In honor of Black History Month, Malverne High School students celebrated the theme of ‘African Americans in the Arts’ on Feb. 15 by dancing, singing and reciting poetry. The Black Studies Club’s annual Black History Celebration showcased their talent.
More photos: Page 10.
The Malverne High School Key Club members fostered a connection with the elders at Atria Tanglewood, a senior living facility in Lynbrook bridging a generation gap while learning valuable lessons.
“Not only are the seniors excited to have the high school students come in and spend some time with them,” said Robin Calcagno, the club advisor, “But to actually see the high school students excited to be there with the seniors as well — I don’t know who was more alight at the time.”
Ithink that us being there really connected with them
“They were excited to tell other people about their lives,” said Malverne senior Isabella Ramharakh. “I think they just wanted to tell us more and more as we kept on talking to them.
“I think that us being there really connected with them.”
This is the first year since
2020 that the students were able to visit the senior home. The students and seniors played games, worked on puzzles, and even played a game of Jeopardy featuring ‘50s and ‘70s trivia. The students also showed a presentation that invited the residents to share their memories of the trends, sports and entertainment of their youth.
Talking with the seniors showed Nathaly Uribe, a junior in the club, the rich lives the seniors led. To her, it was a lesson in perspective. During a recent visit to Atria Tanglewood, she said, there was a ping pong tournament — and there was one woman who absolutely no one could beat.
“She was saying how ping pong also created this relationship with her son, and it always reminded her of her son,” Uribe said. “And to me, that was so heartfelt. And I really saw the connection — that when she played ping pong, she Continued on page 9
Malverne’s Maurice W. Downing Primary School looked more like a senior citizen center as the students celebrated their 100th day of school on Feb. 8 by dressing — and acting — as if they were 100 years old.
The kindergarten through second-graders aged over nine decades in one day as they arrived at class with grayed hair, rollers and facial hair and dressed in classic fashion with hats, horn-rimmed glasses, pearls, suspenders and bow ties. Many of our young old-timers walked hunched over with canes in hand and some were even equipped with first alert pendants, in case of emergency.
Downing’s 100th Day of School celebration wasn’t all about dress up. The students showed they are “100 days smarter” by participating in various “100-themed” lessons and activities throughout the day, including math and counting, history and art.
— and
100 days is a long time — at least it is when you’re six. Kids celebrated 100 days of school by dressing up as elderly, complete with canes and all.
‘When I was your age…!’ These students reflected on 100 days of school and participated in 100-themed lessons.
These students grew a lot in 100 days that deserves celebrating. They dressed up as elderly people to commemorate 100 days of learning. Photos courtesy Malverne school district It’s the world’s cutest senior citizens’ home! Students at Maurice W. Downing Primary School dressed up as if they were 100 years old to celebrate the 100th day of school. These kids are wise beyond their years. Students dressed as if they were 100 years old to celebrate the 100th day of school. Twinning! These two Maurice W. Downing students celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing like grandmothers.
The current exemption from New York estate taxes is 6.94 million, indexed for inflation. For most clients this presents no issue – their estates will never approach the exemption. However, for the fortunate few who have assets, including life insurance, that may exceed roughly seven million dollars, there is a significant tax liability. Changes in New York estate tax law in the last few years introduced a “fiscal cliff”. Whereas formerly New York only taxed the amount over the exemption, if you exceed the limit today (by a mere 5%) they tax the whole estate. You’re over the cliff!
The tax is surprisingly large. On a roughly seven million dollar estate, the taxes payable to New York exceed five hundred thousand dollars. An estate over ten million would owe over a million in estate tax.
These New York estate taxes are avoidable if you have a spouse and you create an estate plan using two trusts, which doubles the exemption. Another way to avoid the fiscal cliff is to use the “Santa Clause” providing that you gift to charities of your choice all amounts over the exemption. Gifts to charities are deductible
from estate taxes.
While the Federal estate tax exemption of 13.61 million is “portable”, i.e. if the first spouse doesn’t use their exemption or any part of it, it passes to the surviving spouse, New York does not allow for portability. It’s use it or lose it.
The Federal exemption is expected to be reduced from the 13.61 million exemption, passed by the Trump administration, to the 6.94 million, adjusted for inflation, that New York uses, at the end of 2025. For larger estates, there remains a planning opportunity by making gifts while the higher exemption is in place. You may use any of your Federal estate tax exemptions to make gifts while you are living. These gifts are reported to the IRS and get subtracted from what you may give at death.
One added attraction to gifting is that New York does not tax gifts -- so that gifts may also be used to avoid onerous New York estate taxes at death. There is a minor exception that gifts made within three years of the death of the donor are brought back into the donor’s estate for New York estate tax purposes.
Other offices in Huntington • Melville • Islandia
The New York State Elks Lodge No. 1, servicing veterans from Malverne, West Hempstead, Lynbrook and across Long Island, honored three members of Troop 116 for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout — among the highest possible honors for Boy Scouts. The organization focuses on community betterment, so it’s no surprise that Paul Schneller, the exalted ruler, wanted to extend a congratulatory hand to Nicholas S. Baez, Christian Dyer and James Tronsor.
that the backyard of the Holy Name of Mary Convent, in Valley Stream, was overgrown and full of ivy. His Eagle Scout project of beautifying the area allows it to be used by not only the church and the Boy Scouts, but also community groups like the Knights of Columbus and Alcoholics Anonymous.
Nicholas Baez earned 57 merit badges throughout his career as a Boy Scout, in addition to serving as Den Chief, Patrol Leader and more. An avid baseball player, he noticed that the fields, batting cage and bullpen of the Fireman’s Memorial Field, in Valley Stream, were in need of repair. For his Eagle Scout project, he took it upon himself to give some muchneeded TLC to the facilities, which now better serve the little league, the high school baseball team, and the community at large.
Christian Dyer has been a Boy Scout since he was young. It’s encouraged him to step up and take responsibility — it even led him to participate in the National Youth Leadership Training, where he explored what it means to be a leader in his troop and beyond. He applied those principles when he found
James Tronsor credits the man he’s become today to his experience in his Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts troops. During his career, he earned the Arrow of Light away and the Religious Emblem award. Tronsor used his Eagle Scout project to help refurbish an inner city playground. He worked with the school pastor and principal to find out what needed to be done — and then he got to work. He raised money for the project supplies, and then painted games and activities on the blacktop for the kids to enjoy.
The Elks Lodge, as a society of veterans and their loved ones, is focused on serving one’s community and doing work for the greater good. By congratulating these three boys, they furthered the longstanding relationship between the troops of local Boy Scouts, the troops overseas, and the community that surrounds them.
–Nicole Formisano
Ten student musicians from West Hempstead participated in the Nassau County Music Educators Association’s AllCounty ensembles — or simply All-County for short. Last month, students were able to showcase their talents at numerous concerts.
Being selected for the prestigious AllCounty represents one of the highest achievements in music for students. Performers are chosen based on their scores at the New York State School Music Association Solo Evaluation Festival — or NYSSMA — and teacher recommendations.
West Hempstead Secondary School’s All-County students include Sophia Ciminera, Justus Filincieri, Luke Filincieri, Rory Gallo, Victoria Hasan, Stephen Schreck, Valerie Schreck and Dalia Zavala.
George Washington School’s All-County students include Ethan Cook and Berthon Sainteme.
In addition to their All-County accomplishment, four West Hempstead students were also selected to perform in the Long Island String Festival Association’s festivals.
The district’s LISFA students include West Hempstead Secondary School students Luke Filincieri, Victoria Hasan and Stephen Schreck, and George Washington School student Jaclyn Luong.
These West Hempstead Secondary School students made it to All-County and the Long Island String Festival Association — organizations reserved only for the most talented student musicians.
Courtesy West Hempstead school district
OpenAI, an artificial intelligence and research company, publicly released ChatGPT-3 on Nov. 30, 2022. Now, a little more than a year later, the sophisticated chatbot — with more than 180 million monthly users — is seemingly developing faster than users can keep up. To understand how this language model became one of the most technologically advanced virtual assistants in the world, you have to go back nearly 75 years.
1950:
1966:
1965:
First part in a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools, and over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.
Artificial intelligence — it all starts with an idea. One developed by a computer programmed to mimic the human intelligence process through learning, reasoning and self-correction.
AI is already deeply ingrained in society. Whether it be smartphones with virtual assistants like Siri and Bixby, search engines making suggestions for what we’re looking for online, to even the spam filtering and email categorization in email platforms like Gmail.
The fast-growing advancements of AI may be hard to keep up with, especially as more and more platforms develop that specialize in AI like ChatGPT and Canva.
Television and news outlets focus more on how AI can turn your dog into a Muppet, or how it can instantly write a sonnet about someone’s favorite desserts.
But AI is finding its way into more and more of our everyday lives and it’s something that has institutions like our public schools racing to find the best ways to not only adapt, but to appropriately integrate AI into the classroom.
receives,” ChatGPT responded when asked what it was designed for.
It’s commonly used to answer a variety of questions, or brainstorm ideas. It can help draft emails and compose essays. It can help with extensive research, and even translate text from one language to another.
And for those looking to be a little less serious, ChatGPT can tell jokes, strike up a casual conversation, and even participate in storytelling and roleplaying scenarios.
But it can also write term papers, or essays. Or complete homework. And detecting when AI is being used is virtually impossible. That has created some concerns for school administrators, while at the same time tasking them to redevelop curriculum that prepares future minds for a future where AI is prevalent.
Ting Wang, a Stony Brook University associate professor who also directs its Algorithmic Learning, Privacy and Security Lab, describes the original conception of AI as “a feeble attempt to recreate intelligence and to help humans achieve specific tasks.” He believes developers have come a long way in achieving success doing just that.
ChatGPT is a popular example of this. Launched in late 2022, the software describes itself as an online interface that is “like having a conversation with a very knowledgeable and helpful friend — except this friend is actually a computer program.” It has been trained on swaths of data, making it capable of completing many different tasks ranging from gathering information, getting some helpful advice, or even looking to simply have a friendly chat.
“ChatGPT is designed for generating human-like text based on the input it
“From the academic perspective, I think one of the challenges is that it’s becoming harder and harder to obtain these AI models because they’re super expensive, the training costs, and have a requirement of huge amounts of data,” Wang said. “Those type of resources are not so accessible for the academia world.”
Google, Bing and other search engines have used forms of artificial intelligence for years, but more recently began making its integration more obvious. Google integrated what it calls “generative AI” into its systems some 20 years ago, which typically predicts the next word in a search phrase.
ChatGPT also can edit certain articles, blog posts or other forms of writing. If someone asks ChatGPT to write an email with specific requirements, for example, the AI can handle it because its “training” has covered these sort of scenarios. What makes ChatGPT unique from other AI platforms, Wang said, is the massive amounts of data that “trains” it.
“You can see many artists, especially digital artists, using this program to create content that you cannot easily create manually,” Wang said.
Brett Tanzer — a product management vice president for Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure — says models created by AI developers are installed in products like Bing and Microsoft Copilot, an
A reporter asks ChatGPT to describe not only itself, but the artificial intelligence language model that powers it. AI has gone from science-fiction to science-fact, and schools are among a number of institutions around the world working to adapt.
AI companion technology which utilizes ChatGPT among other language models, to aid users in their day-to-day lives.
This helps users brainstorm alternatives for ideas on a given issue if they get stuck.
“It’s already being applied to help people reduce workforce time,” Tanzer said.
Creatives aren’t the only ones utilizing AI for their work. Many in the health care industries are using AI products like those offered by Microsoft to accelerate medical research for advanced treatment and diagnosis of diseases.
“That’s really helping practitioners and doctors in their day-to-day experiences with patients,” Tanzer said.
Educators are utilizing AI in classrooms around Nassau County. In Franklin Square, for example, a robot named Milo interacts with students to help them hone their social and emotional skills.
Pamela Taylor, Franklin Square’s pupil personnel services director, said at the time the school had done a lot of
training to bring Milo into the classroom.
While Milo is the first robot of its kind to be used in a Long Island classroom, its ability to work with students on their confidence in emotional skills is something Taylor is eager to spread throughout the district.
“We are looking to expand,” she said, “because he’s appropriate for all learners.”
An artificial intelligence elective course at Bellmore-Merrick school district’s Sanford H. Calhoun High School is teaching students about the basic principles of AI through exposure to machine-learning algorithms in Python computer programming language.
Danielle Caliendo, a math and computer science chair at Calhoun, says this course prepares students for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“It also equips them with the skills necessary for today’s world where artificial intelligence is shaping the way we live and work,” Caliendo said, in a
The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is coined by John McCarthy. Computer scientist Arthur Samuel develops a program called ‘Samuel’s Checker Players’ to play checkers, which is the first to ever learn the game independently. Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Lederberg create the first ‘expert system’ called Denral, which was AI programmed to replicate the thinking and decision-making abilities of human experts. The purpose of this program was to map the structure of molecules, and to help chemists identify unknown organic molecules. MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum creates the first chatbot called Eliza to simulate human conversations. The program was designed to mimic human conversation, utilizing words users entered into a computer, and then pairing them to a list of possible scripted responses. 1952: Nicole Wagner/HeraldThe U.S. government
little interest in continuing to fund AI research.
1970s:
1980s:
AI is booming. Government funding led to breakthroughs in research. The use of the expert system program becomes more popular, allowing computers to learn from their mistakes and make independent decisions. This leads to the development of the Fifth Generation Computer project, with a goal of creating computers that could converse in human language and express reasoning on a human level.
1997:
2011:
2016:
2014:
2020:
recent interview.
What does the future hold for AI?
Overall AI research at Stony Brook is intended to maximize the practical impact of artificial intelligence. Wang works on AI’s resilience against malicious manipulations, preserving privacy among users, and making the data written by AI more transparent and interpretable to users.
“People don’t have a great understanding of what AI can and can’t do,” Wang said. “I think people use AI as a magical box, and it actually may not work as expected for normal users.”
Yties to transform power in engineering, productivity, health care and cybersecurity.
Wang envisions ChatGPT becoming even more customizable and personalized than it is now. Although it’s already quite adaptable, users have their own individual requirements and writing styles that ChatGPT is not necessarily trained to understand.
ou can see many artists . . . to create content that you cannot easily create manually
TIng W Ang associate professor Stony Brook UniversityAs AI models become more sophisticated, Tanzer said, Microsoft has its sights set on developing models with advanced capabili-
“You may want the program to draft an email in your own style and have your own specific writing requirements,” Wang said, “and currently, the chatbot may not be able to do that.
”It’s an ever-evolving landscape,” Wang said. “I think from the perspective of classroom teaching, people are still trying to figure out what is the best way to harness the power of AI, and at the same time kind of limit and curve the harmful impact of this technology.”
third-grade students at franklin Square’s John Street School learn how to hone their social and emotional skills with the help of milo the robot. equipped with adaptive artificial intelligence, milo is designed to read facial cues from those around him to teach students techniques to cope with their emotions.
showed
Deep Blue — a computer run by the AI program alpha–beta search algorithm and developed by IBM — beats world chess champion Gary Kasparov, becoming the first computer program to beat a human chess champion. This kickstarts an era introducing AI into everyday life through innovations such as the first Roomba and speech recognition software on Windows computers.
Apple releases Siri, the first popular virtual assistant, found primarily on the company’s iPhones.
Amazon releases the Echo, powered by a voicecontrolled intelligent personal assistant named Alexa. These devices are smart speakers equipped with microphones for voice commands.
Google releases the Google Assistant and its voice-activated speaker: the Google Nest.
OpenAI starts beta testing GPT-3, a model that uses deep learning — a method of AI that teaches computers to process data in a way that mimics the human brain — to create code, poetry and other writing tasks.
Bob Beckwith rushed out of retirement as a New York City firefighter to help a friend find his missing son at ground zero, three days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that shook New York City — and the country — to its core.
This selfless choice turned Beckwith into a beacon of hope for the nation when he stood on the rubble at President George W. Bush’s side — hope he embodied until the day he died on Feb. 4. He was 91.
Beckwith ultimately succumbed to a 9/11-related melanoma, and was remembered by family, friends, leaders and a large number of off-duty firemen during Beckwith’s Feb. 10 funeral in Baldwin, before he was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.
Some will remember Beckwith for the iconic photo and video featuring him with Bush on Sept. 14, 2001, while others recall how Beckwith was a humble man who would sit in the back row of St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin every Saturday evening while still finding time to visit a Levittown diner with his friends each week.
Beckwith enjoyed playing the piano, fishing, watching “Jeopardy,” spending time with his grandchildren, and attending their lacrosse games. He also took part Irish step dance competitions, and spent time at the Baldwin American Legion post.
Beckwith was an ordinary man, he would proclaim, who by chance was given the opportunity to uplift Americans during one the country’s darkest times.
Beckwith was retired for more than a decade after 30 years of service with the New York City Fire Department when he learned the son of his old friend, Jimmy Boyle, was missing amid the ruins of the twin towers.
inspiring words, with his arm draped around Beckwith.
“America, today, is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, and for the families who mourn,” Bush said at the time.
Bush would remain close to Beckwith, and shared a statement for former U.S. Rep. Peter King to read at his funeral.
“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of Bob Beckwith,” Bush said, explaining how the retired firefighter raced toward danger, showcasing the resilient spirit of all Americans during 9/11.
“I want to say that no one is indispensable,” King said in his own eulogy. “Bob Beckwith is indispensable. He was one of a kind.”
Beckwith was born April 16, 1932 in Astoria. After graduating from Rice High School in Manhattan in 1952, Beckwith joined the U.S. Navy n the tail end of the Korean war, before going on to study at LaGuardia Community College.
After graduating, Beckwith held various jobs like driving for UPS. But it was in 1964 Beckwith became an FDNY firefighter, kickstarting a 30-year career with the department.
Having lost two sons of his own, Beckwith understood the grief Boyle was going through.
So, he sprang into action and headed to ground zero while the rest of the nation remained in shock.
Beckwith later described how he was just in the right spot at the right time. Bush was paying his respects to those lost at ground zero, and wanted to speak directly to those who were digging through the rubble looking for survivors.
The president spotted Beckwith, and had him stand next to him where, using a megaphone, Bush delivered
Beckwith met his wife Barbara at a picnic in 1956. They were married a year later, settling down on Fairview Avenue in Baldwin, where they raised their six children.
Beckwith retired from the FDNY in 1994. He would find himself enjoying time at home, entertained by his two great-grandsons with a smile across his face.
Besides his wife, Beckwith is survived by daughter Christine; sons Bob, Richard and Stephen; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by sons Joseph and Tommy.
Christine Rivera/Herald
was always remembering her son as well.
“And with that, I kind of learned that with older people that — it’s kind of weird to say but, they had lives before talking to us right now. They led these full, entire different lives.”
Though the teens of the Key Club and the seniors of Atria Tanglewood were born in completely different eras, they found connection across the generational gap.
“We learned that they never stopped learning,” Coleene Elias, a junior, said. “They always give us good advice for our lives, but they also ask us for things that we’re interacting with, and things that we’re seeing, because they feel like even though they’re older, they can still learn from the younger generation.”
This is the club’s first year as an official Key Club. Prior to connecting with Kiwanis this year, the club was a general community service organization. But they were still just as focused on giving back — they hosted blood drives and cleanups of Hempstead State Lake Park. Each event teaches the students something new. Uchie Alozie, a senior, said her personal favorite was the babysitting night they hosted for the community.
“I got to see almost two contrasting elements to community service, because I worked with kids and then I
worked with some seniors,” Alozie said.
“It really shows that no matter who you’re serving to, it’s still really important to do community service.”
This is only the beginning of the Key Club’s relationship with the elders at Atria Tanglewood. They’re hosting a “Senior” Senior Prom, at Atria, in May. The theme of the party? 1970s disco, by a unanimous vote from the seniors.
“Having a celebration like that, it gives them a chance to be more social,” said sophomore Dayami Guaman. “And also gives them the opportunity to go back in the day, where they’re able to have fun and just interact with other people and us high schoolers too.
“I just think it’ll be a really great experience for them, it’ll just give them the opportunity to feel like teens again.”
In the meantime, the students continue to focus on other ways of helping the people around them, and encouraging others to do the same. They’re currently organizing a blood drive in March. The last one was an all-time high for participation, and they’re confident they can get more donors.
Key Club “really taught me that giving is so important,” Ramharakh said. “Helping others is a part of life that you have to do. And you don’t just do it for yourself, but you do it for others. You do it so that other people can experience the help that you want to give.”
February 22, 2024
It’s important to celebrate Black history year-round, but February is a special time to highlight the contributions of Black Americans to arts, culture, technology and more. This year, the theme for Malverne High School’s annual celebration of Black history, hosted by the school’s Black Studies Club, was “African Americans in the Arts.”
Students celebrated the cultural contributions of Black Americans through song, dance, poetry and food. The event, on Feb. 15 in the high school’s Performing Arts Center, was open and free of charge for the public to enjoy.
The Malverne school district has a special relationship with the history of civil rights — Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. himself marched down Ocean Ave. nearly 60 years ago to advocate for the district’s desegregation. Today, the struggles and successes of Black Americans are honored and celebrated by Malverne faculty and students — the project to rename Lindner Place, named after a Ku Klux Klan member, to Acorn Way was spearheaded by young activists in Malverne High School.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month Celebration, organized by the Malverne High School’s Black Studies Club, was “African Americans in the Arts.” Students and faculty celebrated with food, music and artistic performances.
The performances for the district’s Black History event, like the dance number by Howard T. Herber Middle School’s Creativity Club, celebrated Black Americans’ contributions to arts and culture.
–Nicole Formisano
Maureen Lennon/Herald photos
Jessica Lafaille, Dayami Guaman and Jayden Jolly were among those who came together in Malverne High School to enjoy food, music and student performances celebrating Black history.
Tatiyana Forbes Smith’s rendition of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ celebrated strength and perserverance in the face of adversity.
Keturah Cesar and Gabrielle Joseph took to the stage on Thursday night to sing the final presentation of the Black History celebration.
Janae Wilson showcased her artistic talent with an original poem, ‘The Final Update.’
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.
That’s how the journey started for Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, the beloved character from his acclaimed picture book of the same name. Now, Long Island Children’s Museum takes the magnifying glass to Carle’s curious bugs in its newest exhibit, “Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit.”
Created by the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, it’s a follow-up of sorts to last year’s popular Mo Willems exhibit, which also encouraged kids to step into the creative imagination of a beloved author-illustrator.
Visitors find themselves inside the pages of Carle’s colorful books. His “Very” series — all illustrated in his hand-painted tissue paper collage technique — introduces five special insects who take journeys of discovery. Each story is a testament to Carle’s love of nature along with his recurring themes of friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination.
The colorful picture books — more than 70 in all — have been captivating young children since Carle’s first publishing effort, the counting book “1,2,3 to the Zoo,” in 1968.
From there, his “Very” books took off the following year, beginning with the one that started it all, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” of course. Families were immediately captivated by Carle’s little bugs with big emotions.
There’s a deep-felt connection to the insects, according to Ashley Niver, the museum’s education director.
“Children have a fascination with things that are even smaller than they are because they’re usually the ones looking up at the world,” she said. “I find that they have a lot of care and concern for these small living things. They enjoy the roleplay of being a friend of one or becoming one, like wearing the wings of a butterfly and flying around.”
And, naturally, the insatiable caterpillar holds a special place in everyone’s hearts.
“We’ve had parents mention that they read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ as a child and now they are reading it to their child,” Niver says. “The messaging is something that resonates.”
The exhibit may be indoors, but the focus is fully on the outside world, exploring the diversity of the insect kingdom through Carle’s imagination.
“A lot of people relate to ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’
• Now through May 12, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older; additional fees for theater programming
• View the events calendar at LICM.org for additional information, or call (516) 224-5800
• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.
but there are a lot of other lovely stories,” Niver says. “I don’t think that everyone is as well-versed in some of his other books, so I’m happy that this features some more of them.”
Tumble in the grass, weave a web, find a friend, and even become a butterfly during your visit.
Upon arrival, visitors can follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s path on a journey through largerthan-life pages of the book, eating foods on the way to becoming a butterfly. Once the end is reached, you’re now ready to spread your wings.
The Very Busy Spider component includes a giant, web-like structure to step through. This activity tests dexterity, strength and flexibility as kids move across the challenging surface.
At the Very Busy Spider’s Weaving Wall everyone can try to spin their own web on the large wall, experimenting with a variety of stringy materials.
Master new skills at the Very Clumsy Click Beetle Playscape. Here, visitors rummage across a pile of pebbles, crawl through tall blades of grass, step across stepping stones, and walk across the stem of a poppy flower in this playful landscape. Step up to the challenge and persevere like The Very Clumsy Click Beetle.
Also try to catch some light at the Very Lonely Firefly “Find Your Light” interactive station. Move hands and body to lure a firefly toward you. Even work with others to attract multiple fireflies and try to form a group of the beautifully lit insects.
At another component, kids can touch The Very Quiet Cricket and his friends on a relief mural to trigger a sound and create a one-of-a-kind musical composition. The various insect sounds harmonize together to make a “symphony” comprised of rhythms and sounds found in nature.
The exhibit’s studio portion offers up facts about Carle’s life and artistic process.
“Yellow was his favorite color,” Niver says. “Yellow was always the most challenging for him, which I thought was a cool fact. He only mastered four shades of yellow.”
After all that busyness being a bug, families may want to relax by taking a moment to read some books. The nook area is a cozy spot where everyone can nuzzle up in a reading cocoon and read the “Very” stories together.
Through his stories, Carle reminds us: “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life — music, paintings, theatre, dance and sunsets.”
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actor. Experience her inimitable talent in a spellbinding evening of song that showcases her extraordinary vocal range. Winner of six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy, McDonald possesses a ‘lustrous lyric soprano’ (The New York Times) and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. This stage and screen icon lends her luminous voice and committed stage presence to an intimate concert of Broadway favorites, standards, seldomheard gems, and so much more, accompanied by pianist Jeremy Jordan. With Tony wins in all four eligible acting categories, countless other theatre honors — and a National Medal of Arts conferred by President Barack Obama in 2015, among her other accolades — McDonald is among the most lavishly awarded performers of our time.
Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $60. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.
Celtic-punk rockers Flogging Molly have hit the road with their ‘Road to Rebellion’ tour, sure to rouse audiences with their anthemic odes to the Emerald Isle. Formed in L.A. in 1997 by Irish expat Dave King, the band got its start (and its name) from local bar Molly Malone’s, where they performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for eventual success. Their infectious Celtic-tinged reels are perfect for dancing along to, for those who love their Irish heritage, and those who just want a good time. Expect an eclectic mix of old favorites, sing-a-longs, rare acoustic numbers and new material — all strung together by King’s cheeky tales and jokes and first-rate musicianship. With numerous latenight television appearances, a soldout Salty Dog Cruise through the Caribbean, and a yearly St. Patrick’s Day Festival in L.A., the band’s juggernaut continues.
Sunday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. $79.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum From caterpillar to butterfly, spider and cricket beetle, Eric Carle’s insects hold a special place in everyone’s childhood. Each element in the gallery relates to specific books in the ‘Very’ series.Tusk
Tusk goes their own way, visiting the Landmark stage with their dynamic tribute to Fleetwood Mac,, Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Since forming in 2008, Tusk has prided themselves on being the ultimate tribute to ‘70s supergroup. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note for note renditions With Tusk it’s all about respect and authenticity. A group of seasoned musicians that go back some 25 years, their attention to detail, talent and reverence of their subjects has been critically acclaimed, resulting in their accolades as the premiere purveyors of ‘Mac. Time, trust, and close friendship have cultivated an intimate familiarity with each other’s musical nuances, shaping each performance with such precision that even the slightest variation, virtually imperceptible to all but the five musicians sharing the stage, is met with a wink and a nod, and usually an inside joke. Tusk is more than a band; they are a family. So if you’re jonesing for your fix of Fleetwood, you’re in the right place! Made up of Kathy Phillips (as Stevie Nicks on vocals), Scott McDonald (as Lindsey Buckingham, guitar and vocals), Kim Williams (as Christine McVie, keys and vocals), Randy Artiglere (as John McVie, bass) and Tom Nelson (as Mick Fleetwood on drums) the five-piece band will transport you back to the group’s glory days with a set list including hits such as the “The Chain,” “Dreams,” ‘Go Your Own Way,” and more, alongside rare gems fans will love hearing again. $63, $53, $45. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.
It’s a beautiful sunny summer day in the meadow. Leo Lionni’s beloved children’s books come to life once again, in “Frederick,” on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 6:15 p.m. (sensory-friendly performance); Saturday, Feb. 23 ,11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Mouse friends Nellie, Sunny, Baby, Ernest, and Frederick are playing their musical instruments and having fun singing, until a leaf falls from the sky — autumn is here! Winter will be coming soon. All the mice get to work gathering supplies for winter, except, where is Frederick? He is gathering supplies, too, in his own unique way. With toe-tapping Americana music inspired by bluegrass, gospel, and folk, this is an engaging tale about the power of the arts, community, and that no mouse gets left behind. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.
On exhibit Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Our Gilded Age,” examines the appearances and the realities of an era that mirrors our own in many ways. Like the nation’s economy, American art and literature flourished during the Gilded Age. The art of John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Louis Comfort Tiffany and others adorned palatial residences designed by Stanford White and Ogden Codman Jr., architect of the museum’s own quintessential Gilded Age mansion.
Drawing heavily upon the local literary history of Long Island, including William Cullen Bryant, Mark Twain (who named the Gilded Age), Walt Whitman, Edith Wharton and others, the exhibition will include paintings, fashion, decorative arts including period silver and china, photographs, manuscripts, first editions and other historic memorabilia.
The “Upstairs, Downstairs” approach to the life of a country house brings to life not only the storied conspicuous consumption for which the Gilded Age was infamous, but also the real lives of these many individuals who maintained the palatial estates where that lifestyle was enjoyed.
On view through March 10 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 another in its series of bird walks, at Hempstead Lake State Park, Sunday, Feb. 25, starting at 9 a.m. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet in parking lot #3, off Exit 18 of the Southern State Parkway.
To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if it rains, snows or the temperature is below 25 degrees. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.
Nellie McKay performs
The effervescent multiinstrumentalist singer-songwriter returns to My Father’s Place with music from her recently released album, “Hey Guys, Watch This,” Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Recorded in Charleston, West Virginia with The Carpenter Ants and a roving retinue of musical compadres, her album traces the haunted sounds of Appalachia to a renaissance of revelry.
Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. 221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. For tickets/ information, visit MFPProductions. com or call (516) 580-0887.
You only have one heart. Getting your coronary calcium score can save your life. Mercy Hospital offers free cardiac screening, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A coronary calcium score is like a ‘mammogram’ for the heart to screen for blockage(s). This simple, non-invasive test can indicate coronary artery disease before the onset of symptoms or heart attacks.
For eligibility, you will need to meet any of the following criteria: Be between the ages of 40-70 years old; history of smoking, high cholesterol or blood pressure (even if controlled), diabetes, overweight with BMI >25, family history of heart disease. Limited appointments available. 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. call (516) 6263729 to register or visit CHSLI. org/mercy-hospital.
Learn or play the classic card game Bridge at Malverne Public Library, every Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.. All skill levels are welcome to attend. 61 St. Thomas Place.
Join Scott Defrin, owner of European Decorative Arts in Greenvale for Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibit related program “Collecting Decorative Arts During the Gilded Age; Connoisseurship vs. Decoration,” Sunday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m.
New York was the center for collecting during the Gilded Age. More money was spent on fine art, decorative art and interior decoration than at any time in American history. From Carnegie to Frick, and Morgan to Vanderbilt, Defrin discusses the different approaches to collecting among these magnates and how their fortunes helped establish the permanent collections of today’s museums.
Limited seating with registration required.1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.
Princesses and other enchanting heroes and heroines take to the stage, when Plaza Theatricals presents its Winter Princess concert, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, 11 a.m. Take part in an interactive singa-long featuring an array of everyone’s favorite winter characters. $15. See it at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore (Friday) or at Elmont Memorial Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont (Saturday). For tickets, visit PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.
Empire Safety Council Accident Prevention cass sign-up is in progress at Malverne Public Library. The class meets Saturday, March 2,10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join instructor,Jerry Greenhaus for this informative and interesting program for all ages. The goal is to refresh your driving knowledge and offer safe driving tips. You may also be eligible to reduce points on your driving record after completing this course, and you can receive a minimum 10% reduction on your auto liability/collision insurance premiums for three years.
Pay by separate check or money order, including couples at registration. $35. Bring your up-to-date New York State Driver’s License to the class. Sign up early to obtain. your spot. The parking lot fills quickly; park on surrounding streets in legal spots only. 61 St. Thomas Place. Visit MalverneLibrary.org for more information.
The right to read is described as “the greatest civil rights issue of our time.” Lakeview Civic Association and the NAACP, hosts a screening of the 2023 documentary “The Right To Read,,” Monday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m., at Malverne High School Performing Arts Center. The film shares the stories of a courageous activist, a teacher, and two families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. 80 Ocean Ave.
Visit Broadway Tavern for “Barks and Brews,” Sundays, noon to 2 p.m. Enjoy food, drinks and adorable pups. Everyone is encouraged to bring their dogs to the event, which has an open yard, water and treats waiting for their furry friends. 8 Broadway, in Malverne.
ANTOINETTE BIORDI
4X AWARD-WINNING REPORTER NEWS 12 ANCHOR/REPORTER
SARA GORE TVHOST, NBC UNIVERSAL LUXURYREALESTATESPECIALIST, SERHANT.
BROKER OF THE YEAR
Ron Koenigsberg
President American Investment Properties
CONSTRUCTION GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Kulka Group
FATHER & SON POWER TEAM
Dan Pulatani
Vice President
MP Construction D, Inc.
Mel Pulatani
President
MP Construction D, Inc.
ENGINEERING
Christopher W. Robinson, PE
President
R&M Engineering
INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Beth Donner
Founder
Beth Donner Design
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
Eric Alexander
Director Vision Long Island
POWER DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR
Steven Krieger, Esq.
CEO
B2K Development
POWER REAL ESTATE DUO
Kathy Kirby-Viard
Owner & Broker
Signature Premier Properties
Peter Morris
Owner & Broker
Signature Premier Properties
PROJECT OF THE YEAR
TRITEC Real Estate
Shoregate Project
PROJECT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR
Michael F. Puntillo
President
PX4 Development, LLC
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT / DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR
ATTORNEYS
Marna E. Bernstein, Esq.
Partner
Cullen and Dykman LLP
Elisabetta T. Coschignano, Esq.
Member
Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano PLLC
Jack M. Martins, Esq.
Partner
Harris Beach PLLC
Jacquelyn L. Mascetti, Esq.
Partner Herman Katz LLP
BROKERS
Paul Leone
Senior Vice President
CBRE
David B. Sargoy
Director-Commercial Real Estate Division
Brown Harris Stevens Commercial Real Estate
DEVELOPERS
Pelops Damianos
Principal Damianos Realty Group LLC
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Brad Griggs
Senior Manager, Economic Development Amazon
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
International Empire Electrical Corp.
ELEVATOR
Donald Gelestino
President & CEO
Champion Elevator Corp.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Chuck Merritt
President/LEED AP
Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Lisa M.G. Mulligan
CEO
Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
Kelly Murphy
Acting Executive Director
Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
TAX CERTIORARI
Cara P. Cronin, Esq.
RichnerLIVE’s third annual R.E.A.L. Awards will spotlight entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries in Long Island’s real estate and related industries who have achieved success in
To
PRODUCED BY
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit a local charity.
Joseph A. Farkas
CEO & Founder
Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL BROKER
Gina Coletti
Licensed Real Estate Broker
GC Advisory Group Inc
RISING STARS
Daniel Scarda
Director of Corporate Finance
The Crest Group
Marco Scarda
Director of Business Development
The Crest Group
Jonathan Schuman
Licensed Associate Broker
Blue Island Homes
Justin Breslin
Vice President
Breslin Realty Development Corp.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Stephen Cadorette
Senior Associate
Cushman & Wakefield
TRAILBLAZER
Sara Gore
TV Host
NBC Universal
Luxury Real Estate Specialist
SERHANT.
ARCHITECT
COMMERCIAL
Mark Stumer
Principal Mojo Stumer Associates
Partner Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, PLLC
TITLE INSURANCE
Angelo Santomauro
Senior Partner & Vice President
All State Abstract
RESIDENTIAL AGENTS
Michelle Keegan
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Julia Krispeal
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
SERHANT.
Deborah Pirro
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
ATTORNEY
Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.
BROKERS
Michael Foley
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Frontline Realty Group
Dr. Sharon R. Frank
Expert Realtor & Business Strategist
Sharon R. Frank Real Estate LLC
Kevin Leatherman
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Leatherman Homes
Connie Pinilla
Principal Agent
The Connie Pinilla Team at Compass
Natasha Williams
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Cornelius Group Real Estate
LEGAL NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE OF VILLAGE TREASURER’S SALE FOR TAX LIENS ON REAL PROPERTY IN THE INC. VILLAGE OF MALVERNE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
That pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Real Property Tax Law and the Village Law of the State of New York and pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Malverne, Nassau County, New York adopted at a meeting held on the 7th day of February, 2024 the undersigned as Treasurer of said Village will sell at public auction in the manner prescribed by law, on the 14th day of March, 2024 at 11:00 o’clock in the forenoon of that day and on succeeding days, in the Courtroom of the Village Hall, 99 Church Street, Malverne, New York, as much of each of the following parcels of real estate upon which Village taxes remain unpaid as will be sufficient to discharge the taxes, interest and charges thereon which may be due at the time of such sale.
Such real estate will be sold subject to any unpaid assessment thereon levied by said Village and any unpaid lien purchased and held by said Village, and all liens on property included in this sale and sold subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act.
Each purchaser at such tax sale shall pay the amount of his/her bid to the Village Treasurer within ten (10) days after the sale, and upon such payment the Treasurer shall give to the purchaser a certificate in writing describing the real property purchase and the sum paid therefore.
THE NAME(S) OF THE OWNER(S) SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE NAME(S) OF THE PERSON(S) OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISMENT. SUCH NAME(S) HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE 2023/2024 ASSESSMENT ROLLS AND MAY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The following is a list of lots, pieces, and parcels of real estate to be sold and the total amount of taxes, interest, and charges thereon.
PUBLIC NOTICE OF VILLAGE TREASURER’S SALE FOR TAX LIENS ON REAL PROPERTY IN THE INC. VILLAGE OF MALVERNE, NY FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024
LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF DECEMBER
1, 2006, GSAMP TRUST 2006-HE8, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE8, V. MARITA ARRINGTON, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated March 20, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF DECEMBER
1, 2006, GSAMP TRUST 2006-HE8, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE8 is the Plaintiff and MARITA ARRINGTON, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on March 12, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 49 CAROL ST, WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY 11552: Section 35, Block 538, Lot 30 & 45:
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 Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 002877/2013. George Esernio, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 144722
LEGAL NOTICE
SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS AND NOTICESUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NASSAUMORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, Plaintiff, -againstROBERTA WADE, if she be living and if she be dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the complaint; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS LLC; BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION; SLOMIN’S, INC.; ETR, INC. DBA EMPIRE TAX REDUCTIONS; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #10,” said names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, intended to be possible tenants or occupants of the premises, or corporations, persons, or other entities having or claiming a lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants. Index No.: 604176/2019 Plaintiff Designates Nassau County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Nassau County. To the above named Defendants-YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered
to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated January 24, 2024.
NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME - If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Jeffrey A. Goodstein, A.J.S.C. Dated: January 24, 2024 Filed: January 25, 2024. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 247 Coventry Road South, West Hempstead, NY 11552. Dated: November 13, 2023 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Monica G. Christie, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120
F: (954)343-6982. 144892
LEGAL NOTICE
Supplemental Summons and Notice of Object of Action Supreme Court Of The State Of New York County Of Nassau Action to Foreclose a Mortgage Index #: 602511/2020 Nationstar Mortgage LLC
D/B/A Mr. Cooper Plaintiff, vs Unknown Heirs Of Daniel Gause If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Unknown Heirs Of Lena N. Gause, Who Was Heir To The Estate Of Daniel Gause If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said
Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose
Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Fannie Mae Gause As Heir To The Estate Of Lena N. Gause, Who Was Heir To The Estate Of Daniel Gause If Living, And If He/She Be Dead, Any And All Persons Unknown To Plaintiff, Claiming, Or Who May Claim To Have An Interest In, Or General Or Specific Lien Upon The Real Property Described In This Action; Such Unknown Persons Being Herein Generally Described And Intended To Be Included In Wife, Widow, Husband, Widower, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assignees Of Such Deceased, Any And All Persons Deriving Interest In Or Lien Upon, Or Title To Said Real Property By, Through Or Under Them, Or Either Of Them, And Their Respective Wives, Widows, Husbands, Widowers, Heirs At Law, Next Of Kin, Descendants, Executors, Administrators, Devisees, Legatees, Creditors, Trustees, Committees, Lienors, And Assigns, All Of Whom And Whose Names, Except As Stated, Are Unknown To Plaintiff, Antoinette Kirkland As Heir To The Estate Of Lena N. Gause, Who Was Heir To The Estate Of Daniel Gause And As Appointed Guardian Of Anne D. Kirkland As Heir To The Estate Of Lena N. Gause, Who Was Heir To The Estate Of Daniel Gause, Teachers Federal Credit Union, People Of The State Of New York, United States Of America Acting Through The IRS, ETR Inc D/B/A Empire Tax Reductions, Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group LLC, John Doe (Those unknown tenants, occupants, persons or corporations or their heirs, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, assignees, creditors or successors claiming an interest in the mortgaged premises.) Defendant(s).
Mortgaged Premises: 468
Barbara Lane West Hempstead, NY 11552 To the Above named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action, and to serve a
copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Supplemental Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff(s) attorney(s) within twenty days after the service of this Supplemental Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Supplemental Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. The Attorney for Plaintiff has an office for business in the County of Erie. Trial to be held in the County of Nassau. The basis of the venue designated above is the location of the Mortgaged Premises. TO Fannie Mae Gause, Defendant In this Action.
The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. Jeffrey A. Goodstein of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the Twenty-Fifth day of January, 2024 and filed with the Complaint in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, in the City of Mineola. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage upon the premises described below, dated January 30, 2007, executed by Daniel Gause (who died on February 3, 2018, a resident of the county of Nassau, State of New York) to secure the sum of $398,610.00.
The Mortgage was recorded at Book 31601, Page 433 in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk on February 28, 2007.
The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed May 20, 2014 and recorded on May 23, 2014, in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk at Book M 39706, Page 940. Said Mortgage was subsequently modified by a Loan Modification Agreement executed by Daniel Gause on October 6, 2017 and recorded October 24, 2017 in Book 42460, Page 684 in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk; The property in question is described as follows: 468 BARBARA LANE, WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY 11552
HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS
IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS NOTICE ABOUT THE
FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The state encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or the Foreclosure Relief Hotline 1-800-269-0990 or visit the department’s website at WWW.DFS.NY.GOV.
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR HOME DURING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.
YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS AND UNTIL YOUR PROPERTY IS SOLD AT AUCTION PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN YOUR HOME, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAW. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the
services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. § 1303
NOTICE NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING
THE ANSWER WITH THE
COURT. DATED: January 30, 2024 Gross Polowy LLC Attorney(s) For Plaintiff(s) 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221
The law firm of Gross Polowy LLC and the attorneys whom it employs are debt collectors who are attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained by them will be used for that purpose.
79509
144813
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Village of Malverne will accept sealed bids for the purchase of one (1) Ford 2024 F- Series SD crew cab chassis with landscape body for the Malverne Department of Public Works. Sealed bids must be returned to the Village Clerk, Village of Malverne, 99 Church Street, Malverne, NY 11565 no later than 11:00
AM on Monday, March 4, 2024 at which time they will be opened and read aloud. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Bid specifications are available at www.malvernevillage.org
/legal-notices or between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM at the Office of the Village Clerk.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Inc. Village of Malverne Jill Valli, Village Clerk/Treasurer
Dated: 2/15/24. 144980
Officer Angelica Caggiano and Sergeant Eric Finn, from the Nassau County Police Department’s 5th precinct, attended the Lakeview Civic Association’s meeting on Feb. 15 and introduced themselves to the community.
Laura Ryder, newly elected to the Town of Hempstead board, coordinated the officer meet and greet with the Lakeview Civic Association.
Lisa Ortiz, co-founder of the LCA, gave a tribute to Black History Month at the February meeting. Neighbors mingled and had food as part of the celebration.
The Lakeview Civic Association hosted Council Laura Ryder, newly elected to the Town of Hempstead board, and two Nassau County Police Department police officers at its monthly meeting on Feb. 15.
Officer Angelica Caggiano and Sergeant Eric Finn, from 5th precinct’s “Problem-Oriented Police” unit — or “POP” for short — came to the LCA’s monthly meeting to say hello.
The POP unit is focused on helping communities out with non-emergency issues like road safety. The officers in POP units are meant to be the face of their department in their local communities, and often work with schools and civic organizations.
For their February meeting, the Lakeview Civic Association also gave
tribute to Black History Month. Lakeview has a significant role in the history of civil rights in America. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. himself marched down Ocean Ave. in support of desegregating the school district.
Before that, the children of Lakeview — most of whom were Black — went to Woodfield Road School, while the children of Malverne — most of whom were white — went to Maurice W. Downing Primary School.
The Lakeview Civic Association was founded to advocate for the neighbors of Lakeview. They work closely with the school district, the NAACP, the Lakeview Public Library and local houses of worship to host events and help connect people with community resources.
–Nicole Formisano
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
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary
Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour.
Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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
System
using Power BI/Apps/Automate, Microsoft Project/Excel/Access/Visio/Sharepoint, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence & Process Automation, Technical Project/Program Management, Incident Management, Root Cause Analysis, ECommerce, Supply Chain, Financial, Cloud Infra.
Requires: Travel within the USA + Masters in Computer Science, Applied Computer Science, Technology Management or Information Technology. Send resume by mail to: American Software Resources, Inc., 4 Brower Avenue, Suite 4, Woodmere, NY 11598
ADMINISTRATOR AVAILABLE
To Work For You FT/ PT Immediately. I Am Experienced. RVC Vicinity. Call 516-536-6994
Richner
Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses.
Compensation is based on Full Time hours
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
PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS
FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking
HOME HEALTH AID with 20 Years Experience, Looking to Care for Elderly Male or Female. Experience in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Private Homes. Day or Night. No Live-in. Driver's License. 914-720-4426 or Email joyceprince990@gmail.com
SANTA CRUZ SERAG Caregivers Provide The Best Male/ Female Caregivers In America. Certified HHA's, Professional. Experts In Dementia, Alzheimers, Parkinsons Cases. Live-in/Out. Gertrude 347-444-0960
EAST ROCKAWAY 62 BULAIRE Rd,
OPEN HOUSE BY APPT, NEW TO MARKET! Move Right Into This 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch in Waverly Park Area of SD#20(Lynbrook). Open Floor Plan. LR w/Fpl, DR, Gran/Wood EIK Plus Family Rm w/ Vaulted Ceiling. Upper Level Has Huge Skylit Recreation Rm, BR, Bth & W/D. Beautifully Lanscaped Oversized Prop W/ Trex Deck for Entertaining. Multi Car Drvewy...$899,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299
HEWLETT: 2/25, 2-3:30, 1267 Peninsula Blvd, 5 BR, 2 Bath Exp Cape in SD#14(Hewlett Woodmere)Living Room, FDR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK w/ Vaulted Ceiling. 2 Main Flr BRs & Updtd Bth. Upper Level 3 BRs & Updtd Bth. 1.5 Car Det Gar Plus 4/5 Car Drivewy. Priv Yd w/ Deck.HW Flrs, Gas Ht.
Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299
HEWLETT BA, 1534 Broadway #213,.!
Q. Our house is large and very old, with a third story that was partially finished before purchase. We finished the rest of the attic and put in a few bedrooms and a bath. Recently we hired an architect to enlarge our kitchen into our backyard and make a nice entrance to a porch and patio with a fireplace. The architect made the plans, after several meetings, changes, etc., and then put them into our building department to pull a permit. We next got a notice that our attic is in violation, and we had to either take out all the finishes and bathroom or file plans to get a state permit.
None of this has anything to do with the kitchen or patio, which we hoped to have by summer. We suspect our architect made this much more complicated for us, but now we can’t undo what he did. Naturally, he gets more money to do more plans and permits, which we also think is rather sneaky and uncalled for. Can we report the architect for doing this to us, and can we pull back the permit so we can make all this go away and just do our kitchen?
A. So you believe everyone is out to get you, including your architect, and you have the right to “pull back” your permit, ignoring the conditions of your house. It doesn’t work that way.
5 BR, 2 Bath Exp Cape in SD#14 (Hewlett Woodmere) Living Room, FDR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK w/ Vaulted Ceiling. 2 Main Flr BRs & Updtd Bth. Upper Level 3 BRs & Updtd Bth. 1.5 Car Det Gar Plus 4/5 Car Drivewy. Priv Yd w/ Deck. HW Flrs, Gas Ht. Near Shops, LIRR, Trans & Houses of Worship $599,000 1534 Broadway #213, BA, FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move
Unfortunately, even though most local governments know that most homes have violations, the governments choose not to prosecute every homeowner, since it would be bad for the business of getting re-elected, so code violations go on without a word until you make the first move, which you did, by coming to the attention of the building officials whose job is public safety.
Every day of the week, people ask if we can’t just look the other way. We absolutely can look the other way, but eventually who will believe us for lying or not doing our job? The issues of your home easily come up by simply bringing up satellite images, on-line accessible documents, including tax department records, showing what is in the home and whether the third floor was finished. Your building official doesn’t need the architect or you to figure out the truth about the illegalities in your home. When your architect shows the actual conditions, which he is required to do, including walls removed, walls finished in rooms that the building department has no previous record of, or other changes, he’s only doing his job. Imagine the scrutiny an architect would receive if a building official walked in to check the conditions and discovered that you and the architect had lied.
I have stated in this column, many times, the statistic that only five people out of 100 will survive a fire on the third floor. Ninety-five people will die of smoke inhalation or burns. So do the right thing and follow through, whichever way you choose. I’m pulling for you.
© 2024 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question”
& SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636
CARPENTRY & PAINTING: Residential/ Commercial. All Phases. Licensed/ Insured. FREE ESTIMATES! Anthony & J Home Improvements 516-678-6641
PLUMBER! PLUMBER! PLUMBER! FREE ESTIMATES! Heating, Repairs, Installations. $25 OFF New Customers. 24 Hour Emergency Response. 516-599-1011.
DIRECTV SPORTS PACK – 3 Months on Us! Watch pro and college sports LIVE. Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918
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
VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills
SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 855-413-9574
INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don't Accept the insurance company's first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now:
ow many potholes do you swerve to avoid during your daily commute to work, school, the grocery store or a family or friend’s house? How many times have you yelled in anger in your car for someone to “Fix the roads!”? At a time when our communities are grappling with numerous challenges, the proposed state Executive Budget’s significant decrease in the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, also known as CHIPS, demands immediate attention, or the shouting at potholes will get worse.
The proposed reduction of $60 million in CHIPS funding isn’t just a number on paper; it translates into real consequences for our local roads and bridges. These are the very arteries that connect our neighborhoods, facilitate commerce and guarantee the smooth flow of daily life. The condition of our roads makes the difference in whether we get to a doctor’s appointments on time, and, even more critically, the time it takes emergency
services to respond to a call. A reduction in funding jeopardizes the safety, functionality and longevity of our transportation infrastructure throughout Nassau County.
Local governments, tasked with maintaining nearly 87 percent of the state’s roads and half of its bridges, are already struggling with budgetary constraints imposed by the state property tax cap, rising pension and health care costs and unfunded mandates. The proposed reduction in CHIPS exacerbates these challenges, making it harder for localities to address the critical needs of our communities. The escalation of natural disasters, exemplified by the extensive flooding Long Island has faced in the past year, underscores the heightened urgency for an adequately funded CHIPS.
Pthe cost of materials and labor continues to rise, stagnant funding levels become insufficient to meet the evolving demands of maintenance and improvement projects.
Equitability, fairness and parity are indispensable when funding our state’s infrastructure. The current proposal fails to acknowledge the growing disparity between the needs on the ground and the resources allocated from the top.
otholes? We’ve got ’em. New York’s highway system ranks 49th in the nation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed $60 million cut overlooks the impact of inflation on local highway departments. Across the country, the Federal Highway Administration Highway Construction Cost Index notes a 58.6 percent increase in highway construction costs over the past two and a half years. As
ITo bridge this gap, I am actively advocating for greater state investment in local roads. Our state’s infrastructure is in dire need of attention, as evidenced by New York’s highway system ranking 49th in the nation, according to Reason’s 27th annual Highway Report. This statistic might not surprise you, but it reflects the reality faced by commuters given the consequences of a deteriorating transportation network.
Local roads are the lifeblood of our communities — they connect us from our homes to our businesses, our schools, our libraries and all the places that make our neighborhoods feel like home. While the proposed budget con-
tinues valuable programs like Extreme Winter Recovery, PAVE-NY, and Pave our Potholes, the reduction in CHIPS by $60 million, and in the State Touring Routes Program, by $40 million, threaten the stability of our local infrastructure.
The state-backed mantra “Local Roads are Essential” rings true only when backed by tangible actions that demonstrate a commitment to valuing and prioritizing our local roads. Increasing the CHIPS base level by $200 million and maintaining allocations for BRIDGE-NY, EWR, PAVE-NY, STR and POP will strengthen the foundation laid over several state budgets. While preserving certain programs, the proposed state budget for this year falls short of recognizing the urgency and scale of the infrastructure crisis facing our localities.
During your next commute, don’t let your concern for the condition of your local roads be contained in your car — let your voice be heard. Join me and dozens of our local towns and villages in calling for the governor to support an increase in funding for our local roads in this year’s budget.
Ed Ra represents the 19th Assembly District, and is the ranking Republican on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
read “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” my first banned book, when I was 12. My friend lent me the book, and I found the good parts by the dogeared pages. The experience did not compromise my moral compass or corrupt me in any way I can discern. I am not recommending the book for today’s 12-year-olds, because it’s a pretty boring read, but I am advocating that a broad spectrum of books be available to students who choose to read them.
RANDI KREISS
This month, Library Lovers Month, I want to push back hard against the selfappointed literature vigilantes across our country, who are removing books from school library shelves and banning them from classrooms under the guise of protecting children from inappropriate subject matter.
It’s called censorship, and the problem, of course, is who gets to decide what is appropriate or not. In the past, librarians have had full discretion in selecting books. They are trained for the job and trusted in their choices. In
the best libraries, the books reflect all the ways that children and teenagers can be in the world, including gay or trans or identified with any race or religion or socio-economic group.
work for vulnerable kids.
I don’t know if a book has ever saved someone’s life, but I know for sure that battles over books are endangering lives by keeping young people from information and stories that might validate their choices in important ways.
book-ban list, by definition, express feelings, experiences and political views that the prevailing culture prefers to pretend do not exist.”
SFor some young people, the school library is the only place they can read about kids just like themselves. They can learn that others share their confusion or anxiety or fear of being different.
tudents need open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers.
I don’t believe that a teenager can “catch” being gay or trans from reading about it, the underlying prejudice being that there is something wrong with that identity. We can’t scrub young adult literature for references to slavery or minority struggles or even violence, because the best writing reflects real life.
A couple of weeks ago, The New York Times told the story of a librarian in Idaho who organized a “Rainbow Squad,” welcoming children of different backgrounds to read and talk about books. A local church group protested, and the community is battling over whether the Rainbow Squad should be banned, along with the books they’re reading.
I wonder how this group threatens anyone, even as it creates a support net-
In The Washington Post last week, columnist Kate Cohen wrote about the school board in her hometown, Rockingham, Virginia, deciding to ban 57 books in the school library. One-third of the books feature gay or trans characters. Cohen wrote, “Freedom to read is the closest thing we have to freedom to think.”
This month, there can be no more pressing public business than to guarantee age-appropriate, open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers, for students across the land.
What can we do? Each of us can become familiar with our school and community libraries, stay informed about the books available to teens and oppose efforts by any groups of book police to decide what teenagers should read. In some communities in Florida, a single parent’s complaint about a book in a school library can get it banned.
As Cohen wrote, “The books on any
I think how lonely and desperate teenagers trying to figure out their lives without access to books must feel. Wellwritten books on racism or sexuality or addiction are a far better source for our kids than TikTok.
We read books for many reasons beyond wanting to be entertained — to solve the mysteries in our lives, to be dazzled or outraged by the way others live. Sometimes we can find our beliefs and lives affirmed in the pages of a new book.
The reason authoritarian entities, be they runaway school boards or governments, ban books is to limit access to ideas that might challenge their power.
We resist by reading and sharing.
The New York Public Library is offering free access to banned books for teenagers anywhere in the country through SimplyE, its e-reader app. The latest banned book pick is “All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It is available to all readers ages 13 and older.
There are worlds out there to be explored. I have had this joy in my life, and I want the same for every reader.
Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
in the past couple of weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of something we haven’t seen much of over the past couple of years: snow.
So much, in fact, that schools in our communities had no choice but to close. And because of that, we have just one thing to say to our school districts in Nassau County: Thank you for the snow day.
Yes, education works best when it’s rigorous and on a schedule. If the young minds loading buses each day were robots, then we’d probably be hesitant to interrupt the routine. Thankfully, our children are living, breathing people. And all of us can use a break from time to time — especially one we didn’t expect.
Anyone who grew up in a climate susceptible to winter almost assuredly experienced at least one snow day in their life, if not several. They go all the way back to the 19th century, when schools became gathering points children would flock to — and where safety would become paramount.
In places like Long Island, where crews are adept at clearing roads, even the best can be overwhelmed by significant storms and heavy snowfalls. And while it might feel like a free day off for many of our young learners, nearly all school districts have built snow days into the schedule — meaning any unexpected days off will be made up later in the spring.
We here on Long Island understand
the value of snow days, but not everyone shares those values. In fact, there is a growing contingent of education leaders right in our backyard who have been working hard to wipe snow days from existence.
It’s not that New York City has it out for an occasional unscheduled school closing. It’s just that the city’s education department has capitalized on the expansion of technology necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, which made remote learning for all not just possible, but practical.
For the 1.1 million students who attend more than 1,800 schools in the city, instead of sitting inside a classroom to learn on days when it snows, they are sitting in their living rooms and bedrooms instead. All while other people their age, living just a few miles away, grab their snowsuits and sleds and enjoy the winter beauty Mother Nature has delivered.
Learning is important, but snow days are valuable. Quite valuable, in fact. Beyond safety, they provide a muchneeded mental health break — not just for students, but also for the adults responsible for their learning.
The pressure of academic demands and extracurricular activities can be intense. That can lead not just to stress, but even to burnout.
Snow days give all of us a chance to recharge and relax with some unscheduled playtime outdoors. And that’s important, too. We hear too much about
To the Editor:
We are professional firefighters!
I take exception to the comment made by writer Brandon Cruz in his article “Long Island needs more volunteer firefighters” (Feb. 8-14) that our volunteer firefighters are not “professionals.” Cruz reports that if new volunteers don’t join local fire departments, communities will need to hire “professional” firefighters.
Our volunteers are professional firefighters, just not paid for what we do for our communities. We, as volunteers, don’t just put on turnout gear and rush into a burning building without the needed, required and constant training provided by the Nassau County Fire Service at its training facility in Bethpage, and here in Lynbrook, our own department’s training and drills at our training facility in Wilcox Alley.
Back some 44 years ago, the Lynbrook Fire Department was facing a firefighter shortage, and formed the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department for youngsters 12 to 17, to interest them in firefighting, with the goal of becoming firefighters when they turned 18.
During their time as juniors, the youngsters learn basic firefighting methods without actually fighting
how video games, computers and television keep so many of our kids indoors. But freshly fallen snow is irresistible, and will almost assuredly get them outside to have some fun. It’s good for their physical health in a way that sitting in front of a computer, watching a teacher on Zoom, just can’t provide.
And a snow day is a chance to build community. Families come together to shovel sidewalks, or maybe help neighbors in need. Children get together, working to build snow forts, or even a snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a top hat.
And who doesn’t love an impromptu snowball fight?
All of that comes with many parents still working remotely, which helps mitigate child-care issues and costs that might otherwise accompany snow days.
Just remember that these days are not breaks for everyone. Let’s not forget the municipal workers who wake up early to plow the snow, as well as the brave souls at utility companies, hospitals, and fire and police departments who, as first responders, are always prepared for the worst.
Each one of our children will spend more than 1,200 days in class through high school. Let them have a break. And let’s show New York City yet another reason why more and more people choose to live and work here on Long Island.
Because on Long Island, snow days are cool.
FBILL GaYLor
irst, the good news. Long Island has consistently been named one of the safest major metropolitan areas in the United States. And in recent years, nassau County has repeatedly been named the safest county in the nation. violent crime is down to levels that are among the lowest ever recorded. The nassau County Police Department is second to none, and we are fortunate to have our law-and-order procedures under the leadership of Police Commissioner Patrick ryder and District Attorney Anne Donnelly, who are tough on crime and willing to enforce our laws to protect the public at the highest levels legally allowed. now the bad news. Long Island is the midst of a crime wave. While violent crime is in check, property crime has been on the rise. Crimes such as car theft, burglary and grand larceny have spiked to unprecedented levels. retail
theft has gotten so out of control that many stores are placing products under lock and key.
That hasn’t served as much of a deterrent, as overall larceny on Long Island, which includes all theft except auto, jumped by 34 percent from 2021 to 2022. According to the retail Council of new York State, retailers statewide lose about $4.4 billion per year from retail theft. And who pays for that? naturally, it’s the consumer, in the form of higher retail prices to make up for the losses, further contributing to the rise in inflation. Such activity also puts store workers at risk of being assaulted should they attempt to intervene against shoplifters.
In too many cases, criminals are back out on the streets within hours.
While the mainstream media and progressive elected officials find all kinds of excuses to either sugar-coat these facts or offer other reasons for this crime epidemic, I believe it’s becoming increasingly clear that bail reform is the major contributor. There’s hardly a day that goes by without the issuance of an nCPD notice describing one or more people being arrested for committing a crime that too often also involved a previous arrest, but resulted in the perpetrators being released due to cashless bail. In too many cases, these criminals are back out on the street within hours, with no fear of repeating or even escalating their criminal activity.
glary, and retail theft variety.
recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul finally woke up and publicly recognized that the dramatic increase in retail theft was a statewide problem. Her proposed solution includes creating a task force to combat organized retail theft, and provide funding, in the form of tax credits, for businesses that invest in prevention and security measures. The proposal also calls for new sanctions against those caught selling stolen merchandise.
Why is this happening? In my opinion, it’s no coincidence that what we’re seeing is directly tied to the progressive bail reform laws passed by Albany lawmakers in early 2020. Those laws, led by cashless bail, have emboldened criminals, who have learned they can commit these types of crimes without fear of being kept in jail if they get caught.
fires. When they turn 18, they join one of our fire companies, begin formal basic training at the county Fire Service Academy and are considered probationary firefighters for one year while they complete additional training.
Yes, we always need more volunteers, but our junior program is helping to fill our ranks.
Many area fire departments have also formed junior programs, based on ours, to help fill their own ranks. Admittedly, the juniors aren’t always enough, and some years are better than others. Lynbrook’s chief of department and three assistant chiefs came through our junior program. This isn’t the first time that all four chiefs have been former juniors. Many of our current volunteers came through our junior program.
There are now 30 youngsters in the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department. Two former juniors joined fire companies last month alone when they turned 18. It is estimated that over 40 percent of our juniors go on to become Lynbrook firefighters.
STeve GroGAn Lynbrook
Grogan is a 56-year member of the Lynbrook Fire Department and an ex-captain and honorary chief. He
co-founded the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department, and is the department’s public information officer.
We need more governance, less politics
To the editor:
re County Legislator Delia DeriggiWhitton’s column “Stop playing petty political games with county resources” last week: The difference of opinion between the legislative minority leader and the majority leader illustrates the difference between governance and politics. nassau would benefit from more of the former and less of the latter.
The millions of dollars in American rescue Plan Act funds at issue, having not been spent as intended, present a “windfall.” Shall we have Bruce Blakeman billboards or firehouse funds? Are we improvident grasshoppers or prudent and ant-like? Shall we squander millions on a 125th-birthday party or prudently invest in libraries, cybersecurity and clean water?
BrIAn KeLLY Rockville Centreearly last year, the nCPD issued warnings about organized crime rings that were sneaking small teams of men across the border to rob and steal, knowing that if they were caught, they would likely receive nothing more than appearance tickets. Since then, these gangs have been committing all kinds of crimes, mostly of the auto theft, bur-
This Band-Aid approach to addressing this serious situation won’t solve the problem. Instead, how about our Albany leaders finally accept the reality that bail reform in its current state is not working and needs to be fixed? Start by eliminating cashless bail and aggressively prosecute all thefts, including those involving less than $1,000 in stolen goods, while enforcing and prosecuting other crimes that are adversely affecting our quality of life. Then, perhaps law and order will prevail, and the criminals will get the message that their bad actions will not go unpunished.
Bill Gaylor represents Nassau County’s 14th Legislative District.
Framework by Tim Baker
G e t s up erior c a r di a c c a r e a t M o u n t Sina i
So u th N a s s a u i n Oc ea nsi d e
O u r co mp r e h en si v e c a r e in clu d e s th e l a t e s t d i a g n o s ti c t e s t i n g, and exp e r ti s e in m inim a l l y i n v a si v e t r e a t me n t s mak ing u s a t o p c hoi c e f or L o n g Isl a n de r s s eek i n g h el p wit h h ea r t con d itions
R a t ed high p e r f o r mi n g in H ea r t At t a c k a n d
H ea r t Fa il u r e b y U S. N e w s & Wo rl d R epo r t ® ,
B e st H o spi t a ls 2 0 2 3- 2 4 , and r ec ipie n t o f th e Co r o na r y I nt e r v e n tio n E xc e ll e nc e Aw a r d ™ f r o m Healthgr a de s , w e ’ r e the on ly hospi t al o n L on g Isl and c o nn e c t e d t o the r e n o wned he a r t exp e r t s o f th e Mo u n t S in a i H eal th S y s t e m
L ea r n m o r e a t m o u n t sin a i o r g /s o u thn a s s au h ea r t
