Nassau Herald 07-20-2023

All the news of the Five Towns

Pearsall Project

‘A truly memorable weekend’

Celebrating Bobby Jones’ Open

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

After years of showing promise and potential, Bobby Jones won his first major golf championship at the 1923 U.S. Open. It was the first of his four Open titles.

Inwood Country Club played host to the tournament, and earlier this month, the club celebrated the centennial of Jones’ win, an early highlight of his illustrious career.

“It was his first major championship,” Jerrold Weinstein, the club’s president, said. “That

Teens can explore wellness

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Battling hate across N.Y.

Hochul’s bill will help protect L.I. organizations at risk

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

“Hate has absolutely no place in our state,” Gov. Kathy Hochul stated in a July 11 news release, “and we will continue to do whatever it takes to make sure every New Yorker is safe from baseless violence that stems from prejudice.”

Hochul signed a bill that day that will fund $51.6 million worth of safety and security enhancements at nonprofits and community-based organizations that are at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of beliefs, ideology or mission.

A little more than $8.5 million is slated to benefit 70 Long Island groups. The money can be used for security improvements such as barriers, alarms, panic buttons and shatter-resistant glass.

win at Inwood

led him to win a total of 13 championships, and winning the first one in Inwood was the start for him. He’s universally known as the greatest amateur champion of all time. We take a lot of pride in Inwood that we were the location of his first major championship.”

Jones’ first Open win, at age 21, came after an 18-hole Sunday playoff against Bobby Cruickshank, of Scotland.

Jones played in 52 tournaments in a span of 13 years, and won 13 majors. The first one is always special, however, and Weinstein said the

COnTInUed On page 12

The Five Towns, home to many Jewish schools, community centers and cultural organizations, will likely receive some of the funds, but it is unknown which ones will benefit.

Hochul noted that hate crimes against Jews have doubled over the past year. “This is a historic investment in the communities that need our help the most,” she said, “and

with these funds, New York’s most at-risk organizations will be able to invest in the security measures they need to stay safe. In the face of disgusting vitriol and violence, I want to be clear: We are not afraid. If you attack one of us, you attack us all, and no one wins a fight against New Yorkers.”

New York had 580 antisemitic incidents last year, a 39 percent increase to the 416 incidents reported in 2021, and the most of any state in the country, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Half of those incidents occurred at Jewish institutions, private residences, non-Jewish schools and businesses. According to the ADL, 42 took place in Nassau County.

At the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst, Executive Director Stacey Feldman said on behalf of the organization that it backed the governor’s efforts to combat hate.

“The Gural JCC supports Governor Hochul on her efforts and generous support to make sure our communities are safe and residents can live without fear,” Feldman said.

Michael Cohen, of Hewlett, Eastern director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that con-

COnTInUed On page 13

Courtesy Inwood Country Club

The legendary Bobby Jones teed off in the 1923 U.S. Open at the Inwood Country Club, on the way to his first major championship.

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Residents air concerns over Equinor Wind project

They raise questions about noise, impact on property values and dead whales

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Residents expressed their concerns about Equinor’s $3 billion Empire Offshore Wind Project at informational sessions held last week in Atlantic Beach and Island Park.

Equinor’s project, Empire Wind, is currently in the midst of a review by the state Public Service Commission, which assesses the need for and environmental impact of major utility transmission facilities in the state. The project will have two parts: Empire Wind 1, which will supply power to the Brooklyn area, and Empire Wind 2, which will power the Long Beach area and connect to the E.F. Barrett Power Station in Island Park.

Empire Wind 1 and 2 — stations housing the cables that transfer energy from the wind turbines to land — will be built 15 to 30 miles offshore, and 147 turbines, each standing 886 feet high, will be three to five miles farther out.

Residents who attended meetings on July 13, at Atlantic Beach Village Hall, and the following day, at Hegarty Elementary School in Island Park, asked a variety of questions and voiced a range of reservations.

“The entire board of trustees and I are vehemently opposed to this project,” Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty said at the Island Park session.

Long Beach resident Christina Kramer, who led the first session in Atlantic Beach, echoed several concerns raised by residents of Long Beach and Island Park.

“We’ve all purchased property here, raising our children here, because we love this peaceful environment,” Kramer said. “They’re going to be running three highvoltage cables right in front of my home.”

If the project is ultimate approved by the state, the high-voltage cables would come ashore in at Riverside Boulevard in Long Beach and be routed to a substation on Railroad Place in Island Park. From there the lines would run north, parallel to the Long Island Rail Road tracks, to the Barrett plant, and then connect to the power grid, officials said.

“We’re not entirely sure why Equinor thinks it’s appropriate to run the cables through our city,” Kramer said. “It’s about 350,000 volts of electric current running through our densely populated residential area.”

Opponents also expressed concerns over the expected noise from the estimated 60-foot-tall substation, which would be located next to Grand Nursing Home and other Island Park residences. It would be built at the site of the former Pops restaurant, while a second substation would be built in Oceanside, at the site of the old Liotta Recycling Center.

Attendees also voiced worries over their future energy bills, the length of the construction process, the project’s impact on property values, and the wind farm’s ability to withstand anything stronger than a Category 2 hurricane. Assemblyman Ari Brown and State Sen. Patricia

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who attended the July 13 session, supported residents who expressed their opposition.

“Assemblyman Brown and I have been working as a team on this because we believe very strongly that this is not what the community wants, and that this is not something that has been handled properly,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said.

“I have met with Equinor and have asked so many of the questions that have been posed about the effects on marine life,” she added. “Why are we having dead whales on our coast in both New York and New Jersey? We’ve asked about the (electromagnetic field). We’ve asked about alternative routes, and we’ve asked about studies that ‘prove’ that this isn’t going to affect the health of our residents and what is essentially the value decrease in our property, because who will want to buy a home that’s within 150 feet of buried lines?”

Atlantic Beach resident Kevin Kelley emphasized the environmental pros of the project, noting recent air quality issues in the metropolitan area as evidence for the need for alternative energy sources.

“We’re making it seem as though it’s some kind of nefarious plot to make Long Beach unhealthy,” Kelley said. “I’m not here to say this is a great project. We have to wean ourselves from fossil fuels, stop burning fuels that cause untold damage to the environment and human health. If you’re concerned about your children and

the environment, you should also be rallying against the continued use of fossil fuels, including the Barrett plant in Island Park.”

The Empire Wind 2 project is expected to contribute over one-third of New York’s climate goal of 9 gigawatts of energy produced by offshore wind.

Kramer expressed concerns about the proximity of the planned turbines to the South Shore and how they might affect wildlife.

“When you’re this close to the shore, that’s where the marine life breeding grounds are,” Kramer said. “That’s where fishing happens. The further out they are, I think they’re less environmentally impactful, but the large scale of this is just alarming.

“I’m wondering why they give the more affluent neighborhoods the courtesy of being further out in the ocean,” she continued, “not just because we don’t want to look at them or see them, because if it was so good for the earth, I could stomach the visual of it, but it’s not.”

Assemblyman Ari Brown and State Sen. Patricia CanzoneriFitzpatrick addressed the crowd and echoed their skepticism about Equinor and the wind project.

Another project, Beacon Wind will be located more than 60 miles east of Montauk Point and 20 miles south of Nantucket.

Island Park resident Richard Schurin expressed similar concerns about the turbines’ environmental impact. “I believe that the principal damage to marine mammals is when they start pile-driving wind turbines,” he said. “I don’t believe, personally, that the air bubble ring that they’re proposing to us is going to protect the marine environment.”

A “bubble curtain” is underwater noise insulation that releases a stream of bubbles from a pipe on the seafloor. Bubble curtains, Equinor claims, would reduce noise and vibration, and thus not disrupt marine wildlife.

“There’s still time to force them to change how they’re going to install those wind turbines if it gets approved,” Schurin said, “so I encourage people to focus on that particular factor.”

Additional reporting by Caroline Kelly.

Photos by Kepherd Daniel/Herald

Long Beach resident Christina Kramer led the crowd as they denounced the Offshore Wind project during the informational session.

Protecting Your Future

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Taxation of Trusts

Revocable living trusts, where the grantor (creator) and the trustee (manager) are the same person, use the grantor’s social security number and are not required to file an income tax return. All income and capital gains taxes are reported on the individual’s Form 1040.

Irrevocable living trusts come in two main varieties, “grantor” and “non-grantor” trusts. Non-grantor trusts are often used by the wealthy to give assets away during their lifetime and for all income and capital gains taxes to be paid either by the trust or the trust beneficiary but not by them. Gifts to non-grantor trusts are reported to the IRS but are rarely taxable. Currently, the annual exclusion is $17,000 per person per year to as many people as you wish. However, if you go over the $17,000 to any one person you must report the gift to Uncle Sam, but they merely subtract the excess gift from the $12,920,000 each person is allowed to give at death. Most of our clients are “comfortably under” as we like to say. These gifts then grow estate tax-free to the recipient.

Grantor trusts, such as the Medicaid Asset

Protection Trust (MAPT), are designed to get the assets out of your name for Medicaid purposes but keep them in your name for tax purposes. You continue to receive income from the MAPT and pay income tax the same as before. The MAPT files an “informational return” (Form 1041) telling the IRS that all the income is passing through to you.

Gifts to non-grantor trusts take the grantor’s “basis” for calculating capital gains taxes on sale, i.e. what the grantor originally paid and, if real estate, plus any capital improvements.

In the grantor trust, however, no gift is made on the transfer to the trust because the grantor reserves the right to change who they leave it to on death. The gift is therefore said to be “incomplete” until death and is therefore includible in the grantor’s estate. Assets in the grantor’s estate receive a “stepped-up basis”. Instead of the grantor’s original basis, the heirs get the date of death value as the basis, resulting in capital gains taxes being due only on gains arising from the date of death to the date of sale, if any.

LAW FIRM

The weapons police say they found in Ilya Ostrovskiy’s Hewlett Harbor home last Friday.

Attempted burglary, car theft leads to cache of weapons

A Hewlett Harbor man who awoke to three men running out of his Pepperidge Road home, allegedly fired three shots from a handgun at the men who, according to police, ran out of the back of the hose and then stole the man’s red Cherokee Jeep and his 2023 Audi Rs 6 after 5 a.m. on July 14.

When police did arrive they found the homeowner, Ilya Ostrovskiy, 37, in possession of 22 semi-automatic pistols and 19 assault rifles and several red dot pistols, rifle sights, high-capacity magazines, ballistics and body armor.

Police said the investigation is continuing.

Ostrovskiy is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal use of a firearm and criminal possession of weapon for an assault weapon, an ammunitionfeeding device and unlawful wearing of body armor.

Arraigned on July 15, he is in custody. His next court date was July 18.

Fatal car accident near East Ave. in North Lawrence

A man, who is yet to identified, was walking near East Avenue and Rockaway Turnpike in North Lawrence when he was struck and killed by a vehicle around 11:20 p.m. on July 12, Nassau police said.

The motorist left the scene. The man suffered severe trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Rockaway Turnpike was closed in both directions between the Nassau Express-

way and Brookville Boulevard for several hours.

Police said the investigation is continuing and if anyone has information on the incident they should call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 244-8477. All calls are confidential.

— Jeffrey Bessen

— Jeffrey Bessen

Ilya OstrOvskIy

Courtesy NCPD

Herald file photo

A modified version of the Pearsall Project was unanimously approved last year by Cedarhurst village and is currently at a standstill due to an ongoing lawsuit. From left were Cedarhurst Trustees Daniel Plaut, Israel Wasser, Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, Ari Brown and Myrna Zisman.

Pearsall Project stymied despite approval last year

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

One year has passed since the Cedarhurst village board unanimously approved the Pearsall Project and the project has yet to break ground.

The project would bring 98 apartments and 290 parking spaces on 2.5 acres but nearly four months after the July 2022 approval, the Lawrence school district filed a lawsuit in November against Cedarhurst village and the developer, Pearsall Rock LLC, led by Tommy Lieberman.

According to William Bonesso, the attorney representing Lieberman, the school district challenged the portion of the approval that implemented the overlay district, which allowed the village to change the zoning to permit the project to be built.

“They asserted that the environmental review that the village performed in the process wasn’t done properly,” Bonesso said. “They claimed that they were harmed by the implementation of the zoning district and the approval of the Pearsall Project.”

Bonesso said that he and the village’s attorney, Evan Newman, believed that the school district did not have a legal standing to bring action and both sent a joint motion to dismiss in February.

Both sides await a decision from the judge.

Calls were made to school board president Murray Foreman but were not returned.

“The village believes firmly that we acted properly with the notice and had an opportunity for every resident and every person in that room that wanted to speak had an opportunity to and we took everything under consideration,” Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock said. “We made adjustments to the developer’s plan and approved it.”

Weinstock is referring to the original proposal the developer proposed that called for, three four-story buildings with 112 apartments.

Many village and other Five Towns

Proposed/ongoing projects

A five-story 48-residential building near the Inwood Long Island Rail Road station at the intersection of Bayview Avenue and Russell Place was approved by the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals. Construction is expected to begin in September.

Campus Estates LLC is building 17 single-family homes on a 3-acre parcel on Greenfield Avenue in Woodmere on land purchased from Lawrence Woodmere Academy.

The developers of the Woodmere Club have proposed 284 singlefamily homes on the land. The Town of Hempstead and the villages of Lawrence and Woodsburgh created the Coastal Conservation District, which would reduce the number of homes to 54. The developers sued, lost and are appealing to the Lawrence Board of Appeals to grant a variance request.

— Hernesto Galdamez

residents strongly opposed the project — both versions — the original plan at a 2021 public meeting and the reworked plan at a meeting last year before the Cedarhurst board approved the project on July 11 of 2022.

The Pearsall Project was not part of the Town of Hempstead’s six-month moratorium that temporarily halted projects in North Lawrence and Inwood. That building ban remains in place.

“My client has been patiently waiting for the court’s decision and we feel that our papers support dismissal of the proceeding,” Bonesso said. “We do not believe the school district has established legal standing to the client.”

HERALD SPORTS

Ducks rally for first-half championship

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

It was an eventful first half of baseball for the Long Island Ducks, who became the Atlantic League’s all-time winningest franchise (1,581 as of June 17), captured the North Division’s first-half title, and had four player contracts purchased by Major League organizations. Ninth-inning magic in two games July 7 allowed the Ducks to snag first place in their division via a tiebreaker with York. Both teams finished 37-26.

Long Island scored three times in the top of the ninth to defeat Southern Maryland, 4-1, while York allowed two runs to Lexington in the top of the ninth and suffered a 7-6 defeat.

“We had one eye on the scoreboard all night,” Ducks manager Wally Backman said. “While we were up in the ninth inning, Dickerson [Alex] informed me York lost. All the guys knew when we took the field in the bottom of the ninth what was at stake.”

The Ducks closed the first half on a four-game winning streak and allowed only nine runs in the process.

The departures of Brett Kennedy and Stephen Woods Jr. left the starting pitching staff in a state of flux but not thin on talent. Stephen Tarpley, Robert Stock and Matt Solter all produced quality starts under pressure in the final week of the first half, Backman noted. Former MLB reliever Al Alburquerque (0.78 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) has been dominant and picked up the win in the clincher after Tarpley fired six strong innings.

Kennedy was the first Ducks player to depart during the season after signing with the Cincinnati Reds. After a six-week stint at AAA Louisville, Kennedy picked up a W for the Reds July 4. “Congratulations to Brett on this well-deserved opportunity to pitch again in the Major Leagues,” Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff said of Kennedy, who tossed five solid innings to defeat the Washington Nationals. “We are thrilled to have helped him achieve this milestone in his career.”

On his way to becoming the 29th Ducks alumnus to be promoted to the majors, Kennedy made three quality starts for Long Island and struck out 16 batters in 11 2/3 innings of work with a 3.09 ERA.

Three others had their contracts purchased by Major League or foreign professional organizations this season: Former three-time MLB All-Star and former New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy (Angels, Triple-A Salt Lake), nine-year MLB infielder Adeiny Hechavarria (Kansas City Royals, Triple-A Omaha) and pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. (Fubon Guardians, China.) The latter was 7-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts.

“We’re going to roll with a six-man starting rotation and not push anyone too hard in the second half,” Backman said.

“That’s one of the luxuries of winning the first half.”

Murphy played in 37 games with the Ducks. He departed tied for fourth in the Atlantic League with 47 hits, sixth in batting average (.331) and 10th in on-base percentage (.410), all of which lead the Flock. He also totaled two home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, 64 total bases, nine doubles, one triple, 14 walks and an .861 OPS. Murphy compiled a 16-game hitting streak from May 16-June 1, the longest hitting streak by a Duck this season, and a 19-game onbase streak from May 12-June 1.

Hechavarria appeared in 38 games with the Ducks. At the time of his departure to the Royals system, he led all Ducks and was tied for fifth in the Atlantic League with 12 doubles as well as tied for sixth in the league with 34 RBIs. He was also tied for the team lead with seven home runs while totaling 29 runs, 43 hits, 78 total bases, a triple, 21 walks and a .920 OPS. The 34-year-old reached base safely in 24 of his past 26 games going back to May 12, earning at least one hit in 21 of them. In that span, he compiled a .295 batting average with a .911 OPS.

Long Island’s offense in the first half was sparked by first baseman Sam Travis, who played all 63 games and batted .288 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. He also scored a team-high 50 runs.

“Winning the first half was a lot of fun,” said Travis, who played three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. “We still want to go out and win every game we play. We have a lot of season left. It’s a great group of guys. If it’s not one guy getting it done on a given night, it’s another.”

Dickerson is raking at the plate with a .352 batting average, .637 slugging percentage, 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 49 games. Former highly touted Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has also been dynamic at the plate with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in only 28 games with a .317 batting average. Outfielder Brian Goodwin, with a dozen years of MLB experience under his belt, batted .300 with 8 homers and 9 steals.

Regardless of what happens in the second half, the four-time league champion Ducks will participate in the Atlantic League playoffs for the 16th time in franchise history starting around Sept. 20.

Photos courtesy Long Island Ducks

First baseman Sam Travis enjoyed a huge first half at the plate with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Al Alburquerque has pitched lights-out (0.78 ERA) and earned the first-half clinching victory in relief.

Living through hottest week in 125,000 years

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

The record for the highest global average temperature since at least 1979 was shattered a few weeks ago — and then that record was broken the next day. And then again two days later.

The Earth’s average temperature hovered around 62 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be a chilly day for the summer. Yet, on a global scale, it was a few degrees warmer than where it should be.

These record temperatures have been, in part, due to the forming a weather phenomenon called El Niño. It’s created when the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean enter a warming phase as part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle.

There have been at least 30 El Niño events since 1900, according to meterologists, but many observers believe each of the seasons are becoming warmer over the years. And they’re blaming that on global warming.

“The first week of July appears to have been the hottest week on record globally,” said Mark Lowery, a climate policy analyst for the state’s environmental conservation department. “During that week, we saw four consecutive days of new records for the Earth’s hottest days.”

What the Earth experienced at the beginning of July was the hottest the Earth has been in more than 125,000 years, Lowery said. This extreme heat is

projected to get even worse over much of the world in the next couple of weeks, and will almost certainly continue into 2024 as El Niño remains intact.

“Once the Earth moves into the El Niño phase, it lasts about two or three years,” Lowery said. “So, we would have every reason to believe that there will be continued release of heat that will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere through 2024.”

That heat will be felt everywhere, even on Long Island. Alison Branco, climate adaptation director for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, said that as the air warms, the ocean also warms. And when the ocean waters become warmer they expand. This, in turn, will cause the sea level to rise off the coast of Long Island.

“For a long and narrow, very flat island, sea level rise is a major impact of climate change that we need to be thinking about all the time,” Branco said. “Because it’s really going to change the face of Long Island.”

And it affects not only the South Shore, but the North Shore as well, according to reports. Rising tides will create higher waves, which in turn will erode bluffs, causing them to eventually slide into the ocean.

But warmer water and a fear of higher tides aren’t the only things people living and enjoying Long Island have to worry about. Charles Rothenberg, climate and energy attorney from the Connecticut-based advocacy group Save the Sound, says warmer waters are acting as fuel for tropical systems.

“We can anticipate some significant tropical storms and hurricanes in the months ahead,” he said, adding marine life also be affected by these warmer waters. “There’s been a lot of conversations about the decrease in lobster populations.”

Lobsters tend to like water at specific cooler temperatures — something that won’t be much abundance of if ocean waters continue to warm, scientists say. Some believe more than half the lobster population available for fishing could be decimated within the next three decades.

The climate is changing, and despite best efforts to slow it down, it might be too late to stop it. But there are ways people can adapt, Branco said. First and foremost, they will need to start thinking about ways to cool off. That could mean buying air-conditioning systems, fans, or having access to a pool or ocean they can swim in.

“Our government needs to be thinking about these hotter temperatures, too, and making sure that we have the resources to help people cool their homes,” Branco said.

Storms have been coming, and they’ll continue to come, she added. Because of that, following evacuation orders is essential. Families also need a “go” bag ready for if they need to evacuate, Branco added. Also, a plan for the family to meet at a certain location in case of a disaster is very important.

“Investing in energy appliances, which helps reduce the strain on our electric grid during these very hot sum-

Ways to cool off in a hotter planet

■ Invest in an air conditioning unit

■ Buy a fan for your room

■ Go swimming in a pool or the ocean

■ Take cool baths or showers

■ Have water handy at all times

■ Wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing

■ Limit outdoor activity

mers, are very critical,” Rothenberg added.

But in the end, if people really want to help, they should support policies that help curb the impact of climate change, Rothenberg said. It’s vital to address the root cause of global warming, and that can only happen through collective action.

Nassau County is part of the Climate Smart Communities Program, intended to reduce greenhouse gases said to cause global warming on a local scale. But this was an effort supported by former county executive Laura Curran. Her successor, Bruce Blakeman, is not known to have taken advantage of the program, or instituted any of its recommendations.

Ben Fiebert/Herald

The Earth set consecutive record-breaking temperatures during the first week of July, and it’s

not expected to get any better. El Niño is expected to affect weather through next

year, meaning more hot temperatures are on the way.

WhaT’s up nexT door and around The corner

HERALD neighbors

Mazza Band celebrates its centennial

The Our Lady of Good Counsel Band, also known as the Mazza Band celebrates its centennial this year and once again performed during the procession after the Mass for Santa Marina this year on July 15.

Playing the traditional music of the Italian culture, the band plays following the mass that commemorates the patron saint of Filandria, Italy — Santa Marina — the small town in the Calabria region from where Italian immigrants who came to Inwood more than 100 years ago originated from.

The Santa Marina Society of Inwood, founded in 1921, supports both the religious celebration and the twoday Santa Marina Feast, which took place July 14 to 15, across from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.

— Jeffrey Bessen

The Mazza Band leads Our Lady of Counsel parishioners outside of the church after the Mass.

The Santa Marina Statue was brought outside Our Lady of Good Counsel Church as part of the post-Mass procession.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

Our Lady of Good Counsel Band, also called the Mazza Band, marked the musical group’s centennial this year.

Alter boy D. Mario and Priest Joseph Castelino at the end of the Mass for Santa Marina.

Newest defense against sharks? Drones

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK Special to the Herald

The water is getting warmed along the southern shorelines of Long Island — the kind of water that attracts all kinds of marine life, including sharks.

The aquatic creatures have made their presence known in recent years, and 2023 was no exception. In fact, state officials warned Long Island beaches in particular could see a lot more sharks — and the sharks delivered.

There already have been five sharkrelated incidents on Long Island beaches this year, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul — most of them occurring around July 4. And there is still plenty of summer left.

Last year, there were eight shark bites on Long Island — for the entire season.

“We went from having one shark encounter in 2012 to eight just a decade later,” Hochul shared at a news conference last week at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. “Sharks are coming closer, and this is good news because the water is pristine, it’s cleaner than it was 50 years ago. But it’s also something that we need to be on-guard about.”

Lifeguards have access to Yamaha WaveRunner jetskis to better patrol the waters, and there has been more training for police and lifeguards on how to deal with sharks. And technology will come into play as well, with Hochul announcing 60 new drones will be deployed to supplement the existing 18 keeping watch.

“We want to make sure that none of our communities ever appear on ‘Shark Week,’ which premieres at the end of the month,” Hochul said of the popular Discovery Channel series.

Various shark species can migrate to Long Island, according to the state’s environmental conservation department, including the feared great white shark featured in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” But the most common sharks on Long Island

How to avoid sharks

■ Stay close to shore in designated swimming areas

■ Avoid swimming in areas with schools of fish, diving birds, or seals

■ Do not swim at dawn, dusk, or nighttime

an integrated way of monitoring all the shark movements,” he said. “If you take proper precautions like swimming in a protected area, if you don’t go in the water where this schools of fish or seals, you’re going to be completely safe. But on top of that, we in Nassau County have our helicopters in the air, and all-terrain vehicles that are available.”

What’s driving the shark activity on Long Island in recent years? Hochul has two theories — not necessarily at odds with one another.

are sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, and sand tiger sharks.

Sand tiger sharks —the species featured at Riverhead’s Long Island Aquarium — are typically docile, but have been identified as reportedly responsible for a few of the bites this year.

These measures are important for keeping Long Island beaches safe, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We have a very unified group that has

“Over the last 50 years, extraordinary measures have been taken to clean up the water here to make sure that it’s safe for swimmers and deal with the pollutants,” the governor said. “As a result, the sea creatures that are consumed by sharks are moving in closer — the sharks are following their dinner. I don’t know if this is proven, but the fact that the waters are warmer due to climate change may also be a driver.”

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Flanked by Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages and state Sen. Kevin Thomas, Gov. Kathy Hochul shows off some of the drones that will be used to survey the waters on Long Island’s South Shore for sharks.

Inwood club honors Jones, and golf history

club honors it every year. But, he added, “There’s only one 100-year anniversary.”

The club’s celebration took place July 14-16. Last Friday there was a putting contest in which all of the competing club members used replicas of Jones’ “Calamity Jane” putter, which he used throughout his career.

The main event was Saturday, an 18-hole tournament in which members raised funds for the Bobby Jones CSF Foundation, a nonprofit that works to raise awareness of Chiari malformation and syringomyelia.

Jones died of syringomyelia, a neurological disorder, in 1971, at age 69.

Members also had the opportunity to recreate Jones’ legendary second shot on the 18th hole of the playoff in 1923 that set him up for the win — commemorated by a plaque on display at the hole.

On Sunday, the weekend celebration wrapped up with a barbecue and live music.

North Woodmere resident Irving Kaminetsky, who has been a member of the club since 1985, describes it as an oasis and a special place for him.

On Saturday, Kaminetsky said, he had

a great bonding moment with his son, Jed, and grandson Jared on a memorable night.

“It was just really beautiful,” Kaminetsky said. “The club did a great job, under the leadership of Jerrold Weinstein. It was just sensational, and you know, this is once in 100 years of it.”

For a dinner on Saturday night, members were invited to dress in outfits from the 1920s, and the guest speakers included Jones’ grandson, Bob Jones IV, a sports psychologist at the Behavioral Institute of Atlanta in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

His grandfather lives on in the memorabilia that lines a hallway of the club: replicas of his clubs, framed notes he wrote after winning his first open, books about him and autographs. The club’s grill room was named after him.

Jim Buonaiuto, the club’s general manager, described the 1923 U.S. Open as a monumental moment not only in golf history, but in all of American sports.

“For nearly a year, the membership of Inwood Country Club had planned on commemorating this special event,

and their planning resulted in a truly memorable weekend,” Buonaiuto wrote in an email.

“Former members, guests from the golf industry and the family of Bobby Jones Jr. all joined together in celebrating a remarkable feat in sporting

history!”

Founded 122 years ago, Inwood Country Club is one of the oldest golf courses on Long Island. Before Jones broke through in 1923, the club also hosted the 1921 PGA Championship, won by another legend of the sport, Walter Hagen.

Courtesy Irving Kaminetsky Jones’ grandson Bob Jones iV, left, with longtime inwood Country Club member irving Kaminetsky and Jacqueline Handel.

We take a lot of pride in Inwood that we were the location of his first major championship.

Jerrold Weinstein president, Inwood Country Club

H-W school district addresses bias crimes

fronts antisemitism, hate and terrorism, attended the bill signing at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan.

“The Simon Wiesenthal Center highly commends Governor Hochul, as well as the bill’s authors, NYS Senator (Toby) Savitsky and NYS Assemblymember (Linda) Rosenthal for sending a strong and clear message that the state takes the fears of Jewish students in the face of rising antisemitic incidents on our state college campuses seriously,” Cohen wrote in an email. “While everyone around the table understands that the actions taken are a significant positive step in the right direction, I believe it is collectively recognized to by no means be the last step. This bill mandate sends a loud and clear message to all of New York’s college campuses — they need to immediately act decisively to protect their Jewish students from antisemitism or the state will.”

The bill will require colleges and universities statewide to review and enhance policies that address hate crimes.

This past school year, there were three incidents in which swastikas were etched on the walls of restrooms in Woodmere Middle School, in the Hewlett-Woodmere School District.

Cohen, who became aware of the incidents through mutual friends and parents in the district, was peppered

with questions from them about what they can do.

Last month, Cohen was invited to speak to the Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education as part of a workshop on combating crime. Others like it, organized by the center, are conducted in junior high and high schools around the country. Nearly 650, involving students in sixth through 12th grades, have taken place in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

The workshops help them identify offensive material on social media platforms and encourage them to combat all forms of hate, stereotyping and bullying.

Cohen said that he and HewlettWoodmere district officials have discussed bringing the program to the district.

“District #14’s Board of Education and Superintendent should be commended for not hiding from the issues of bias and hate that they have encountered in their schools, but rather facing the situation head on and recognizing that action must be taken,” he wrote. “… The Simon Wiesenthal Center program teams and the district leadership have been in regular contact since the June presentation to the board and are in the process of ensuring that District 14 students will be the beneficiaries of these critical programs in the coming academic year.”

Hernesto Galdamez/Herald michael Cohen spoke to the Hewlett-Woodmere Board of education on June 14, as part of a workshop on combating hate.

STEPPING OUT

The Sixties Show

That influential decade comes alive in the form of the Sixties Show. This dynamic night of nostalgia features all the sights and sounds of the decade, with a lively ensemble of accomplished musicians who know their way around the beloved hits of the ‘60s. You will be grooving along to note-for-note recreations of some of the greatest songs of that memorable era. Take a trip back to another time and place that was the 1960s, where an AM radio is blasting out the latest sounds from a convertible, on a warm summer starlit Saturday night on any street USA.

Environment as RT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

By Karen Bloom

n original and compelling voice in contemporary art, Courtney M. Leonard’s artistic perspective takes root in her heritage as a member of the Shinnecock Nation.

Her work amplifies Indigenous knowledge and expresses reverence for the earth and sea while advocating for their protection.

Trained as a ceramic artist, Leonard — who received an advanced degree from Rhode Island School of Design — has evolved her practice to reflect her many interests and pursuits, all in an effort to investigate narratives of cultural viability.

A sculptor, painter and filmmaker in addition to her calling as a ceramicist, Leonard is known for her immersive installations that immediately command attention.

Now her art comes into focus in the first retrospective of her work, “Courtney M. Leonard: Logbook 2004-2023” at the Heckscher Museum of Art, which also is her first solo museum exhibition in the New York metro region.

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Nov. 12

• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

project Breach, which she began in 2014. Conceived on the model of records kept by 18th century whaling ships, each “logbook” of Breach records — in ceramic, paint and video — one year of the artist’s experiences of “environmental fragility, shifting adaptations, and/or the ability to simply become anew.”

Pat McGann

The high-energy show is a largescale ambitious multimedia stage production, powerfully dramatized with a combination of special effects, narration, ‘60s archival audio, and newsreel footage and light show — a reminder of how uniquely inspirational, entertaining and historically significant the music and events of the ‘60s were and continue to be. It’s all meticulously recreated, combined with authentic period costumes and ‘60s-era staging and narration.

Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. $40-$55. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

• $5 suggested admission non-members; members and children under 13 free

• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington • (631) 380-3230 or Heckscher.org

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

“Her work is extremely beautiful and visually engaging,” says Heckscher Museum curator Karli Wurzelbacher. “It’s so well-made and deeply meaningful. So many important concepts are embedded within each piece.”

The two dozen pieces on view take over three of the museum’s galleries. Of particular note is the debut of her significant new work commissioned by the museum for its permanent collection. Titled “Contact 2,023…,” the approximately eight-foot-long wall hanging focuses on the moment of colonial contact on Long Island, by mapping the contours of the island with thousands of individual clay thumbprints resembling shells.

Sewn onto a cotton canvas with artificial sinew, each thumbprint becomes a “maker’s mark” indexing the artist’s contact with the earth.

A single installation contained in an entire gallery, Breach: Logbook 23|Alluvion takes its name from a legal term meaning the action of the sea or a river in forming new land by depositing sediment. Connecting the concepts of erosion and alluvion, Leonard explains:

“The purple and white of the quahog shell are formed by the water and minerals of a specific place. Alluvion speaks to the history of land, water, place, and to the displacement or disruption from loss of land due to erosion or imposed law. Yet it also speaks to the resiliency of our Shinnecock people and of our shoreline to heal itself.”

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

Concurrently with the Heckscher exhibit, Leonard created a site-specific outdoor installation for Planting Fields State Park in Oyster Bay, located in the Taxus Field, on display now through summer 2024.

“We’ve integrated the installation into the landscape,” says Planting Fields’ president and chief executive Gina Wouters. There, Leonard has expanded on her Breach: Logbook 23 concept, with full-sized shipping container integrated into the ground. The shape of the container structure itself is meant to evoke the body of a whale. As you enter through the jaws of a Northern Right Whale, you move through the whale’s body.

“It’s one amazing work with over 1,000 components,” Wurzelbacher notes.

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.

This monumental creation is a sister piece to two other artworks in Leonard’s Contact series. The two earlier works both map New York state. She created the first, “Contact 1,609… (2009),” on the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s “discovery” of Manhattan and what is now called the Hudson River. It is co-owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Autry Museum of The American West in Los Angeles. The second, “Contact 2,021… (2021),” was recently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will next be shown at the New York Historical Society beginning in August.

“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to discuss the collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart a pathway for national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and activism.”

“It’s essentially a root cellar, which was a natural refrigeration system and means of food sovereignty for indigenous people,” Wouters says. “She added to that the idea of a shipping container, bringing in the theme of whaling, so important to coastal Indigenous groups, yet abused by colonists. It’s an impressive, ambitious installation because of its scale. It’s wonderful to have this collaboration with the museum, and interpreted into our historic landscape.”

Brandi Carlile

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

The folk rocker is back on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Singer, songwriter, producer, activist, humanitarian, best-selling author — she’s done it all. Since the release of her breakthrough album ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’ in 2018, Carlile has won Grammy awards, earned Billboard’s Women in Music Trailblazer Award, and received several Americana Music Association accolades. She was honored with her seventh, eighth and ninth Grammys this year, winning for best Americana album with ‘In These Silent Days.’ Her song ‘Broken Horses’ won both best rock song and best rock performance. Don’t miss an evening of iconic songs such as ‘The Story,’ ‘That Wasn’t Me’ and ‘The Joke.’ Seemingly everywhere, Carlile has transitioned from an Americana powerhouse to a major headliner beloved by the industry and the public. Carlile’s career has been on a steep upward trajectory and her ‘Bramily’ — as her fans are known — is with her every step of the way.

Yarn/Wire

To that end, unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s permanent collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned the museum their selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing all media — from Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, For Freedoms, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia

Another important exhibit component extends Leonard’s ongoing

Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $51.50-$481.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with

Courtesy Heckscher Museum of Art

Top photo: Courtney Leonard’s large scale map of Long Island is made up of thousands of individual porcelain thumbprints resembling shells.

Courtesy David Almeida/Courtesy Planting Fields Foundation

Right photo: The artist’s first outdoor installation, at Planting Fields, intermingles her art with the landscape.

Can art change the world? It’s a question that’s been at the focus of our collective culture for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, art as a path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.

Courtney Leonard brings Long Island’s Indigenous tradition into focus

THE Your Neighborhood

July 28

Penn & Teller

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appear on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, July 28, 8 p.m. Penn & Teller’s brand of awe-inspiring illusions mixed with buddy-comedy shtick has kept the duo at the very top of the magic profession for the past 45 years. Their trademark is the updating of worn out or archaic routines, such as bullet catching or their recent adaptation of the classic bag escape trick (their version involved a trash bag and lots of helium). From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway to the longest running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues defy labels—and at times physics and good taste — by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy. Constantly evolving and refining their unique take on illusion, the pair’s slight of hand is always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old “trick” or something altogether new. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” opening at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, July 22. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

July 27

Life Science of Summer

Kids ages 6-9 can tour Old Westbury Gardens and examine how science is all around us in nature, Thursday, July 27, 2 p.m. Learn how plants grow and take home your own plant, as you participate in experiments of the water cycle and how we can use science to change the color of a flower both naturally and artificially. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

Community Chest 5K

The Community Chest in South Shore hosts a 5K Run & Family Walk, Sunday, Aug. 13, at the Sunny Atlantic Beach Club. Post-race refreshments will be provided, along with free finish line photos and awards. Registration begins at 7:45 am. Race begins 45 minutes later. 2035 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach Register at CommunityChestSS.org. For more information call (516) 374-5800.

Aug.

Hot Diggity Dog

It’s barbecue season and Long Island Children’s Museum is feeling in the spirit, Kids can celebrate National Hot Dog Month by making a customized hot dog craft to bring home, at the drop-in program, Sunday, July 30, 1-3 p.m. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Aug. 17

Write on: College essay workshop

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering a virtual workshop to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The final session, Thursday, Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/portal/ virtual_admission_webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Breastfeeding Support Group

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.

Summer tunes

It’s night of tributes to musical icons at Eisenhower Park, Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. Enjoy Lamar Peters as Elvis Presley and Beyond Fab with their take on the great Beatles tunes. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Woodsburgh Village

Woodsburgh Village Board of Trustees meets, Monday, July 24, at 7 p.m., at Village Hall. 30 Piermont Ave., Hewlett.

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, July 21, noon; Sunday, July 23, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, July 24, noon; Wednesday and Thursday, July 26-27, noon.

Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

July 27

Mindful mornings

In-person Game Time

Play canasta, mah jongg and Scrabble in the Bentley Room of Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave., Lawrence, Monday, July 24, 2-4:30 p.m. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated. Masks recommended.

Having an event?

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

Practice the “art” of looking at art at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, July 27, 10-11 a.m., with NCMA Director of Education Laura Lynch. Mindful looking invites you to observe, question, and calmly reflect in a relaxed and supportive environment free of distraction. It’s an opportunity to experience and enjoy the art in the galleries or sculpture garden, together, making personal connection. $10. Space is limited and registration required. Also Aug. 3. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

On stage

Plaza Theatricals brings the iconic musical “Rent,” back to the stage, Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The acclaimed reimagining of “La Vie Boheme,” loosely based on Puccini’s opera and set on East Village streets, fire escapes, tenements, and cafes. This groundbreaking roller coaster ride depicting the joys and sorrows of an eclectic, diverse group of young artists and activists is always captivating. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $35, $30 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Renee Zylberg wins re-election in two-candidate run-off race

At the Village of Hewlett Bay Park, a run-off election took place for a seat as a trustee on July 11 between incumbent Renee Zylberg and write-in candidate Stella Gershwichtz after both garnered 14 on election night June 20.

Zylberg won reelection with 106 votes.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came out in support of me as trustee for Hewlett Bay Park,” Zylberg said.

Gershwichtz collected 27 votes.

Hewlett Bay Park trustee Renee Zylberg won re-election on June 20 with 106 votes.

ELI YOUNG BAND

Hewlett High School graduate awarded Premier nursing scholarship

Egar Quijano, identified as an exceptional Hewlett High School senior this past school years, was the recipient of the Five Towns Premier Nursing Scholarship.

Five Towns Premier Rehab and Nursing Center awards one such scholarship. Students applied by submitting an essay on why they want to pursue nursing as a career. Guidance counselors review the

essays to choose the winner as the pool is narrowed to four finalists. Premier’s head of nursing, Raywattie Persuad, and administrator Joe Benden make the final decision.

Quijano will study nursing at Hunter College.

— Hernesto Galdamez

Hernesto Galdamez/Herald

— Jeffrey Bessen

Courtesy Five Towns Premier Five Towns Premier Nursing Scholarship recipient Egar Quijano, center, with Premier’s Director of Nursing Raywattie Persuad and Administrator Joe Benden.

Teens explore wellness the Jewish way at

CTeen of 5 Towns opens the opportunity for high school students to earn college credits by participating in the Jewish Wellness course exploring human impulsivity, the origins of negative emotions, and Kabbalistic tools for personal growth.

Chances are you or someone you know can relate to one of the following: Have you ever felt anxiety to the point of panic because you were worried you wouldn’t perform well the next day? Did you ever find yourself in front of a tub of ice cream eating away at your sense of failure, too disappointed to get a grip? Do you criticize yourself more than you selfcompliment?

Through this Jewish Wellness course, any feelings or emotions that have since been suppressed can now be open and honest. As social media continues pushing the skewed view of what life “should” be like, it becomes easier and easier to compare.

At CTeen of 5 Towns, you can replace anxiety with peace, disappointment with resilience, and criticism with love.

“Our teens have the greatest virtues,” said Rabbi Meir Geisinsky, the Chabad of the Five Towns Hebrew school director “But if they don’t hone their powers, they can remain dormant, or even worse, they can become vices.”

That is precisely CTeen University created a Jewish Wellness course. “The vision of this course is for it to be a trans-

formational experience from worrier to warrior, teaching teens about their inner workings and equipping them with Tanya-based tools to tackle their world.”

The Jewish Wellness course, which will debut this fall, is based on groundbreaking Chassidic ideas. It is a 14-lesson program that meets on Wednesdays at 8:15 p.m., and explores the complexities of human impulsivity, the origins of feelings such as emptiness, criticism, and guilt, and how we can develop the talents that God has given us in order to be the best versions of ourselves. This program encourages critical thinking, engaging discussions and an overall enjoyable experience.

With over 700 chapters spanning six continents and 48 countries, CTeen is a leading force in Jewish networking. Credits are accepted at many colleges around the country, including highly selective schools, state colleges, liberal arts colleges, public flagships, specialized programs, and more.

The course is available to Jewish public school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Classes will meet once a week starting in fall 2024. Register before Aug. 18 and get early bird price of $699. Book fee $35.

To find out more visit CTeenU.com or Contact Chabad Hebrew School assistant director Hadassah Geisinsky (516) 458-3694.

5

— Talya Lippman

Five Towns Chabad Chabad of the Five Towns is offering college credits for students with a course this fall.

Turn on the news and expect to be scared. Another senseless school shooting. Global warming hits home. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Threats from China. A new Covid variant. What’s going on here?

We want to feel safe. We want our friends and families to be safe. Yet, whenever we hear or read the news, panic-inducing stories bombard our brains. Fear can be addictive, destroying our ability to focus on other matters. It promotes panic. It cultivates hopelessness. It’s immobilizing. So how shall we cope when we hear about terrifying events in the world?

First and foremost, you must find the adult voice in your head that’s calming, reassuring, and hopeful. It’s there somewhere! Then tell the scared child within you to listen to that voice. Really listen. Breathe in those reassuring thoughts and calming feelings.

Isn’t that denial though? Bad things are happening. Frightening events

How to train your brain

occur. Yes, but that doesn’t mean we must immerse ourselves in information overload that escalates our fear. We can choose what to pay attention to at any moment of the day. Indeed, we must remind our brain that despite all the terrifying headlines and breaking news, we still live in an age where we’re healthier, safer, more affluent and living far longer than previous generations ever dreamed of.

If fear reigns, all the excitement, enjoyment, and juiciness are squeezed out of life. Then what remains? The everyday, mundane stuff and the terrible tragedies and catastrophes that become headline news. That is no way to live. So, whatever’s happening in the world, do not allow fear to take up per-

manent residence in your brain. An occasional visit is okay and may be appropriate. But that’s it! Hence,

■ Do not exhaust your brain with media overload, worrying about every trouble, problem, and calamity happening in the world. Consciously and calmly determine how much media exposure is good for you. When you’ve had enough, turn your TV and digital devices off.

■ Turn on upbeat music that’s appealing to you. Then let your body and brain move to the music.

■ Since fear is contagious, spend minimal time with fearful, pessimistic doomsayers, more time with positive, optimistic go-getters.

■ Let go of obsessing about dangers you can do nothing about. Instead, focus on what you can do -individually or with group effort- to help alleviate a fearful situation.

■ Tell your brain you won’t allow yourself to live in a helpless, vulnerable position. You deserve better!

Do all that and your brain and body will forever be grateful to you for helping it focus on the good things in life.

©2023

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist and success coach in private practice who specializes in helping people overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. You can reach her at LSapadin@DrSapadin. com. Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

Linda Sapadin

D’Esposito appointed to Holocaust council board

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents several South Shore Nassau County communities, was appointed by House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Congress established the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council in 1980 to assist the country in commemorating the Holocaust and to raise private funds for and build the nation’s Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Council took over as the museum’s governing board of trustees after the institution’s 1993 opening. The museum is a separate entity of the U.S. government that functions as a public-private partnership and receives some federal funds to support building operations.

The Council, which holds two annual

meetings, is made up of 55 members chosen by the president, five representatives from the Senate and House of Representatives, and three exofficio members from the Departments of Education, the Interior and State.

D’Esposito added that he will fulfill his goals and contribute to a council with a longstanding mission of commemorating the Holocaust.

“As antisemitism continues to rise throughout our country and world, we must commit to teaching and recognizing the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust,” D’Esposito wrote on Twitter. “We must also commit to calling out and crushing antisemitism and other forms of hate when they arise.”

— Talya Lippman

Five Towners succeed in the classroom and earn degrees

New York Institute of Technology will welcome seven residents of the Five Towns for the fall semester.

From Hewlett, Arielle Nagar aims to major in architectural technology and Fernando Martinex plans to study electrical and computer engineering technology.

Inwood neighbors David Reyes and Arundhi Patram also look to major in architectural technology, and Didier Gordillo will major in computer science.

Jake Frankel and Reena Wasserman, both from Woodmere, will major in interdisciplinary studies and life sciences/ osteopathic medicine, respectively.

Daniel Amoruso and Ofek Preis, both of Hewlett, and Ryan Levy, from Atlantic Beach, were named to the SUNY New Paltz dean’s list for the spring semester. Students must earn at least a 3.3 gradepoint average with a full-time course load to earn this distinction.

Originally from Cedarhurst, Stuart Mintz, is among more than 4,100 students who graduated from Mississippi State University this spring, where they received the Master of Business Administration from the College of Business.

Marvin Lopez, of Inwood, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College at the school’s 211th commencement. Lopez, a geosciences and physics major, completed a geosciences thesis titled “Strain Analysis of Lineations in the East Pilbara Craton’s ‘Zone of Sinking,’ a Critical Structure in the Early Earth.”

Omolegho Ugbeva, from Hewlett, graduated from SUNY Delhi in a class of over 800 students in May with a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Hewlett’s Adam Tzach, received a bachelor’s in media arts production at

Emerson College at the Boston’s school 143rd commencement.

Joseph Tullo, from Inwood, was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at SUNY Delhi. Tullo is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in construction management: design & building. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

The University of Scranton’s spring semester dean’s list included Bella M. Davis of Atlantic Beach. Davis is a senior kinesiology major in the university’s Panuska College of Professional Studies. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 and the required number of credit hours during the semester

The University of Tampa has Remy Mollo of Atlantic Beach on its spring semester dean’s list. The honor goes to students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher. Mollo is a senior liberal studies major.

Chiara Mingolla, from Inwood, was named to the Quinnipiac University spring semester dean’s list. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of at least 3.5 with no grade lower than C.

Full-time students must complete at least 14 credits in a semester, with at least 12 credits that have been graded on a letter grade basis to be eligible, while parttime students must complete at least six.

Cedarhurst residents, Mark Ross, Joseph Rudansky and Elisha Gralla; Zev Nitelman, from Inwood; Akiva Balter and Abraham Kohn, of Lawrence; and Woodmere resident

Matthew Hammer were part of the nearly 2,500 graduates of Farleigh Dickinson University, which held its May commencement at MetLife Stadium.

— Talya Lippman

Anthony D’Esposito

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Board of the Incorporated Village of Hewlett Harbor will convene and hold a public hearing via ZOOM July 26, 2023, at 7:00PM.

All residents and professionals wishing to attend are directed to contact Village Hall at 516-374-3806 for further ZOOM information/instruction or visit our website at www.hewlettharbor.org.

All interested parties will be given the opportunity to be heard on the following applications for relief:

1) Mr. Lemuel Santana 20 Thixton Drive Hewlett Harbor, NY 11557 has applied to the Planning Board for site plan, elevation plan and landscape design review for a new one family home, 2 car garage, driveway and inground pool.

2) Olga Khakham 1315 Harbor Road Hewlett Harbor, NY 11557 has applied to the Planning Board for site plan, elevation plan and landscape review for a addition, alterations and renovations of a one family home.

At said hearing, all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard. Copies of the proposed application will be available at the Village Hall at least five (5) days before the public hearing and may be seen during the regular business hours.

Those persons planning to attend the meeting and who require special accommodations because of a disability are requested to notify the Village Clerk no less than 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Dated: July 7, 2023

Hewett Harbor, New York

BY ORDER OF THE PLANNING BOARD OF THE VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR TED MAY Planning Board Chairman Tommy Montemarano Building Inspector 140685

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Town Law Section 181-b (1) and pursuant to General Municipal Law

Section 35, (2a) the fiscal affairs of the Hewlett Bay Fire District in the Town of Hempstead , Nassau County, New York, for the period beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022, have been examined by Independent Certified Public Accounting firm of Craig, Fitzsimmons & Michaels, LLP - Smithtown, NY. A copy of their independent audit report has been filed with the New York Office of the State Comptroller where it is available as a public

record for inspection by all interested persons. In accordance with Town Law Section 181-b (4) the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Hewlett Bay Fire District in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, has prepared a written corrective action plan in response to the management letter issued because of the above referenced independent audit. This corrective action plan and the Final Statement is available for inspection by all interested persons at the Hewlett Bay Fire District Office located at, 1180 Broadway, New York, 11557. 140812

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

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

Agency: Board of Appeals

Village of Woodsburgh

Date: August 2, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

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

Subject: Application of WG Woodmere, LLC, 99 Meadow Drive, Woodsburgh, New York, (a) appealing the Building Inspector’s June 29, 2023 determination that (i) Village Code §150-106 applies and the applicant is required to provide certain details as required therein, (ii) the conceptual plan is required to contain details as indicated in the Building Inspector’s determination, (iii) pursuant to Village Code §150-111(A), proposed lots 60, 61, 81-88 and 138-145 are not permitted uses within the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (iv) pursuant to Village Code §150-111(C), proposed lots 138-140 are not permitted uses within the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, and (v) pursuant to Village Code §150-111(A), a proposed road is not a permitted use within the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, and in the alternative, requesting variances of the aforesaid provisions, and (b) requesting variances of the following Village Code sections: (i) 150-113, to permit proposed lots 43, 44, 52 and 56-59 to not include the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (ii) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 45 to contain lot area of 5,948.4 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 54 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required

50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (iii) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 46 to contain lot area of 6,611.4 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 62 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (iv) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 47 to contain lot area of 7,385.2 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 78 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (v) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 48 to contain lot area of 8,801.2 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 54 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (vi) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 49 to contain lot area of 9,603.1 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 84 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (vii) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 50 to contain lot area of 11,548.6 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 58 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (viii) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 51 to contain lot area of 4,994.4 square feet, where 15,000 square feet is required, a 75 foot width for a depth of 11 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, (ix) 150-113, to permit proposed lot 52 to have a 75 foot width for a depth of 122 feet, where the 75 foot width must be maintained for a depth of 125 feet, and the lot does not contain the required 50 feet of rear property line

adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict, and (x) 150-113, to permit lots 56 through 59 to contain less than the required 50 feet of rear property line adjacent to the Open Space/Recreation subdistrict. Premises are also known as Section 41, Block D, Lots 53 and 55; Block F, Lots 40, 123 and 310; Block 72, Lot 1 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.

The Board has not yet made any determinations 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: July 13, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk 140813

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 202-48 of the code of the Town of Hempstead entitled, “Handicapped Parking on Public Streets,” a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the adoption of a resolution setting aside certain parking spaces for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons at the following locations:

ELMONT LANDAU AVENUE - west side starting at a point 28 feet south of the south curbline of Madison Street, south for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-237/23)

AMERICAN AVENUEsouth side, starting at a point 191 feet east of the east curbline of Meacham Avenue, east for a distance of 14 feet.

(TH-248/23)

GOTHAM AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 25 feet south of the south

curbline of Murray Hill Street, south for a distance of 18 feet.

(TH-263/23)

INWOOD DAVIS AVENUE - south side, starting at a point 52 feet east of the east curbline of Chestnut Road, east for for a distance of 16 feet.

(TH-254/23)

OCEANSIDE OCEANSIDE PARKWAYnorth side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the west curbline of Rugby Road, west for a distance of 19 feet.

(TH-276/23)

ROOSEVELT DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 284 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 25 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23)

SEAFORD MARTIN COURT - south side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the driveway apron of house number 2839 Martin Court, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-236/23)

SOUTH HEMPSTEAD MAUDE STREET - north side, starting at a point 204 feet east of the east curbline of Long Beach Road, east for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-186/23)

and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons:

OCEANSIDE WEST WINDSOR PARKWAY - north side, starting at a point 224 feet west of the west curbline of Messick Avenue, west for a distance of 17 feet.

(TH-169B/23 - 6/06/23)

ROOSEVELT DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 310 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23 - 5/23/23)

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated:Hempstead, New York

July 11, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 140780

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 7/26/23 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 477/23. - 479/23.

WOODMERE - Chagai Freund, Maintain accessory structure (BBQ) not permitted in the side yard & with more than required side yard setback; Maintain 9’-6” high living fence in clear sight triangle & within clear sight triangle at neighbors driveway; Special exception to maintain 2nd accessory structure (hot tub with locking hard cover), not permitted in front yard on Palmyra Ave. & with more than required side & rear setback (5’ high enclosure not provided)., S/E cor. Palmyra Ave. & East Broadway, a/k/a 103 Palmyra Ave. N.C.P.C. Local determination. 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 Woodmere 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.

140789

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR RMAC REMIC TRUST, SERIES 2009-9, Plaintiff, vs. CLAUDIO JOVELL, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 25, 2016, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 21, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 1720 Montague Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and

being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 55, Block 24 and Lot 120. Approximate amount of judgment is $633,799.60 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 003996/2014. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Jeffrey Halbreich, Esq., Referee

Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140818

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, v.

KEVIN L. CARRERO, et al

Defendant. NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on August 9, 2019, I, Rita Solomon, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on August 22, 2023 at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, County of Nassau, State of New York, at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows:

64 West Avenue Lawrence, NY 11559

SBL No.: 40-1-232

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Meadowmere, in the Township of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 611223/2018 in the amount of $651,960.82 plus interest and costs.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held Rain or Shine. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the foreclosure auction.

Richard S. Mullen Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Plaintiff’s Attorney 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 140816

ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES

Plaintiff, Against FREDERICK NEIL KLEIN A/K/A FREDERICK KLEIN A/K/A FRED KLEIN, JODI KLEIN, DEBBIE G. KLEIN, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 8/27/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at the North Front Steps of the Nassau County Courthouse, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501. This auction will be held rain or shine on 8/22/2023 at 2:00 pm, premises known as 58 Brower Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598, and described as follows:

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Woodmere (formerly Woodsburgh) in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York Section 41 Block 24 Lot 326

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $1,162,718.94 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 0003350/2012

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction Rita Solomon, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland

Dated:

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT

EAST ROCKAWAY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (2 POSITIONS)

12 Month Position

Starting Salary $48,044–$50,462; increase pending contract negotiations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER NASSAU COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

PArAProfeSSioNAlS f/t: $23,736 - $24,286

Salary Commensurate with School Related Experience

fooD Service helPer P/t SubStituteS: $15.58/hr.

cleANer SubStituteS: $18.00/hr.

buS Driver SubStituteS: $22.50/hr.

SecuritY AiDeS (DAYS & eveNiNgS): F/T (7 hours) $22.28/hr.

NYS Security Guard Licensing required, law enforcement background preferred

mAiNtAiNer (7:00 A.m. – 4:00 P.m.)

Salary commensurate with experience

Send Cover Letter & Resume to: egomez@bmchsd.org or eric gómez

Assistant Superintendent – Personnel & Administration

1260 meadowbrook road, N. merrick, NY 11566

Additional information can be found on our website at: www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT TEACHERS: For Yeshiva

Of South Shore. Afternoon Hours. Competitive Pay. Please Send Resume To: monika@yoss.org

Bellmore-Merrick

Please Email Us office@bellmoremerrickchildcare.com

To Arrange For An Interview

Civil Project Engineer: Involve in document control, safety reports, billings, contracts, subcontract, award letters, bid tabulations, executive summaries. Understand construction process and MEP equipment.

Assemble project turnover requirements submittals, O&M manuals, warranties/guarantees. Coordinate and involve in regular schedule and budget updates; monthly report preparation; and coordination of daily activities. Prepare safety reports. Track daily reporting; assist in monitoring LEED submissions. Prepare and coordinate presentations. Change order tracking; review monthly payment requisitions. Work loc: Port Washington, NY. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated locs throughout

Training and Experience

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university, AND

Four years of satisfactory administrative staff experience, which must include participating in budget preparation, and/or personnel and/or procurement activities.

NOTE: 1. Experience, as outlined above, in excess of the four-year requirement, may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

2. A Master’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university may be substituted for one year of the experience as outlined above.

Anticipated Start Date: Upon Civil Service Approval

Please submit letter of interest and resume to: Ms. Diane Drakopoulos Personnel Clerk 443 Ocean Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518 516-887-8300, x1-441 Email: ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

Manager On Duty

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Shifts. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For All Issues That May Occur During The Event, Seeing Each Through To Resolution. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For Emergency Personnel Hourly Rate $25-$30 To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

MEDICAL FRONT DESK Monday- Thursday 9am- 6:30pm. Computer Literate. Valley Stream. Fax Info to 516-295-0017

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Part Time, Various Shifts. Retirees Welcome. Duties include: \Patrols throughout the Village, issuance of code violation citations. Qualifications: HS graduate or equivalent. Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record. Contact: Inc. Village of Atlantic Beach 516-371-4600 e-mail office@villageofatlanticbeach.com

Path Monitor

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Evening Shifts

Providing A Welcoming Atmosphere And Ensuring Guest Safety. Hourly Rate $20. To Apply:

https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

PROFESSIONAL TAILOR For Dry Cleaners In Merrick. Flexible Days And Hours. Call 646-593-1357

VALLEY

SCHOOL DISTRICT #24

75 Horton Avenue • Valley Stream, NY 11581

The Board of Education is seeking qualified applicants for the position of:

DISTRICT CLERK

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Good Clerical and Computer Skills, including Microsoft WORD, and speed writing

• Part-time Position – Approximately 15 to 20 hours per week, plus two evenings per month

• Principal responsibility includes preparing all Agendas, taking Minutes at all Board meetings, copying of all documents for Board and maintaining Board of Education records.

• Responsible for all aspects of Annual School District Budget Vote and Election of Board members

Send cover letter and resume to: Board of Education Valley Stream School District 24 75 Horton Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11581

1222852

RECEPTIONIST FULL TIME: Busy OBGYN Office Rockville Centre. Answering Phones, Filing, Checking Insurance. Maureen 516-764-1095

Call

C entral H ig H S CH ool D i S tri C t

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 1390 Broadway #102, NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths,HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC,Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr Doorman, Valet Pkg,Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BAY PARK BA .190 Meadowview Ave Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!..REDUCED

$2,999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-429 ba

HEWLETT HARBOR 7/23, 12-2:0, 1051 Channel Dr, FIRST TIME ON MARKET!

3/4 BR, 2.5 Bth Split on Beautiful Ω Acre Parklike Property. Updtd Gran/Wood EIK, Spac LR/DR with Vaulted Ceiling & Fpl, & Fam Rm. 2 Car Att Gar.Endless Possibilities! SD#14...$1,349,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

HEWLETT HARBOR BA 246 Adams Rd, NEW TO MARKET! Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd., FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth

Apartments

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose

Overlooking 1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2 Bths. 2 Car Att Gar. Low Taxes! SD#20..$2,299,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Teacher Aides

Security Guards, Part-Time

Teacher Aides

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

The District is seeking part-time security guards (unarmed) for the 2023/24 school year. Prior law enforcement experience required. Great for retirees. $22.00/hr.

School Nurse, Part-Time

School Nurse, Part-Time

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

School Nurse, Full-Time The District has an opening for a full-time school nurse. 10-month position. RN certification required. Starting salary $48,671.00

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

HomesHERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Long Beach

Experience Ultimate Luxury

The unobstructed ocean views in this top floor penthouse 2 bedroom and 2 full bath condominium are breathtaking! This home has been designed to exude beach ambiance with every detail: from the golden brown porcelain floor tile to the deep sea pearl backsplash and designer moldings. Originally built as a 3 bedroom, the current bedrooms are graciously sized with abundant closet space. The primary suite features stunning expansive built-ins in addition to a deep walk-in closet. Both bathrooms are designed with beach undertones. The living room is airy and features a fireplace. The amenities: 24-hr concierge, private gym, 2 dedicated parking spots, personal washer/dryer in all units and pet friendly! Only two blocks to the train, an ideal base to explore all of Long Beach! $1,599,000 26 W. Broadway, Long Beach, NY, 11561 Unit # 1005

Jennifer Bartko McConnell Managing Partner 516-987-9688 jenbartko@gmail.com www.JenBartko.com

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services | Laffey International 860 W. Beech Street Long Beach, NY 11561 516-987-9688

Can I just start putting up walls?

Q. I’m doing a commercial space to expand my business, and I’m in a quandary about a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. First, the landlord is only giving me two months to build out the space, and I’m being told that’s not enough time to get plans and permits, which the landlord doesn’t seem to care about. If I just start putting up walls, is that acceptable? Will I get a violation if I get caught? Also, I was told I need a plumbing permit for a new sink and toilet — the ones that are there are disgusting. If I hire an expeditor to get the plans and permit, can they also get the plumbing permit so I can do the work myself? I was hoping this would go smoothly, but I can see there are going to be problems. What can I expect?

A. You didn’t say what the business was, and the first step is to confirm, with a search of records, whether the use is permitted. For example, some uses require special approvals, and each jurisdiction has limitations.

Tattoo parlors, animal sales and boarding, auto body work — these are a few of the many types of businesses that require special review, sometimes by a zoning board, a village, town or city board or both in the same municipality.

Just a heads-up: Your landlord only wants to rent the space. A landlord was put on the phone recently while I was going over a similar circumstance, and told me he expected the tenant would eventually get the permit, but it isn’t his problem. To answer your question, if you did get caught, the landlord or owner of the property is the responsible party, and can face violations in court, fines and, in extremely rare cases, conviction and jail for serious violations, especially calamities leading to death. Those are the ones we hear about in the news.

Rm. 2 Car Att Gar. Endless Possibilities!

SD#14 $1,349,000

246 Adams Rd, BA, Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling Overlooking

1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2 Bths. 2 Car Att Gar. Low Taxes! SD#20 REDUCED! $2,299,000

HEWLETT

1390 Broadway #102, BA ,NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly

Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open

Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths, HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC, Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr

Doorman, Valet Pkg, Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship $579,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom (Originally

3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit.

Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style

Living BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER! $579,000

WOO dMERE

504 Saddle Ridge Rd, BA, Move Right Into This Renovated

An expeditor generally won’t be your first choice, since expediting is the handling of paperwork and filing. You need professionally prepared and sealed plans showing the space, fully noted and dimensioned, with code references to specific safety issues for the use. A pharmacy will have different requirements and licensing than a beauty salon or a day care, for example. Usually, a ceiling plan showing locations of lighting, emergency equipment, sprinkler heads, emergency lights and exit signs is required, along with heating and air conditioning vents and diffusers.

Depending on the locality, you may not be allowed to do your own construction or plumbing work, and if you were to ask, local building departments expect the licensed plumber to get their own permit, showing proof of licensing to do work in that community. I know, and building officials are well aware, that work goes on all the time without the delay of the permit process. Just keep in mind that public safety is everyone’s responsibility. Verify that the work is safe and code-compliant. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

“Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

We Buy Antiques, Fine Art, Coins & Jewelry Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 45 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464

FINDS UNDER $100

Finds Under $100

32 X 32 Mirror beveled edge etchings in corners, hardware included for hanging.$70.00 (516)579-9089 excellent

CAST IRON GRILL PAN: with Top Press, $15. 516-292-0430

Finds Under $100

FENDER ELECTRIC/ ACOUSTIC Guitar. Black. Cd-140SCE. Sounds great. Needs strings. $99. 516-707-0357

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At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display

Recently I attended the annual Patriot Award Dinner hosted by the Seaford High School 9/11 Memorial Committee. This event, and other 9/11 programs in Seaford, are administered by the Memorial Committee, which was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the commitment to “always remember.”

Communities across Long Island were devastated by 9/11. None, however, has been more consistent or wideranging in its dedication to preserving the memory and legacy of that day and its victims than Seaford.

In November 2002, a commemorative plaza was constructed at the entrance to Seaford High School, dedicated to the alumni who lost their lives: New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Haskell, FDNY Firefighter Tim Haskell, New York City Police Officer John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein.

Each year on Sept. 11, more than 1,000 people attend a memorial at the plaza — last year, undaunted by a driving rain. Since 2002, Patriot Award scholarships

totaling more than $235,000 have been given to 112 Seaford High seniors who reflect the values of the graduates who died on 9/11. Honorary Patriot Awards have been presented to 59 people who selflessly service the Seaford community.

District students make field trips to the 9/11 Memorial at ground zero.

This year’s dinner was held at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As always, there was a large turnout, more than 300 people. The mood in the room was a mix of energy and respect. There was the energy of people who have been working for two decades to ensure that the memories and legacy of that day are preserved, along with respect for those who died and their family members, who were at the dinner, as they have been at so many commemorations over the years.

Among those sitting at my table were Monsignor Steve Camp and members of the Haskell family. Camp, now the pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Huntington, was a priest at St. William the Abbot in Seaford in September 2001. He officiated at funerals for victims of the attacks, and with his compassion and concern that did so much to help not only the victims’ families, but the Seaford community as well.

Tom and Tim Haskell were heroic FDNY members, as was their brother, Ken, who survived that day, and has dedicated so much to the Memorial Committee as its president. With Ken at the table were his mother, Maureen; his wife, Genene; their sons Kenny and Ryan; Ken’s sister, Dawn; and Tom’s widow, Barbara. No family has endured more than the Haskells. Somehow their spirit remains as strong as ever — as does the spirit of the other 9/11 families.

Seeing so many neighbors, friends and other familiar faces, I was pleased and reassured by the number of young people who were there who weren’t yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. I also gave a special hello to my sister, Barbara, a Seaford High graduate who put so much effort into making the dinner a success.

The student scholarship winners were very impressive, as were the Honorary Patriot Award recipients. Longtime Seaford High officials Tom Condon and Ray Buckley, who played strong leadership roles in forming the Memorial Committee and have continued their efforts to this day, spoke movingly, and then led everyone in an emotional and spirited rendition of “God Bless America.”

All these good, hardworking people gathered to show their unfailing dedication and commitment to their community and country more than two decades after America’s darkest hour exemplify patriotism at its best.

As I left that night, I thought about how wonderful it would be if the spirit of selfless dedication and commitment that these Seaford residents still demonstrate could once again predominate in our divided country. If the sense of unity and respect that Americans had in the days, weeks and months after the attacks could somehow be re-established. If we could work together on issues where we agree, try to find common ground where we disagree and do so respectfully, always remembering that we are Americans.

The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 could not destroy us or break our spirit. Instead we emerged more united. We owe it to our nation, and all those who were murdered that day, not to divide against ourselves, but rather to do all we can to recapture the unity we had then, and never forget that we are still the greatest nation on earth. As the hundreds of Seaford residents proudly sang at the conclusion of the Patriot Award Dinner, let us all proudly proclaim, “God Bless America!”

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

Chimps face N.Y. court test of ‘personhood’

W“hen you meet chimps, you meet individual personalities. When a baby chimp looks at you, it’s just like a human baby. We have a responsibility to them.”

–Jane Goodall, animal right activist

U.S. Some 850 live in laboratories. About 250 chimps are in accredited zoos, 600 in sanctuaries, and 250 in private hands, such as carnivals and low-end zoos.

rarely accelerated new discoveries or the advancement of human health.”

The report added, “The majority of NIH-owned chimpanzees should be designated for retirement and transferred to the federal sanctuary system.”

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published June 11-17, 2015.

Chimpanzee stories invite cheap shots, jokes and memories of J. Fredd Muggs (a regular on “The Today Show”), but the true story of these primates in modern times is both shameful and tragic. The continuing abuse of chimpanzees in research, and a New York state lawsuit arguing the “personhood” of chimps, demand our focused attention and action.

Chimpanzees are one of the four great apes, along with gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. But chimps are closer to humans in their DNA than they are to any of their ape brethren. They know how to use tools, have opposable thumbs and can learn sign language. They pass the “mirror” test, recognizing themselves in reflective glass, and they are self-aware; express grief, depression and joy; and play jokes on one another.

RANDI KREISS

Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of our DNA. They are native to Africa and they are endangered, with only 180,000 to 300,000 remaining. Fifty years ago, there were probably a million chimpanzees roaming Africa. Deforestation, poaching and some people’s taste for bush meat have depleted the population.

Nearly 2,000 chimpanzees live in the

Yet for decades, these animals have been used for research in the U.S., by the National Institutes of Health and by medical schools and pharmaceutical companies. This research rests on the presumption that as higher beings, we have the right to subject other living creatures to pain and suffering to improve our own health and longevity.

The awful irony is that in 2011, the National Academy of Sciences concluded, “Most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary.” In addition, a 2013 NIH report confirmed, “Research involving chimpanzees has

We are the only developed country in the world that continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments. A number of countries, including Australia, the European Union, Japan and New Zealand, have banned the use of all great apes in experiments.

What got me thinking about the shameful legacy of abuse of chimpanzees was the news in April of a lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project seeking “personhood” status for two chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, now being held at Stony Brook University.

If the apes are freed, they will go to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for retired and rehabilitated chimpanzees in Florida. According to a spokesman, NhRP is not seeking personhood for apes so they can roam the streets. It is seeking only one specific right: the right to one’s bodily freedom, the freedom not to be taken and kept involuntarily for any purpose.

When I brought this subject up for dis-

cussion at a dinner table this week, the reaction of my friends — all kind, wellinformed people — was complete lack of concern for or interest in chimpanzees, abused or otherwise. They trotted out the old argument about it being OK to experiment on animals so people can live better lives. They said they just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees. They asked where I would draw the line. OK to experiment on dogs? Rats? Fruit flies?

I do draw a line. No experimentation on any higher-functioning animal that is sentient, but self-aware and capable of emoting feelings and socialization. I can be OK with experimenting on mice and rats and fruit flies and other lower life forms.

We don’t have the moral right to experiment on chimpanzees. The systematic torture of chimps, once considered “research” and now discredited by the NIH as inhumane and ineffectual, must stop. Please join me in supporting Jane Goodall’s work to save and rehabilitate chimpanzees. Go to janegoodall.org, where you can learn, donate or volunteer.

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

The U.S. continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments.

We need to rekindle the sense of unity we had in the days after 9/11.

Hernesto Galdamez Reporter

lorI HarWItt Multi Media Marketing

Staying safe from shark close encounters

it won’t be long before the iconic film “Jaws” turns 50 — a fact that’s just difficult to imagine.

Yet this single movie, from a then unknown director named Steven Spielberg, singlehandedly created the summer blockbuster model many studios work to recreate every year, and proved the big screen could deliver big thrills.

HERALD

But “Jaws” had another, more lasting effect on society. It made many people fearful — or, at least, more cautious — about going to the beach. And it turned sharks, like the great white featured in Spielberg’s film, from ocean predators to living, breathing and biting beasts of pure evil.

Humans are a land species. Put us in the water and we’re at a clear disadvantage against anything that might mean us harm living in that environment. Especially something that can weigh more than two tons while boasting more than 300 teeth. Vigilance when in the water is essential — but demonizing an animal for simply acting on its nature is not.

In the years following the release of “Jaws,” many fishermen set out to hunt the great white, deeming the slaughter that came with it — cutting the population nearly in half — a way to rid the world of a man-eating predator.

But sharks are sharks, and for us to enjoy the ocean, we have to find ways of sharing it with these creatures, and everything else living below the waves. No one wants to be bitten, and hopefully most of us would rather stay as far away from

letters

Randi’s tribute to journalists still rings true — even today

To the Editor:

Keep your distance from the sharks

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Florida where more than half of the country’s shark attacks happen each year says it’s always good to stay in groups, since sharks are more likely to bite someone swimming alone. Also, don’t wander too far from shore especially if it isolates you from other swimmers. It also takes you farther away from any help you could receive from land. Avoid the water at twilight or after dark. Those are the hours when sharks are most active. Even during the day, if the water is murky, be extra careful. And most important, stay in areas watched by lifeguards.

sharks as possible. Yet the cleaner, warmer waters splashing onto the beaches of Long Island will indeed attract all kinds of aquatic life, and sharks won’t be far behind.

Drones certainly make a difference, with the state tripling the number of the flying camera-equipped contraptions patrolling local beaches. They can cover more territory in a short time, rather than simply putting lifeguards on WaveRunners, and beachgoers are getting the added protection of both.

Long Island beaches attract a number of species of sharks, although few of them, other than dusky sharks and the great whites featured in “Jaws,” pose any immediate danger. But it’s still imperative to stay away, because if a shark did decide to turn on you, it’s a battle you likely wouldn’t win.

Sharks are the ocean’s dominant predator for sure — and humans should stay far away from them — but they aren’t evil. We shouldn’t be happy when a shark is killed, or wish for a world in which they don’t exist.

In the end, sharks are a key component to our very fragile marine ecosystem. And they are dying, with few people standing up to defend them because of the fear perpetuated by movies like “Jaws” and annual television events like Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.”

Even Spielberg regrets how the great white was portrayed in his 1975 film. When a British radio personality asked him last year how he’d feel if he lived on a desert island surrounded by sharks, the Oscar-winning director said it’s something he fears. “Not to get eaten by a shark,” he added, “but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975.”

Sharks may not actually hold grudges, but we can share the ocean with them, and keep ourselves safe, by steering clear of them. It’s the only way we can have the fun, relaxing summer we’ve always enjoyed on Long Island beaches.

Re Randi Kreiss’s column last week (reprised from Sept. 11-17, 2014), “Journalists become targets for jihadists”: We, in the field, doing the coverage and writing the story and taking the photographs, know the truth. The courage lies in the reporting of that truth.

Many of us are doing local, community news coverage, and our readers (and viewers) want our presentation of the facts and our intelligent analysis. We are in the same tradition of those who report the news from abroad. We must take chances to offer the public the facts.

I am one of an old breed. It is my personal and deep passion to (try to) make a difference. Whereas building a house, or representing others in court, or even serving as an elected official, can be meritorious, I take photographs. I offer them to news sources all over the world. I imagine when they are displayed in some newspaper, someone, somewhere, may say: “This is truth.”

However, this hopeful wish on my part may be completely false. As more and more photos are cre-

ated and offer images of terrible events in the world, the public may become numb, and people may say, “I can’t change anything in the world, and these terrible photos just make me feel really sad.”

Professor Lauren Walsh, of New York University, wrote about this common public reaction recently in an article in the global documentary magazine Zeke. “What is the value of a photojournalist?” Walsh wrote. In

You have no idea what teachers deal with

His name was David, and he killed himself in my second year of teaching.

The Long Island high school stopped functioning that day. David was an enormous personality. A terrific athlete with a giant grin. Some of his basketball friends read poems they wrote about him at his funeral.

David ended his life 11 years ago, and I still remember him now and then. The time I beat him in an impromptu rap battle between classes. He bounded down the hall, yelling, “Nolan is nice!”

The time I pranked him by pretending that a phone call from the main office directed him to pack his stuff and go to the principal’s office. (David was a habitual linecrosser.)

Or how I tried to teach him about selffulfilling prophecies, perhaps out of some intuition of the storm that surely raged within him.

I see his face, remember specific moments. David was a gifted athlete — not a great student, but what a personality. I spoke at his wake about how he brought people together. He knew every-

one, and everyone knew him. He was kind to other students.

His death remains the single worst experience I had as a teacher. I sought help for him, but I was a second-year teacher and didn’t realize how much danger he was in. No one did, not even his friends. I tried to put the pieces together afterward, to see how I missed any signs, but I only found more questions.

Two weeks ago, a former student of mine died in a dirt-bike crash. Last month, the murderer of a student I knew was sentenced. A year before his murder, two students I knew were attacked in the woods by a group wielding machetes, and left with scars on their necks and scalps.

When I started teaching, I quickly realized how many kids were suffering. Neighbors don’t always fully grasp the depth of hardship in their own communities. Students deal with abusive and drugand alcohol-dependent parents, incarcerated siblings, and violence in their neighborhoods — in addition to run-of-the-mill adolescent angst, which can be turbulent enough.

My wife teaches elementary school, and has come home crying because of the stress some of her students — some as young as 5 — have had to bear.

One time she asked a little girl why

Letters

the end, she stated that it is to offer visual evidence — evidence that offers proof when atrocities are committed by autocratic leaders, and that allows legal action to be taken to compensate the oppressed.

Thus, the photojournalist bears witness to the truth with visual evidence. I offer that critical truth, and I may actually change the world: I take photographs to protect the oppressed! And those overseas reporters, journalists and photojournalists — I believe, in my heart, they are in agreement.

If you want to do your own research on journalists abroad, look into the Committee to Project Journalists, at cpj.org.

JOe ABATe Writer/photographer Island Park

Two bills could expand recycling

To the editor:

New York has a chance to pass two bills that could significantly reduce the state’s plastic waste and improve its current recycling system: the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.5322/S.4246) and the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.6353/S.237A).

If passed, the Packaging Reduction

and Recycling Infrastructure Act would be the most progressive extended producer responsibility law in the country. The law would reduce packaging by 50 percent over 12 years, and remove 12 toxic chemicals from packaging — including PFAS, lead, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.

It would also prevent “chemical recycling” — or incineration — to count as recycling.

New York City spends $448 million to export its waste out of the state. Some of this waste ends up at the Covanta incinerator in Newark, where it pollutes an environmental justice community. By shifting the responsibility of recycling costs from taxpayers to packaging companies, the law would also ensure investments in reuse and refill systems and funding to improve recycling.

The Bigger, Better Bottle Bill would expand the current law, first passed in 1982. It would help reduce waste from common containers not currently under the law. To date, there are only nickel deposits on soda, beer and water. This bill would add non-carbonated containers like lemonade, iced tea, liquor and wine.

Moreover, the bottle bill would increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, which has proven to increase recycling rates and reduce bottle waste in states that have passed similar laws. It would also increase

she looked so tired. The answer? Her family had been huddled together all night in a corner of their basement, hiding from a gang that threatened to shoot up the house.

Another year, my wife taught a boy who, as a toddler, had been found by police sleeping on his murdered father’s chest. A group of teens had broken into the house and shot the dad.

This is part of education on Long Island. You can be certain that in just about every school there are students dealing with unimaginable grief and stress.

The mental, and at times physical, stress of helping children cope with grief can be overwhelming for a teacher. Knowing a child will go home — if he has a home — to an empty pantry, a house filled with trash or walls marked by bullet holes isn’t something you can just shelve at the end of the day.

A big part of 21st-century education is emotional learning. Mindfulness is a focus in classrooms, in the form of yoga and lessons on empathy and expressing emotions. Teachers benefit by learning these techniques, and being part of the conversation with their students.

During and after the pandemic, schools were, and still are, stretched to near the breaking point. Teachers have

endured ridiculous stress levels with pandemic-mandated changes, drops in highstakes test scores, being under fire by political groups for myriad illogical reasons, and more.

Yes, other professions are stressful. Highlighting the hardships of one job doesn’t exclude or diminish others. Law enforcement, first responders, social workers, landscapers, nurses, drivers — they all face stress and job-related hardship.

But there is a misconception that teachers are overpaid for four hours of work a day and summers off. How could that be stressful? Some people overlook the fact that teaching is more than time in a classroom, and involves more than helping a student learn the significance of Bastille Day.

Most teachers I know use the summer to decompress, and then plan and reimagine their classroom and teaching style. They take courses, read deeply, and contemplate better ways to motivate students.

As summer kicks into high gear, take a moment to thank a teacher and wish them a well-deserved break. It won’t be long before they’re helping a student with much more than long division.

Mark Nolan, the editor of the Lynbrook/ East Rockaway and Malverne/West Hempstead Heralds, taught high school English for 11 years. Comments? mnolan@liherald.com.

the handling fee from 3 cents to 5 cents per bottle — an increase that would vastly improve the livelihoods of thousands of recyclers known as “canners.”

Passing both bills is crucial, because they would work together to enhance

waste management in New York, leading to substantial waste reduction, improved recycling, and reduced landfill and incinerator use.

MARíA

Framework by Tim Baker

Oohing and aahing at the fireworks show overhead — Rockville Centre

In virtually every school on Long Island, there are students suffering with grief and stress.