Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald 08-31-2023

Wellness

Lynbrook dance team is going to Hollywood

By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com

Looking forward to a trip from Lynbrook to Hollywood, a group of 10 dancers from the Magnolia Dance Academy has advanced to the final round of one of the most prestigious dance competitions in the country, the Industry Dance Awards, this fall.

Animals are in need of homes

Fewer people fostering; more dogs in need

By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com

Cats and dogs leave shelters for forever or foster homes every day. But there are some pets continuously left behind, wondering when it will be their turn to experience a family.

And these days, more and more pets are left behind due to a lack of foster homes.

“Fosters are everything,” said Johanna Baeyens, founder of the nonprofit shelter Lend-A-Paw. “I think every dog should go to a foster, just to know what it’s like in a home setting.”

Baeyens, who started Lend-A-Paw out of her garage in Lynbrook during the pandemic, said experiencing a foster home is critical

for an animal’s well-being and their capacity to adjust to home life. However, fewer people are stepping up to foster — but the need for them is growing.

“I don’t have any fosters right now,” Baeyens said. “There’s literally not one person I can call to be like ‘hey, can you hold this dog for a bit?’”

Lend-A-Paw was able to move from Baeyens’ home to an Oceanside storefront in 2021. It’s perfect for their cat tenants. But dogs, which require more space, need to be placed with foster families. If there are none available, they need to be turned away — which can be the difference between life and death.

Lend A Paw rescues pups from euthanasia lists. The shelter has been able to stretch

“It’s the who’s who in dance,” explained Dena Vilardi, the academy’s choreographer and dance instructor for 19 years, whom the students call Miss Dena. “It has everybody you could think of — Derek Hough, Abby Lee Miller. Any dance personality on TV, they’re there.”

In April, Magnolia earned the People’s Choice Award from Turn It Up, a regional dance competition, with a hypnotizing contemporary number performed by 10 teenagers — most of them high school seniors — who have been dancing together at Magnolia since they were

children. After making it through a number of regional rounds, they are now a Turn It Up People’s Choice Award nominee for the national Industry Dance Awards competition, which will takes place in October.

Vilardi said that this is the culmination of the team’s countless hours of dedication over the past 15 years. “These are fully committed kids,” she said. “This is their sport. Some of their friends are on varsity softball. We dance.”

Kim LoPiccolo, who bought the Magnolia studio 27 years ago years ago, when she was 23, said that this group of dancers has acquired more than just skills — they have gained character, too, and have formed an unbreakable bond.

“I have these kids for 15, 16 years,” LoPiccolo said. “I’m able to see them really grow into these young adults from little kids, and I watched their

Continued on PAGe 20

Photo courtesy Jill Palumbo

Joanna Palumbo holds Alice, and her mother Jill Palumbo holds Georgie.

They put everything they have into this, and trained their whole lives for this moment. the industry.

DENA VIl ARDI Choreographer

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Catalina employees claim proper wages not paid

By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com

Three Lynbrook residents, along with 72 other employees of the Catalina Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, claim that they were underpaid based on the current mandated wages and not paid for extra tasks in a class action lawsuit filed in Nassau County State Supreme Court in July.

The primary plaintiffs — Ethan Cohen, Jessie Cohen and Alex Cohen — are current and former employees of what is known as the Catalina Operating Corporation that runs the beach club. Ethan was a cabana attendant and Jessie and Alex are lifeguards at the club.

Ethan, according to the lawsuit, “worked long hours, often more than forty hours a week and often more than ten hours in a single day.”

The legal action also claims that the Catalina Operating Corporation paid “the other cabana, chair and locker attendants at the beach club illegally low wages, no overtime premiums … the workers were often not paid for all the hours they worked.”

Ethan, an assistant attendant for his first two years of working at the club — 2020 and 2021 — along with the assistant attendants began working at 6 or 7 a.m. on weekends to get ready for shift that started at 9 a.m., but were not paid for the extra hours, the lawsuit claims.

“Through New York Labor Law you are given a notice of pay rate and wages and there are a number of requirements,” attorney Patricia Kakalec, said in reference to employers knowing what they

should be paying employees.

She is one of the two lawyers representing the Cohens and the other plaintiffs, along with Robert McCreanor.

Minimum wage per hour was $8.75 eight years ago and incrementally rose to the current $15 per hour in 2019. Accord-

ing to the lawsuit, Ethan and the other attendants were paid $8.65 per hour in 2020, $9.35 in 2021 as the club claimed a tip credit of $3.15 hour and $10 in 2022 with a tip credit of $3.20.

Assistant attendants could not clock in on time and gain access to accurate

OBITUARY

records of their time in effect recorded work hours “were often inaccurate,” according to the claims in the suit.

It is claimed that Ethan was paid for 95.08 hours for work performed from July 3 to 16, 2022, but should have been paid for roughly 123 hours.

In the legal action, the attorneys defend their use of a class action claiming, “it would be difficult for members of the Attendant Class to effectively individually obtain redress for the wrongs done to them.”

The suit is looking for the employees to be paid the unpaid wages, along with additional 100 percent and the overtime pay that is owed those staff members. It is also asking for statutory damages of nor more than $5,000 for each employee for each day they worked and the alleged violations occurred.

“So, the proposed class action is for the plaintiffs and all the other people seeking back pay for the past six years statute, the damages, the violations and for the employer to stop doing it, Kakalec said.

“Catalina has been serving guests for almost 80 years and Catalina intends to be around for at least another 80 years,” the law firm of Kaufman Dolowich Voluck, representing Catalina wrote in an email. “The club values all of its employees, who are relied upon every day for the smooth operation of the club. We are looking into this matter and will be responding to the complaint.”

The Catalina Beach Club and Atlantic Beach village was used more than a decade ago to film the television show “Suits.”

Lorraine Greenfield, devoted to family, religion, 99

Lorraine Bohrer Greenfield, the longest and oldest living congregant of Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David in Rockville Centre for the last 72 years, died at 99.

Greenfield was born in 1923 and moved to the community in 1951. She lived at her home at 49 Muirfield Road in Rockville Centre for 49 years before moving to Garden City.

“She always considered Rockville Centre her home,” her son, Jeff Greenfield, said. “She loved going to dinner at George Martin’s.”

She was a faithful member of the congregation who would walk to the temple every week except in her later years. She was also a devoted mother and would call her kids, Jeffrey and Janie, every single day. She also had four grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren whose lives she cared about deeply. The depth of her love was immeasurable and her dedication was fierce. Over the years she maintained a tight relationship with her brother Seymour.

Lorraine and her husband, Marty, shared so many decades together attached at the hip. When they weren’t traveling together with family or friends, they enjoyed relaxing in the Catskills with the Grossingers, and Kutchers, or hanging out at the Concord. She wintered in Boca Raton, Florida.

She kept a kosher home and insisted on holding her family Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties and weddings at the temple so that her community would benefit financially and communally. She prioritized the success and perseverance of her Jewish community.

Lorraine loved her people, which is probably why, of all the places she traveled to her favorite place, where she felt most at home was in Israel. She brought blessing into the world to her family, frisseends, community, and all who knew her. She will be greatly missed. Her memory will always be a blessing.

— Dan Offner

Herald file photo

The Catalina Beach Club is being sued for back wages by 75 employees. Above, Henry Winkler as the TV show ‘Suits’ was filmed in Atlantic Beach and using the beach club in 2010.

Lorraine Bohrer Greenfield with her son, Jeff.

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Girl Scouts honor Doyle, Loiselle

Girl Scouts of Nassau County honored Lynbrook residents Debra Doyle and Terese Loiselle at its 2023 Annual Adult Recognitions Award Ceremony and Dinner recently. The annual event recognizes and celebrates the adult volunteers who go above and beyond for their service to Girl Scouts of Nassau County and to their communities. Doyle and Loiselle were among 40 honorees throughout Nassau County.

“Girl Scouts of Nassau County could not thrive without the hard work, commitment and support of all our community volunteers,” Randell Bynum, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Each honoree recognized at our Adult Recognitions Award Ceremony and Dinner has made a significant impact on our organization and help shape the Girl Scout experience for the girls we serve. Thanks to their contributions, we are able to continue building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.”

Doyle and Loiselle were both awarded the GSNC Longevity Pin for championing

Book Review:

Healthy at 100 by John Robbins (Part Two)

Last week we looked at the four major reasons people live longer: diet, physical activity, culture or socialization and respect for the elderly.

Taking a deeper dive, the book cites a preeminent expert on aging, John W. Rowe, M.D., Chairman of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Aging who explains: “The bottom line is very clear: with rare exceptions, only about 30 percent of physical aging can be blamed on genes...MacArthur Research provides very strong evidence that we are, in large part, responsible for our own old age.”

Take the example of longest lived people in the world — the Okinawans “When Okinawans move elsewhere and adopt the diets of their new locations, they get the same diseases at the same rates and die at the same ages, as the people whose customs they embrace. The life expectancy of Okinawans who move to Brazil, for example, drops seventeen years.”

“Diseases of affluence” — including diabetes, coronary heart diseases and many forms of cancer are all linked to animalbased diets. Foods that decrease cholesterol levels are soy products, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, peas and beans. “As a result of the vast amount of information gathered... the scientific evidence indicates that a diet based on plant foods with a minimal amount of food derived from animals as the ideal diet for human beings.” Since almost all the cells in your body continually regenerate, “steps you can take” provides a guide “so what you eat today literally becomes your body tomorrow.”

Next up are physical activities. The Vilcabamba have a saying, that “each of us has two doctors — the left leg and the right leg.” People become passive and then the less they move the harder it becomes to do so. However, “those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

their Girl Scouts from Daisies all the way through Ambassadors, providing them with a comprehensive Girl Scout experience.

For more information, visit GSNC.org.

■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/lynbrook or www.liherald.com/eastrockaway

■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: lyn-ereditor@liherald.com

Courtesy Girl Scouts of Nassau County Lynbrook resident Debra Doyle was honored recently for her remarkable volunteerism to the Girl Scouts of Nassau County.

Job fair with 30 Nassau school districts

Nassau BOCES, in partnership with Nassau County school districts, is holding a job fair on Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This exceptional opportunity for job seekers event takes place at the Freeport Recreation Center, located at 130 E. Merrick Road in Freeport.

Representatives from Nassau BOCES, SCOPE Education Services and several school districts will be present at the job fair offering an exclusive platform for candidates to explore a wide range of exciting career opportunities within the field of education. Attendees can look forward to engaging with representatives from 30 school districts, including East Rockaway, Lynbrook, Malverne, and West Hempstead.

Job seekers get details about career opportunities at last year’s job fair.

Job seekers, whether seasoned professionals or fresh graduates, can explore positions as teacher aides, bus drivers, security personnel, naturalists, bus dispatchers, registered professional nurses, maintainers, food service personnel, cleaners/laborers, HVAC and electrical technicians, groundskeepers, and more.

The event features: information booths from each participating district, offering insights into their educational programs,

work culture, and career advancement opportunities; face-to-face interactions with district representatives, allowing candidates to ask questions, discuss job openings, and showcase their skills; networking opportunities with fellow job seekers and educational professionals and on-site resources and workshops to help attendees refine their job search strategies, improve interview techniques, and create effective resumes.

Prospective attendees are encouraged to dress professionally, bring copies of their resumes, and prepare to make an impression. Admission to the job fair is free, and no prior registration is required.

For more information visit NassauBOCES.org/jobfair.

Courtesy Nassau BOCES

D’Esposito settles in, but loves coming home

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

It’s been a fast eight months for Congressman Anthony D’Esposito into his first term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The former New York Police Department detective and longtime volunteer firefighter who would work his way to being elected a Hempstead town councilman is well known for commitment to being anywhere and everywhere in his community.

In fact, it’s like having someone who has their “boots to the ground,” as he might say.

Now, D’Esposito’s boots are in Washington, nearly 300 miles away from Long Island. But that doesn’t mean home isn’t on his mind. In fact, the congressman thinks about the part of Nassau County he represents a lot.

So, what’s the work-life balance been for the congressman?

“It’s early days into late nights,” D’Esposito said. “Whether it’s having committee hearings, markups for legislation, voting on the floor, having meetings with groups and organizations and concerns to deliver, it’s really a nonstop job.”

D’Esposito is the first Republican since Dan Frisa — who won the seat back in 1995 — to represent the congressional district. He defeated Laura Gillen in what had become a Long Island “red wave” last year, flipping the seat to the GOP after

Democratic congresswoman Kathleen Rice retired. Before her, Carolyn McCarthy kept the district blue.

The Island Park native takes pride in being involved in his community — an involvement he has since brought to Washington.

In his first month, D’Esposito joined three committees. With the House Committee on Homeland Security, he’s tasked with safeguarding national security from threats both foreign and domestic, The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is tasked with overseeing the nation’s air, rail, road and transportation networks as well as the country’s infrastructure. And lastly, the House Committee on House Administration is tasked with operations of the congressional lower chamber, as well as federal elections and Capitol complex security.

But being a congressman is more than just Joining committees. D’Esposito recently hopped onto a long flight to Israel as part of a 20-person bipartisan congressional delegation formed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence.

“It was a historic visit,” D’Esposito said.

Now, D’Esposito is committed with other members of Congress to work on continuing peace efforts in the Middle East, expanding on the Abraham Accords — which seeks to find peace among the three major Abrahamic religions of

Christianity, Islam and Judaism — as well as visits to Israel, or their government leaders coming to the United States.

Most recently, the spike in crime to fentanyl overdoses has pushed for the creation of a congressional task force aimed at combating Mexican cartels. The congressman — tapping into his former police experience — was named to the group to share his expertise.

Still, being so far away from home is not something D’Esposito looks forward to. But good communication helps, something the congressman praises his staff for maintaining, so he can remain in touch with the concerns, questions and needs of his constituents while the House is in session.

“We make ourselves very accessible on social media platforms and emails to ensure that we’re meeting all their needs,” D’Esposito said. “I’m usually on the first flight out right after our final vote. And as soon as I land, we’re heading into the district.”

That means meeting with local leaders, members of village boards, and even spending time working with Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Now back on Long Island as part of an August break, D’Esposito has kept himself busy. In Wantagh, he joined the celebration of 40 years of the family-owned Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall. He also has community events and meetings lined

U.S.

up with local elected officials on the state and village level.

“It’s making sure that every inch of this district — whether it’s in the west closest to the city, or in the east in Seaford and Wantagh, or down along the Barrier Island or up in Garden City and everywhere in between — making sure that they understand that they have somebody who has their boots on the ground,” D’Eposito said, “their ears open, and want to be representing their communities as best they can.”

Tim Baker/Herald file

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito has stayed busy since filling the seat previously occupied by U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice.

HERALD SPORTS

Hofstra aims for another CAA Crown

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

Hofstra women’s soccer defied the odds last year to repeat as conference champions and will look for a far clearer postseason path this fall in the Coastal Athletic Association.

The Pride was in danger of missing the 2022 CAA tourney following a 2-1 defeat to Stony Brook in the regular-season finale but moments after the game learned they had earned the league’s final tournament spot when results in other matches went Hofstra’s way. Hofstra proceeded to take full advantage of its renewed life to win its fifth CAA title in six years as the eight seed starting by knocking out top-seeded Monmouth and culminating in a dramatic overtime win at Northeastern.

“Once you face the jaws of defeat, I think it’s easy to have a new lease of life,” said 18th-year Hofstra women’s soccer head coach Simon Riddiough, who has guided the Pride to seven CAA titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over the program in 2006.

“To get that opportunity again was like a breath of fresh air and new impetus.”

Riddiough returns seven starters off last year’s 10-8-4 team that reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in eight seasons. After a season-opening 2-1 loss at Albany, Hofstra rebounded in a major way with a 1-0 upset win at Big Ten power Rutgers on Aug. 20 on a late goal from junior midfielder Olivia Pearse on a counter attack in the 88th minute.

Pearse, a former standout at Seaford High School, has emerged as one of Hofstra’s most impactful players on both ends of the field. She netted two goals and two assists as a sophomore.

“She has come in fetter than I have ever seen her and with a new attitude,” said Riddiough of Pearse, who switched from the wide forward to fullback role last season. “She wears her heart on her sleeve and she leads by example.”

Hofstra returned last year’s leading scorer Dagny Run Petursdottir, who registered 19 points on seven goals and five assists as a freshman out of Iceland and was named to the Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention team.

Another Iceland product, Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir, also shined as a first-year college player with three goals and two assists.

Sophomore midfielder/defender Wiktoria Fronc, a London native, also made her mark on Long Island from across the pond with seven assists to earn AllCAA Third Team and All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie Team honors.

While the Hofstra roster is global in nature featuring 10 international players from four countries to go along with 10 U.S. states, the team boasts many impactful local players led by Pearse and graduate student defender Cailey Welch, a former standout at North Shore High School. Freshman defender Jill Conlon, a two-time all county player from Calhoun High school in Merrick, could potentially see some minutes on the backline during her rookie college season on the college soccer pitch.

“She’s composed on the ball,” Riddiough said of Conlon. “She’s a wonderfully nice kid who cares and I’m assuming will work hard to get to where she needs to go.”

Graduate student starting goalie Skylar Kuzmich has missed the beginning of the season due to injury,

but Riddiough hopes to have her back during the heart of CAA play. Junior goalie Mackenzie Sullivan has stepped up in Kuzmich’s absence and recorded five seasons in the Rutgers victory.

Hofstra kicks off its home schedule this Sunday against Atlantic 10 oe Saint Joseph’s at 1 p.m. before beginning its quest for another CAA title on Sept. 10 when it hosts league newcomer Campbell at 1 p.m.

The Pride’s home schedule is highlighted by a CAA finals rematch against Northeastern on Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.

The Pride were picked to finish third in the CAA Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll behind Monmouth and Northeastern.

The top six finishers in the 13-team conference will earn spots to the CAA Tournament that commences on Oct. 26.

“If we stay healthy I think we can compete and beat anybody in the conference,” Riddiough said.

Photos courtesy Hofstra Athletics Communications Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir, above right, a native of Iceland, shined as a first-year college player with three goals.

Midfielder/defender Wiktoria Fronc, a London native, made her mark from across the pond with seven assists as a freshman.

*must be present at drawing to win

RAFFLE DRAWING AT 12:30PM SILVER

Irish eyes were smiling at Eisenhower Park

Long Island’s Irish American Society hosts night full of fanfare at Lakeside Theatre

While it wasn’t St. Patrick’s Day last week, there certainly was a lot to celebrate at Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park. After a weather cancelation earlier this month, Irish American Night went off successfully on Aug. 21, drawing crowds of county residents, who came out to celebrate Irish music, dance and culture.

The event is hosted by the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk & Queens, Inc., which is based in Mineola, alongside the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.

The evening was organized possibly by cochairs Bridie Mahoney and Brendan Kerins and its master of ceremonies was Tony Jackson. P.J. Smith, president of the Irish American Society, was also present.

Performances by the Inis Fada Pipe Band, Clann Agus Cairde Ceili Band, Inis Fada Set Dancers and the Donny Golden School of Champion Irish Step Dancers entertained hundreds of fans packed into the fields of the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre.

The National Anthem was performed by Tommy Mulvihill and Sean Quinn. The Tommy Mulvihill Band took the stage later in the evening to put on a complete set. The band features Mulvihill, a Celtic singer.

Frank Alagia, the deputy commissioner of Nassau County parks, recreation and museums, on behalf of County Executive Bruce Blakeman, presented citations to several honorees.

The honorees included Michelle Byrne, Jeff Clark, Michael Flannery, Ed Friel, Don Lavin, Mary Lennon, Rita Lydon-Lenz, Don Mahoney, Frances McLoughlin, Niall Mulligan, Eileen Myers and Kit Smith.

There’s more free concerts and cultural nights in store throughout the remainder of the summer. For more information and a full list of upcoming shows, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

–Jordan Vallone

Citations were presented to the evening’s honorees by Frank Alagia, the deputy commissioner of Nassau County parks, recreation and museums, on behalf of County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

Dancers from the Donny Golden School of Champion Irish Step Dancers took to the stage at Irish American Night on Aug. 21.

12 people were honored by the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk & Queens at Irish American Night in Eisenhower Park.

The Clann Agus Cairde Ceili Band performed popular Irish hits at Irish American Night.

SchoolS

East Rockaway, Lynbrook ready for school

Back-to-school brings a swell of emotions for kids, parents and teachers alike, and this year an additional feeling — urgency to reclaim learning loss during the pandemic.

Educators are cognizant of the importance of each school day this year in helping students, especially younger kids, get back on track in reading and math.

“That is the purpose of our science and reading programs, especially at the younger grades,” said Lynbrook Superintendent Paul Lynch. “We had seen that there was learning loss. It is a concerted approach in reading and continually monitoring student progress both at the individual and cohort levels. More so at the individual level.”

East Rockaway Superintendent James DeTommaso said in a letter to parents that the district will continue to place high importance on the well-being of every child, especially as students continue to readjust to life after the pandemic.

“We place great emphasis on the

social and emotional wellbeing of all children, recognizing its crucial role in their overall growth,” DeTommaso said.

“To this end, we are proud to continue our dedicated efforts through our RULER and Sources of Strength programs. These initiatives provide our students with valuable tools to navigate life’s many challenges and put them on a path for lifelong success.”

Lynbrook is starting a drone class and drone club at the high school year. Lynch said students can earn an FAA license to fly drones commercially. The school will also offer a traditional woodworking class but with a computer lab to enhance the experience.

Lynbrook also has a new lunch program in the elementary schools, and is partnering with a second community organization to provide universal pre-k.

“They are really embracing our curriculum,” Lynch said. “They are taking professional development with us so the instructional approach matches with the district.”

— Mark Nolan

Community unites for back-to-school event

The National Council of Jewish Women hosted its eighth annual Back 2 School Store event on Aug. 6, aiding elementary students from underserved communities in obtaining clothing and school essentials for the upcoming school year.

The annual event was jointly sponsored by the South Shore Section and the Peninsula Section of the NCJW. The South Shore Section includes several communities, including Baldwin, Freeport, Island Park, Long Beach, Oceanside and Rockville Centre, showcasing their commitment to the collective well-being of the children of these neighborhoods.

More than 250 volunteers came together to ensure the success of the event, which saw an attendance of approximately 800 elementary school students.

Children were paired with personal shoppers to pick out essential items without their parents. The young participants selected everything from winter jackets and sneakers to shirts, pants, socks, toiletries, backpacks, and other school necessities. Local and national businesses generously provided all-new items as donations for the event.

The goal of the B2SS event is to instill a sense of empowerment in the children, ensuring they feel confident and well-prepared as they start the new school year.

Youngsters were treated to a back to school event on Aug. 6.

As the children were shopping, their parents had the opportunity to engage with the Family Resource Center. The center collaborates with various agencies and organizations throughout Nassau County, offering vital information on health and county-specific services beneficial for both the parents and their families.

An additional day was scheduled several days ahead of the main event. This exclusive day was specifically for children with disabilities, ensuring they could partake in the shopping experience comfortably.

With the support of local businesses and tireless volunteers, this year’s B2SS event has once again highlighted the strength and unity of the community in ensuring every child starts the school year with confidence.

— Angelina Zingariello

Herald File Photo

Alzheimer’s Foundation brings walk to Nassau

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

They are walking for a cure at Eisenhower Park this year — a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America bringing its annual walk to Nassau County this year on Saturday, Sept. 9. Fundraising efforts center around enriching the lives of those with the disease, and creating hope for a future without it.

Bert Brodsky founded the group in 2002, a decade after he lost his mother to the disease after a 12-year struggle. Today, the foundation provides support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias worldwide. It also funds research for new treatments — and hopefully, one day, a cure.

This is the first time the East Meadow park is hosting the walk — something that had previously been held in the Town of Babylon, according to Chuck Fuschillo, the foundation’s president and chief executive who also is a former state senator. Eisenhower Park caught the attention of organizers after it opened a respite care area this past May.

The respite care park, Fuschillo said, serves many purposes.

“One, is for caregivers to go with the person they’re caring for in a beautiful setting,” he said. “It’s also for themselves, to avoid caregiver burnout. But it’s also educational — there are signs along the

park that provide education about Alzheimer’s disease, and tips and strategies for caregivers.”

Signage also provides contact information for the foundation’s national helpline at (866) 232-8484, which connects callers to licensed social workers trained to help with situations that may arise when caring for Alzheimer’s patients.

The foundation’s national Walk in the Park weekend will include physical walks on Long Island, and on Sept. 10 in New York City’s Battery Park.

“We encourage people to participate in both walks, but we have walkers through-

out the entire country that create their own walks and support the work of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America,” Fuschillo said. “So, we’re very appreciative of individuals doing this throughout the entire country on that weekend.”

The walk serves as a major fundraiser for some of the foundation’s programs and initiatives. For example, the organization recently finalized the purchase of a building in Amityville, which will become the its Long Island education and resource center. There, the foundation will offer daily therapeutic programs, dementia training to professionals and

nonprofessionals in the health care industry, memory screenings and more.

“It will be one of the largest therapeutic and domestic training centers on the island,” Fuschillo said. “You know, this disease has affected so many people and it’s continually growing throughout Long Island — there’s more than 60,000 people living with it now. We want to make sure that we have support services for families. And we’re also providing hope with the research dollars that we provide.”

The foundation also funds research at Stony Brook University and NYU Langone, as well as the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health in Manhasset. Some of it includes finding new treatment for Alzheimer’s patients who experience hallucinations and agitation — work that takes place at Feinstein.

The foundation also provides scholarships to high school seniors across the country who submit essays detailing how Alzheimer’s disease has impacted their lives. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $450,000 to college-bound students.

Registration for the walk can be done so ahead of time at AlzFdn.org/walk. Individuals can register with a team or as a solo walker. They can also sign up onsite, the day of the walk.

This year’s goal is to raise $300,000, with nearly $85,000 already collected. In-person registration opens at 9 a.m. at Field 6, located at 1899 Park Blvd. The walk officially kicks off at 10.

Courtesy Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of American host its national Walk in the Park weekend this year at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. The walk is slated to take place Saturday, Sept. 9.

Upcoming 9/11 memorial ceremonies

Communities throughout Nassau County hold solemn 9/11 memorial ceremonies every year to commemorate the tragic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Village of East Rockaway

Monday, Sept. 11

7 p.m.

Memorial Park, Atlantic Avenue

Village of Lynbrook

Monday, Sept. 11

7 p.m.

Memorial Garden at Village Hall, Columbus Drive

Arrests for bicycle theft

A teenager who allegedly pointed a switchblade knife at three victims during a bicycle robbery on Rhame Avenue was arrested by Nassau County police Friday, Aug. 25 in East Rockaway.

Police said a 13-year-old boy showed a gray and silver switchblade knife and pointed it at three 14-year-old boys in front of 80 Ocean Ave. at 5:15 p.m. Six total suspects ages 12-13 confronted the three boys.

According to police, an unknown 13-year-old boy suspect asked one of the victims if he could ride his SE Block Flyer bicycle. When the victim refused, the suspect pushed the victim and the bicycle fell to the ground. The suspect rode the bicycle with a female suspect, 12, on the rear pegs.

The three victims confronted the suspects on Rhame Avenue wanting the bicycle returned. The two female sus -

in East Rockaway

pects approached a second male victim and each slapped his head in an attempt to take his bicycle, police said.

Police said the 13-year-old with the knife “pushed the owner of the bicycle and stated that it was his now.”

The victims then contacted the police. After an investigation, two 13-year-old male juveniles were arrested. Two 12-year-olds, one male and one female, were also arrested. Police said the bicycle was not recovered.

Each defendant was charged with first-degree robbery. The 13-year-old male defendant who allegedly displayed the knife was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, according to police. Other charges by police included harassment and possession of stolen property.

— Mark Nolan

“A Continued Family Tradition”

Even in today's changing environment, home sales in our area remain strong & steady. While interest rates may have risen, there's still a lack of inventory and Motivated & Qualified buyers still need homes to purchase.

Choosing the right agent can definitely make a difference. As your neighbor, I know the worth of our wonderful area, as your realtor I have the expertise to guide you through your next move.

Christine Nappi Licensed Real Estate Salesperson O 516.307 9406 | M 917 751 0261 christine.nappi@elliman com

Award Recipient

elliman.com

STEPPING OUT

Anders Osborne Duo

Backyard pleasures

…even as summer winds down

By Karen Bloom

Home is a place of refuge. Now more so than ever, we’ve rediscovered the pleasures of our abodes to entertain, relax and otherwise “chill out.”

We learned as we endured the coronavirus pandemic that moving our living spaces to the outdoors — with many of the creature comforts of indoors — has so many benefits. It’s something we’ll continue to enjoy to fullest in the seasons — and years ahead.

Your backyard is the ideal location to create summers full of memories for you, your family and friends, which will easily continue through fall. Easy to access? Check. Affordable? You bet. Able to accommodate all sorts of activities? Absolutely.

Your backyard’s potential is really only limited by your imagination and willingness to roll up your sleeves to create a sensational space. Plus, you can get the whole family involved in the process — from start to finish.

“Home is not where you live your life – it’s how you live your life,” says food stylist and consultant Wendy Perry.

Today’s outdoor vocabulary includes words like al fresco (in the fresh air), patio (Spanish for back garden), lanai (Hawaiian covered room), veranda (open-walled roofed porch) and portico (covered walkway with columns supporting it).

“We’ve all been practicing our ‘backyarding’ skills for the last few years, taking our indoor lives out into the green space around us,” says Kris Kiser, president of the TurfMutt Foundation. “Now’s a great time to turn your yard into the ideal outdoor room.”

She cites a recent poll commissioned by the TurfMutt Foundation and conducted by The Harris Poll, that reports more than three-quarters of Americans who have a yard (76 percent) say the family yard space is one of the most important parts of their home.

Backyards can become your personal oasis. Fire pits, now all the rage, can be used for warmth on a chilly fall night. Overhead awnings can be used to shade you from the hot sun. Careful landscaping can turn a stone walkway into a tempting journey.

You might want to consider the approaching Labor Day weekend as an opportunity to get all hands on deck to begin the process of giving your yard a facelift. The first step to establishing a fun zone is to work with what you have. Think of it as a pre-fall cleanup. Clean out flowerbeds. Clear the yard of debris. Spread a fresh layer of mulch around trees and bushes. And keep the grass mowed.

See what additional trees, shrubs and plants might be needed.

List all the fun you want to continue to have outside. Identify activity zones for games, entertaining and relaxation. Can your lawn lure your kids away from their screens and into the great outdoors for cornhole bocce ball, croquet, or a giant checkers board game? Do you have a patio table or deck where family game nights can be held? Have a swimming pool where you can plan a “dive in” movie night, and invite your neighbors to bring their favorite pool float? Not to mention a memorable family “staycation” in your own backyard with camping, parties and more.

Bring learning outdoors. Learning is, of course, a year-round process. Keep “summer slide” at bay by setting up an area for outdoor learning, like a space under a shade tree where your kids can do summer reading. Create games and do experiments outdoors.

Don’t forget Fido. Pets are part of the family, too, so think about what backyard improvements you can make to ensure they fully enjoy their outdoor time. Add a water feature for them to cool off. Plant some bushes for napping in the shade. Use a row of hedges to separate their “business” spot from the rest of the backyard activity areas. Just remember when planting to check the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants. Make outdoors as inviting as indoors. Think about ways to make your outdoor living area just as comfortable as your indoor spaces. String lights add a warm glow. That fire pit is great for toasting marshmallows. Consider the good you’re doing. Whether putting in a vegetable garden, planting pollinator-supporting shrubs and flowers, or creating activity zones, your family yard can do a lot — all at once, both for your family and the environment. A grassy area is not only a field for play, but it’s also an excellent carbon-capturing and oxygen-producing space.

Planting shrubs and flowering plants feeds our birds, bees and butterflies. A leafy tree is a perfect perch for a relaxing swing in a hammock, and it provides shade to combat the heat island effect. It also produces oxygen and captures carbon. A garden where you can grow some food for the family gets you digging in the dirt, proven to be good for our immune systems and happiness. (Soil is the new Prozac, after all.)

The roots/Americana rocker brings his acclaimed sound to the Landmark stage. Between the potency of his richly detailed songwriting, intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is regarded among the most original musicians writing and performing today. Osborne’s six-string virtuosity, inventive musicality, and poetic songcraft underpin an everexpanding three-decade catalog celebrated by fans and critics alike. As a sought-after studio talent, his writing resounds through Keb Mo’s award-winning ‘Slow Down,’ Tim McGraw’s ‘Watch the Wind Blow By,’ and more. His extensive touring history encompasses collaborations and performances alongside everyone from Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, and Stanton Moore, to Phil Lesh and Jackie Greene. Not to mention, he lit up the screen on an episode of the HBO hit ‘Treme.

Sunday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. $48 and $43. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444, or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Sugar Ray

Sugar Ray closes out the summer concert season at Eisenhower Park. Most everything continues to change, yet Sugar Ray never seem to go out of style. While leaders cycle in and out of office, trends come and go. Vinyl dies, then comes back to life. Television shows go off the air and end up somewhere on the internet. Sugar Ray might just outlast them all. Beyond sales of 10 million records, four top-10 songs, streams in the hundreds of millions, and tickets sold, Sugar Ray — co-founded by Mark McGrath (vocals) and Rodney Sheppard (lead guitar) — embodies the endless summer of popular music and culture. Furthermore, how many acts can claim sharing the stage with the Rolling Stones, KISS, and the Sex Pistols; collaborating with Run-DMC, and interpolated by Post Malone? Just Sugar Ray. As always, bring seating.

Sunday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov/parks.

Photos: The backyard is an important extension of a home’s living space, so it makes sense that your family’s individual style be reflected in its design.

THE Your Neighborhood

Sept. 8

George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Since 1975, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have sold over 15 million albums, played more than 8,000 ferocious live shows, and built a catalog of classic hits that includes “Who Do You Love”, “I Drink Alone”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, “Move It On Over” and “Get A Haircut.” Their definitive badass anthem “Bad To The Bone,” deemed the most popular song for bikers by Spotify, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. Now “one of the most iconic bands in rock & roll history” (according to the Rapid City Journal, among others) celebrates it all with their tour Bad All Over The World: 50 Years Of Rock, visiting the Paramount stage, Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m. For the past 50 years, it’s been very good to be George Thorogood & The Destroyers. And in 2023, their tour Bad All Over The World: 50 Years Of Rock will prove why like never before. “If you’re content, you may as well be dead.” George says. “I think everyone has thoughts about retiring, but the phone keeps ringing. ‘You want me and The Destroyers to come to your town, set up our gear, wear some cool threads and play ‘Who Do You Love?’ End of conversation. Let’s rock!” $89.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster. com or ParamountNY.com.

Celebrate Football

Sept. 9

Bird walk

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” at Nassau County Museum of Art. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

The South Shore Audubon Society welcomes all to join its members for a bird walk, at the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area, Saturday, Sept. 9, starting at 9 a.m. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. 500 Slice Drive, off Waukeena Ave. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. Also text regarding questionable weather conditions. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org

Leaf Peepers

Celebrate fall and all the colors of the season with the family at Long Island Children’s Museum, Saturday, Sept. 23, 12-2 p.m. Use your imagination to make animal art out of colorful leaf shapes, focusing on the seasonal shades of vibrant yellow, deep purple, and fiery orange, at the drop-in program. Suitable for ages 3 and up. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org

St. Jude Run/Walk

Registration is open for the St. Jude Walk/ Run Long Island, presented by Tweezerman International during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m., at Marcum Corporate Offices & Park. The St. Jude Walk/Run offers everyone a chance to walk or run and gather in-person or virtually to raise funds and awareness for the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children. Besides the walk/run, the event features entertainment, food and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Participants will even have the opportunity to connect with St. Jude patients and learn firsthand how their support makes a difference. 10 Melville Park Road, Melville. Register or learn more at StJude.org/walklongisland.

Business profile photo session

Need to update your business profile or resume with a recent photograph of yourself? The East Rockaway Public Library holds a business profile event, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6-7:30 p.m. Three edited .png files will be emailed to you. 477 Atlantic Ave. Visit EastRockawayLibrary. org or call (516) 599-1664 for information.

Protect yourself from scams

Senior Services of America holds an educational seminar on recognizing the danger signs of scams, Monday, Sept. 11, 2-3 p.m., at the Lynbrook Public Library. 56 Eldert St. Visit LynbrookLibrary.org or call (516) 599-8630 for information.

Scam workshop

Senior Services of America visits East Rockaway Public Library with an educational seminar on recognizing the danger signs of scams, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to noon. 477 Atlantic Ave. Visit EastRockawayLibrary. org or call (516) 599-1664 for information.

Alan Cavé in concert

Haitian-American singer Alan Cavé performs with The King of Konpa, Friday, Sept. 1. The event is hosted by Born 2 Hoop and DJ Rome. $25 admission. Ladies are free before 11 p.m. Food, drinks, and hookah. 428 Sunrise Highway. (516) 887-0781.

Having an event?

Sept. 2

Storybook Stroll

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure, Saturday, Sept. 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and open your ears to Mary Howitt’s classic tale The Spider and The Fly.” Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

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.

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Sunday, Sept. 3, 1:30 p.m. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 3330048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

Art talk

Sept. 7

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an in-depth presentation on the current exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Celebrate summer with a dance party

Summer is ending but don’t let the fun stop. Families with kids age 7 and under are invited to an End of the Summer Dance Party, Friday, Sept. 1, 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at Lynbrook Public Library. Dance, enjoy some bowling and play other games. 56 Eldert St. Visit LynbrookLibrary. org or call (516) 599-8630 for information.

Garage/yard sale

Bethany Congregational Church in East Rockaway is holding a garage and yard sale, Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. No vendors. 100 Main St. For more information, call Maryanne Walling, church secretary, at (516) 599-5768..

Fostering helps these animals experience warm, loving homes

its means as much as possible — but they can’t stretch much more.

“If we don’t have fosters we can’t take in any animals,” Baeyens said. “We have four dogs in boarding right now, and that is way past the financial capacity that we have.”

Boarding means that the dogs are housed in a separate facility, while Lend A Paw continues to provide the animal’s food, supplies, and medical resources — on top of paying the facility for housing the animal. It’s simply unsustainable for the nonprofit funded entirely from donations.

“Boarding situations were kind of our last resort,” Baeyens said. “But now there’s just so many dogs that need foster homes that we don’t know what to do with them.”

On top of that, there are seven families who no longer want to be fosters and are trying to return their dogs. Baeyens and the volunteers at Lend A Paw are struggling to find a place for them.

the dogs,” Baeyens said of fosters. “So we know how to better place them.”

For Jill and Joanna Palumbo, a mother and daughter who have been volunteering at Lend A Paw for a year and a half, fostering changed their lives.

“She was the runt of the litter,” said Joanna, 16, of their cat Juliette. “It was really a one-in-a-lifetime experience because she wasn’t doing well. We had to hand feed her. She almost didn’t make it.

“It was definitely a great experience. It just felt good that we saved her.”

The Palumbos described themselves as “failed fosters” — meaning they couldn’t help but fall in love with Juliette and adopt her. They want the same loving home for the other animals that Lend A Paw cares for.

Johanna Baeyens

“At the moment we haven’t resorted to moving into other shelters, but the boarding facility, they’re maxed out,” Baeyens said. “We legitimately have no place for these dogs to go.”

Fostering gives dogs a chance to adjust to home life, while letting both the foster and Lend A Paw learn more about the dog’s personality. When a dog is in a home environment, a foster may learn that the dog is good with young kids, or should be in a one-dog household, or prefers the company of cats. Lend A Paw wants to learn as much as they can about each dog so they can be placed with the best possible forever home match, rather than be set up for failure.

“They are analyzing and watching and learning from

“A lot of the cats that we find are scared and shy,” Joanna said. “But the more they’re around people and they have more human interaction, they break out of their shell and become more friendly. They don’t feel so scared. They can feel loved and cared for.”

One older cat, Anabelle, had been mistreated in a previous home. Matted and mistrusting, she disliked being around other cats and was in the shelter “for the longest time,” Joanna’s mom Jill said. But once she went to a foster home, the difference was night and day — Lend A Paw received videos of Annabelle happy and playing in her new home.

“When they’re being fostered, it’s a whole different atmosphere for them,” Joanna said. “They feel more comfortable. The progress you see is amazing.”

To learn more about Lend A Paw, visit LendAPawInc.com. For those interested in fostering, visit LendAPawInc.com/foster.

Courtesy Jill Palumbo Volunteer Jill Palumbo holds Georgie. She adopted her cat, Juliette, after fostering her.

If we don’t have fosters we can’t take in

Founder

of

Lend A Paw

BEST BARBER SHOP:

TRIMZ Barbershop

20 Guy Lombardo Ave, Freeport (516) 867-1466

trimzbarbershop.com

TRIMZ™ Barbershop maintains traditional barbering while embracing a contemporary and avant-garde space. Honoring the legacy of past barbers, TRIMZ™ stands as a cutting-edge establishment, dedicated to advancing our craft. They aim to provide every customer with the ultimate barbershop journey, offering tailored services by skilled and courteous barbers.

BEST HAIR SALON: East Coast Hair Studio

2869 Long Beach Rd, Oceanside (516) 208-5644

Instagram: @eastcoast_hairstudio

Discover a world of hair transformations at East Coast Hair Studio, where cuts, colors, and beyond come to fruition. Situated in Oceanside, this salon invites you to unleash your creative visions while being surrounded by vibrant, graffiti-inspired murals and captivating decor that add a playful touch to the atmosphere. Their team of skilled hairdressers and colorists stand ready to turn your vision into reality, making your salon experience truly exceptional.

BEST CBD STORE: Natural Remedies - Merrick

1060 Jerusalem Ave, Merrick (516) 992-8417

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Natural Remedies’ friendly and knowledgeable staff helps those looking to ease body pain, life stressors, or simply take a load off find the right CBD product for them. With upfront and honest answers and various ways to consume their products from tea, salves, and gummies, there’s something to suit everyone’s needs; for pets too!

TREAT YOURSELF WITH LONG ISLAND’S PREMIER SERVICES

BEST MANICURE:

Ambiance Salon

1344 Broadway #5 Hewlett (516) 295-4011 theambiancesalon.com

Enjoy much needed “you time” with a fresh manicure at Ambiance Salon. It’s important to take care of yourself and that includes feeling good, inside and out. Treat yourself to a relaxing wash, color, and cut; facial, massage or electrolysis; nail treatments and so much more.

BEST PEDICURE: Belle Beauty Salon and Spa

327 Sunrise Hwy, Rockville Centre (516) 608-9583

bellebeautysalonspa.com

Belle Beauty Salon and Spa, located in Rockville Centre, is a haven of indulgence and rejuvenation. Their exceptional expertise in nail care and other salon services is renowned, attracting clients seeking the ultimate pampering experience. With a team of highly skilled professionals, Belle Beauty Salon and Spa continues to redefine the art of luxurious pedicures, offering a sanctuary where your relaxation and satisfaction take center stage.

BEST MASSAGE: Hand and Stone Massage & Facial Spa Multiple Locations (866) 889-STONE handandstone.com

Returning or first-time customers will enjoy a spa treatment that’s unique to you by licensed/certified/ registered massage therapists or estheticians. The serene environment makes your spa sessions a comfortable and desirable place to be. Each room is private with its own light and sound controls with heated tables and fresh linen so you can become fully immersed in your own tailored experience.

BEST LASER TREATMENT CENTER: Flawless Beauty NY

1177 Broadway, Hewlett (516) 218-2376

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At Flawless Beauty NY, their top priority is enhancing your natural beauty. With their expert team of beauty professionals, they work closely with each client to create a personalized combination of treatments that will bring out their unique beauty from the inside out. Their luxurious services include non-surgical body contouring, non-surgical face lifts, facials, lash lift & tint, brow design & tint, teeth whitening, and more.

BEST SPA/MEDICAL SPA:

Rainforest Med Spa

1757 Front St, East Meadow (516) 900-7772

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Rainforest Med Spa located in East Meadow, has experts ready to carry out a number of services from facial treatments targeting acne, wrinkles and pigmentation to innovative treatments such as Fractional Radio Frequency. They also have body treatments, some of which include body contouring and cellulite treatments. There are also removals and PRP from vampire facials to face lift PRPs.

BEST WAXING:

Calla Lily Rose Beauty Spa

1260 Old Country Rd - Suite 15, Westbury (516) 805-2082

callalilyrose.com

Located in Westbury, Calla Lily Rose Beauty Spa is dedicated to making their clients feel pampered, while looking and feeling beautiful at the same time. Their clients get to relax, unwind and enjoy luxury facial services, laser hair removal and body wraps from a licensed esthetician. Additional services include massages including prenatal massages and assisted stretching from a licensed massage therapist.

Winning would be career highlight for recent high school grads

passion grow. They become dedicated.”

Brianna Smith, 18, Jamie Cook, 18, and Kristen Pearson, 17, have been dancing at Magnolia since they were toddlers. Now co-captains of the group, they all said that the 10-person team can only be described as a family.

“Those people in that group are my absolute best friends in the world,” Smith said. “It’s just great to have people that understand your dream, and understand where you’re coming from when you walk into the studio.”

“We all love each other so much, so it’s very special to share the stage with them,” Cook added. “They’re really like family. The bond that we have together is just so special.”

“Every day I’d walk in and everyone would be there with open arms and such a positive energy,” Pearson said. “I love to dance, and I love to be around the people I was with. I grew up with everybody in my group.”

The team’s captivating piece was set to “All For Us,” by Labrinth. The routine combined everything the students love about one another and dancing — the energy, the camaraderie, the dedication — and put it in motion.

“The piece is called ‘All For Us,’ and it was most of our senior years,” Cook said. “So we really felt like we were doing the dance for us and for our choreographer, as just this special thing to share, this special thing that we’ve created all together.”

“It looks like everybody’s just having fun and enjoying themselves, which is what the environment was on stage,” Pearson said. “And I always saw Miss Dena right front and center, and it just always made it so much more fun and so much more energetic.”

“Just seeing her choreography succeed makes me so happy,” Pearson added, “and being able to do it with

the rest of my best friends just makes the experience even better.”

The dancers say that Vilardi’s energy, dedication and choreographic skills were integral to their success, and their love of the studio.

“She’s an amazing person — an amazing choreographer, teacher,” Smith said. “She’s just very, very special to all of us. And I know we all really wanted to do it for her, and just impress her in any way we could.”

For their part, Vilardi and LoPiccolo are already more than impressed with the group’s talent and passion. They would like to see the routine win the Industry Dance People’s Choice Award, because their students deserve it.

“It’s passion, dedication, determination, perseverance,” LoPiccolo said of the group’s character.

“For this to happen their senior year means everything to them,” Vilardi said. “They put everything they have into this, and trained their whole lives for this moment. And it’s really like the pinnacle for them to go out on such a high note, with one of the highest nominations in the industry.”

“We won as a unit,” Vilardi added. “It wasn’t an individual achievement. This really was a testament to how amazing our studio works together as a family.”

To view the Magnolia Dance Academy team’s winning number and vote for it, go to tinyurl.com/MagnoliaVote.

Courtesy Magnolia Dance Academy

The team’s routine earned a nomination for a People’s Choice Award at the national Industry Dance Awards in Hollywood.

meeting to get their complaints about Capri on the record.

Town to hold special meeting about Capri Motor Inn

By NICOLE FORMISANO nformisano@liherald.com

The Capri Motor Inn, on Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead, was shut down on Aug. 7, with structural issues. The Town of Hempstead is holding a special meeting on Aug. 31 to make sure it stays that way.

“You want to make a difference, you come down to this special board meeting,” Town Supervisor Don Clavin said at an Aug. 24 news conference. “Let your voices be heard about why this facility should be labeled a nuisance.”

The issue of identifying a building as a public nuisance resonates throughout all of Hempstead, including in Lynbrook and East Rockaway.

The meeting, at Hempstead Town Hall, at 1 Washington St., at 11:30 a.m., will begin the process of getting the motel classified as a public nuisance.

The Capri was shut down when an Aug. 7 inspection by the Nassau County fire marshal’s office discovered smoke detectors that were not working, a faulty fire alarm system and unsafe electrical cords, according to officials.

The shutdown is independent of the motel’s reported history of gun violence, drug use and prostitution. The listed owners, L&S Realty Co. in West Hempstead, can reopen the motel if they acquire the proper licensing and resolve the safety issues, officials said.

The community is rallying against the motel’s potential reopening. The West Hempstead Community Support Association has started a petition titled “Keep the Capri Motel Closed,” which gathered more than 600 signatures in the first three days after it was created on Aug. 25.

“For years, the Capri Motel has been a bane on West Hempstead’s community,” County Legislator John Giuffré said in a statement. “Residents and community members have been loud and clear that they do not want this crime-infested business in West Hempstead.”

Police have responded to incidents at the motel 156 times since January, according to Detective Lt. Richard Lebrun, a Nassau County Police Department spokesman. Those incidents included nuisance complaints, drug overdoses and general “criminal activity,” Lebrun said.

“This is not the kind of business that we need in our community if it’s attracting the wrong type of clientele,” Legislator Bill Gaylor said at the conference.

As of now, the Capri is classified as a nuisance by the town Building Department due to structural concerns. In order for the motel to be classified as a public nuisance — which would more directly address the reported criminal activity that has taken place there — the town must hold a public meeting.

“This meeting is about creating a public record to start the process of making this a public nuisance and getting rid of this bane in our community,” Clavin said. “This starts the process. And the residents want it, too.”

Clavin urged those who cannot attend the meeting to send an email to their local representatives so their complaints can be made part of the record.

“By working together,” Clavin said, “we can get an end to this blighted area, this eyesore and, really, this actually amazingly dangerous facility that shouldn’t be in this community anymore.”

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, vs. LORI SCLAFANI AKA LORI SCALAFANI, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale

After Inquest and Appointment of Referee duly entered on January 27, 2020 and an Order Appointing Successor

Referee duly entered on July 5, 2023, 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 September 19, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 7 East Boulevard, East Rockaway, NY 11518. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 42, Block 25 and Lots 26 - 28. Approximate amount of judgment is $512,589.45 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #602724/2019. Cash will not be accepted. 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.

Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 141322

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

VILLAGE OF EAST ROCKAWAY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Rockaway, Nassau County, New York, will hold a Public Hearing at the Village Hall, 376 Atlantic Avenue, East Rockaway, NY on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 8:00 PM on the following application: #04-2023 Application of Eligio & Allison Guarino, Owners, requesting a variance of:

Section 288-20 Rear Yards. of the Village Zoning Code to construct a rear deck with a setback of 21.6 feet from the rear property line, where a minimum of 25 feet is required.

The premises are located at 119 Lawson Avenue, as described on the Official Tax Map as Section 13, Block C-5, Lot 10.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested parties will have the opportunity to be heard at the aforesaid time and place.

BY ORDER OF the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Rockaway.

John F. Felbinger

Superintendent Department of Buildings

Dated: August 31, 2023

141590

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

VILLAGE OF EAST

ROCKAWAY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Rockaway, Nassau County, New York, will hold a Public Hearing at the Village Hall, 376 Atlantic Avenue, East Rockaway, NY on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 8:00 PM on the following application: #05-2023 Application of 400 Atlantic LLC, Owner, requesting a variance of:

“Section 288-47

Prohibited Uses. Q. of the Village Zoning Code to construct an apartment building in a zone where apartment buildings are not permitted.

“Section 288-24 Height. A. of the Village Zoning Code to construct a building that is 4 stories / 39 feet in height where a maximum of 2 Ω stories / 35 feet is permitted.

“Section 288-29 Lot Area. of the Village Zoning Code construction on properties with a combined area of 32,888 square feet (.76 acres) where the minimum required area is 65,340 square feet (1 Ω acres).

“Section 288-108 Required Off-Street Parking. A. (21) (e) of the Village Zoning Code offstreet parking for 51 vehicles, where a minimum of 72 vehicles is required. The premises are located at 400 Atlantic Avenue, as described on the Official Tax Map as Section 18, Block 1, Lots 17, 16, and 15.

TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested parties will have the opportunity to be heard at the aforesaid time and place.

BY ORDER OF the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Rockaway.

John F. Felbinger

Superintendent Department of Buildings

Dated: August 31, 2023 141591

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

In the Matter of the Application Of Empire Offshore Wind LLC For A Certificate Of Environmental Compatibility And Public Need For The Construction Of Approximately 12 Miles Of Transmission Lines

From The Boundary Of New York State Territorial Waters To A Point Of Interconnection In Town Of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, Case 22-T-0346 (the “NY Project”).

Pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law of the State of New York (Article VII), Empire Offshore Wind LLC and EW Offshore Wind Transport Corporation (Empire or the Applicant) is providing notice of a supplement to Empire’s application (Application) for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (Certificate) for the proposed construction and operation of the portion of the transmission system for the Empire Wind 2 offshore wind generating facility located in New York State (the NY Project). The Article VII process is limited to the permitting of Empire Wind 2 within New York State, and construction of the NY Project is not expected to commence before 2024.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT, on August 1, 2023, and August 15, 2023, the Applicant filed a Supplement in the aboveentitled matter with the New York State Public Service Commission (Commission).

DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLEMENT

The Supplement clarifies that the NY Project will include the following:

1. Two (2) threecore 345-kV high voltage alternating-current submarine export cables;

2. An onshore substation in the Village of Island Park which will house major control components for the electrical system and perform functions such as voltage regulation, reactive power compensation, and harmonic filtering;

3. The new Hampton Road substation in Oceanside in the Town in Hempstead, New York which will include substation facilities that will provide the necessary breaker arrays and 345-kV/138-kV transformers; and

4. Four (4) 138-kV loop-in / loopout line cable circuits, located within an approximately 0.1-mi (0.2-km) long cable corridor from the Hampton Road substation to existing LIPA transmission lines located under Lawson Boulevard in Oceanside, New York.

A copy of the Supplement has been filed with the Commission and served upon the Town Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead, the Mayor of the Village of Island Park, the City Manager of the City of Long Beach, New York, and other statutory parties. A copy of the Supplement will also be available on the Department of Public Service website (www.dps.ny.gov), available by clicking on “File Search” (located under the heading “Commission Files”), and entering “22-T-0346” in the “Search by Case Number” field.

Additional information can be found on the NY Project website at https://www.empirewind. com/article-vii and at the following locations:

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Town Supervisor Don Clavin urged community members to attend the Aug. 31 special

Y ou want to make a difference, you come down to this special board meeting. Let your voices be heard about why this facility should be labeled a nuisance.

DON CLAvIN Town supervisor

Seeking Candidates for the Following Positions:

TEACHER AIDES

Starting Salary: $18.65 per hour

Two years’ college preferred

SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AIDES

Salary: $17.00 per hour

Two years’ college preferred

SUBSTITUTE CLEANERS

Salary: $16.00 per hour

District Wide – All Shifts

SUBSTITUTE MONITORS

Salary: $15 per hour

District Wide

SUBSTITUTE REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSE

Salary: $150 per diem

Must have Registered Nurse’s License, CPR and AED Certification

SUBSTITUTE CLERICAL

Salary: $20 per hour

District Wide

SUBSTITUTE SECURITY AIDES

Salary: $20.00 per hour

District Wide

Must have continuing possession of NYS registration as a security guard issued by the NYS Department of State. Security and/or law enforcement experience preferred Candidates are to submit a letter of interest with resume and credentials to:

MS. Diane DrakoPouloS Personnel Clerk east rockaway uFSD

443 ocean avenue, east rockaway, nY 11518 (516) 887-8300 ext. 1-441 ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

The Seaford Union Free School District has the following opening:

SCHOOL NURSE (Floater)

FULL-TIME

Effective Date: August 30, 2023

*Starting Salary $60,948

RN NYS License required, BLS certified

• Experience with school aged children, including students with disabilities preferred.

• Knowledgeable of CDC, OHSA, NYSDOH guidelines as they pertain to disease and or illness including COVID.

• Maintains records and performs screenings as per N.Y.S guidelines.

• Provides basic healthcare and first aid to students that are ill, medically fragile and/or injured.

• Provides treatment, documents injuries and maintains ongoing student medical records.

• Administers daily medications.

• Knowledgeable of diabetic care and seizure protocol in a school setting.

• Must have superior nursing skills to include experience in emergency procedures, anaphylaxis, injuries and general triage.

• Must be highly skilled communicator, with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Must be collaborative in nature and contribute to the health and well being of the school community.

On-Line Applications Only www.olasjobs.org/nassau

Field Ser vice Technicians F/T

(Mobile Mechanics) Needed For Crown Lift Trucks Nassau/Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx

$24- $45/hour based on experience џ

HEWLETT-WOODMERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT TEACHERS For Yeshiva

Of South Shore. Afternoon Hours. Competitive Pay. Please Send Resume To: monika@yoss.org

ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL /COL-

LEGE /GRAD SCHOOL STUDENTS :

Staff Needed Before School 7:00-9:00AM

Afterschool 2:45-6:00PM. Experience with children preferred. Friedberg JCC Locations in Oceanside, Bellmore, Baldwin, Long Beach, Island Park. Send resume to: tcorchado@friedbergjcc.org or call 516 -634-4179.

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a

FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department.

Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.

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

DELI

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off.

Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

PART TIME ASSISTANTS

Garden City Childcare Center

Monday through Friday $15 per hour

HS Diploma Required Call 516-572-7614

PERSONAL TRAINER : Fitness Studio East Rockaway. Competitive Compensation. Experience Required. Email resume amplifiedems@gmail.com Call (516)253-5450

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

NEUROLOGICAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM BY PARAGON HEALTHCARE

Long Island’s Premier Short-Term Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation Team

Long Island’s Premier Short-Term Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation Team

Innovative Patient Centered Care Rehabilitating Patients with Brain Injury, Stroke, and other Neurological Disorders. Intense rehabilitation programming is provided up to 3.5 hours per day and up to 7 days per week.

Innovative Patient Centered Care Rehabilitating Patients with Brain Injury, Stroke, and other Neurological Disorders. Intense rehabilitation programming is provided up to 3.5 hours per day and up to 7 days per week.

PT/OT/Speech Therapy, Brain Training and Cognitive Rehab. Certified Brain Injury Specialists On Site.

PT/OT/Speech Therapy, Brain Training and Cognitive Rehab. Certified Brain Injury Specialists On Site.

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE open-

HomesHERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

East Atlantic Beach

FEMA Compliant Stunner

Welcome home to this totally renovated, 2 story home with parking for 3 cars plus storage. This brand new home boasts a main floor with living room, 3 bedrooms, full bath and deck. The top floor features a state of the art kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances, a primary bedroom with full bath, office, half bath and deck with ocean views. There is ground level parking and storage, sliders to back deck, brand new CAC, washer/dryer, on demand hot water heater and sprinklers. You will love having your own private beach! Enjoy all the West End of Long Beach has to offer with the privacy of living in East Atlantic Beach!

The problems water causes

Q. Our attic air conditioning leaked into our ceiling. The ceiling is so wet we need to replace it. We now understand we’ll need to have the pipe that drains water out of our A.C. drain pan blown out every spring, and now have a service contract for that. The insulation is also wet. We were told to let it dry out and it will be fine. Is this true? Also, the ceiling joists over our 12-foot-wide master bedroom are only 2 x 6, which might cause the ceiling to sag and isn’t enough for the insulation, we’re told, which we understand has to be 10 inches thick. When we asked our contractor about this, he told us we can push the insulation down and then replace the plywood floor in our attic. What do you think?

SUNday, 9/3/23 HEWLETT Bay Pa RK

190 Meadowview Ave, BA, Ever Dream of Living in A Castle?

This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14. Near All. Must See This Unique Home! REDUCED $2,700,000

HEWLETT

1390 Broadway #102, BA, NEW! Move Right Into This

Magnificent Newly Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse. Open Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths, HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC, Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr Doorman, Valet Pkg, Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship $579,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft,

2 Bedroom A(Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious

Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER! $579,000

WOOdMERE

504 Saddle Ridge Rd, BA , Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime Location! Granite/ Wood EIK Opens to Dining Room & Living Room. Lower Level Den. HW Flrs, Gas Heat, CAC. Oversized Property! SD#14.

Rhonda Healy

Century 21 Verdeschi & Walsh Realty 1025 W. Beech Street Long Beach 516.236.7269 cell rhondaghealy@gmail.com

A. When it rains, it pours. The leaking was a wakeup call that A.C. unit condensation occurs every summer season, and even though you have a drain pan, if it doesn’t have a working sensor to shut off before the drain pan overflows and you never clean the drain pan pipe to the outdoors, the water overflows. You should, by law (code), have a floor in the attic around the unit, also, which can dry out, since it remains structural, and will be minimally affected by the water.

The insulation and the sheetrock are another story. If the sheetrock hasn’t loosened and isn’t sagging, then it can just be left to dry out. Make certain, even using a moisture meter, that the sheetrock is completely dry before repainting to avoid potential mildew and discoloration. The insulation, if it is either fiberglass or closed-cell foam, can be dried out also, but only if it can be exposed. This means removing the plywood flooring above so that air can get to the insulation.

In addition, the insulation should be inspected to see that it isn’t compressed by the saturation weight of the water, since compressing insulation, contrary to what you were told, actually takes away the ability for it to work properly. The principle behind insulation technology isn’t just the use of thermally resistant material but, most critically, the insulation forms tiny air pockets within the material that form the resistance to air passing through. Each trapped air bubble slows the transfer of cold or heat by first conducting or resisting the temperature change within the air molecules.

Heat moves by one of three mechanical principles, convection, conduction and radiation. If the air bubbles or pockets in the insulation are pressed closer together and the material made denser by this, the conduction or transfer of temperature is easier, so the insulation has less likelihood of resisting, and resisting is what you want insulation to do. It would be great to rebuild the floor with deeper joists or have closed-cell foam sprayed in, since it also resists water saturation to solve the problem. Good luck!

© 2023 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.

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA,1534 BROADWAY #205, BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER!!Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom(Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BAY PARK BA,.190 Meadowview Ave Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!..REDUCED

$2,700,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-4299

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

CEDARHURST BA, 332B Peninsula Blvd, Move Right Into This Updated 3 Br, 2.5 Bth Coop Townhouse. LR, DR, Gran/Wood Kit w/ Stainless Steel Appl. Trex Deck Off LR.Primary Ste Features Updtd Bth & WIC. Att Gar Plus 1 Pkg Spot incl in Maintenance. W/D in Unit.Pull Down Attic.SD#15. Convenient to Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$449,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 1390 Broadway #102, NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths,HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC,Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr Doorman, Valet Pkg, Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Parking Space Available

COMMERCIAL PARKING VANS, TRUCKS, TRAILERS, STORAGE CONTAINERS, OVERNIGHT, DAYTIME 516 996 5818

Garages For Rent

OCEANSIDE 2 CAR Garage.Great Location.Good for Classic Cars or Storage. Call For Further Informations. Must See! 516-476-8787

Florida Real Estate

WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd.,Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime Location! Granite/Wood EIK Opens to Dining Room & Living Room. Lower Level Den. HW Flrs, Gas Heat, CAC. Oversized Property! SD#14.Near All!..$999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Apartments For Rent

CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For One Bedroom When Available.

(516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/ (516)582-9978

OCEANSIDE 1st Floor, 2Bds, 1Bath, Large EIK, Large LR, Fin. Basement/ Bath Yard, Oceanside SD. Call 516-476-8787

DELRAY BEACH, FL: For Sale, opportunity before it hits the market! Single Story Ranch Condo. Beautifully appointed in desirable Emerald Pointe gated community, Approx 1800 Sq Ft. Furnished, All Appliances, 2 Bed / 2 Bath, Eat-In Kitchen, Walk-In Closets, Great Interior Storage and Exterior Storage Room, Screened-In Porch with Dual Interior Access, New Rheem HVAC Jan 2019, Ceiling fans throughout, 4 Private Parking Spots, Clubhouse with Auditorium, Pool, Gym, Tennis, Pickleball (TBD), Game and Card Rms, Interior Walking-Paths, Pet Friendly, 55+ Community, Easy access to Palm Beach International and Ft Lauderdale Airports. Exciting Downtown Delray offers beautiful Beaches, Shopping, Restaurants, and Nightlife. Asking $309,999. Call David at 248-240-8154 SWCGRPMI@gmail.com

Herald

Home Sales

A sampling of recent sales in the area

Baldwin $670,000

Park Avenue. Other. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen. Living room with fireplace. Formal dining room. Den/ family room. Master bedroom with fireplace. Charming historical details, including French doors.

Taxes: $13,593

East Meadow $785,000

Cleveland Avenue. Expanded Ranch. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Updated eat-in kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room and home office. First floor master bedroom. Updates include cathedral ceiling, skylight and security system.

Taxes: $13,299.60

Elmont $692,500

Francis Court. Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Front porch. First floor master bedroom. Updates include gas fireplace.

Taxes: $12,350

Lido Beach $999,000

Lido Boulevard. Split Level. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen. Den/family room and home office. Updates include cathedral ceiling and skylight.

Taxes: $12,374.48

Lynbrook $861,000

Northumberland Gate. Split Level. 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen. Granite countertops. Formal dining room.

Taxes: $18,766.97

Merrick $720,000

Wynsum Avenue. Splanch. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Partial finished basement. Large eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Den/family room with sliders to spacious yard. Laundry room on main level. Updates include cathedral ceiling. Great location within walking distance of Wynsum Avenue Park.

Taxes: $22,916.44

Oceanside $745,000

River Avenue. Expanded Cape. 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and pantry. Open layout. Den/family room. Skylight and wood burning stove. Updates include cathedral ceiling and security system.

Taxes: $13,057

Rockville Centre $1,775,000

Allen Road. Colonial. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms. Gourmet eat-in kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Ample storage.

Taxes: $18,500

West Hempstead $630,000

Fairlawn Avenue. Cape. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. Updated modern open eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, island and stainless steel appliances. Living room with fireplace. Two bedrooms on first level, large bedroom with office on second floor. Private yard. Convenient location near transportation and shopping.

Taxes: $12,602

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

Stuff

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

We Buy Antiques, Fine Art, Coins & Jewelry

Finds Under $100

PROHT 100 INCH, Portable Tripod Projection Screen, New, $45, 516-816-7383, Wantagh

Handyman

Health & Fitness

Brick/Block/Concrete/Masonry

*MICHAEL LO BAIDO CONSTRUCTION*

Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 45 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com

TABLETOP GRILL, PROPANE, 13"W x 19"L, New, $35, 516-816-7383, Wantagh

516-671-6464

FINDS UNDER $100

Finds Under $100

20LB YORK DUMBELL set and 12lb Reebok dumbell set. $40 for both sets.

516-707-0357

32 X 32 Mirror beveled edge etchings in corners, hardware included for hanging.$70.00 (516)579-9089 excellent

ANTIQUE BLUE AND white flow blue pitcher 8" and bowl 10". Excellent condition

$60 516-295-1548

ANTIQUE HALF DOLL lamp 7" tall original lace dress. needs plug, $55

516 295-1548

GIRLS FALL CLOTHES Size 5 New with Tags $8 each item. 917-420-5814

GIRLS FALL CLOTHES Size 8 New with Tags $9 each item. 917-420-5814

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

OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORA-

TIONS: Lights, Lawn Ornaments, Tree Ornaments, 10 Figure Nativity Set w/Stable. Free! 516-889-3439

TOP FLIGHT GOLF clubs for sale. Irons

3-9 plus pitching iron. $99.00 516-333-9878

VINTAGE VOLTRON LION force 11" pull back motion action toy w/sword, shield. $75. mint 516-707-0357

Finds $100-$350

DINING ROOM CHAIRS (6): Beige, Strong, Beautiful, Luxurious. 2 Slightly Soiled. $350 Negotiable. Call 516-889-0321

SERVICES

Appliance Srvc./Repair

APPLIANCE REPAIRS Washers, Dryers, Ranges, Ovens, Refrigerators, Freezers,

Cement Specialist, Brickwork, Interlock Bricks, Belgium Blocks, Stoops, Patios, Driveways, Sidewalks, Basement Entrances, Pavers, Waterproofing. Quality Work, Lic./ Ins. Owner Always Onsite Free Estimates 516-354-5578

Doors & Windows

DOOR INSTALLATION & REPAIRS Free Estimates! We Manufacturer, Supply, and Install All Types of Doors. Entrance Doors, Garage Doors, Patio Doors, Kantm Storm Doors. Custom Sizes Available. MR. DOORS 516-781-7596

Electricians

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

HErald Crossword Puzzle

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

Home Improvement

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

HANDY DANDY HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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

Dan 516-342-0761

Privacy Hedge! Arborvitae 6-foot Reduced to $125/each. Free Installation, Free Delivery. Fast growing, High-quality Beautiful & Bushy! Order now to reserve for early Fall delivery. LowCostTrees.com 518-536-1367

SECURE YOUR HOME with Vivint Smart Home technology. Call 866-601-1219 to learn how you can get a professionally installed security system with $0 activation.

Miscellaneous

BEST SATELLITE TV with 2 Year Price Guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 888-508-5313

Power Washing

POWERWASHING ALL SURFACES: Houses, Fences, Concrete/ Brick, Decks/Sealing. . ANTHONY & J HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. 516-678-6641 Sprinkler Syst./Irrig.Wells

Autos Wanted ***AAA*** AUTO

ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 888-514-3044

HEARING AIDS!! HIGH-QUALITY rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-598-5898

MY CARING PLAN'S local advisors have helped thousands of families with unique needs find senior living. Can you afford 2k a month in rent? We can help for free!

866-989-1812

VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 855-413-9574

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

LEXUS, LS430, 2002: 107,533 Miles, Excellent Condition, Automatic, Green Grey, Leather Seats, Well Maintained, Dealer Serviced, Garage Kept, New Michelin Tires, $8,500. Motivated 516-760-0468

MAZDA MIATA 2015 Club Edition, Silver Black Interior, 17,000 Miles, Perfect Condition. If Looking for a Miata, This is a good One To Buy. $22,000 917-273-3737

Professional Services

Tree Services

T&M GREENCARE TREE SERVICE *Tree Removal *Stump Grinding *Pruning *Roof Line Clearing. Residential and Commercial. "We Beat All Competitors' Rates." Lowest Rates. *Senior Discount. Free Estimates. *516-223-4525, 631-586-3800 www.tmgreencare.com

Satellite/TV Equipment

DIRECTV. NEW 2-YEAR Price Guarantee. The most live MLB games this season, 200+ channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR

Our children’s education can’t be all about numbers

imagine students who can not only grasp the concepts of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, courses through the diligent application of the scientific method, but also generate original and thought-provoking work in the humanities. Picture them creating intricate pieces in fine, performing and culinary arts, and graduating with a thorough comprehension of holistic health and physical wellbeing. Isn’t this the kind of holistic education that benefits society?

But such growth and learning cannot be conveniently distilled into numerical values. It’s a fallacy to assume that numbers hold the ultimate truth about the depth of our students’ learning.

The New York State Education Department has created a blue-ribbon

committee to present potential changes to graduation measures. One desired change is to shift toward more holistic assessments that evaluate a broader range of skills and knowledge alongside the traditional Regents exams, incorporating project-based assessments, portfolios, presentations and other methods.

Additionally, there is a need for more flexible pathways to graduation, acknowledging students’ diverse strengths, interests and career goals. New pathways could involve offering various courses, internships and experiences on college campuses, allowing students to specialize in their areas of passion.

A focus on real-world relevance is also important, emphasizing practical skills, critical thinking, problem solving and the application of knowledge to prepare students for future challenges. The aim is to create a learning environment that nurtures mastery, creativity and individual identity, in which students

can pursue their unique interests and meet their specific needs. By fostering each student’s unique identity, we can ensure equal opportunities for success and access to necessary resources and support, irrespective of their background or circumstances. It would require flexible scheduling, differentiated instruction, and opportunities for students to pursue their interests.

There is a prevailing concern that the Education Department might contemplate reducing standards and expectations. I am hopeful that it will do no such thing, and I strongly oppose any such direction of thought. All students, without exception, should be given the chance to display their mastery in all areas of learning. This encompasses a comprehensive understanding of subjects ranging from STEM to humanities, encompassing fine, performing and culinary arts as well as physical education and health.

Across the nation, societal divisions have deepened, yet our common ground outweighs our differences. Unfortunately, the decline of tight-knit neighborhoods, the excessive reliance on social media, and the neglect of reading have hindered genuine and civil interactions among us. Instead of engaging meaningfully with our neighbors, we often resort to shouting into the echo chambers of social platforms. Both classic and contemporary literary works are rejected as unworthy of our attention, further fragmenting our intellectual pursuits.

As educators, we possess the extraordinary power to give students the platform to realize their potential. I promote the idea of the hashtag “Read Write Think Critically Daily.” Rather than instructing students what to think, our role should focus more on guiding them in the art of critical thinking. I sincerely hope that any forthcoming changes in graduation requirements will be designed to unlock the full potential of every student.

Gone camping, better late than never

There are probably some experiences people shouldn’t try for the first time when they’re over 65, but I really wanted to go camping out West. I don’t much like the notion of a “bucket list,” with its attendant connotation of impending bucketkicking, but I knew I wanted to try camping while I’m still fit.

My daughter, an experienced outdoorswoman, organized the adventure, and came along with her two kids, ages 6 and 4. My son and daughter-inlaw immediately signed on with their two kids, 10 and 8. We picked a week in August when my husband would be immersed in the most anticamping experience imaginable, a trade show in Las Vegas.

He didn’t go outside for six days straight, working, eating, sleeping in the hotel. We didn’t go inside for a week, except to sleep (briefly).

Long story short: I’m thrilled that I went. I did it all, and now I’m done.

We drove from San Francisco to the Big Sur Campground, about three hours south. First observation: To camp you must be willing to do an enormous amount of work that you wouldn’t need to do if you just stayed home in your house.

We had tents and sleeping bags, a medical kit, a cooler filled with food, bags of dry groceries, water, wool hats and gloves, layers of silk and wool and spare shoes, eyeglasses and medications. We brought wine and cheeses and salamis and bread and peanut butter and jelly.

We arrived at the campground in the late afternoon. Look at it through my eyes: a stunning expanse of land set among giant redwoods; a pictureperfect creek burbling around the perimeter of the campground; kids in rubber tubes floating by. But I expected wilderness, and we pitched our tents right next to cars and giant RVs. It was like sleeping in a parking lot, with a serious possibility of getting run over in the middle of the night.

We got the tents set up and put wood beside the fire pit and went off on a small hike. The smell of fresh pine trees was intoxicating, and I was really beginning to relax when I saw the posted sign warning about mountain lion attacks. It said that if a mountain lion leaps at you, try to look big. I wonder how one does that.

We hiked on. It was a walk that ended at a beach, a stunning landscape of rocks and crashing waves. Of course, no one can swim in the northern Pacific without a wetsuit, and the great whites are kind of a buzz kill, but the kids had fun on the beach.

Back at the campsite, we made a dinner plan. This being Northern California camping, we had a reservation at Nepenthe, a trendy restaurant a few miles away. Think $25 entrees. Set on a cliff over the sea, the place attracted elegant women driving expensive sports cars and men with just the right amount of shabby chic to disguise their immense wealth. It was as if the entire Silicon Valley was in Big Sur for the weekend. These people weren’t camping out unless it was at Clint Eastwood’s Carmel estate.

Back at the campsite, day was done. People were in their tents and RVs. I noticed it was dark. Not just dark but a total blackout, with just a sliver of moon in the sky over the trees. Where had I put my toothbrush? How would I brush my teeth? What if, heaven forbid, I had to go to the bathroom during the night? Turns out there were communal bathrooms and showers.

We slept, we ate well, we played in the creek and we toasted s’mores over our campfire. Still, I don’t get it. A campground does have some amenities, but it also has other people who cook smelly food and play music at night and bring their annoying dogs. The idea seems to be that you drag as much equipment — food and lights and tents and blow-up mattresses and portable stoves — as you can to make yourself comfortable when

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published Aug. 29, 2013.

you could just stay home and not have to walk a quarter-mile in the dark to pee.

That’s the unromantic take on camping.

This is what I choose to remember: my four grandkids, sitting around the campfire at night, stuffing their faces with marshmallows and chocolate. They ask for a “Grandma Randi story” and I tell them one:

“Sabrina, Jacob, Elijah and Emi, when I tell you stories, they always begin the same way, with you four cousins, who love each other so much, going on an adventure. Well, kids, you’re living the story. Here you are together sleeping in a tent by a river. Put your arms around each other. This is a moment to remember.”

The next night, when we were gathered by the fire, they asked for another story, a “real” campfire story. “See that star up there next to the moon?” I said. “It’s actually a spaceship, and tonight, when you’re sleeping, it will land here next to our tents. Tiny aliens with enormous heads will lift the flap of your tent and carry you off to their planet, which happens to be made of ice cream.”

The grandkids looked giddy with excitement and fear. My work was done.

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

RAnDi KREiss

i

’ll remember my four grandkids, sitting around the campfire at night.

Daniel Rehman is the superintendent of the West Hempstead school district.

There is a need to acknowledge students’ diverse strengths and goals.

DAniEl REhmAn

Why supporting local news is so important

it’s called the Fourth Estate, a term used by journalists referring to their responsibilities and obligations as watchdogs of democracy, providing objective truth to the public they serve.

In a nation where we pride ourselves on freedoms, the First Amendment is the only line of defense newspapers — like this one — can rely on to maintain that Fourth Estate.

That’s why what happened in Kansas recently is so important. A small-town newspaper, the Marion County Record — not much different from this one — had its offices raided by police as part of an identity-theft investigation.

It’s not that media outlets work above the law — far from it. But raiding a newspaper office and retrieving materials that may have otherwise been protected under the First Amendment is something that can’t be done on a whim, and requires near-extraordinary circumstances.

This particular raid, according to reports, stemmed from a complaint by a local restaurant owner who felt that her privacy was violated when the Record uncovered her troubled driving record.

Police weren’t sure how the newspaper obtained the information on her 2008 drunken driving conviction, and concluded that it had to involve illegality of some sort. They said that the only way a reporter — or someone working with the reporter — could have obtained that information was by falsely claiming to be the restaurant owner. And if they did, they committed fraud.

But verifying information is what reporters do. Yes, they must use legal means, but a number of First Amendment advocates questioned whether there was enough probable cause against the newspaper to meet the extraordinarily high bar

Letters

WTC Health Program shouldn’t go begging

To the Editor:

of raiding the newsroom.

Eric Meyer, the publisher and editor of the Record, suspected the raid was retaliation for the paper’s coverage of the local police department, and may have even been an attempt to stall future reporting on the police chief. Instead, the raid — and the effort to justify it in light of nationwide criticism — has created new problems for law enforcement and prosecutors, whom we depend on to serve and protect all of us.

Newsroom raids are extremely rare thanks not only to First Amendment, but also the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, which prohibits law enforcement from searching or seizing information from reporters, with a few exceptions.

One of the exceptions is how an organization obtains its information, which is what law enforcement and prosecutors in Marion County claimed opened the door to the raid in the first place. In the initial fallout, those government officials defended the action, saying they had enough evidence to support it.

Yet less than a week after the raid, local prosecutors withdrew the search warrants and returned the seized items, determining that “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized.”

Freedom of the press is a guaranteed right, and must be recognized by law enforcement agencies responsible for upholding our rights. The Founding Fathers made this protection explicit, because as Thomas Jefferson famously said, ”The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right. And were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without news-

papers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

The press must be allowed to work independent of government scrutiny. If a media outlet does violate the law, it should be prosecuted — but only in a way that keeps protections guaranteed by the First Amendment intact.

Otherwise, violations of the amendment not only threaten community newspapers like the Record, they also endanger democracy as a whole.

Reporters, armed only with an obligation to the truth, must be protected in carrying out their watchdog role, especially when it comes to investigating corruption or scandal. Journalists have a duty to hold public officials accountable, and without the protections of the First Amendment, they would be left to fend for themselves in the face of very powerful forces capable of changing anyone’s life forever.

We pity societies in which the press is not free. Where oppressive behavior like unjustified office raids is used by despots and dictators as a way to suppress knowledge and information from public view.

That’s why a threat to one local newspaper like the Marion County Record is a threat to all media. As reporters, we pride ourselves on our integrity — the only currency we have with you, our readers — and work hard to supply the news coverage you want and need to be engaged and informed.

Maybe law enforcement felt it truly was justified in its actions in Marion County. But in the end, it simply reminded us that our rights in the free society that is the United States are solely dependent on the people we put in place to govern us — and the independent media that exists to hold them truly accountable.

Re U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino’s op-ed piece last week, “It’s time to deliver on our promise to never forget”: The funding for the World Trade Center Health Program should be a slam drunk. But during these times, is it?

President Biden has requested an additional $25 billion from Congress for Ukraine, for a total of $135 billion since the war began. Funding provided by the American taxpayer, who just pays, but has no say.

The migrants arriving each day have to be funded by someone. The American taxpayer will be funding this as well. Another example of pay, but have no say.

The WTC Health Program should not need begging to be funded. Our homeless, our veterans, and citizens in need should be our priority. You take care of your family first, and then reach out to others.

opinions

A get-together of Republican all-stars

recently I was privileged to attend a reunion dinner, which Nassau County Republican Chairman Joe Cairo hosted at King Umberto’s Restaurant, in Elmont, for former Town of Hempstead councilmen and supervisors who served at various times over the past half century.

The town, whose population of almost 800,000 makes it the largest township in America, has always been the base of the Nassau GOP’s support and success. As county chairman, Cairo has done an outstanding job leading the party to repeated victories over the past several years. These successes include winning back the North Hempstead supervisor’s position for the first time in more than three decades; the offices of county executive, district attorney and comptroller; three State Senate seats in Albany; and congressional seats in Washington. These victories, in a county where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans, brought about Cairo’s election as New York’s national committeeman.

I believe much of his success as county chairman is attributable to the knowledge and experience he has acquired over his many years in politics and govern-

ment — particularly his service as a councilman on the Hempstead Town Board beginning in 1975. The board was known for working together, getting the job done and realizing that good government is good politics. I was elected councilman in 1977, and served until I was elected county comptroller in 1981.

Those attending the reunion dinner included:

■ Al D’Amato, who served as the town’s receiver of taxes, supervisor and presiding supervisor before his election to the U.S. Senate.

■ Leo McGinity, who was elected councilman in 1969 before being appointed to the bench in 1976 and ultimately serving as an associate justice in the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court.

■ Jim Bennet, Greg Peterson and Rich Guardino, all of whom served as councilmen and supervisor.

■ Pat Zagarino, who served as councilman.

■ Bruce Blakeman, who was a councilman before being elected our current county executive.

This was a truly great evening of not just sharing stories and reminiscing, but getting input and advice from these pros after Cairo detailed the recent successes

Letters

Charity begins at home, yet in our country, our self-serving representatives have it butt backward.

TONY GIAMETTA Oceanside

Appointments or special elections?

To the Editor:

Re the editorial “Replace appointments with special elections (Aug. 17-23): The editors imply but don’t state the essential problem: The public perception that “equal justice” is undermined by our process for selecting judges. The only good sign may be that, last time, all parties offered the same candidates. This suggests some pre-election selection by insiders, making “local control” a sham. It need not be so, because it shows a path forward.

Selection by appointment risks partisan interference by those empowered to choose. But party control is threatened by elections, because they’re a gamble. Elections can be distorted by money, incumbency, and popularity over professionalism. All administrations, and all of

their opponents, have a motive to game the system.

A greater problem with elections is that, for voters, life gets in the way. The average citizen’s time for politics is limited by work, family and other commitments. Often there’s little available information about candidates, and the growing fog of misinformation also limits effective participation, depressing turnout and giving the advantage to insiders and partisan influences.

The ideal of “local control” may never be attained, but we can do better. I suggest a pool and random selection model. Make choices comparable with specific, relevant criteria. Candidates’ credentials, experience, performance record, and perhaps health and any potential conflicts, would provide a common base for evaluation. Extreme views are likely to be revealed, as are any obviously weak candidates.

All applicants would be vetted first by our professionals, who would all affirm acceptance of several candidates as “qualified.” Their ability to do so has been demonstrated. Those accepted would have their resumes published, with time for public, and press, comment. Transparency promotes engagement.

and the challenges ahead in the fastchanging world of politics and government.

Certainly, times have changed. Aside from Blakeman, none of us served on the board during a time of pervasive social media. Also, while politics was always a tough business, and stories of the “good old days” are usually exaggerated, there was nothing then like today’s bitter partisanship. Yet the underlying governmental and political precepts of those days are still meaningful: quick responsiveness to local governmental issues and problems, a strong year-round presence in the community, and doorto-door campaigning by candidates and local committeemen and women.

Most important, government officials should always be taking the political pulse of their constituents, and not be swayed by the media or elitist opinion makers. That was true then, and is just as true today, as was proven in the past two election cycles, in which Democrats’ advocacy of misguided proposals, such as bail reform and defunding the police, paved the way for Republican victories and devastating defeats for the Democrats in Nassau County.

Because those issues were largely ignored by the mainstream media, however, Republican candidates would not have prevailed without extensive paid

media advertising, a large social media presence and the unmatched Nassau GOP ground game of direct mail to voters, targeted telephone campaign calls, door-to-door distribution of campaign literature and saturation walk-throughs. All this was overseen and coordinated by Cairo, using the feedback he got from candidates and local campaign workers as well as polling results from campaign consultants such as John McLaughlin.

As I’ve said, much has changed in the Town of Hempstead and in Nassau County over the years, including demographics, party registration and the reality that so many households now have two working spouses. What Cairo and the county Republican organization have done is update and modernize the same methods of year-round hard work and attention to constituent needs and beliefs to achieve political and governmental success. That was certainly the conclusion of the “oldtimers” who attended the reunion dinner.

Nothing in politics is easy or guaranteed, and you can never afford to rest on your laurels, but we are confident that with Cairo at the helm, the Nassau GOP will remain the most effective and responsive political organization in the nation.

One additional lesson I learned is to take the same vitamins as Judge McGinity, who at age 96 is as sharp, alert and mobile as any of us!

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

Framework by Tim Baker

Finally, the selection from this group, which should be a manageable four to six qualified judges, would be done by the public. The “gamble” element provides some insulation against insider/partisan interference, is “fair” and should boost a general sense of legitimacy.

Otherwise, if there is to be a special election, ranked-choice ballots should be used, after the process described above, also with at least four candidates per seat.

Celebrating a number of victories, from Hempstead to Washington, for the party.