Malverne/West Hempstead Herald 03-07-2024

Post 44 honors law enforcement

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Whose Irish soda breads will win?

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$1.00

The thrill of victory

West Hempstead High School’s boys’ basketball team captured the Nassau County Class B championship last Friday night, defeating Carle Place, 54-45, at Farmingdale State College. Story, additional photos, Page 6.

Local women balance families and businesses

By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com

Women-owned businesses are on the rise. The number of small businesses that are led by women has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, according to the National Association of Women’s Businesses — and some of them are in West Hempstead.

Sagine Pierre Charles opened Sage and Angie Boutique, on Nassau Boulevard, in 2007. Her family moved from Haiti to the United States when she was 17. Now she is a mother, a business owner, and the president of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce.

It’s important to Pierre Charles that her two daughters, ages 14 and 12, see their mother following her dreams.

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Nassau County veterans honor active-duty aviators

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

American Legion Post 44 in Malverne — as well as veterans and auxiliary members all across Nassau County — gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck on Feb. 17 for the annual Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night.

This year marked the first time the American Legions of Nassau County hosted the 69th annual Valor Awards presentation for active-duty service members of the American Legion Aviators’ Post No. 743.

The program also acknowledged several distinguished

guests, including Department Commander Timothy Collmer, Vice Commander Michael Rodriguez, 10th District Commander James Trainor, Nassau County Commander Sean Hood, Suffolk County Commander Kenneth Dolan, Queens County Commander Casey Bileris and Nassau County Legionnaire of the Year Al Ficalora, of Baldwin Post 246.

Members of the American Legion Auxiliary — the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization — the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders were also recognized for their

contributions and service.

The first Valor Award was presented in 1953 to U.S. Air Force Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold for his leadership during World War II.

Since then, recognizing military aviators who performed a feat of valor, as determined by the chief of staff of each of the U.S. Armed Forces, has become an annual tradition.

In recognition of their accomplishments in the line of duty, this year’s Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night event recognized three esteemed aviators for their distinguished acts of valor.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Com -

mander Zachary Bowers, a fleet standardization flight examiner and instructor pilot from Sacramento, California, was presented with the 2019 Aviator Valor Award for a Medevac rescue in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Despite poor visibility, high winds, heavy rain and engine anti-ice failure, Bowers and his crew helped rescue a 60-year-

old man with respiratory failure and a morbidly obese pregnant woman who was at risk of bleeding out if she went into labor. Both were successfully transported to a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. The 60-year-old man was later diagnosed with tuberculosis, and if he had not been transported to

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Ross Farber/Herald

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HERALD NEIGHBORS

Celebrating ‘Americanism’ at Post 44

Every year, neighbors in Malverne gather for a very special night — Law and Order night. No, it isn’t a screening of the popular ‘90s drama. It’s a night for the American Legion Post 44, in Malverne, to honor the men and women who contribute to the spirit and safety of the neighborhood.

“Americanism is an ideal of loyal patriotism, religious tolerance, righteous freedom, fearless courage, honest integrity,” Ed Howard, the vice commander of Post 44, said at the Feb. 28 event. “Abiding faith in the destiny of the United States of America, and a fathomless love for the principles that led our forefathers to found this country.”

Among those honored was James Lang, Ex-Chief of the Malverne Fire Department. Lang began an initiative to take first responders’ mental health more seriously — he educates the firehouse on the telltale signs that someone is having a difficult time dealing with mental health, so they can not only support each other, but recognize when they themselves may benefit from help. His program has spread across the Fourth Battalion.

Jamie and Anastasia Lopez and their three young children were also honored for flying the American flag, as were Robert Coleman and his son, Daniel.

“Thank you to the families who are flying the flag,” State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “You are a wonderful example to your children about having pride in our country.”

Jack Bitoni, a Boy Scout, represented Malverne in this year’s Boys State, an American Legion program where young men have to replicate government on the local, state and federal level. Mayor Tim Sullivan, too, participated in Boys State when he was Bitoni’s age, and said the experience taught him an appreciation for all the Legion does.

Christopher Boddy and Christopher Aresta of the Malverne Police Department were recognized for their service to the neighborhood, including keeping a cool head when they found drugs and a loaded firearm during a traffic stop. And on top of his service to the police force, Aresta is also a firefighter with the Malverne Fire Department. Inspec-

tor Jean Lanteri, of the Police Reserves, was also honored for his dedication to the force.

“While the residents of Malverne are safe and secure, sleeping in their beds,” Chief John Aresta, Christopher’s father, said, “The officers of the Malverne Police Department are on the street, patrolling to keep them safe.”

“A night like tonight should make us all proud to be Americans,” said Legislator Bill Gaylor, who served for 23 years as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Army.

“Just appreciate the freedom we have in this country,” Howard said. “And the people that keep us free.”

–Nicole Formisano

Jack Bitoni participated in the American Legion’s ‘Boys State’ program, where he worked with other young men to create local, state and federal government systems.

Mayor Tim Sullivan said that the reason Malverne is one of the safest municipalities in the country is because of the Malverne Police Department’s tireless efforts.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos American Legion Post 44 honored the first responders who keep Malverne save, as well as the neighbors who show their appreciation.

James Lang, Ex-Chief of the Malverne Fire Department, was honored for his initiative to destigmatize mental health among first responders.

The American Legion Post 44, in Malverne, was filled with veterans, first responders, politicians and neighbors. The annual Law and Order night recognizes the freedoms that American citizens enjoy, and the people in Malverne that help make them possible.

Get on a plan for better finances this year

Improve your financial outlook with some simple strategies

Setting short-term financial goals, as well as mid-term and long-term, is an important step toward becoming financially secure. If you aren’t working toward anything specific, you’re likely to spend more than you should. You’ll then come up short when you need money for unexpected bills, not to mention when you want to retire. You might get stuck in a vicious cycle of credit card debt and feel like you never have enough cash to get properly insured, leaving you more vulnerable than you need to be to handle some of life’s major risks.

Even the most prudent person can’t prepare against every crisis. What thinking ahead does is give you a chance to work through things that could happen and do your best to prepare for them. This should be an ongoing process so you can shape your life and goals to fit the changes that will inevitably come.

Be S.M.A.R.T.er

The first strategy to help you jumpstart your goals — and your financial future — is to set S.M.A.R.T. money goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable (or Achievable), Realistic and Timely.

Let’s start with Specific and Measurable. Here’s an example: Your goal may be to “spend less or invest more.” That’s a great goal, but it’s not specific enough. If you

instead said, “I will save or invest $1,500,” that’s a bit more specific and measurable. Now let’s look at the Achievable and Realistic component. Using the same example, if you said, “I will invest $125 from each paycheck directly into my savings or retirement account or toward paying down a specific debt,” that is likely achievable and realistic.

Your goal must also be Timely, meaning you have a timeline for completing it. In this example, you said that you want to achieve your goal in one year’s time and $125/ month over 12 months equals $1,500 for the year.

Know Your Financial Flow

You have to get real about your spending. Understanding where your money is going is the foundation for developing healthy spending habits. Technology has made tracking your spending easy and there are several apps you can use, most of which are available on all of your devices. You may also want to utilize the “50/30/20 Rule” — 50 percet of your income is allocated to meeting your needs, 30 percent to your wants, and 20 percet to savings.

Get On A Debt Diet

You must also get real about your debt. Take some time out to sit down and make a list of your debts, so you can determine which debt to pay off first.

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by Joan Chittister

Your writer was grateful to find author Chittister’s book, subtitled “Growing Old Gracefully”, written by her at age seventy, the same age your writer turns this year.

Inevitably, we come to see things differently as we age. In “The Gift of Years” these changes in the “capstone years” as she calls them, present the gift of becoming more fully alive than ever. Cicero notes that old age is richer in reflection, force of character and judgement. The maturity and mellowing of character allows the older generation to provide a behavioral model for younger generations showing them the way to a fullness of life.

Seneca said these years abound with pleasure if we know how to use them. Free of obligations and deadlines, there is freshness in these years. Understanding, enjoyment and love of life all increase, allowing for deeper, richer and more important experiences. The world looks different — more to be treasured, explored and enjoyed.

A certain serenity sets in.

Chittister writes “But we are here to depart from this world as finished as we can possibly become. Old age is...exactly the time to grow in new ways [making] sense out of all the growing we have already done. It is the softening season when everything in us is meant to achieve its sweetest, richest, most unique self”.

Chittister calls it a damping-down time of life where anger, jealousy, envy, and pride subside to awaken another whole level of life.

“As Agatha Christie put it, we ‘bloom’ as we grow. New abilities emerge, new insights arise. New vision is possible.”

A certain urgency and intensity in living sets in as we become aware of the presence of time. With forty short chapters on subjects such as Regret, Joy, Possibility, Letting Go, Success, Wisdom, Time and Appreciation, “The Gift of Years” provides an indispensable guide to aging well.

Photo: When it comes to your finances, get specific about what you really want to accomplish.

HERALD SPORTS

Rams rally to win Nassau Class B title

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

West Hempstead was slow out of the gate in last Friday’s Nassau Class B boys’ basketball finals playing its first game in three weeks before turning on the jets when it mattered most.

The top-seeded Rams trailed Carle Place by nine midway through the second quarter, but then quickly began to take control of the game by scoring 28 of the next 36 points en route to a 54-45 win for the program’s first county championship since the 2002-03 campaign.

“We practiced hard every day and we wanted this,” said West Hempstead senior forward Anthony Graffeo-Jackson moments after his teams’ county title triumph at Farmingdale State College. “This has been my dream for a while.”

The Rams hadn’t taken the court for a game since a 66-50 win against East Rockaway in the regular-season finale on Feb. 8 after Oyster Bay forfeited the Class B semifinal game scheduled for Feb. 23. The rust factor appeared to take hold early with Carle Place jumping out to a 20-13 lead following a steal and layup from Carle Place forward Nick Monteforte prompting Rubin to call a timeout with 4:32 left in the first half.

After Carle Place extended the lead to 22-13, West Hempstead closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to trail 24-21 at halftime. The momentum carried over into the second half when the Rams opened the third quarter with a 14-4 spurt and led 41-32 at the close of the period.

“I thought we were lucky to be down only three at halftime since we didn’t have a very good first half., but I’m really proud of the kids for their resiliency,” West Hempstead head coach Eric Rubin said. “I’m happy, but for the kids I’m even happier because this program was so down for a few years and they worked hard and have done everything I’ve asked them to.”

West Hempstead (18-4) brought home the title in the fourth quarter when senior guard Chris Young drilled a clutch three pointer followed by an Isiah Blunt basket to extend the lead to 47-34 with just under five minutes left. The Frogs never crept closer than six for the remainder of the game.

The Class B champions received balanced scoring led by 13 points each from Young, Blunt, Graffeo-Jackson and Evan Wilson. Wilson connected on four three pointers while Blunt and Graffeo-Jackson were a force inside with some key rebounds throughout the game.

The county finals triumph marks quite the turnaround for West Hempstead, which two years ago went 1-17 before improving to 7-12 last season. After a 69-49 loss at Cold Spring Harbor on Jan. 4, the Rams lost only one more game in the regular season and won

seven games by 10 points or more.

“We haven’t been down in too many games this year and weren’t too familiar with that spot,” Rubin said. “We really came out strong in the third quarter and played hard, played smart and played confident so I’m really proud.”

photos by Ross Farber/Herald Senior Chris Young sank a key three pointer in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s championship game victory over Carle Place.

Junior Evan Wilson, right, was one of four Rams to score 13 points.

Head coach Eric Rubin talked strategy with the Rams during their comeback to capture the Class B title.

Projects, pros honored at REAL Awards

Long Island’s most prolific real estate leaders highlighted at annual event

By Parker Schug

The diverse Long Island real estate scene includes industry experts from every niche specialty from construction and design, to insurance and sales. And the best of the best were honored last week as part of Herald Community Newspapers and RichnerLive’s third annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards, or REAL Awards.

“It’s a relatively small island, but a lot of things are happening,” said Chris Kelly, the marketing vice president at Tritec Real Estate Co.

Held at The Heritage Club at Bethpage, this year’s awards once again honored many leaders in the space who have been in the game for decades, as well as up-and-coming professionals — all with successful projects and happy clients to show for their work.

Antoinette Biordi, four-time Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter for News 12, handed out a number of awards split into nearly 30 categories that included Broker of the Year, Construction Group of the Year, and the top residential and commercial broker.

Sara Gore, real estate saleswoman and four-time Emmy Award-winning television host for “Open House” and “New York Live” on NBC, was a keynote speaker and recipient of the special “Trailblazer” award.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time,” Gore said. ”But now to be on the other side of things — and be on the real estate side and really feel like I’ve solidified my place, my stake in this industry — it feels really good to be a part of it.

“I’m so proud to be included within this group of professionals that are here tonight.”

Mel Pulatani and son Dan of MP Construction D — a general contracting company specializing in luxury residential and sophisticated commercial projects — were given the Father & Son Power Team special award.

“I mean it’s obviously an honor to be honored at this event,” Dan Pulatani said. “But I have to give all credit to my father. He’s the real reason we’re here. He’s the guy that makes the dream happen. I’m lucky and honored to be his partner every day.”

Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island, accepted the NotFor-Profit special award.

“The theme of our work is connecting to local communities,” Alexander said. “And that’s how real estate development is successful: When they work with local communities. It means a lot when a number of the other honorees, too, are connected to local communities. I’m in great company.”

Steven Krieger, chief executive of B2K Development, was selected as Power Developer of the Year.

“Hard work leads to luck,” Krieger said. “I’ve been so lucky to meet so many great people in this business.”

Beth Donner, founder of Melvillebased Beth Donner Design, was honored

with the Interior Designer of the Year special award. Christopher Robinson, president of R&M Engineering, accepted the engineering special award, while also celebrating 25 years in the business.

Elisabetta Coschignano, of the Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano law

firm, was among those honored in the commercial real estate category.

“I pride myself on being prepared in the Long Island real estate world, and especially as it relates to zoning and land use,” Coschignano said.

Connie Pinilla, principal agent for the

Connie Pinilla Team at Compass, received the brokers’ award in the residential category for her 21 practicing years.

“I love real estate,” Pinilla said. “It makes me feel on top of the world.”

Gold Sponsors of the event included B2K Development and Beth Donner Design.

Silver Sponsors were All State Abstract, Amazon, Anthony A. Nozzolillo Esq., Breslin Realty Development Corp., Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, Brown Harris Stevens, Champion Elevators, Cronin & Cronin, Damianos Realty Group, Empire Electrical Corp., GC Advisory Group, Harris Beach PLLC, Long Island Board of Realtors, Men on the Move, Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp., Metropolitan Realty Associates, Mojo Stumer Associates, MP Construction D, PX4 Development, R&M Engineering, Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano, Signature Premier Properties, Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, the Connie Pinilla Team at Compass, the Crest Group and Tritec.

The ballroom filled with guests ready for the ceremony to begin.

Mark Stumer of Mojo Stumer Associates.

Tim Baker/Herald photos Sara Gore, host of Open House NYC, was the keynote speaker for the evening.

Kelly Heck accepts on behalf of Tritec. Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island.

Beth Donner with her crystal award.

Christopher Robinson of R&M Engineering.

Joseph Farkas accepting his special award for Real Estate Investment/Development Company of the Year.

Kevin Leatherman of Leatherman Homes and president of LIBOR.

Steven Krieger of B2K Development

Honoree Connie Pinilla, right, at the REAL Awards photo booth.

Honorees Justin Breslin and Elisabetta Coschignano.

Honorees Marco Scarda, left, Daniel Scarda, Chuck Merritt and Cara Cronin at RichnerLive REAL Awards last week.

Father and son power duo Dan and Mel Pulatani.

Natasha Williams of LIBOR with her son.

Holden Leeds/Herald photos Julia Krispeal from Serhant.

Michael Puntillo of PX4 Development.

Jack Martins of Harris Beach PLLC.

Battle of the breads: who will win?

The Irish soda bread baking competition has sweet treats and celebrity judges

By NICOLE FORMISANO

nformisano@liherald.com

What says St. Patrick’s Day more than Irish soda bread, Guiness, and a good time with neighbors? Evelyn Heredia’s annual Irish soda breadmaking contest is this Saturday, March 9 at 2 p.m.

“I like to incorporate more of the community to come and participate,” Evelyn Heredia, who organizes the event, said. “Because it’s all about that — trying to reach to the community to participate in fun events like this.”

The contest first began more than 10 years ago. Pennie Schwartz, the head of Phoenix Chiropractic Wellness, in Malverne, was inspired by Throwdown! with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. An avid baker herself, Schwartz started her own Irish soda bread throwdown.

“It started growing,” Heredia said. “We started with three breads, and then four breads, and the following year six breads.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” she added. “We’ve just been growing and growing.”

Last year saw an all-time high of 11 different bakers presenting their Irish soda breads, all vying for that number one prize.

The contest had taken a brief hiatus after Schwartz retired, but Heredia picked it back up again in 2018. And then, of course, the pandemic hit. The competition gained new significance after it revived in 2022.

“Right after the pandemic, everything was so — well, not happy,” Heredia said. “We wanted to find things that were happy.

“So that’s a big thing — reaching into the community, and having them become part of what we’ve made it into.”

Celebrity judges come to evaluate each soda bread. Prior judges include former mayors Patti McDonald and Keith Corbitt, and Gerry Hughes of

Connolly’s Station. This will be current mayor Tim Sullivan’s first year judging.

And the judging is serious business. Each bread is assigned a number to remain anonymous, and then evaluated based on specific criteria: presentation, freshness, moisture, crumb, even browning, balance of flavor, and shape. And no butter allowed! At least, not until the judge tries the bread by itself.

The winner gets not only bragging rights, but a basket full of Irish-themed prizes like Bailey’s Irish Cream, and decorative St. Patrick’s Day mugs. They even get a letter from the county congratulating them on their baking skills.

Competitors drop their soda breads off by noon, and the judging begins at 2pm. When a winner is announced, everyone is invited back to snack on the delicious traditional Irish dessert — and to enjoy some Guinness to top it off.

The judging begins at 2pm this Saturday, March 9, at Phoenix Chiropractic Wellness at 301 Hempstead Ave., in Malverne.

Photos courtesy Evelyn Heredia

Last year’s soda bread competition saw an all-time high for participation. What began as a small competition began friends has grown into a community-wide event.

The winner of the Irish soda bread competition receives a gift basket full of Irish-themed prizes, like Bailey’s Irish Cream, as well as a commendation from the county.

Celebrity judges — including former mayor Patti McDonald, the competition’s founder Dr. Pennie Schwartz, and former mayor Keith Corbett — come out to judge the Irish soda breads on factors like texture, crumble and flavor.

Jeannette Bressant’s soda bread won the 2022 competition — the first one after Covid lockdown.

Electeds want to ‘pump brakes’ on electric buses

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

A number of state electeds are calling on the governor to slow down her plans to make school buses electric by 2035 — something they say could have a devastating impact on district finances.

Some like state Sen. Steve Rhoads and state Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick joined Assemblyman John Mikulin and other officials handling fire and safety at schools at the Levittown Public School bus yard in Wantagh last week hoping they can convince Gov. Kathy Hochul to extend the deadline for that mandate deeper into the future to ensure it’s affordability for communities like those in Nassau County.

“There’s nothing magical about this New York state school bus mandate,” Rhoads said.

Citing the main character from the popular children’s television animated series “The Magic School Bus,” Rhoads said “even Ms. Frizzle herself would agree that this burdensome mandate takes chances, makes mistakes, and gets messy.”

The state’s current budget mandates all school buses must have no environmental impact through emissions by 2035, with districts only allowed to purchase electric school buses by mid-2027.

The idea, according to Hochul, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050. The state’s environmental conservation department blames the transportation sector overall as one of New York’s largest sources of emissions, which contributes to climate change impacts such as increased heat waves, sea level rise and flooding.

“Old school buses are putting children’s health at risk, spewing toxic fumes and pollutants into the air that are proven to have negative health impacts,” Hochul’s office said, in a statement. “After New York vot-

ers approved an Environmental Bond Act that allocated $500 million for zero-emission school buses, Gov. Hochul is working with communities across New York to allocate these funds and ensure they are fully utilized.”

But Rhoads says the mandate does not account for the logistical and financial challenges that school districts, bus companies and power companies will face in implementing the plan. A new, full-sized electric bus costs as much as $450,000 — triple the price of a conventional.

With some 45,000 school buses on the road in the state, Rhoads says the full conversion by 2035 would cost in the neighborhood of $20 billion.

The Levittown school district — with a fleet of 80 buses — is in the beginning stages of the mandate. Superintendent Todd Winch said it would cost the district as much as $32 million to replace their fleet, and will purchase its first electric bus this year.

“We don’t replace a whole fleet for maybe 20 years, but now they’re asking us to replace the whole fleet from 2027 to 2035,” Winch said. “Now you’re talking about a very short time period to replace the whole fleet, which would be very, very difficult.”

In addition, the Levittown bus yard would require 40 charging stations, each one costing between $30,000 and $50,000, Winch added.

The state has offered to help, but Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said the $500 million offered would only cover a little more than 1,200 buses. The rest would have to paid for by local taxpayers — and that’s not even including infrastructure and charging stations.

“Where’s the rest of that money coming from?” the state senator asked. “You, from the taxpayers, because that’s what the school districts will be forced to do to meet this mandate.”

But the current high costs associated with electric buses are expected to come down over time, Hochul said. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced last September it believes the price of an electric school bus should be on-par with a gasoline-powered bus as early as 2027 thanks to advances in battery technology, more manufacturing, as well as lower fuel and maintenance expenses.

Rhoads calls Hochul’s mandate a rushed plan.

“We all want to see a greener future,” he said. “There is no question about that. But we have to make sure that if our goal is providing affordable, safe, and reliable transportation to our students, we have to make sure we have a plan which gets us to that future, but still accomplishes that primary goal.”

Charles Shaw/Herald

A number of local elected — like state Sen. Steve Rhoads, state Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Assemblyman John Mikulin — joined fire and safety as well as school officials in the Wantagh bus yard that serves Levittown Public Schools to ‘pump the brakes’ on a statewide transition to

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Reliable Appliance

The Appliance Doctor

ARBITRATION & MEDIATION FIRM

Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Resolute Systems, Inc.

Vaz Law, PLLC

ARCHITECT

Katherine Serrano Sosa, Rooted Architecture Studio

Long Island Architecture Studio

Stephen G. Hayduk, P.E., Hayduk Engineering LLC

CAR WASH

Majestic Auto Spa

Seaford Car Wash & Detail Center

Ultimate Express Car Wash

CAR/LIMO SERVICE

Broward Limousines

Executive Limousine of Long Island

Long Island Elite Limousines

M&V Limousines, Ltd.

CEMETERIES

Huntington Rural Cemetery

Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum

St. Charles / Resurrection Cemeteries

CORPORATE LAW FIRM

Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Love Law Firm, PLLC

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.

DIVORCE ATTORNEY

David Mejias, Mejias, Milgrim & Lindo, P.C.

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Robert Keilson, Esq., Garden City Law Firms

DRY CLEANER

American Drive-In Cleaners

Delta Cleaners

Old Country Cleaners

ELDER LAW ATTORNEY

Jennifer B. Cona, Cona Elder Law

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Wendy K. Goidel, Goidel Law Group

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY

Express Employment Professionals

NRGUSA

PrideStaff

ESTATE PLANNING

ATTORNEY

Jennifer B. Cona, Cona Elder Law

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Stephanie D’Angelo, D’Angelo Law Associates

FAMILY LAW FIRM

Joseph Law Group, P.C.

Law Office of Marina Moreno

Mejias Milgrim Alvarado & Lindo, P.C.

FEMALE MENTORING GROUP

Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Miss Long Island Pageants

Moxxie Network

FUNERAL HOME

Gutterman’s Funeral Homes

N. F. Walker Funeral Home

Towers Funeral Home, Inc.

GREEN BUSINESS

Green Home Logic

Green Team LI Winters Bros. Waste Systems

HEALTH CARE LAW FIRM

Cona Elder Law PLLC Harris Beach

The Rizzuto Law Firm

LABOR LAW FIRM

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The NHG Law Group P.C

LAUNDROMAT

Bayport Laundromat

Laundry Palace

Lynbrook Laundry

Standard laundromat

LAW FIRM (OVERALL)

OVER 35 EMPLOYEES

Miller and Caggiano, LLP

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.

The NHG Law Group P.C

LAW FIRM (OVERALL)

UNDER 35 EMPLOYEES

Cona Elder Law PLLC

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The Rizzuto Law Firm

LITIGATION/BUSINESS

LITIGATION LAW FIRM

Levitt LLP

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

The Rizzuto Law Firm

MATRIMONIAL LAW FIRM

Law Office of Marina Moreno

Mejias Milgrim Alvarado & Lindo, P.C.

Picarello & Saciolo, P.C.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Hewlett House

Long Island Children’s Museum

Temple Avodah

PERSONAL INJURY

ATTORNEY - FIRM

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The Rizzuto Law Firm

The Selvin Law Firm

PET GROOMER

Kelly, Spaw Pet Salon of Westbury

Maria - The Barrie Inn

Posh Paws Pet Spa & Boutique

PHOTOGRAPHER

Brian Ozegovich, Park Ave Studio

Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, GSM Communications

Jonathan Ortiz, Creative Focus Designs

PROPERTY TAX

REDUCTION SERVICES

Herman Katz

Maidenbaum Property Tax

Reduction Group, LLC

Tax Correction Agency

PUBLIC RELATIONS

COMPANY

Ingrid Dodd Public Relations

Marketing Works

ZE Creative Communications

REAL ESTATE LAW

ATTORNEY

Anthony Nozzolillo, On Point Land Services Corporation

Gilbert Balanoff, Law Offices of Gilbert L. Balanoff, P.C.

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

REAL ESTATE LAW FIRM

Ackerman Law PLLC

Law Office of Marina Moreno

The Law Offices of Gilbert L. Balanoff, P.C.

SELF-STORAGE COMPANY

CubeSmart Self Storage

Freeport Self Storage

Men On The Move Moving & Self Storage

TAX LAW FIRM

Barnes & Barnes, P.C.

Maidenbaum & Sternberg, LLP Tenenbaum Law, P.C.

TRAVEL AGENCY

Magical Dad Vacations - Keith Voets

Superior Travel Consultants

Vitas Travel Service

VETERINARIAN

Gabrielle Pimento, DVM, Bond Vet: Merrick

John Foy, DVM, Terry Animal Hospital

Timothy Sheppard, DVM, Sayville Animal Hospital

WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Jamaica Ash & Rubbish Removal

Long Island Waste Services, LLC

National Waste Services, LLC Winters Bros. Waste Systems

SHOPPING

ANTIQUE STORE

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Garden City Antiques & Fine Arts, Ltd.

THE SHOPPE by Trubee Hill

APPLIANCE/HOME ELECTRONICS STORE

Appliance World P.C. Richard & Son

Reliable Appliance BOUTIQUE

Jolie Fleur

Trois Jours Boutique Etc.

Uniquely Yours

BRIDAL STORE

Blossom Brides

Bridal Reflections

Estelle’s Dressy Dresses

CARPET STORE

Carpet Depot

Dee-Jay Carpet Co., Inc.

Glen Floors

COIN STORE

Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Long Island Rare Coin & Currency

COLLECTIBLES STORE

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Living Legends Memorabilia & Collectibles

Remember Yesteryears Vintage Center

CONSIGNMENT/ THRIFT STORE

LuxeSwap

National Council of Jewish

Women Thrift Shop

Worth Repeating, Worth Repeating

EYEWEAR STORE

Eyeglass House

Eyes On Broadway

Mt. Sinai Optical

FARMERS MARKET

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s

Deep Roots Farmers Market

Meyer’s Farm & Greenhouses

FLORIST

Central Florist

Feldis Florist & Flower Delivery

Pedestals Floral Decorators

FURNITURE STORE

Bob’s Discount Furniture and Mattress Store

Furniture Gallery of Long Island

Raymour & Flanigan

GIFT SHOP

Dolce Confections

Pampered Professional

The SHOPPE by Trubee Hill

GOURMET MARKET

Grace’s Marketplace Sons of a Butcher

The Original Salpino’s of Wantagh

GROCERY/SUPERMARKET

Holiday Farms Stew Leonard’s

Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace

LOCAL CHILDREN’S

CLOTHING

Denny’s Fashion, Style, For All Koukla Children’s Boutique

Mur-Lees, Men’s & Boy’s Shop

LOCAL HARDWARE STORE

Costello’s Ace Hardware

Millers True Value

Schaefer’s Ace Hardware

LOCAL JEWELRY STORE

Hislon Jewelers

North Shore Gold & Diamond

Unicorn Jewels

LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING

B2bespoke Custom Clothier

Mur-Lees, Men’s & Boy’s Shop Standard Thread

LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING

A.J. & MOS

Trois Jours Boutique Etc.

Uniquely Yours

NURSERY & GARDEN

CENTER

Atlantic Nursery & Garden Shop

Dees’ Nursery And Florist

Hicks Nurseries

PAWN SHOP

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Matthew James Jewelers

Pawn Express

WINDOW TREATMENT STORE

Blinds To Go

Homestead Window Treatments

The Blind Spot Inc.

SPORTS

BICYCLE STORE

Brands Cycle & Fitness

Oceanside Cycle

Trek Bicycle Massapequa

BOXING CENTER

Fit Theorem

iLoveKickboxing

Kayo Boxing

CROSSFIT GYM

CrossFit Merrick

CrossFit Seize The Day

Fit Theorem

GYM & FITNESS CENTER

Fit Theorem

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

The Bodysmith Fitness & Massage

ICE SKATING RINK

Grant Park Skating Center

Newbridge Arena

Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center

KIDS’ SPORTS LEAGUE

East Coast Football Club

East Rockaway Raiders Football

Hewlett Lawrence Soccer Club

PERSONAL TRAINER

Ava Donaldson, Fit4Life Studios

Leah Stukov, FitX50

Taylor Costello, CSCS, MMP, LMT, The Bodysmith Fitness and Massage

PERSONAL TRAINING

FACILITY

Fit Theorem

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

Personal Training Institute of Rockville Centre PILATES

Club Pilates Merrick

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

The Pilates Studio, Inc.

PLACE

Bay Shore

Michael’s

They balance their families and businesses

Continued from page 1

“I want them to see that, yes, I may be a foreigner, I may have an accent, I may be a Black woman,” she said, “but I can have amazing customers that look beyond my background or religion to create that business relationship.”

After working in retail for more than 20 years, Pierre Charles understood the customer mindset and how to connect with people. But, she learned, it takes a lot more to run a business. She had to learn how to market her business, how to create a clothing selection that works for the entire community, and how to tailor the shop’s hours to her customer base.

That was also the case for Linda Anderson, the Chamber treasurer, who opened Special Treasures Childcare, on Cedar Street, in 2014. The spark for her small business was her love of caring for children, and making sure they have the tools they will need in the future.

“I want to make sure that they go to school successfully, confident in what they know,” Anderson said. “And not just what they know, but who they are. I want to make sure that they have that strong foundation.”

Opening her small business, however, involved so much more than taking care of children — cleaning, sanitizing, food shopping, paperwork. Anderson was never really off the clock.

“It requires so much of your time,” she said. “I was, as they say, chief cook and bottle washer. Especially in the beginning — I didn’t have any staff.”

Managing conflicting responsibilities and limited time is one of the most often mentioned obstacles for women business owners — especially those who are balancing families as well. For Andrea Daniel, who opened Krystin Abby Studio, on Woodfield Road, with her husband, Kenyon, in 2021, the balancing act between being a mother and a business owner is all about give and take.

“What I’ve learned for myself is I cannot be 100 per-

Sagine

more than 20 years in

if she can do it for someone else, she reasoned, why not for herself?

cent perfect in anything,” Daniel said. “It might mean that I do really good with my business this week, but (my family) had takeout. Or I do a great job at my 9-to5, but the laundry needs to be done.”

But Daniel, the Chamber vice president, said she wants her daughters, 11 and 7, to see that it’s possible.

“I’m all about women empowerment,” she said. “And so I feel like if you’re able to be your own boss, what’s better than that? You’re able to have life look the way you want it to look … being able to dictate what your life looks like.”

If you have a passion for something, you need to go for it, Daniel’s mother taught her.

Though the three entrepreneurs own very different businesses — a fashion boutique, a child care center and an event space — that philosophy was the spark for all three of them.

“I love putting the pieces together,” Pierre Charles said. “I love to see the smile on the customer’s face when the item fits right. I like to tell stories with outfits.”

“I’ve always loved decor,” Daniel said. “I’ve always loved flowers, I’ve always loved people getting together. (An event space) was something that married all of those things.”

“I love, I love, I love being able to be a part of young people’s lives,” Anderson said. “To see the light go on in their eyes when they learn something. Or to hear how they process something, and put something together. And the love that they just give you. They just unconditionally love you.”

All three women encourage young people to take the leap, and start small businesses of their own.

“Absolutely just go for it,” Daniel said. “Life is so short.”

“It’s never too late,” Anderson said. She started Special Treasures nine years ago, when she was 52, after going back to school and getting a doctorate in theology.

“You should never stop learning, never stop growing,” she said. “We should never feel satisfied that we’ve reached and become all that we can be. We can always grow and develop.”

Legion honors men with awards for valor

Continued from page 1

the hospital, he would have died, officials said.

Lt. Lars Anderson served both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard as a flight instructor pilot. He was presented with the 2020 Aviator Valor Award for a nonmaritime Medevac rescue of two men, also in Dutch Harbor. Throughout the course of his military career, he has accrued more than 5,500 flight hours and has received five Humanitarian Service Medals and numerous commendations for his service. He works as a commercial airline pilot and lives in Tennessee with his wife, Kelly, and four children, Bengt, Hannah, Annika and Linnea.

U.S. Air Force Capt. David C. Bennett, the operations flight commander of the 40th Helicopter Squadron at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, is a UH-1N pilot in support of nuclear defense operations. He was presented with the 2022 Aviator Valor Award for a search and rescue mission of an elderly man who was suffering from a severe medical emergency in his remote mountain cabin. Bennett calcu-

lated an optimal fuel state to allow the crew to have the largest amount of power to affect the rescue, which proved critical as whiteout and downdraft conditions in the landing zone required maximum torque available for takeoff.

Coordinating with local emergency services, Bennett set up a transfer at the international airport, due to the inability to offload at Benefis Hospital. He has

served as a resource advisor, chief of scheduling, executive officer and currently holds the rank of instructor pilot. Hundreds of veterans and their fami-

lies gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of these three men who, in the face of danger, showed unparalleled bravery and expertise.

Courtesy Sagine Pierre Charles

pierre Charles opened a fashion boutique after she spent

retail.

Daniel Offner/Herald photos the Women’s auxiliary of malverne’s american Legion post 44 celebrated the military ball, representing the post with its flag.

nassau County american Legion historian James randle and nassau County Commander Sean Hood.

STEPPING OUT

FOREVER A)

By Karen Bloom

Laughing along with Joe Gatto

All roads lead back to Lynbrook it seems. Certainly for Joe Gatto.

He’s stepped away from his comfort zone — “The Impractical Jokers” — to the dismay of many folks. His loyal cadre of fans came to know him from the popular improvisational hidden camera show, which he hosted with his buddies Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Sal Vulcano, for nine seasons.

Fans were certainly disappointed when he moved on from Q, Murr and Sal in 2021 to focus on co-parenting his two kids, Milana and Remington (now 9 and 7).

But you needn’t fret. Gatto is doing just fine — as is “Jokers,” now in its 10th season.

Since leaving his pals to carry on “Jokers” without him, the jokes certainly continue as Gatto’s taken his energy — and his comedic talents — to the stand-up circuit.

His tour, “Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy,” arrives Friday at The Paramount in Huntington. Minus his friends, fans get an hour of Gatto, as he riffs on life, his family, and probably even his dogs.

“I’m extremely proud of this hour of comedy I’ve put together, and am so excited to film it at the first theater I performed on this tour back in February 2023,” Gatto says. “It also happens to be one of my favorite theaters, too, which is nice since it’s in my ‘hometown’ of Long Island.”

Of course, there were some nerves involved in going solo.

“After my time with ‘Jokers,’ I needed to figure out the next step in my career,” Gatto reflects.

• Friday, March 8, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

• $59.75, $39.75, $29.75

• Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com

• The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington

“I needed to figure out different ways to make people laugh because that’s what I love to do. Stand-up presented itself as a way to do that. My agents and managers were like, ‘Why don’t you give stand-up a shot?’”

And so he did, on a winter’s evening in a small club in Appleton, Wisconsin, in January 2022, for a brief 35 minutes.

“I enjoyed it right from the get-go,” he says. “It quickly graduated into an hour show, and I moved up to theaters. Fans were coming out, and we’re having a great time. Telling stories of my life and thinking about different ways that I could express myself to get people to know me a bit better has been a really fun journey.”

Gatto readily admits it’s been a learning experience.

“It was a different format that I wasn’t necessarily versed in, so I was a little nervous,” he says. “The biggest thing for me was I had never performed live before. For 20 years, I was part of an ensemble, stand-up being its own art was a thing I needed to adapt to. I quickly took to it.

“The challenge of writing the hour, curating it, and thinking of what stories I want to tell and how to tell them and punch up the jokes, was fun to do.”

Everyone’s in on the fun right along with him.

“I’ve always been pretty open on ‘The Impractical Jokers,’”

he says. “I was always myself. I didn’t play a character, so when people watched it, they really to got to know the sense of me, my personality. Even a lot of my personal life was in that show as well. People who come to my show know me already from that. But here I get to tell different stories. I talk about parenting, I’ve got lots of stories of my kids, also the craziness of animal rescue with my dogs, growing up with my crazy Italian mother on Staten Island, and of course, my friends, the Jokers. There’s no shortage of stories.”

Janeane Garofalo

Oh yes, about those dogs. There are nine of them in the Gatto household, all older rescues.

“It’s like a pack mentality,” he says, laughing, insisting his four-legged companions “pretty much follow the house rules.”

Eventually the Gattos realized they couldn’t rescue every dog in need. Hence their nonprofit Gatto Pups & Friends, which facilitates adoptions for mainly senior and disabled dogs, opened in Glen Head in November 2022.

“We wanted to do it in our neighborhood,” he says. “We love being around here. We found a cool space for the storefront, right across the street from one of our favorite places for lunch. It just all aligned.”

Although firmly ensconced in Glen Head, the South Shore still calls out to him. Gatto frequently visits Lynbrook, where he lived between 2014 and 2017, and where his sister still resides.

His family ties bring him frequently back to visit.

“I love Lynbrook,” he says.“I had such a great experience there. There’s always something special about your first home.”

Plus, “Vincent’s is still one of my favorite pizzerias,” he adds.

You’ll even find him hanging out at Lynbrook’s Regal, taking in a movie with his niece and nephew.

“I go there all the time with them,” he shares. “They’re movie buffs like me, and that’s our go-to movie theater.”

In fact, a film may be in his future.

“I’m doing pretty good, enjoying my ride right now,” Gatto says. “But I’ve always wanted to write and direct film. That’s actually why I got into entertainment. So that’s what I’m focusing on now. That’s what’s left on the bucket list, along with always creating and thinking of new ways to make people smile.”

And as for his outing at The Paramount, it’s being filmed for a comedy special.

“I’ve been working to two years on the thing,” he says, “so I don’t it want it to just go away.”

And there’s always the possibility of another collaboration with his “Jokers” buddies. “I never un-united with them,” he says. “They’re still my friends. We’re just not ‘friends from work’ anymore. I love creating with those guys, so who knows what the future holds.”

The comedian-actress, who reigns as the queen of the alt-comedy scene, is eager to speak her mind when she visits here with her latest stand-up tour. Considered by many as an American institution since she first burst on the scene in 1992, the outspoken activist has plenty to say, in her own inimitable comedic style. Known for her incisive cynical sense of humor, the SNL alum has branched out into film and television, including ‘The Truth About Cats and Dogs,’ ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ and ‘Ratatouille,’ among her memorable roles. Garofalo’s informed opinions and unflinching honesty on topics ranging from everyday life to pop culture inspire laughs and strike a chord with audiences everywhere. Often a lightning rod for controversy, Garofalo finds a way to get her point across with her trademark sense of humor. Known and respected worldwide, Garofalo was also instrumental in the successful launching of the first liberal radio network, Air America Radio, where she hosted her own talk show, ‘The Majority Report.’

Friday, March 8, 8 p.m. $33, $28. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

‘Greatest Show On Earth’

The circus is back. The iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey spectacle returns after a hiatus, re-imagined as a 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action. Packed with explosive excitement, ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ begins and ends with a bang. Lauren Irving, Alex Stickels and Jan Damm join forces as Aria, Stix and Nick Nack, who serve as its soul, rhythm and funny bone. The trio, appearing as show guides, encounter never-before-seen stunts, acrobatic displays, and comedic acts along the way. An international cast of 75 performers take on a variety of enthralling circus acts, including new stunts like the Triangular Highwire, led by the Lopez Family, sixth-generation circus artists hailing from Mexico and Chile. There are also comic clowning, extreme sports, and acrobatic aerial feats — all enhanced with original music.

Friday through Sunday, March 8-10, times vary. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, or Ringling. com. UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont.

Courtesy Joe Gatto

Joe lives his life by a code of pastry and family, loving his wife, two children, cannolis — and his dogs.

Photo by Jonathan Thorpe

THE Your Neighborhood

JigJam

When virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond running through the wide open fields of Bluegrass and Americana, JigJam is born. This Offaly and Tipperary-born band has started the Irish invasion of Americana with a brand new band member from Glasgow injecting the magic of Scottish folk music. The lads bring their foot-stomping sound to the Landmark stage, for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. Described as ‘The best Irish band in bluegrass’ and ‘sparkling, infectious’ these gents have been hailed as ‘Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival’. Founding members from Offaly Jamie McKeogh (lead singer and guitar) and Daithi Melia (5 string banjo and Dobro) were joined by Tipperary-born Gavin Strappe (mandolin and tenor banjo) in 2016. They’ve since added Glasgow native Danny Hunter (fiddle) to make up this iGrass (Irish Bluegrass) quartet. They’ve been hailed as “Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival,” with a sound that has its roots in Irish music and Irish immigration. iGrass and JigJam is what happens when the Irish find their prodigal son. $38.14-$49.48. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

Family theater

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s stories, this clever adaptation puts the audience front and center, literally, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, March 8, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Sunday, March 10, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, March 13-14,10:15 a.m. and noon. Kids become cast members, singing dancing, and acting on stage alongside the professional cast.

One of our most interactive shows at LICM Theater, this production received rave reviews in its prior run. Going beyond the traditional telling of the Oz stories, “Journey to Oz” uses personal journal entries and historic newspaper headlines to bring the history of author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow to life. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion take the audience with them on this lively, playful trip down the yellow brick road. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, 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.

Best of Broadway

Adelphi University Performing Arts students celebrate the music of Broadway during their semi-annual Best of Broadway concert, Sunday, March 10, 4 p.m.

The theme of this season’s concert is a royal one, paying tribute to the kings, queens, “Aladdin,” “Camelot, “ “Six,” “Frozen,” “Anastasia,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Cinderella,” and more. $30, with discounts available to seniors, students, Adelphi alumni and employees.

Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

Irish soda bread

Happy St. Patricks Day! In celebration, come make a loaf of Priscilla’s Irish Soda Bread, or take the materials to make at home, at West Hempstead Public Library, Monday, March 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Open to everyone over 13. Attendees should provide a $3 check payable to the WHPL. 500 Hempstead Ave. Register in advance at WHPL.org, as space is limited.

Bird walk

See some birds with the South Shore Audubon Society. All are welcome to join members for another in its series of bird walks, at Massapequa Lake, Sunday, March 10, starting at 9 a.m. Massapequa Lake is at the south end of Massapequa Preserve, between Lakeshore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road.

Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet at the gazebo. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if rain or snow. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Having an event?

Bridge Club

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.

Rainbow Science

Families can celebrate St. Patricks Day with green (and all colors of the rainbow) science experiments, at Hempstead Lake State Park’s Environmental Education and Resiliency Center, Sunday, March 17, 1 p.m. 880 Lake Drive, West Hempstead. $4 per child. Register at tinyurl. com/RainbowScienceWH.

Bunny Hop

Walk through the village to pick up eggs and goodies at this year’s Bunny Hop in Malverne, Friday, March 30, 9:30 a.m. The colorful annual event is perfect for kids and the whole family. It features 1000 eggs, balloon animals, raffles, and even the Easter Bunny. Bring your bags to the gazebo at 40 Church St. The raffle drawing is at 11:30 a.m. at Malverne Cinemas. Venmo @Maria-Casini $2 per entry, or 6 entries for $5.

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.

In concert

Icon and superstar Whitney Houston, has left a lasting legacy that is celebrated an exhilarating spectacle. “Queen of the Night, A Musical Tribute to Whitney Houston,” Saturday, March 9, 8 p.m., at NYCB Theatre at Westbury. An exhilarating tribute to Houston’s remarkable musical repertoire, the electrifying production, which premiered on London’s West End, honors her timeless songs with sensational vocalists and a full live band.

Named after the swaggering hard rock single from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, the show celebrates 30 years of hits, from “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Saving All My Love for You” to “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All” and, of course, “I Will Always Love You.” With the accompaniment of a dynamic band, backing vocalists and dancers, “Queen of the Night” fully conveys the essence and persona of Houston in a captivating production has been described as “a powerhouse performance that delivers on every level.” NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. Tickets available at LiveNation.com or call (516) 247-5200.

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Sunday, March 10, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of ShinrinYoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.

Art explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, March 9, noon-3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork. Kids and their adult partners connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Fed Bank leader says Long Island is recovering

By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@liherald.com

We’ve heard a lot about the economy in the years coming out of the coronavirus pandemic — and those conversations will only get louder as we head into what is expected to be a rather contentious presidential election.

But when it comes to the economy on Long Island — at least for now, it’s rebounding. At least according to the man whose collection of gold in Manhattan far exceeds what’s found in Fort Knox.

John Williams, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, paid the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale a visit last week, sharing the state of the economy with members of the Long Island Association. And there’s plenty to talk about.

“As business leaders, you all know all too well the impacts the pandemic had on our communities in our economy,” Williams said “In many way, Long Island’s economy mirrors New York City’s, and both were hit especially hard in 2020. In fact, much harder than what we saw in the rest of the country.”

Inflation was rampant, the job outlook was unstable, and the supply chain was struggling to regain its once super-efficient form.

But an important milestone was reached last year, Williams said: total employment numbers returned to what they were before the pandemic.

“Last year was also a turning point for the U.S. economy overall,” Williams said. “The economy grew far faster than anyone expected a year ago, boosted by increases in the labor force and productivity.”

The fact that the financial market has held for the past two years also is significant, Williams said, since that’s the longest stretch in five decades.

And although inflation continues to be a concern, at least as far as personal consumption expenditures go,

numbers are falling from the 40-year high experienced just a couple years ago to levels considered far more stable.

Williams visited with the LIA as part of an overall Long Island tour that included stops in Suffolk County as well as at Hofstra University. Although monetary policy itself is decided on Capitol Hill and the White House, the Reserve Bank of New York is where the nation’s monetary policy is implemented as part of the larger Fed.

Williams visited Long Island at a time when the economy here has stabilized, according to LIA president and chief executive Matthew Cohen.

“Our gross domestic product is $200 billion,” Cohen said. “About 45 percent of adults have a college degree — which is higher, actually, in both New York City, and the state as a whole. And, as a region, we have a low unem-

ployment rate.”

That’s pretty significant for a region that is larger than 15 states. Which is why it’s important businesses on Long Island work together, Cohen added, to lead the rest of the nation in the ongoing recovery.

“We need to work together — everyone in this room, everyone in our region — to create new good-paying jobs to support the growth of both legacy sectors and these emerging industries,” he said. It’s also important to “cultivate entrepreneurship so that the next Apple can be built here.”

Over the decades, Long Island and the country has proven to itself it can weather a number of storms. But the economy is ever-changing, Williams said, and the pandemic proved it’s important to strengthen the country’s financial infrastructure.

“It’s kind of a recognition of our limits to that resiliency,” Williams said. “Supply chains have become extremely complex.

“That’s one of the lessons — that when you have extreme movements in demand supply … things can crack in that system. People are recognizing that, in terms of businesses, of having more resiliency.”

Williams can’t make predictions of what the economy will bring, but can say the world we live in now is already different, and will continue changing as we move forward. Like the movement of more and more people to continue working from home, or maintaining hybrid work environments where they may only be in the office a couple times a week.

A potential solution?

“To do office space in the modern world, you have to invest a lot to make that office space attractive,” Williams said. “It’s just one of those kinds of evolutions that is jarring that we go through in cities like New York where things have changed, and we need to adjust to that. I’m confident we will be able to do that.”

Michael Hinman/Herald

John Williams, right, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, joined Long Island Association president and chief executive Matthew Cohen for a discussion on Long Island’s economy during a visit to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale last week.

Public Notices

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 Name/Address

MALVERNE, NY 11565

Inc Village of Malverne

Jill Valli, Village Clerk/Treasurer

Dated: March 7, 2024 1246553

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 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, 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

Malverne Union Free School District Malverne, New York

Legal Notice

PUBLICATION PRINTING SERVICES SFB

Notice is hereby given that separate bids, submitted in sealed envelopes for the PUBLICATION PRINTING SERVICES SFB will be received on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 12:30 p.m., 301 Wicks Lane, the Malverne Administration Building.

Sealed bids are to be addressed to the attention of Christopher Caputo, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Malverne Union Free School District, 301 Wicks Lane, Malverne, New York 11565. All bids must be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent, on or before the date and time of opening in sealed envelopes, bearing on the outside the name and address of the bidder and the title of the bid in the lower left-hand corner. To obtain the bid please e-mail, dfecht@malverneschools.

org. The Board of Education reserves the right to award all or a part of this bid or to reject all bids or to make awards which are in the best interest of the school district.

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024

By Order of the Board of Education Malverne Union Free School District 145258

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ARCHITECTURAL & SITE PLAN REVIEW BOARD HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

THAT THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL & SITE PLAN REVIEW of the Inc.

Village of Malverne will hold a PUBLIC HEARING at the Malverne Village Hall, 99 Church Street, Malverne, New York 11565 on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 7:30 pm to hear the following

cases:

Solomon Policar

15 Winfield Pl.: Residential “C” District Building Permit Application #2023-0836

Proposes to demolish existing roof / ceiling structure and second floor walls off cape style dwelling to construct new 1205 sq. ft. second story addition over existing first floor, 185 sq. ft. sundeck over existing garage, and new front portico.

Malverne Laurel LLC

277-287 Hempstead Ave.:

Business District

Sign and Awning Permit

Application #’s 20240103 & 20240104

Proposes to replace the existing 6 ft. wide x 3 ft. high flat panel sign on the left side of building and install new non illuminated 6 ft. wide x 3 ft. high x 1 1/2” thick flat panel sign for “State Farm” tenant at 279 Hempstead Ave. and Install new 18 ft. wide x 3 ft. high x 3 ft. deep fabric awning to replace existing, on existing metal frame, for “State Farm” tenant at 279 Hempstead Ave. All interested parties should appear at the above time and place. The Architectural & Site Plan Review Board Meeting will be immediately followed by a work session of the Board of Trustees.

BY ORDER OF THE MALVERNE BOARD OF TRUSTEES INC. VILLAGE OF MALVERNE

Jill Valli, Village Clerk March 1, 2024 145265

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 3/13/2024 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.

163/24. WEST

HEMPSTEAD - Starbucks Corp., Renewal of grant to maintain four (4) directional signs exceeding 2 sq. ft. with Starbucks logo., N/E cor. Hempstead Tpke. & Nassau Blvd., a/k/a 580 Hempstead Tpke. 164/24. WEST

HEMPSTEAD - Aldad & Sons Realty Inc., Renewal of grant to maintain one double-faced, illuminated ground sign, overall size 640 sq. ft., overall height 59’ 6”, setback 2’ from front property line., N/W cor. Hempstead Tpke. & Cherry Valley Ave. (Rd.)., a/k/a 484-510 Hempstead Tpke. 170/24. WEST

HEMPSTEAD - Lillian Rachel & Joshua Samuel Licht, Variances, lot area occupied, side yards, side yards aggregate, construct dwelling with garage (existing dwelling & garage to be demolished)., S/s Elm St., 670.3’ E/o Hempstead Ave., a/k/a 274 Elm St. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in West Hempstead within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

These couples officially tied the knot

Hall. Neighbors Randy Navarrete and Adamari Rodriguez Gomez, too, tied the knot in December. Residents interested in obtaining their marriage license

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 145251

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Self Storage Sale

Please take notice Safeguard Self Storage #190105 located at 45 Hempstead Turnpike W. Hempstead NY 11552 intends to hold a sale of the property stored in the below listed Storage Spaces. The public sale shall occur as an online auction via www.storageauctions.co m on 3/25/2024 at 10:00AM. Unless listed below, the contents consist of household goods and furnishings. Orlanda Watts unit #0130; Carmen Milner unit #0328; Hossan Maksoud/Community Care RX unit #0338; Akeya Penceal unit #0444; Stephanie R Brown unit #0604; Danielle M Cacciatore unit #0614; Robert Sgroe unit #1216; Brent B Blackman unit #2314; Jacqueline A Robertson unit #2401; George N Baxter unit #2529; Ivory Spencer unit #2535. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. See manager for details. 145230

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC, V. SUSAN SCHRAMM AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ELEANOR FICKBOHM, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated January 2, 2024, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC is the Plaintiff and SUSAN SCHRAMM AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ELEANOR FICKBOHM, 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 April 11, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 840 TAFT STREET, WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY 11552: Section 35, Block 435, Lot 71: 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 # 602021/2020. Ronald J. Ferraro, 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. 145301

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P., V. JUANA E. BONILLA, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated October 17, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. is the Plaintiff and JUANA E. BONILLA, 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

Part

award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

IT Opportunities Melville, NY SR SOFTWARE ENGR-Position requires System Analysis, Design and Implementation of Web Applications and Windows Applications in Microsoft Technologies using ASP.NET, MVC, Web Forms, SQL server 2017, Angular7, React Js, .Net Core, Ajax, JSON, Angular 8, Visual (link removed) 2017/2015, C#, Micro Services, Web API’s, GIT, .Net, Framework 4.5, Entity Framework 6.0/4.3, LINQ, WCF, AZURE, TFS 2013, IIS 7.0. HTML, HTML5, DOM, Bootstrap, Tidal, OSI PI Explorer, TTD, Microsoft Azure cloud and IIS.$169229.00/yr. QA AUTOMATION TEST LEAD-Develop, execute, maintain automated functional tests for multiple services, using , Java, JDK 1.5/1.6, J2EE , TDD, REST Web Services and SOAP, JUnit, HTML, XML, VB Script, JavaScript, Selenium Web driver, UFT, Rational Quality Manager, Main frames, SQL Server, MySQL, Maven, TestNG , Angular JS, JIRA, HP ALM/Quality center, Cassandra, Agile, Jenkins, Eclipse, Teamcity, Stash, Cognos, Postman. Above positions require MS or equiv in Compu Sci/Comp Technology/Engg (ANY)/Info Systems with 36 months of experience in related occupation; Will also accept BS in Compu Sci/Compu Technology/Engg (ANY)/Info Systems with five years of progressively responsible exp in lieu of MS+3; $143021.00/yr. Travel/relocate to unanticipated locations within the USA possible. ; Resumes: IQ SYSTEMS, INC 560 Broad Hollow Rd Ste 313 Melville, NY 11747

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Q. We are suing our contractor and need some advice. A year ago, we finished our second-floor addon and first-floor kitchen and rear family room remodel by opening up walls to join them. Everything seemed fine until it rained the first time. The windows began to leak at the bottom, and then around the tops and sides. Our new sliding glass door did the same. The basement flooded, and we are not in a flood area. Then the air-conditioning company said somebody disconnected the ducts, and when we opened the ceilings, more water poured down. The house is now filled with mold, which we clean with bleach where we can get to it, but we couldn’t move out and have two small children under age 4.

Although we have many questions and hired an attorney, we’re wondering whether we should hire an architect to go over all the problems and identify them, with remedies, or hire one of the contractors who said they could fix the problems, or wait until the lawsuit is finished to make it possible for a jury to see the damage. The job architect, whom we never met, has now had their license revoked for the next two years, but we wouldn’t go to them, anyway.

A. Ugh! This is more common than you would think. It starts with not having the architect working for you and instead working for the contractor. I can guess that the contractor was contacted first, and you hired them to get their architect and provide plans. That was your first mistake.

Ask The Architect

Next, people are lazy, expecting that anyone they hire knows all the best techniques to build and knows all the rules, codes and laws. That was mistake number two. Even though you hire people, you should have gone over critical details, especially about waterproofing and structural techniques on the plans, to make sure that the building owner looks for those steps to be carried out. You, the building owner, I always say, are the “eyes and ears” on the job, since the architect often isn’t there at critical times, when waterproofing membranes and materials are joined.

Mistake number three was not doing a water test with a garden hose when the finish siding, windows roofing, etc., had been applied. Simulating rain by pointing a hose skyward so that the water cascades down — not a direct fire-hose hit — tells you right away if something is failing.

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Why I joined the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus

Growing up in Island Park, I was always acutely aware of how lucky I was to be surrounded by beautiful beaches, bountiful waterways and stunning coastlines. Preserving Nassau County’s coastal environs has been a main priority of my tenure in public office, and I am proud to represent so many community partners who share in that goal. Indeed, the pristine nature of our South Shore was recently threatened by a largescale offshore wind turbine project proposed by Equinor, but thanks to unified community opposition, this dubious plan appears to have stalled — for now.

The growing national push to advance offshore wind energy has clearly reached Long Island, and while Equinor’s plan was defeated due to the corporation’s failure to properly liaise with local stakeholders, there will certainly be other developers attempting their own offshore wind projects mov-

ing forward.

Now more than ever, it is vital that our communities make their voices heard on any projects that would impact our coastline, which is why I am proud to announce that I have been made a co-chair of the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus. This bipartisan panel provides members of Congress from across the country a forum to discuss the growing utilization of offshore wind energy, compare notes on offshore wind projects being advanced, and strategize on how best to approach future development questions. What’s more, my leadership role in the caucus also provides neighbors in the 4th District with an enhanced voice when the panel communicates with turbine developers — ensuring that the thoughts, concerns and opinions of South Shore residents are made known.

We’ve seen interest from other developers seeking to take Equinor’s place.

residents of the Long Beach barrier island, Island Park, Oceanside and beyond during the development of its Empire Wind 2 offshore wind turbine plan. This lack of engagement justifiably led to distrust among community members, and fueled the successful grass-roots campaign to quash the project.

Like my neighbors along the South Shore, over the course of several meetings, Equinor representatives failed to provide me with adequate information on the long-term environmental impacts of the project or outline a proper plan to support the communities that would have hosted facets of Empire Wind 2 — which is why I fought to stop the project from moving forward.

ment, residents’ wishes are respected, and local communities’ bests interests are advanced. If a company can articulate a vision for an offshore wind energy project that safeguards our environment, incorporates robust stakeholder feedback into the development process, benefits the community, and creates good union jobs, I believe it is beneficial for the public to hear them out and approach the plan with an open mind. I intend to utilize my position on the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus to hold corporate developers accountable by demanding full transparency on any proposed projects that come before the community.

Those residents have recently seen firsthand the difficulties that stem from a corporate entity outright ignoring the concerns of community stakeholders when developing a large-scale project. Indeed, Equinor failed to engage with

Now that Equinor appears to have realized the error of its ways and pulled back from its offshore wind plan, we have seen growing interest from several other developers seeking to take Equinor’s place. As the selection process plays out and companies vie for a chance to develop offshore wind energy in Nassau County, it is vital that stakeholders have a say in project advance-

I will continue to utilize all the tools at my disposal to advocate for the best interests of South Shore neighbors and ensure that our communities are not negatively impacted by overdevelopment. My position as co-chair of the bipartisan caucus will give our community a stronger voice in that arena, and ensure that any proposed plans include real benefits for the South Shore. Long gone are the days when developers like Equinor thought they could simply muscle their way past community opposition. We won’t allow it.

For Democrats, Suozzi’s victory is nothing to brag about

Democrats were understandably elated when former Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi won the special election in New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Feb. 13, but they shouldn’t be popping any champagne. In truth, Suozzi’s victory over the Republicans’ candidate, Mazi Melesa Pilip, was a lot closer than it should have been.

Suozzi won just under 54 percent of the vote.

Doesn’t that seem a little low? After all, he’s a former mayor of Glen Cove, a former Nassau County executive, and a former three-term representative of the district in Congress. Pilip, meanwhile, is a sophomore county legislator.

An alarming sign for me is the money spent by each campaign for each vote. Suozzi spent $2.36 million and won roughly 91,300 votes, meaning he spent almost $26 per vote. In comparison, Pilip spent just $714,000 and won roughly 78,200 votes, or just over $9 per vote.

That means that Pilip needed on average one-third the cash to bring her vot-

ers out to the polls. That indicates to me that Pilip’s voters were more excited and zealous. Suozzi, on the other hand, had to fight to bring Democrats out.

If Pilip and Suozzi had had the same fundraising numbers, and the cash-pervote numbers held, Pilip would have garnered over three times her vote total. Even if we halved Suozzi’s advantage (to make the comparison a bit more realistic), Pilip still might have won, with over 58.5 percent of the vote, if she’d spent as much money as Suozzi.

HSo, Democrats, is this your grand victory?

Aside from that lingering question, Suozzi ran a good campaign. He attacked Pilip where he needed to and worked hard in just the couple of months that he had, barnstorming through the district. He held a large event in my native Westbury, which I appreciate. The difficult fight he had, and the difficult fight many Nassau Democrats have, was beyond his control.

e spent nearly three times as much campaign money as Pilip for each vote.

To top it off, state Democrats are going to get another chance to draw district lines this year, meaning that Suozzi is almost certainly going to be redistricted into a safer, more heavily Democratic district. Why sink millions into an election that you most likely would have won more easily in nine months?

I read the election results this way: A Democratic political veteran with high name recognition and a 3-to-1 fundraising advantage won an election with the second-worst margin he’s won his House seat with, against a neophyte opponent no one had ever heard of, whom he probably would have more easily defeated in nine months.

For one thing, the political landscape on Long Island is shifting against Democrats. For years in Nassau County, the number of new voters registering as Democrats outpaced those registering as Republicans, but that is changing. In the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay and the City of Glen Cove, which account for most of the population of the 3rd District, voter registration data for the past year confirms that the ratio of Democrats to Republicans is shrinking.

Area Democrats have also been suffering from guilt by association. The Nassau GOP has successfully associated local Democrats with their more leftleaning colleagues in New York City. The Long Islanders are branded with

negative labels like “radical” and “socialist,” or worse, “radical socialist.”

Finally, local Democrats continue to be hammered on bail reform, affordable housing and crime. These attacks are nonsense, but they stick because there is no apparatus in place to respond. None of this is Suozzi’s fault. Rather, the problem lies squarely with the Nassau and state Democratic committees, which have poor fundraising operations, abysmal organizing capacity, and virtually nonexistent communication with voters.

The party is failing to recruit new members, and cannot adequately defend its candidates, let alone go on the offensive. The state Democratic Party continues to fail candidates like Suozzi and the voters that make their existence possible.

That’s why I don’t consider Suozzi’s victory any kind of Democratic renaissance. His hard-fought win doesn’t portend more party wins in Nassau, because a successful two-month campaign can’t fix a state Democratic Party that has lost almost every position of power on Long Island in the past eight years.

Matthew Adarichev is a public policy major at Hofstra University, a political activist and an aspiring journalist whose work has appeared in the Hofstra Chronicle and the Anton Media Group.

Anthony D’Esposito represents the 4th Congressional District.

AnTHonY D’EsposiTo

HeraLd editoriaL Support Local Journalism Sustainability Act

as objective and independent news writers and editors, we have an imperative to cover the issues most important to you, the people of our community.

Every day, our team of reporters is on the ground questioning elected officials, telling the stories of community changemakers, and uncovering truths that some would rather keep hidden.

But amid industry challenges, it is no longer unfathomable to picture a future when New York state is completely without local newspapers and other local news outlets.

According to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, 2.5 newspapers now close each week in the United States. More than 3,000 newspapers have shuttered across the country since 2004, and New York has been hit particularly hard.

In 2004, New York boasted 501 newspapers. Today there are only 260. In 2022 alone, 30 newspapers closed across the state.

A quarter of New York’s counties are news deserts — down to their last newspaper. Orleans County recently became the first in the state to have none. These closures have also resulted in thousands of lost journalism and newsroom-supporting jobs.

Local news matters. Studies show that when a community loses its source of local news, it experiences decreased voter turnout and civic engagement. Increased municipal borrowing costs that lead to higher taxes. And decreased transparency among government and business officials, leading to increased waste, fraud and abuse.

As newspapers shutter, communities become more polarized, leaving us stuck in a never-ending doom loop where we lose sight of our shared values. During this era of intense national partisanship,

Letters

Let these elected officials know that we need to save local news

■ Contact Gov. Kathy Hochul: (518) 474-8390

■ Contact State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick: (516) 766-8383

■ Contact Assemblyman Brian Curran: (516) 561-8216

■ Contact Assemblyman Ed Ra: (516) 535-4095

Our newspaper is a proud member of the Empire State Local News Coalition. Support the coalition at SaveNYLocalNews.com.

local news offers a path forward.

The time to act is now. That is why the Malverne/West Hempstead Herald has joined more than 150 other New York local newspapers to launch the Empire State Local News Coalition.

Comprising both print and online local newspapers, this coalition is advocating for sound public policy that ensures the important work of local news organizations can continue in our state. Through our independent journalism, we aim to serve, inform, uplift and protect New York residents.

Our coalition cares deeply about our local communities, as well as the future of New York’s free press. However, market forces are making it nearly impossible for us to survive. So, together, we are sounding the alarm bell for our leaders in Albany to hear.

At the heart of our advocacy is the

Bruce Blakeman bans trans athletes

To the Editor:

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s recent signing of an executive order banning transgender girls from playing sports in county facilities was a disingenuous performance to ingratiate himself with the cruel anti-LGBTQ movement. These kinds of orders and bans do more harm than good, setting a dangerous tone that can send the message that hateful acts against the LGBTQ community are justified. Nex Benedict, the nonbinary 16-year-old from Oklahoma who died last month after an altercation in a high school girls’ bathroom, comes to mind.

Sadly, by targeting transgender young people, Blakeman chose to use his executive power to sacrifice a very vulnerable group, already struggling for acceptance and facing far greater rates of depression and suicide than their peers, for his own political gain. Instead of doing something to help the transgen-

Local Journalism Sustainability Act. Sponsored by State Sen. Brad HoylmanSigal and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner — with the bipartisan support of 55 co-sponsors — this bill provides tax credits to local news outlets for the employment of local journalists. News organizations are incentivized to actually add jobs, returning reporters to many of the state’s newsrooms, which are becoming increasingly desolate.

Importantly, the bill is also contentneutral, meaning that any legitimate local news outlet — left, right or in between — can benefit from it. The objectivity of the bill’s eligibility requirements means the legislation cannot be weaponized to penalize news organizations that are critical of government officials.

As New York loses talented journalists, lawmakers must act to ensure the industry is allowed not only to survive, but also to thrive. Only local news outlets — with boots-on-the-ground journalists — can deliver the hyperlocal updates and investigations necessary to sustain a community’s civic and financial well-being.

Imagine no stories about the village or town board meeting, or the school budget debate. No pictures of your granddaughter’s first soccer goal. No obituary of your friendly (and eccentric) neighbor. No investigative reporting to hold public officials to account. And no trusted institution to rally the community around a family in need.

We need your help to save local news in New York. To get the Local Journalism Sustainability Act across the finish line, lawmakers need to hear from you about why our newspaper matters and why this bill is important to you.

If you would like to help, reach out to Gov. Kathy Hochul and your local state representatives to let them know you stand with local news.

Honoring indigenous legacy, without appropriation

the history of America’s relationship with the indigenous peoples who lived here before the arrival of European settlers has been fraught with sugarcoating, obfuscation, and downright ignorance.

wiLL sHeeLine

On Long Island — where so many of our communities still bear the names of the native tribes that were here for millennia — that history continues to remain hidden and untaught, despite the fact that numerous municipalities still claim to “honor” the legacy of these tribes through school team and village logos that feature stereotypical headdresses and depictions of Native Americans.

Before the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano first saw what would become known as Long Island in 1524, there were tens of thousands of indigenous peoples living here, largely in peaceful co-existence among 13 tribes along the coasts of the island. These were the Canarsee, Corchaug, Manhasset, Marsapeague, Matinecock, Merrick, Montaukett, Nesaquake, Rockaway, Secatogue, Setauket, Shinnecock and Unkechaug.

They inhabited the land for more than 10,000 years, and were expert fishers and clammers who relied on the abundant fish, lobsters, clams and even whales to supplement the food they got through

hunting and the harvesting of corn.

The various tribes had different names for the island they called home: Paumanok, Lepanehoking, Sewanhacky and Wamponomon — the last two referencing the abundance of wampum, or shells, from local clams used for decoration or currency.

The tribes themselves were closely related to several different nations from the surrounding land, with the majority of the western Long Island tribes speaking Algonquian dialects. The Algonquian people, at their height, stretched up and down the northeastern United States and into Canada. Their people, traded goods and culture traveled from Lake Superior to the Long Island Sound.

irate and finely made clothing and blankets. They also made ornamental pottery, stamped with decorative designs, and traded these goods across the Sound and along the East Coast.

t’s our duty, as Americans and as human beings, to honor native tribes’ heritage.

Since the beginning of white settlement on Long Island, roughly 90 percent of native people have been killed — either intentionally or incidentally — by colonists, through everything from violence to disease to loss of native wildlife and land displacement. The majority of tribes disappeared from Long Island before the Revolutionary War, and in the centuries since, a number of American historians have attempted to whitewash the presence and impact of Native Americans here.

— the Shinnecock Reservation, in Southampton, and the Poospatuck Reservation, in Mastic. The descendants of many of the tribes still live throughout the United States, forced to occupy reservations as far from their homeland as Oklahoma.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of native Long Island history and culture. The best way to honor them and their legacy is by educating ourselves on their history and finding ways to support the descendants of these tribes, whose land we now live on.

The indigenous people of eastern Long Island spoke a Lenape-Munsee dialect, showing their connection to the Lenape communion, a group of hundreds of tribes stretching from Delaware to the Hudson Valley.

Through their Lenape heritage, the eastern Long Island tribes were linked to the Powhatan Federation, famous for the daughter of one of their chieftains, Pocahontas, and their relationship with the Jamestown colonists.

In addition to the sustenance they acquired from the animals and crops of the region, the various tribes were also accomplished artists and musicians, particularly with the use of wampum shells for decorative pieces, and weaved elabo-

der community in Nassau County, he decided to put them at further risk. Blakeman claims that “boys” are bullying their way onto girls’ teams, but he’s the real bully here.

KARIN JOHNSON RVC Pride Rockville Centre

It was obvious why Republicans chose Pilip

To the Editor:

I read the Herald’s coverage of the special election between Tom Suozzi and Mazi Pilip. You didn’t mention that Pilip was a registered Democrat when she ran against Suozzi. She didn’t change her party affiliation until a few days ago.

Right from the beginning, Pilip didn’t want to take many questions from the press, and showed she didn’t know very much about the issues. The Republicans had her run because she was pretty, black, and Jewish, with an interesting background.

MYRON MARINBACH Lynbrook

Immigrants make our economy stronger

To the Editor:

Despite this, they still played a key role in Long Island’s early history, particularly in the close relationship between the Montaukett and the English settlers of what is now Suffolk County. When Long Island became a center for the whaling industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, many natives were hired for their bravery, strength and long history of whaling in their respective cultures.

A Shinnecock man named Eleazar was the first Native American to enter Japanese territory while serving as a crewman aboard the whaling vessel Manhattan, which anchored in Tokyo Bay while on an expedition in 1845.

Nowadays, there are only two reservations for indigenous tribes on Long Island

It’s time to cut through the noise and tell the truth about immigration: Our economy and community is stronger because of it. Some leaders would have us think it’s a zerosum game when our country takes in immigrants, but that’s not true at all.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the U.S. economy will grow by an extra $7 trillion over the next 10 years thanks to immigrants!

But we don’t have to wait for the future to see how they are strengthening the economy.

In 2021, immigrants paid $524.7 billion in taxes. That’s money that helps fuel our nation’s schools, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security programs. Immigrants help support our communities as consumers and taxpayers.

Don’t believe it? Even former President Donald Trump’s appointed Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, recognized the massive contributions immigrants make in an interview on “60 Minutes,” saying, “A big part of the story of the labor market coming back into better balance is immigration returning

Anyone interested in preserving and honoring native culture can promote and patronize indigenous-owned businesses and places that educate on the history of the local tribes — such as the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum, in Southampton — and support increase funding for local school districts to include academic courses and cultural opportunities so our children understand the peoples who lived here before their ancestors.

While we may not have been taught much about them, the native tribes of Long Island are an integral part of our communities’ history. It is our duty — as both Americans and human beings — to not only honor their heritage, but also to uplift their voices and educate ourselves on their proud history and tradition.

Both because it is the right thing to do, and because there is still so much for us to learn.

Will Sheeline is a senior reporter who writes for the Glen Cove, Oyster Bay and Sea Cliff/Glen Head Heralds. Comments? wsheeline@liherald.com.

to levels that were more typical of the pre-pandemic era.”

So let’s give credit where credit is due, stop the anti-immigrant rhetoric and end the zero-sum mindset. Immigration truly is

essential for our economic growth and our communities’ prosperity.

JOSEPH M. VARON

Long Island chapter, Bend the Arc

West Hempstead