Malverne/West Hempstead Herald 12-15-2022

Vivid storytelling in local author’s first work of fiction

By MaRk NolaN mnolan@liherald.com

Rossana Weitekamp has been thinking about writing a novel for many years, and now that aspiration has become a reality.

Weitekamp, a former editor of the Malverne/West Hempstead Herald, self-published her first work of fiction in November on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. While it’s too soon to tell if Weitekamp’s book, “Where You End, I Begin,” will climb up the ranks of the New York Times bestseller list, her finished project is a great achievement, a testament to her hard work and dedication.

“The book is something I’ve always wanted to write for a long time,” Weitekamp said. “I’ve had it in me for decades. Once I started writing, the story took me where it wanted to go. As I wrote, it kept changing and evolving and twisting and turning. I was quite entertained by it.”

The Malvern native’s book tells the story of several Italian immigrant families and the life choices they make. Weitekamp said the story, told through flashbacks, helps readers grasp how important events are in their own life.

“I am a first-generation Italian-American,” Weitekamp said. “I was raised by peo-

Memorial bench honors ‘special’ man

By MaRk NolaN mnolan@liherald.com

The late Sheldon Wagner, who was described as a “legend” in Malverne, was recently honored with the creation of a memorial bench outside the Long Island Rail Road station.

Wagner, who died in 2018, defined a sense of community and was the type of person everyone knew and liked, Malverne village officials said.

As the popular unofficial mayor of Malverne, Wagner greeted everyone at the LIRR station, at Hempstead Avenue and Utterby Road, with a characteristic cheerful wave and was a fixture at parades and events. After his death at 89, family and friends packed the Malverne Funeral Home to say one final goodbye and share memories of the man who helped define this era of Malverne.

After Wagner’s passing, many in the community felt a need to

honor him, which is how the Sheldon Wagner Memorial Bench became an idea and eventually a reality. Recently installed just outside the train station, the bench bears his name and is a way for those who knew him to remember him with a smile.

“He was a legend,” said Don Pupke, a former Village trustee and organizer of the bench project. “People loved Sheldon. He was a very special guy in the village for a very long time.”

Friends, family and Malverne residents ultimately raised $4,500 through an online crowdfunding account for a memorial in Wagner’s honor. The question was determining just how to honor him, and Pupke said that dozens of folks offered ideas, including a sculpture, but the cost became prohibitive.

After visiting more than 50

Mark Nolan/Herald

RoSSaNa WEitEkaMp iN her Malverne home office. After a career in journalism, Weitekamp published her first book of fiction in November.

i

n true Malverne form, this was the effort of a lot of people who were all grabbing an oar and rowing to get it done.

DoN pupkE former village trustee

Curran takes back his past Assembly seat

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

After facing a stiff challenge from Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, challenger Brian Curran, a Republican, will be heading to Albany once again, marking the end of a tight race in the 21st Assembly District.

The race between Griffin, the incumbent Democrat, and Curran, who held the seat from 2010 to 2018, officially ended on Dec. 2. By a margin of just 138 votes in the final hand recount, Curran reclaimed the seat he lost to Griffin four years ago. Griffin released a statement last Friday, in which she conceded and thanked her supporters.

“Yesterday, this long election campaign finally concluded with the completion of a mandatory hand recount,” Griffin said. “Unfortunately, by the slimmest of margins, I did not prevail.”

She highlighted the narrowness of her loss. “This incredibly close result of 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent truly conveys the importance of each and every vote,” she said.

“As the first woman elected to this seat and the first Democrat elected since 1974, I am proud of my record of legislative accomplishments.”

Griffin wished the constituents of District 21 all the best, and said she remained committed to their “wellbeing as a neighbor, friend, and citizen.”

“Rest assured that I will still be advocating for you,” she concluded.

Curran was the mayor of Lynbrook from 2007 to 2010. He was elected to the Assembly in 2010, and held the seat for eight years, defeating Democratic challengers Dermond Thomas, Jeffrey Friedman, Adam Shap-

iro and Travis Bourgeois.

Curran told reporters at a Herald roundtable that his top priorities would be public safety, reducing taxes and improving education. A lot of work needed to be done, he said.

“It is not the same district — or at least the very same characteristics of what it used to be — where it was safe and more affordable,” he said at the Herald

roundtable. “There are not the same characteristics in District 21 from when I left and when I was asked to run. That’s the reason why I decided to do it.”

“I would like to thank Assemblywoman Griffin for her four years of service to the residents of Assembly District 21,” Curran said in a statement last Saturday. “I would also like to thank all my campaign volunteers, who were determined to make this campaign successful.”

Curran took note of the “overwhelming voter enrollment advantage” that Griffin had in describing his win as huge victory. “Our campaign focused on the issues that the residents of the district cared about,” Curran said. “And our victory demonstrated their desire, regardless of their political party affiliation, to change the course of Albany and our state.”

“To every resident who trusted me with their vote, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you,” he added. “For those who did not support me in this election, know that I will work every day over the next two years to earn your trust and support.”

Enhancing public safety and increasing the supply of affordable housing are two of the challenges Curran said he planned to tackle in Albany. “I will work tirelessly on behalf of Assembly District 21 to make New York state and, more importantly, our communities, a safer and more affordable place to live and raise a family,” he said. “I will not stop in my efforts to reverse Albany’s bad policies and decision making.”

Curran said he planned to bring an optimistic outlook with him to Albany. “There is a better and brighter future ahead for New York state,” he said, “and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as your representative in the New York State Assembly.”

Tim Baker/Herald

Nassau CouNTy PuBlIC Administrator Brian Curran won the election in Assembly District 21.

Breakfast with Santa serves up holiday cheer

The Village of Malverne held its annual Breakfast With Santa at The Bridge Church Dec. 3. Santa and Mrs. Claus took time out of their busy schedule to speak to children and spread Christmas spirit.

Mrs. Claus Chats with Ryan Hughes, 2. GiorGio randazzo, 1, looks hungry as his dad, Severino, balances the plate.

Santa spotted at San-Dee Lanes in Malverne

The Village of Malverne welcomed Santa Claus to San-Dee Lanes Dec. 3 for a little indoor holiday fun. Santa greeted children and even bowled a few frames.

Susan Grieco/Herald photos Mary Friel, 2, and her mom Katie receive a gift from Santa’s helpers, Shelby Zwillick and Juliana Miletic.

the jolly Man himself showed good bowling form.

Susan Grieco/Herald photos

trustee Carl Prizzi, Trustee Perry Cuocci, Mayer Keith Corbett, Trustee Patricia Fitzpatrick, Lisa Durand, Kevin Fitzpatrick and Trustee Tim Sullivan.

Praise for ‘Where You End, I Begin’ from another author

ple who were born and raised in Italy. I have been to Italy so many times. Just being in those areas inspired me further.”

Weitekamp said many friends helped her edit and revise the book, most notably her childhood friend, Charles Casillo, the author of several books, including “The Marilyn Diaries.” Casillo, also a journalist and actor, is widely known as an expert on Marilyn Monroe.

“I’m familiar with Rossana’s journalism work, but this is the first time I’d read any of her fiction,” Casillo said. “I was totally impressed by her attention to detail and emotional acuity. The characters are vivid and the narrative is multilayered and absorbing. The finished product is sleek and dramatic — a storytelling success.”

Casillo said he and Weitekamp have been friends since kindergarten, when he called her “Red Rose” because of her red hair and the Red Rose tea commercials on television. He said that Weitekamp’s manuscript was already tight and compelling. Weitekamp has read Casillo’s manuscripts, and he was happy to do the same for her.

“I think my input is minimal because the story was already very thought-out and structured,” Casillo said. “If anything, I asked questions or made observations that encouraged her to dig a little deeper into her own imagination and use her talent more fully in certain passages.”

With reviews like Casillo’s, Weitekamp’s book is sure to be a success. She said the combination of positive online reviews and the excitement of having finished a first novel have her already considering a sequel.

“I left the story that way,” Weitekamp said. “That’s definitely on my radar.

Because the story takes place in Italy, I am currently marketing the book in Italy and possibly providing an Italian translation.”

The writing process itself was interrupted a few times. In addition to taking decades to start the book officially, Weitekamp said she stopped writing because of challenges in her life.

“I had several deaths in the family and family members with bad health,” she said. “I did not feel creative at all and put it down for two years. When I finally picked it up again, I had to reread it. Quite honestly, I forgot what happened.”

The writing intermission was helpful, however, and provided renewed creative energy.

“It kept the story fresh and helped me build momentum,” Weitekamp said. “I reread it and found myself putting in many twists and turns that I didn’t anticipate. It made the story so much more interesting and engaging.”

The list of literary titans who self-published is considerable and includes the likes of Margaret Atwood, Upton Sinclair, Virginia Woolf, among other famous authors. Weitekamp has found that encouraging, in addition to people online reconnecting after decades to praise her novel.

“It’s been really great having people come out of the woodwork to post online that they read my book and gave me sparkling reviews,” Weitekamp said. “Someone I haven’t seen in literally 35 years read my book three days after I posted it and gave me a really nice review. It’s exciting. And it’s inspiring that you can self-publish.”

“Where You End, I Begin” is available online at Amazon.com for $26 for a hardcover or $10 for an eBook. A paperback version is available at BarnesAndNoble.com for $16.

School donates $1,050 to support veterans

West Hempstead Secondary School donated $1,050 raised through their Field of Honor to support veterans.

Through the Northport VA Medical Center’s Hero Hunger Help Project, all of West Hempstead’s donations went directly to the veterans. This project is a 15-year-old program that helps veterans combat food insecurity. The Northport VA will distribute West Hempstead’s 42 Stop & Shop gift cards, in the amount of $25 per card, to veterans receiving support

services and to people in need.

Rich Kitson, chief of Voluntary Services/Community Relations at Northport VA, and Joe Sledge, the Health Systems Specialist at the Northport VA’s business office, were able to receive the gifts. They also met with the secondary school’s Assistant Principals Michelle LamboMaron and Vronski Mesidor, and West Hempstead students Samantha Mitchell, Christiana Delmadge, Corey Pierre and Jurrel Hall.

The characters are vivid and the narrative is multi-layered and absorbing. The finished product is sleek and dramatic — a storytelling success.

Charles Casillo author

Courtesy West Hempstead School District offiCials and sTudenTs gathered outside the secondary school to officially donate to the Nortporth VA Medical Center’s Hero Hunger Help Project.

Hanakkuh message

The Hebrew word, Chanuka, means “dedication,” and this festival celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees and their army over King Antiochus and his troops. However, it wasn’t just a rebellion against the SyrianGreeks who wanted to outlaw Judaism, it was also a civil war between two factions of the Jewish community; ones who wanted to keep observing the commandments, and those who wanted to Hellenize and become more like the Greeks.

The story I learned growing up was that the brave Maccabees, small in number, were able to overcome the much larger enemy army. And, that the cruse of oil (presumably found by children who didn’t listen to the adults, who said there wasn’t any) only enough to last for one day, miraculously lasted for eight. The real history is much more nuanced, and more violent, and it’s no wonder our ancient sages wanted to suppress it. In addition, the Hasomean family, the priestly family that the Maccabees were part of, went on to persecute others, and to take the kingship for themselves, as well as maintain the priesthood.

Rather than glorify a war, and a family that turned out to not be so righteous, the rabbis of the Talmud, the textual record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, focuses on lighting the chanukiah, the Hanukkah candelabra. Do we start with eight candles and go down to one, or start with one and go up? Where can it be placed? Can we use the light of the chanukiah to read or work by?

That said, we’re required to publicize the many miracles of the Hanukkah story; the oil, the victory of the few over the many, and too many to count, by plac-

ing our menorahs in our windows. We eat latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) and celebrate–“they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!”

Judaism, Jewish culture and practice, Torah study and the Jewish community survived in the land of Israel and in the lands to which we were exiled in 70 CE when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. The desire to adopt–and to adapt to–the customs of the country in which one is living isn’t unique to the Jewish people; it’s part of the immigrant, and perhaps refugee, experience. It’s also part of our lives as we get older; the world changes, and we need to pay attention. The current political climate in the US has caused many to take sides and dig in their heels, as opposed to taking time to see the other side’s point of view, and perhaps compromise. We’re dealing with climate change and other environmental concerns, challenges to healthcare for women, and we’re seeing a significant increase in antisemitism, hate speech and crimes against people of color and the LGBTQIA community.

To quote Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Hanukkah reminds us that not only can a small group prevail over a much larger one, but that one candle can bring light into a dark room. Each of us individually can be a light; imagine if we all light our candles together!

This year, as you light your chanukiyot (Hanukkah menorah) I invite you to imagine that each candle lit in darkness brings us one step closer to coming together as a holy community.

News brief

STEM major alumni day in West Hempstead

West Hempstead Secondary School hosted its annual STEM Major Alumni Day on Nov. 23, providing secondary school students the opportunity to engage with alumni of the district who have pursued or are currently pursuing careers in STEM.

The alumni gathered with students at the secondary school’s video conference room and spoke about their majors, job opportunities and courses that helped prepare them for college. The discussion was followed by a question-and-answer session that gave

As pArt of STEM Major Alumni Day at West Hempstead Secondary School on Nov. 23, district alumni led a panel discussion with students about studying science in college.

West Hempstead’s students further opportunity to interact with the alumni.

The West Hempstead School District thanks the panelists for sharing their experiences in STEM with secondary school students.

Susan Elkodsi is the rabbi of the Malverne Jewish Center.

Rabbi SuSan ElkodSi

Guest Column

Courtesy West Hempstead School District

sports

Hofstra seeks CAA championship run

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

The Hofstra men’s basketball team is poised for another high finish in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and hopes it can carry over regular season success into the postseason.

The Pride won eight of nine games last year to end the CAA schedule, but was quickly bounced in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament by College of Charleston as the third seed.

“The goal is always to win a championship,” said head coach and former Pride star Speedy Claxton, who guided Hofstra to a conference title and NCAA Tournament as a star point guard in 2000. “We put together a tough non-conference schedule to prepare us for the physical teams we will face in conference play.”

Hofstra returned redshirt senior guard Aaron Estrada, the reigning CAA Player of the Year who Claxton says has a potential to become an NBA player. Estrada, who transferred to Hofstra from Oregon last year, scored 33 points in the Pride’s 85-80 home win against George Washington on Nov. 14.

“He is our hardest worker,” Claxton said of Estrada. “He is our best player for a reason because he is always in the gym working on his game.”

Estrada was sidelined by an ankle injury for the Pride’s Dec. 7 road trip to fourth-ranked Purdue and in his absence saw the emergence of red-shirt freshman guard Amar’e Marshall, who scored 24 against the Big Ten power.

Hofstra (6-4) opened the season with an 83-77 come-frombehind win at Princeton on Nov. 7 in which Estrada scored 27 points and the Pride ended the

game on a 10-1 run. The game also saw an emergence of sophomore guard Jaquan Carlos, who hit the eventual game-winning three pointer, the first of many clutch baskets he has made this season.

Sophomore Darlistone Dubar, a second-year Hofstra player after transferring from Iowa State, is making strides early this season averaging 10.9 points through the first 12 games. Redshirt senior guard Tyler Thomas, a Sacred Heart University transfer, has also provided an offensive spark, averaging 12 points a game including 26 in an 83-78 win against Iowa at home on Veterans Day.

Hofstra was picked second in the CAA preseason coaches poll behind Towson. The Pride’s CAA home opener is slated for New Year’s Eve at 1 p.m. against league newcomer North Carolina A&T. The Pride’s home conference schedule is highlighted by a Feb. 4 matchup against Long Island rival and CAA newcomer Stony Brook for a 4 p.m. tipoff.

pride women off to promising start

The Hofstra women’s basketball team is making strides early on in the new season after an 8-20 record in the 2021-22 campaign.

The Pride already achieved half of last year’s win total with a 56-53 home win against Army West Point on Dec. 7 that put the team at 4-4. It nearly got win number five last Saturday, but dropped a 62-61 overtime heartbreaker at Loyola (Md).

“I’m excited for what this season is going to hold,” said fourthyear head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “I truly believe we have a team that wants it and they’re willing to work for it.”

Hofstra returned six from last year’s team that reached the

CAA quarterfinals including AllCAA Defensive team selection Rosi Nicholson, who also displayed her offensive ability with 16 points in a season-opening 73-68 loss to Big Ten foe Rutgers. Senior Sorelle Ineza is also back after starting 11 games as a junior.

Baldwin native Brandy Thomas, a graduate student who transferred from nearby Long Island University (LIU), has become the team’s leading scorer early on averaging 13.3 points per game including 22 in a 76-68 loss at Wagner on Nov. 26.

“She’s very competitive and pushes everyone else to be competitive as well,” said Santos Atkinson of Thomas, Junior 6-3 center Zyheima Swint is the third leading scorer early in the season and gives the Pride a strong inside presence to complement its perimeter game.

The Pride’s roster features seven newcomers including Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes, a Stony Brook transfer who is the team’s fourth leading scorer. Junior guard Ally Knights, an Australia native who transferred from North Florida, is a key rebounder and defender also capable of hitting big jump shots.

New additions to the team this season also includes freshman Emma Von Essen of Rockville Centre, who shined as a four-year member at Long Island Lutheran. Von Essen is quickly gaining minutes and got her first start in a 74-71 victory against LIU on Dec. 3 in a game where she netted season-high 17 points.

Hofstra was picked to finish last in the 13-team CAA and will look to prove the doubters wrong starting with its league opener at Delaware on Dec. 30. The Pride’s CAA home opener is scheduled for New Year’s Day against Stony Brook at 2 p.m.

Photos courtesy Hofstra Athletics Communications PRiDE REDshiRt sENiOR guard Aaron Estrada, right, is the reigning CAA Player of the Year.

hOfstRA’s WOmEN’s tEAm is making early strides and aims

prove the preseason rankings wrong.

Grand Central Madison deadline looms large

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

Only a few months ago, all signs were pointing to the imminent opening of Grand Central Madison — Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new, fully operational terminal in Manhattan’s East Side meant to redefine the way commut ers get around by putting the Long Island Railroad to full use with a new terminal station.

The MTA has conducted a number of public meetings explaining new commut ing patterns in the wake of updated train schedules. Top MTA and LIRR executives hosted private leadership events enlisting the help of business leaders and local lead ers to hammer home the message: Grand Central Madison is coming by the end of this year, so get ready.

Passengers might have been ready, but the MTA apparently may not. Yet, the state organization has not veered from its mes sage — the latest flurry of public adver tisements relaying the sweeping words “All aboard for Grand Central!”

With the end-of-the-year deadline loom ing and still no official word about when Grand Central Madison might open, some observers have begun to question whether commuters will have to reset expectations about what they’re getting. At least while the calendar still reads 2022.

One thing is certain: it has been a com plicated final stretch of construction for

the $11.6 billion mega-project.

The MTA cleared a regulatory hurdle last month that would have otherwise derailed any hopes of opening train service thanks to a federal waiver that pushed the deadline for engineers to install new federally mandated safety technology

ing fast to the MTA’s promise that passenger trains will run at Grand Central by the deadline.

“I want to emphasize that the terminal is complete in every visible and functional way,” he said. “The escalators and elevators are running, and the fire alarm is installed. So the project is looking great, and we’re confident about opening service this year.”

Torres-Springer noted, however, that while systems are installed, they are currently undergoing testing and commissioning to ensure the project meets safety and operational standards. A major challenge currently at play is finalizing the test of the terminal’s airflow system.

“This is to confirm that we can move air quickly throughout the platform and the concourse in the event of a smoke condition,” he said. Testing “becomes very complex, and there’s a lot of (professionals) involved to make sure the system is safe.

“Obviously we won’t open our facilities before we are signed off on the safety of the system.”

Over the weekend, LIRR took over operational control of Grand Central Madison, making the terminal and tunnels federally regulated railroad territory. MTA officials described that as a significant step to getting the station up and running before the end of the year.

people think Allstate only protects your car. Truth is, Allstate can also protect your home or apartment, your boat, motorcycle - even your retirement and your life. And the more of your world you put in Good Hands®, the more you can save.

The MeTrOpOLiTAN TrANSpOrTATiON Authority is entering the final hours before opening passenger train service from Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal ahead of its endof-year deadline despite hurdles and concerns over its completion.

Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Hanakkuh message

Malverne HiGH SCHool seniors

Jamila Smith and Matthew Merkel were recognized as 2022-23 Nassau Zone NYS AHPERD

Outstanding Physical Education Students of the Year at the ceremony at Crest Hollow Country Club on Dec. 5.

Two Malverne High School athletes honored

Two Malverne students have been awarded the Outstanding Physical Education Student of the Year award by the Nassau Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD).

Malverne High School seniors Jamila Smith and Matthew Merkel were presented the award at a ceremony at Crest Hollow County Club on Dec. 5.

This recognition is awarded annually to students who demonstrate leadership skills, responsible personal and social behavior and exceptional achievements in Physical Education programs.

NYS AHPERD is an association committed to providing leadership and quality services to health, physical education, recreation, and dance professionals and future professionals.

In the Jewish tradition, Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights. We light a special candelabra consisting of eight lights, plus a ninth helper candle. The origin of the holiday is a historical series of events that occurred more than two thousand years ago.

The ancient Assyrian Greeks captured the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem and turned it into a pagan shrine. In 165 BCE, the Jewish army, under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, recaptured the Temple and rededicated it. They relit the menorah in the Temple, which burned continuously day and night, as a symbol of God’s enduring presence. They also enjoined the celebration of this victory annually.

Guest Column

Judaism also teaches that we must share the light. We place our lights in a window facing the street so that passersby can see them. Just as we can transfer a flame from one candle to another without reducing the light of the original candle, the light of the holiday season must be shared with everyone.

The events of Chanukah took place long before Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was part of the Jewish people of his day, who celebrated the victory of the Maccabees every year. Had the Temple remained a Greek shrine, there would have been no Judaism and no Jewish people when Jesus appeared!

VeRnon

Even today, light is a powerful symbol in our lives. It chases away the darkness. It brightens our homes, It illumines our lives with learning and understanding. Keep in the mind that electricity has only been around for two hundred years and really in our homes for only a hundred years! Every religion has a festival at this time of the year which includes lighting lights of some kind.

Today, as we Jews celebrate Chanukah, our Christians friends celebrate the birth of Jesus and other friends are celebrating Kwanzaa. Lighting lights is common to all these celebrations. May the light of this season brighten our lives, illuminate our hearts and minds and dispel the darkness that tries to overwhelm us. May God Bless us All with a Happy and Joyous Holiday!

Art Vernon is the rabbi of the Congregation Shaaray Shalom.

Rabbi aRt

Courtesy Malverne School District

Legislature approves secretive cyber contract

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

A cybersecurity services contract unanimously approved by the Nassau County Legislature’s rules committee on Dec. 5 has raised the eyebrows of an open government expert since this approval came in secret.

Yet, such discretion is necessary, county officials, said, since they believe not giving away the game plan is the best way to protect sensitive data from hackers.

At issue is a contract for Nassau County’s massive computer network. But it’s not just how the vendor will operate that remains cloaked, but also how much it will cost — and who the vendor is. All of this, according to the expert, is standard information courts have ruled the public has a right to.

The crippling malware attack on Suffolk County’s network on Sept. 8 sent shockwaves through government offices nationwide charged with protecting computer systems. Nassau officials immediately urged the legislature to act, which is exactly what its rules committee did a few months later.

A full vote of the legislature is not required under county law for contracts.

But why a secret? It’s simple, rules committee vice chair Howard Kopel said: ransomware.

“The vendor suggested (secrecy) would be a very important thing,” the legislator said. “We don’t want the crooks to know who (the vendor is) and what their meth-

Ransomware is when someone remotely locks up a computer network or servers, releasing them only after the owners of those networks pays a monetary ransom.

Yet, is computer security enough to keep the details of a taxpayer-funded project secret? Shoshanah Bewlay, executive director of the state’s Committee on Open Govern-

ment, disagrees. If the contract has been finalized and signed, Bewlay said, there is no reason not to disclose who the vendor is and how much taxpayer money is being paid.

“I can’t imagine what FOIL exemption would apply to permit the county to withhold the name of the vendor and value of the contract,” Bewlay said, referring to the Freedom of Information Law. “‘Cybersecurity’ isn’t on the list of exemptions to FOIL disclosure.”

Kopel said legislators were advised by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s staff it could be against the

Happy Holidays From Breton Hills

law to provide more details about the contract.

They “told us not only is it unwise to release this information, but it’s potentially improper — potentially even illegal,” Kopel said. “We questioned the administration very closely for well over an hour, which is very unusual for a contract. We did vet this as closely as we could. We’re satisfied they did follow procedures properly.”

Blakeman spokesman Christopher Boyle defended the secrecy.

“This contract pertains to the cybersecurity of the county, and has been vetted by a committee composed of representatives from the office of the inspector general, county attorney, district attorney and police department to ensure its effectiveness and integrity,” Boyle said, in an email statement.

Public scrutiny of government contracts is a vital part of maintaining open government, Bewlay said. With the Nassau cybersecurity contract, the public does not know who the vendor is or how much they are being paid, or if the vendor is reputable or insured.

“Nobody wants hackers to compromise anybody’s systems,” she said. “But again, it is difficult to imagine how disclosing the name of a vendor — and the value of the contract for the vendor’s services — reveals the county’s critical infrastructure information such that it would be exempt from FOIL disclosure.”

Kopel agreed government needs better defenses against hackers, but also believes the public should trust the county that it is taking steps to protect the computer systems at the expense of details.

“What the public should know is that this is a huge problem,” Kopel said. “It is an ongoing, ever-present problem. Crooks will typically look for the easiest opportunity, the fastest buck.

“If we make it really, really hard, maybe they will go somewhere else.”

Welcome to Breton Hills! The best value in the North Shore! 55+ active adult gated community. Offering two bedroom/two bathroom upper or lower units, elevator option, two parking spaces, Tesla charging stations, clubhouse complete with gym and entertainment area and bocce ball court. Minutes to shopping, waterfront, and public parks.

Tim Baker/Herald

STEPPING OUT

Toss off those shoes and skate away

alongBy Karen Bloom

f you’ve never tried “sock skating” you’re definitely missing out. Yes, there’s plenty to enjoy about putting on skates and zipping along the ice, but sometimes the effort of dealing with the cold feet, etc., may seem a bit much for a family outing.

Long Island Children’s Museum’s indoor version enables everyone to stay warm and content while experiencing plenty of skating fun. The museum’s “ice rink,” which first made a brief appearance in Summer 2021, is back for the holiday season in a big way, through Jan. 8.

“This idea grew out of the many (post-pandemic) requests we received for physical activity for the kids,” says Maureen Mangan, the museum’s communications director. “There is a need to get kids off their screens and into some physical play. This is a great way to burn off energy and an opportunity to have a winter experience inside — warm and cozy.”

In fact, it’s been so well-received that the museum plans to make this an annual event during the holiday season.

The 800-square-foot indoor Snowflake Sock Skating rink (the equivalent size of a four-car garage) opened in mid-November to the delight of the museum’s young visitors — and their adult companions, who are just as keen to be in on the action.

“The kids are eager to get on the ‘ice,’ Mangan says. “And the parents are, too. They go out with them. You’ll see them twirling and spinning.”

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Jan. 8, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• $15 admission

• View the LICM events calendar at LICM.org for additional information, or call (516) 224-5800.

•

The rink is made from a high-tech synthetic polymer surface that lets everyone slide around without blades, ringed by candy cane-striped posts topped with a “snowball.” Right outside, blue-hued bean bag chairs of various sizes have been placed so the “skaters” can take a break as needed.

Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.

“We frequently see kids fling themselves on the chairs for a quick rest before jumping back on the ‘ice,’” Mangan notes.

Off the “ice” a Snowflake Village beckons.

“We expanded on the concept to include plenty of experiential activities,” Mangan says. Kids can become a “baker” in the holiday sweet shop, step inside a giant (nine-foot) snowman and serve up some hot cocoa, take a turn in the rink’s “ticket booth” and “warm up” around the rink-side virtual “fire pit” where the entire family can relax, sit on a “tree stump” share stories and make some “s’mores.”

Adds education director Aimee Terzulli: “Kids use their imaginations as they take on roles associated with these familiar winter activities.”

Winter at its best — without the chill and the need to bundle up.

Photo: Families can slip on sock skates”’ and take a spin — whatever the weather — on the museum’s seasonal skating rink, with plenty of activities to occupy their ‘off-ice”’ time.

Buddy is back!

Step into the world of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole, in this special production of the holiday musical. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toymaking abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New Yorkers remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Directed by Madison Theatre artistic director Angelo Fraboni — a Broadway veteran — the charming show features a versatile cast of Broadway professionals and Molloy University CAP21 Theatre Arts students, with Matteo Mennella, of Rockville Centre, and Malverne’s Brady Schumacher sharing the role of young Michael Hobbs.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 3 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 18, 2 and 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2 and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, Dec. 22-23, 7 p.m. Madison Theatre, Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444, or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

Eileen Ivers

The Grammy-winning fiddler and her band return to the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center stage for a lively holiday show, ‘Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas.’ Ivers captures her Irish and American roots in a concert that blends traditional, story-filled, ageold Wren Day songs, poems, foot stomping, and hollerin’ roots music. Ivers and the ensemble combine their numerous instruments and voices in what surely is a soulful celebration capturing the true spirit and joy of the season. She continues to push the fiddling tradition boundaries from folk music staples to a fiercely fresh, powerfully beautiful, intense world stage experience, celebrating the glorious story of Christmas with unbridled joy.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m. Tickets start at $50, with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 8774000 or Aupac.Adelphi.edu.

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum

THE SCENE

Splash along with Baby Shark and Pinkfong, on the Tilles Center stage, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 6 p.m., as they journey into the sea for the holidays to sing and dance through some of your favorite songs. This immersive experience, on the LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, specially appealing to ages 2-6, will have families dancing in the aisles. Join Baby Shark and friends for exciting adventures into the jungle and under the sea to explore shapes, colors, numbers and more. Enjoy hit songs in this dazzling kids spectacular, including “Baby Shark,” “Five Little Monkeys,” “Wheels On The Bus,” and “Monkey Banana Dance,” as well as holiday classics such as “Jingle Bells.” Tickets are $69.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Art talk

Join Nassau County Museum Director Charles A. Riley II, PhD, for a Director’s Seminar, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 4 p.m. He’ll discuss “Photography: Beauty and Truth,” in a session that is keyed to the photojournalism of Robert Capa and the Magnum group as well as the pioneering work of Walker Evans and Lewis Hine. He’ll compare their approach with the digital manipulation of images (including video) in the media of our time and consider the relationship between the photographer as documentarian and as artist who holds the mirror up to nature. Participation is limited; registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 4849337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Las Posadas Poinsettias

Celebrate Las Posadas, the popular Latin American tradition, at Long Island Children’s Museum, Saturday, Dec. 17, 1-3 p.m. Learn about the story of La flor de Nochebuena and the significance of poinsettias during this holiday, at the drop-in program. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Baby Shark Live: The Christmas Show!

Holiday fun

Visit the streets of 19th century London during the darkest days of the year, in this adaption of “A Christmas Carol,” with the Experiential Theater Company, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15-16, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18, 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 21-22, 10:15 a.m. and noon, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. Meet the Cratchit family, Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Gift wrapping

Need help wrapping holiday presents? Come to the West Hempstead Public Library Dec. 17, noon-5 p.m. for help with holiday gift wrapping, at 500 Hempstead Ave. The library provides wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags. Call the library at (516) 481-6591 for more information.

After school fun

Lakeview Public Library holds its After School Dish every Friday , 3:30-4:30 p.m, for students grades 6 and under. The event features discussions of learning, games, crafts, and snacks. An adult must stay with any children under 12.. Register before each session by calling (516) 536-3071 or email ireckson@lakeviewlibrary.org.

It takes place in the Children’s Room, at 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre.

Dec. 18

Dec. 19

Movie matinee

See “Where the Crawdads Sing,” Monday, Dec. 19, 1-3:10 p.m., at Malverne Public LIbrary, 61 St Thomas Place. Based on the 2018 bestselling coming-of-age novel with great visuals of coastal North Carolina marshland wildlife and a mystery to solve. it stars Daisy EdgarJones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson and Michael Hyatt. For information visit MalverneLIbrary. org or contact Cathy Wellikoff (516) 599-0750 ext. 4 cwellikoff@nasaulibrary.com.

Menorah lighting

Celebrate the Festival of Light’s at Malverne Village’s Lighting of the Menorah, Sunday, Dec. 18. 5:30 p.m., at the Malverne LIRR Station. Call Village Hall at (516) 599-1200 for more information.

Balloon wiz performs

Join in some fun with awardwinning balloon artist, Nick the Balloonatic, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2 p.m. and again at 3:30 p.m., at West Hempstead Public Library. It’s held in the community room, 500 Hempstead Ave., Call the library at (516) 481-6591 for more information.

Kwanzaa celebration

Author/artist/educator Marcia Odle-McNair hosts a free Kwanzaa celebration, Saturday, Dec. 17, 1-4 p.m., at Westbury Arts. The event, at 255 Schenck Ave., Westbury, includes and entertainment and an opportunity to make hand-crafted gifts that signify the true meaning of Kwanzaa. Registration is required. Tickets are free and can be obtained on EventBrite.com.

Having an event?

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.

Matinee time

Scrooge

Follow miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns the true spirit of Christmas with this holiday musical tradition based on the novel by Charles Dickens, presented by Plaza Theatrical Productions, Sunday, Dec. 18, noon. Be swept away to 19th century London Town in this timeless story. $15. The Show Place at the Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. For tickets and information, call (516) 599-6870 or PlazaTheatrical.com.

Dec. 18

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. The story, narrated by the groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete, tells about the immortal winter sprite, who falls in love with a human girl named Elisa after rescuing her. Tickets are $15. Bring the kids to the Plaza stage at the Elmont Public Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Memorial for unofficial mayor of Malverne

memorials in the area and speaking with as many as 20 sculptors nationwide, Pupke discovered Eliot Mazzocca of Lido Stone Works in Calverton. Pupke had learned of Mazzocca’s work, especially with projects of community pride. Mazzocca, who has repaired and replaced damaged memorials for U.S. Navy SEAL Michael Murphy of Patchogue, said once he learned about Wagner’s impact on an entire community, he was eager to con-

struct a memorial.

“The story about Sheldon and who he was in the community touched me,” Mazzocca said. “I always believe that when you put good things in the world, they come back to you. I wanted to be part of the memorial.”

Mazzocca said he created the bench using Virginia jet mist granite, the same stone used at the 9/11 Memorial’s twin reflecting pools. Just recently installed, the bench will be officially dedicated in the near future.

“It’s a very fitting memorial to Sheldon,” Pupke said. “It’s right by the train station where he used to greet everybody in the morning, and it’s near where he lived. People will be able to remember him for years to come when they see the beautiful bench.”

Kristen Smith, a member of the local civic association, was also instrumental in organizing and assisting with the memorial. She said Covid-19 interrupted the plans a bit, but neighbors were determined to create a memorial for a man who meant so much to so many people.

“Everyone remembered Sheldon as a presence in Malverne, so Don (Pupke) wanted a presence that reminded people of Sheldon,” Smith said. “Sheldon was always there, and the bench will always be there.”

As for the community going above and beyond to honor one of its own, Pupke and Smith weren’t surprised. They both said Malverne once again displayed its sense of community by working to honor such an integral person that meant so much to the community.

“It was overwhelming, the number of people who donated and asked about the memorial,” Smith said. “That’s the spirit of Malverne.”

Pupke agreed, saying, “In true Malverne form, this was the effort of a lot of people who were all grabbing an oar and rowing to get it done.”

Photos courtesy Don Pupke

The memorial bench shows the outpouring of support from the Malverne community.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Annual Financial Statements for the Incorporated Village of Malverne for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022 have been filed with the NYS Office of the State Comptroller and are now available for inspection at Malverne Village Hall, 99 Church Street, Malverne, New York during regular business hours and on the village website www.malvernevillage.org

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Inc. Village of Malverne Averil Smith, Village Clerk-Treasurer Dated: December 7, 2022 135985

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR SECURITIZED ASSETBACKED RECEIVABLES LLC 2005-FR5

MORTGAGE PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-FR5, V.

BERNICE WALTER, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated June 18, 2008, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR SECURITIZED ASSETBACKED RECEIVABLES LLC 2005-FR5

MORTGAGE PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-FR5 is the Plaintiff and BERNICE WALTER, 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 January 17, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 1090 PINEBROOK COURT, WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY 11552: Section 38, Block K, Lot 750:

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 # 012241/2007. Jaime D. Ezratty, 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 ACORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 135868

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 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 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, 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, an d 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 Unknown Heirs of Daniel Gause, and Unknown Heirs of Lena N. Gause, Defendants In this Action.

The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. David P. Sullivan of the Supreme Court Of The State Of Ne w York, dated the Seventh day of November, 2022 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 HEMPST EAD, 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 Depart ment 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: November 15, 2022 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. 74367 135655

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 #: 609858/2019 REVERSE MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS, INC. Plaintiff, vs HOWARD HARRIS AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, WHO WAS THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF ARTHUR H. MYERS, KAREN TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, RODERICK TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR

TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, ERVINA TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, MAMIETT TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, REGINALD TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, CHRISTOPHER TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, EBONIK TUCKER AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, TATIANA KINARD AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS 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 AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS, WHO WAS THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF ARTHUR H. MYERS 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, PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING THROUGH THE IRS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, FORD MOTOR CREDIT COMPANY LLC, SLOMIN’S INC, WILLIAM HACKETT, APRIL JACKSON Defendant(s).

MORTGAGED PREMISES: 243 COVENTRY ROAD SOUTH 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 TATIANA KINARD AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF ERNESTINE TUCKER, WHO WAS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF MAMIE LEE MYERS Defendants In this Action. The foregoing Supplemental Summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an order of HON. David P.

Sullivan of the Supreme Court Of The State Of New York, dated the First day of November, 2022 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, executed by Arthur H. Myers (who died on March 27, 2017, a resident of the county of Nassau, State of New York) and Mamie Lee Myers (who died on January 22, 2019, a resident of the county of Nassau, State of New York) dated the April 23, 2012, to secure the sum of $300,000.00 and recorded at Book 37419, Page 539 in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk, on the July 5, 2012. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by an assignment executed February 11, 2016 and recorded on March 28, 2016, in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk at Book 41108, Page 639. The mortgage was subsequently assigned by a corrective assignment executed October 18, 2017 and recorded on November 10, 2017, in the Office of the Nassau County Clerk at Book 42495, Page 330; The property in question is described as follows: 243 COVENTRY ROAD SOUTH, WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY 11552 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: November 16, 2022 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. 74423 135657

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ADMINISTRATIVE

Richner Communications - a rapidly growing multimedia company and publishers of the Herald newspaper grouphas several administrative job openings: Receptionist (P/T), Accounts Receivable/Billing Collections Clerk

Multi-Media Coordinator (Hours Flexible)

Qualified candidates are fast learners with good organizational and people skills - entry level ok.

Role requires working knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to learn custom software programs.

If you would like to join a communitydriven, fast-paced environment, please send your resume to: careers@liherald.com.

American Software Resources Inc. is seeking 1 FT professional (40 HW) for the position of Data Engineer II at 4 Brower Ave, Ste # 4, Woodmere, NY 11598 for competitive salary. Data Engineer II: Analyze, Design, Develop & Test general computer applications software using Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx, Microsoft Project/Excel/Access/Visio, SQL Server, Power Apps, Sharepoint, SQL, Snowflake, Microsoft Analysis Services, Database Management, Spend Analytics, Supply Chain & Logistics Management, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Project Costing, Asset Management, Billing, Purchasing, Supplier Relationship Management, Root Cause Analysis, Lean Six Sigma. Educational &

Exp Requirements: Masters in Comp Sci or Tech Mgt in Engg Tech or Info Tech + 12 months of experience as Comp Software Professional. We offer comprehensive benefits. Travel within the USA is required for the position. To apply send your resume to the above address.

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must.

Email

EDITOR/REPORTER

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

HIRING MAIL SORTERS $16.00-$17.00, Pickers/ Packers Springfield Gardens, $17.00. Mystery Shoppers Ages 21-25 $20.00. 860 Long Island Ave., Deer Park NY 631-586-4699

OFFICE MANAGER/ RECEPTIONIST: Private Dental Practice Far Rockaway/ Lawrence. Insurance Experience Necessary. Great Salary/ Benefits. jonfriedmandds@gmail.com 917-435-7138

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Will Consider Part Time. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X286

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

RECEPTIONIST EXPERIENCED P/T Seasonal. Jan- Mid April. Franklin Square. CALL: 516-358-9455. FAX RESUME: 516-358-9483. E MAIL: ed@loturco.com.

SD#20 $1,599,000

1534 Broadway #103, BA, Magnificent New Renovation! One of a Kind Ranch Style Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall Condominium with Doorman & Elevator. Just Move into This Gut Renovated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout. Large Designer Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm. Master BR Boasts Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet. Terrace Faces into Courtyard. Garage Parking Incl REDUCED $699,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedrooms (Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/ Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living BIG REDUCTION!! $699,000

E

a ST ROCK aWay

8 Acorn Rd, 2-3:30, 5 BR, 3 Bth Front to Back Split on Beautiful Quiet St in Lynbrook SD#20. Fin Bsmt, Att Gar. CAC,

Open Houses

This beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bath Oceanview condo with a private deck features stunning ocean and pool views from the living and bedrooms. It has a master bedroom with en suite private bath and an additional full bath. The building has a heated saltwater pool as well as private tennis courts and sensational full gym. It comes with a designated indoor garage spot and personal storage bin. Come live by the beach!

Apartments For Rent

Cemetery Plots

Herald

Home Sales

A sampling of recent sales in the area

Baldwin $580,000 Edwards Street. Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Updated eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. First floor bedroom. 2 car garage. Central location near all.

Taxes: $15,290.84

Bellmore $695,000 Oak Street. Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. New eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Spacious living room. Formal dining room. Many updates. Taxes: $11,737.22

Cedarhurst $940,000 Harbor Drive. Hi Ranch. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen. Den/family room. Deck and enlarged driveway. Security system.

Taxes: $8,470

East Meadow $580,000 Harton Avenue. Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. New eatin kitchen with quartz countertops. Open floor plan. Formal dining room. Den/family room and exercise room. Many updates, including whole house water filtration. Oversized property. Convenient location near LIRR and park.

Taxes: $8656.81

East Rockaway $599,000 Thixton Avenue. Contemporary. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Updated eat-in kitchen with quartz countertops and ample storage. L-shaped dining room. Den/family room and home office. 2 gas fireplaces and cathedral ceiling. Screened Trex deck.

Taxes: $14,931.77

Franklin Square $729,000 Craft Avenue Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in chef’s kitchen with cherry cabinets, granite countertops and high-end appliances. Open floor plan. Living room with vaulted ceiling. Large master bedroom. Den/family room.

Taxes: $15,077

Freeport $566,500 Maryland Avenue. Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Updated eat in kitchen with granite countertops. Living room with fireplace. Formal dining rom. Large bedrooms. Oversized property with patio and Trex deck. Second deck over 2 car garage.

Taxes: $11,596.47

Long Beach $620,000 W. Hudson Street. Colonial. Westholme neighborhood. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Formal dining room. Covered front porch. Spacious yard with fire pit. Central air conditioning. Parking for 5+ cars. Convenient location near LIRR, restaurants, shopping.

Taxes: $9,499.90

Oceanside $615,000

Davis Street. Ranch. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. L-shaped dining room. Den/family room.

Taxes: $13,090.82

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

Costs in the postpandemic world

Q. We are concerned we may have waited too long because of inflation. It seems nearly impossible to afford our renovation. We got “ballpark” estimates, and just look at each other in wonder when we think about how things changed from before the pandemic. Do you see prices coming down? Should we wait, rethink or do the repairs to our roof that led to doing the bigger job and just live with it? Are some cost increases real or made up?

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

Are you raising a grandchild, young relative or child of a family friend in the absence of the biological parents?

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources. Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

A. Your decision will be made based on what you’re willing to pay, not on what you can afford. Some prices are dropping, slightly, but as a window representative said recently, if you were a trucker being paid more to haul perishable groceries than windows, which would you choose? Across the board, as the pandemic waned and people went back to work who were being paid not to work, they had to be enticed with higher wages at the same time that the world economy shifted due to war and sanctions. Who could have guessed that the U.S. would become the largest oil producer in the world?

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources. Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org

TTY: NY Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220 nysnavigator.org

TTY: NY Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources. Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

TTY: NY Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org 1194471

People often look back in their lives and ask themselves, “How did we do it?” when pondering some of the most seemingly unmanageable situations. This is not to suggest that you gamble, but you must project the terms: whether you will need to earn more, and how, borrow more and work longer to pay, settle for a little less, change or abandon the goal.

The cost of any project is the number one question I get, and the most unpredictable, since, even before the life-changing pandemic, construction bids were generally all over the place. It isn’t uncommon to get an extremely low bid against an extremely high one and wonder why. The four primary factors in a contractor’s bid are overhead, labor, material cost and profit. Labor, and the choice of how much to add in for profit, would seem to be the most controllable, while overhead costs and material prices are often not controllable.

As I go about the everyday tasks of building design and construction, I speak with a whole range of people, from real estate salespeople to bankers, developers, contractors and tradespeople to lawyers, material representatives and the end users. The whole picture of where costs are going is influenced by many factors, and trying to pinpoint the cause of fluctuations is based more on people trying to simplify something extremely complex than on looking at a much broader picture.

Energy production dropped and costs increased. Fewer people were driving or working, so debt and prices increased. Add to this a world in conflict and the huge debt of war, and you begin to see that the project you want to do is affected by issues that are far beyond your control. Design can reduce some costs, finish material choices can save money, but only you can determine your willingness to “settle” or go for it. Good luck!

Monte Leeper

SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464

Miscellaneous

KING

CHRISTMAS DECOR: HUGE assortment. Call for details and pics $40 & under. 516-225-919

DOLLS, DOLL HOUSE MINIATURES & ACCESSORIES. Under $99.00. Call Joy Evenings, 917-743-7695 Leave Message

EARLY AMERICAN COFFEE Table: 48"x28", Shelf on bottom of table, Nutmeg Finish, $55.00. 516-781-1520

GIRLS CLOTHES SIZES 5 & 8: New with tags. Tops, Jeans. $8 each. 917-420-5814

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

HENRI BENDEL BACKPACK & Wallet. Maroon, B/W Stripe. Ltmd edition, Brand New. $99 516-320-1906

HUMMEL : LOST sheep $45, the brother $40. Mint condition 646.206.4610

HUMMELS: CELLIST, THINKER, each $50. mint condition 646.206.460

MANY NEW CHRISTMAS items, vases, musical statues, much more, everything under $10.00 (516)579-9089

WICKER COFFEE TABLE: 30"Wx18"Dx18"H, Brown Wicker Table, $25.00. Ginny 516-781-1520

Finds $100-$350

BODY CRAFT ROWING MACHINE: Folds For Storage, Original Over $1000. New Condition. $350. bbj1407@aol.com 516-889-3042

KITCHEN SET: Table/ chrome pedestal. 4 chairs with chrome and black vinyle seats. 5ft x 4ft smoked glass table.$200 Neg. 516.668. 8877

Finds $100-$350

MASSAGE TABLE: BRAND New. Still In Box. Asking $165.00. Call Anthony 516-872-8486

TREADMILL GYM SIZE Great Condition. $300 516 668 8877

SERVICES

Electricians

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

Handyman

HANDYMAN

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

Heating

AROUND THE CLOCK REFRIGERATION INC. Specializing In Gas Furnaces/ Ductless Heat Pump Installations/ Repairs. $99 Annual Gas Furnace Maintenance/ Inspection. FREE Estimates. Gregory 516-214-0178 gregory@clockhvac.com

Home Improvement

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

CARPENTRY & PAINTING: Residential/ Commercial. All Phases. Licensed/Insured. FREE ESTIMATES! Anthony & J Home Improvements 516-678-6641

DON'T PAY FOR Covered Home Repairs Again! American Residential Warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE/ $100 OFF POPULAR PLANS. 833-398-0526

HANDY DANDY

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

* Full Or Partial Kitchens/ Baths *Painting *Sheetrock *Taping/ Spackling *Installations Ceramic/ Vinyl Tile *Carpentry *Alterations *Repairs/ More. FREE ESTIMATES. Dan 516-342-0761

WIREMAN/CABLEMAN FLAT TVs mounted, Phone, TVs&Computer wiring installed & serviced, camera &stereos , HDTV – Antennas- FREE TV www.davewireman.com Call Dave 516-433-WIRE (9473) 631-667-WIRE (9473) or Text 516-353-1118

Miscellaneous

BEST

Plumbing

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

ACURA 2003, 3.2 CLS, 2 door, Silver, Black Interior, 160K Plus. Needs Battery. $2100 516-668-8877

VOLKSWAGON 2012 BEETLE, Red Black Interior, 98K, Excellent Condition, Original Owner. $8000 516-302-7745

Autos Wanted

DONATE YOUR CAR TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH RECOVERY! Tax Deduction Receipt Given Upon Pick-up, Free Towing. 501c3 Charity. 631-988-9043 breastcancerresearchrecovery.org

DRIVE OUT BREAST Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup - 24hr Response Tax Deduction - Easy To Do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

Autos Wanted

WHEELS FOR WISHES benefiting MakeA-Wish® Northeast New York. Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Free Vehicle Pick Up ANYWHERE. We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not. 100% Tax Deductible. Minimal To No Human Contact. Call: (877) 798-9474. Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. www.wheelsforwishes.org. Junk

Cars Wanted

TILE

Tile

Satellite/TV Equipment

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1-866-595-6967

GET DIRECTV FOR $64.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included! Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-888-534-6918

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Health & Fitness

ATTENTION VIAGRA USERS: Generic 100mg blue pills or generic 20mg yellow pills. Get 45 plus 5 free $99 + S/H. Call Today. 877-707-5523

opINIoNS

Beware the lure of DeSantis

Former President Donald Trump has been hit with a barrage of bad news in the past few weeks. It’s also clear that his popularity is taking a hit due to the failure of his anointed candidates to win a number of contests around the country last month. With each passing day, more Republican voices are raising their fears of a potential wipeout in 2024, and are promoting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible presidential candidate. Having closely followed the actions of DeSantis, my advice to the party is to be careful what you wish for.

him. Some call him “tough” and others describe him as “forceful,” but none of his admirers are able to articulate what makes him so great.

issue, and cruise ship owners were forced to shut down for months.

JERRY KREMER

There is no question that DeSantis is a true conservative, and that he is outspoken on many issues. My friends who spend their winters in Florida rave about him. A number of them have chosen to become permanent residents, primarily to avoid New York state taxes. But I have yet to find one fan of DeSantis who can spell out specifically what they like about

There is no question that he comes off as a bold leader of his state. He embraces issues that he thinks will eventually make him popular beyond Florida, but he has been careful not to announce any presidential ambitions. If you take a close look at his record, you will find him to be anti-business, and reckless in his views on public education. One good example of his antibusiness attitude is the way he has treated Florida’s two biggest money generators.

At the height of the Covid scare, DeSantis decided that it was good politics to be anti-mask and impose no government health restrictions. Florida residents liked the idea that there should be no mandates, but many tourist industry leaders felt differently. The heads of the three biggest cruise lines insisted that their passengers wear masks when they were in public areas of the ships. DeSantis made numerous threats over this

The Walt Disney Company fiasco is another example of DeSantis’s poor judgment. Disney is the largest taxpaying business in the state, and its top attraction. The former Disney chief executive Bob Chapek criticized DeSantis for his position on gay education restrictions. DeSantis decided that Disney had no right to speak out and had the company’s special legislative status revoked. In the end, it isn’t Disney that will suffer as much as the communities that surround the park, which will be forced to pay for costly fire, police and health facilities in 2023.

DeSantis has decided that his administration must be the only voice on the education of Florida’s students. His education commissioner has recommended all types of restrictions that have frightened teachers around the state. Numerous teachers have left the Florida system for fear that they might be punished for teaching subjects that are not stateapproved. Next year, Florida will have a shortage of thousands of teachers, and

may be forced to hire people who are unlicensed and have no formal training. And, of course, DeSantis was anxious to get in on the program of sending immigrants to liberal northern cities as a protest against the Biden administration. In September he approved a plan to fly 50 immigrants who were detained in Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. They were not on Florida soil, and DeSantis used unauthorized federal funds for the trip. Even Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called the stunt a “terrible idea.” There are countless other DeSantis actions that merit some daylight, but it’s fair to say that most people outside Florida have no clue as to how reckless he is. You can bet that the national press corps will have a field day when he throws his hat into the ring of the presidential campaign sometime next year. For now, his is just a name being used by the “anyone but Trump” faction of the party, but if he’s the ultimate choice to run, the DeSantis story will not be a pretty one.

Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s ways and means committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.

Yes, left and right, we are more alike than not

Standing in the doorway of 2023, with the holidays ahead, I want to focus on the ways we Americans connect and love one another. This is a challenge during our great political divide, but my hope is that we can disagree peacefully, argue with civility, and celebrate our common appreciation for millions of things, from the majesty of our Rocky Mountains to same-day delivery by Amazon.

the problem. They feel loyal to the former administration.

The former president, now a 2024 presidential candidate, spoke last week about dissolving the Constitution. He hosted a dinner two weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago at which two guests felt empowered to indulge in antisemitic slurs. Perhaps we are reaching a tipping point. We need room for people to re-evaluate their loyalties and reconsider their alliances with people like the men and women who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

stand why many people are reactive to our brave new world and want to go back to simpler times. Life has been unfair to large swaths of people across America. I understand it, but the “simpler times” refer to a whiter, male-dominated heterosexual culture with little room for people who were different. Our world has changed, not fast enough for some people and too fast for others.

keep our elders safe through the holidays.

Across America, people of every stripe and every polka dot and from every corner of every small town, east, west, north and south, will be traveling, feeling the love of family, and sharing food at common tables.

There will be the inside family jokes and the debate over eggnog and the best recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

There has always been open and lively conflict across America, but we are witnesses, today, to disturbing political and cultural warfare, real threats to democracy. This time around could be the last time around if we don’t figure out a way forward.

RANDI KREISS

That said, I own every single word I have written about former President Donald Trump and his extremist followers. I believe with all my heart that his MAGA movement has already compromised our democracy, but not irreparably. I acknowledge — and I have the letters to prove it — that many readers see things differently. They see President Biden as

I have not yet heard any Trump loyalist defend his comments about the Constitution. The principles of this document are our reason for being as a democratic country. The words matter. How does anyone reconcile his verbal attack on the Constitution?

I believe in the possibility of change. As voters and our law enforcement agencies move toward holding the former president accountable, we will have time and space to find the best in one another again. May the accountability unfold with dignity and gravitas.

Looking at the rapid shifts in our society and culture, it is possible to under-

We can likely agree that political sideshows on all sides are unproductive and self-serving. We need to get behind quality candidates who can check off the basic boxes: Honest? Skilled? Work well with others? See themselves as public servants?

Let’s take a breather over the holidays.

Hanukkah is coming up, with remembrances of hope and heroism going back to ancient times. Jewish people and their friends will light the candles and eat the latkes and give their children food and goodies over the eight days.

Christmas and Kwanzaa approach with people feeling more comfortable gathering with family, especially with vaccines and healthy protocols in place. Some of us will mask up, not as a political statement, but as a sensible way to

This is the season of miracles. It shouldn’t take one to bring together a people who settled a new country, fought wars for freedom together, laughed at the same movies, cried together on 9/11 and suffered together during the terrible years of the pandemic. We should be able to get it together, literally and figuratively.

After the holiday parties, we have work to do. We have children way behind in their academic studies; teenagers psychologically traumatized by lockdowns; people, including hurricane survivors and immigrants, who need safe places to live and jobs and acceptance. If we are pulling in different directions, it will be challenging to move forward.

Two things can be true at once. We are divided, and we share values and traditions. We can try to stand in one another’s shoes instead of stepping on one another’s toes.

Copyright 2022 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

This is the season of miracles. It shouldn’t take one to bring us together.

Most people outside Florida have no clue how reckless the governor is.

rhoNda

Fusion can augment clean-energy creation

it existed for just five seconds — but it was enough to power a home for an entire day.

It was a result of nuclear fusion, taking place last February in Culham, England, a village of barely 500 people not far from the University of Oxford. A machine there called a tokamak created heat measuring upward of 270 million degrees Fahrenheit — 10 times hotter than the core of the sun — and used a series of high-powered magnets to contain it.

It produced 59 megajoules of energy, but like many experiments before it, it used more energy than it ultimately yielded.

All of that changed on Dec. 6, when U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm revealed that scientists working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California had accomplished what no others had done before: created a fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain.

All of this might not seem substantial, but the breakthrough is extraordinary. Especially in a world where new, cleanenergy sources are crucial for breaking our dependence on fossil fuels, which is rapidly destroying our environment.

Fusion would be just that: clean energy. When we hear about anything nuclear, we think either weapons, or dangerous — and highly wasteful — ways of generating power. Today’s nuclear power plants depend on a process that harnesses energy from splitting the atom, a highly radioactive process that just isn’t sustainable long-term.

But fusion is different. Instead of splitting atoms, scientists smash them togeth-

letters

Should government manage electricity?

To the Editor:

Thank you for publishing the opinion piece by Ronald J. Rosenberg (“Energy efficient may become a contradiction in terms,” Dec. 1-8). Rosenberg clearly explained the importance of our upcoming decision regarding whether to name LIPA to oversee PSEG.

The public continues to see increases in rates and lower service. Management of both LIPA and PSEG give themselves large pay increases. Will the government do a better job at managing our electricity? The correct direction for the immediate future is unclear to me. I hope Albany will handle this situation wisely. The future will tell if we selected the correct direction for the public interests. RUTh hIRSCh Hewlett

er. Unlike fission, we wouldn’t need uranium. Instead, fusion depends on isotopes of hydrogen like deuterium and tritium — both naturally available in seawater.

Of the two, tritium is radioactive. But the amount of fuel needed to create fusion is so small that very little waste is generated. Even better, fusion doesn’t produce carbon dioxide — the primary contributor to our planet’s so-called greenhouse effect — meaning that instituting technology like this could be the very means needed to reduce global warming.

Yet as much as all of this is being hailed as a breakthrough, don’t start planning for your fusion-powered car or home anytime soon. We are still years, if not decades, away from putting fusion to practical use. The Culham experiment lasted only five seconds, because that’s how long the magnets could withstand the heat. The Livermore experiments had better results, but it’s still only the beginning. Creating something that can become a regular part of our lives still requires far more research and development.

And the Earth might not have that long. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we have to move out society to a “net-zero” carbon emission system in a little more than 25 years. To even have a shot at reversing the climate change damage, we need to cut our current greenhouse emissions in half before this decade ends.

Fusion might not be here yet, but alternative energy sources are — like wind and solar. Our focus on electric vehicles is also a significant step, but not if we have to use

coal or other fossil fuels to generate the electricity to power them in the first place.

New York enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, requiring 70 percent of electricity consumed in the state to come from renewable sources by 2030, with the hope of being completely carbon-neutral by 2040.

It’s one of the most aggressive laws in the country, and one that PSEG Long Island — through the Long Island Power Authority — has been working around the clock to achieve. A number of projects are also well underway, including wind farms planned for 15 miles or so off the coast of Long Island.

Projects like that are certainly not without controversy. Fishermen fear that the wind farms will disrupt their livelihood and affect natural habitats. Closer to home, some Island Park residents have challenged plans of the Norwegian energy company Equinor to build a substation for wind energy in their neighborhood, rather than up the road a bit at the E.F. Barrett Power Station.

Achieving our renewable-energy goals will take a lot of work, as well as give and take, from both sides. And no matter what, we can’t lose focus on the end goal: To leave a beautiful planet for our children and grandchildren. The same beautiful planet we enjoy now.

But it will only stay beautiful if we make changes now. Otherwise, by the time we can turn five seconds of fusion power into something sustainable, there might not be a planet left to benefit from it.

opinions

It’s a strange time to be a Jew, but when isn’t it?

igrew up in a non-religious family, but it was always important to my parents that we knew we were Jews, and my family followed certain traditional rituals. My father went to work on Saturdays, and the only religious holidays on which he shut his luncheonette were Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. My younger brother and I were bar mitzvahed, and attended youth services on Saturdays and holidays. The rule in our family was, no synagogue Saturday morning, no ball playing that afternoon; no synagogue on Jewish holidays, then you go to school.

aLan sinGer

My wife and I used to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas with our children, who are grown now and have kids of their own. For Hanukkah, we invited the staff and families from her day care center for a latkes festival in our apartment, where I turned 20 pounds of potatoes and four pounds of onions into potato pancakes and told the story of the Maccabees as a freedom struggle. After Hanukkah, we set up a Christmas tree with a giant origami peace crane as its crown and pres-

ents underneath, to be opened on Christmas morning.

As an adult, I’m a confirmed atheist. I joke that I’m an evangelical atheist because I recruit. I can’t support Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands on the West Bank of the Jordan River, and its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and Israel proper. I believe Israel has the right to exist, but not as a religious state, and not as an occupying power, and I won’t visit the country while these policies are in place. But I always identify as a Jew — a secular Jew, a Jew by birth, a Jew by history, and a Jew by tradition. I call myself a Jew, not Jewish, because I know that in many households in this country, the word Jew is still used as a curse.

Today there is a lot of antisemitism in the air in the U.S., and I feel that it’s important to publicly be a Jew. The losing gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania, Republican Doug Mastriano, said he wanted America to be a Christian nation, and attacked his opponent, Democrat Josh Shapiro, who won, as an “elitist,” but we knew he meant Jew. In the past, attacks on the “Rothschilds” for supposedly controlling global banking were really claims that Jews somehow

Letters

She’ll take O’Connell’s agenda

To the Editor:

Excellent column by John O’Connell (“I’ll take the GOP agenda — without Trump — any day,” Nov. 24-30). The headline was deadon, and very refreshing. (The Herald’s liberal slant is relentlessly consistent, and regularly has me gnashing my teeth.)

The Republicans have to move on from Donald Trump, and they need to do it decisively and quickly. If Trump would put the country above his ego, he would step into a background role and let new leaders take the reins and reassert many of the policies his administration instituted. That would win the next election.

I fear we’ll have him as a Republican nominee or a third-party candidate, and either scenario is a loser. I Hope I’m wrong, but we’re running out of time to get our country back on track.

LINDSAY ANDERSON Glen Cove

Modernize the ‘Bottle Bill’

To the Editor:

Concerned citizens across the state are pushing for a modernization of New York state’s 40-year-old bottle deposit law. The proposal would increase the deposit from a nick-

secretly ran the world. Few people remember the Rothschilds, so now the antisemites blame George Soros, another Jew, and claim he is the evil puppet master conspiring with his co-religionists.

Kanye West has declared that he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people,” and basketball player Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to a book and movie that denies that Jews are really Jews. These claims echo positions taken by a small group that calls itself the Black Hebrew Israelites. West and Irving may be nuts, but it’s dangerous to dismiss deep antipathy toward Jews as the work of cranks.

Former President Donald Trump has been very cozy with antisemitic groups, and we know what happened in Europe in the 1930s.

Recently I attended a play about the Holocaust, and I suspect that very few non-Jews were in the audience. It was a one-actor show about the life of Jan Karski, a Polish Christian who put his life at risk to help European Jews, and it was excellent. As a teacher, as I sat there with tears in my eyes, I wondered how relevant the Holocaust and the murder of European Jews is to American students today who aren’t Jewish. The Holocaust

happened over 75 years ago, and for students, that’s ancient history. Since then there have been so many other horrific events — genocides in Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and the Congo and wars and the forced displacement of populations all over the world — that the near-extermination of European Jewry no longer stands out, at least for me, as a topic that deserves a special place in the school curriculum.

Politically, I’m on the left. I can’t support the Israeli occupation, and I don’t agree with expanding Holocaust education. But I am a Jew, and I know that if antisemites take power, my family and I will be threatened. I am a Jew, which is why I am compelled to fight for rights for all people — for sexual, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, and for immigrants and refugees, no matter their legal status. I fight for their rights as the best way to protect my own and my family’s. Shalom.

Dr. Alan Singer is a professor of teaching, learning and technology and the director of social studies education programs at Hofstra University. He is a former New York City high school social studies teacher and editor of Social Science Docket, a joint publication of the New York and New Jersey Councils for the Social Studies. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/ AlanJSinger1.

Framework by Tim Baker

el to a dime and would expand the types of containers recycled to include sports drinks, iced teas, juices, wine and liquor. Dairy products and infant formulas containers would be exempt.

Enacted in 1982, the New York State Returnable Container Act, commonly known as the “Bottle Bill,” has been extremely successful in boosting the state’s recycling rates, and has reduced litter. But expansion of the types of bottles recycled would bring immediate and long-lasting financial and environmental benefits to solid-waste programs. It is essential that New York City’s Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management support efforts to improve the Bottle Bill and call on our elected officials in Albany to act now.

As it stands, the bill requires a 5-cent refundable deposit to be placed on eligible beverage containers. When it was passed, the law covered only beer and soda bottles, but it was subsequently expanded to cover wine coolers and water bottles. It requires retailers who sell covered beverages to accept returns of empty containers for the products they sell and to refund the deposits. It also requires beverage distributors to compensate retailers for the cost of collecting and recycling empty containers by paying them a small handling fee per container.

JOSEPH M. VARON West Hempstead

Varon is a volunteer with the Long Island Chapter of Food & Water Watch and a member of the Jewish Climate Action Network.

Horse and carriage rides at the Christmas tree lighting — Bellmore

my wife and I used to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas with our children.

Buy a Brick

Celebrate or honor your loved ones this holiday season and give the gift of a lasting legacy in the Mount Sinai South Nassau garden, located at the corner of Oswald Court and One Healthy Way. Purchase an engraved brick, tree, or garden bench, or name the entire plaza and garden space that thousands of patients, visitors, and employees will see every year as they enter and exit the hospital’s front entrance

Honor a loved one or someone who made a di erence in your life. Remember a special person or celebrate a special occasion. Support Mount Sinai South Nassau’s mission and vision for a healthier tomorrow.