Long Beach Herald 02-02-2023

l.B. women talk business

Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach

Marking 35 years in real estate

City Council still undecided about pot sales

By JAMES BERNSTEIN & BRENDAN CARPENTER of the Herald

Humpback washes ashore

Bob Arrow/Herald

A 41-foot-long humpback whale that was found Monday morning in Lido Beach was likely killed when it was struck by a vessel, according to preliminary results of a necropsy. The whale, which weighed 29,000 pounds, was identified as ‘Luna,’ a 40-year-old male. Story, more photos, Page 3.

The Long Beach City Council, still weighing whether to reverse a decision it made in December 2021 to opt out of a New York state program to allow retail sales of marijuana, met with state cannabis officials Monday night and peppered them with questions about the control the city would have over the dispensaries that would sell it.

After a 90-minute session on Zoom at a council work session, the answer appeared to be that the city would have to abide by most of the rules set

out by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management.

And after the meeting, which was attended by about 25 people — far more than the handful who usually show up at work sessions — council members seemed no closer than ever to making a decision on whether to reverse themselves.

Only three council members — Roy Lester, Karen McInnis and Tina Posterli — were present. Councilwoman Liz Treston had a problem with her wheelchair and could not attend, and council President John Bendo was on a long-planned vacation.

Continued on page 4

Transplant patient is hospitalized, but plans a ‘Super’ party

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Masha Benitiz, the tiny Long Beach woman who underwent a double lung transplant last year, is back at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital this week, recovering from some infections, but her stay there won’t prevent her from attending a Make-A-Wish Foundation gathering at the Bright Rye Beer Co. on Polar Bear/Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 12.

Benitiz, 20, had been feeling poorly in recent weeks, and checked into the hospital for some tests to asses her condition, her mother, Michelle Quig-

ley, said.

In a telephone interview from her hospital bed earlier this week, Benitiz said she had been feeling some pain. But her commitment to Make-A-Wish dates to when she was 5. Over the years, she said, she has collected about $130,000 for the organization, which helps fulfill the wishes of children between ages 2½ and 18.

“All the money I collect goes to Make-A-Wish,” Benitiz said. “I just give it to them” and they distribute it, she added.

Benitiz, who is just under 5 feet tall and weighs about 80 pounds, had been on a waiting list for a pair of new lungs for

two years. She was born in Russia to a woman who had to give her up for adoption, and the two have never met. Masha developed breathing problems at an orphanage in Russia, and was brought to the U.S. and admitted to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, for

heart surgery when she was 3. Her travels were paid for by the Gift of Life Inc., which was founded in 1975 by a Rotary Club in Brooklyn.

Quigley and her husband, Tony Benitiz, met Masha at the Ronald McDonald House at Cohen Children’s, and almost immediately decided they wanted to adopt her. But they met

resistance from the Russian government, which opposes the adoption of Russian children by Americans.

The couple persisted, however, and brought the girl to their home in Long Beach when she was 5. But she remained a sickly child. She has suffered from veno-occlusive disease, a rare

Continued on page 17

A ll the money I collect goes to Make-A-Wish.

Peter King debuts new opinion column

Former congressman has no intention of slowing down in retirement

By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@liherald.com

Not even retirement can slow down Peter King. After 28 years in the U.S. House — including a two-year stint as chair of the House Homeland Security Committee — as well as more than two decades serving on both the Hempstead town council and as Nassau County comptroller, King finds himself busier than ever.

He’s working with a Washington law firm, and does consulting work for Northwell Health. He makes regular appearances on the Newsmax cable channel, as well as John Catsimatidis’s 77WABC radio station.

But now King is adding one more job to that list as a new regular columnist for Herald Community Newspapers. The former congressman’s first official piece appears in this week’s Opinions pages.

“It’s not like I have to catch a plane to get to Washington, or I’m at the whim of what’s the last vote going to be on Thursday night or Friday night,” King said. “I pretty much plan my own schedule. And the best feeling I had — and it took me about a month to get used to — is waking up in the morning and knowing I can go back to sleep if I want to.”

These days, King finds himself solely

Jack Healy/Herald file

FORMER U.S. REP. Peter King has kept himself busy since retiring from Congress in 2021, from his regular appearance on 77WABC radio, to now becoming a regular opinion columnist for Herald Community Newspapers. His first official piece — singing the praises of freshman U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito — can be found in this week’s Opinions section.

focused on life here at home. But for nearly three decades, the congressman was caught between the two worlds of Washington and his district back in New York.

The trick in the beginning was making

sure he never lost sight of why he was on the House floor in the first place.

“When you’re in Washington, you’re still responsible for a lot of local issues, because the local mayors and supervisors

and town boards — they’re going to be calling you and reaching out for help,” King said. “I think with a number of members of Congress, they’re so concerned with the international and national aspects of it, they forget the guy living down the block.

“The guy that lives in Highland Park. The guy that lives in Seaford. That’s where you base comes from. So, really, the challenge is to keep all of those things in your mind, and be able to sort through them all.”

King has made no secret about his support of U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, whose congressional district covers much of what King’s did back in the day. In fact, his first column focuses on the high hopes King has of his protégé, and how the sky’s the limit for the former town councilman.

“I mean, Anthony, we talk several times a week,” King said. “I don’t want to sound like I am telling him what to do, or giving him some great advice. But maybe one thing I can be most helpful on is telling him early on which members of Congress you can pay attention to, and which others to just ignore.

“Some of them you try to take seriously, but then you realize after a month or two that these guys are cranks, and nobody else is listening to them, except you.”

Humpback whale likely killed by a vessel

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Marine biologists earlier this week said a 41-long humpback whale found washed ashore Monday morning in Lido Beach was likely killed when it was struck by a vessel, according to preliminary results of a necropsy.

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office reported that a necropsy team had assembled at Lido Beach to gather information in the whale and determine a cause of death. Hempstead town provided a pay loader to help move the whale. Outer layers of blubber and muscle were removed.

“The necropsy team collected samples from many parts of the whale,” a statements from the team said. “The level of decomposition suggests the whale had been dead for several days before washing ashore.”

“Preliminary findings indicate that a vessel strike is the likely cause of death,” the statement continues. “The animal was found to be in good body condition and presented evidence that it had been actively eating.”

The whale was identified as “Luna,” a 40-year-old male. He weighed 29,000 pounds.

Allison Ferreira, a spokesman for the team, said that whale had been monitored for more than four decades by the Center for Coastal Studies Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog and Allied Whale’s North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog.

Ferreira said Luna was a regular visitor to the northern Gulf of Maine, and was last seen in September 2022 by Brier Island hale and Seabird Cruises, a catalog contributor in Nova Scotia.

This is the second humpback whale to wash ashore in New York since, December 1.

‘A police spokesman at Mineola headquarters said

officers received a call about the whale just before 6 am Monday.

Police said the whale appeared to have no wounds or entanglements, but a necropsy is to be performed Tuesday and the whale’s body will be buried at a not-yetundecided spot.

Hempstead town supervisor Don Clavin said the

whale is the largest that has washed ashore on the South Shore in years.

“It’s sad,” Clavin said. “It is a creature of nature.”

Ferreira said that ‘All dolphins, porpoises and whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection act, which touching, feeding or otherwise harming these animal illegal.”

L.B. Women’s group told to follow their passions

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Lisa Dawn Romano’s family was so poor when she was growing up in Brooklyn that that her mother used an open window in the apartment because they lacked a refrigerator.

Romano grew-up poverty-stricken in the poor sections of Flatbush and Canarsie, in Brooklyn, the daughter of a single mom.

She worked her way through high school and St. John’s University, graduating with a degree in finance and later worked for Bell South and IBM.

Romano, now 55 and living in Atlantic Beach with her two sons who are in their early 20s, has always worn many hats. She is a real estate agent with her own firm –LD Romano LLC, and a professional freelance photographer, Lisa Dawn Photography, both in Atlantic Beach.

At the Long Beach Public Library Monday night, Romano told the monthly meeting of the Women’s Empowerment Group that, “If I can do start a business, anyone can.” The meetings are organized by Anissa Moore, a former Long Beach City Council president and now a deputy Nassau County Executive for Social Services.

Moore is also a leader in Long Beach’s Black community.

Moore discussed the importance of women investing in themselves, in their careers and their physical and emotional

health.

“It’s important that they move forward with their professional dreams,” Moore said.

Dana Camera, 56, of Long Beach, a functional medicine coach, said she had been diagnosed with Crone’s disease a few years ago and needed t change her diet and lifestyle. She talked to the group about wellness practices and the importance of

a work-life balance. But people must be willing to change.

“Change is not easy,” Camera said. “It’s not linear. It’s ups and downs.”

Romano said her parents – Melvyn and Carol Acker – divorced when she was about 5 ½. She said she and her mother were “cut off from all money.” They lived in five or six different apartments in Brooklyn.

“I always had to work to support myself,” she said. After finishing college, she became a consultant, working for Bell South, the telecommunications giant, and later as a project manager for IBM’s call center.

But when she was 9 years old, she was given a camera as a present. “I don’t know how we afforded it,” Romano said. But it became her best friend, and has been ever since.

About a decade ago, she started her real-estate company because she could make her own hours while raising her children. For years, she also had to care for her mother, who at age 55 had her legs amputated. But Romano could never let go of her camera, and so became a freelance photographer at weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and other occasions.

“I was juggling motherhood, a marriage an caring for my parents” while working, Romano said. She has been married for 25 years to Anthony Romano, who is in the restaurant business.

Her advice for younger women, or simply women who want to start their own business: “Start with what you love,” she said. “It’s important to have a passion. But you don’t do it for the money. You persevere and you will be successful.

“Whatever happened to you in the past does not dictate what you can be,” she said. “I don’t want to be 80 someday and say, I didn’t do what I wanted to do. So stop with he excuses. Get busy.”

Courtesy Lisa Dawn Romano

LISA DAwN RoMANo, a real-state agent and freelance photographer, addressed the Monday night meeting of the Women’s’ Empowerment Group at the L.B. Library.

Bob Arkow/Herald

A 35-fooT-LoNg MALE humpback whale washed ashore at Lido Beach early Monday morning.

If Long Beach opts in, there’s no going back

There were no votes taken at the meeting, and no decision made on pot sales.

“All information we get helps,” Acting City Manager Ron Walsh said after the meeting. “But we’re not at a point where we can make a decision yet.”

Aaron Ghitelman, a spokesman for the state cannabis office, said on Tuesday that Long Beach officials had requested the meeting.

Three state cannabis officials — Adam Slojanovsky, a program manager; Pascale Bernard, deputy director of intergovernmental government outreach; and Phillip Rumsey, manager of intergovernmental affairs, spoke for almost an hour, offering a broad outline of the state’s program.

So far, only two retail dispensaries — both in Manhattan — are operating in the state, Ghitelman said. New York has issued licenses for another 66, but they are not yet operating. That number includes seven on Long Island, also not yet operating. None of the seven are in Long Beach.

In December 2021, the City Council unanimously voted to opt out of the

state program after holding two public hearings. Many at those meetings argued that the presence of dispensaries might lead to drug abuse in the city.

Others said the program would bring much-needed revenue to the city.

Municipalities that opted out are permitted to opt in later, but once they do, they must remain in the program. “There is no going back,” Rumsey said.

Lester was animated about the state potentially re-establishing a time period for a referendum. In 2021, he said, that period was way too short. “They gave no time for the referendum period,” Lester said. “It was way too rushed.”

He asked if there had been any discussion of extending the time for municipalities to consider pot sales, or reopening it, but the officials said they didn’t have an answer.

Rumsey assured the council that the state’s Office of Cannibals Management works closely with local officials to make sure rules and regulations are followed.

“The main avenue for us to do this is to use current laws already on the books,” Rumsey said.

Walsh, who is also Long Beach’s police commissioner, asked whether the city had the right to change the state’s minimum distances from the dispensaries to schools and churches. Rumsey’s answer was no.

The dispensaries must be no closer than 200 feet to any house of worship and 500 feet to a school. Dispensaries must also be no closer than 4,000 feet to one another, which will prevent a potential “Starbucks effect,” with one on every corner.

Lester asked if the city could regulate dispensaries’ hours. Bernard said that they must be open a minimum of 70 hours a week. “You can’t make it 60 or 50,” she said.

Lester also asked also if Long Beach employees would be responsible for disposing the garbage from a dispensary. Bernard explained that the owner of the dispensary is the only person responsi-

ble for getting rid of the trash.

The dispensaries are also not allowed to have any neon or bright signs advertising their products, such as a giant marijuana leaf. They must also have either darkened windows, or otherwise prevent the activity and the products inside from being seen from outside.

No Nassau County communities have opted into the program. In Suffolk County, Babylon, Brookhaven Riverhead and Southampton have opted in.

Judy Vining, executive director of Long Beach Aware, which provides information about drug abuse, said, “The power is in the hands of the city. Our position is that legal doesn’t always mean safe.

“The real concern is the health of the city,” Vining added. “With increased access, we’re not saying that dispensaries are going to be selling to youth. We’re just looking for safety.”

Courtesy Metro Creative

Only twO retail marijuana dispensaries operate in New York State, both in Manhattan. This one is staffed by trained employees.

t he main avenue for us to do this is to use current laws already on the books.

PhilliP rumsey intergovernmental affairs manager, OCM

New trauma unit gives nurses better edge against time

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

In trauma unit 3 lies a 30-year-old man with obvious head trauma. He was hit by a car going way too fast on Merrick Road. “Can we establish an airway” a nurse yells, “I’ve got the glidescope” hollers another. Only the man in this scenario is just pretending, christening the new Mount Sinai South Nassau trauma unit with a fictitious trauma support emergency incident. But, as the hospital nurses know, many real-life similar cases will come in and out of the state-of-the-art ward.

The enemy the hospital is fighting with their $50 million expansion is time. The new trauma unit features a game changing open concept design plan and easier methods of communication that will cut down lost time. From gunshot wounds to emergency surgeries or even labor delivery and pediatric care, the nine new private room can handle anything thrown at them, including mass causality events.

“The beauty about this space is it allows us not only take care of trauma patients, but we can also take care of anybody that severely sick, so patients that come in with cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest. Having the space to be able to take care of these patients really makes a difference and allows us to do our work more easily,” said Margaret Puya, trauma program manager.

Time is critical in traumatic injuries. Once the ED is alerted of an impending arrival, the Trauma Team is mobilized through a paging system to immediately receive the patient. From admission to rehabilitation, the goal is to make the patient’s journey to recovery as seamless as possible.

Each room has operating room lights, rapid infusers, intubating equipment, ultrasound equipment, and standard procedural equipment. As well as things for

the airway, chest, abdominal trauma, and orthopedic needs for fractures and more.

The new trauma unit is near and dear to Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai, since he worked in trauma. He said seeing years long plans start to come to fruiting in this halfway point has nurses buzzing with anticipation.

“They've been working under confined conditions because of construction,” Sharma said, “So any expansion for them is freedom and this is a freedom to function in a clinical environment that supports the patient needs. We’re restructuring how we are going to provide care in the future, and making the hospital ready for all of the future advancements in science

CONstRuCtION

that will allow us to take even more care for our community and have patients here locally.”

He said the goal of the $50 million dollar expansion project is to be able to be a tertiary care center, so that residents don't have to go to Manhattan for expert care, they can get it in their backyard, and their families can visit them locally as well.

Upon its completion in the summer of 2025, the $ expansion project, which started in 2016, will nearly double the size of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department and increase its capacity from 65,000 annual emergency patient visits to an estimated 80,000. The total cost of this phase of the expansion is $5 million.

teAm memBeR Fernando Lamb pretends to be the first patient in the Mount Sinai South Nassau trauma unit.

Karina Kovac/Herald

spotlight athlete

Long Beach seeks positive finish

By toNY BellissiMo tbellissimo@liherald.com

Long Beach came painfully close to putting together its first winning streak of the season, but young New Hyde Park star Maeve Downing had other plans Jan. 24.

BeNJaMiN VelasQUeZ

MacArthur Senior Wrestling

a CoUNtY seMiFiNalist last winter and eventual third-place finisher in the 189-pound weight class, Velasquez is looking to cap his high school career with a Nassau wrestling crown. Heading into this Saturday’s county qualifier tournament at Bellmore-JFK, he is ranked No. 1 in the county at 215 pounds. After winning 21 of 30 matches last winter, his record this season stands at 36-3.

gaMes to WatCh

thursday, Feb. 2

Girls Basketball: Carey at Roosevelt 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Mineola at Wantagh 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Syosset at Freeport 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: West Hemp at East Rockaway 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 3

Boys Basketball: South Side at Kennedy 4:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: G.N. South at Calhoun 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: V.S. Central at East Meadow 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: East Rockaway at West Hemp 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Port Washington at Oceanside 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: MacArthur at Long Beach 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Locust Valley at Seaford 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: North Shore at Clarke 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Jericho at Mepham 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Westbury at Baldwin 7 p.m.

saturday, Feb. 4

Wrestling: Nassau County Division 1 Qualifying Tournaments hosted by Long Beach, Hewlett, Bellmore-JFK, Plainedge and Uniondale 9:30 a.m.

Girls Basketball: Lynbrook at Mineola 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Kennedy at South Side 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Clarke at North Shore 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Long Beach at MacArthur 12 p.m.

Downing, an eighth-grader, scored a career-high 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as New Hyde Park outlasted the Marines in overtime, 48-45, in a Nassau Conference A1 girls’ basketball matchup. Her performance offset one of Long Beach’s most balanced scoring efforts of the season with five players producing at least 7 points, led by sophomore Franky DeCicco’s dozen.

“We had opportunities to win, but we missed some shots we needed to make and Downing hurt us,” Long Beach head coach Kristin Ciccone said. “There’s no reason why we can’t beat them the second time around.”

Downing’s layup put the Gladiators ahead for good with 17 seconds remaining in OT. The Marines led 11-6 after the first quarter and increased their advantage to 21-14 at the half. It was 30-30 after three quarters and tied at 39 at the end of regulation.

Sophomore Raegan McCarthy added 8 points and juniors Ella Timpiero and Ava Main, and sophomore Delaney Chernoff added 7 points apiece for Long Beach (2-11 overall, 1-6 in A1), which was coming off its first conference victory of the season but had close to 30 turnovers.

“We’ve haven’t been consistent,” Ciccone said. “It’s a young team with three sophomores and two juniors starting. We’ve had a hard time fielding a full lineup since the season began for various reasons. It’s not because of effort. When the girls dig deep and play team defense, we look good.”

The Marines were trying to build off a 45-23 blowout victory over Great Neck South on Jan. 21. DeCicco and McCarthy had 10 points apiece as Long Beach avenged a loss to the Rebels in the first meeting. The key in the rematch, Ciccone said, was limiting Great Neck South to one three-pointer.

“The girls really followed the game plan and everyone did their part,” Ciccone said.

“On offense we moved the ball well and hit some outside shots. Defensively we played a 3-2 zone and did a nice job switching off their screens.

“We also rebounded and limited turnovers,” she added.

Long Beach played its best first half of the season, Ciccone said, and built a 31-8 halftime cushion.

DiCicco leads the team in scoring, averaging 7.5 points per game. “When she’s on, she’s a catalyst everyone else feeds off,” Ciccone noted. “Some of our key plays are designed around her.”

Timpeiro is making steady progress running the show from the point, with Main also asked to bring the ball up the floor. McCarthy is building confidence with her play in the low post, while Chernoff provides leadership, hustle and scoring. “Delaney never takes a play off,” Ciccone said.

Freshman Brooke Nielson, senior Haley Brandt and juniors Emma Larson, Fabiana Bocina and Keira Larson are also contributing.

Long Beach’s rematch with New Hyde Park is Feb. 10 on the road at 5 p.m.

Justine Stefanelli/Herald sophoMore FraNkY DeCiCCo scored 12 points but Long Beach fell in overtime to New Hyde Park on Jan. 24, 48-45.

THE TOP 3 FINALISTS IN

KIDS & EDUCATION

ADULT EDUCATION - CONTINUING ED:

Hempstead Adult & Community Education Program

Hofstra University

Molloy University

ART SCHOOL:

Hue Studio

Long Island High School for the Arts

The Art Studio

BEAUTY SCHOOL:

Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute

Long Island Beauty School

Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center

CHARTER/PAROCHIAL/PRIVATE:

Bellmore United Methodist Nursery School

Kellenberg Memorial High School

Lawrence Woodmere Academy

COLLEGE PREP SERVICES/ADVISORS:

College Connection

Lockwood College Prep

Pinnacle College Consultants

COLLEGE PRESIDENT:

Dr. Susan Poser - Hofstra University

James Lentini - Molloy University

Maria P. Conzatti - Nassau Community College

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY:

Hofstra University

Molloy University

Nassau Community College

DANCE SCHOOL:

Dance Workshop

Hart & Soul Performing Arts and Dance School

Long Island Academy of Dance

DAY CAMP:

Big Chief Day School & Camp

Coleman Country Day Camp

Lawrence Woodmere Academy

Rolling River Day Camp

DAY CARE:

Big Chief Day School & Camp

Five Towns Early Learning Center

Our Kids Place

DRIVING SCHOOL:

Bell Auto Driving School

East Meadow Driving School

Prosperity Auto Driving School, Inc

GYMNASTICS CENTER:

All Stars Gymnastics Inc

Gold Medal Gymnastics Center

Platinum Athletic

B&B/INN:

Hampton Inn Jericho-Westbury

Holiday Inn Westbury

Ram’s Head Inn

Southampton Inn

EVENT VENUE:

Barnum Ballroom

Bayview Catering on the Water Venue

Epic Escape Rooms LI

HOTEL:

Allegria Hotel

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL:

Alexandra Greenberg - George W. Hewlett H.S.

Jennifer Lagnado-Papp - Lawrence H.S.

Richard Schaffer - East Rockaway H.S.

KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES:

Epic Escape Rooms LI

Long Island Children’s Museum

Royal Princess Prep Party Company

LEARNING CENTER/TUTOR:

Cornerstone Behavioral Services

Mathnasium

The Coder School

MARTIAL ARTS:

Champions Martial Arts

Uly Karate & Fitness

Warren Levi Martial Arts & Fitness

MUSIC SCHOOLS/CLASSES:

Our Kids Place Hewlett

School of Rock

The Children’s Orchestra Society

NURSERY SCHOOL:

Bellmore United Methodist Nursery School

Our Kids Place Hewlett

United Church Nursery School

SPORTS CAMP:

Hofstra University

Sportime Lynbrook

The Sports Arena

PEOPLE & PLACES

LOCAL TOURIST ATTRACTION:

Jones Beach State Park

Montauk Point Lighthouse

Nunley’s Carousel

MUSEUM:

Cradle of Aviation Museum

Long Island Children’s Museum

Raynham Hall Museum

PLACE TO HAVE A PARTY:

The Bayview

PLACE TO WORSHIP:

Temple Avodah

Temple B’nai Torah

Temple Beth El

WEDDING VENUE:

The Bayview

Swan Club On The Harbor

Westbury Manor

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa

The Garden City Hotel

Epic Escape Rooms LI

Kombert Caterers

CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE TOP IN SERVICES AND SHOPPING!

Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island! Check back each week for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023. Did your favorites make it to the top? Visit www.LiChoiceAwards.com! *Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

All aboard for Grand Central Madison Limited — and temporary —Long Island Rail Road shuttle service from Jamaica opens

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

To the casual observer, it was just any other day at Jamaica’s Long Island Rail Road station.

But just after 10 a.m., commuters rushed aboard a shuttle train destined for Manhattan, the familiar busy choreography of squeezing through, wedging past, running in to nab a seat.

Families holding their kids in tow. Couples and solo riders clutching their baggage. All of them packed into train cars, filling the aisle seats within minutes. Other late arrivals stood standing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But the air — even for a late-morning train ride — was unusually abuzz with chatter. Some kept conversation below a whisper. Others, not so much. But everyone was alive with a quiet knowing that this was no ordinary train ride. Instead, taking place, was a moment in history.

A history that was finally connecting Long island with Manhattan’s East Side.

For the better part of a century, for as long as anyone can remember, LIRR commuters relied on Penn Station to get them into the heart of New York City. So long in fact, it seemed the day for an alternative would never come.

But within the span of 22 minutes, that would all become history.

As the train came to its final stop 150 feet below ground in the bedrock of Midtown Manhattan, the low rattling of the train cars stopped, followed by silence. No one dared to move. Breaking the stillness was the sound of the cheery conductor’s voice coming over the loudspeaker whose five words said it all:

“Welcome to Grand Central Madison”

Applause erupted from the train cars. It was a watershed moment for the MTA as passengers set foot for the very first time on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Manhattan East Side station. A moment that encapsulated six decades of planning, nearly 20 years of construction, and roughly $11.6 billion.

The opening came after a month of delays caused by a faulty ventilation fan. Yet, despite the acknowledged roadblocks, delays and missteps along the way, Grand Central Madison is finally here.

“Grand Central will dramatically change the transportation of the region,” said Janno Lieber, the MTA’s chair and chief executive. “It’s going to benefit Long Islanders with shorter commutes, 40 percent more service, and help Long Island business recruit people from the city with reverse commuting.”

And for Niurka Maldonado of Queens —riding with daughters Nora and Paulina — the prospect of having faster access to Manhattan’s East Side is nothing short of exciting.

“We have several friends that work in that area, and I love some of the restaurants in there,” she said. “So, we’re going to definitely be doing more trips to Grand Central and everything around there.”

Grand Central Madison direct LIRR schedule

For roughly three weeks, shuttle service trains between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison are running every 30 minutes during off-peak hours and on weekends, and once per hour during peak times.

Service runs between 6:15 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays, and between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekends.

Long Island Rail Road riders looking to Grand Central Madison can use their Penn Station tickets, which are the same price.

It will likely be a month before full service comes online, replacing the simple commuter trains. For now, riders looking for a fast way between Jamaica and Manhattan’s East Side can find trains every 30 minutes during off-peak hours, and every 60 during peak times.

“I just want to see if it saves me time going to my office on the East Side,” said Francesco Giovannetti of Glen Head. “I’m hoping to save about 20 to 30 minutes being two blocks away from Grand Central. I want to get acclimated to the station.”

Then there was Ruthanne Terrero of Malverne, sitting placidly with her tote bag in hand, taking in the significance of the moment of new train service to Manhattan.

“It’s just really glorious to see that we have something really beautiful,” Terrero said. “I think a lot of people work on the East Side, and I think it’s also really important that people see that New York is progressing.”

And more progress is still to come. Whether this project was worth its price tag, worth the commuting disruption, and worth the extended wait will be up to the riders themselves. Some have already taken to social media to point out certain mishaps like escalators shutting down midway, and some finding trouble making their way into the LIRR concourse at Grand Central.

It is no doubt looking to be a work in progress.

But Mitchell Schwartz and brother Steven — two young MTA train enthusiasts from Roslyn — wouldn’t have wanted this once-in-a-lifetime moment any other way.

Phyllis Levine, pounced on the chance to hop on the shuttle train to Grand Central if it meant saving time getting to her pharmacology appointment.

“I’m not a subway person, and I gen-

erally like to drive everywhere,” the Queens resident said. “But the easiest way to get to Manhattan from Queens is the express bus or the Long Island Rail Road. So, I figured I should try the ride to Grand Central. See how it goes.”

“Just try wrapping your head around the fact that we are the first of millions to ride a train toward something that has been proposed for over half a century,” Mitchell said. “It’s just an amazing occasion.”

Additional reporting by Andre Silva.

Juan Lasso/Herald photos

COMMUTERS, ENVELOPED UNDER a glass ceiling, take the roughly 3,000-foot escalator between the Long Island Rail Road concourse and the mezzanine at Grand Central Madison station on opening day of service that will eventually create a direct link between Manhattan’s East Side and Long Island.

COMMUTERS FROM JAMAICA station boarded the first passenger Long Island Rail Road train to Grand Central Madison inaugurating the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s long-awaited East Side access that will soon provide LIRR service out of Grand Central Terminal.

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Town redistricting falls short of new map

Recommendation not enough, civic groups say

By ANA BORRUTO & JUAN LASSO of the Herald

After several rounds of blistering public hearings and politically pressurized back-and-forths, a temporary redistricting commission’s efforts to explore how new political lines should be drawn for the Town of Hempstead ended last month with its final recommendation. Their choice? Nothing.

After weighing the options between a preliminary map pitched by Hempstead town officials, or alternatives by local civic and law groups, the three-member commission officially urged town lawmakers to produce a final map that keeps communities of interest intact. Still, it stopped short of putting forward an actual map for the town to consider.

“We really sat, each one of us, and it truly was a hearing,” commission chair Gary Hudes told the audience. “We listened.

“I think, in both cases, there is a common thread we are seeing, and that is the idea of keeping communities whole and making them more compact.”

The move was met with a sharp uproar from the small crowd, dashing expectations for a final green light for a town council map.

Mimi Pierre-Johnson, the founder of the Elmont Cultural Center, felt the commission had turned a corner by formally acknowledging the faults of the town’s proposal. But they fell short when they did not deliver on a solid recommendation.

“Our hopes (were) snatched by the fact that they refused to stand behind one of the proposed alternative maps and tweak it as needed,” Pierre-Johnson said. “The resolution is not enough to satisfy everything the public raised a concern to.”

Since the first day of the redistricting process, concerns raised by voters and community activist groups circle back to a single theme: District lines should be redrawn to have a more balanced demographic representation of up to three “minority-majority” districts, and compact historically and culturally whole communities. This is something the Elmont Cultural Center and Legal Defense Fund said they ensured with their five alternative maps.

Commission members admitted that not a single proposed map addressed all the issues people have put forth at various meetings, but claimed the recommendation was enough to communicate the gist of everyone’s concerns.

As it stands, the current map produced

by the town-hired Skyline Demographic Consultants ensures the town’s 22 villages — with the exception of the Village of Hempstead — remain whole in accordance with the municipal “home rule” law. And communities such as East Meadow, Franklin Square, North Valley Stream, Baldwin, Uniondale and Woodmere each contain portions of two council districts, while West Hempstead contains portions of three.

Critics, however, raised doubts about the map’s compliance with federal and state voting rights protections — specifically the Voting Rights Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York,

signed last summer by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Michael Pernick of the Legal Defense Fund, civil rights attorney Frederick Brewington, Randolph McLaughlin and LatinoJustice PRLDEF argued splitting the Black and Latino communities in Elmont and Valley Stream into two separate majority-white districts dilutes minority voting power.

“Over 38 percent of the population in the Town of Hempstead is Black or Latino,” the law professionals wrote in a letter to the commission. “But this demographic can only elect the candidate of their choice in one out of the six districts.”

Pernick and Brewington warned that

Ana Borruto/Herald photos

THE PROPOSED MAP from Hempstead town officials showing where town council districts will be placed was created by Skyline Consulting. It has drawn criticism from civic groups and law experts for what they claim violate federal and state voting rights protections, saying the map fails to keep communities whole, and continues to crack minority neighborhoods into multiple districts.

THE ELMONT CULTURAL Center’s ‘Blue Bird Plan’ keeps Elmont and Valley Stream in one minoritymajority district when it comes to representation on the Hempstead town council, while maps proposed by Hempstead town officials do not.

if Hempstead finalizes the current map as it stands, it could expose the town to costly litigation — all at taxpayers’ expense.

A statement released by the commission acknowledged the Skyline proposal was “problematic in that it splits Hempstead and Uniondale, Baldwin, East Meadow, Franklin Square, West Hempstead and North Valley Stream. It fails to keep the communities of North Valley Stream and Elmont together, and fails to put the communities of Merrick and North Merrick into a single district.

“It is not sufficiently compact, and compactness is an important redistricting criteria under the ‘home rule’ message.”

The resolution is not enough to satisfy everything the public raised a concern to.

MIMI PIERREJOHNSON founder, Elmont Cultural Center

Celebrating 35 of selling Long Beach homes Joe Sinnona has seen lots of market changes and built lasting relationships

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

About 36 years ago, Joe Sinnona was an English teacher at Junior High 141 in the Bronx. Then, he was forced to take a leave of absence. He never went back.

Flash forward: Sinnona is marking his 35th year as a realtor in Long Beach.

Sinnona, 54, grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and used to come to Long Beach summers. He had lots of jobs growing up, but vividly remembers one in particular – his first sales job. He would sell other people’s things on the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Milton Street, right by his house.

“I would take junk from people’s attics,” he remembered. “I went door to door and I cleaned out people’s attics and I took their stuff, wheeled it over to the corner, and sold it every Saturday. I started a little flea market.”

Sinnona originally had no interest in becoming a realtor, but after seeing the way the way a realtor worked with his mother and sister while buying a house in Island Park in the late 1980s, he became interested. So, he put real estate on his resume, and soon after that he worked and became a licensed realtor in the summer of 1989.

He started off doing open houses and worked at two separate offices for the first seven years of his new career, spending five and two years across them. Then, he had a 10-month stint with RE/MAX, a large real estate firm. After that, he opened his own office, Joe Sinnona Realty, where he worked independently for 10 years. He also

He still remembers his first flyer – a picture of Captain America with his own face and the caption “let Joe Sinnona be your super-agent.”

Throughout all the years at different spots and offices, Sinnona has seen real estate and housing change throughout the city.

“When I first got into real estate, pricing was low, much lower than it is today,” he said. “Then it shot up during the 90s and well into the 2000s. And then, having to witness the crash of 2008 when pricing came down and it became a buyers’ market.”

Surviving all the changes in the housing market throughout 35 years hasn’t gone unnoticed.. He was recognized by the Long Island Board of Realtors as broker of the year in 2014, a group with over 28,000 agents. He was recognized as broker of the year for all of Long Island by New York state the same year. Also, in 2020, he was inducted into the Realtor Political Action Committee Hall of Fame.

He also serves on a number of committees. He has served on both local and national housing committees, including time as chairman of the housing committee for the New York State Association of Realtors. He has also been a member of the Long Beach Lions Club for 30 years.

Sinnona lives in East Atlantic Beach with his wife, Maria, and his two daughters, Victoria and Isabella. He is a family man and uses that same idea in his work, which he said has helped him sustain such a long career in real estate.

“I always put my relationships before transactions and I’ve always been that way,” he said. “Long Beach has always had that special niche to it. That family nest, that

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Special Needs Children and Grandchildren

Parents or grandparents of a disabled child should leave assets in a Special Needs Trust, to avoid the child being disqualified from government benefits, such as SSI and Medicaid. The reasoning behind these Special Needs Trusts is simple — prior to the protection now afforded by these trusts, parents would simply disinherit their disabled children rather than see them lose their benefits. Since the state wasn’t getting the inheritance monies anyway, why not allow it to go to the disabled child for his or her extra needs, above and beyond what the state supplies.

These trusts, however, offer traps for the unwary. Since payments to the child will generally reduce their SSI payments dollar for dollar, trustees of such trusts should be advised to make payments directly to the providers of goods and services. Preserving SSI benefits is crucial since eligibility for SSI determines eligibility for Medicaid.

In other words, if SSI is lost the recipient also loses their Medicaid benefits. In addition, any benefits previously paid by Medicaid may be recovered. As such, one also has to be mindful of bequests from well-meaning grandparents. Similarly, if a sibling dies without a will, a

share of their estate may go to the special needs brother or sister by law. The Special Needs Trust must be carefully drafted so that it only allows payments for any benefits over and above what the government provides.

There are two kinds of Special Needs Trusts – first party and third party. The first party trust is set up by a parent, grandparent, legal guardian or court using the child’s own money, either through earnings, an inheritance that was left directly to them or, perhaps, a personal injury award. Recent changes in the law allow the special needs child to establish their own first party Special Needs Trust if they are legally competent to engage in contractual matters. These first party trusts require a “payback” provision, meaning that on the death of the child beneficiary, the trust must pay back the state for any government benefits received.

A third party trust is usually set up by a parent or grandparent, using their own money. Here, no “payback” provision is required because it was not the child’s own money that funded the trust and the parent or grandparent had no obligation to leave any assets to the child. On the death of the child beneficiary, the balance of the trust is paid out to named beneficiaries.

Courtesy Joe Sinnona JoE SiNNoNA iS celebrating his 35th year of being a realtor in Long Beach this year.

Attorney

STEPPING OUT

Score big on Super Sunday on Get your

By Karen Bloom

It’s the biggest sports day of the year. Classic commercials, historic plays and friends are all quintessential elements of the perfect game-day get-together. Whether your gang includes football fanatics or just a few fans, the big game — on Feb. 12 — is a great excuse for casual winter entertaining.

And while there may be a game on the big screen, a lot of the action takes place around the table — keeping everyone well-fed is a sport in itself!

• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 cup hummus

Whisk first seven ingredients together (vinegar through paprika). Add hummus and combine thoroughly. Be creative with your dipping options. Potato and tortilla chips go hand-in-hand with tailgating festivities, but beyond these standards is a whole world of other dipping options. For a Mediterranean touch, go with flatbread, pita bread or pita chips. Or opt for more texture with multi-grain crackers that include raw flax, chia or sesame seeds. Or go for double the Buffalo wing flavor by dipping your wing, instead of the traditional blue cheese.

Cajun Buffalo Chicken Wings

Here’s a zesty take on the football-watching favorite.

• 2-1/2 pounds chicken wing pieces

• 1/2 cup any flavor Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce

• 1/3 cup ketchup

• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoned spice blend

Bake wings in foil-lined pan at 500° F on lowest oven rack for 20 to 25 minutes until crispy, turning once.

Mix buffalo wings sauce, ketchup and spice blend. Toss wings in sauce to coat.

Tip: You may substitute 1/2 cup red hot sauce mixed with 1/3 cup melted butter for the Wings Sauce.

Alternate cooking directions: Deep-fry at 375° F for 10 minutes, or broil 6 inches from heat 15 to 20 minutes turning once.

Darlene Love

Darlene Love is always a welcome stage presence. For more than 50 years, she’s been making rock and roll’s world go ‘round. Since the early ‘60s, as part of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound hit factory, this songstress has done it all — from movies like the ‘Lethal Weapon’ series to Broadway hits like ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Grease.’ She even starred as herself in ‘Leader of the Pack,’ credited as Broadway’s first ‘jukebox musical.’ Love’s career and legacy reached new heights, as a result of being featured in 2013’s acclaimed documentary ‘20 Feet from Stardom,’ when she became the best known ‘unknown”’ in rock history. She continues to captivate audiences with her warm, gracious persona and dynamic performances. Her timeless, soaring voice remains as powerful as ever. Rolling Stone magazine has proclaimed Love to be ‘one of the greatest singers of all time,’ and that certainly rings true, but perhaps Paul Shaffer says it even more concisely: ‘Darlene Love is rock and roll!”

Friday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m. $88, $78, $68. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Hummus Buffalo Wing Dip

A warm batch of Buffalo wings pairs well with this smoky and spicy dip.

• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Touchdown Italian Sausage Chili

• 1 package (19.76 ounces) Italian sausage links

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 3 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 large sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 large yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian recipe stewed tomatoes

• 1 can (16 ounces) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (15 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

• 3/4 cup black olives, sliced

• 1/4 cup cream sherry (optional)

• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking cocoa

• 1/2 to 1 tsp. pepper

Cook sausage according to package directions; cut into half moon slices and set aside.

In soup kettle, saute onion, celery, sweet pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Add sausage and remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until flavors are blended.

Sprinkle chili with grated asiago, romano, parmesan cheese — or any cheese of your choice — before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Lviv National Philharmonic

The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine was established in Lviv in1902, a city known as one of the great cultural centers of eastern Europe, The orchestra has evolved over the years to become one of that nation’s largest and most internationally known ensembles, now under the baton of principal guest conductor Theodore Kuchar. It reminds us of how music can bridge cultures and bring people together. Their 2023 American tour is a testament to the power of music to overcome adversity. Their program for this powerful concert includes: Ukrainian composer Yevhen Stankovych’s Chamber Symphony No. 3 for Flute and String Orchestra; Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. Pianist Oksana Rapita is the featured soloist.

Saturday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.; with 6:45 p.m. Arts Insider preperformance preview. $79, $59, $44. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter. org..

THE SCENE

Feb. 23

Art talk

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m. She’ll discuss the current exhibition, “The Big Picture: Photography Now.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Register at least 24 hours in advance to receive the program Zoom link. Also Feb. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Zoë Keating

Cellist and composer Zoë Keating visits the Landmark stage, Friday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. Considered a “one woman orchestra,” she uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to loop layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate, haunting, and compelling music; Keating has spent the last 20 years exploring the landscape of sounds a string instrument can make. She coaxes sounds out of the very edges of her cello, adeptly layering them into “swoon inducing” (San Francisco Weekly) music that is unclassifiable yet “a distinctive mix of old and new” (National Public Radio). She is known for her use of technology — which she uses to record and sample her cello onstage and in the studio – and for her DIY approach — composing, recording and producing her works on her own terms, without the help of a record label. $41, $35, $27. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

City Council Meeting

The Long Beach City Council will be having their bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14 The meeting is open to all and will begin at 7 pm on the sixth floor of City Hall. For more information, visit LongBeachNY. gov.

Gentle Yoga

Participate yoga class for health and peace, Saturday, Feb. 4, at Long Beach Public Library, 111 W. Park Ave.

Lego Club

Long Beach Public Library holds a children’s Lego club session on Monday, Feb. 13 Any kids grades one through seven can come and build whatever their hearts desire! The session will begin at 6 pm. For more information, visit LongBeachLibrary.org.

The class is designed to build strength and flexibility along with a calmer mind. The class will be in the public library’s auditorium and on Zoom, for those you cannot go in person, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Poses will be a combination of standing and seated. For more information, visit LongBeachPL. LibraryCalendar.com.

Feb. 12

Polar Bear Splash

The Long Beach Polar Bears will make their annual splash into the ocean on Sunday, Feb. 12. The splash takes place on Laurelton Blvd., starting at1:30 pm. For more information, visit LongBeachNY.gov.

Low-Impact Cardio

The Long Beach Public Library will have a low-impact cardio class on Tuesday, Feb. 7. All levels are welcome, including beginners. The class will be held in the auditorium,111 W. Park Ave., and on zoom from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit LongBeachPL.LibraryCalendar. com.

Pop-Up Eats

The Cabana Restaurant continues its weekly Pop-Up Eats, Monday, Feb. 6, in their parking lot, 1034 W Beech St. Various vendors serve up delicious bites; the bar will be open as well. Pop-Up Eats starts at 4 p.m.; no reservations are necessary. For more information visit TheCabanaLBNY.com.

On stage

Mo Willems’ popular Pigeon comes alive on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Saturday, Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb.12, 2 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 15-17. Pigeon is eager to try anything, with the audience’s help. LICM, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Board of Education Meeting

The Long Beach Public Schools Board of Education will be having their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The meeting is open to all and will begin at 7 pm in the Lindell School auditorium. For more information, visit LBeach.org.

Having an event?

Feb. 3

In perfect harmony

The SingStrong A Cappella Festival returns to the New York area, hosted by Adelphi University, Friday through Sunday, Feb. 3-5 Professional a cappella groups perform along with collegiate and high school ensembles. A variety of musical genres are represented. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

Snowflake 4-Mile Race

The City of Long Beach will have its annual Long Beach Recreation 4-mile Snowflake Race, Saturday, Feb. 4 Registration begins at the Long Beach Catholic Regional School Gymnasium at 6:30 a.m.; the race begins at 9 a.m. For more information, call (516) 431-3890.

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.

GUT- BUSTING HIT!

Lifesaving skills

OnSight medical trauma

Life Saver course is offered at Rescue Company No. 1 of Oceanside, 814 Tilrose Ave., Saturday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. The session covers bleeding control and bandaging wounds. Other topics include personal safety while caring for victims, basic first aid, and more. $175 per person, $75 registration deposit. For info, ontact info@oftllc. us. Register on AllEvents. in/oceanside-ny.

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) 4849337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Pat McGann

Pat McGann, quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene, appears at The Paramount, Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing stand-up at age 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, his appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster. com or ParamountNY.com.

RichnerLIVE is “Fealing” Good

(From left to right) Jodi Turk, event, marketing and brand strategist, and Amy Amato, executive director of corporate relations and events, visited the Barasch & McGarry office to deliver a check to John Feal, founder and president of the FealGood Foundation, and Sara Director, partner at Barasch & McGarry who handles 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) claims and a Top Lawyer Honoree. RichnerLIVE donated a portion of ticket proceeds from the Herald Top Lawyers of Long Island Awards Gala to the foundation. The FealGood Foundation protects and assists all emergency personnel injured on the job or in their personal lives through offering financial aid, basic home utilities, medicine and more. On Sept. 12, 2001, Feal was called to assist in the cleanup of ground zero when his foot was crushed and forced to be amputated. After dealing with the hurdles that came with the accident, he decided that no one should struggle after helping with ground zero. Visit www.FealGoodFoundation.com for more information on the organization and how you can help.

Photo Courtesy of Barasch & McGarry

”

NCC union rallies after health care costs rise

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

Demanding fair contracts with affordable health care costs, dozens of Nassau Community College faculty members rallied outside of the county legislature last week.

They were part of a broader protest from the Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers, an educators union representing NCC’s full-time faculty, speaking out against higher health care insurance premium costs. They gathered on the steps of the county legislature carrying signs like “We’d rather be teaching right now,” demanding better wages and fair contracts, targeting both the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees and the county itself.

They weren’t out on the steps long before some of the union members were ushered inside the Mineola building with a chance to state their case with county legislators.

The educators union and trustees board have been negotiating full-time faculty contracts since last July, hoping to work out a deal before their contracts expired in August. The union has rallied multiple times since then, expressing frustration with the negotiation process.

As recently as Dec. 13, Siminioff and the union asked the trustees to include salary increases to keep up with rising inflation, as well as include paid sabbaticals. But then, last week, health insurance premium costs jumped for full-time faculty at NCC.

The increase came about thanks to the trustees enacting an old clause in their contracts — written decades ago — allow-

ing the board to charge faculty members working under an expired contract with increased health insurance premiums. The insurance increases, Siminioff said, could cost faculty members between $2,500 and $5,000 — effectively acting like a pay cut.

“So, we’re not getting we’re not getting a wage increase. Our promotions have all been frozen. We’re not getting our sabbaticals. We’re not getting anything. But they’re imposing this on us,” Siminioff said. “I think this provision has been there for 30 years and they have never invoked it. They want to punish the faculty and force us through economic strongarming.”

John Gross, an Ingerman Smith attorney representing Nassau Community College, said the New York State Health Insurance Plan — which provides insurance to all college employees — raised premiums on Jan. 1 by 15 percent for family coverage. That’s about $5,000 each year. Individual coverage rose more than 12 percent, which could cost upward of $4,000 over the next 12 months.

A provision in NCC’s full-time faculty labor contract states if the cost of health insurance premiums increases after a contract expires, Gross said, it’s up to the individual employees to shoulder those costs through payroll deductions.

“The union knew it was in the labor contract because one of the proposals in our current negotiations is to remove the clause,” Gross said. “The board didn’t wake up one day and said, ‘You know what? We’re going to impose these increases on the union.’”

Siminioff said many faculty members

feel the college has strained them to their limits, and has not properly supported them financially. Aside from the imposed health insurance premiums, NCC’s faculty has experienced an average wage increase just over 1 percent in the past decade.

“The starting salary for an instructional faculty member is approximately $60,800, and the starting salary for a noninstructional faculty member is $55,900,” Siminioff said. “According to the MIT wage calculator, a middle-class family of three needs about $96,000 to be middle class in Nassau County.”

Faculty members are teaching more students in larger classes over the past few years, Siminioff said. When she first

started teaching at NCC some 25 years ago, she taught an average of 110 students each semester. Now, professors are being asked to educate an average of 160 students each semester — which Siminioff feels is unfair.

Aside from low starting wages, it typically takes 15 to 18 years for someone on the faculty to start earning $100,000, Siminioff said. Anyone hired now would earn $55,000, taking 15 years to climb to $100,000.

“By the time you get 15 years of employment, it’s still not enough to live middle class in Nassau County,” Siminioff said. “So, they’re condemning college faculty to never being middle class. That’s the bottom line.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

MEMBERS OF THE Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers, an educators union supporting the school’s full-time faculty, gathered at the Nassau County Legislature to demand fair contracts after learning their health care insurance premiums were going up.

FAREN SIMINIOFF, PRESIDENT of the Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers union, gathered protesters outside the Nassau County Legislature, demanding better wages and fair contracts from the Nassau Community College board and the county.

T hey want to punish the faculty and force us through economic strong-arming.

FAREN SIMINIOFF president, Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers

Benitiz is lifelong Make-A-Wish fundraiser

continued from front page

form of pulmonary hypertension, since childhood. Despite that, she was able to attend her prom at Lon Beach High School last spring, accompanied by her brother, Giancarlo, 18.

Adnan Etike, owner of Adnan’s Custo sm Tailor Shop in Long Beach, who helped prepare Benitiz’s pink prom dress, was saddened earlier this week when he heard about her hospitalization.

“I wish her to be well and to enjoy her life,” Etike said. “She is a lovely girl. The parents support her the best way they can.”

People in Long Beach and nearby communities have always pulled for Benitiz. King Umberto’s, in Elmont, sent 10 pizzas to the nurses who cared for her, and the Long Beach Fire Department once did a drive-around tribute at her house, which brought her to tears.

Quigley said that her daughter had been making calls on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation from her hospital bed. The event at Bright Eye Beer, Quigley explained, will include a raffle that will be run by her daughter.

On Monday, Benitiz posted on Facebook, “Today is a big milestone for me. Today I have reached my 6 month lung anniversary. I am really grateful for these beautiful and healthy lungs. There are

still challenges ahead for my heart. But I have come so far with re-building my strength. I want to thank all the people who have supported me and cheered me on … and my wonderful team of doctors and medical support staff who have made this process easier.

“I will always be grateful to my donor and her family,” Benitiz added, “who selflessly gave this gift to me.”

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES WITH CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS

LIJ Medical Center is in the top 10% of hospitals nationally for oncology, according to U.S.News&WorldReport.

Our doctors are raising health by pioneering innovative approaches to cancer from novel chemotherapy techniques to first-in- the-nation robotic mastectomies with minimal scarring. Because when it comes to cancer, there’s no status quo. There’s only “how far can we go?”

Joe Abate/Herald photos

Benitiz got home after her surgery and reunited with her Corgi, Lulu.

masha Benitiz was able to attend her Long Beah High School prom last summer after her double lung transplant.

D’Esposito gets to work on Capitol Hill

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

It’s certainly been an interesting process getting acclimated to Washington, and his new role as a congressman. But U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is happy to finally get to settle down and tackle his new role on Capitol Hill.

From police officer to detective in the New York Police Department. An 18-year-old volunteer firefighter to fire chief. And now Hempstead town councilman to congressman, the 40-year-old Island Park native describes looking back at his journey as a surreal experience.

Orientation for incoming congressional members like D’Esposito began the Sunday after Election Day — a point where some candidates were still waiting for their races to be called. Still, freshmen members of the House undergo a two-week icebreaker period where they get to know one another and learn how everything we see on C-SPAN operates.

“In politics in general — but specifically in Washington — you look at where people sit on the (House) floor, and it’s literally divided by an aisle,” D’Esposito said. “When we went to orientation, you walked into the hotel or you walked into different events, everyone just had a nametag on.”

It said who they were and where they were from, but there was no “D” or “R” labelling them as Democrats or Republicans.

“I think it gave (us) the opportunity to really meet people with an open mind,” he said.

D’Esposito is now almost a month into office, serving on three House committees: Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure and House Administration.

When it comes to homeland security, the congressman believes the biggest issue the country faces is taking

WITH THE HELP of his 3-year-old niece Sailor, U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito takes the oath of office from former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato. The congressman finds himself on three House committees, including one for homeland security that requires him to get top-secret clearance.

place at the U.S.-Mexico border. There have been a large number of migrants coming to the United States seeking asylum, or at least a better life. While D’Esposito believes everyone should have the opportunity to come to America, it still must be “done correctly.”

That means more funding for border patrol agents and the resources they need to keep the country’s borders safe.

Getting onto the Homeland Security Community meant earning a top-secret security clearance. Before leaving the NYPD in his previous life, D’Esposito was in

the process of transferring to the department’s joint terrorist task force.

“In addition to my 20 or so years as a first responder, I think having someone from Long Island and New York on Homeland Security is super important,” D’Esposito said. “We need to carry that mantle of Peter King, who was the chair of Homeland Security following 9/11. And we need to make sure we are able to provide the resources that we need to our local law enforcement agencies — not only here, but throughout the country.”

D’Esposito’s responsibilities with the Committee of House Administration include overseeing management of House operations, federal elections, key congressional offices, and Capitol Complex security — which extends to supervising the U.S. Capitol Police and its management.

The former police officer expressed his excitement in the opportunity to utilize his law enforcement experience when collaborating with officers sworn to protect one of the nation’s three branches of government.

But even with all that work on his plate, D’Esposito still finds himself talking about one of his fellow freshman colleagues from a neighboring congressional district — U.S. Rep. George Santos, and the ongoing reports and investigations into his past and how he raised money for his campaign.

D’Esposito won’t back down on his calls for Santos to resign, and is prepared to provide whatever services constituents in Santos’ district might need, but not comfortable approaching the embattled congressman about.

“People voted for a George Santos that they don’t even know — they voted for the George Santos that George created,” D’Esposito said. “You call, you’re looking for help, regardless of where you live, regardless of where you’re from, what you look like or what party you’re affiliated with — we’re here to help you.”

Tim Baker/Herald

The sTATe’s OpeN meetings law provides a narrow set of justifications for a government body to enter into executive session — a meeting to which the public is not invited so elected officials can discuss sensitive issues.

Mysterious state of emergency may be illegal

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

Nassau County may have illegally declared a state of emergency for cybersecurity — a declaration that was not even known until revealed in a letter to a reporter by a county official.

Deputy County Attorney Gregory Kalnitsky confirmed the existence of a state of emergency in response to a request for more information on a cybersecurity contract approved by the county legislature’s rules committee last December. The Herald as sought basic information about the agreement, including who the contract is with, and how much it will cost taxpayers.

“The county executive and Nassau County Legislature enacted a local state of emergency with respect to the county of Nassau’s cybersecurity and information technology assets,” Kalnitsky wrote in his letter, without providing further details.

State law generally requires a government body like a county legislature to announce the need of an executive session during a public meeting, provide a specific reason for such a session, and then hold a public vote on whether to allow such a session to take place.

While New York state laws are a bit broad on what can be discussed in executive session, they generally prohibit any action by formal vote that would spend public dollars.

A review of the December public meeting does include an announcement of executive session and a vote. All that was provided for its reason, however, was a control number for the cybersecurity contract the legislature was set to approve.

“It is a clear violation of the open meetings law to appropriate public funds in a closed-door private meeting, if that is what occurred,” said Paul Wolf, president of the independent New York Coalition for Open Government.

“Any vote to spend taxpayer dollars — even in an emergency situation — should occur in public.”

The contract came on the heels of a massive computer network hack in Suffolk County that shut down government services there temporarily, and is said to have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Nassau lawmakers voted unanimously to enter into executive session on Dec. 5 to

discuss “E-137-22,” which was listed in the agenda as a shared services agreement between the county’s information and technology department and an unnamed vendor. After an hour of deliberation behind closed doors, the legislature reconvened without publicly discussing the contract, or anything else — including a state of emergency declaration.

But that declaration is exactly what lawmakers were deciding on in secret, according to one county source who declined to be identified because of the legal nature of executive sessions. No documents regarding a state of emergency were filed with the county clerk, according to the source, which is typically a required procedure.

Chris Boyle, spokesman for County Executive Bruce Blakeman, has not responded to requests for comment. County officials in the past said they would not reveal any details about its new cybersecurity plan — including the vendor’s name or cost — over claims it would make the county vulnerable to attack.

Shoshanah Bewlay, executive director of New York’s Committee on Open Government — a state-sponsored watchdog on government transparency — said specific details of the contract, if made public, could provide hackers with information to mount a cyberattack. However, more broad details about the agreement — like cost — don’t enjoy that level of shielding, and should be made available to public review under state law.

“While a portion of the contract may be exempt from disclosure for one or more statutory reasons, in my opinion, certain portions of the record should be made available,” said Bewlay, who can only operate in an advisory capacity, and cannot force Nassau County to comply.

Regarding the county’s Dec. 5 executive session, Bewlay agreed with Wolf that votes to spend public money must be made in public.

“The open meetings law makes it clear that you cannot vote to appropriate public money behind closed doors in executive session,” Bewlay said. “You can certainly discuss it. However, upon reaching agreement on the matter in the executive session, the board would have to come back on the record and vote to approve the contract in open session.”

Tim Baker/Herald

LEGAL NOTICE

Legal Notice for Mariners

The New York State Department of Transportation is currently performing drawbridge repairs in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, under contract D264563. This work affects the Loop Parkway Drawbridge over Long Creek and the Meadowbrook Parkway Drawbridge over Swift Creek.

Repairs to these bridges include, but not limited to, grid deck replacement and steel repairs. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a drawbridge schedule deviation is in effect until May 15, 2023 and another deviation is planned for the winter 2023-2024. The schedule deviation restricts openings for mariners to a single leaf only. Horizontal clearances will be restricted to 40 ft and, when the single leaf is opened, the unlimited vertical clearance width will be reduced to 23 ft.

After May 15, 2023 the draw spans will return to their normal operating schedule and both leaves will be able to open simultaneously for mariners. In the Fall of 2023 another schedule deviation to limit these bridges to single leaf operation will again take effect in order to complete the proposed grid deck replacement.

From September 15, 2023 through May 15, 2024 the Meadowbrook Drawbridge will be restricted to single leaf operations and from October 15, 2023 through May 15, 2024 the Loop Drawbridge will be restricted to single leaf operations. Mariners should refer to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Local Notice to Mariners for specific dates of schedule deviations at these bridges. Project questions should be directed to (631) 952-6929 or r10rpic@dot.ny.gov.

137123

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, vs. GLORIA MICHELL, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 29, 2008 and an Order duly entered on May 2, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 7, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 26 East Market Street A/K/A 26 Market Street, Long Beach, NY 11561.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the City of Long Beach, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 59, Block 96 and Lot 218. Approximate amount of judgment is $647,819.24 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 23192/2007. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Melissa Levin, Esq., Referee

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 137112

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU

HSBC BANK USA

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A

SECURITIES INC.,

MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR3, V.

ABRAM DUSOWITZ A/K/A ABRAM I. DUSOWITZ, ET AL.

NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 21, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 122 WALNUT STREET W, LONG BEACH, NY 11561: Section 59, Block 72, Lot 30-32: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 012306/2011. Joseph N. Armao, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

136732

Administrative Code at the discretion of the Nassau County Treasurer the auction will be conducted online. Further information concerning the procedures for the auction is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at: https://www.nassaucount yny.gov/526/CountyTreasurer

Should the Treasurer determine that an inperson auction shall be held, same will commence on the 21st day of February 2023 at the Office of The County Treasurer 1 West Street, Mineola or at some other location to be determined by the Treasurer.

A list of all real estate in Nassau County on which tax liens are to be sold is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at: https://www.nassaucount yny.gov/527/Annual-TaxLien-Sale

proceedings which may be commenced during the period in which a tax lien is held by a successful bidder or the assignee of same, which may modify a Purchaser’s rights with respect to the lien(s) and the property securing same. Such bankruptcy proceedings shall not affect the validity of the tax lien. In addition to being subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or the Federal and State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts, said purchaser’s right of foreclosure may be affected by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act(FIRREA),12 U.S.C. ss 1811 et.seq., with regard to real property under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC) receivership.

shall be of no further effect. Time is of the essence in this sale. This sale is held pursuant to the Nassau County Administrative Code and interested parties are referred to such Code for additional information as to terms of the sale, rights of purchasers, maximum rates of interest and other legal incidents of the sale. Furthermore, as to the bidding,

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

INDEX NO. 603991/2019

U.S BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR J.P. MORGAN MORTGAGE

TRUST 2006-A4, Plaintiff, Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property vs.

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 (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.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY

COMPANY. NAME: TETRIK, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 11/5/2022. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:_232 West Bay Drive, Long Beach, NY 11561

Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

137110

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated October 20, 2022, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein HSBC

BANK USA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES INC.,

MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-AR3 is the Plaintiff and ABRAM DUSOWITZ A/K/A ABRAM

I. DUSOWITZ, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction

RAIN OR SHINE at the

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE OF NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER’S SALE OF TAX LIENS ON REAL ESTATE

Notice is hereby given that commencing on February 21st, 2023, will sell at public on-line auction the tax liens on certain real estate, unless the owner, mortgagee, occupant of or any other party in interest in such real estate shall have paid to the County Treasurer by February 16th, 2023 the total amount of such unpaid taxes or assessments with the interest, penalties and other expenses and charges against the property. Such tax liens will be sold at the lowest rate of interest, not exceeding 10 percent per six-month period, for which any person or persons shall offer to take the total amount of such unpaid taxes as defined in Section 5-37.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code.

Effective with the February 2019 lien sale Ordinance No. 175-2015 requires a $175.00 per day registration fee for each person who intends to bid at the tax lien sale.

Ordinance No. 175-2015 also requires that upon the issuance of the Lien Certificate there is due from the lien buyer a Tax Certificate Issue Fee of $20.00 per lien purchased. Pursuant to the provisions of the Nassau County

A list of local properties upon which tax liens are to be sold will be advertised in this publication on or before February 08th, 2023. Nassau County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs, or activities. Upon request, accommodations such as those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in all services, programs, activities and public hearings and events conducted by the Treasurer’s Office. Upon request, information can be made available in Braille, large print, audiotape or other alternative formats. For additional information, please call (516) 571-2090 ext. 1-3715.

Dated: January 25, 2023

THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER Mineola, NewYork TERMS OF SALE

Such tax liens shall be sold subject to any and all superior tax liens of sovereignties and other municipalities and to all claims of record which the County may have thereon and subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts.

However, such tax liens shall have priority over the County’s Differential Interest Lien, representing the excess, if any, of the interest and penalty borne at the maximum rate over the interest and penalty borne at the rate at which the lien is purchased.

The Purchaser acknowledges that the tax lien(s) sold pursuant to these Terms of Sale may be subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or may become subject to such

The County Treasurer reserves the right, without further notice and at any time, to withdraw from sale any of the parcels of land or premises herein listed. The Nassau County Treasurer reserves the right to intervene in any bankruptcy case/litigation where the property affected by the tax liens sold by the Treasurer is part of the bankruptcy estate. However, it is the sole responsibility of all tax lien purchasers to protect their legal interests in any bankruptcy case affecting their purchased tax lien, including but not limited to the filing of a proof of claim on their behalf, covering their investment in said tax lien. The Nassau County Treasurer and Nassau County and its agencies, assumes no responsibility for any legal representation of any tax lien purchaser in any legal proceeding including but not limited to a bankruptcy case where the purchased tax lien is at risk.

The rate of interest and penalty at which any person purchases the tax lien shall be established by his bid. Each purchaser, immediately after the sale thereof, shall pay to the County Treasurer ten per cent of the amount for which the tax liens have been sold and the remaining ninety per cent within thirty days after such sale. If the purchaser at the tax sale shall fail to pay the remaining ninety per cent within ten days after he has been notified by the County Treasurer that the certificates of sale are ready for delivery, then all amounts deposited with the County Treasurer including but not limited to the ten per cent theretofore paid by him shall, without further notice or demand, be irrevocably forfeited by the purchaser and shall be retained by the County Treasurer as liquidated damages and the agreement to purchase

1. The bidder(s) agree that they will not work with any other bidder(s) to increase, maintain or stabilize interest rates or collaborate with any other bidder(s) to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the random number generator in the event of a tie bid(s) on a tax certificate. Bidder(s) further agree not to employ any bidding strategy designed to create an unfair competitive advantage in the tiebreaking process in the upcoming tax sale nor work with any other bidder(s) to engage in any bidding strategy that will result in a rotational award of tax certificates.

2. The tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) bid, will be arrived at independently and without direct or indirect consultation, communication or agreement with any other bidder and that the tax certificate(s) the Bidder will bid upon, and the interest rate(s) to be bid, have not been disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder, and will not be disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder prior to the close of bidding. No attempt has been made or will be made to, directly or indirectly, induce any other bidder to refrain from bidding on any tax certificate, to submit complementary bids, or to submit bids at specific interest rates.

3. The bids to be placed by the Bidder will be made in good faith and not pursuant to any direct or indirect, agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any other bidder to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive bid.

4. If it is determined that the bidder(s) have violated any of these bid requirements then their bid shall be voided and if they were the successful bidder the lien and any deposits made in connection with said bid shall be forfeited.

Dated: January 25, 2023

THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER Mineola, New York 136839

SUSAN GONZALES; VINCENT GONZALES if living, and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; CAPITAL ONE BANK, USA NA; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “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 premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 345 LIDO BOULEVARD LONG BEACH, NY 11561

Section: 60

Block: E Lot: 750

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 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 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

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $516,000.00 and interest, recorded on December 20, 2005, at Liber M 29857 Page 659, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York, covering premises known as 345 LIDO BOULEVARD LONG BEACH, NY 11561. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

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: January 6, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff MERVE KATI, ESQ. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 136800

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V.I.Properties Welcomes

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516-238-429 Employment HERALD 1128595

Erit Gridnev is a savvy real estate agent with over 15 years of experience in marketing and sales. Specializing in relocations, she understands the importance of finding the perfect property for her clients. Because she knows that moving to a new house is a very big change, Erit takes the time to get to know her clients and their specific needs. With a B.A in Human Services, she is able to provide valuable insight into community life and what to expect from different neighborhoods. Her wit and humor make her an enjoyable person to work with, and her expertise ensures that her clients are always satisfied with their purchase. Contact Erit at 510-584-6350 or by email eritg@vipropertiesny.com

Realtors are encouraged to send briefs and photographs to: Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd.., Garden City, NY 11530.

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

Open Houses WOODMERE BA, 29 Woodmere Blvd, #3B, New To Market! Move Right Into This Sunny, Renovated 2 BR Coop Apt in Heathcote Bldg. Updtd Gran/Wood Kit w/ Stainless Steel Appl, LR w/Coffered Ceiling, Dining Area, Spacious Primary BR, Updtd Bth & 2nd BR. RecRuiting a great team is Really simple. a growing multi media company Based in garden city is Hiring: • Receptionist • Reporter/editor • sales • multi media coordinator • Drivers • pressman/press Helper to join our team, please email your resume to careers@liherald.com or call 516-569-4000 ext #235

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Reduction! Move Right Into This Completely CLASSIFIED Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail your ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads. Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify an ad.

Ronnie To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

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My pickup truck has damaged the garage floor

Q. Can you solve a debate I have been having with my contractor about replacing the cracked floor in my garage? The problem is that I want to have steel bars in the slab and make it extra thick, since the existing slab is cracked and damaged from my heavy pickup truck, sometimes filled with heavy construction items. The concrete guy keeps telling me it’s overkill and that just the concrete, 5 inches thick, with a rollout wire mesh, is enough. Can you explain which one I need, and why he keeps telling me that the driveway is concrete, not cement? I want to do this job as soon as it warms up.

A. The first problem to solve is who should be designing the correct slab. Yes, we all know it’s just a slab, but you’ve already seen what happens when someone unfamiliar with the engineering design of even the simplest concrete slab doesn’t apply the correct preventive details.

Concrete is very strong in compression, meaning you can press on it to extremes before it even shows small signs of failure.

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

Unfortunately, concrete has no tensile strength. Zero. Zip. This means you can easily pull it apart, or bend it to the point of cracking without much force.

Structural engineers and architects, to a lesser extent, are trained to apply specific formulas that predict the success (and failure) of even a slab of formed concrete. Knowing how a slab fails allows professionals to apply the right reinforcement in the right places. Otherwise you’re just guessing.

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Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall Condominium with Doorman & Elevator. Just Move into This Gut Rvated, 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

There’s a difference in the description of the slab, which is made up of several materials, such as sand, lime, and something called “Portland cement.” Portland Cement is a mixture of mined calcium silicates and a lesser amount of calcium aluminates that form a chemical reaction in the presence of water. The chemical reaction causes the mixture to harden and give off heat, called the heat of hydration. It was patented in England in 1824 by bricklayer Joseph Aspdin, and got the name Portland because when it hardened, it appeared to look very similar to the white Portland stone quarried along the Portland Isle coast of Dorset in southern England. Sorry, Oregon, you get no credit here.

When other silicates, such as sand or different sizes of stone, are added, the characteristics change, and the setting times and strength change as well. Ash has been added in some mixes, and glass fibers, another form of silica, have made our latest bridge and roadway construction projects extremely long-lasting and stronger.

Portland cement can be a part of concrete. To determine the reinforcing, the loads need to be applied to formulas, along with the amount of time and other forces, such as expansion and contraction (due to temperature changes), support material strength, shrinkage and internal stress — in other words, it would be irresponsible to throw some guess at you without knowing more. Keep in mind, more concrete is not better. Good luck!

© 2022 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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The era of ‘Marcus Welby, M.D.’ is over

I’ll bet very few readers remember television shows like “Dr. Kildare” and “Marcus Welby.” Those popular shows featured physicians who made house calls and performed miracles of all kinds. There may be a few of these doctors left, but it’s only a matter of time until such dedicated physicians are no longer in existence. Like it or not, the business of medicine is changing rapidly, and not for the benefit of the average patient.

I recently experienced this sea change in medicine, when two of my doctors announced their retirement. One was my internal medicine doctor, who served me faithfully for 32 years, and the other was a neurologist who had monitored me for about five years. It was obvious from our parting conversations that they were exhausted and tired of the day-to-day stresses of serving patients.

If you visit almost any doctor’s office, you’ll notice that there are walls and

walls of files on display. They may signify how many patients your doctor serves, but they are also evidence of the amount of paperwork the average doctor must do to get paid by an insurance company. Once upon a time, insurance companies gave doctors an appropriate amount of money for the services they performed, but not anymore.

If you’re a doctor in New York City, you may get $1,000 for a medical procedure. But if you practice in, say, Smithtown, you may get paid $180, if you’re lucky. Geography makes a difference in reimbursement, and no rational observer of medicine will defend such an abominable system. These days, doctors need experienced staff members who have to deal with endless piles of documents, many of which are for small reimbursements. The daily practice of medicine isn’t a 9-to-5 operation. Many doctors take their charts home, to review medical histories and also to protect themselves from malpractice litigation. The business of suing doctors is a major enterprise, and the volume of litigation forces doctors to pay

outrageous fees for malpractice coverage. I’ve heard quite a few stories about doctors who quit the practice because they simply couldn’t afford the high premiums.

One way that a doctor can avoid some of these headaches is to become an employee of a hospital. That spares you the high insurance premiums, but life isn’t a bowl of cherries for the employed doctor, either. Large hospitals have rules upon rules, and they can mean plenty of paperwork, and having to handle a much larger caseload of patients then you ever had when you were on your own. One of my longtime, highly respected doctors has taken a leave of absence, because he’s now in his 80s and just can’t handle the caseload he’s been given. But hospitals are businesses, and they have every right to demand a high level of activity of their doctors.

There are many dedicated, newly minted doctors graduating from medical schools, but quite a few of them approach medicine much differently today than their forebears. Many young

doctors would prefer to work five days a week, with no weekend duty. They are willing to take less compensation and have more time for family, golf and vacations. They may be brilliant practitioners, but they don’t want to be so many Marcus Welbys.

And when we talk about medicine, we can’t forget about nurses. The recent strike at some major city hospitals was no surprise. I was in an ER recently, and found out that my nurse had 15 patients assigned to her. She was on the verge of a physical breakdown, but soldiered on, handling all of them with grace and patience. No doubt, she will get a large pay increase and a smaller patient workload, but it’s only fair to give her those benefits.

Like it or not, medicine is changing dramatically. In the next 10 years, we will see changes that we never dreamt of. Some will be good, and others bad. Let’s hope there are more good than bad.

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.

Folks scramble as the price of eggs soars nationwide

You can believe the hype. Last week, a boutique grocery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was selling eggs for $17.99 a dozen. They weren’t Faberge eggs, dripping in diamonds and gilt. They were ordinary chicken-hatched, single-yolk, large “organic” eggs.

This news flash is courtesy of The Guardian newspaper in England, which loves to point out the crass and the crazy in American culture. It is given to gloating through stiff upper lips. Still, it has a point.

RANDI KREISS

Egg prices are heating up due to inflation, a surging avian flu epidemic and, some say, price gouging.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one year ago you could buy a dozen eggs for $1.72. Now, nationwide, the price averages $3.59. In some states like California, the average price is more than $7. Apparently in Manhattan, consumers have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. No more cheap, go-to weekday omelet dinners.

The current epidemic of avian flu is

the worst in history, according to NBC News. More than 53 million birds have died of the virus or been put to death. As so-far survivors of the coronavirus pandemic, we must wonder how vulnerable we humans are to this flu.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we’re probably safe. That’s not totally reassuring, but the avian flu has jumped to humans in only rare instances, and has passed from an infected person to other people in only extremely rare cases. Those who’ve contracted the flu after working around infected birds generally experienced mild symptoms, but the disease has been serious in a few people.

of Mexico to the U.S. I don’t know if it’s a Sinaloa cartel operation, but really? Smugglers in competition with the Easter Bunny?

I take my eggs very seriously. Omelets are a regular dinner in my home. I eat an egg every single day, over well, yolk broken. Lillybee the dog gets half a yolk.

Price gouging?

No more cheap, go-to weekday omelet dinners.

Somehow, I want to believe human beings should be OK, but after the waves of half-information and misinformation informing our health decisions in the midst of Covid, I want to keep an eye on this H5N1 virus. Even though it might seem cost-effective now to start raising chickens in our backyards, nah, it’s probably not a good idea.

Last week it was widely reported that dealers have been running eggs out

I had to give up eggs recently and temporarily (for a month) after my friend cracked an egg and discovered a tiny, blackened mini-chicken inside. So gross! I didn’t actually see the monstrosity, but I can’t get the image out of my head. She was so traumatized by the visitation that she gave up eggs forever.

We move on. The most expensive egg product I ever purchased was a painted $25 ostrich eggshell I brought back from South Africa to present to my granddaughter on her 13th birthday. I was feeling quite high-minded about the symbolism of feminism and new beginnings and eternal life. But she sat on it, and that was that.

Two weeks ago, I cracked an egg and discovered it was a double yolker. According to Cackle Hatchery, double yolks are quite rare. They hardly ever

result in two chickens being born, because the eggshell can’t accommodate twins. Still, they are prized for eating. Some boutique chicken farmers specialize in double yolkers, the source of which is a genetic mutation. You can hold a candle to an egg and see what’s inside if you really need to know. If you really want to know.

Hardboiled eggs are worth a book of their own. I always have a few hardcooked eggs in my fridge, you know, in case of nuclear attack or tornado strike. I read about an 83-year-old hiker years ago who hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine, eating hardboiled eggs he cooked on a tiny camping stove.

In the 1967 movie “Cool Hand Luke,” an outrageously defiant prisoner played by Paul Newman choked down 50 hardboiled eggs on a dare. A few people in real life tried to imitate the feat, and one died. But Joey Chestnut, the renowned competitive eater, consumed 141 eggs in eight minutes in a contest. Miki Sudo broke the women’s world record, eating 104 eggs.

Chestnut, who, remarkably, is still alive — I checked — took home a $1,500 grand prize, which seems not nearly enough.

Copyright 2023 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

It was obvious from chats with my retiring doctors that they were exhausted.

JERRY KREMER

Fax: (516) 569-4942

Web: www.liherald.com

E-mail: lbeditor@liherald.com

The tricky balance of fear and openness

it was like having security cameras in every room of a house but one. That’s how Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone described to reporters the decentralized, hodgepodge security infrastructure of the county’s computer network, which more than 10,000 government employees, in dozens of departments, depended on.

It was a single unguarded entryway that let hackers in last September, essentially shutting down all operations and reportedly costing Suffolk millions of dollars.

Such an intrusion is enough to scare any business or government entity into fortifying defenses. But is there such a thing as being too scared?

In the days following Suffolk’s revelation that it had been hacked, Bellone’s counterpart, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, bent over backward to ensure that the same thing won’t happen here. Or at least we think he has, given that the details of those efforts are a closely held secret.

What we do know is that the Legislature has hired a cybersecurity consultant. And that’s about it. Who that consultant is, what they have to offer — and, most important, how much it’s going to cost taxpayers — is information only a very select few know.

Revealing too many details about the new cybersecurity efforts could be troublesome, of course. The more information hackers have, the more likely they can

letters

Offner was on the mark

To the Editor:

Re Daniel Offner’s column last week, “We must remember — and teach — the Holocaust”: Offner’s description of his grandmother, “When she was liberated by American troops from Dachau in May 1945, she weighed 45 pounds,” brought back an old memory to me. I remember my dad speaking of two cousins, who somehow made it to America after surviving one of those Nazi killing centers in Poland. He described them as two young guys, each over six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds — combined.

They didn’t last much longer than a year here. The Nazis killed them; they just didn’t die immediately.

And now we have Holocaust deniers, in spite of the films, photos and documents that exist, in addition to the survivors, and the living veterans who aided in their liberation and survival. We also have politicians in both parties telling us lies daily. Now we even have to be aware of a “journalist’s” political affiliations, agenda and beliefs. Sadly, as Offner pointed out, the same goes

find ways to slip past Nassau’s defenses. Yet county officials refuse to say how revealing simple bits of information — like who the vendor is, and how much they’re charging — would help these cyber menaces. And they aren’t budging.

As well, the Herald learned last week that a closed-doors executive session called by the Legislature produced an emergency cybersecurity declaration — its mere existence classified.

It’s perfectly understandable why county officials are on edge, and they should be commended for acting quickly to build Nassau’s technological defenses. And while many of those details should be kept secret, not all of them should be.

There is a reason why who our government does business with — and at what cost — should be out in the open, for all to see. We bear the financial cost of that business, and have every right to ensure that every dollar is being spent appropriately.

Everything about the county’s contract with this mystery cybersecurity firm could be perfectly fine. And it most likely is. But the taxpayers’ right is absolute assurance, not a preponderance of confidence. We have the right — by law — to make sure the Legislature is doing an arm’s-length deal with the right company for the right price.

How was the firm chosen? How was its compensation negotiated? What is the county getting in return? Even if we can’t have specifics, there’s no reason we can’t be clued in on at least some general

aspects.

Shoshanah Bewlay, executive director of the state-funded Committee on Open Government, shared in an advisory opinion last month that details of the contract — like information technology schematics, blueprints, pricing or systems methodologies, and the types of IT monitoring or remediation — can indeed be kept quiet. “However, in our view,” Bewlay added, “it is not clear how the disclosure of other information contained within the contract — such as the name of the selected vendor, or value of the executed contract — would enable a person to adversely impact an agency’s electronic information or IT systems.”

Don’t get us wrong — we honestly believe there is no ill intention on the county’s part to withhold this information. Officials are scared that revealing any of it — even if it’s deemed safe — could upend all their efforts to protect the network. But they have to lift the cloak just enough to let the taxpayers — their true bosses — get a peek to assure themselves that all of this is on the up-and-up.

Nassau County is letting all of its hard work to build these defenses get obscured by this simple request to know who it is working with, and how much they are being paid for that work. That’s basic information that taxpayers shouldn’t even have to ask for.

But they are asking for it, and the county must do the right thing and provide the answer.

D’Esposito will get the job done in Washington e

arlier this month I had the privilege of speaking at the ceremonial swearing-in of newly elected U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. Sitting on the stage that evening, I thought back to when I was first sworn in 30 years ago, and how different this night was from that one, and how different the world had become. This ceremonial event was held at the Nassau County police training center, in East Garden City, instead of in Washington, D.C., and the oath was administered by former Senator Al D’Amato instead of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

D’Esposito had been officially sworn in by McCarthy the week before, but that was at 2 a.m. on Jan. 7, following over four days and 15 ballots of voting in the most acrimonious contest for speaker since the 1850s, the decade preceding the Civil War. During my 28 years in Congress, I cast 14 ballots for speaker — one every two years. D’Esposito exceeded that total in his very first week in Congress!

This rancor and chaos is a sign of what Congress has become, and what D’Esposito must work through. Don’t get me wrong — Congress wasn’t all peace, love and harmony when I was elected. Soon-to-be House Speaker Newt Gingrich and President Bill Clinton were firing political rockets at each other, and fiery cable news shows were emerging. But there wasn’t this level of intra-party disunity.

Nonetheless, D’Esposito’s situation isn’t entirely different from what I faced. We have several things in common. We both won close, hard-fought races. I won by 8,000 votes, a margin of 3 percent; D’Esposito by 10,000, or 3.9 percent. The bulk of my district was in the Town of Hempstead and Long Beach. D’Esposito’s district is entirely within those boundaries. And the challenges he will confront are similar to what I faced during my latter 20 years in Congress: preventing another Sept. 11, and fighting to get New York and Long Island their fair share of revenue. Fortunately, D’Esposito’s committee assignments — Homeland Security and Transportation & Infrastructure — position him well for the struggles

Letters

for our educational institutions.

I was lucky. The U.S. Navy took me to dozens of foreign nations. If you were born here, count your blessings. There are many tougher places to grow up in. Our most precious resource is America’s children. If we give them our honest best, freedom will reign.

JOHN SCHULTz Oceanside

It’s Santos, for better or worse

To the Editor:

At a news event on Jan. 11, a parade of Nassau County Republicans took the extraordinarily courageous step of calling on their colleague, U.S. Rep. George Santos, to resign. They suggested that he was not welcome at either their headquarters or their events. They indicated that their other congressional representatives would take it upon themselves to provide representation to the people of the 3rd District — the people Santos was elected to represent.

On Jan. 18, I received an email from my old friend Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who represents the 2nd District, in Suffolk County, advising me that I was one of his “new constituents” and assuring me that I could rely on his office’s

resources. Along with everyone else in northern Nassau and Queens, I live in Santos’s district. I am not officially a constituent of Garbarino’s.

In response, I emailed Andy Garbarino, “While I appreciate you reaching out, you are not my Congressional representative and I am not your ‘new constituent.’ George Santos, with whom and for whom you campaigned, is my Congressional representative. That fact is truly shameful. Thanks again and wishing you well.”

So, to Congressman Garbarino, with whom I worked in the Assembly before he was elected to the House of Representatives, I simply say, “Thanks but no thanks.” For better or worse, Santos is our congressman, and I expect him, perhaps unrealistically, to make some effort to try to live up to his responsibilities.

I am not inclined to reach out to the same Republican politicians who offer assistance but are simply attempting to shield themselves from criticism. As the old saying goes, once bitten, twice shy.

Should Santos be unresponsive to any requests I may have for assistance to the people I represent, I will reach out to Senators Chuck Schumer or Kirsten Gillibrand, or to any number of Democratic congressional representatives.

CHARLES LAvINE Assemblyman, 13th District

ahead.

The Homeland Security Committee was created in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to coordinate federal, state and local counterterrorism efforts, and to provide necessary funding to areas at highest risk. Every threat analysis showed the New York City-Long Island region as the highestranked terrorist target in the country. Yet we had to fight off other states, which had zero threat levels, for every penny. As a former New York City police detective and Island Park fire chief, D’Esposito has the credentials and the gravitas to win those funding fights, and also to ensure that the committee’s legitimate concern about border control and illegal immigration doesn’t distract attention from the still very serious terrorist threat.

He will have similar struggles on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, to get fair and necessary funding for Long Island’s roads, highways, beaches and waterways.

Over the years, New York has been consistently shortchanged in federal funding, sending far more money to Washington than we get back. My short-

hand political analysis for this inequity was that Democrats took New York for granted and Republicans felt they couldn’t win it, so our hard-earned tax dollars were disbursed elsewhere — most notably, and disproportionately, to southern states. This shortfall in turn increased our state and local tax burden, which was exacerbated when a Republican Congress voted to dramatically reduce our SALT income tax deduction. D’Esposito has pledged to fight hard to restore that deduction.

Besides Homeland Security, infrastructure funding and restoring the SALT deduction, he will have to deal with countless other issues, including senior citizen and veterans benefits, 9/11 health care, tax relief for hardworking middle-income families and supporting law enforcement.

Being a member of Congress, and representing the people of Long Island and addressing their needs and challenges, was the experience of a lifetime for me. No one is more connected to his constituents than Anthony D’Esposito, and I know he will take their thoughts and concerns to the halls of Congress and get the job done. Good luck, Congressman.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Framework by Tim Baker

a newcomer to Congress has two solid committee assignments.