said. “We are face
Christina Daly/Herald
Nurses participated iN a silent vigil outside of Rockville and Grand Pavilion nursing and rehab centers. They said the parent company, Care Rite, has not provided them with the proper PPE and has removed the extra $2 an hour they were receiving in crisis pay without warning. to face with these patients every day, we still have a quarantine unit and we still have seniors testing positive.” Lizana has worked at The Grand Pavilion since last September, and said she has also been concerned about the lack of protective equipment available to staff. Some of the patients, she said, get physical with nurses, spitting on them or scratching them. They do not have extra gowns or protection and are putting themselves and other patients at risk. “It’s scary knowing I could have Covid on me and going to another resident’s room and spread it,” Lizana said. “These people in long term care are like family, and I see them more than I see my own family. I want to give them the best care, but I don’t know if I’m doing that. It’s so upsetting because we care…we go above and beyond
because we love them.” For both women, the job has become physically and emotionally draining. “I’m so tired, my body is shaking,” Glasgow said. “It takes a toll after awhile.” Still, she said, she is attached to her patients and is committed to their care. “I do this because I’m dedicated to the profession,” Glasgow said. “I think more about my patients than I do about myself.” Attending the silent vigil, she said, “is a way of remembering our residents, giving them honor. We did the best we could for our residents and patients. You get to know the residents and they get to know you. They become like family, and every loss takes a piece of you.”
Molloy health clinic provides counseling By BriaNa BoNfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com
The Mental Health and Wellness Center at Molloy College is currently accepting patients for several types of counseling. Residents can seek individual therapy, group and couples therapy and support group therapy from the Rockville Centre clinic, located at 30 Hempstead Ave., by calling or emailing. Currently, all sessions are being held virtually. “We are eager to continue to serve the community,” Dr. Laura Kestemberg, who founded the clinic in January 2019. “Someone will answer your call or email and get back to you right away.” Kestemberg is an associate professor, chair, associate dean and director of Molloy College’s Master of Science Program and Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She launched the clinic as a way to give graduate psychology students practical training in mental health counseling.
Now, one full-time, licensed mental health professional supervises a handful of students who provide the services, as well as three additional supervisors who are also licensed professionals. The supervisors oversee all the clinic’s cases, support the students and assist with services for individual clients and support groups. “My vision was always to have a training clinic where graduate counseling students could train under the supervision of licensed mental health professionals,” Kestemberg said. “I’m very proud of our program because we’ve come such a long way in a short time.” Molloy’s master’s of science program in clinical mental health counseling is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accompanying mental health center offers treatment at low costs to the community. It is also a vital learning experience for Molloy’s clinical counseling graduate students earning their degrees. “We are a training site for our stu-
dents, where they learn how to be the best and most compassionate counselors,” Kestemberg said. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, the clinic has been offering tele-mental health services. All clinicians and graduate students underwent vigorous training to offer the virtual therapy for patients. Kestemberg noted that many mental illnesses or substance addictions could be exacerbated due to job loss or changes in normal routines. Even those without previous mental health conditions could be seeking counseling because of added stressors, like working from home or coping with childcare, due to the pandemic. Others could also be coping with the death of a loved one. In addition to individual treatment, the clinic runs regular support groups. “More than ever people are isolated in their homes,” Kestemberg said, “Support groups, even ones held remotely, are a powerful sounding board, it’s a real source of comfort for people. “We want to help people share their
experiences, this normalizes their feelings and people attending our support groups realize what they are feeling is universal,” she added. “There’s an underlying anxiety that we all share that we don’t know what’s coming.” Each support group focuses on a theme, such as communication skills, mindfulness, self-esteem or coping with grief. On June 15, Kestemberg and the clinic’s director, Kellyanne Brady, will lead a Covid-19 first responders group session via Zoom video conference. “First responders have been under a significant amount of stress during the current pandemic,” Brady said. “This group will focus on providing first responders with a place to explore their stressors and learn ways to manage stress and promote self-care.” To schedule an appointment or register for a support group, call the clinic at (516) 323-3854 or email at MHWC@molloy. edu. For more information, visit the clinic’s website at molloy.edu/mhwc.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
LONG ISLAND’S LEADING ORTHOPEDIC GROUP IS LEADING THE WAY . . . with immediate, personalized appointments in the safest possible environment. Balancing the need to help relieve your orthopedic pain with the health and safety of our patients, staff and community, Orlin & Cohen is taking all precautions: • Pre-visit registration • Curbside check-in
Our offices across Long Island are open for in-person visits. Weekdays: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Weekends: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Virtual telehealth visits are also available, seven days a week. MRI and therapy offices are open as well.
• Advanced and pre-entry health screenings for patients and staff • Plexiglass reception barriers • Social distancing with extended time between appointments and direct entry to exam rooms – bypassing waiting rooms • Masks for everyone, at all times • Continuous disinfecting measures in all areas Because in this crisis, protecting each other should be everyone’s top priority.
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he coronavirus has affected many people in my family and many people I know. We are doing what we can to meet the needs of the people during this pandemic and time of national emergency. We’re trying to meet the essential needs in people's lives with the best possible healthy food with a team of volunteers and workers, risking their lives to help others like many others are doing. From 7:30 a.m. until around 5 p.m. is for preparation of food, delivering and doing everything we need to do to prepare and follow best practices from [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] that let us provide in the safest, healthiest way possible that will affect change in people's lives. We have worked with a global pandemic expert, Gregory Marks, who has given us pointers on what we should and shouldn’t do. He is volunteering his service, where others have forgotten that we exist, and he is giving us expert advice on things we should take precautions on. I continued to serve my community and do all the necessary things I needed to do for my job, working for the City of Long Beach. A few weeks later, I was terminated from my job. I will continue to serve and do the best I can; even though the city has decided to terminate me, I have not wavered.
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SAY CONGRATS TO OUR GRADS: While 2020 grads can’t walk across the stage in cap and gown to receive their diploma — and they may not be able to celebrate their achievements with family and friends gathering from near and far —graduation remains a special time worthy of recognition. FAMILY & FRIENDS CONGRATS ADS:
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their Front-Line stories as toLd to our reporters Freeport Nurse, Maple poiNte assisted liviNg rockville ceNtre
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he same week state-mandated employee testing for Covid-19 began at Maple Pointe Assisted Living in Rockville Centre, I found out that I passed my state boards and was officially a registered nurse. Juggling classes at Helene Fuld College for Nursing in New York City while working at Maple Pointe managing active coronavirus cases has been quite a challenge for me. I had been an LPN supervisor for five years and am a past recipient of Nurse of the Year honors from the NY State Center for Assisted Living. I have always dreamed of becoming a registered nurse, and Maple Pointe has brought me to recognize that my passion lies in caring for the elderly population. The recent pandemic made me realize that nursing was definitely the right path for me. I am thankful to live in a place that offers so many educational opportunities for women. I came from a modest background, and college always seemed like a distant dream. I am still soaking it in and feel so proud to be able to put RN after my name.
Freeport Nurse MaNager, MssN oceaNside
ydia White has spent her entire nursing career, of 17 years, at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where she currently serves as a nurse manager of critical care. For her work in helping local patients through the Covid-19 pandemic, New York State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin named White a Warrior for Wellness. The Warriors for Wellness program acknowledges and expresses gratitude to healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers at the front lines of the pandemic. White was recognized for skillfully directing her team of nurses to service a patient-load of historic proportions at MSSN, all while continuing to keep the team motivated to give it their all every day. Griffin noted despite the strife and struggles caused by the pandemic, White continues to foster a love for her career and her fellow human beings. “Nydia continues to be fascinated every day about all of the intricacies associated with critical care and, ever the optimist, is convinced that this experience has caused everyone’s hearts to grow larger as well,” Griffin said. “For both Nydia and [the other Wellness Warriors], this pandemic has made them truly understand how vital their role is in the hospital ecosystem,” she added. “Not only as the primary human connector between the patient and their families, but also as the one person who can physically be there to offer comfort, reassurance, and peace of mind.”
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Covid-19 antibody testing in Freeport
June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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Courtesy Google Maps
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Covid-19 antibody testing will be available at the Long Island Federally Qualified Health Clinics in Freeport, Elmont, Hempstead and Westbury starting on June 2. The antibody tests are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, and have a high degree of reliability. The presence of Covid-19 antibodies in one’s system is an indication that a person was probably exposed to the virus, even if he or she did not have any symptoms, and that he or she may have some degree of immunity to the virus, although this is not proven yet. Testing will be available by appointment only for new and established patients, and will take place only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Freeport LIFQHC is located at 101 South Bergen Pl., behind the Freeport Memorial Library parking lot. To make an appointment, or for more information, call 516-396-7500.
Residents can help feed those impacted by the coronavirus or show their appreciation to frontline workers through programs organized by State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin. Griffin is hosting a virtual food drive with Long Island Cares, one of the largest hunger-relief organizations on the island. Residents can purchase items through the food drive, and all items will be directly delivered to LI Cares, which distributes the food to families in need. To donate to the virtual food drive, visit www.yougivegoods.com/Griffin. Griffin is also inviting kids and teens to create homemade “Thank You” cards for nursing homes and assisted living workers, who have been taking care of seniors during the Covid-19 pandemic. All letters can be mailed to Griffin’s office at 74 North Village Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570. Letters can also be dropped off directly at the office’s mail slot. The letters will then be distributed to local nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
F.D. responds to blaze on Manchester Road
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
At 10:40 a.m. on May 14, the Wantagh Fire Department arrived on the scene of a house fire at 2445 Manchester Road in Wantagh. Chief of Department Ken Kelly was first on the scene two minutes after the call was received. He reported a “signal 10” working fire in a garage attached to the two-storey home. Kelly observed the fire already spreading to the second floor. Power lines hanging near the garage were affected as well, so Kelly immediately contacted PSEG. More Wantagh firefighters arrived at the scene promptly and Engine 694 hooked up to a nearby hydrant in order to attack the fire while Engine Company 5’s crew, led by Fire Lieutenant Ryan Johnston, stretched another hose line and bean attacking the second floor, where the fire had spread. Ladder Company 1, led by Captain Bruce Sparke and Ladder Company 2, led by former Captain Jim Chirillo, conducted searches in the home. No reported injuries to civilians were reported. One firefighter was evaluated from the scene with undisclosed injuries, but refused further medical attention. The main body of the fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes, but because the fire spread to the attic, the incident was not declared fully under control for another 25 minutes. Seaford F.D. Ladder 3m, North Massapequa Ladder 661, Massapequa Engine 6315, East Meadow Engine 612, Levittown Ladder 621 and Massapequa Ambulance 6310 rendered mutual aid assistance. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
The fire sTarTed in an attached garage.
Photos courtesy Wantagh Fire Department
The WanTagh fire Department responded to a house fire call at 2445 Manchester Road in Wantagh on May 14.
Nassau Coliseum to host drive-in movies NYCB Live announced on May 16 that it would be launching drive-in movie weekends this spring and summer at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. The first movie screening will be DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls starting on May 29 with multiple show times throughout the weekend. “For the last several weeks we have been speaking with the county to see how we might be able to safely launch a drivein movie theater, and we were very pleased to receive the green light to move forward,” said Nick Vaerewyck, the senior vice president of programming and business operations at NYCB LIVE. “We miss hosting world-class sporting events, concerts, and family-friendly programs that bring people together, and this is the safest way to begin to return to entertaining Long Islanders once again.” The movies will be displayed on a large backlit LED screen outside the venue facing Hempstead turnpike, with audio made available through a partnership with Hofstra radio station, WRHU. “The iconic Coliseum, in the heart of Nassau County, is the perfect backdrop for a drive-in,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. “We welcome this
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fun, new entertainment option for our residents looking for family-friendly activities this summer.” NYCB LIVE will have food trucks available in the parking lot to provide guests with food and non-alcoholic beverage options for purchase, though guests are permitted to bring outside snacks onsite. Mobile bathrooms and multiple sanitizing stations will also be available. “While we want to make this a fun experience for everyone, we encourage all guests to take proper social distancing measures on-site. All drivers must be wearing a face covering, and anyone who exits their vehicle must comply with wearing a face covering and abiding by social distancing of six-feet from anyone outside of members from your car,” Vaerewyck added. Attendees are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance at ticketmaster.com/ artist/2756410. Tickets will be $30 per car in advance, or $35 at the gate via credit/ debit only. Guests will be permitted onsite an hour ahead of show times, with limited space available per showing. For more information, visit NYCBLIVE.com. –Brian Stieglitz
Herald File Photo
nYCB Live announCed on May 16 that it would be launching drive-in movie weekends this spring and summer at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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What you need to know today.
Comptroller releases ‘troubling’ projections
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
by tiMotHy DeNtoN tdenton@liherald.com
As Nassau County neared a phaseby-phase reopening of nonessential businesses, county Comptroller Jack Schnirman released a report last week that analyzed projected sales tax losses, as a result of the shut-down that began in March in response to the novel coronavirus. The report, entitled “[[[tk]]],” also ran stresses based on possible outcomes if the Covid-19 v i r u s we r e t o recur later this year. “T he county c u r r e n t l y depends on sales tax for 40 percent of its revenue,” Jack schnirman Schnirman said, calling the losses already sustained as a result of business closures “really troubling.” According to Schnirman, the report showed that in a best-case scenario, the county is already facing losses of 12.25 percent for the year, or more than $156 million. In a worst-case scenario, the report posited losses in sales tax revenue of more than 28 percent, or $360 million, for 2020. In the event of a recurrence of the virus, Schnirman said losses for the two fiscal years 202021 could amount to between $665 million-$1 billion. The largest source of sales tax for the county is retail, at 58.4 percent. Accommodation is next, accounting for 11.4 percent. Automobile dealers, retail clothing and gasoline stations account for 40 percent of retail activity in the county — businesses that have been at nearly a standstill in the past nine weeks. “Covid-19 has dealt the county economy an unprecedented gut punch, and these numbers show the potential effect on county government,” Schnirman wrote in a statement. “Based upon our available data, our new sophisticated modeling tool currently projects worse consequences than previously anticipated.” The extent of the losses would
sales tax break-out Retail
58.35 %
Accommodation
11.37
Wholesale
5.14
Information
4.88
Other services
8.74
Manufacturing
2.77
Administration, support, waste management Real estate
2.66 2.07
Utilities
2.07
Professional services, scientific, technical
1.95
depend largely on the timing and pace of reopening, Schnir man said on releasing his agency’s report. With more than 2 million New Yorkers currently unemployed, he thought it unlikely that restarting the economy could be quick or seamless. “We’re in no position to make predictions about that,” Schnirman said, adding that the role and responsiveness of the federal government would also be crucial in determining outcomes. On a more positive note, the county’s solid financial condition, reflected in its high investment-grade credit rating; its ability, restored in this year’s state budget, to capitalize on the Nassau Independent Finance Authority’s even higher credit rating to borrow at lower rates; and its almost limitless tax base, giving it the ability to bond far beyond any currently imaginable scenario suggested the county would be able to weather the fiscal typhoon, however painful the process might be.
Public Notices
LFRE1 0604
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF EXAMING BOARD OF PLUMBERS MEETING CANCELATION PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the regularly scheduled Meeting of the Examining Board of Plumbers scheduled for the second Wednesday of June, July and August
have been CANCELED; meetings will resume the second Wednesday of September at 8:00 P.M., 46 N. Ocean Avenue, Freeport, New York, in the Board of Trustees Conference Room, adjacent to the Mayor’s office. Pamela Walsh Boening
Village Clerk DATED:Freeport, York June 4, 2020 122049
New
PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.mypublicnotices.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232
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Nassau CouNty’s RepubliCaN majority enacted an emergency measure to keep nonresidents off of Nassau County beaches.
For local beaches, it’s Nassau or nothing by J.D. FReDa jfreda@liherald.com
With the opening of state beaches for the Memorial Day weekend, including Jones Beach State Park, a raft of new regulations have been put in place to ensure social distancing and public safety. Town of Hempstead beaches were to remain closed, but this was expected to have scant impact on Seaford and Wantagh, since neither have town beaches. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement that all city beaches would remain closed throughout the Memorial Day weekend drew sharp responses from local elected officials, as city dwellers made plans to head east, potentially inundating Jones Beach and other local destinations. The Nassau County Legislature’s Republican majority followed the Town of Hempstead in limiting access to town and county beaches to Nassau County residents. On May 19, Nassau County Legislator Steve Rhoads, Republican of Bellmore, took to Facebook to voice his displeasure at de Blasio’s move and the crowding it could bring. “Mayor Bill de Blasio’s selfish and irresponsible decision to close NYC Beaches threatens to overrun ours, as NYC residents will flee the Mayor’s latest attempt to limit their freedom, right at the unofficial start of the summer season,” Rhoads wrote. “While County Executive Curran ‘respects’ Bill de Blasio’s decision, I respect the people of Nassau County and their ability to use and enjoy the beaches and facilities their taxes pay
for. That’s why our legislative majority is introducing and will pass an emergency measure restricting anyone other than Nassau County residents from using our Nassau County beaches, until Mayor de Blasio lifts his ban.” Throughout Nassau County towns have passed beach restrictions on nonresidents. Beaches such as Nickerson Beach Park in Lido Beach, Tobay Beach in Massapequa, Long Beach Park, Town Park at Lido Beach and Point Lookout will all be affected. State parks, including Jones, Gilgo and Robert Moses beaches, were open to nonresidents, but they would be limited to 50 percent of normal capacity, with strict social distancing in force, including wearing masks when such distancing is not possible, and restricting group contact activities like beach volleyball. The price of parking passes varied. Some municipalities, like North Hempstead, waived parking fees altogether for the weekend; others, like Massapequa, charged $20 and up for daily permits. Lifeguards were scheduled to be on duty on the weekend but would not be on station on weekdays. Concern for their safety prompted extended negotiations with the union that represented them in the run-up to the weekend, according to news reports throughout the week. Although they were to be provided with extra protective gear, including scuba masks, it was not possible to guarantee their safety under all circumstances. New signage is being placed around beach entrances as all beaches prepare for Memorial Day weekend.
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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
Place Homes HERALD Market •
HERALD
Who can we trust? Q. We met with three architects, three contractors
and an interior designer and also went to our building department because we just want everything to go smoothly, with no problems, since we’re doing a big job, adding a full second floor on our cape, a family room, garage and kitchen extension. The problem we’re now facing is that we got a lot of the same answers from everyone, but we also got a lot of conflicting information. One contractor and the interior designer told us that many things we were doing could be done by them, and the architect would just draw from their sketches. The building official told us basics, but Ask The said it’s best to speak to the Architect architect (we choose). Family members who have used the interior designer say they’re very knowledgeable and can handle everything, but some of the answers didn’t square with the building official. We’re very confused, so how do we sort out what advice each one is giving us before we start?
A. I know I’ve written
Monte Leeper
this many times, that when I sat in classes in architecture school, design studios, art classes, art history, physics and calculus, I never knew that what lay ahead for me was that others who have no background, no qualifications and only a smidgen of training would be the ones to wrongly steer the projects I would be developing. I thought I’d be able to freely create. Instead, I often find that I have to spend most of my time trying to straighten out messes, fill out paperwork and try to troubleshoot. Why this happens isn’t a mystery. Armed with computers and the internet, everyone who wants to believe they can design and solve building problems feels empowered. In any endeavor, there must be one responsible leader. The word responsible isn’t to be taken lightly, because it doesn’t mean the one most easily able to dump the blame on. That individual must be the most capable of solving every angle of the project, starting with the most restrictive issues, like the law, otherwise known as government regulations, and also the laws of nature, such as structural, mechanical and technical issues. Who would that person be? While the interior designer may be comfortable and confident at advising you about space planning and finish selections, can you trust them to engineer the building loads, snow and wind loads or even the project’s energy and ventilation calculations? And while the contractor is great at hands-on problem solving, putting every detail of the building together, will they be able to follow all the regulations and be called on to sign documents guaranteeing your safety? Government, at every level, has imposed a ton of restrictions on the building process, mostly as a reaction, over centuries, to building disasters. You must decide whether overly confident, under-qualified people will be there not only to be creative, but also to protect you. Good luck!
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© 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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1082363
June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
20
Have ADHD/ Executive Function Disorder? Take a Free Virtual FOCUS Assessment Test to better understand your attention challenges 516-984-9365 OrganizeU4Life-Learn to Live Better
21
OpiniOns
O
ur country is suffering through the worst health crisis since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, and the worst economic crisis since the 1929 crash and subsequent Great Depression. Under a federal government emergency program dubbed Warp Speed, scientists are offering hope that promising vaccines will beat back the coronavirus over the next year. In the meantime, the economic damage America has suffered needs a similar major ongoing commitment from Washington. alfOnse Much has already been done d’amaTO to help keep the economy functioning during the past few months of lockdown. Congress has enacted over $3 trillion in support, including substantial help for both workers and businesses. The Payroll Protection Program provided major grants and loans to small businesses to keep them afloat and able to retain workers. Yet even with this help, 40 million Americans are out of work. The jobless are being helped with a $600-a-week federal supplement in addition to state unemployment benefits, but this program will expire in two months.
The economic situation shows no sign of getting better soon. White House economic advisers project that unemployment could top 20 percent before the economy begins to revive. And the chairman of the Federal Reserve has pointedly noted that even though the Fed has already pumped $2 trillion into the financial system, “It may well be that the Fed has to do more,” Jerome Powell told “60 Minutes.” “It may be that Congress has to do more … [to] help businesses avoid … insolvencies and … do the same for individuals — keep workers in their homes, keep them paying their bills. Keep families solvent.” That’s very important advice from the world’s most powerful banker. Congress and the White House should take it seriously and act on it. The key to achieving another round of federal stimulus relief will be a willingness of all parties to put aside political differences to deliver meaningful help to the country. That means the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives should drop its insistence on loading up the next relief bill with every item on the liberal wish list. The rescue package should focus on continued funding of research to defeat the coronavirus and support for a strong economic recovery. President Trump and the Republican
Y
leadership of the Senate have signaled their support for additional federal spending during this extraordinary crisis. Yes, the deficit and the national debt will climb, but failing to resuscitate our economy could have even more dire economic consequences. The economy right now is like a Covid-19 intensive care patient hanging on life support. This is no time to argue about how much more effort should be made to save the patient. Washington should not get sidelined by political arguments. Here’s a prescription for dealing with the crisis:
es, the deficit and the national debt will climb, but that’s not the big worry.
■ Authorize generous spending on speeding up the development of a vaccine and a way to deliver it to every American as soon as it’s ready. ■ Provide another round of direct $1,200 stimulus checks to individuals and their dependents to help families pay mortgages and rents and put food on their tables. Trump has indicated that he’s open to this proposal. It’s worth the extra cost. Cash in the hands of desperate families is key to saving many from destitution. ■ Renew and improve the Payroll Protection Program with additional funding and key reforms to its operation. Small businesses, especially, need more flexibility on
how the grants they receive can be used. Keeping employees on the payroll won’t protect their jobs in the long haul if businesses are forced to close because they can’t meet other operating costs. ■ Along with reforming the PPP, convert the current $600 additional federal unemployment insurance supplement into an employment supplement. Instead of paying employees to stay home from their jobs, let’s pay them a “job bonus” to get back to work. ■ Provide substantial assistance to states and localities to help with the extraordinary costs imposed by the pandemic and to help them cover their operating costs. State and local tax revenues have dropped drastically since the pandemic began in every state. Helping them to keep providing critical services is not only reasonable, it’s necessary. That doesn’t mean writing a blank check to every state. ■ Finally, finally come to agreement on a national infrastructure program, putting jobless people to work rebuilding America. These are extraordinary times, calling for extraordinary measures. Washington must step up to the challenge, now. Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.
When, and how, do you recover a lost first kiss?
T
here is no Plan B for young love. Through this pandemic, we are all living some version of Plan B, but my heart aches for our teenagers, for whom Plan B doesn’t work so well. They have been locked down and shut out by the Coronavirus, and they have far fewer coping mechanisms than adults. Some parents are struggling with teens who are sleeping all day or refusing to pitch in with chores. Being a teenager in the best of times is hugely inconvenient, and acting out is normal. I think any human who just survives the years between 13 and 19 reasonRandi ably intact is doing kReiss a splendid job. I actually remember what it was like to be 13. Everyone has his or her own hell. Mine was being tiny. I was so small that my mother couldn’t find “teenage” clothes in my size, so, of course, I hated my mother. I threw my Mary Janes at her one day because she thought I would put them on my feet and actually
be seen in public, when everyone knew that you don’t wear Mary Janes when you’re 13. I was generally miserable from ages 13 to 16, when I discovered boys and the pimples subsided and I fell in love. How might that have played out if we had gone through a global pandemic between 1958 and 1964, when I was “becoming”? I would have been holed up in my house with my mother and father and younger sister. We weren’t the let’s-bring-out-theMonopoly-board kind of family. Our parents didn’t play with us. They loved us and fed us and told us what to do. Sequestering without 600 channels of TV, no Internet and no phones would have been a claustrophobic experience. Today, kids do have many more opportunities to launch Plan B. They just don’t want to. No school? Well, heavens, in the virtual world, kids with access to the internet can tour museums, wander the galaxy, practice new recipes and star in musicals. Every day, I send my grandkids links to magic shows and master classes for
B
kids and invitations to Facetime and books that tell the stories of teenagers who lived through adversity and came out stronger and bolder and happier. In other words, I send them stuff they ignore. And I understand the lassitude. I’m just doing the grandma thing, trying to engage, but part of me knows the kids are surviving as best they can. They’re suffering from the isolation, and they have no place to vent their anger and their fear because the cultural message is to push through and do your work and don’t complain when others have it worse. One of my grandkids is about to enter his senior year in high school, and I also remember what it was like to be 17, when passion ruled. Do you remember your first kiss? Take a moment. Remember. You were probably a teenager and I hope it was thrilling, and sweet. Now, teens are being told to social distance, a suggestion that is antithetical to their very existence. No kissing or fooling around for months, or a year? Being told that if you hang out with a friend or find love, you
eing told to social distance is antithetical to teenagers’ very existence.
might be endangering your family or killing your grandma? I have four grandkids in various stages of moving up in school. One is leaving elementary school for middle school. One is going from seventh to eighth grade, one is leaving middle school for high school and one is the rising senior. They have been “attending” school at home and passing the time as best they can, while parents weave in and out of their days and multiple screens shine an everlasting light on them. They are isolated from the only other human beings who know how they feel — other teenagers. I see them on Facetime and, really, they look slightly unfamiliar, a bit stunned, after days of little interaction with other people. I wish they would keep a diary or a photo journal. The gift they already possess is a great story to tell, but I understand the inertia of this moment. So, for now, kids, it’s enough just to get through, and you will Then, because you’re young and strong and smart, you will move on and make up for lost time. In the meantime, take notes. You are caught up in the drama of a lifetime. Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
Americans need more help from Washington, now!
22
Herald editorial
Freeport
HERALD June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Leader
Established 1935 Incorporating the Freeport Leader
Ronny Reyes Editor Michelle AuclAiR Advertising Account Executive
office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: freeporteditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ cliffoRD RichneR sTuART RichneR Publishers MichAel bolognA Vice President - Operations ■ scoTT bRinTon Executive Edtitor
We must end systemic racism to find peace
a
wave of angry protests over the merciless alleged killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a wave of more than 70 angry protests in cities across the nation last week and into the weekend. The majority were peaceful, but others turned violent, with vandals looting and burning businesses. It was a sadly familiar scene, a nightmare that has been repeated time and again for decades. We must end this national shame. White police officers brutalizing and killing black men who are in their custody is criminal, period. Derek Chauvin and the three other officers who held Floyd down deserve to be sent to prison. As one African-American commentator rightly pointed out, what we witnessed in the cellphone video of the killing was the slow, painful lynching of a black man by a white officer in the light of day, surrounded by witnesses.
This was not Jim Crow America. This was Minneapolis, 2020. And what caused it all? A counterfeit $20 bill that Floyd was alleged to have tried to pass at a store. Yes, most police officers are good, honest and hardworking. Even one officer the likes of Chauvin, however, is one too many. Protests turned to riots over the weekend in cities across the country, including New York City. We must condemn the looting we witnessed. Rioting is wrong. It is illegal. It should never have happened. As a nation, however, we must pause a moment and reflect on why people in communities of color would, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo remarked, burn down their own house. We do not presume to speak for them, but we can imagine that the killing they witnessed turned longsimmering anger into rage, and the riotous behavior was a way to vent it.
It is a rage pent up not only because of a single killing, but also because of a long-time pattern of police killings. Taken together, they constitute what is called structural, or systemic, racism, the racism that is built into our very institutions — our police departments, our hospitals, our schools, our governments. Last year, the Herald undertook a nearly yearlong investigative series, “The Racism Around Us,” reporting on the structural racism in institutions here in Nassau County. The results were, in many ways, not surprising, but at the same time entirely shocking. The bottom line is that racism is to be found at all levels of our so ciety, including in the media. Until we solve the issue of structural racism, we will never find the peace that our nation seeks — the peace that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayed for.
JiM hARMon
Copy Editor chRisTinA DAly Photo Editor Tony bellissiMo Sports Editor KARen blooM Calendar Editor ■ RhonDA glicKMAn Vice President - Sales ellen ReynolDs Classified Manager loRi beRgeR Digital Sales Manager ■
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d
Vote ‘yes’ on Freeport’s school budget
espite the challenges caused by a lack of state aid and the coronavirus pandemic, the Freeport School District has crafted a thorough plan for its proposed 2020-21 budget. Thus, the Herald Leader endorses the new budget and encourages voters to show their support by voting “yes.” Freeport officials have proposed a $188 million 2020-21 budget, about $4 million more than last year. The district also set the tax-levy cap — the total amount that the district must collect in taxes to meet expenses — at 2.92 percent.
This is the first time in five years that the Freeport Public School District has had to raise the tax levy, but it’s about half of what officials were actually allowed to raise it by after lowering it for half a decade. Although the district hoped to create new staffing positions for the next school year to bolster its programs, officials had to cut them out of the budget because of state aid reductions caused by the pandemic. Officials did, though, maintain all its current staff and classes in its budget plan. Along with the budget, the Herald
■
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letters The state is fighting pandemic-related fraud To the Editor: As Long Islanders suffer from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is simply disgraceful that some unscrupulous people have swindled New Yorkers’ hardearned money during this time of need. Recent press reports indicate that at the peak of the pandemic, our state was duped into paying nearly $86 million for life-saving ventilators that never showed up. Meanwhile, my office was inundated with reports of price gouging on everything from cleaning supplies to masks and hand sanitizer. Every taxpayer is disgusted to see this during a pan-
Leader also encourages residents to vote “yes” on the $2.5 million Capital Reserves Proposition No. 3, which would allow the district to spend the secured capital reserve funds on several renovations projects throughout the district. This would help the district plan and prioritize as many renovation projects as they can, as new budget restrictions from the state will not allow the district to transfer funds for capital, facilities, supplies and equipment until December. With voting being done by absentee ballots this year, the Herald Leader urges everyone to mail out their ballots and make their voices heard by June 9.
opinionS
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omehow, in April, I missed observing National Siblings Day, and then the time rolled by and along came Memorial Day. So I’m taking this opportunity to talk about my brother, David Kremer, and salute the many other brothers and sisters who really shouldn’t need a special day. This first week of June will mark a year since Dave (he liked that better) died at age 89. I’m sure that every one of our readers who enjoy a special relationship with a sibling understands how significant a role they play in JERRY our lives. Those KREMER of you who are lucky enough to have a living sibling know how important they can be, provided you haven’t let some petty grievance get in the way. As a rule, most of us reach out to a sibling at almost any time of the day or week for a kind word or just reassurance that all is well. Two of my friends recently lost sib-
lings, and they described to me at length missed opportunities or a lifetime of strong bonds that are irreplaceable. All of their comments reminded me of my loss, and the fact that Dave is no longer a part of my life. A day doesn’t go by without a moment when I think about reaching out to him, just to exchange a few simple words. It took quite a few years for my brother to express his love, but getting older does that to people. Dave had a lot of unique qualities. He was the family historian, and had an encyclopedic memory of just about everything. He knew not only the day, but also the hour that I was born, and where he was as he anxiously waiting to greet his baby brother. He would regale me with facts about distant relatives and their family history. His knowledge of family trivia was bottomless. He had photos of relatives who I didn’t know existed. When I ran for public office, Dave was always there, pushing me to take care of all the minute details of success-
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eep special family members close, no matter how far away they may live.
LETTERS demic. As a former federal corruption prosecutor, I know this fraud and abuse needs to be curbed immediately — and these are the steps we can take to fight back: I recently cosponsored several pieces of legislation to combat profiteering amid the pandemic. One bill would ban price gouging for medical supplies — from masks to medications — imposing hefty penalties on those who jack up the price of these items in excess of 10 percent of what they cost prior to a public health emergency. Another measure would bar companies caught and convicted of price gouging during a pandemic from receiving state contracts, economic relief funds and tax deductions. Most recently, I introduced legislation to incentivize whistleblowers to report the defrauding of state tax dollars by allowing judges to award them a substantial financial reward for information leading to the prosecution of wrongdoers during times of need. Fraud in the midst of a pandemic. is unconscionable. Our state government stands ready to fight back. TODD KAMINSKY State senator, 9th District
ful campaigning. When I would arrive at some campaign event, he was waiting outside the building, staring at his watch and reminding me that I was two minutes late. He would usher me into the building quickly, making sure that I didn’t linger too long with a faithful voter. I consider myself a devout Yankees fan. I check the baseball scores whenever the team is playing, even if it’s early in the season and the games don’t really mean that much. I would spot him at some dinner listening to the game with earphones, while everyone else was chatting away. On days when I called him to announce some Yankee mistake or achievement, he would tell me he’d heard about it hours earlier. I always thought I was up on all things Yankees, but he eclipsed me. Last year, we decided we should observe Dave’s birthday at a place he would really enjoy. So as a family, we bought a bunch of tickets to Yankee Stadium on the week of his 89th birthday.
FRaMEwoRK by John O’Connell
Protest, yes. Turn to violence, no. To the Editor: I share the pain of all Americans regarding the senseless and tragic killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. No one should ever have to worry that such a nonviolent encounter with the police might end in death. At the same time, I stand with the hardworking and dedicated officers from the Nassau County Police Department, and the neighboring New York City Police Department, who protect us daily here in the Village of Lawrence. I am appalled by the images of NYPD vehicles being destroyed by anarchists. There is a need to protest injustice, but such protest should never turn to violence. I thank Nassau County’s 4th Precinct Inspector Joseph Barbieri as well as Commissioner Patrick Ryder for always stepping up to keep our village and its residents safe.
HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020
A Tribute to All the Daves
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The plan was to get his name on the scoreboard and salute him for another milestone in his life. As fate would have it, he didn’t make it to the game. But the whole family went, and shared a special the 192 moment when his name flashed on the Depres screen. The nieces and nephews cheered emerge the loudest for Uncle David. scienti I write this not as a sad remembrance, but rather as a reminder of the importance of siblings in our lives. Having a special brother or sister can be an enormous blessing. It’s an experience that can’t be replicated, so long as you stay close to those special family members and are willing to meet them halfway on life’s issues. Make those short phone calls just to say hello. Keep them close no matter how far away they may live. If you’re lucky to have the right relationship, then every day will be National Siblings Day.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman few mo for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s enacte Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. ing sub He now heads Empire Government Strat- busine egies, a business development and legisThe lative strategy firm. Comments about vided m this column? JKremer@liherald.com. busine retain million jobless $600-a-w tion to this pr
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Michel Fragin Deputy mayor, Village of Lawrence
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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
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