Nassau Herald 06-08-2023

Joe Abate/Herald

Village land battle continues

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

The legal fight between the Village of Atlantic Beach and the Chabad of the Beach, in Long Beach, over two Atlantic Beach properties continues in federal court.

The Chabad purchased both vacant properties, at 2025 and 2035 Park Street, for $950,000 over two years ago from M.A. Salazar Inc., a real estate company. The parcel at 2025 Park was the site of a Capital One bank, and the Salazar family had owned the adjacent lot, which once housed the compa-

Looking back on pandemic’s unprecedented challenges

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

While on vacation in Israel in January 2020, Cedarhurst-based immunologist Dr. Marc Sicklick was reading a news article about the first documented case of Covid-19 in the United States.

When he flew home later that month and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, he saw only a couple of people wearing facemasks.

Over the next two months, the number of cases grew, and it finally hit Sicklick that something about the coronavirus was different.

“This was a really bad dis -

ease,” he recalled. “This was a virus that we were not ready for.”

The World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic on March 11 of that year.

Now, over three years later, the public health emergency in the U.S. ended last month. But many questions about the deadly virus — which killed roughly 1.8 million people in 2020 alone, according to the WHO — remain unanswered.

“Not every Covid death was a Covid death,” Sicklick said. “It was a death with Covid, meaning if somebody had a heart attack and they were in the hos-

pital and they died and tested positive, that was listed as a Covid death. Anyone with Covid was initially listed like that, and it was just impossible for me to understand the real numbers.”

Sicklick has over 40 years of experience as a physician, and

works with a wide range of patients, from those with fundamental allergy problems to those with complex immune system deficiencies.

He recounted how he learned as a child about his great-grandfather, who died during the Spanish flu pandemic that ravaged populations around the world from 1918 to 1920.

“I thought I would never see something like that again,” Sicklick said.

The coronavirus pandemic was the fifth documented pandemic since 1918.

The after-effects of a Covid diagnosis remain in some of Sicklick’s current patients, and even in new ones, many of

Continued on page 12

RABBi Eli GooDMAN with Long Beach Police Commissioner Ron Walsh last year. Goodman’s Chabad of the Beaches remains locked in a legal battle with the Village of Atlantic Beach. Continued on page 8

Honoring the memory of Russell Friedman

The Brandeis Academy’s annual 5K Run and Walk is Sunday in Lawrence, rain or shine

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Grab your running shoes and get ready for the fourth annual Russell Friedman 5K Run and Walk on June 11. The annual event brings together community members of the Brandeis Hebrew Academy not only for a race but to honor the memory of a former parent and Brandeis president.

“Russell Friedman was a driven man dedicated to his family, career and maintaining his Jewish values,” Elana Lederman, co-president of the Brandeis Parents’ Association wrote in an email. “He knew Brandeis was where he wanted his children to be.”

Lederman said the origins of the race helps to attract not only members of the Brandeis community but Five Towns neighbors too.

“The race began four years ago as a way to bring the Brandeis community as well as the whole Five Towns,” she wrote. “To support Brandeis and bring awareness to the strength of our Brandeis com -

munity.”

This year’s race will mark the second year the event is named after Friedman.

The decision to name the 5K in his honor came after Lederman said Friedman played a big part in the sustainability and continuity of the community

and being a longtime resident of the Five Towns.

“We had the pleasure of knowing Russell Friedman and working with him throughout the years,” she said. “Russell was kind, dedicated, smart, charismatic and present.”

Friedman, who died on Dec.

9, 2021, served as chair co-president with his lifelong friend, Stuart Kotler. Both sent their children to Brandeis.

“I’m very grateful and blessed to have been able to call him my dad,” said Rachel Friedman, class of 2008 and one of Russell’s four daughters. “He

was very about helping others and supporting the community. He really believed in Jewish education getting the community together to support that, especially how the conservative movement in Jewish education is changing. I think it really means a lot.”

Kim, Samantha and Danielle are also Russell’s daughters.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic delaying the race in 2020, the event has grown since its inaugural race in 2019, attracting families, friends, runners and sponsors.

This year, more activities have been added to what Lederman described as a fun and relaxed event that illustrates what Brandeis is all about.

“We have our catered brunch immediately following the run/ walk,” Lederman stated in an email. “DJ, bounce houses, great food and great fun along with a Chinese auction that has been added this year offering great prizes and amazing trips.”

The race starts outside of the Brandeis Hebrew Academy at 25 Frost Lane in Lawrence on Sunday at 8:30 a.m., rain or shine.

Herald file photo

THE fiRST-EvER BRANDEiS 5K Run and Walk took place in 2019 and more than 150 people particpated. For the

Hewlett junior qualifies for debate nationals

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Hewlett High School junior Mara Riegel is ranked third in the state and 15th in the United States among all debate competitors. Now, Riegel is ready to embark as a competitor in this year’s National Speech and Debate Tournament in Phoenix from June 13 to the 16.

Riegel, who grew up in a family of lawyers, learned to debate on a variety of topics, including politics, sports and abortion.

“It’s kind of been engraved for being the way I am to be willing and excited to speak,” Riegel said. “When I got to high school and realized there was a club for it, I thought, ‘Alright I’ll put my couple of years of experience to use and see what happens,’ and I kind of really never stopped since.”

Social Science coordinator Joseph Van Wie, who also serves as Riegel’s adviser, leads the Debate Club at Hewlett High.

Riegel said that Van Wie had been a big inspiration during the national’s qualifier’s debate career.

“He has opened every opportunity I had in debate,” Riegel said. “He was the person who told me about these online competitions, who shared the possibility of going to nationals and coordinated it. He really has been the backbone for this whole thing.”

Local online competitions led the debate qualifier to compete at the national level.

One local competition Riegel competed in was the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway online tournament called the Citron Online Speech and Debate District, which is held once a month through Zoom.

“On the local competition level, you do four rounds every time and because you participate, you get points through the National Speech and Debate Association,” Riegel said. “Every win is four points and every loss is two.”

To qualify for nationals, 75 points are needed, and Riegel took part in eight competitions to qualify.

Before any competition, Riegel goes through preparation to get in the competitor’s “zone” and that will continue in Arizona.

“I look at the prompt objectively and think my point of view of it and I think about what someone would say on the other side of the argument,” Riegel said. “I drink some tea, listen to music and then set my computer up. I try to be as on my toes as possible in a way.”

Riegel’s father, Jonathon Riegel, said that debating was on Mara’s radar since her youth.

“For someone who never stopped talking growing up, it’s finally coming in handy that her verbal ability is really distinguishing her from most kids her age,” he said. “She’s really good at it, she enjoys it and the pride that she has in herself when she finishes is what every parent wishes for.”

Rachel Weintraub, Mara’s mother, said that she is thrilled Mara is being recognized.

“I am thrilled that Mara is being recognized for the National Speech and Debate Tournament,” she said. “Because that is what we have every day over anything and everything if it comes to debate. I lose and I am proud to lose to Mara.”

One moment Mara learned along the way was that competitors don’t always agree with what you have to say. The best way to win, Mara believes, is to be respectful.

“The best way to win is to just be respectful and completely solid in your argument,” Riegel shared. “If someone has to be rude to you to win, then it means you are doing a good job.”

Jamming on Saturday nights at Bagel Boss

By KEPHERD DANiEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Dozens of residents are filling the Bagel Boss at 1352 Peninsula Blvd. in Hewlett as the eatery continues hosting its Saturday night concert series. The store began booking bands every Saturday night last October and continued until April.

Local Bagel Boss regular Alan Spielman, 57, wanted to bring live music to the store and perform with his band Retro 69, a Woodstock tribute band that has been together for 12 years.

A computer developer who works at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx as a programmer, Spielman has been playing music and booking bands since 1995. He is the keyboard player and band leader.

The series was originally going to be a one-time event for Spielman and his group to perform, but Hewlett Bagel Boss owner Randy Rosner had bigger ideas. When presented with the idea, Rosner didn’t just want a single performance but instead have it on a regular basis with

different groups.

“Randy is very innovative,” Spielman said. “He didn’t want to just do one concert, he wanted to have a regular series, going on all the time. There’s not much else to do and it’s a nice opportunity for the neighborhood and for him.”

After a five-week break for Passover, the series returned on

May 13 and gets under way Saturday after Shabbos from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Spielman handles the booking for the concert series and has connections from many different groups from doing RetroFest charity concerts. He was able to connect with different bands to perform at the store, which is a great opportunity for the groups and for incoming cus-

tomers.

Upcoming performances include the jazz fusion group, “The Tone Healers” on June 10 then Spielman’s acoustic retro group, Retro 69 will perform on June 17, and the group Central Beat will perform on June 24.

“To have a person like Randy, who actually pays the bands fairly and promotes, it’s a wonderful

thing,” Spielman said. “We wish more venues did what he does, we do appreciate the opportunity.”

The concert series which is free has drawn positive reception from customers and created a fun nocturnal activity close to home.

“A lot of people go out to dinner on a Saturday night or a movie and they’re not ready to go home,” Rosner said. “They want to come in to have a dessert, a cup of coffee, or something to eat. I appreciate the business and that the community supports my store so I tried to give back a little bit to the community.”

With nearly a year of musical performances at the eatery, Rosner has his sights on the long term and hopes this first year of the summer series is potentially the start of a tradition in the town.

“It’s a unique thing because it’s putting music where you don’t expect it to happen and it also has a very interesting cross group of customers,” Spielman said. “It’s just nice to see all the people from those in there 70s to kids from Hewlett High School who come in and like this music.”

Courtesy Mara Riegel HEwLETT HiGH ScHOOL junior Mara Riegel is set for Phoenix Arizona as the debate student will compete in this year’s National Speech and Debate Tournament from June 13 to 16.

Courtesy Alan Spielman

THE ‘MiNOR iSSuES’ band were one of many groups to perform during Bagel Boss’s inaugural fall concert series and the summer will have even more Saturday night musical shows.

Protecting Your Future with

Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Qualifying for Medicaid to Pay for Long-Term Care

Spend-down. Look-back. Penalty Period. Uncompensated Transfer. These are just some of the terms Medicaid uses to determine eligibility for long-term care coverage. Medicaid is a combined federal and state program that pays for long-term care at home (community Medicaid) or in a nursing facility (institutional Medicaid). Asset, income and gift rules vary for community Medicaid versus institutional Medicaid.

To qualify for community Medicaid, an individual cannot make more than about $1,700 per month and cannot own more than about $30,000 in assets. A married couple cannot make more than about $2,300 per month and cannot own more than about $40,000 in assets. Applicants can “spend down” excess income to the allowed amount by paying for medical expenses.

To qualify for institutional Medicaid, an individual can keep $50 per month (the excess goes to the nursing home) and cannot own more than about $30,000 in assets. For married couples, the spouse at home can keep about

$75,000 and $130,000 in assets. If the spouse at home makes more than $3,700 per month, she may have to contribute some of the excess to the spouse’s cost of care. For married couples, the residence, up to value of about $1,000,000 and one car are exempt (not counted as assets). Everyone can have a burial trust worth up to $1,500 or any amount in an irrevocable pre-paid funeral trust.

Community Medicaid and institutional Medicaid also differ in “look-back” and gift rules. An institutional Medicaid application asks if you transferred (gifted) any assets in the last five years, hence the “five-year look-back period.” If the answer is yes, the transfer creates a penalty period, which causes a period of ineligibility for Medicaid coverage.

Community Medicaid does not currently have a look-back period, so you may transfer assets out of your name this month and qualify for Medicaid next month. New York is considering imposing a new thirty month lookback for community care in 2024. Now is the

Hewlett school bus struck by LIRR train in Hewlett

A Far Rockaway branch Long Island Rail Road train struck a Hewlett high school bus in Hewlett on June 2.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, at 3:09 p.m., the 2:29 p.m. train from Grand Central to Far Rockaway struck the rear end of a school bus at the West Broadway and Hewlett Plaza crossing which was impeding the right of way and did not clear the train

Petit Larceny

trucks.

In an email sent to parents, the school district said the train struck the school bus at a slow-moving speed and said that all students were safe.

The incident caused the Far Rockaway branch to be suspended between Valley Stream and Far Rockaway.

crime watch

■ According to police on May 25, an unidentified man stole items at the Stop and Shop at 253-01 Rockaway Tpke. in North Lawrence at 6:26 p.m.

■ According to police, an unidentified man stole two construction cones at 161 Combs Ave. in Woodmere at 4:55 p.m. on May 25.

■ On May 28, police said an unidentified man stole items from the Dollar Tree store in North Lawrence at 294

— Hernesto Galdamez

Burnside Ave. at 6 p.m.

■ Angel Mario, 43, of Rosedale was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at the 345 Rockaway Tpke. shopping center in North Lawrence on May 31, police said.

Criminal Mischief

■ On May 25, police said an unidentified person damaged a driver’s side view mirror at the Nassau County Police Department at 1699 Broadway in Hewlett at 11:45 a.m.

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.

HOW TO REACH US

Courtesy Tom Cohen

A FAr rockAwAy branch Long Island Rail Road train hit a school bus in Hewlett on June 2.

Courtesy Laurie Zelinger

CEDARHuRst PsyCHoLo-

gIst LAuRIE Zelinger’s new book aims to get children acquainted with first aid.

Bandaging together a kids book on first aid

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Dr. Laurie Zelinger, a Cedarhurst board-certified child psychologist, recently published her newest children’s book, “Baby Bandage and His First Aid Family: Healing Little Hurts and Booboos” in April to acquaint kids with medical terms and items they might come across if they have a medical emergency.

The book also teaches children about first aid-related terms such as peroxide, alcohol, elastic bandages, sterile gloves, antiseptic, cotton balls, ice packs and tweezers.

Using a family of band-aids consisting of a mother, father, big brother and sister, and a baby bandage who narrates the story, the book describes his journey from waiting to be bought by a nice family, to the eventual time when each member of his bandage family is called to cover an injury while he wonders if he will ever have his turn. Zelinger said the inspiration behind her eighth book was merely a matter of circumstance.

“I had taken my grandsons out for the day, and my 4-year-old needed a BandAid,” she said. “I reached for the one I faithfully carried in my handbag, but it was way too big for his little finger. We used it anyway and decided that we would change it for a small one when we got home. That night when I was putting him to bed, he asked me to tell him a story. I made up this one as I went along.”

Zelinger has always loved writing, ever since elementary school, and said she still has her fourth grade journal.

“I enjoy the creative element of writing and seeing a final product that might have an impact on someone reading it,” she said.

As an experienced child psychologist,

Zelinger decided to write books while working in psychology to explain difficult concepts to young children.

“Writing books allows me the opportunity to combine both passions and to reach more children than I would if I could only see them for therapy sessions in my office,” Zelinger said. “My previous seven books all have messages that can be helpful to children.”

Zelinger has already written her next book "Please Explain Divorce to Me: a Story for Children and Guidebook for Parents” and is waiting for the final illustrations to be completed. She said the book should be published by the end of this summer.

Oceanside resident Elisa Sabella illustrated this book and Zelinger’s most recent book. The book contains illustrations that have diversity and represent people of different races and ethnicities.

Zelinger says there are several messages in the book that parents and child readers can come away with, the primary emotional lesson being that all people are important and even young children can be helpful to others.

“It touches upon family values, how difficult it can be to wait for something you want, and how children feel proud when they can contribute to a solution and are reminded of their worth,” Zelinger said. “A more obvious takeaway for a young child is the information provided about basic first aid at a very introductory level. When armed with knowledge, one tends to be less anxious and can comply better with medical interventions. Therefore, this book, when read at any random time, can help prepare a child who may need the information in the future for a medical situation.”

All of Zelinger's books are available on Amazon.

Division crown for Hewlett girls track

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Hewlett girls’ track and field brushed off a slow start this spring to finish the regular season with a 10-3 record and on an upswing that carried over to the Division 3A championships.

The Bulldogs won the 3A meet over talented South Side May 17 with many personal best performances in the process. Hewlett went on to finish fourth in the 16-team Nassau Class AA championships six days later.

“It was an interesting regular season but we still managed 10 wins,” coach Stephen Honerkamp said. “We went to the Penn Relays the last weekend of April for the first time since Covid and it really sparked the girls. They stepped up left and right in the division meet to beat a very strong South Side team.”

Senior Aurelli Narcisse tied a Hewlett program record with 28 points in the division meet, winning the 400- and 200-meter dashes and finishing second behind senior teammate Charlotte Moscovici in the pole vault. “Aurelli is one of the most improved kids I’ve had from junior to senior year,” Honerkamp said. “She had such a great day at divisions.”

Narcisse also won the county title in the pole vault. Moscovici was unable to compete in the event after suffering an injury earlier in the day but has been a standout for years and scored consistently in jumping events.

Senior Halimah Lawson totaled 26 points in the division championships with wins in the

long jump and triple jump to go with a thirdplace showing in the 100 hurdles. She went on to place fourth in both jumping events at the county meet. “She’s a highly respected teammate with a great work ethic,” Honerkamp said. “Another kid who had a big, big day.”

Discus is where the Bulldogs saw their major surprise as seventh-seeded senior Chelsea Numa surpassed 87 feet, a personal best, to win the 3A title. She also took third in the shot put. “It was her first year in our school and she was throwing better as the season went on, but the win was unexpected and great to see,” Honerkamp said. Also scoring key points in throws was junior Daniella Nickerson, a team leader who placed second in discus and fifth in shot put.

Senior Clarissa Duhaney won the division title in the high jump and took third in the triple jump.

After battling injury for the first half of the season, sophomore Kayleigh Jamieson started rolling in early May and ended up All-County in the 800 with a school-record 2:19.95 in the AA championships to grab third. She was also runner-up in the 1500 in the division meet and ran the leadoff leg in Hewlett’s All-County 4x400 relay.

Freshman Nylah Phillips, the Bulldogs’ top sprinter and one of the top ninth-graders in the state in several events, anchored the relay which included Narcisse and junior Tariah Coleman. In the division meet, Phillips finished second in the 400 and third in both the 100 and 200. In the state qualifier June 1, she ran 57.24 in the 400 to beat her own school mark.

Ron Manfredi/Herald photo SENIOr HaLIMaH LawSON totaled 26 points in the Division 3A championships with wins in the long jump and triple jump.

Anyone can learn to lifeguard, even dummies

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

There was “Investing for Dummies," “iPhones for Dummies,” and even “Anti-Inflammatory Diets for Dummies.”

Now, the latest in the series -— and the title of this one may scare some people — is “Lifeguarding for Dummies.”

You certainly wouldn’t want your lifeguard to be a dummy, and neither do the co-authors, Cary Epstein and Cameron DeGuzman, who penned the recently published book, which is really all about how to become a lifeguard and safety in the water.

“The book really has two audiences,” said Epstein. “The first audience, the primary audience, is it’s for anybody that may be interested in a career in lifeguarding. The second audience is people that are already lifeguarding. I think a current lifeguard can pick up this book and really relate to everything we’re talking about.”

Epstein, 43, has been lifeguarding at Jones Beach for the past 26 years. Growing up in Hewlett, he remembers being on the swim team and, in 10th grade, his coach, who was a Jones Beach lifeguard, used to give out lifeguarding T-shirts. He knew he wanted to be one in the future.

When he was 16, he took his first lifeguard test and worked at the Sands in Atlantic Beach. Then, once he turned 17, he spent one summer guarding the oceans there before getting the gig at Jones Beach. He still runs training courses at the Sands alongside his main summer lifeguarding routine. He moved to Long Beach four years ago.

“Water safety and lifeguarding has been a passion of mine,” he said. “I’m a hardcore beach lover, ocean lover, swimmer and, most importantly, water safety advocate.”

Even with all his experience and training classes, he

never thought of writing a book to teach others the skills. That was until one of his fellow Jones Beach lifeguards, Cameron DeGuzman, got an interesting message on LinkedIn.

“I’m a big LinkedIn guy,” DeGuzman, a lifeguard of nine years, said. “When someone reaches out to you, it’s a little suspicious if they don’t have like a profile picture that’s immediately viewable to you. But after speaking with Cary, we replied to Jennifer Yee, who’s the editor and has been an awesome piece to this puzzle, and it went off from there.”

For prospective Long Beach guards, the training regime is rigorous. Lifeguard hopefuls, and returning guards, must swim 200 yards in a recreation center pool in a maximum time of about 2 minutes, 45 seconds, and

finish a one-mile run on the boardwalk in no more than nine minutes.

Whether it be new, or experienced, water watchers, lifeguarding can now be more easily picked up and learned by anyone, thanks to Lifeguarding for Dummies.

The chapters cover everything there is to know. There are chapters about the history, the training, how to stay in shape, rules to follow, and so much more. The book has about 300 pages of water safety knowledge to learn.

The writing process started off slow for the two of them.

They began talking with the Dummies brand in February of last year. Deadlines began coming up in July and August and they needed to start moving a little faster. “It turned from meeting once a week, to two times a week and then eventually meeting four or five times a week,” DeGuzman recalled.

“We said from the beginning we knew writing a book wasn’t going to be easy, but we’re so knowledgeable on the topic and we love it,” Epstein said. “There were a lot of really late nights on Zoom with Cameron and I cowriting this book together. We really didn’t do a single piece of the book without each other.”

DeGuzman, 24, doesn’t have quite as many years on the beach as Epstein, being a lifeguard for the past nine years, but was able to bring his perspective to the table. They’re both EMTs, former swimmers and current ocean lifeguards that just wanted to teach and show everyone all the different aspects of protecting swimmers.

“I think the book should not be treated like a manual,” DeGuzman said. “You learn a lot more being a lifeguard. You’re getting a lot of new skills and those skills and complex things are more than just pulling someone that’s drowning out of the water.”

Photos courtesy Jennifer Yee

CARy EPsTEiN, lEfT, and Cameron DeGuzman display their new book with some stylish beachwear.

Dispute between Chabad, Atlantic Beach continues

ny’s office, since 1938. The properties total 18,500 square feet.

The Chabad intended to open a community center for Jewish programming, education and a place of worship. But two weeks after the purchase in November 2021, the village announced plans to take over the property through eminent domain to build a community center of its own, including a recreational facility that would house village lifeguard operations.

Eminent domain is a legal procedure in which the owner of property that is acquired by federal, state or local government is compensated for its value.

The legal battle began last July, when the Chabad sued the village, seeking to prevent its acquisition of the properties. Two months later, U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert issued a preliminary injunction against the village’s claim of eminent domain while the lawsuit remains active.

“It remains in effect,” Jeremy, an attorney from the First Liberty Institute who is representing the Chabad, said of the injunction. “Both parties are certainly discussing how to resolve the matter without needing to pursue further litigation.”

First Liberty Institute is a nonprofit based in Texas that defends religious organizations in cases focusing on the First Amendment.

Last July, Rabbi Eli Goodman, the

leader of the Chabad, told the Herald that he thought antisemitism was behind Atlantic Beach’s actions after the Chabad disclosed what the property would be used for.

In an Aug. 1, 2022, letter posted on the village’s website, Mayor George Pappas dismissed the criticism. “Chabad Lubavitch of the Beaches has alleged in its lawsuit that the Village’s efforts to

acquire 2025 Park Ave. was motivated by discrimination,” he wrote. “We strongly deny this accusation.”

Pappas did not respond to requests for comment.

“What the rabbi is interested in, as he has been from the beginning, is simply being a valuable member of the Atlantic Beach community — someone who will provide a good resource to that commu-

nity,” Dys said, “and my suspicion is that the village is simply about being a village and providing for good resources and a good living environment for their community.”

Dys said that First Liberty has been involved in numerous cases in which cities, towns or villages have initiated eminent domain proceedings against religious institutions. He mentioned the “Fifth Ward Case,” in 2015, in which two churches in Houston were being threatened by the Houston Housing Authority, which had plans to bulldoze older establishments and make way for new businesses that would pay more taxes. First Liberty filed suit against the housing authority, and the authority withdrew eminent domain proceedings.

“We get excited about these cases,” Dys said. “We make sure that religious institutions have the ability to provide the good work that they provide to the community in which they hope to operate.”

“Chabad of the Beaches is grateful to be able to serve the community of the barrier islands,” Goodman said, “and hopes to be a valuable part of the Atlantic Beach community.”

Have an opinion on the legal wrangling between Atlantic Beach and the Chabad of the Beaches? Send a letter to jbessen@liherald.com.

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

A rendering of the proposed Atlantic Beach community center, which would have recreational facilities and house lifeguard operations.

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest youth employment program, connecting the Town of Hempstead (TOH) and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experience each summer.

By participating in structured project and work-based opportunities, Long Island youth are better prepared for careers of the future.

WHAT THE PROGRAM OFFERS

Career Exploration: Hone your research skills and uncover exciting new career possibilities.

Structured Work-based Opportunities: If you're a TOH and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20, you can get paid to learn about different careers and make a positive impact in your community through work-based activities.

Work Experiences: TOH and City of Long Beach youth between the ages of 16 and 20 can develop job readiness skills and explore diverse career pathways through paid summer jobs in various industries throughout Nassau County.

Earn Money: Don't miss out on the chance to earn money while gaining valuable experience and exploring your career options!

WORKSITE PARTNERS

Partner with the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) at HempsteadWorks and provide valuable work experience to youth while expanding your business's staff at no cost. The program pays participant wages in full, so there's no financial burden on the hosting employer. As a SYEP worksite, you can play a vital role in the region's economic development and access a pool of talented, hyperlocal youth who are the future workforce.

Please review the important information below for details on this summer's program.

SYEP 2023:

Participants can work up to 30 hours per week

Rate of pay is $16 per hour, paid by the TOH Participants go through physical clearance and drug screening

Worksite Responsibilities:

Ensuring youth time and attendance procedures are followed, and the timesheets are complete and accurate Supervision of participants, along with guidance and training as appropriate Monitoring youth attendance, punctuality, and job performance

Don Clavin Supervisor

What’s up next door and around the corner herald neighbors

Soccer fun and sun on the sand in Atlantic Beach

For the first time since 2019 because of the Covid pandemic, the Hewlett Lawrence Soccer Club held its end of season beach party at the Sands in Atlantic Beach on June 2. There were awards, a barbecue, dancing to a DJ playing the music, raffles and soccer on the beach. Sponsors included the Arohnstein family, the Varda-

ro/Bell family and PARS BH Inc.

The soccer club established in 1970 offers intramural, inter-league and travel programs for players from kindergarten to U17.

Hewlett Blue ligHtening teammates Isabella Kopach, Emma Resnick, Leena Urovish, Isabella Kutsovsky and Eliana Grinberg shared a moment at the beach party.

Tim Baker/Herald photos Hewlett lawrence Soccer Club beach party organizers from left were Sabino Vardaro, David Friedman, Chris Albanese, Meg Los, Helene Igielski, Winslow Mentor and Nicole Eliopoulos.

Julia Becker SHowed off here hula hooping skills at the soccer club’s season-ending party.

— Jeffrey Bessen

alan trakHtenBerg kicking the soccer ball during one of the many games on the beach at the Hewlett Lawrence Soccer Club party.

As with any dual classification system (smartstupid, shy-outgoing), most people don’t definitively fit into one category - even if others believe they do. You may be a smart psychologist, yet a really stupid physicist. (Umm, do you imagine I’m talking about me?) Or, you may be shy in one environment, yet outgoing in another.

Personality traits exist on a spectrum. It’s true that some people fall closer to the extremes, most of us, however, are somewhere in the middle. Hence, though others may perceive you as an extrovert, you alone – since you know what’s going on inside of you – may identify as an introvert.

It could be that:

■ You enjoy being social. You like spending time with friends. But every night? Not a chance. It’s simply too much people time, not

Are you an ambivert?

enough alone time.

■ You may be enjoying yourself, still yakety, yak, yak talk drains your energy. As the conversation goes on, you’re thinking about how to make a quick exit. Calm environments appeal to you. Loud noise, frenetic energy, and lots of people overwhelm you.

Person to Person

don’t have many friends like extroverts do. Only a few friends, but that’s fine with you. You don’t need lots of people in your life; two or three special friendships will do.

prefer to be quiet, as you’re really more of an introvert.

■ You often feel anxious before an event, worrying about who will be there, who to talk to, what to wear, etc. This anxiety may stretch out to the event itself. Yet, as the event progresses, you usually warm up to people. When people respond positively to you, you relax and reveal more of the extraverted part of your personality.

■ Though you like people, you

■ When people cancel plans, you often feel more relieved than disappointed. You now have free time. No worries about the details of getting together. Now you’ll have time to be alone or have quiet time with that special someone in your life.

■ When you’re with people you’re comfortable with, chatting away on topics you’re interested in, you’ll appear to be an extrovert. You may even enjoy being the center of attention, as some conversations energize you. Yet you know in many social situations, you

If you’re relating to my description of introverts that people think are extroverts, know there’s a word that describes you. No, it’s not confused or befuddled. It’s an ambivert. Not an introvert or an extrovert but someone in the middle. An excellent place to be, I believe, since those who occupy the extremes create problems for themselves and others. So smile, you ambivert! And appreciate who you really are!

©2023

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D., psychologist, coach and author specializes in helping people improve their relationships, enhance their lives and overcome procrastination and fear. Contact her at DrSapadin@ aol.com. Visit her website at www. PsychWisdom.com.

Linda Sapadin

Knowledge could determine readiness for next pandemic

whom have been referred to him as they search for answers about their compromised immunity.

“I get people referred to me who have what is called chronic Covid,” he said. “Unfortunately, in medicine, it takes years to get a true picture, so we’re all sitting here now, working at the edge of knowledge, trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Patients come to him with symptoms such as chronic fatigue, joint pain and hives, among many others.

Physicians worldwide provided the best care they could to patients fighting a disease they knew very little about.

Dr. Donald T. Morrish, who serves as chief medical officer at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, led his team of physicians and employees during the most unprecedent time in modern history.

“Our entire team of healthcare professionals worked diligently to respond to the cause and all remained resilient throughout the prolonged pandemic,” Morrish wrote in an email. “Episcopal Health Services was able to face the many challenges of Covid-19 head on and as a team. Having done that, we achieved the monumental task of caring for our patients and the community as if they were

our family members.”

Morrish also noted how the pandemic helped shed a light on mental health.

“The mental health and well-being for our patents, community, team members and families came to the forefront,” he wrote. “We took mental health and wellbeing of all seriously by increasing access to community mental health worker, counseling and wellness initiatives for our employees. Innovative programs such as the creation of employees relaxation facilities, programs centered on employee wellness were implemented to decrease the daily stress of Covid-19 and beyond.”

Dr. Aaron Eli Glatt, Mount Sinai South Nassau, recalls getting considerably less sleep during the pandemic.

Glatt, who chairs the Oceanside hospital’s Department of Medicine, is its chief of infectious diseases and also serves as associate rabbi at Young Israel of Woodmere, said he provided his patients with weekly updates on what was known about Covid-19.

“I was getting literally 1,000 emails from patients and people for advice,” he recounted. “Weekly Saturday-night updates (on Zoom) that were attended by thousands of people. It was a tremendous amount of information that needed

to be disseminated.”

And having pandemic information impacted by politics, Glatt said, was not helpful.

“It certainly is a shame that Covid was politicized,” he said. “I think that everybody politicized it, so it’s not one side versus the other. Everybody was very much tuned to doing the right thing, and I think everybody was very much following the guidelines. (Then) things changed a little, and that wasn’t to anybody’s benefit.”

Will we be prepared for the next

potential health crisis?

“It comes down to four basic components,” Morrish wrote. “Being prepared for the next healthcare crisis through a robust emergency prepardness plan, being responsible to rapidly changing situations, knowing recovery will take time and being resilient to the very end.”

“We’ve learned a tremendous amount,” Glatt said. “We will be much better prepared for future pandemics. But at the same time, there’s a tremendous amount more that we still need to do.”

Courtesy Dr. Marc Sicklick Dr. Marc Sicklick

Courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau Dr. Aaron Eli Glatt

This was a virus that we were not ready for.

Dr. MArc Sicklick Immunologist

Herald ScHoolS

S.H.O.P.

Six from HAFTR go to speech, debate nationals

The work of Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns High School speech coach Alex Libkind has been rewarded as a half dozen HAFTR High students — juniors Maya Karasanti, Michal Mari, Kaitlin Pollack and Dasi Well, sophomore Sophia Feiler and freshman Noa Sharon —will compete against more than 6,000 peers at the Speech, Debate & Model Congress tournament in Phoenix from June 12 to 16. They will be accompanied by 11 other Shabbatobservant students from New York, New Jersey and Florida representing the Citron Online District.

against the proposed topic. Being able to persuasively speak for a proposition the student does not necessarily agree with makes them appreciate the other side and hopefully reduce polarization in our society.”

Pollack and Feiler will compete in the Congressional Debate, where students will review and argue for and against over 40 pieces of legislation drafted by students from all over the country.

e Rina Shkolnik Kosher Pantry

The Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry

591 Malvin Mall Cedarhurst (Maple Plaza)

516-234-6020

Donation Hours: Monday–Thursday 9-5; Friday 9-12

Tax deductible receipts are available upon request.

GIFT CARDS TO MAJOR OR LOCAL FOOD STORES ARE ALSO WELCOME.

Alex

HAFTR

Last fall, the National Speech & Debate Association awarded a district charter to Citron Online for students who cannot compete on Fridays or Saturdays, due to the Jewish observance the Sabbath. Historically, the national tournament has been held during the week, but in order to qualify students were required to compete on the Sabbath. The association recognized the problem and agreed to create the national Citron Online District to qualify yeshiva students for the National Tournament.

HAFTR High School was the first yeshiva high school to join the NSDA and made other yeshiva high schools aware of the opportunity. Libkind petitioned the NSDA for a special, national online district to accommodate Shabbat-observant students.

“I am pleased that NSDA has recognized the need to expand the National Tournament to yeshiva students,” Libkind said in a news release. “To compete effectively in NSDA, students have to evaluate topics from multiple perspectives and argue both for and

Sharon will be debating the topic, “Government employees have a moral obligation to leak classified information to address injustice,” in a Lincoln-Douglas style debate that is a one-on-one values focused debate. Mari will be competing in Extemporaneous Debate, where she will be given a topic 30 minutes before the start of the round and will have to quickly prepare either for or against the resolution.

Well and Maya will be two of the five team members of a hybrid interschool team competing in Worlds School Debate. Menachem Lotwin from Rambam in New York, Sam Passner from Idea School in New Jersey and Ben Cohen from Katz Yeshiva in Florida, are also part of the team.

The team, coached by Libkind, will debate predefined topics around artificial intelligence in the workforce, a permanent location for the Olympics and the value of parliamentary versus presidential elections. They will also be given impromptu topics for which they will have one hour to prepare with just access to an almanac and dictionary.

— Jeffrey Bessen

SUGGESTED ITEMS:

❏ Cereal

❏ Granola Bars

❏ Canned Tuna

❏ Canned Soup

❏ Canned Vegetables

❏ Canned Fruit

❏ Canned Beans

❏ Pasta

❏ Pasta Sauces

❏ Peanut Butter

❏ Jelly/Preserves

❏ Salad Dressings

❏ Cooking Oils

❏ Apple Sauce

❏ Tea Bags

❏ Toilet Paper

❏ Aluminum Foil

❏ Feminine Hygiene Products

❏ Tooth Paste

❏ Soap

❏ Shampoo

The Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry at The S.H.O.P. serves the Five Towns, Rockaways and neighboring communities. The services available at The S.H.O.P. provide an extra benefit to those members of our community requiring additional assistance. They are open to everyone and all are welcome. Social workers are on site for future and further aid. A variety of services are available free of charge.

Courtesy HAFTR

HAFTR’s nATionAl quAliFieRs from left are, Michal Mari, Noa Sharon, Sophia Feiler, Maya Karasanti, Dasi Well and Kaitlin Pollack.

T o compete effectively in NSDA, students have to evaluate topics.

libkind

speech coach

Mount Sinai South Nassau Health Fair on the Long Beach Boardwalk

• Anxiety and depression

• Balance testing

• Blood pressure

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Diabetes risk assessment

• Head and neck cancer screening

• Limited podiatry exams

• Memory screening

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)

STEPPING OUT

by the basketful

Adventures await in local strawberry fields

By Karen Bloom

Get outside and get pickin’. Strawberry season has arrived, and those luscious berries beckon. So gather up your gang and venture out to one of the many “u-pick” growers for a day in the berry patch.

Strawberry season reaches its peak here with the transition from spring to summer, as the fruit grows and ripen throughout May and June. Of course, local is always best, so skip the California and Florida fruit from the supermarket and pick your own.

When you return with your bounty, settle in to whip up some yummy strawberry treats. These fresh gems are always terrific on their own, of course. But when used in a recipe? They’ll jazz up any meal.

in strawberry puree until blended. Pour batter into cooled pan. Bake cheesecake about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until edges are just set and center jiggles slightly. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

Stir together sour cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Spread sour cream mixture on top of cheesecake in an even layer. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Turn oven off and prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let cool in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place in refrigerator and chill until cold throughout, 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

Using the remaining strawberries, halve them and arrange in concentric circles on top of cheesecake to serve.

Iris DeMent

The Americana singer-songwriter Iris DeMent visits the Landmark stage with her timeless songs blending traditional folk, country and gospel influences. With an inimitable voice as John Prine described, ‘like you’ve heard, but not really,’ and unforgettable melodies rooted in hymns and old country music, Iris DeMent is considered one of the finest singer-songwriters in America today. Praised for her storytelling and songwriting abilities, her career has spanned more than three decades, seven studio albums, and collaborations with Prine, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, among others. On her new record, ‘Workin’ On A World,’ DeMent faces the modern world — as it is right now — with its climate catastrophe, pandemic and epidemic of violence and social injustice — and implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing.

Friday, June 9, 8 p.m. $43, $38, $33. Jeanne Rimsky

Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444, or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1-1/2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 2 pounds rhubarb, strings removed, stalks cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Double Strawberry Cheesecake

A classic cheesecake takes on added flavor with the addition of some luscious berries.

Graham cracker crust

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9-1/2 crackers)

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling and topping

• 16 ounces strawberries

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

• 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

Prepare graham cracker crust:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar together in a medium bowl. Press into bottom and at least 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch non-stick springform pan (if pan is not nonstick, brush first with melted butter). Bake until crust is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 300° F.

Then prepare filling and topping:

Hull 1/2 of the strawberries and puree in a blender or food processor. You should have about 3/4 cup puree. Beat cream cheese and 1-1/4 cups sugar in an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, on low speed, beating well after each addition, and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat

• 4 pints strawberries, sliced

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

In a food processor, pulse together 1-1/2 cups of the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the oats and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl.

In another bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, the remaining 1/4 cup flour, and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Spread the fruit filling in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using your fingers, press the topping into large clumps and scatter it over the fruit. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp, about 1 hour. Alternatively, divide the fruit and topping among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Strawberry

Smoothie

• 1 cup coconut milk (or almond milk or your preferred milk)

• 1 cup strawberries (tops removed)

• 1 banana

• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

Combine all of your ingredients in your blender in the order that they are listed (liquid on the bottom and frozen on top). Blend until smooth.

His ‘Bronx Tale’

Chazz Palminteri is back on the Paramount stage with his solo version of ‘A Bronx Tale.’ The powerful one-man stage play depicts his bruising childhood, which included witnessing a gangland killing in the Bronx when he was 9. Palminteri plays 18 characters — friends, enemies and family all come alive on stage. ‘A Bronx Tale’ became a hit after he wrote it in 1989, and the most sought after property since ‘Rocky.’ This is the original show he wrote and performed that made him an in-demand character actor and served as the basis of the acclaimed movie and Broadway musical. In the tradition set forth in the 1970s by such icons as director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, Palminteri has brought grit, muscle and an evocative realism to the sidewalks of his New York neighborhood, violent as they are and were.

Sunday, June 11, 7:30 p.m., $99.50, $89.50, $79.50, $59.50, $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Visit Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY. com for tickets/information.

THE SCENE

The Bacon Brothers

That ‘Footloose’ feeling comes alive when Kevin Bacon takes to the stage, Friday, June 23, 8 p.m., as one-half of the Bacon Brothers, at The Space at Westbury. Bound by blood and a mutual love of American roots music, Michael and Kevin Bacon have spent the past quarter-century in a creative whirl, funneling their shared DNA into a genre-bending sound. They call that sound “Forosoco” — a blend of folk, rock, soul, and country influences, delivered by two songwriters who were born to collaborate — and it’s taken the siblings across the world, from shows in Japan to performances at American landmarks like Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. The Bacon Brothers turn a new page with their 11th release, “Erato,” whose five songs showcase the duo’s dynamic contrasts: quiet moments and big payoffs, organic instrumentation and electronic textures, self-penned songs and high-profile collaborations. Ticket are $45-$80; available at TheSpaceAtWestbury.com. The Space, 250 Post Ave. Westbury.

June 8

Breastfeeding Support Group

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Eye And Mind: The Shin Collection,” highlights the extraordinary collection masterworks assembled by 31-year-old connoisseur Hong Gyu Shin, an internationally recognized figure in the global art world. He shares his treasures, including works by Whistler, Lautrec, Boucher, Daumier, Delacroix, Klimt, Schiele, Balthus, Warhol, de Kooning, Gorky and many other important names from art history provocatively juxtaposed with the painting and sculpture of our own time from both Asia and the West. On view through July 9. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

June 8

Red Skelton

Back by popular demand, Sal St. George, presents an informative multimedia program on the life and career of legendary comedian Red Skelton,Thursday, June 8, 7:30 p.m. Temple Hillel, 100 Rosedale Road, Valley Stream. $5 for members, $8 nonmembers.

Celebrate Israel

Salute Israel and celebrate the nation’s 75 years of independence, while welcoming Eisenhower Park’s summer concert season, when Sid Jacobson JCC joins the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island for IsraelFest, Sunday, June 11

Enjoy family activities, 4-6 p.m., followed by concert with Israeli pop singersongwriter Harel Skatt, 6-8 p.m. The Long Island Cantors Ensemble also performs. Bring seating. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For more information, visit SJJCC.org/ israelfest.

Having an event?

On stage

Families will enjoy another musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, June 9, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Wednesday through Friday, June 14-16, 10:15 a.m. and noon. This musical comedy adventure stars Willems’ beloved character The Pigeon, who is eager to try anything and everything. When a bus driver takes a break from the route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take the driver’s place — a pigeon. The audience is part of the action, in this innovative mix of songs, silliness and feathers. $9 with museum admission ($7 members), $12 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.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.

Whale of a Drink fundraiser

Support The Whaling Museum by participating in Sandbar restaurant’s Whale of a Drink, Whale of a Cause fundraising effort, now through June 21. Enjoy the Sandbar’s iconic cocktail, the Whalebone, and a portion of the purchase will be donated to the museum. A “mocktail” version is also available. To help promote the fundraiser, mixologist Dan Leopold will offer a mixology demonstration and Whalebone tasting at the Museum’s Whales & Ales event on June 3, 2:30-3 p.m. Funds will support the Whaling Museum’s community education programs during its 2023 summer season. 55 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor. For information, visit SandbarColdSpringHarbor.com.

Lawrence village

Lawrence Village Board will hold its last meeting before the June 20 election on Thursday, June 8, at 8 p.m., at Village Hall. 196 Central Ave., Lawrence.

Memory Café

A free Summertime Memory Café series sponsored by Bristal Assisted Living, Friedberg JCC and the Alzheimer’s Association takes place on Fridays, June 9, July 9 and Aug.

11. 477 Hungry Harbor Road, North Woodmere. Space is limited. Call 48 hours in advance (516) 7925100 or email Lori McGuinness at lmcguiness@thebristal.com.

In-person Game Time

Play canasta, mah jongg and Scrabble in the Bentley Room of Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave., Lawrence, Monday, June 12, 2-4:30 p.m. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated. Masks recommended.

Passion for Pride

Support PFY, a division of Long Island Crisis Center, at a 30th Anniversary Benefit celebration, Tuesday, June 13, 6-10 p.m. With drag bingo and performances by Ivy Stalls and Syn; also special guest honoree actor-author-activist Maulik Pancholy. The event, honoring PFY’s 30 years serving Long Island/Queens’ LGBTQ+ communities, is at Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury. For more information and tickets, go to tinyurl.com/pfyevent2023.

‘The Beautiful and Damned’

Enjoy a musical interpretation of the classic novel at Westbury House, Friday, June 9, 7-10 p.m. Before there was Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote “The Beautiful and Damned”: a story that delves into the psychological tribulations of, at first, having everything you’ve ever wanted. What first presents itself as a beautiful love story quickly turns harrowing as the characters struggle to keep themselves afloat. As New York City tumbles into the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald’s characters tumble down a financial and psychological spiral they may never recover from. This adaptation by Long Island native Brooke Di Spirito combines Fitzgerald’s meticulously detailed novel with the elements of a stage musical: a brand new script, score, choreography. Reservations required. $40. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit

New traditions begin as seniors say goodbye

As the end of the 2022-2023 school year readily approaches, Hewlett High School is bustling with energy. The completion of advanced Placement exams, the advent of warmer weather, and the anticipation of the closing school year have all contributed to students’ excitement.

The Top Dog Tournament contributed to the school spirit in the air. Organized for the first time by high school principal Alexandra Greenberg, the Top Dog tournament was a competition between juniors and seniors competing for the “top dog” position at Hewlett High.

University, Brown University, Cornell University, University of Delaware, Harvard University, New York University, and Stony Brook University, among many others.

Hewlett Happenings

Hiral M. CHavre

The tournament included a variety of activities including a Powderpuff Flag Football game and Kan Jam at halftime. Both the junior and senior girls put up a strong fight in the flag football game, but the juniors were ultimately declared the winner. The Top Dog tournament has now been established as a new Hewlett High tradition, with expectations that it will continue as an annual event.

As the end of the year draws near, seniors are looking forward to graduation and their path beyond high school. Hewlett High School seniors are heading to amazing places like Binghamton

Before seniors move on to the next step of their journey, their time at Hewlett High will end with many fun events including the senior barbecue, prom, and of course, graduation.

As a graduating senior, I am so grateful for the memories I have accumulated throughout my years at Hewlett High. Events such as Battle of the Classes and the annual musicals have fostered a strong community and I will miss the strong connections I have made throughout my high school career.

Thank you to all the teachers, faculty, and staff who have contributed to the journey of so many students at Hewlett High School. Despite unprecedented obstacles like the Covid-19 pandemic, my fellow peers and I have surmounted the challenges of high school, ready to take on the world.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my experiences at Hewlett High with the community. Good luck to the Class of 2023 and have a great summer to all Hewlett High students!

Elisabeth Gurtman and Ellie Nathan are the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School’s Class of 2023. Gurtman and Nathan have achieved at a high academic level and showed a deep commitment to HAFTR’s Torah values, school leadership and service in their yearts at the Cedarhurst school.

Gurtman, vice president of the Deah Chapter of the National Honor Society, has excelled in HAFTR High’s most rigorous honors and Advanced Placement courses and is very involved in student life.

She founded the school’s Public Speaking Club and excels as a stellar competitor on the Math Team. Gurtman took part in the Write On for Israel leadership training program and contributed articles to the student newspaper, The Tattler.

Gurtman was captain of the girls’ varsity basketball and softball team. She has assisted at the Marion &Aaron Gural JCC food pantry, served as a Big Sib to guide freshmen through their transition to high school, and volunteered at i-Shine and Friendship Circle.

She will attend Midreshet Torah

v’Avodah Elisabeth in Israel after graduation and then major in psychology in the honors program at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University.

Nathan served as president of the Deah Chapter of the National Honor Society.

She created the school’s podcast and established the Feminism in Film Club, which offers students an opportunity to learn about women in directing, producing and acting roles. Nathan also participated in the Write On for Israel leadership training program and served as a delegate to the Yeshiva University National Model United Nations conference.

Nathan captained the girls’ floor hockey team and involved with Community Chest South Shore’s Youth Board throughout high school; in her current role as Youth Board president, she leads volunteers in food and clothing drives and fundraising activities. She has also devoted time to Yachad, working on weekends with children with special needs.

Her next step is attending Aish Gesher for Women, in Israel, then Barnard College as a pre-med major.

Jeffrey Bessen

Brandeis marches in Israel parade up Fifth Avenue

The Lawrence-based Brandeis Hebrew Academy had roughly 125 people representing the school on Frost Lane, including alumni, grandparents, parents, students and teachers in the annual Israel parade in Manhattan on June 4.

The school has taken part in the

parade that this year celebrated 75 years of the Jewish state since 1970. Marchers proceed along Fifth Avenue north from 57th Street to 74th Street.

— Jeffrey Bessen

Photos courtesy Brandeis Hebrew Academy students Payge Lederman, left, Jacqueline Thayer and

at tHe israel parade on June 4 were Brandeis Hebrew Academy students Ilan Rakhminov, left, Avishai Greenberg and Adam Mandelbaum.

Best Hospital

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH) is committed to providing the Rockaway community with the full scope of healthcare services without having to leave the peninsula.

That is why we are proud to have won Best of the Boro for the 4th year in a row. Whether you need prenatal or other obstetrics/gynecology care, we provide Women’s Services for all stages of life. We also provide critical Behavioral Health services through our Care Coordination Program, Community Mental Health Center, Family Peer Support Services, Home-Based Crisis Intervention Program, and Wellness & Recovery Center.

To learn more about all the services SJEH has to offer, visit ehs.org/services-departments.

Lawrence students focus on having healthy minds

May was Mental Health Awareness Month and students at the Lawrence Primary School took part in a spirit week to note the importance of mental health.

Andrew Barth Feldman stars in ‘No Hard Feelings’

With scenes filmed in the Five Towns last year, the movie “No Hard Feelings” stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence and Lawrence Woodmere Academy graduate Andrew Barth Feldman, the R-rated flick will be released on June 23.

Lawrence plays Maddie a down-on-herluck Uber driver who is on the brink of losing her childhood home. A unique job listing peeks her interest: “wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to ‘date’ their introverted 19-year-old son before he leaves for college,” Percy played

by Feldman.

For a Buick Regal, Maddie agrees to act as Percy’s “girlfriend” and launch him into adulthood. With a Hollywood twist, Maddie learns that the “awkward Percy is no sure thing.”

Set in Montauk, “No Hard Feelings” was directed by Gene Stupnitsky and includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Natalie Morales. It was written by Stupnitsky and John Phillips.

— Jeffrey Bessen

Students donned pajamas on Mellow Monday to understand the vitality of feeling relaxed and taking time for reflection. On Take Care of Yourself Tuesday, the children learned how self-care and self-help could reduce negative emotions and promote the wellness of their bodies and minds.

Wearing green on Wellness Wednesday, the students represented mental health and highlight the importance of self-esteem. Pink was the color of Thankful Thursday and the kids participated in activities and classroom lessons focuses on gratitude.

School spirit was on display that Friday as the students showed their school spirit and talked about why physical activity is a vital part of mental health. The children created what were called positivity mirrors to remember to think positive thoughts.

“We want to give our young learn-

ers the tools to be able to successfully manage their feelings, including feeling comfortable speaking about their emotions and the challenges or stresses they might be facing at any given in time, and when to ask for help navigating their big emotions,” Principal Kristen Mcloughlin stated in a news release.

—

Courtesy Andrew Barth Feldman

Lawrence woodmere academy graduate

Andrew Barth Feldman will star with Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence in the movie ‘No Hard Feelings.’

Jeffrey Bessen

Courtesy Lawrence schools Lawrence Primary SchooL students in pajamas for Mellow Monday from left were Jaretzmy Reyes-Calderon, Fabio Rodriguez, Kathlee Bonilla and Leesa Brasse.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

AJM CAPITAL II, LLC, Plaintiff -against- FRED SAVOY, et al

Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated March 22, 2023 and entered on March 23, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on June 20th, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, known and designated as Section 40 Block 57 Lot 196 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map as it presently exists. All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 13 EGGERT PLACE, “VACANT LOT”, INWOOD, NY Approximate amount of lien $16,083.17 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 615214/2019.

LAWRENCE M.

SCHAFFER, ESQ., Referee

Braunstein Turkish LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

7600 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 402, Woodbury, NY

11797

{* NASSAU HER*}

139528

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

RBS CITIZENS, NA F/K/A

CHARTER ONE BANK, Plaintiff -against- LAVERN BECKFORD AND NEVILLE

LEWIS, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated September 26, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at (CCP) Calendar Control Part Court Room of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Dr., Mineola, NY on June 26, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at a point on the Southerly side of Cedarhurst Street, distant 537.35 feet Westerly and Southwesterly as measured along the southerly and Southeasterly side of Duston Road from the extreme Westerly end of the arc of a curve which connects the Southerly

side of Duston Road with the Westerly side of Oakleigh Road; being a plot 129.43 feet by 10.89 feet by 121.28 feet by 112.71 feet by 37.82 feet.

Section: 39 Block: 549

Lot: 41.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 1069 DUSTON ROAD, NORTH WOODMERE, NY

Approximate amount of lien $717,014.19 plus interest & costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney.

Index Number 011136/2014.

RALPH MADALENA, ESQ.,

Referee

David A. Gallo & Associates LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 47 Hillside Avenue, 2nd Floor, Manhasset, NY 11030

File# 5025.2735 {* NASSAU HER, NEWSDAY NA*}

139710

LEGAL NOTICE

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hewlett Harbor will meet in both public and via Zoom on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 7:00PM, Eastern Standard Time, for the purpose of holding the Village’s regular monthly meeting.

An agenda for the meeting will be made available to the public on the Village Website.

All residents wishing to attend via Zoom can visit www.hewlettharbor.org for instructions. Residents wishing to speak via Zoom or in person must notify the Village Clerk in advance.

Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York May 26, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR

NICOLE GIACOPELLI VILLAGE CLERK 139832

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the General Election of the Village of WOODSBURGH will be held on June 20, 2023, at the Keystone Yacht Club, Woodmere Blvd., Woodmere, New York.

Polls will open at Noon, and remain open continuously thereafter until 9:00 p.m., at which time they will close.

The offices and terms to be filled at such election are as follows:

One (1) Mayor, for term of two (2) years

Two (2) Trustees, for term of two (2) years each

The following are the names and addresses of the persons who have been duly nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Election Law:

One (1) Mayor for term of two (2) years:

Jake Harman

135 Willow Road

Woodsburgh Woodmere, New York 11598

Two (2) Trustees for terms of two (2) years each:

Alan Hirmes

25 Wood Lane Woodsburgh Woodmere, NY 11598

Dr. Barry Rozenberg

881 Ivy Hill Road

Woosburgh Woodmere, NY 11598

By Order of the Board of Trustees

Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk

Dated: June 8, 2023

139964

LEGAL NOTICE (NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF BOND RESOLUTION FOR PUBLICATION)

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on May 1, 2023, and an abstract thereof has been published and posted as required by law and the period of time has elapsed for the submission and filing of a petition for a permissive referendum and a valid petition has not been submitted and filed. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Cedarhurst, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of the notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Salvatore Evola Village Clerk

BOND RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST, NEW YORK, ADOPTED MAY 1, 2023, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000 TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS TO A PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 68 WASHINGTON AVENUE, IN THE VILLAGE, TO BE USED AS A VILLAGE PARKING LOT, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS $500,000 AND APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is the construction of improvements to a parcel of real property located at 68 Washington Avenue, in the Village, to be used as a Village parking lot, at the estimated maximum cost of $500,000. The period of usefulness is ten (10) years. The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $500,000. A complete copy of the bond resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village of Cedarhurst, Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, New York. 139962

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk

Dated: June 8, 2023

139966

LEGAL NOTICE

INC. VILLAGE OF HEWLETT BAY PARK

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS FOR VILLAGE ELECTION VILLAGE OF HEWLETT BAY PARK

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the general election of the Village of HEWLETT BAY PARK will be held on June 20, 2023, at Village Hall, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York. Polls will open at Noon, and remain open continuously thereafter until 9:00 p.m., at which time they will close.

The offices and terms to be filled at such election are as follows:

Two (2) Trustees, for a term of two (2) years each

One (1) Trustee, for a term of one (1) year

The following are the names and addresses of the persons who have been duly nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Election Law:

Two (2) Trustees, for terms of two (2) years each:

Jay Levy 105 Everit Avenue Hewlett Bay Park Hewlett, N.Y. 11557

Renee Zylberberg 203 Woodside Drive Hewlett Bay Park Hewlett NY 11557

One (1) Trustee, for a term of one (1) year

Michael Davidov

a non-conforming 1family dwelling., S/s Roger Ave., 209.99’ E/o Craft Ave., a/k/a 63 Roger Ave. 382/23. ATLANTIC BEACH - 139 Bayside Drive LLC, Renewal of grant to maintain 6’ high masonry & wood fence larger than pool installation area., W/s Bayside Dr., 332.94’ N/o Park St., a/k/a 139 Bayside Dr. THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

“ Abittan, 81 Sealy Drive- Section 70-11.B of the Village Code states that it shall be unlawful to alter, change, add to or remove from any site soil or other material which will result in any deviation from the original grade of the property.

LEGAL NOTICE INC. VILLAGE OF HEWLETT NECK

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS FOR VILLAGE ELECTION VILLAGE OF HEWLETT NECK

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the general election of the Village of HEWLETT NECK will be held on June 20,2023, at the Keystone Yacht Club, Woodmere Blvd., Woodmere, New York. Polls will be open at Noon, and remain open continuously thereafter until 9:00 p.m., at which time they will close. The offices and terms to be filled at such election are as follows:

Two (2) Trustees, for terms of two (2) years each

The following are the names and addresses of the persons who have been duly nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Election Law:

Two (2) Trustees, for terms of two (2) years each:

Michael Levine

158 Woodmere Blvd. Hewlett Neck Woodmere, New York 11598

Isaac Showman 280 Dolphin Drive Hewlett Neck Woodmere, New York 11598

207 Woodside Drive

Hewlett Bay Park

Hewlett NY 11557

By Order of the Board of Trustees

Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk

Dated: June 8, 2023

139965

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 6/14/23 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 381/23. INWOODFrancia Benavides & Nicole Benavides Carlson, Renewal of grant to maintain 2-family dwelling converted from

STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 1357/23. INWOODIsaiah Moultrie, Eulah Moultrie, Sandra Nichols, Isaiah Moultrie Sr., Mott Ave. Real Estate Holding LTD & Jonathan Davis, Special exception to exceed floor area ratio; variances, height, exceeds number of stories, lot area occupied, front yards setbacks on Bayview Ave. & Russell Pl. & within clear sight triangle on both streets, side yard, rear yard, construct 5-story multi-family building with accessory parking in portion of first floor (Rehearing of Case # 185/20)., N/W cor. Bayview Ave. & Russell Pl. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Atlantic Beach and Inwood within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

139915

“ Moret LLC, 210 Beach 2nd St Section 212-23. I (1) of the Village of Lawrence Code states that a multiple dwelling in a business K zone shall have a minimum of 50 apartment units.Section 212-23. I (5) of the Village of Lawrence Code states that a multiple dwelling in a business K zone with a lot size of 10,430.61 sq. ft. in area requires a 15 ft. rear yard setback.Section 212-23. I (6) of the Village of Lawrence Code states that a multiple dwelling in a Business K zone with a lot size of 10,430.61 sq. ft. in area requires a 10 ft. side yard setback.

“ Begun, 364 Mulry Lane -Lot #1Section 212-22.Cof the Village Code states, in Residential District F, the minimum lot area is 6,000 sq. ft. Section 212-22.G of the Village Code states, in Residential District F, the minimum street frontage is 60 ft. Lot #2 Section 212-22.C of the Village Code states, in Residential District F, the minimum lot area is 6,000 sq. ft. Section 212-22.G of the Village Code states, in Residential District F, the minimum street frontage is 60 ft. Wolfson, 57 Harborview WestSection 212.12.1

District- Woodmere Club, the minimum lot area is 15,000 sq. ft. Section 212.13.1M of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in the Coastal Conservation DistrictWoodmere Club, the minimum street frontage is 100 ft. Section 212.13.1M of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in the Coastal Conservation DistrictWoodmere Club, the minimum lot width at 125ft. in depth is 75 ft. The order in which the listed applications are heard shall be determined the night of the meeting. The applications and accompanying exhibits are on file and may be inspected at the Village Office during normal business hours between 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. If anyone needs special accommodations for a disability, such person should contact the Village Clerk at least 5 days before the hearing. All interested parties will have the opportunity to be heard

By Order of the Board of Appeals

Lloyd Keilson Chairman

Dated:May 24, 2023 139908

LEGAL NOTICE

(NOTICE AND SUMMARY OF BOND RESOLUTION FOR PUBLICATION)

LEGAL NOTICE

Village of Lawrence Legal Notice

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of Lawrence will hold a work session beginning at 6:45 P.M. followed by a public meeting on June 22, 2023 at the Lawrence Village Hall 196 Central Ave Lawrence, New York 11559 beginning at 7:30 P.M. to conduct the following Public Hearings and to attend to such other matters as may properly come before the Board:

“

Schedule dimensional Regulations states, the maximum surface coverage for a lot size of 10,355 sq. ft. in an area is 4,660 sq. ft. Section 212-12.1 of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, the minimum side yard setback for a lot size of 10,355 sq. ft. is 15 ft. Section 212.48.B of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in a residence B District, the minimum rear yard setback for a pool is 20 ft. Section 212.47 of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in a residence B District, the minimum side yard setback for a pool heater is 15 ft.

WG Woodmere LLC, 99 Meadow Drive-Section 212-13.1K of the of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in the Coastal Conservation District - Woodmere Club, No residential homes are permitted within the open space/recreation sub district. Lot #45, Lot #46, Lot #47, Lot #48, Lot #49, Lot #50, Lot #51, Lot #52, Lot #60, Lot #84, Lot #85: Section 212.13.1M of the code of the Village of Lawrence states, in the Coastal Conservation

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on May 1, 2023, and an abstract thereof has been published and posted as required by law and the period of time has elapsed for the submission and filing of a petition for a permissive referendum and a valid petition has not been submitted and filed. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Cedarhurst, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of the notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Salvatore Evola Village Clerk

Public Notices

ACQUISITION OF ACQUISITION OF A PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 68 WASHINGTON AVENUE, IN THE VILLAGE, FOR USE AS A VILLAGE PARKING LOT, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS $2,000,000, APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND STATING THAT $200,000 OF SAID APPROPRIATION WILL BE PAID FROM AVAILABLE VILLAGE FUNDS

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is to acquire a parcel of real property located at 68 Washington Avenue, in the Village (Sec. 39 - Blk. 419 - Lot 133), for use as a Village parking lot, at the estimated maximum cost of $2,000,000, with $200,000 of the cost to be paid from available Village funds..

The period of usefulness is thirty (30) years.

The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $1,800,000.

A complete copy of the bond resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village of Cedarhurst, Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, New York.

139961

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held as to the following matter:

Agency: Board of Appeals

Jay Gordon, former Lawrence village mayor, dies at 97

By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com

Jay Gordon was known to have his golf clubs with him in his Manhattan law office and after a day of prepping for a case, he grabbed his golf bag, hailed a taxicab and headed back to Lawrence and the village’s country club to play a round.

“Next to his family and the law he was passionate about golf,” his daughter Amy Gordon Solomon said.

Gordon died on May 28 in Albany. He was 97.

Born on Popham Avenue in the Bronx on Feb. 5, 1926, Gordon attended public schools in his home borough and upstate Goshen, and graduated from Townsend Harris High School in Queens at 14 years, 11 months old. Later on his IQ was Columbia University-certified at 169, which is considered exceptional.

“He had a photographic memory which made him a very impressive lawyer,” Solomon said.

He entered City College of New York in January 1941 at 15, and was elected president of the freshmen, sophomore and junior classes.

Village of Woodsburgh

Date: June 21, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Place: Village Hall, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York

Subject: Application of Micha and Lika Kalbo, 100 Woodmere Boulevard South, Woodsburgh, New York, to construct additions, alterations, a swimming pool, pavement, retaining walls, fencing and piers, which construction requires variances of the following Village Code sections: (a) 150-10, in that the following proposed improvements are set back from the front property line the following distances (i) addition over the garage is 40.6 feet, (ii) entry roof overhang is 41.4 feet, (iii) foyer addition is 45.39 feet, (iv) 2nd floor addition is 34.47 feet, (v) 2nd story deck is 30.52 feet, and (vi) pergola is 20.25 feet, where a minimum of 50 feet is required; (b) 150-13.1, in that the following improvements will have the following heightsetback ratios, (i) garage addition (from Woodmere Boulevard South) 0.436, (ii) garage addition (Browers Point Branch) 0.4826 at the peak and 0.533 at the low point, (iii) foyer addition 0.54, and (iv) 2nd floor addition 0.534 at the peak and 0.63 at the low point, where a maximum ratio of 0.42 is permitted; (c) 150-39(A)(1), in that the lot coverage will be 5,655.5 square feet, where a maximum of 3,441.36 square feet is

permitted; (d) 150-39(B), in that the impervious surface coverage will be 10,685.8 square feet, where a maximum of 7,265.94 square feet is permitted; (e) 150-39(E), in that (i) the play set is 11 feet from the southerly property line and (ii) the pool shed is 8.333 feet from a property line, where a minimum of 13.33 feet is required; (f) 150-39(E), in that the (i) play set and (ii) pergola, are in a front yard, where no accessory structure is permitted in a front yard;

(g) 150-39.1(A)(1), in that the outdoor kitchen is located partially in a front yard, where no such kitchen may be located in a front yard; (h) 150-47(H), in that the (i) pool and spa are located partially in a front yard,

(ii) pool equipment is located in a front yard,

(iii) retaining wall and pool fencing on top are located in a front and side yard, (iv) retaining wall and fencing on top are located 5 feet from Browers Point Branch, (v) retaining wall and pool fencing on top are located 3.75 feet from the easterly property line, (vi) retaining wall and pool fencing are located 5 feet from the southerly property line, (vii) pool and spa are located 20.32 feet from the front property line, (viii) pool and spa are located 22.77 feet from the side property line, where a pool, including pool fencing and pool equipment shall be located not less than 25 feet from the rear

property line, 25 feet from the side property line, and for a corner lot 25 feet from any property line abutting a street; and

(i) 150-50(B), in that the fence on top of the retaining wall is 4.583 feet in height, where a maximum height of 4 feet is permitted. The swimming pool also requires a special permit pursuant to Village Code §150-47(B). Premises are also known as Section 41, Block 61, Lot 8 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map. At the said time and place, all interested persons may be heard with respect to the foregoing matters. This application is a Type II Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

Any person having a disability which would inhibit attendance at or participation in the hearing should notify the Village Clerk at least three business days prior to the hearing, so that reasonable efforts may be made to facilitate such attendance and participation. All relevant documents may be inspected at the office of the Village Clerk, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York, during regular business hours.

Dated: May 31, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF APPEALS Michelle

Blandino, Village Clerk

139960

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

Gordon enlisted in the army reserves in August of 1943 and was sent to Cornell University for basic engineering then to Camp Wheeler in Georgia the next year. Assigned to Fort Benning, also in Georgia, for officer candidate school.

He was released from OCS and sent overseas to Italy as part of the Fifth Army division. He was a corporal. In the army when he received a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from legendary Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. As seaman first Class, Gordon was assigned to the Great Lakes naval base and discharged in 1947.

Several months before he married Eleanor Gordon in September 1946, Eleanor did not have to change her last name as Gordon was her maiden name.

After graduation from St. John’s University Law School, Gordon clerked for the Cardozo and Nathan law firm and went on to become a prominent litigator and managing partner with the law firm of Phillips Nizer.

Of the many major cases Gordon was involved with was the infamous Love Canal litigation. The upstate community was one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history and the first designated as a superfund site, when the federal Environmental Protection Agency is tasked with cleanup and remediation of a contaminated property.

The Gordons moved to Lawrence in 1956, and became involved neighbors as members of Congregation Beth

Sholom. Eleanor who died in 1988 was well known for her artistic ability.

Jay was appointed to the village’s building design board in 1961 and losing a trustee election the year before. He was elected mayor in 1964 and again four years later.

Under his mayoral administration, the village’s sewage treatment plant was opened and Gov. Nelson Rockefeller visited Lawrence, was instrumental in acquiring land previously known as the Williams Estate that would become the 12th, 13th and 14 holes of Lawrence’s golf course, a major renovation that did not cost the village money, Solomon said. Gordon also acquired the club’s tennis court, established the village court and refurbished the municipality’s crest and flag.

“I knew Jay for more than 25 years,” Jonah Schein wrote in an email. “We played golf regularly at Lawrence and had lunch almost even Saturday when golf season was over.”

Schein noted that Gordon was the club’s champion golfer in 1980, when he was 54.

Gordon is survived by his second wife, Barbara, children Amy, Irving Gordon and Cindy Finkelstein, 10 grandchildren and a dozen greatgrandchildren. Also Barbara’s children, Jon Bell and Andrea. Daughter Patricia Gordon also predeceased him.

“He was just a kindhearted, sweet, happy guy,” Solomon said. “He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed every minute.”

Photos courtesy Amy Gordon Solomon

JaY GoRdoN caRRYiNG his golf bag and hailing a cab after a day at the office to return to Lawrence and get in a round of golf in 1988.

aS LawRENcE maYoR Jay Gordon was responsible for enhancing the golf course.

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Administrative Opening Monticello Central School

Assistant Secondary Principal

The successful candidate should possess: Knowledge of research-based instructional programs & practices; exp. w/ teacher supervision & evaluation; a record of successfully improving learning experiences and enhancing school to home communication; and can provide a supportive environment with knowledge of social-emotional competencies, restorative practices, and promote a culturally responsive educational climate.

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The Monticello CSD is seeking forward thinking and dynamic School Building Principal who can lead MCSD’s highly engaged faculty, staff, parents, students, and community. The successful candidate will have a vision of educational excellence, be highly motivated, and demonstrates an ability to impact student learning.

Starting Salary: $150,000 NYS SDA/SAS/SBL Certification Required plus 2 yrs. of previous administrative leadership and 3 yrs. exp as a classroom teacher preferred. Please apply online by June 15th at https://monticelloschools.tedk12.com/hire or OLAS EOE

Assistant Elementary Principal

The successful candidate should possess:

Knowledge of research-based instructional programs & practices; exp. w/ teacher supervision & evaluation; a record of successfully improving learning experiences and enhancing school to home communication; and can provide a supportive environment with knowledge of social-emotional competencies, restorative practices, and promote a culturally responsive educational climate.

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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

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Just Move into This Gut Rvated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout. Large Designer Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm. Master BR Boasts Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet. Terrace Faces into Courtyard. Garage Parking Incl REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $599,000

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Removing a deck to add a room

Q. We started planning a project to add a room, 303 square feet, in 2015, and due to many delays, we received approval for a permit only in January of this year. The costs from when we originally started planning until now increased from an estimated $80,000 to almost $200,000. Part of the work was to remove the previous owner’s handicapped-accessible deck with a permitted roof, which, thankfully, we don’t need. We got an alternative estimate for a paving-block patio, which we understand doesn’t need a permit in our town if it’s on the ground. The contractor even said we could cover the entire yard. We still want to keep the roof, so do we need a permit for the patio, and do we need a permit for the footings to continue supporting the roof we want to keep?

IA. You can see, firsthand, what has happened with the economy and costs. Fortunately, you have an alternative to save money. People who are planning enclosed rooms aren’t as fortunate in the economy we’re now facing.

Avenue Rockville Centre NY, 11570 516.678.1510

I have always recommended patios, properly drained, supported and finished, over the other choice of decking, where possible, not just because many jurisdictions don’t require a permit for the paving, but also because the maintenance is less for a patio, and it will last much longer than a deck system. Some communities have regulations for a permit to be filed for paving to show the authorities that the paving is “permeable” — that it still allows rain to seep into the ground to recharge the water supply deep in the earth below. Your location is in a town that doesn’t require a permit for anything that’s built less than 8¼ inches above the ground. Incidentally, the magic of 8¼ inches isn’t arbitrary; it’s the maximum height of a step in the building code.

I just returned from a trade fair where I had the opportunity to discuss material pricing with many suppliers, and the consensus is that prices for commodity materials such a raw lumber and cement will begin to fluctuate downward, but many said that they don’t anticipate manufactured items to come down again. Just as real estate has seen a dramatic increase, so now have materials and construction in general.

The biggest concern we should all have, if we care about the next generation and the health of our economy, is whether they will ever be able to afford what their parents had. Currently, only 9 percent of the next generation of American families own or have a mortgage on a home, while the majority of the generation has had to find alternatives, such as multi-generational living arrangements or apartments, trailers or recreational vehicles as permanent living, according to Building magazine, among other building information resources. I hope the existing deck roof already has a correct supporting footing in the ground. If not, good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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Monte

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Now pitching, after five weeks on the injury list ...

Last week I had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch before a Long Island Ducks game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The game was played at the Ducks’ home field, the Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip. The Ducks played well, and won 9-2. A normal person reading this might say, that’s nice, but no big deal.

Real baseball fans, however, don’t fit the definition of normal.

For one thing, they never really grow up, and being on a professional baseball field, even just to throw one pitch before the game has even begun, is for many a childhood dream.

But living this dream includes living through and overcoming incredible tension and fear of failure. This is especially true if you happen to be a politician who knows that no matter how beloved you think you might be, there are thousands of fans just waiting to see you suffer the ignominious fate of bouncing the

pitch before it crosses home plate and settles into the catcher’s mitt. I know of several otherwise courageous politicians who will never accept the offer (or challenge) to throw out the first pitch. Or if they do develop some nerve, they throw the ball from well in front of the rubber, which, of course, is atop the pitcher’s mound, 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate.

To me, that shortened version doesn’t count as a real first pitch, so I always summoned the courage — more than I ever needed to deliver a major speech on the floor of Congress — to pitch from the rubber, and always succeeded, except for the one time, which I will never forget and always regret, when the ball faded away at the last instant and drifted off at the front of the batter’s box, forcing the catcher to make what looked like a hockey goalie’s acrobatic save.

Last week’s first pitch was particularly stressful. I had been successfully operated on for stomach cancer less than five weeks before, during which part of my stomach was removed and I was left with a 9-inch-long incision that

had to heal. The surgeon, who probably considered referring me to a psychiatrist, consented to my first-pitch antics if I threw it “softly” from in front of the mound. Reluctantly I agreed to those terms and conditions. Walking to the mound, I felt more tension than when I was being wheeled into the operating room.

But both times, my prayers were answered. The surgery had been successful, the pitch was over the plate, and the incision didn’t reopen.

Separate from my baseball delusions, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being able to associate with the Ducks organization. The team and its owner, Frank Boulton, have been a Long Island institution for a quarter century. Playing in the Atlantic League, the Ducks bring a solid, high level of baseball to Long Island.

Their roster invariably includes future and past major leaguers, the most current and prominent being their designated hitter, former Mets great Daniel Murphy. Also notable is their manager, Wally Backman, the star second base-

man on the Mets’ 1986 World Series champion team. No one, though, has been more beloved in Ducks history than Bud Harrelson, the Mets’ All-Star shortstop when they won the 1969 Series, who was a Ducks coach and team vice president for so many years until he had to step aside because of Alzheimer’s.

The Ducks are an integral part of the Long Island community, being active in charitable and veterans events and making their home games family-friendly and affordable. Being at a Ducks game is like viewing a Norman Rockwell painting depicting real America: kids, parents and grandparents enjoying an afternoon or evening of baseball; members of local organizations singing the pre-game national anthem; veterans, police officers and firefighters being honored on the field. All this and so much more makes me appreciate the Ducks and what they mean to Long Island.

Boulton initially invited me to throw out a first pitch at a game back in 2002, and it has been an honor to be invited back over the years. I’m proud to call Frank my friend and proud to be a loyal Ducks fan. Play ball!

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

No, I don’t have time to answer your survey

You don’t have a moment, and neither do I, but what does that matter? Ubiquitous, intrusive and endless surveys are a good idea gone rogue.

Suddenly, all of life’s experiences are followed up with an emailed questionnaire asking you to rate your doctor, car rental, pet groomer, colorist, breakfast cereal, political candidate, wine, motel, coffee or underpants. Have a moment? Have a moment? Have a moment?

vey popped up on my phone before I even left the premises. It was pages long and asked my input on everything from the hygiene of the location to the friendliness of staff at all levels and my thoughts about ever returning to that center or recommending it to others.

meal

The basic idea of soliciting people’s opinions about service and products and experiences is sound. But, as with many decent ideas today, folks are beating it to death with overuse. You can’t make simple purchases without the inevitable survey landing in your inbox.

RANDI KREISS

Let’s agree that there are surveys you will consider answering and some you delete immediately for very good reason.

Example: I hurt my wrist last week and went to a local urgent care. The sur-

I was impressed with the place, the efficiency and the kindness of the staff and the thoroughness of the doctor. I was not so happy with one of the medical support people who poked around my wrist with some indifference to my pain level, and there was a place on the form to say so. I gladly filled out the online survey and happily signed my name. I will probably not go back there again, because I have my own doctor. That’s why I felt safe to relinquish anonymity.

A few days later, I had a follow-up appointment with my physician to check my wrist. I see him twice a year. I chose him as my doctor because I like him and the way he works with patients. By the time I got into my car, swish, the survey popped up.

In the most suspicious part of my

brain, I believe my doctor somehow can access the surveys and find out who threw him under the bus. I can imagine him in the evenings, poring over the surveys, tracking the patients who mentioned how freezing the examining rooms are or how frustrating the office phone system can be. He’s the guy with the needles and potions and sharp instruments at his disposal; I would never put anything online that wasn’t in the order of high praise. No. No surveys for me at my doctor’s office.

Open Table, the restaurant reservation website, sends surveys all the time, soliciting consumers’ opinions about everything from food to service to ambience. In one happy exchange, I wrote a seriously negative review of a restaurant we frequent, explaining that our experience seemed to be an anomaly but it was awful, and I wanted the owner to know. I signed my name.

The owner called me and invited us back for a free dinner. We went. It was great. I said so in a follow-up survey. Good. Good.

Now, if I had nothing to do in my life

but fill out surveys, I would be giving feedback to Chukar Cherries, my food gift outlet of choice; Optum RX, my mail order drug company; Amazon; The Washington Post; BridgeBase, my online game site; UPS; Marriott Hotels; Chewy, my go-to store for pet supplies; American Airlines; and every magazine to which I ever subscribed.

But I have a busy life, and in order to discover how well I’m doing in my own arena, I developed a small survey for my son and daughter to complete. Just five easy-to-answer questions, which I emailed to them last week:

1. Did you have a happy childhood?

2. Do you have any memories of the time I flipped out, took the car and ran away from home when you were 5 and 2?

3. Why don’t you call more often?

4. Have you ever told a therapist any family secrets?

5. What are your feelings about adult children taking in their parents?

No surprise: There has been a complete communication blackout. I guess answering anonymously wasn’t an option.

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

But we got a free

when I complained about an eatery we frequent.

This time I had no choice but to throw from in front of the mound.

Volunteering has its pros and cons

transparency and details are everything, but where has transparency gone?

The Nassau County Bridge Authority, which operates just one bridge — the 70-year-old Atlantic Beach Bridge — has undergone some hard-to-miss changes since early 2022. In March of that year, new leadership was appointed: Cedarhurst businessman Samuel Nahmias came in as its newest authority chair, succeeding longtime leader Jimmy Vilardi.

Later that year, the bridge authority announced it was raising toll rates from $2 to $3 for passenger vehicles, while doubling the price for trucks that had typically paid between $4 and $8, depending on size. It was the first Atlantic Beach Bridge toll increase since 2007.

The bridge authority also announced installation of the E-ZPass system, which has become standard for toll roads across the region, to allow motorists to pay electronically.

But when the toll increase, the bridge authority received backlash from commuters, who demanded proof of why such an increase was needed in the first place.

The answers came, but not as easily as they once did. The truth was, the bridge authority was losing a million dollars per year. beginning with a little more than

$765,000 in 2019, climbing to more than $2.2 million at the height of the pandemic in 2020, to just a tad shy of $1 million in 2021.

Authority members put that information in a news release, and planned to answer questions from the public in a meeting shortly after at its headquarters. They did answer those questions, but jammed the public in an overcrowded space while ensconcing themselves in a large upstairs conference room.

But losses — even in the seven-digit range — wasn’t enough. Commuters kept asking why, why, why. The started circulating petitions last February demanding the authority rescind the toll increase and open its finances to the public to show proof that such an increase was needed.

Instead, what was once a bright light shining on information at the bridge authority has dimmed significantly. Fare increases were not discussed again, and while motorists waited for more convenient ways to pay — like E-ZPass — the authority declared the payment system was “well on its way” in April in anticipation of a mid-2023 rollout. We are approaching mid-year now, with no sign of E-ZPass, and silence from the authority about where things stand.

The bridge authority — as any quasi-legislative body – is going to get peppered with

questions, and even criticism — especially when those who pay for the body’s operations are being asked to open their wallets wider. But no body using public money should shade transparency. Those who pay the tolls have every right to know how that money is being spent, and why they have to fork over even more.

News releases to the public have become few and far between. And even seeking public records through the Freedom of Information Law isn’t easy, as a button specifically for FOIL requests on the authority’s website is “under construction,” and leads nowhere.

The bridge authority needs to respond to the community. Last year, when Sanitary District 14 was faced with problems collecting trash and recyclables in Atlantic Beach Estates, East Atlantic Beach and Water Club, a community meeting was held at the Ocean Club in Atlantic Beach. There, officials from S.D. 14 and S.D. 1 met with residents and hashed out a solution.

We appreciate the volunteer time board members give, taking on the responsibility of running the Nassau County Bridge Authority. But that responsibility is not just limited to making decisions. It also extends to listening — and responding — to the needs of the people they directly serve: the commuters.

Why I voted for a casino at the Coliseum

since 2014 I have had the privilege of representing the residents of the 2nd District at the Nassau County Legislature. Throughout that time, I have contemplated and made decisions on a full spectrum of controversial and consequential issues. Deciding whether or not to execute a lease transfer agreement between the county and Las Vegas Sands was one of the most difficult decisions I have been confronted with to date.

What made it so challenging is the fact that I don’t have the luxury of analyzing this or any other issue that comes before me as a lawmaker through a one-dimensional lens.

Because I am entrusted with overseeing and safeguarding Nassau County’s fiscal future, I had to carefully considering the tax revenue, economic development and job creation opportunities presented by the resort and casino Las Vegas Sands has proposed building at the

Nassau Hub. The last two factors are especially vital for the economically disadvantaged communities that I serve as a legislator.

As a policy maker, I must always be aware of the legislative atmosphere in which I am operating — and in New York state, legal gambling is a growing reality. Online sports betting became legal in January 2022, and in a 2013 statewide referendum, 67 percent of Nassau voters cast ballots in favor of the siting of seven new casinos throughout the Empire State.

As a community advocate, I researched, vetted and deliberated on the heartfelt concerns my constituents expressed about potential impacts of the Hub development on public safety, traffic and behavioral health. One especially important element of advocacy is robust community engagement.

To get the pulse of the communities I represent, I took part in numerous events in Hempstead, Uniondale and Westbury. In Uniondale — the host community for any development at the Hub — I met with leaders of the public

Letters

Give neighbors a chance to manage L.I.’s electricity

To the Editor:

Re Jerry Kremer’s column last week, “The PSEG love affair is over”: Mr. Kremer opposes “giving a group of local neighbors the power to dictate to professionals” operating a Long Island power company.

“Dictate” may be hyperbole, but it identifies the general problem: unaccountable power. The history provided — LILCO, LIPA, PSEG — demonstrates consistently inadequate infrastructure, a focus on shareholders over ratepayers, the interference of friends in high places, and the general disdain for customer concerns characteristic of near-monopolies. We can agree that “John Q. Citizen” ought not “dictate” to professional operators, but Mr. Citizen is also a ratepayer, dissatisfied by the “professionals’” history of mismanagement, and now seeks greater transparency, accountability and responsiveness.

Dictatorship by professionals is well known, and is what must be curbed. So long as the primary interests remain short-term corporate goals, the future delivery of Long Island’s electrons will replicate its past. Municipalization may not be the answer, but our history of failures suggests we try a new arrangement.

BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Clearing the air about marijuana

To the Editor:

Since the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act was enacted in New York in March 2021, confusion remains about marijuana’s legal and medical realities. As part of the North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse efforts to reduce the use and abuse of substances by our youth, we offer below some information on marijuana so you can inform yourself and your family.

The law allows those 21 and older to use cannabis wherever smoking tobacco is permitted, except in a motor vehicle or where the Clean Air Act is in effect. Specifically, it allows for adult possession of up to 3 ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of cannabis concentrate. An adult may grow up to three marijuana plants at home, and homes with more than one adult may grow up to six plants (three mature, three immature).

So, does that mean that adults can purchase adult-use marijuana locally now?

The answer may surprise you: no. Most Nassau County municipalities have opted out of permitting retail sales of marijuana in their jurisdictions. For a complete review of what is legal and illegal, go to government sites including NewYorkStateCannabis.org.

As important as legality is to the conversation about marijuana, equally critical is the discussion of its impact on teen health. Marijuana potency has steadily

library, the Fire Department, the Nassau County Land Bank and other key stakeholders to ascertain the community’s concerns and needs. I listened intently to public commentary presented through various media, and read dozens of emails we received from across the county to gain a fuller understanding of public sentiment.

During the Legislature’s May 8 Rules Committee hearing, it became abundantly clear to me that the lease transfer agreement would pass on May 22 with or without my vote. Given that fact, my charge was to ensure that the communities that would be most directly impacted by development at the Hub would not have to wait until its completion to receive the public benefits they were promised.

Following extensive and fruitful negotiations, I was pleased that Las Vegas Sands agreed to enhance its community benefits package by $25 million — $10 million for Uniondale, $10 million for East Meadow and $5 million for Hempstead Village. At least half of these funds would have to be disseminated during the construction of the proposed inte-

grated casino resort. Throughout that process, the collaboration with my legislative colleague Tom McKevitt, who represents East Meadow, which directly abuts the Hub, was invaluable in navigating the issues related to securing this funding for our respective constituents.

After balancing the array of public comments, completing a painstaking review of the more laudable elements of the Las Vegas Sands proposal, and factoring in the company’s agreement to invest tens of millions of dollars in bolstering crucial services and activities in the most directly impacted communities, I decided to vote in favor of the lease transfer agreement.

While the Legislature’s action on May 22 represents an important benchmark, there are many steps that must be completed before any construction begins. As this process continues to unfold, make no mistake: I will remain vigilant and focused on the series of actions to follow, and I will hold the entities associated with this project accountable for meeting their contractual obligations and fulfilling the commitments they made to the residents of Nassau County.

Siela A. Bynoe, of Westbury, has represented the 2nd District in the County Legislature since 2014.

Framework by Tim Baker

increased in the past decades, up from about 4 percent THC levels in the 1980s to an average of 15 percent today. More disconcerting is that marijuana extracts, used in dabbing and edibles, contain, on average, 50 percent THC, and can go as high as 90 percent.

Research suggests that kids who use cannabis may face greater mental health risks, such as worsened depression and anxiety, poor attention and memory problems. Specifically, using a cannabis product with a THC potency of over 15 percent

is linked to a three-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing mental health and other problems. Studies also suggest that 17 percent of those who start using marijuana in their teens will become dependent on it.

Given these risks, it’s important that parents know the facts and talk to their kids. For more info, go to NSCASA.org.

Rocco, Myles and Lily Pad hanging out at the Memorial Day Parade — Wantagh

Iwanted to ensure that the communities most impacted would receive promised benefits.

ALISON CAMARDELLA KEVIN McGILLOWAY President and vice president, NS-CASA