Nassau Herald 02-22-2024

Support and supplies for Israel at expanded IDF Chesed Center

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

HHS Spanish course causing controversy

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

A late-January letter posted to social media has sparked a heated conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in Hewlett-Woodmere classrooms.

Iaddressed to Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr., Hewlett High principal Alexandra Greenberg, and the education board, listing topics of concern including a “social justice” assignment in which a student focused on Adolf Hitler, and the discussion of marginalized groups.

Support for Israel continues to grow in the Five Towns. The IDF Chesed Center, a grass-roots distribution site that sends tactical supplies to Israel Defense Force soldiers and resources to displaced Israeli families, has outgrown its small warehouse on Mill Street, in Lawrence, and moved into a larger one on Peninsula Boulevard, in Hewlett.

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Blvd. in December. Many of the volunteers previously worked with the organization Soldiers Save Lives, but recently created the Chesed Center to serve as more of a community center, Bodner explained.

Diversity, equity and inclusion — or DEI — is generally defined as guiding educators and leaders in incorporating those values within school and higher education institutions with the help of support, resources and learning opportunities.

a m a strong proponent against DEI and how it’s creeping into the education system in less-relevant education classes.

“We’ve kind of kicked it up a notch,” Marc Bodner, a co-founder of the center, said.

The Israel support organization moved into an old bank building at 1315 Peninsula

The projects in the works there include sending equipment, such as helmets and protective vests, to members of the IDF; mailing sympathy and support cards to Israel; packing baby clothes and diapers for the children of Israeli widows, or women whose husbands remain Hamas hostages; and raising money for, and arranging Shabbat meals for soldiers.

“People don’t know how to help — we’re

According to a letter posted on a Facebook group focused on Hewlett-Woodmere District 14, DEI is also the focus of a Spanish class at Hewlett High School. The class, according to education board president Debra Sheinin, offers college credit through Syracuse University — which the school board does not review.

ElI MotoVICH Parent

The letter’s author wrote that they believed the teacher was indoctrinating students, promoting the teacher’s opinions on immigration and social justice, and taking advantage of students’ inability to push back. The author added that, in a language course, “students should be learning to speak the language.”

The author of the letter — who simply identified themselves as “a concerned District 14 parent” — shouldn’t hold their breath expecting a response from officials.

“The district does not

The anonymous letter was

Parker Schug/Herald

Hewlett High School freshmen Uriel Hillel, left, and Harel Maman took part in the school’s Volunteer Night at the IDF Chesed Center in Hewlett, writing cards to IDF members and painting an Israeli flag on the wall.

Parsha and Pizza plans for more dates and synagogues

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

Parsha and Pizza, a four-synagogue program concluded its first round of sessions and is planning for more.

Ithought it’s a great thing to bring different members from different congregations together for fellowship and study.

Rabbi Claudio Kupchik of Temple Beth El in Cedarhurst, Rabbi Michel Schlesinger of Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Centre in East Rockaway, Rabbi Steven Graber of Temple Hillel in Valley Stream and Rabbi Steven Saks of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere came together with to integrate congregants of each synagogue to read Parhsa, or a passage in the Torah while eating pizza. The host synagogue and speaking rabbi rotated week by week.

R ABBI StE vE GoldEn Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst

“Everyone gets to learn from one another,” Saks said.

The last Parsha and Pizza event was held on Jan. 25 at HERJC, concluding the hosting cycle, once at each synagogue. About 30 people were in attendance, in line with the average audience, Saks said.

Graber led the discussion, as other rabbis had led the conversation at synagogues that were not their own, in order to expose congregants to the leadership of more than one person, Saks added. He was pleased to see intermingling of various groups of people.

The spring section has a tentative

March start, Saks said. Rabbi Steve Golden of Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst will be joining the four others.

“I attended one of the sessions in the fall, it was very nice, they had a sizeable group of people they were very participatory,” Golden said.

The group will continue their cycle of

rabbis speaking at synagogues that are not their own, inviting congregants from all to join.

“I thought it’s a great thing to bring different members from different congregations together for fellowship and study,” Golden said.

Congregants of Temple Beth El, Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Centre, Temple Hillel and Congregation Sons of Israel gathered at HERC for Parsha and Pizza, a series where Torah is discussed and pizza is served. The series will continue in the spring.

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Bids

Photos courtesy Steven Saks

Rabbi Steven Graber of Temple Hillel in Valley Stream speaks to an audience of people from local synagogues about Torah readings over pizza.

Insurance, tennis court costs vex H-W budget plan

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

As the ever-evolving school budget season continues on the heels of the alwayschanging state fiscal plan, the HewlettWoodmere Board of Education received the latest figures earlier this month.

Marie Donnelly, the school district’s assistant superintendent for Finance and Personnel, noted at the Feb. 7 meeting that that the health care insurance costs could increase between 13 to 17 percent with the school’s insurance agency, New York State Insurance Reciprocal.

She said that insurance companies typically give a quote, valid for 60 days. The quote is usually provided in the beginning of April or May. The board will make its final decision and it will be approved for July 1, when the new school year begins.

“We won’t know what our premiums will be until after the budget is adopted,” Donnelly said. Another budget challenge Donnelly highlighted was the anticipated 45 to 50 percent price increase for the renewal of the district’s van contracts.

“Preliminarily, the prices being received are a lot higher than we expected,” Donnelly said, adding that there will be more information on this next meeting on March 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Donnelly said that she is expecting a small boost in state aid.

The updated pricing for Hewlett High School tennis courts, complete recon -

struction of the four existing courts will be just under $914,000, installing a fifth court will cost nearly $1.2 million, purchasing and installing tennis court lighting will cost roughly $688, 000 and the elimination of the parking lot, if a fifth court is added, will result in an reduction in price of $187,000.

Donnelly listed that five new courts with lighting would be nearly $2.8 million with a new parking lot and almost $2.6 million without a new parking lot.

Board of Education President Debi Sheinin asked how long the tennis courtresurfacing project would take. The issue was last discussed at the Jan. 17 meeting. Sheinin also about potential issues that if the district did not reconstruct the courts or add a fifth court designed to lay perpendicular to the existing four.

“If we agree on doing this (reconstruction), would we not be doing resurfacing and then applying the amount we already approved for the resurfacing to the recon-

struction?” Sheinin asked.

Donnelly said no, the district would just consider a less expensive resurfacing project.

Trustee Judy Menashe questioned the major increase in price, what she believed to be almost $300,000 since last year to add another court, something Donnelly said she would follow up on.

The installation of turf for the Woodmere Middle School softball/baseball field will continue to be considered as a part of the budget.

Board Vice President Cheryl May proposed addressing the Franklin Early Childhood Center kitchen in future budget meetings.

“I don’t want to throw money at that if it’s going to be something that’s just a band aid, that sounds like something that we’re really going to need to consider as a project,” May said.

Donnelly reviewed stipend costs carrying over from the last budget, proposed and additional costs, which the board was satisfied with.

As for the tax levy calculation due March 1, to the New York State Comptroller’s office, Donnelly is reviewing the tax base growth factor, declining from 1.0096 percent to 1.0042 percent, a tax-cap for levy growth of 2 percent, payments in lieu of taxes, capital exclusion exempt from the cap and retirement contributions.

The second draft budget includes a spending percent increase of 3.69 percent.

Karate black belt introduces Bud the mouse

By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com

From a bitten roast beef sandwich to incorporating more than 45 years of martial arts experience, Dan Segarra wrote, illustrated and self-published a children’s book, “Budo the Mouse and the Quest for Courage.”

Applying the knowledge of a 600-yearold martial art and the 21st century’s artificial intelligence program, Segarra tells the story of Budo, who similar to the children he teaches at Warrior Scholar Martial Arts Academy in Lawrence, learn life lessons through karate.

Now teaching the children of people he taught when they were young, Segarra takes his readers — either young pre-teen kids or the parents of younger children — on a journey that entails bullying (something Segarra is familiar with), building self-confidence, showing courage, making friends and finding out about oneself.

“It is based on a mouse that snuck into the karate school one day (in 1986), the mouse ate my sandwich,” Segarra said. “I had put my sandwich down when I heard the mouse in the ceiling, I headed back into my office, saw him and he ran away.”

Segarra eventually caught the mouse as the rodent fell into a garbage pail and he released it outside the building. Segarra has recounted the story that subsequently moved him to write the book to all of his youthful students.

“I love teaching and I learn as much

from them than they do from me,” he said, noting that he is now teaching the children of people he taught years ago, which so far include two generations, Segarra said.

Hector Garcia said he began training under Segarra during his teenage years.

“This journey instilled in me critical virtues like self-awareness, disciple and

confidence, among many others, Garcia wrote in an email. “ These principles played a crucial role in helping me tackle the challenges of high and boost my performances in athletics and shape the man I am today.”

Garcia’s 7-year-old son is now learning under Segarra’s tutelage.

Budo gives life to that tale as it to

sneaks into a karate studio and seeks to learn martial arts.

“Budo the mouse has quickly become a beloved figure among children at our martial arts school,” Segarra wrote in a supplement to a previous interview. “They have warmly embraced both the character and his story.”

The self-published book, which is a kick off to a series, is not only written my Segarra but also illustrated who worked as a professional artist before becoming a full-time martial arts instructor and owner of what is also known as the Five Towns Karate Center. He began at the center in 1979 and took the reins six years later.

Now a 9th degree black belt, Segarra grew up in Queens and was bullied as a kid. He began taking martial arts lessons and continued at the school he now owns. Segarra was on the 1989 and 1995 U.S.A. teams that competed in Seoul. He is at the same level of black belt as Chuck Norris.

“I have traveled around the world, taught generations and had wonderful adventures,” Segarra said. “It has taught me perseverance. Hurricane Sandy, Covid, martial arts has helped me not just survive but overcome those challenges.”

On Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m., the academy, at 298 Lawrence Ave., Lawrence. There will be a special martial art class, a video presentation and a book signing. Budo will make a virtual appearance on Zoom to speak with the children. For more information go to BudoTheMouse.com.

Parker Schug/Herald

The Hewlett Woodmere Board of Education reviewed the budget draft at the budget development meeting at the Woodmere Education Center on Feb. 7.

Courtesy Dan Segarra

Karate black belt Dan Segarra, who runs the Warrior Scholar Martial Arts Academy in Lawrence shows off the book ‘Budo the Mouse and the Quest for Courage’ he wrote.

Arrest made in alleged Atlantic Beach check theft Far Rockaway man found with gun in Inwood

Nassau County police arrested Andrew Herrera, from Staten Island, on Feb. 7, in connection with the alleged theft of a nearly $8,000 check from the Atlantic Beach Post Office after a man mailed the check on March 15 of 2023.

Herrera, 18, of Kemball Avenue, is being charged with grand larceny and identify theft. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Feb. 8 an alleged accomplice remains at large. As of press time, Herrera was issued a summons and there is no further information.

On July 26, a man, 69, was informed that his check was not received, Nassau police said. The next day, the man went to his bank and was told that an unidentified person deposited the check into a bank account on Staten Island.

The subsequent police investigation found a video of an unidentified man taking the check from the bank, according to police. The investigation also uncovered that another unidentified man was also associated with the bank account used to deposit the check.

Based on the video viewed by police, both men are described as 20- to 25-years old, are considered tall with slim builds and long hair. One man has a black goatee with a tattoo on his right hand. He was seen wearing a blue jacket, gray/orange pants, a red shirt and white sneakers. Another man was seen wearing glasses and a black jacket and black sweatpants.

Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to call (516) 573-6453. All calls are confidential.

— Jeffrey Bessen

After Nassau County police stopped a white 2011 Chevrolet Camaro for allegedly violating a traffic law, they found an unloaded .25 caliber gun inside the car at 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 17.

Police arrested Nilser S. Rivera-Rivas, 23, of Pearl Street, Far Rockaway. He was traveling west on Bayview Avenue in Inwood when

police stopped him. Rivera-Rivas was charged with criminal possession of a firearm and multiple vehicle and traffic law violations. After arraignment at First District Court in Hempstead, he was issued a summons. As of press time, no further information is available.

— Jeffrey Bessen

Arrests

Walter Lopez Hernandez, 33, from Inwood was arrested for allegedly shoplifting from the Marshalls department store on Rockaway Turnpike in Lawrence at 11:04 a.m. on Feb. 8, police said.

Police arrested Brandon A. Scavelli, 30, of Rosedale, for allegedly shoplifting from the

Marshalls department store on Rockaway Turnpike in Lawrence at 4:38 p.m. on Feb. 9, authorities said.

LArceny

A man reported that the back windshield of his vehicle parked on Dartmouth Lane in Woodmere was damaged at 5:50 a.m. on Feb. 10, according to the police.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

from estate taxes.

While the Federal estate tax exemption of 13.61 million is “portable”, i.e. if the first spouse doesn’t use their exemption or any part of it, it passes to the surviving spouse, New York does not allow for portability. It’s use it or lose it.

years introduced a “fiscal cliff”. Whereas formerly New York only taxed the amount over the exemption, if you exceed the limit today (by a mere 5%) they tax the whole estate. You’re over the cliff!

The tax is surprisingly large. On a roughly seven million dollar estate, the taxes payable to New York exceed five hundred thousand dollars. An estate over ten million would owe over a million in estate tax.

These New York estate taxes are avoidable if you have a spouse and you create an estate plan using two trusts, which doubles the exemption. Another way to avoid the fiscal cliff is to use the “Santa Clause” providing that you gift to charities of your choice all amounts over the exemption. Gifts to charities are deductible

The Federal exemption is expected to be reduced from the 13.61 million exemption, passed by the Trump administration, to the 6.94 million, adjusted for inflation, that New York uses, at the end of 2025. For larger estates, there remains a planning opportunity by making gifts while the higher exemption is in place. You may use any of your Federal estate tax exemptions to make gifts while you are living. These gifts are reported to the IRS and get subtracted from what you may give at death.

One added attraction to gifting is that New York does not tax gifts -- so that gifts may also be used to avoid onerous New York estate taxes at death. There is a minor exception that gifts made within three years of the death of the donor are brought back into the donor’s estate for New York estate tax purposes.

A nonprofiT orGAnizATion in nAssAu counT y is seekinG seAled Bids for sAles And insTAllATion of securiT y relATed enhAncemenTs

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All interested firms will be required to sign for the proposal documents and provide primary contact, telephone, fax and email address. MWBE businesses are encouraged to bid.

Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on March 7, 2024, and work is to commence by April 1, 2024 and be completed by June 30, 2024.

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Courtesy NCPD Staten Island resident Andrew Herrera is alleged to be one of the two people who stole a nearly $8,000 check.

Courtesy NCPD

The .25 caliber unloaded handgun that Nassau County police found in Nilser S. Rivera-Rivas’s car on Feb. 17 in Inwood.

DeTommaso brings his experience to H-W

Hewlett-Woodmere school district has brought on John DeTommaso as the interim assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and technology as of Feb. 15.

DeTommaso will succeed Amanda Kavanagh, who resigned. She worked in the district since 2016.

“Mr. DeTomasso is a veteran teacher and administrator, whose years as both a Superintendent and an Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Technology will enable him to make a seamless transition to Hewlett-Woodmere,” Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr. , said in a news release. “I am confident that he will serve as a valued member of our District Leadership Team and continue the initiatives already underway in the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Department.”

DeTommaso has worked in education for 36 years. From 2013 to 2021, he served as superintendent of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, from where he retired. He was assistant superintendent of instruction and technology 2009 to 2013 in the Bethpage school district and principal at Bethpage High School from 2003 to 2009. From 1996 to 2003, he served as assistant

principal of Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick and was the Bellmore-Merrick district director of athletics, physical education, driver education and health from 1994 to 1996. He started his career in education as a social studies teacher at Mepham High School, in Bellmore, and was there from 1988 to 1994.

DeTommaso has held interim administrator positions at Mepham Highl and Merrick Avenue Middle School in Merrick.

He is involved with the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents and the Nassau County Principals Association.

He studied in a professional development program in education administration at C.W. Post (LIU Post), earned a master’s in education from Hofstra University and a bachelor’s in behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University.

DeTommaso’s appointment was approved and announced at the Feb. 14 Board of Education meeting at Ogden Elementary School in Valley Stream.

The district has started a search for a permanent assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and technology, they hope to bring on board by July 1.

— Parker Schug

There is a new Kimberly in town

Kimberly MilanThompson was appointed as the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade chairwoman in the Hewlett-Woodmere school district. She succeeds Kimberly Mattes.

The school district Board of Education approved of the appointment at its Feb. 14 meeting. Milan-Thompson starts her new job on March 18.

for three years at Amityville Memorial High School in Amityville.

She served as the summer sports camp coordinator at Edmund W. Miles Middle School, also in Amityville, in 2018 and 2019.

“Ms. Milan-Thompson’s background in leadership, mathematics, and special education, coupled with her years as a classroom teacher, make her extremely qualified for this important academic leadership position,” Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr. said in a news release.. “I am confident that her passion for mathematics will allow her to build upon our excellent program, course offerings, and student outcomes while leading a staff of exceptional teachers.”

Milan-Thompson serves as a mathematics/special education teacher at the Irwin Altman Middle School in Floral Park. Before that role, she was a mathematics/special education teacher for seven years and a special education lead

She has been a leader with the school implementation team, math task force, professional development committee, shared decision-making team and the discipline and safety committee in her previous districts.

Milan-Thompson has been an alternative site coordinator for the SAT exams, head coach for a varsity softball team, head coach for a junior varsity volleyball team and a Special Olympics assistant coach.

At the College of St. Rose she earned an advanced certificate in school building leadership and advanced certificate in school district leadership. She attended Adelphi University for her master’s in educational technology kindergarten through 12th grade and Molloy College (now University) for her bachelor’s in education, mathematics and math/special education.

— Parker Schug

Courtesy Hewlett Woodmere school district John DeTommaso was appointed as the interim assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and technology for Hewlett Woodmere school district as of Feb. 15.

Courtesy Hewlett Woodmere school district Kimberly Milan-Thompson was approved by the Hewlett Woodmere Board of Education as the new pre-kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics chairwoman.

Lawrence Woodmere Academy celebrates

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

Lawrence Woodmere Academy lower school students explored the globe and shared their findings through art, dance, food and song. After weeks of preparation studying five different countries, pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students at LWA celebrated International Day.

“It’s really interdisciplinary because the art department gets involved, helping them to make their crafts, the teachers read stories, the kids research different animals and they read folktales,” said Nadia Kaylan, the school’s director of development.

Students, parents, faculty and staff gathered in Hessel Hall at LWA for a student showcase of their new international knowledge on Feb. 16. The show started with performances of national anthems of the students’ countries including “Macha Nacional del Peru,” from Peru, “Amhran na bhFiann,” from Ireland, “Ee Mungu Ngvu Yetu,” from Kenya, Lupang Hinirang,” from the Philippines and this nation’s “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Fourth-graders, Alyse Liu, Neisha Kalyan and Eliya Cenatus, introduced performers from each grade and facts about the country they represented.

Pre-kindergarteners, taught by Katie McBride and Sheena Falloon, showcased the United States sang and danced to “America the Beautiful,” “America to Me”

and “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” decked out in red, white and blue outfits and hats.

“Pre-K always does America because we feel like they should learn about where they live first,” Nadia said. “This year, they focused on major cities in America.”

Before their performance, pre-kindergarteners made crafts representing the Atlanta Aquarium, the NASA Space Center, the Grand Ole Opry, the Arizona dessert, northern lights and New York City, what students saw as notable places in America.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman sent a citation honoring the work of Lawrence Woodmere Academy in putting on International Day a lower school celebration of five different countries studied over the course of two months. Frances Scarantino, right, vice president of the Lower School Parent Association presented the citation to Hank Williams, head of school at LWA

Song,” “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” and “Irish Stew.”

Kindergarteners, taught by Kelly Sharpe, wore red and white and sang and danced to Philipino music including “PaaTuhod Balikat Ulo,” “Tong Tong Tong Folk Song” and “Alitaptap.”

First-graders, taught by Yasmeen Ramos, wore traditional Kenyan attire, and followed senior, Ciara Leatherbury’s dance choreography to a Kenyan tune.

“We prepare for two months, almost three months in advance,” Ramos said. “All of our curriculum is based around the county that we study.”

First-grader Calogero Malanga, said that he wrote poems about Kenya in class, along with research projects.

“Nairobi is the capital,” Malanga said when asked his favorite fact about the country.

Lindsay Dana’s second-graders sported shamrock-clad clothing and sang Irish music including “Rattlin’ Bog Folk

Third and fourth grade students, taught by Kamil Lowe, wore Peruvian attire and performed to some of the country’s songs including “El Condor Pasa,” “Yaw Yaw Puka Polleracha,” “Maria Tenia Una Llamita” and “Peruvian (Umpata) Dance.”

The show closed with a lower school performance of “We Are The World” including all of the performers of the day.

Michael Edery, from Assemblyman Ari Brown’s office presented a citation to Hank Williams, head of school at LWA.

“It’s really heart warming to watch,” Edery said. “It was fun, it was educational, it was nice.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also sent a citation to LWA in honor of International Day, as well.

Parker Schug/Herald photos First grade students at Lawrence Woodmere Academy perform traditional Kenyan songs and dances as part of International Day, highlighting countries they have studied for a few months in class.

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ANTOINETTE BIORDI

4X AWARD-WINNING REPORTER NEWS 12 ANCHOR/REPORTER

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Artificial intelligence through the years:

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence and research company, publicly released ChatGPT-3 on Nov. 30, 2022. Now, a little more than a year later, the sophisticated chatbot — with more than 180 million monthly users — is seemingly developing faster than users can keep up. To understand how this language model became one of the most technologically advanced virtual assistants in the world, you have to go back nearly 75 years.

Imagining classrooms — and a future

By Ben Fiebert, Parker Schug & Nicole Wagner

First part in a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools, and over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas?

Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.

Artificial intelligence — it all starts with an idea. One developed by a computer programmed to mimic the human intelligence process through learning, reasoning and self-correction.

AI is already deeply ingrained in society. Whether it be smartphones with virtual assistants like Siri and Bixby, search engines making suggestions for what we’re looking for online, to even the spam filtering and email categorization in email platforms like Gmail.

The fast-growing advancements of AI may be hard to keep up with, especially as more and more platforms develop that specialize in AI like ChatGPT and Canva.

Television and news outlets focus more on how AI can turn your dog into a Muppet, or how it can instantly write a sonnet about someone’s favorite desserts.

But AI is finding its way into more and more of our everyday lives and it’s something that has institutions like our public schools racing to find the best ways to not only adapt, but to appropriately integrate AI into the classroom.

receives,” ChatGPT responded when asked what it was designed for.

It’s commonly used to answer a variety of questions, or brainstorm ideas. It can help draft emails and compose essays. It can help with extensive research, and even translate text from one language to another.

And for those looking to be a little less serious, ChatGPT can tell jokes, strike up a casual conversation, and even participate in storytelling and roleplaying scenarios.

But it can also write term papers, or essays. Or complete homework. And detecting when AI is being used is virtually impossible. That has created some concerns for school administrators, while at the same time tasking them to redevelop curriculum that prepares future minds for a future where AI is prevalent.

Ting Wang, a Stony Brook University associate professor who also directs its Algorithmic Learning, Privacy and Security Lab, describes the original conception of AI as “a feeble attempt to recreate intelligence and to help humans achieve specific tasks.” He believes developers have come a long way in achieving success doing just that.

ChatGPT is a popular example of this. Launched in late 2022, the software describes itself as an online interface that is “like having a conversation with a very knowledgeable and helpful friend — except this friend is actually a computer program.” It has been trained on swaths of data, making it capable of completing many different tasks ranging from gathering information, getting some helpful advice, or even looking to simply have a friendly chat.

“ChatGPT is designed for generating human-like text based on the input it

“From the academic perspective, I think one of the challenges is that it’s becoming harder and harder to obtain these AI models because they’re super expensive, the training costs, and have a requirement of huge amounts of data,” Wang said. “Those type of resources are not so accessible for the academia world.”

Where is AI?

Google, Bing and other search engines have used forms of artificial intelligence for years, but more recently began making its integration more obvious. Google integrated what it calls “generative AI” into its systems some 20 years ago, which typically predicts the next word in a search phrase.

ChatGPT also can edit certain articles, blog posts or other forms of writing. If someone asks ChatGPT to write an email with specific requirements, for example, the AI can handle it because its “training” has covered these sort of scenarios. What makes ChatGPT unique from other AI platforms, Wang said, is the massive amounts of data that “trains” it.

“You can see many artists, especially digital artists, using this program to create content that you cannot easily create manually,” Wang said.

Brett Tanzer — a product management vice president for Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure — says models created by AI developers are installed in products like Bing and Microsoft Copilot, an

Nicole Wagner/Herald A reporter asks ChatGPT to describe not only itself, but the artificial intelligence language model that powers it. AI has gone from science-fiction to science-fact, and schools are among a number of institutions around the world working to adapt.

AI companion technology which utilizes ChatGPT among other language models, to aid users in their day-to-day lives.

This helps users brainstorm alternatives for ideas on a given issue if they get stuck.

“It’s already being applied to help people reduce workforce time,” Tanzer said.

Creatives aren’t the only ones utilizing AI for their work. Many in the health care industries are using AI products like those offered by Microsoft to accelerate medical research for advanced treatment and diagnosis of diseases.

“That’s really helping practitioners and doctors in their day-to-day experiences with patients,” Tanzer said.

Educators are utilizing AI in classrooms around Nassau County. In Franklin Square, for example, a robot named Milo interacts with students to help them hone their social and emotional skills.

Pamela Taylor, Franklin Square’s pupil personnel services director, said at the time the school had done a lot of

training to bring Milo into the classroom.

While Milo is the first robot of its kind to be used in a Long Island classroom, its ability to work with students on their confidence in emotional skills is something Taylor is eager to spread throughout the district.

“We are looking to expand,” she said, “because he’s appropriate for all learners.”

An artificial intelligence elective course at Bellmore-Merrick school district’s Sanford H. Calhoun High School is teaching students about the basic principles of AI through exposure to machine-learning algorithms in Python computer programming language.

Danielle Caliendo, a math and computer science chair at Calhoun, says this course prepares students for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“It also equips them with the skills necessary for today’s world where artificial intelligence is shaping the way we live and work,” Caliendo said, in a

The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is coined by John McCarthy. Computer scientist Arthur Samuel develops a program called ‘Samuel’s Checker Players’ to play checkers, which is the first to ever learn the game independently.

Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Lederberg create the first ‘expert system’ called Denral, which was AI programmed to replicate the thinking and decision-making abilities of human experts. The purpose of this program was to map the structure of molecules, and to help chemists identify unknown organic molecules.

MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum creates the first chatbot called Eliza to simulate human conversations. The program was designed to mimic human conversation, utilizing words users entered into a computer, and then pairing them to a list of possible scripted responses.

The U.S. government showed little interest in continuing to fund AI research.

1970s:

1980s:

AI is booming. Government funding led to breakthroughs in research. The use of the expert system program becomes more popular, allowing computers to learn from their mistakes and make independent decisions. This leads to the development of the Fifth Generation Computer project, with a goal of creating computers that could converse in human language and express reasoning on a human level.

1997:

2011:

2016:

2014:

2020:

Seeing artificial intelligence in daily life?

Continued from PreViouS Page

recent interview.

What does the future hold for AI?

Overall AI research at Stony Brook is intended to maximize the practical impact of artificial intelligence. Wang works on AI’s resilience against malicious manipulations, preserving privacy among users, and making the data written by AI more transparent and interpretable to users.

“People don’t have a great understanding of what AI can and can’t do,” Wang said. “I think people use AI as a magical box, and it actually may not work as expected for normal users.”

Yties to transform power in engineering, productivity, health care and cybersecurity.

Wang envisions ChatGPT becoming even more customizable and personalized than it is now. Although it’s already quite adaptable, users have their own individual requirements and writing styles that ChatGPT is not necessarily trained to understand.

ou can see many artists . . . to create content that you cannot easily create manually

TIng W Ang associate professor Stony Brook University

As AI models become more sophisticated, Tanzer said, Microsoft has its sights set on developing models with advanced capabili-

“You may want the program to draft an email in your own style and have your own specific writing requirements,” Wang said, “and currently, the chatbot may not be able to do that.

”It’s an ever-evolving landscape,” Wang said. “I think from the perspective of classroom teaching, people are still trying to figure out what is the best way to harness the power of AI, and at the same time kind of limit and curve the harmful impact of this technology.”

third-grade students at franklin Square’s John Street School learn how to hone their social and emotional skills with the help of milo the robot. equipped with adaptive artificial intelligence, milo is designed to read facial cues from those around him to teach students techniques to cope with their emotions.

Our Rockaway Avenue office was destroyed by fire on January 27th. We are extremely gratified by the

Deep Blue — a computer run by the AI program alpha–beta search algorithm and developed by IBM — beats world chess champion Gary Kasparov, becoming the first computer program to beat a human chess champion. This kickstarts an era introducing AI into everyday life through innovations such as the first Roomba and speech recognition software on Windows computers.

Apple releases Siri, the first popular virtual assistant, found primarily on the company’s iPhones.

Amazon releases the Echo, powered by a voicecontrolled intelligent personal assistant named Alexa. These devices are smart speakers equipped with microphones for voice commands.

Google releases the Google Assistant and its voice-activated speaker: the Google Nest.

OpenAI starts beta testing GPT-3, a model that uses deep learning — a method of AI that teaches computers to process data in a way that mimics the human brain — to create code, poetry and other writing tasks.

Rei Wolfsohn/Herald file

Daughters, dads, special people dance at Ogden

Postponed for two days after the first snowstorm in two years, the annual Ogden Elementary School Father/ Daughter and Special Person Dance on Feb. 15 was two hours of western-

themed fun. Everyone

their

dressed in

best jeans, boots and hats, line danced, took photos and took in the familyschool camaraderie a day after Valentine’s Day. — Jeffrey Bessen

Ogden fourth-grader Kaitlyn John, 9, dad Levar John and second-grader Kelsey John, 7, at the Father/Daughter Dance.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Cowgirls Dahlia Madjar, foreground, and fellow third-grader Olivia Katz, were ready for a rootin’-tootin’ good time.

Jason Spitzer danced with his daughter Elysa Spitzer, 7, an Ogden Elementary School second-grader.

The Zaurovs, from left Oriane, 7, father Arthur and fifth-grader Elinor at the Ogden Elementary School Father/ Daughter and Special Person Dance on Feb. 15.

Imaan Saquib, left, and Dara Okoyun, both fourth-graders, out on the dance floor.

HERALD SPORTS

Hewlett’s Salazar earns county championship

By BRIAN KACHARABA sports@liherald.com

Carlos Salazar is heading back to the New York State wrestling tournament, while Eric Gendlin made it in his last try as a varsity grappler.

The pair punched their tickets to this week’s event in Albany after their impressive performances for Hewlett at the Nassau Division 1 Championships at Hofstra from Feb. 10-11. Freshman phenom Salazar captured his first county championship in the 116-pound weight class to add to his already impressive resume and senior Gendlin was runner-up at 138.

Senior Kirk Smith also earned his third all-county honor after placing sixth in the 124-pound class.

“It wasn’t our best tourney to be honest with you, but the end result in getting two to states is definitely good,” Bulldogs coach Stephan Jones said.

After a first-round bye, Salazar beat Manhasset’s Luca Pescatore 14-4 in a major decision before another major decision victory over Calhoun’s Dan Fauci. An 8-2 triumph over Jahari Lloyd of Freeport sent him to the final against Long Beach’s Gregory Walpole, who

pinned Salazar during their last meeting on Jan. 18.

Walpole scored the first three points of the final, but Salazar rallied in the second half of the match to eek out a hard-fought 5-4 victory for the title.

“I stayed calm,” Salazar said. “I didn’t get worried. I just stuck to the plan and listened to my coaches.”

Salazar, who went 36-6 this year, earned all-county honors as a seventh-grader and advanced to the championship finals of last year’s D1 championships to earn a spot in Albany. He lost his first match upstate, but did have a win in the consolation round and believes that that experience will help him this weekend.

“I feel like I can do really good,” he said. “I’m just going out there, work my butt off, not being worried about my opponent, [and] just going in there to have fun,” he said.

Gendlin’s road to the final featured a 16-4 major decision win over Long Beach’s Jordan Andreula and a pinfall victory against Domenic DiRico of Calhoun. He then faced Kennedy’s JJ Pizzirusso in the semifinals, where he picked up an

early point and held on for the 1-0 win.

“It was always my goal in high school to make the state tournament, and I’m just really glad to accomplish it,” Gendlin said. “I’m excited for the atmosphere. I’ve never been there before.”

Gendlin went 44-7 this winter while having to adjust to bigger opponents after competing at the 118-pound level last year.

“It was a pretty big adjustment,” he said. “People are a lot stronger, but over the offseason I wrestled in some tournaments at the higher weight classes and that helped me get adjusted to it.”

Salazar is already one of the favorites at states, but Jones is also confident that Gendlin could turn some heads in Albany as well.

“He has beat some of the best kids in the bracket, so I think he has a very good chance to be allstate,” Jones said.

Hewlett’s Carlos Salazar, right, edged Long Beach’s Gregory Walpole, 5-4, in the county title match at 116 pounds Feb. 11 at Hofstra.

Hewlett sophomore Lee wins fencing gold

By MICHELLE RABINOVICH sports@liherald.com

Claudia Lee had a taste of March Madness recently, but she’s not a basketball player and her heroics came in February. The Hewlett High School sophomore pulled off multiple upsets on the way to winning the Nassau County fencing championship in Epee.

“It was a very unreal experience,” Lee said. “I just felt so grateful in the moment, especially since my team is considered to be the underdog team of Nassau County. Bringing home gold was unreal for myself and my team.”

She went about her improbable run by flipping the script from the start.

“I feel like I was doing things I wasn’t normally doing during practice; it was experimenting and trying to figure out the other opponent instead of really focusing on what’s going wrong [on my part],” Lee explained. “These things are never a sure thing, but all I can do is give it [my] best shot. [Fencing] rewards fast thinking and having to come up with strategy in your head, except you have to think two, three moves ahead.”

Said Hewlett coach Dierdre Cham-

bers: “She’s really an amazing athlete, great student and a super great kid who’s worked really hard done a lot of good things at practice and at matches. Hard work pays off.”

Lee fought through Manhasset’s Sophia Xenophontos, besting that bout 15-13 in the quarterfinal round. In the semis, she went up against Aybriel Schantz from Great Neck North, winning by a razor thin margin at 15-14. With that context, her victory in the final looked like a landslide, a 15-8 decision over the defending champion, Remi Pai from Manhasset.

“We were all on the edge of our seats, literally,” Chamber said about watching Lee go on her championship run. “It was really suspenseful watching her go for a 15 points bout. Anxiety builds, she was cool as could be and did what she had to do in that final match.”

There was a method to the madness, as this wasn’t her first time in the show.

“Freshman year I missed the cut off by a few spots,” Lee explained. “Coming in, like my goal was to make, like, top eight and then I got to the

semi-final and then the final and then I won.”

What’s shocking to some, is that she’s been training at Hewlett and from New York Fencing Academy for only about a year.

“She’s worked so hard as a freshman and a sophomore,” Chambers said about Lee’s work ethic and success.

Fencing isn’t the only extracurricular activity on Lee’s plate, but bringing home hardware made her consider zeroing in on this one, especially after voicing ambitions of pursuing collegiate fencing.

“I’m doing a lot of sports, music and [other] activities, so it made me think about it,” Lee said. “With the two more years I have left, I could really go for it and see where it takes me.”

She’d be following in family footsteps that way.

“My sister [Morgan Lee] fenced foil for years, she actually went to Princeton [for fencing],” she said. “She was really a true inspiration to me.”

To sum up the experience, Lee said it best: “bringing gold home was just incredible.”

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Courtesy Farah Shih

Hewlett sophomore Claudia Lee made a Cinderella run to the Nassau County fencing championship in Epee.

HERALD SPORTS

Sewanhaka cruises past Hewlett in playoffs

By TONY BELLISSIMO

tbellissimo@liherald.com

Sewanhaka High School’s gym was rocking from the opening tip of a Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball first-round playoff game Feb. 15 and senior Jordan Tucker made sure it stayed that way.

Tucker scored the first nine points for the hosts and finished with 24, and classmate Dylan McLennon added 15 as the eighth-seeded Indians cruised to a 67-39 victory over No. 9 Hewlett in front of a rowdy crowd.

“We love playing at home it’s a different type of energy,” said Tucker, who brought the house down midway through the second quarter with a breakaway dunk that gave Sewanhaka a 20-10 lead. “We’re like a family,” he added. “We feed off the crowd and each other.”

Senior Dominic Reed added 9 points for the Indians (15-6), who advance to face top-seeded Great Neck South in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Rebels received the only bye in the 17-team tournament.

“We don’t care what seed we are or who we play,” Sewanhaka head coach

Jay Allen said. “We’re just going to get after it.

“Today we came out with intensity and never let up,” he added. “We scouted a lot of Hewlett games and noticed they didn’t face much pressure, so that was a big part of our game plan and the kids executed.”

Sophomore Justin Ortiz had 18 points and junior Justin Ogilvie added 9 to lead the Bulldogs, who finished 13-8.

“We had a really successful and fun season even though we took our lumps today,” Hewlett head coach Andy DeBernardo said. “It was a wild and wacky environment, but our kids weren’t nervous. We just didn’t play well. They took us out of our offense and we couldn’t recover after scoring only 15 points in the first half.”

Sewanhaka led from start to finish despite senior point guard Nasir McMillan relegated to the bench for most of the first half after picking up two personal fouls within the first three minutes. Juniors Matthew Abreu and Miles Gurley picked up most of the slack and chipped in 5 points apiece.

“We’re a very deep team,” Tucker

said. “Next we have the No. 1 seed. Great Neck South is a good team, but we’re not scared of them. We’re just taking it one game at a time.”

McLennon’s biggest impact in the playoff opener came in the second quarter when he scored nearly half of his points, including a layup at the buzzer that gave the Indians a 28-15 halftime advantage.

The margin swelled in the second half. Sewanhaka had an 11-6 run to start the third quarter and took a comfortable 16-point lead into the fourth. The stillbuzzing crowd exploded with under a minute remaining when senior Ernchi Belizaire put the icing on the cake with a three-pointer.

“Our kids kept their focus throughout the game,” Allen said. “We played a really difficult schedule and I always felt that would benefit us come playoff time.”

Paul Grassini/Herald

Sophomore Justin Ortiz, left, led Hewlett with 18 points Feb. 15 but the Bulldogs were bounced by Sewanhaka in the Nassau Class AA playoffs.

Chesed center is busy with aid and programs

trying to get the community involved,” Bodner said. “They wanted to be a part of the war effort, and writing a check didn’t help to do that.”

TThe center has also introduced programming including Shabbats, informational presentations held by rabbis and IDF members, musical events, and volunteer nights open to anyone looking to help.

hey wanted to be a part of the war effort, and writing a check didn’t help to do that.

Marc Bodner Co-founder, IDF Chesed Center

“We’ve tried to be as inclusive as possible with all the synagogues in the area and all the public schools,” Bodner said.

“Whether you’re Jewish or not Jewish, anyone that sees what’s going on and wants to help is welcome to.”

On Feb. 13, Rabbi Nochem Tenenboim, of Chabad of Hewlett, invited Hewlett High School students and other teens from across Long Island to volunteer night to write notes to IDF members paint an Israeli flag on the Chesed Center wall and share dinner.

“As the rabbi in the Hewlett community, I will direct people to the various

options available to help with kindness, and that includes this wonderful place,” Tenenboim wrote in an email.

Adi Carucci and Sara Matathias, two Chesed Center volunteers, contacted Tenenboim after learning of the center to see about getting more people, and specifically local teens, involved.

“Once you’re in a room like this and see duffel bags, it just makes it all the more real and more impactful for the teenagers, especially,” Matathias said, “so they can see the connection between

the work they’re doing and where it’s actually going.”

“It doesn’t matter what they do,” Carucci added. “They just need to feel connected.”

Uriel Hillel and Harel Maman, Hewlett High freshmen, said they wanted to show their support for Israel by volunteering. “It makes me feel great,” Hillel said.

Jeff Eisenberg, another co-founder of the center, said that it also hosts birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and other cele-

brations at which those who would like to get involved can lend a hand.

“We want life to happen here,” Eisenberg said.

The IDF center now has someone managing its calendar, because of its busy schedule, he said.

It hosted a unity Shabbat last Thursday through Sunday, with programs and activities including packing gear, letter writing, music, speakers from the IDF and more to bring people together and continue recruiting volunteers.

y

Sara matathias, far left, and adi Carucci contacted rabbi nochem tenenboim, of Chabad of Hewlett, about getting more people involved in the volunteer programs at the IDF Chesed Center in Hewlett.

The projecT includes: Fabrication and installation of perimeter security fencing. Selection criteria will be based on knowledge of security, adherence to work schedule, prior experience, references and cost. Specifications and bid requirements can be obtained by contacting us at GrantBids2024@gmail.com

All interested firms will be required to sign for the proposal documents and provide primary contact, telephone, fax and email address. MWBE businesses are encouraged to bid.

Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on March 7, 2024, and work is to commence by April 1, 2024 and be completed by June 30, 2024.

Courtesy Sarah Matathias

Hewlett High School students and other Long Island teens volunteered on Feb. 13 at the IDF Chesed Center, painting an Israeli flag on the wall to show their support for the Hewlett facility, which provides resources to Israel.

Parker Schug/Herald

Hundreds unite to remember Beckwith

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

Bob Beckwith rushed out of retirement as a New York City firefighter to help a friend find his missing son at ground zero, three days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that shook New York City — and the country — to its core.

This selfless choice turned Beckwith into a beacon of hope for the nation when he stood on the rubble at President George W. Bush’s side — hope he embodied until the day he died on Feb. 4. He was 91.

Beckwith ultimately succumbed to a 9/11-related melanoma, and was remembered by family, friends, leaders and a large number of off-duty firemen during Beckwith’s Feb. 10 funeral in Baldwin, before he was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.

Some will remember Beckwith for the iconic photo and video featuring him with Bush on Sept. 14, 2001, while others recall how Beckwith was a humble man who would sit in the back row of St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin every Saturday evening while still finding time to visit a Levittown diner with his friends each week.

Beckwith enjoyed playing the piano, fishing, watch-

Having lost two sons of his own, Beckwith understood the grief Boyle was going through.

So, he sprang into action and headed to ground zero while the rest of the nation remained in shock.

Beckwith later described how he was just in the right spot at the right time. Bush was paying his respects to those lost at ground zero, and wanted to speak directly to those who were digging through the rubble looking for survivors.

The president spotted Beckwith, and had him stand

inspiring words, with his arm draped around Beckwith.

“America, today, is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, and for the families who mourn,” Bush said at the time.

Bush would remain close to Beckwith, and shared a statement for former U.S. Rep. Peter King to read at his funeral.

“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of Bob Beckwith,” Bush said, explaining how the retired firefighter raced toward danger, showcasing the resilient spirit of all Americans during 9/11.

“I want to say that no one is indispensable,” King said in his own eulogy. “Bob Beckwith is indispensable. He was one of a kind.”

Beckwith was born April 16, 1932 in Astoria. After graduating from Rice High School in Manhattan in 1952, Beckwith joined the U.S. Navy n the tail end of the Korean war, before going on to study at LaGuardia Community College.

After graduating, Beckwith held various jobs like driving for UPS. But it was in 1964 Beckwith became an FDNY firefighter, kickstarting a 30-year career with the department.

Beckwith met his wife Barbara at a picnic in 1956. They were married a year later, settling down on Fairview Avenue in Baldwin, where they raised their six children.

Beckwith retired from the FDNY in 1994. He would find himself enjoying time at home, entertained by his two great-grandsons with a smile across his face.

Besides his wife, Beckwith is survived by daughter Christine; sons Bob, Richard and Stephen; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preced

Christine Rivera/Herald

Firefighters salute the casket of Bob Beckwith as it is placed on top of a Baldwin Fire Department fire truck.

Students defend teacher amid controversy

respond to anonymous letters or ones posted on social media,” district spokeswoman Barbara Giese said.

Several parents expressed concerns echoing those in the letter at a school board meeting Feb. 7.

One attendee, who indentified herself only as a mother of district students, said she was upset about one topic she had heard was raised in the class: the categorization of Jews as powerful, privileged oppressors.

Sheinin stopped speakers when they made mention of the specific course, in keeping with a board policy requiring such discussions go through specific teachers and administrators. She said that, to her knowledge, no one had filed any complaints through that process.

Still, Sheinin wrote to the Herald that in adherence with board policy, teachers should be unbiased in their instruction — and that the teacher in the Spanish class was operating within that policy.

Eli Motovich, a parent with two daughters, told education board members at the meeting he did not appreciate what he described as censorship of people like him expressing concerns.

“I am a strong proponent against DEI and how it’s creeping into the education system in less-relevant education classes,” he said.

Simon Kupchik, who described himself as a student in the class, said claims another student made a presentation on Hitler have been misunderstood. The Spanish teacher, he said, pulled aside the student who had made the presentation, telling them they had misunderstood the assignment, and they should choose another subject.

The Spanish teacher — which neither Kupchik or

Parker Schug/Herald

The Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education meeting on Feb. 7 addressed general questions from the public, but parents were stopped from commenting about a college-level Spanish class that was the subject of an anonymous letter posted to Facebook by ‘a concerned District 14 parent.’

the education board identified — provides a balanced point of view, he said, and the Facebook post’s characterization of the discussion of groups that faced discrimination was incorrect.

“In class, she did indeed mention the post on Facebook,” Kupchik said, “because she wanted to address the points and the claims made in the post and how, from her perspective, she wasn’t trying to deliver any sort of message to us about a side that we should choose, or a message that we should lean towards. She wanted to make it clear that she was just trying to give us a worldly perspective.”

Another student in the class, Daniella Nickerson

Zorilla, said the teacher speaks passionately about immigration, something Nickerson Zorilla sees as appropriate for college-level Spanish.

And as for political slogans the Facebook claims the teacher wore on her clothing, Nickerson Zorilla said the teacher once wore “Be Kind” on a shirt, featuring hands from people of different races.

“That’s it,” Nickerson Zorilla said. “Nothing horrible. Be kind to Jews, to Muslims, to Hispanics, whoever.”

Have an opinion on this school-related issue? Send letter to jbessen@liherald.com.

STEPPING OUT

Become a bookish

Discover Eric Carle’s tiny world of insects in new sensory adventure

By Danielle Schwab

In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.

That’s how the journey started for Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, the beloved character from his acclaimed picture book of the same name. Now, Long Island Children’s Museum takes the magnifying glass to Carle’s curious bugs in its newest exhibit, “Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit.”

Created by the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, it’s a follow-up of sorts to last year’s popular Mo Willems exhibit, which also encouraged kids to step into the creative imagination of a beloved author-illustrator.

Visitors find themselves inside the pages of Carle’s colorful books. His “Very” series — all illustrated in his hand-painted tissue paper collage technique — introduces five special insects who take journeys of discovery. Each story is a testament to Carle’s love of nature along with his recurring themes of friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination.

The colorful picture books — more than 70 in all — have been captivating young children since Carle’s first publishing effort, the counting book “1,2,3 to the Zoo,” in 1968.

From there, his “Very” books took off the following year, beginning with the one that started it all, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” of course. Families were immediately captivated by Carle’s little bugs with big emotions.

There’s a deep-felt connection to the insects, according to Ashley Niver, the museum’s education director.

“Children have a fascination with things that are even smaller than they are because they’re usually the ones looking up at the world,” she said. “I find that they have a lot of care and concern for these small living things. They enjoy the roleplay of being a friend of one or becoming one, like wearing the wings of a butterfly and flying around.”

And, naturally, the insatiable caterpillar holds a special place in everyone’s hearts.

“We’ve had parents mention that they read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ as a child and now they are reading it to their child,” Niver says. “The messaging is something that resonates.”

The exhibit may be indoors, but the focus is fully on the outside world, exploring the diversity of the insect kingdom through Carle’s imagination.

“A lot of people relate to ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’

• Now through May 12, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older; additional fees for theater programming

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

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

but there are a lot of other lovely stories,” Niver says. “I don’t think that everyone is as well-versed in some of his other books, so I’m happy that this features some more of them.”

Tumble in the grass, weave a web, find a friend, and even become a butterfly during your visit.

Upon arrival, visitors can follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s path on a journey through largerthan-life pages of the book, eating foods on the way to becoming a butterfly. Once the end is reached, you’re now ready to spread your wings.

The Very Busy Spider component includes a giant, web-like structure to step through. This activity tests dexterity, strength and flexibility as kids move across the challenging surface.

At the Very Busy Spider’s Weaving Wall everyone can try to spin their own web on the large wall, experimenting with a variety of stringy materials.

Master new skills at the Very Clumsy Click Beetle Playscape. Here, visitors rummage across a pile of pebbles, crawl through tall blades of grass, step across stepping stones, and walk across the stem of a poppy flower in this playful landscape. Step up to the challenge and persevere like The Very Clumsy Click Beetle.

Also try to catch some light at the Very Lonely Firefly “Find Your Light” interactive station. Move hands and body to lure a firefly toward you. Even work with others to attract multiple fireflies and try to form a group of the beautifully lit insects.

At another component, kids can touch The Very Quiet Cricket and his friends on a relief mural to trigger a sound and create a one-of-a-kind musical composition. The various insect sounds harmonize together to make a “symphony” comprised of rhythms and sounds found in nature.

The exhibit’s studio portion offers up facts about Carle’s life and artistic process.

“Yellow was his favorite color,” Niver says. “Yellow was always the most challenging for him, which I thought was a cool fact. He only mastered four shades of yellow.”

After all that busyness being a bug, families may want to relax by taking a moment to read some books. The nook area is a cozy spot where everyone can nuzzle up in a reading cocoon and read the “Very” stories together.

Through his stories, Carle reminds us: “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life — music, paintings, theatre, dance and sunsets.”

Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actor. Experience her inimitable talent in a spellbinding evening of song that showcases her extraordinary vocal range. Winner of six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy, McDonald possesses a ‘lustrous lyric soprano’ (The New York Times) and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. This stage and screen icon lends her luminous voice and committed stage presence to an intimate concert of Broadway favorites, standards, seldomheard gems, and so much more, accompanied by pianist Jeremy Jordan. With Tony wins in all four eligible acting categories, countless other theatre honors — and a National Medal of Arts conferred by President Barack Obama in 2015, among her other accolades — McDonald is among the most lavishly awarded performers of our time.

Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $60. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Flogging Molly

Celtic-punk rockers Flogging Molly have hit the road with their ‘Road to Rebellion’ tour, sure to rouse audiences with their anthemic odes to the Emerald Isle. Formed in L.A. in 1997 by Irish expat Dave King, the band got its start (and its name) from local bar Molly Malone’s, where they performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for eventual success. Their infectious Celtic-tinged reels are perfect for dancing along to, for those who love their Irish heritage, and those who just want a good time. Expect an eclectic mix of old favorites, sing-a-longs, rare acoustic numbers and new material — all strung together by King’s cheeky tales and jokes and first-rate musicianship. With numerous latenight television appearances, a soldout Salty Dog Cruise through the Caribbean, and a yearly St. Patrick’s Day Festival in L.A., the band’s juggernaut continues.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. $79.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum

From caterpillar to butterfly, spider and cricket beetle, Eric Carle’s insects hold a special place in everyone’s childhood. Each element in the gallery relates to specific books in the ‘Very’ series.

THE Your Neighborhood

Tusk

March 1

Tusk goes their own way, visiting the Landmark stage with their dynamic tribute to Fleetwood Mac,, Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Since forming in 2008, Tusk has prided themselves on being the ultimate tribute to ‘70s supergroup. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note for note renditions With Tusk it’s all about respect and authenticity. A group of seasoned musicians that go back some 25 years, their attention to detail, talent and reverence of their subjects has been critically acclaimed, resulting in their accolades as the premiere purveyors of ‘Mac. Time, trust, and close friendship have cultivated an intimate familiarity with each other’s musical nuances, shaping each performance with such precision that even the slightest variation, virtually imperceptible to all but the five musicians sharing the stage, is met with a wink and a nod, and usually an inside joke. Tusk is more than a band; they are a family. So if you’re jonesing for your fix of Fleetwood, you’re in the right place! Made up of Kathy Phillips (as Stevie Nicks on vocals), Scott McDonald (as Lindsey Buckingham, guitar and vocals), Kim Williams (as Christine McVie, keys and vocals), Randy Artiglere (as John McVie, bass) and Tom Nelson (as Mick Fleetwood on drums) the five-piece band will transport you back to the group’s glory days with a set list including hits such as the “The Chain,” “Dreams,” ‘Go Your Own Way,” and more, alongside rare gems fans will love hearing again. $63, $53, $45. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Family theater

It’s a beautiful sunny summer day in the meadow. Leo Lionni’s beloved children’s books come to life once again, in “Frederick,” on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 6:15 p.m. (sensory-friendly performance); Saturday, Feb. 23 ,11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Mouse friends Nellie, Sunny, Baby, Ernest, and Frederick are playing their musical instruments and having fun singing, until a leaf falls from the sky — autumn is here! Winter will be coming soon. All the mice get to work gathering supplies for winter, except, where is Frederick? He is gathering supplies, too, in his own unique way. With toe-tapping Americana music inspired by bluegrass, gospel, and folk, this is an engaging tale about the power of the arts, community, and that no mouse gets left behind. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Our Gilded Age,” examines the appearances and the realities of an era that mirrors our own in many ways. Like the nation’s economy, American art and literature flourished during the Gilded Age. The art of John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Louis Comfort Tiffany and others adorned palatial residences designed by Stanford White and Ogden Codman Jr., architect of the museum’s own quintessential Gilded Age mansion.

Drawing heavily upon the local literary history of Long Island, including William Cullen Bryant, Mark Twain (who named the Gilded Age), Walt Whitman, Edith Wharton and others, the exhibition will include paintings, fashion, decorative arts including period silver and china, photographs, manuscripts, first editions and other historic memorabilia.

The “Upstairs, Downstairs” approach to the life of a country house brings to life not only the storied conspicuous consumption for which the Gilded Age was infamous, but also the real lives of these many individuals who maintained the palatial estates where that lifestyle was enjoyed.

On view through March 10 Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Bird walk

The South Shore Audubon Society welcomes all to join its members for another in its series of bird walks, at Hempstead Lake State Park, Sunday, Feb. 25, starting at 9 a.m. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet in parking lot #3, off Exit 18 of the Southern State Parkway. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if it rains, snows or the temperature is below 25 degrees. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Nellie McKay performs

The effervescent multiinstrumentalist singer-songwriter returns to My Father’s Place with music from her recently released album, “Hey Guys, Watch This,” Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Recorded in Charleston, West Virginia with The Carpenter Ants and a roving retinue of musical compadres, her album traces the haunted sounds of Appalachia to a renaissance of revelry.

Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. 221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. For tickets/ information, visit MFPProductions. com or call (516) 580-0887.

Cardiac screening

You only have one heart. Getting your coronary calcium score can save your life. Mercy Hospital offers free cardiac screening, Wednesday, Feb. 28 , 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A coronary calcium score is like a ‘mammogram’ for the heart to screen for blockage(s). This simple, non-invasive test can indicate coronary artery disease before the onset of symptoms or heart attacks.

For eligibility, you will need to meet any of the following: Be between the ages of 4070 years old; history of smoking, high cholesterol or blood pressure (even if controlled), diabetes, overweight with BMI >25, family history of heart disease. Limited appointments available. 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. call (516) 626-3729 to register or visit CHSLI.org/mercy-hospital.

Having an event?

Feb. 25

Art talk

Join Scott Defrin, owner of European Decorative Arts in Greenvale for Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibit related program “Collecting Decorative Arts During the Gilded Age; Connoisseurship vs. Decoration,” Sunday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m.

New York was the center for collecting during the Gilded Age. More money was spent on fine art, decorative art and interior decoration than at any time in American history. From Carnegie to Frick, and Morgan to Vanderbilt, Defrin discusses the different approaches to collecting among these magnates and how their fortunes helped establish the permanent collections of today’s museums.

Limited seating with registration required.1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.

On stage

Princesses and other enchanting heroes and heroines take to the stage, when Plaza Theatricals presents its Winter Princess concert, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24 , 11 a.m. Take part in an interactive singa-long featuring an array of everyone’s favorite winter characters. $15. See it at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore (Friday) or at Elmont Memorial Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont (Saturday). For tickets, visit PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.

County Parks

Beginning on March 4, reservations for the picnic areas in Nassau County’s parks can be made in person with a valid county leisure pass and fee, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Grant Park, 1652 Broadway, Hewlett, (516) 571-7821; Inwood Park, 600Bayview Ave., Inwood, (516) 571-7894; and North Woodmere Park, 750 Hungry Harbor Road, Valley Stream, (516) 571-7801.

Lecoreis Eric Schugren Jazz

Swing by Hewlett Bagel Boss for an evening of classic jazz, performed by Lecoreis Eric Schugren Jazz Group as part of the concert series,Saturday, Feb. 24, 8-10 p.m. 1352 Peninsula Blvd. in Hewlett. RSVP to AllanSpielman. Wixsite.com/Hewlett-BagelBoss-C.

Art showcase

See Mike Stanko ‘s still life paintings that capture contemporary society, nature and pop culture on exhibit through Feb. 26, at Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library. 1125 Broadway, Hewlett.

Gural JCC unveils Barbara Harrison Sensory Gym

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

A project nearly four years in the making has come to fruition at the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC. The Barbara Harrison Sensory Gym was unveiled at the JCC’s Early Childhood Center earlier this month, providing additional care to students at the Harrison-Kerr Family Campus in Lawrence.

T“It’s a beautiful tribute to Barbara Harrison who spent many years of her career building the earlier childhood center into the wonderful learning center it is today,” said Stacey Feldman, the executive director at the Gural JCC, who added that the sensory gym is a “beautiful legacy to her.”

the Gural JCC for 26 years before suffering a stroke in 2020.

Melissa Wienerkur, associate director for early childhood and Estie Berman, director of student support services at the Gural JCC, headed the project, Feldman said.

“Melissa and Estie worked tirelessly to make sure the sensory gym was a state of the art incredible resource for children with special needs,” Feldman said. “They did an incredible job.”

he therapists gave us their wish list and we ran with it.

MEliSSA WiEnERKUR

Early childhood associate director

The newly constructed site was unveiled on Feb. 14 at a ribbon cutting ceremony with over 75 donors, former and current Early Childhood Center teachers, parents of early childhood center students and Gural JCC staff attending.

The sensory gym was built in Harrison’s honor. She worked as co-director at

LEGAL NOTICE

Immediately after Harrison’s stroke, Wienerkur was inspired to carry on the impact she had made at the Early Childhood Center.

“We knew right away we had to do something in her honor,” Wienerkur said. The JCC staff thought that something that improves physical and other therapies would be just that. “She needed so many therapies to rehabilitate.”

This sensory gym will allow occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists and special education teachers to work with students more effectively.

Public Notices

VILLAGE OF HEWLETT

HARBOR NOTICE OF VILLAGE

ELECTION

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that pursuant to Section 15-104 (3)(a) of the Election Law, notice is hereby given that the Village of Hewlett Harbor shall hold the Annual Village Election for the designated Village offices on Election Day, Tuesday, June 18, 2024 between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at Village Hall, 449 Pepperidge Road, Hewlett Harbor, New York 11557.

Mayor Term: (2) Two Years Village Trustee (2)

Term: (2) Two Years

NICOLE GIACOPELLI

Village Clerk

Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York

February 2, 2024 144894

Russell McRory c/o ArentFox Schiff LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10119. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity 144829

LEGAL NOTICE

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF LAWRENCE NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING & PUBLIC HEARINGS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that there will be a Regular Meeting of the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Lawrence, at Lawrence Village Hall, 196 Central Avenue, Lawrence, New York 11559, on the 14th day of March 2024, at 8:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, and one (1) Public Hearing with respect to the following matter:

Proposed Local Law No. 3 of 2024

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY

COMPANY. NAME: 12

CLANCY PROPERTIES,

LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 04/25/2023.

NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:

“A Local Law to amend the Village Code to prohibit the rental of private swimming pools/place renting amenities

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT copies of the proposed items described above are on file in the office of the Village Clerk of the Village of Lawrence, NY, where the same is available for public inspection during regular office hours.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard on all meeting matters at the place and time aforesaid. If anyone needs special accommodations for a disability, such person should contact the Village Clerk at least 5 days before the meeting.

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN, pursuant to the requirements of the Open Meetings Law of the State of New York, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Lawrence will convene in public meeting at the place and time aforesaid for the purpose of conducting a regular meeting where general business will be conducted.

Dated: February 13, 2024

By Order of the Board of Trustees Village of Lawrence, NY Ronald Goldman

Village Clerk/Treasurer 144966

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY CHRISTIANA TRUST AS CUSTODIAN FOR GSRANZ

LLC, Plaintiff against 88 DUTCHESS, LLC, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Hersko & Ehrenreich P.C., 555 Willow Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered November 15, 2023, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps

It features different kinds of swings, quiet spaces and textured walls among other tools therapists and students can use.

“The therapists gave us their wish list and we ran with it,” Wienerkur said. “They get so many different options within the gym, anything they would need is in this room, and the therapist doesn’t even need to bring anything.”

of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 26, 2024 at 3:30 PM, all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being, and identified on the land and tax map of the County of Nassau in the State of New York, the premises known as 88 Dutchess St., Atlantic Beach, NY

Berman said this is for all students at the Early Childhood Center, not just students with specific needs or students receiving certain therapies.

“There are some children that have difficulty regulating themselves and they need sensory input within their day,” Berman said. “The parents, the children, the staff, the therapists, everyone is so excited”

For now, the sensory gym is just open to the JCC students, but in the future, they plan to expand access.

“During the day it’ll be utilized for JCC students,” Wienerkur said. “In the after school hours we plan on renting it

out to therapists so that the whole community can benefit from it.”

Photos courtesy Gural JCC Barbara Harrison, long-time co-director of the Gural JCC’s Early Childhood Center, cuts the ribbon for the Sensory Gym named in her honor alongside Stacey Feldman, (with scissor) Melissa Wienerkur and Estie Burman of the Gural JCC.

The Barbara Harrison Sensory Gym was unveiled earlier this month, as a new feature of the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC Early Childhood Center.

The Barbara Harrison Sensory Gym was unveiled earlier this month, to aid in therapies provided at the Marion &Aaron Gural JCC Early Childhood Center.

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

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learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses.

Compensation is based on Full Time hours

Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off.

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

PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS

FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individu-

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TA kitchen leads to an attic

Q. Our house is large and very old, with a third story that was partially finished before purchase. We finished the rest of the attic and put in a few bedrooms and a bath. Recently we hired an architect to enlarge our kitchen into our backyard and make a nice entrance to a porch and patio with a fireplace. The architect made the plans, after several meetings, changes, etc., and then put them into our building department to pull a permit. We next got a notice that our attic is in violation, and we had to either take out all the finishes and bathroom or file plans to get a state permit.

None of this has anything to do with the kitchen or patio, which we hoped to have by summer. We suspect our architect made this much more complicated for us, but now we can’t undo what he did. Naturally, he gets more money to do more plans and permits, which we also think is rather sneaky and uncalled for. Can we report the architect for doing this to us, and can we pull back the permit so we can make all this go away and just do our kitchen?

A. So you believe everyone is out to get you, including your architect, and you have the right to “pull back” your permit, ignoring the conditions of your house. It doesn’t work that way.

5 BR, 2 Bath Exp Cape in SD#14 (Hewlett Woodmere) Living Room, FDR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK w/ Vaulted Ceiling. 2 Main Flr BRs & Updtd Bth. Upper Level 3 BRs & Updtd Bth. 1.5 Car Det Gar Plus 4/5 Car Drivewy. Priv Yd w/ Deck. HW Flrs, Gas Ht. Near Shops, LIRR, Trans & Houses of Worship $599,000

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Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

Unfortunately, even though most local governments know that most homes have violations, the governments choose not to prosecute every homeowner, since it would be bad for the business of getting re-elected, so code violations go on without a word until you make the first move, which you did, by coming to the attention of the building officials whose job is public safety.

Every day of the week, people ask if we can’t just look the other way. We absolutely can look the other way, but eventually who will believe us for lying or not doing our job? The issues of your home easily come up by simply bringing up satellite images, on-line accessible documents, including tax department records, showing what is in the home and whether the third floor was finished. Your building official doesn’t need the architect or you to figure out the truth about the illegalities in your home. When your architect shows the actual conditions, which he is required to do, including walls removed, walls finished in rooms that the building department has no previous record of, or other changes, he’s only doing his job. Imagine the scrutiny an architect would receive if a building official walked in to check the conditions and discovered that you and the architect had lied.

I have stated in this column, many times, the statistic that only five people out of 100 will survive a fire on the third floor. Ninety-five people will die of smoke inhalation or burns. So do the right thing and follow through, whichever way you choose. I’m pulling for you.

© 2024 Monte Leeper

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OCrime wave prompts calls for bail reform

n Jan. 27, a New York City police lieutenant and an officer were trying to disperse a disorderly crowd outside a migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan when they were viciously attacked by several people. After the melee, seven suspected assailants were arrested. Three were charged with felony assault and robbery. Of the seven, only one, who had a previous record of disorderly conduct, was held in lieu of $15,000 bail. All of the others were set free.

After word spread about this heinous incident, the resulting public outcry prompted Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to question the Manhattan district attorney about his handling of the situation. At a news conference, Hochul stood before the cameras and condemned the D.A.’s actions, adding that law enforcement should “get them all and send them

back.”

By then, four of the suspects had fled the city. They were eventually caught in Arizona, after an enormous expenditure of police resources, while the others remained at large. On Feb. 13, one of the suspects was arrested with several other people after being caught shoplifting at Queens Center Mall, where a security guard was assaulted while attempting to stop the theft.

TWhile much of the focus on this episode has centered on the migrant crisis, I didn’t hear any commentary about bail reform or how cashless bail affected this situation. While cashless bail most likely wouldn’t have prevented the fight that resulted in the attack on the officers, the aftermath, in which six of the seven suspected assailants were allowed to go free, necessitating the cross-country hunt and the local shoplifting arrest, could have been avoided.

our men and women in blue and law enforcement leadership that is second to none.

Despite that, Long Island is the midst of a crime epidemic. While violent crime is down, property crimes have soared. Crimes such as car theft, burglary and grand larceny have spiked to unprecedented high levels. Retail theft has gotten so out of control that some stores have closed, while others are placing products under lock and key.

he governor’s Band-Aid approach won’t solve the problem.

The governor finally woke up and publicly recognized that the dramatic increase in retail theft was a statewide problem. Unfortunately, her Band-Aid approach to addressing this serious situation won’t solve the problem.

began sending a message to criminals that, even if caught and arrested, they would be set free rather than remain in jail. And that message goes beyond crimes such as theft and burglary to include more serious ones such as assault, larceny, drug dealing and the use of firearms.

The flaws in the bail reform laws are evident almost on a daily basis, but instead of meeting this issue head on, the media and many elected officials point to other reasons for the increase in crime we are witnessing. I am constantly seeing reports issued by the Nassau County Police Department describing horrific criminal activity in which arrests were made, but those involved were let go due to cashless bail, and often continued to break the law.

Here on Long Island, Nassau County has repeatedly been named among the safest counties in the nation, thanks to

I believe the root cause of this crime epidemic is the progressive bail reform laws passed by the State Legislature and approved by Hochul in 2020. Those laws, led by cashless bail, softened the criminal justice system, and instead of doing what they were intended to do by eliminating wealth-based detention,

Our criminal justice system should be protecting the victims of crimes, and not letting the perpetrators go free to commit the same crimes again, or perhaps even escalate their criminal activity. The time has come to repeal bail reform. Albany needs to do it now.

Howard Kopel represents Nassau County’s 7th Legislative District, and is the Legislature’s presiding officer.

It’s Library Lovers Month — borrow a book

Iread “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” my first banned book, when I was 12. My friend lent me the book, and I found the good parts by the dogeared pages. The experience did not compromise my moral compass or corrupt me in any way I can discern. I am not recommending the book for today’s 12-year-olds, because it’s a pretty boring read, but I am advocating that a broad spectrum of books be available to students who choose to read them.

This month, Library Lovers Month, I want to push back hard against the selfappointed literature vigilantes across our country, who are removing books from school library shelves and banning them from classrooms under the guise of protecting children from inappropriate subject matter.

It’s called censorship, and the problem, of course, is who gets to decide what is appropriate or not. In the past, librarians have had full discretion in selecting books. They are trained for the job and trusted in their choices. In

the best libraries, the books reflect all the ways that children and teenagers can be in the world, including gay or trans or identified with any race or religion or socio-economic group.

work for vulnerable kids.

I don’t know if a book has ever saved someone’s life, but I know for sure that battles over books are endangering lives by keeping young people from information and stories that might validate their choices in important ways.

book-ban list, by definition, express feelings, experiences and political views that the prevailing culture prefers to pretend do not exist.”

SFor some young people, the school library is the only place they can read about kids just like themselves. They can learn that others share their confusion or anxiety or fear of being different.

tudents need open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers.

I don’t believe that a teenager can “catch” being gay or trans from reading about it, the underlying prejudice being that there is something wrong with that identity. We can’t scrub young adult literature for references to slavery or minority struggles or even violence, because the best writing reflects real life.

A couple of weeks ago, The New York Times told the story of a librarian in Idaho who organized a “Rainbow Squad,” welcoming children of different backgrounds to read and talk about books. A local church group protested, and the community is battling over whether the Rainbow Squad should be banned, along with the books they’re reading.

I wonder how this group threatens anyone, even as it creates a support net-

In The Washington Post last week, columnist Kate Cohen wrote about the school board in her hometown, Rockingham, Virginia, deciding to ban 57 books in the school library. One-third of the books feature gay or trans characters. Cohen wrote, “Freedom to read is the closest thing we have to freedom to think.”

This month, there can be no more pressing public business than to guarantee age-appropriate, open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers, for students across the land.

What can we do? Each of us can become familiar with our school and community libraries, stay informed about the books available to teens and oppose efforts by any groups of book police to decide what teenagers should read. In some communities in Florida, a single parent’s complaint about a book in a school library can get it banned.

As Cohen wrote, “The books on any

I think how lonely and desperate teenagers trying to figure out their lives without access to books must feel. Wellwritten books on racism or sexuality or addiction are a far better source for our kids than TikTok.

We read books for many reasons beyond wanting to be entertained — to solve the mysteries in our lives, to be dazzled or outraged by the way others live. Sometimes we can find our beliefs and lives affirmed in the pages of a new book.

The reason authoritarian entities, be they runaway school boards or governments, ban books is to limit access to ideas that might challenge their power.

We resist by reading and sharing.

The New York Public Library is offering free access to banned books for teenagers anywhere in the country through SimplyE, its e-reader app. The latest banned book pick is “All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It is available to all readers ages 13 and older.

There are worlds out there to be explored. I have had this joy in my life, and I want the same for every reader.

Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

HOWARD KOpEL

RAnDI KREISS

HeraLd editoriaL

Thank you for the snow day

in the past couple of weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of something we haven’t seen much of over the past couple of years: snow.

So much, in fact, that schools in our communities had no choice but to close. And because of that, we have just one thing to say to our school districts in Nassau County: Thank you for the snow day.

Yes, education works best when it’s rigorous and on a schedule. If the young minds loading buses each day were robots, then we’d probably be hesitant to interrupt the routine. Thankfully, our children are living, breathing people. And all of us can use a break from time to time — especially one we didn’t expect.

Anyone who grew up in a climate susceptible to winter almost assuredly experienced at least one snow day in their life, if not several. They go all the way back to the 19th century, when schools became gathering points children would flock to — and where safety would become paramount.

In places like Long Island, where crews are adept at clearing roads, even the best can be overwhelmed by significant storms and heavy snowfalls. And while it might feel like a free day off for many of our young learners, nearly all school districts have built snow days into the schedule — meaning any unexpected days off will be made up later in the spring.

We here on Long Island understand

Letters

School district’s seawall is a dumb idea

To the Editor:

the value of snow days, but not everyone shares those values. In fact, there is a growing contingent of education leaders right in our backyard who have been working hard to wipe snow days from existence.

It’s not that New York City has it out for an occasional unscheduled school closing. It’s just that the city’s education department has capitalized on the expansion of technology necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, which made remote learning for all not just possible, but practical.

For the 1.1 million students who attend more than 1,800 schools in the city, instead of sitting inside a classroom to learn on days when it snows, they are sitting in their living rooms and bedrooms instead. All while other people their age, living just a few miles away, grab their snowsuits and sleds and enjoy the winter beauty Mother Nature has delivered.

Learning is important, but snow days are valuable. Quite valuable, in fact. Beyond safety, they provide a muchneeded mental health break — not just for students, but also for the adults responsible for their learning.

The pressure of academic demands and extracurricular activities can be intense. That can lead not just to stress, but even to burnout.

Snow days give all of us a chance to recharge and relax with some unscheduled playtime outdoors. And that’s important, too. We hear too much about

I write to strenuously voice my opposition to one of the dumbest, most negligent, bone-headed ideas put forth by the Lawrence school district and approved and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“Seawall plan creates a tide of concerns,” Feb. 15-21).

The residences on and boarding Peninsula Boulevard near the high school — on Reilly Road, Albemarle Place and Oxford, Albemarle and Arlington roads and the two streets parallel to Peninsula Boulevard and Westminster and Argyle roads, some 150-plus homes — are subject to flood conditions with a heavy rain, let alone a tidal surge. The existing sewers cannot handle minor rain events, and despite a much-vaunted “pumping station” constructed 12 years after Superstorm Sandy and purportedly “in operation,” flood events have become more frequent.

This is in large part the result of the Village of Cedarhurst handing out planning variances like candy at a quinceañera. These variances allow for oversized architectural vomit to replace the more appropriate house/lot ratios, and permit the concreting or paving over of any

how video games, computers and television keep so many of our kids indoors. But freshly fallen snow is irresistible, and will almost assuredly get them outside to have some fun. It’s good for their physical health in a way that sitting in front of a computer, watching a teacher on Zoom, just can’t provide.

And a snow day is a chance to build community. Families come together to shovel sidewalks, or maybe help neighbors in need. Children get together, working to build snow forts, or even a snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a top hat.

And who doesn’t love an impromptu snowball fight?

All of that comes with many parents still working remotely, which helps mitigate child-care issues and costs that might otherwise accompany snow days.

Just remember that these days are not breaks for everyone. Let’s not forget the municipal workers who wake up early to plow the snow, as well as the brave souls at utility companies, hospitals, and fire and police departments who, as first responders, are always prepared for the worst.

Each one of our children will spend more than 1,200 days in class through high school. Let them have a break. And let’s show New York City yet another reason why more and more people choose to live and work here on Long Island.

Because on Long Island, snow days are cool.

Honoring indigenous legacy, without appropriation

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

wiLL

sHeeLine

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

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

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

hunting and the harvesting of corn.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Letters

remaining green space capable of retaining rainwater.

With nowhere else to go, all the water from the top of the hill on Central Avenue flows down toward the bay at Peninsula Boulevard, overwhelming the sewers and drains, leaving us lucky few with flood conditions.

And now, by fiat and secretive proclamation, without consultation or warning, or thought or concern for mitigation in the surrounding area, the school district proposes to build a giant wall at the bottom of the hill, ensuring that what are now semimanageable 6- to 15-inch rain floods will become 36- to 48-inch inundations.

The Lawrence school district is not building a wall to protect the school building — it is building a moat, and in the process destroying a community and creating a neighborhood of worthless affected properties. The district’s shortsightedness and callous disregard is despicable.

MiChAeL MerWiTz Cedarhurst

Community Center needs structural change

To the editor:

A few days back, i came across an article in the h erald reporting on Sasha Young’s departure from our Five Towns Community Center (“Sasha Young is out at 5TCC,” Feb. 8-14). her contributions there were truly exceptional, especially amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. i t’s puzzling, however, that despite Young’s remarkable service, the community center not only closed down its food pantry amid record inflation, but also failed to recognize her potential for roles like executive director or board member.

real change is imperative for the community center, and i strongly believe that the Lawrence school district is the entity best suited to bring about this change. With both the willingness and resources, the district can address the structural issues plaguing the center once and for all.

AMiL VirAni Valley Stream

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

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

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

nowadays, there are only two reservations for indigenous tribes on Long island

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

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

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

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

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

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

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