Nassau Herald 12-15-2022

A.B. Bridge tolls to rise

E-ZPass expected to be in use by mid-year

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

If you’re a motorist who relies on the Atlantic Beach Bridge to get to work and come home, you need $2 each way. However, that will change, as the Nassau County Bridge Authority will be rolling out toll increases on Jan. 1 — the first since 2007.

“The new toll rate schedule was approved in 2022 after a rigorous review process, and there will be no further planned increases for the next five years,” bridge authority officials stated in a news release earlier this month.

The toll for passenger vehicles will increase to $3. Trucks tolls will bump up from $4 to $8 or $8 to $16, based on vehicle size.

When the E-ZPass system is introduced at the bridge next year, the fare for non-Nassau County motorists will jump to $4. The transponders of drivers with E-ZPass accounts will determine whether their vehicles are registered within or outside the county. All motor-

ists without E-ZPass will be charged $4.

“The decision to raise tolls does not come lightly,” Nassau County Bridge Authority Chairman Samuel Nahmias said. “Especially at a time when our residents are hurting due to high inflation.”

The increase is required to keep the authority viable, Nahmias said. Unlike other bridges across New York, the authority’s revenue is generated only from the tolls; it has no state or federal funding.

Increasing revenue will allow for upgrade to the 70-year-old, 1,173-footlong bridge, including $6 million needed for cleaning, painting, and roadwork; $5 million to install E-ZPass and for toll plaza refurbishment; and $5 million for bulkhead replacement. The bride authority expects E-ZPass to be implemented by mid-2023.

On Facebook, motorists expressed frustration with eliminating annual decals once E-ZPass is operating. The price of a decal is currently $130.

To counter what was considered misinforma-

All aglow for Yuletide

This ‘Batman’ never tires of offering cheer to ill kids

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Every superhero has an origin story. For Spider-Man, it was the loss of his uncle Ben. For Batman, it was the loss of his parents. For Josh Aryeh, it began with his love of exotic cars.

Aryeh, 36, an entrepreneur who lives in Hewlett, grew up in a middle-class family and went to school in upscale Lawrence.

Growing up, he was teased by classmates who wore high-end, branded clothing. He didn’t.

“My family was middleclass,” Aryeh said, “and children picked on me in my school for not having the things they had.” The family values he was taught focused on having a job and working hard.

As a teenager, Aryeh was fascinated by fancy cars, and he envisioned himself as Bruce Wayne, the civilian identity of

Batman, who, in the DC comic books, is known for his highclass style and owning exotic vehicles.

“When I was 16, I became friendly with people who were older and owned the cars, and I was happy to be in them,” Aryeh said. He made connections among groups of car lovers including the Classic Club Car in Manhattan and Cloud 9 Exotics in Farmingdale. He would do errands for the car

owners to earn their trust, and they allowed him to drive the vehicles. Sometimes he had access to them at night or on weekends.

On a drive one night, a thought came to Aryeh’s mind: “There have to be children who battle cancer or illnesses that have the same love for these cars as I do.” So he called nearby hospitals, promoting his accessibility to exotic cars.

Aryeh’s father, Emanuel, has

been ill since Josh was 12, and he lost his younger sister, Aviva, when she was 18. Aviva, whom Josh considered his best friend, came home from spring break during her first year of college in 2006, and what she thought was a bad cold was diagnosed as a staph infection. She died a week later. “I knew what it was like to be in a hospital with a loved one, hoping and praying for them to pull through,” Josh

Joe Abate/Herald

The Five Town Community Center’s Christmas tree stands tall. Story, more photos, Page 31.

The decision to raise tolls does not come lightly.

SAMuEl NAHMiAS Chairman, Nassau County Bridge Authority

Lawrence alumna, Aline Kominsky-Crumb dies at 74

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Before she was Aline Kominsky-Crumb, she was Aline Goldsmith, who found love in art by drawing pictures of her classmates in Lawrence High School and then broke ground as a woman in the male-dominated field of comic book writing.

The wife of comix artist Robert Crumb, Kominsky-Crumb, died of pancreatic cancer on Nov. 30. She was 74.

Born in Long Beach on Aug. 1, 1948, she spent her first years in Far Rockaway until her family moved to Woodmere. After graduating from Lawrence High in 1966, she attended the University of Arizona, where she studied painting and married Carl Kominsky two years later. The couple divorced in 1971.

her interest in the underground comic book scene. “I saw Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary by Justin Green,” she said in an interview with The Comics Journal in 1990. “When I saw what he had done with this autobiographical, straightforward, crazy story about everything that happened to him, I started approaching it in this straightforward way, and it was satisfying. I thought, ‘I could do that. That is what I should do.”

ries. They two collaborated on projects such as two issues of Dirty Laundry Comics, a comic that recounts life situations involving themselves.

ALiNE KOMiNSKycRuMB

She moved San Francisco, intending to pursue her art career. It was there where she met Robert Crumb, an underground comix artist known for his unfiltered work. A mutual friend of the two noticed a resemblance in their work.

It was in Arizona that she began

Known as “R. Crumb,” Crumb called his work comix because of the unfiltered nature of the art and sto-

The male-dominated field did not frighten Kominsky Crumb. In 1975, she and Diane Noomin, who she met while contributing issues with the Wimmen’s Comicx, joined forces to create an allfemale collection that dealt with female empowerment, sexual politics and topics related to the feminist ideology. The duo then launched their publication, Twisted Sisters.

She and Crumb would marry in 1978 and had one child, Sophie Crumb, born in 1981, who followed her parents’ path and also became a comic artist. The cou -

ple moved to France in the 1990s to raise their daughter. Media interest in their marriage heightened after the 1995 documentary “Crumb” was released. The film followed Crumb’s beginnings to become one of the most prominent names in underground art.

In an interview with Artforum, Kominsky-Crumb described her movement from the underground scene to the mainstream.

“I chose to do stuff that could be read on a toilet,” she said. “Now, my work is taught at Harvard, and women have written Ph. Ds on my work, which really amazes me.”

Kominsky-Crumb is survived by her husband Robert Crumb, her daughter Sophie Crumb and three grandchildren.

Courtesy Lawrence High School LAwRENcE HiGH ScHOOL class of 1966, Aline Kominsky-Crumb’s love for art began in her high school classroom.

Weitzman issues challenge for Maccabi USA

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Footwear designer, philanthropist and Hewlett native Stuart Weitzman carried the American flag as he led the USA delegation into Teddy Stadium at the 21st World Maccabiah Games on July 12 to 26 in Israel.

Thousands of Jewish athletes from around the world competed in the athletic competition. The USA delegation of 1,300 was twice the size of the most recent American Olympic team and these Maccabiah Games were the second largest athletic event ever.

Weitzman also introduced a philanthropic challenge that will help thousands of athletes for years to come. He challenged Maccabi USA to endow scholarships for athletes in financial need to take part in the Maccabiah Games by raising $3 million. Then Weitzman will donate $5 million.

To date, Maccabi USA has raised $1.3 million and unlocked an initial $2 million gift from Weitzman in the process. To benefit from the full match, the organization must raise an additional $1.7 million by the end of the year. If successful, Weitzman will contribute $3 million more, bringing the total amount in the Stuart Weitzman Scholarship Fund to $8 million.

“I do not believe that cost should be a barrier to participation,” Weitzman said. “I cannot imagine a better way to create

camaraderie and an appreciation of Jewish heritage and culture than by supporting an organization like Maccabi USA. I am making this gift to ensure that any athlete in need of funds can take part in this life-changing experience.”

The contribution by Weitzman is the largest gift in the history of Maccabi USA. “This is the most monumental gift

in the history of our organization,” Maccabi USA President Jeff Bukantz said. “After every Maccabiah, we start from zero and need to raise $1 million to support our athletes. This generous endowment will ensure that qualified Jewish athletes in need of financial help can join the team.”

Weitzman has supported the US Olym-

pics teams and served on the foundation board for years. Now he is specifically helping Jewish athletes.

“When I entered the stadium with almost 1,200 athletes and coaches and looked back at them all lined up waving the American flag,” he said. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget. That was one thrilling moment to be leading in front of 30,000 people.”

Weitzman is a three-time Maccabi USA table tennis alum and attended the games for a third consecutive time after initially becoming involved to display his prowess in table tennis. This year Weitzman captured the bronze medal for USA table tennis and described his experience traveling to the games.

“It was inspiring to me and hopefully to anybody else who wants to give his or her support,” he said. “I saw so many Jewish kids from so many different countries, some of whom couldn’t even speak to each other because of languages, but there was a friendship and a camaraderie that you had to be there to see. Athletes from Argentina trading uniforms with American swimmers and relationships that were being established, that in today’s world with the internet, will be easy to continue. I don’t know what other effect could ever bring that kind of friendship and camaraderie from Jewish people from so many different countries. That’s what’s truly in my mind most special about the Maccabi games.”

Kiwanis helps Christmas dreams come true

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

The holiday season is here and community organizations in the Five Towns are bringing annual holiday cheer. Peninsula Kiwanis raised money through its Christmas Dream program to purchase nearly 700 toys for children in the communities.

Christmas Dream is a year-round program that assists the Lawrence School District, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Inwood and the Five Towns Community Center. Kiwanis, which has members from the surrounding communities, holds its Christmas Dream Pancake Breakfast fundraiser in October and through that event raises the money it dedicates to its Christmas Dream program.

The philanthropic organization will host its Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 9 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church at 68 Wanser Ave. Children will be able to have photos taken with Santa and Kiwanis members will distribute toys. The program started 32 years ago, and Kiwanis president, Michael Gliner, said it continues to grow.

“We work with the social workers at the local schools, the local churches and

pantries to be able to give them what is necessary,” Gliner said. “Everything is done behind closed doors so nobody knows who is getting what so there’s no need for anyone to feel ashamed to ask for what they need.”

Kiwanis members attended the pan-

cake breakfast, and members prepared and served the food and wrapped presents for the kids. This year Kiwanis collected more than 800 toys with 600 already dispersed. Kiwanis also distributed coats, gloves, hats and hygiene supplies.

Gliner joined Peninsula Kiwanis 15

years ago and since he has been a member, the Christmas Dream has been one of his favorite annual events. “It’s great seeing the smile on the faces of the children, as well as the parents,” he said.

Lena Artusa works for the outreach program at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and began working with the Kiwanis to continue the Christmas Dream program, which included creating lists of children in need and working throughout the year to organize the pancake breakfast in October so that they can purchase the toys for the kids.

Being involved with the program for 10 years, Artusa said she expects a big turnout this year. “We had a big crowd for the pancake breakfasts and already distributed toys to over 500 kids,” she said.

Artusa praised Peninsula Kiwanis for their continued annual effort to provide a positive holiday season for kids in the community.

“The Kiwanis don’t just give toys, they distribute jackets. They give us food for our pantry and they’re very generous,” Artusa said. “Whatever we need in our pantry, whether it’s diapers or jackets or detergent they get everything that we need. They really care about the neighborhood and the families that are here.”

Courtesy Sheryl Raskin

HEwLEtt NAtIvE StuARt Weitzman with Jeff Bukantz, president of Maccabi USA. Weitzman earned a bronze medal in table tennis.

Herald file photo

PENINSuLA KIwANIS mEmBERS helped in the kitchen during the Christmas Dream pancake breakfast in 2018. From left are Dennis Brining, Joe Girardi, Tony Cascione, Andrew Levy and Michael Gliner.

hikes

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

During his campaign in November to represent the 20th Assembly District, which encompasses Long Beach and the Five Towns, Republican Ari Brown, a builder, frequently used a slogan to show how strong he also was politically.

“I swing a hammer,” he would say.

Even before he takes his seat in Albany, Brown is already taking a rhetorical hammer to what he characterized as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to increase tolls on the New York State Thruway.

A Thruway Authority spokesman said the tolls would increase by 5 percent in 2024 and again in 2027 for New York E-ZPass customers. The additional fee for those without E-ZPass would increase to 75 percent of the toll, and the tolls for the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge would increase by 50 cents each year from 2024 to 2027.

is approaching 70 years in age.”

Brown — and some Democrats — are having none of it.

In a news release last week, Brown stated, “New York has already ditched toll booths, laying off thousands of workers to lighten their books, and now they want more from our already cashedstrapped families. It was just this year that the governor gloated about New York’s rich coffers, and now she’s raising taxes — unconscionable.”

Asked how wise it is for a relative newcomer to the Legislature to take on the governor, who in November was elected by a wide margin to her first full term, Brown responded, “Why not? I’m one of the older state legislators.” He is 55. “I’m not a politician. I’m doing this to serve. I’m not looking to make this a career.”

Jim Moriarty, a spokesman for Long Beach Republicans, said that speaking out politically always involves risk. But, he added, “Any legislator has the opportuni-

the Assembly election. Brown was previously the deputy mayor of the Village of Cedarhurst.

Brown is coming to Albany with a suitcase full of proposals:

He wants all electric auto charging machines in the state to be built with parts made in America.

Occupational therapists, he said, should be paid on a par with teachers in New York state.

Firefighters should have two special license plates, front and back — not just the single one they have now — to provide them more access on the road.

Senior citizens should have access to home aides who can treat them for psychological issues.

Children with special needs should be on school buses for no longer than an hour and a half.

Brown said he would continue to fight cashless bail and those calling to “defund the police.” Both were flashpoints in the November elections. Hochul and state

lawmakers have clarified New York’s bail laws, making more crimes eligible for bail and giving judges more discretion when setting bail.

Brown is far from convinced that Hochul has gone far enough. He wants to eliminate cashless bail entirely, and says the bail system is “a mess” that was created by Democrats.

Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra, said that Brown’s success may depend on his ability to be a moderate.

“Does he want to align with the right wing of his party, or take a more nonpartisan approach?” Levy said. “The latter would give him more of an advantage.”

Levy added that Brown could work with Democrats on two key issues — improving the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Long Island Rail Road, and health care. “These are the things people care about,” Levy said.

Whatever political path he chooses, Brown said he is always mindful that he is at heart a builder. Will he be swinging that hammer? “Of course,” he said. “I always do.”

Tim Baker/Herald

BRowN SpokE at Republican headquarters on election night in November, after defeating Democrat Mike Delury for the seat in the 20th Assembly District.

First quarter ends, the happenings don’t stop

The first quarter of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School 2022-2023 school year has come to a close, and with it so many activities and events. From the Open House to the clubs and teams, as well as the various programs and trips, there is never a dull moment at HAFTR.

HAFTR High hosted its annual Open House for incoming ninth grade students on Nov. 13. The program began with opening remarks from administrators, Associate Principal Josh Wyner, Principal Naomi Lippman, Principal, Dean of Limudei Kodesh Rabbi Yitz Riselsheimer and senior Molly Klein. After watching an informative video about the school, the attendees were divided into groups and visited classrooms in the building, where they heard from our fantastic faculty in informational sessions. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch and the opportunity to ask additional questions and speak with HAFTR students and faculty.

cess.

HAFTR

Highlights

Since the beginning of the sports season, our athletic teams have been showing off what the HAFTR HAWKS can do. Girls’ junior varsity and varsity basketball won both of their games against North Shore Hebrew Academy and Mayanot on Dec. 3 and 6. Special shout out to sophomore Megan Scharf, who pushed her team to victory in the varsity game. The girls’ varsity also won their game on Dec. 11 against Solomon Schechter of Long Island. On Dec. 5, boys’ varsity hockey defeated Solomon Schechter in an intense game with great plays by junior Caleb Gasner.

Seniors had their Cap and Gown fittings on Dec. 5, and senior girls have been going through their Seminary interviews for their upcoming gap year in Israel. On Dec. 6, juniors and seniors took part in a program led by Yitzi Weis about his organization, the Empty Glass Society, whose goal is to help combat drug and alcohol addiction. Students who signed up to be ambassadors for the group look forward to participating in an inauguration seminar on Dec. 30. This coming Monday evening, juniors will participate in their College Workshop hosted by our incredible College Guidance Office, where students and parents will learn about the college application pro-

Other clubs and teams have also been bringing in wins for HAFTR. On Dec. 7, our College Bowl team went 3-0 in their tournament. The Speech and Debate team has been on a roll this year, taking podium seats at almost every tournament. Model UN and Mock Trial have been preparing for their upcoming matches later this semester, and on Dec. 13, HAFTR hosted a Robotics Competition with many other Yeshivas around the metropolitan area.

With everything that is going on, there is still so much to look forward to. HAFTR girls are gearing up for the Girls’ Shabbaton. This is a unique opportunity for students to bond with their friends and teachers by spending the Sabbath together after enjoying Friday at the American Dream Mall.

With one quarter behind us, we look forward to everything that is ahead. Programs, activities, and trips, as well as the holidays, are all on their way. Next week is the beginning of Hanukkah. We are all excited to celebrate, and we all wish you a happy Hanukkah!

Northwell’s Dowling is influential leader

Michael Dowling, who championed innovation to combat the Covid19 pandemic as president and chief executive of Northwell Health, was selected as America’s most influential leader in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine.

Dowling was chosen as No. 1 as part of the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most-influential people in health care, putting him ahead of

national brand leaders like CVS Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Moderna as well as President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra.The ranking is determined by peers and the publication’s editors based on leadership and impact. Dowling has now appeared on the list 16 times, witha second-place national ranking in 2020, and third last year.

EsthEr Gaon

HempsteadWorks one-stop shop for job seekers

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

Searching for a new job at any stage can be daunting. Among myriad challenges are cold calls, maintaining contact lists, constantly updating social media profiles and customizing resumes, and recruiting references.

It’s enough to give even the most stalwart job hunter a feeling of timidity.

But there are resources available: HempsteadWorks. A joint effort between the Town of Hempstead’s occupational resources department and Long Beach’s city workforce development board, HempsteadWorks is intended to provide assistance at all phases of hunting for that next position.

Those services can include everything from workshops on how to create resumes and write cover letters, how to best approach a job interview, ways to utilize social media sites like LinkedIn, and even training and certification programs.

All for free to anyone living in the town or in Long Beach.

“If someone doesn’t have computer skills, we help them,” said Mary Drangel, a business services representative for HempsteadWorks. “Some don’t have a computer at home, so they can come in and use the computer resource room and work on their resume.”

HempsteadWorks, Drangel said, offers services for a wide range of professions — from truck driving to engineering.

“They are matched with a career counselor,” she said, “and we find out what their needs are and what career path they want to take. From there we have all of the services that they might need.”

While unemployment rates nationally and locally remain near record lows, there are still plenty of people in need of jobs, or even a new job. HempsteadWorks helps not just the unemployed, but the underemployed as well.

“For the adults, we have training and workshops so they can get a certificate or credential in any field,” Drangel said.

HempsteadWorks is especially skilled at helping young

and at-risk job seekers, Drangel said — even those with criminal records. The youth services program is currently helping nearly 150 Hempstead teens and young adults with job training, transportation and child care.

It’s a comprehensive program designed to eliminate potential barriers to getting hired.

“We want them to be self-sufficient,” said Nene Alameda, a co-worker of Drangel. “Some of the youth we work with have been involved with the justice system. We find companies that are willing to give them a second chance. We try to identify barriers and mitigate them. We want to help them find a sustainable wage to live on Long Island.”

The youth services program helps job seekers between 18 and 24 who dropped out of high school, have a criminal record, are homeless, pregnant, or economically disadvantaged. HempsteadWorks also has a program designed to help those trying to escape from the influence of gangs.

“We have a pro bono attorney to help them clean up their rap sheet,” Drangel said.

There are also services for those with physical and learning disabilities, as well as English language learners. Job seekers must, of course, have a legal right to work in the United States.

Job searches would be fruitless without jobs. Drangel and Alameda said that HempsteadWorks develops great relationships with businesses to meet their needs, and not just the needs of those looking for jobs.

A recent job fair in Freeport, for example, attracted 1,500 job seekers and 70 companies.

“I always feel like we’re a bit of a professional matchmaker,” Alameda said. “We work with companies to understand their needs, but we’re also working with participants who have workforce needs. How do we find that perfect fit?”

Drangel changes leadership, not her priorities

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

One of Hempstead’s most influential employment recruiters will soon find herself out of a job.

But on her terms.

Mary Drangel will retire from HempsteadWorks as a career center representative on Jan. 31, after 14 years of service.

But the Oceanside resident has a much longer resume with the Town of Hempstead, with jobs that include purchasing and procurement, the tax receiver’s office, and real estate. Drangel’s passion has been helping people find a job, and she exudes excitement when talking about helping them overcome the hurdles.

“It has been challenging, but also rewarding at the same time,” Drangel said. “I have to say, I feel proud of what I’ve done here.”

Drangel is getting ready for warmer temperatures with plans to move to Florida with her husband, Scott. He recently retired from the New York City’s environmental protection department. Their son, Michael, is a Rockville Centre resident, and Mary’s mother and two sisters live locally, so the couple plan to spend plenty

of time visiting back home.

Drangel plans to continue her passions for nature photography and hiking.

Drangel’s replacement, Nene Alameda, has been a part of HempsteadWorks since

June, and is intimately aware of all the programs and resources the office provides. Still, she is only grudgingly celebrating Drangel’s retirement. “When they invent the machine for

downloading of brains, I want to connect to Mary and keep downloading everything she knows,” Alameda joked. “Everything she touches turns to gold.”

Alameda has been largely responsible for HempsteadWorks’ social media campaign designed to attract younger job seekers.

She also added QR codes — two-dimensional bar codes people can scan with their smartphones taking them to specific websites.

“Our flyers are very dynamic,” Drangel said. “When you look at them, you’re attracted right to them. Nene is phenomenal at creating flyers.”

While Drangel has had good things to say about her successor, Alameda credits Drangel for much of HempsteadWorks’ success — especially after Covid-19.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we just think out-ofthe-box and do a job fair on Zoom?’” Drangel said. When asked how she was going to do that, Drangel had a simple answer.

“I said, ‘I don’t know. I’ll figure it out’” she said. “And it turned out that it really took off.”

“Who would have thought that a job fair online right after the pandemic started would take off,” Alameda said. “I don’t want her to leave.”

Mark Nolan/Herald

NENE ALAMEDA, LEFT, and Mary Drangel reviewed plans for upcoming job fairs offered by the Town of Hempstead’s occupational resources department through its HempsteadWorks Career Center.

Mark Nolan/Herald

HEMPSTEADWORKS CAREER CENTER employees Lily Dou, far left, Tamia Anderson, Maria Reed, Kurt Rockensies, Eric Mallette, Mary Drangel, Nene Alameda, Christopher DeRita and Jeanie Robano-Stocker provide comprehensive career services for Hempstead town residents.

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Giving during the holiday season is a feeling like no other. But when you’re behind the scenes in making a gift, giving brings out a new meaning for the season.

Kristina Gallagher’s fifth grade STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) class has reached its goal of producing 100 toys using 3D printing technology that will be donated to Toys For Tots. The STEM class is unique as it is the only one offers 3D printing at Hewlett Elementary School.

“This takes it to another level because they spent time and energy, and they are donating something they made,” said Samantha Nasso, a Hewlett-Woodmere School District spokeswoman.

Gallagher learned about the campaign, IC3D 3D Printed Toys For Tots, on Twitter. The campaign consists of calling on members of the 3D printing community to create 3D printed toys for the holiday season. IC3D printers teamed with Toys For Tots in 2008 for the not-for-profit charity to receive it’s first ever 3D printed toys.

The Toys for Tots charity, founded in 1947, is dedicated to donating new unwrapped toys for the less fortunate during the holiday season. Gallagher called on her students to help and inspire them in what the 3D printer can be used to assist those who may have less than they do.

“My goal is to teach them the technology, the skill, and the purpose that can

come with,” she said.

Gallagher has taught in the school district since 2004 and has been a STEM teacher since 2017. She aimed to inspire her students that 3D printing can go farther than in an educational setting with her participation in the campaign.

Fifth-grader Zachary Liechtung described the class as very fun and the impact it has left him after the process of printing toys. “We learn how to use different technology and how technology can change people’s lives,” he said when asked what he has learned.

Gallagher’s goal set was to print 100 toys that represent each fifth grade student she teaches. “It took several weeks, but we reached our goal,” she noted in a school district news release.

Toys ranged from toy cars, dinosaurs, snakes and bugs and will be donated to the campaign, which collected more than 69,000 3D toys last year. Each toy takes about an hour to make.

“We hope that the kids in need like the toys because we worked hard on them, thanks to Ms. Gallagher,” fifth-grader Diego Ratzlaff said.

Students in the class are now building a 3D printed community by working in three groups. Roles include a lead designer, lead mathematician, and project manager. An expected 30 buildings will be made from town halls, hotels, businesses, parking lots, and other surrounding features such as trees. Math will be involved in creating the community as well as finding the volume for the shapes.

Hernesto Galdamez/Herald

KRiSTiNA GALLAGHER’S fifTH grade STEM class achieved its goal of printing 100 toys for Toys For Tots.

sports

Hofstra seeks CAA championship run

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

pride women off to promising start

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hOfstRA’s WOmEN’s tEAm is making early strides and aims to prove the preseason rankings wrong.

Hanukkah: Dedication to freedom of religion

When Alexander the Great died in 312 B.C.E. after having conquered all of the civilized world, his empire was carved into four pieces by his generals. The Macedonian, Parthian, Ptolemai and Selucid empires were thus born. While the Macedonians controlled Greece and the Parthians controlled the east, the other two great powers faced off against each other in the Middle East. The Selucids, based in Syria and the Ptolemais in Egypt were constantly at war. The area that divided them was the Land of Israel. Israel, geographically important as the crossroads between the continents fell into the hands of the Selucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes about the year 175 B.C.E. When Antiochus went to war with the Ptolemais, the citizens of Judah mostly supported the Ptolemais rather than their oppressive Syrian ruler.

When Antiochus passed through

paign, he decided to wreak vengeance on Israel with a policy that was formulated to break the will of the Jewish people and to cause them to abandon their own culture in favor of the Hellenistic culture practiced by his Selucid kingdom.

The ancient historian Josephus tells us “Antiochus subdued Egypt and turned back on Jerusalem with a strong force.” In his arrogance, he went into the sanctuary and took the gold altar and the “lampstand” and all the furniture and vessels of the Holy Temple.

He massacred hundreds of citizens. He taxed the towns of Judah, and plundered Jerusalem for money to finance his army, which was having problems in the eastern front with the Parthians. He tore down homes and the city walls of Jerusalem and built a citadel on the City of David in order to control it. His most repulsive act was his desecration of the Holy Temple, which he turned

Rabbi Steve Graber

A Hanukkah message

Hanukkah: Dedication to freedom of religion

into a Hellenistic gymnasium where idol worship and sports arenas replaced holy worship.

A resistance group grew in the town of Mod’in under the leadership of the Maccabee clan, a priestly family headed by Mattathias and his sons Jochanan, Judah, Eleazar, Jonathan and Simon. It was not just the atrocities of Antiochus that sparked their rebellion. Indeed, every citizen of Israel was affected, as the Selucid leader tried to rob the people of every aspect of their culture and force them to adopt the Hellenistic way of life.

The brilliant Maccabee freedom fighters led a rebellion that resulted in the liberation of Jerusalem and its Temple on the 25th of Kislev, 163 B.C.E. The Holy Temple was cleansed and rededicated. An eight-day festival was proclaimed in honor of the liberation. Its name, Chanukah means dedi-

cation for on that day, as the Holy Temple was rededicated with the relighting of the Temple’s Menorah, the citizenry rededicated themselves to their faith and their ideals. The liberators continued their struggle, and within twenty years had reestablished a fully recognized flourishing independent Jewish Kingdom of Israel.

Throughout history we have lit an eight-day menorah, called the Chanukiah in our homes and synagogues to remember how our ancestors preserved the light of religious freedom from which we still benefit. The Story of Chanukah beckons to all freedom-loving people to dedicate themselves to the ongoing struggle for freedom of religion.

Happy Chanukah!

Graber leads Temple Hillel in North Woodmere.

Rabbi Steve Graber

Question: What do pride and summer have in column?

Answer: They both “goeth before the fall.”

Over the centuries, “pride” as a trait has gotten a pretty bad rap as philosophers and poets have viewed it as “haughtiness of the soul,” “the first and father of sin” and the “never-failing vice of fools.”

Yet, truth be told, it really seems that “pride,” a component of being justifiably proud, is often confused with “arrogance.” Indeed, being proud of our children, our heritage of our accomplishments is a normal reaction and, to some extent, a virtue.

It’s only when being or feeling “proud” somehow slips past “pride” and morphs into “arrogance” that a personality trait becomes a character flaw.

Of course, the question arises as to what is the difference between pride and arrogance? Here are some suggestions: Pride is marching in the parade; arrogance is insisting on leading it. Pride is being part of the group; arrogance is demanding to control it.

Pride is showing one picture of your grandchild; arrogance is producing 500 stills with accompanying commentary. Pride is belief in God; arrogance is the belief that he’s a personal chum only to you.

Pride is displaying your medals; arrogance is constantly wearing them. Pride is having important people to say hello to you; arrogance is thinking you’re too important to say hello to people.

Pride is being in the saddle; arrogance is riding through town, kicking up dust. Pride is celebrating your victory; arrogance is mocking your beaten opponent. Pride is standing out; arrogance is being stuck up.

Pride is getting an “A”; arrogance is proclaiming you didn’t even have to study (especially when you did). Pride is wanting it all; arrogance is not wanting anyone else to have anything. Pride asks for support; arrogance doesn’t appreciate the support already given.

Pride plucks the fruit; arrogance shakes the tree. Pride gives the speech; arrogance talks during the speech of others. Pride is knowing what’s right; arro-

Ron Goldman

gance is announcing only you have the corner on truth.

Pride is a smile; arrogance is a smirk. Pride is a handshake; arrogance is a grasp. Pride is stating you’ve arrived; arrogance is maligning where you’ve come from. Pride is a beautiful home; arrogance is an overbuilt house. Pride is a peacock; arrogance is a slug.

Pride is being clever; arrogance is being devious. Pride is caring four your self; arrogance is caring for no one else. Pride deftly pulls into a spot; arrogance double parks. Pride admits to error; arro gance is infallible.

Pride is a firm statement; arrogance is a piercing shout. Pride is confidence; arrogance is conceit. Pride is a guiding light; arrogance is a blinding one. Pride is writing a column; arrogance is expecting everyone to read it.

Pride is knowing you have the answer; arrogance is assuming everyone else will agree.

Yup, pride is having the answer; arrogance is believing that your answer is for everyone else. And that’s why pride is ashamed of arrogance, while arrogance is always proud of itself.

© 2022 Ron Goldman

Health Services,

CHANUKAH SAMEACH!

Episcopal

Inc. would like to wish the community a

In those days, at this time

“Blessed be God who worked miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.” The Chanukah candle-lighting blessing is a contradiction in terms. After all is it “in those days” or “at this time”?

The Chanukah holiday seems to systematically place us in front of opposites so that we can seek balance. Several symbols linked to the festival of lights express contradictions, and challenge us to look for an intermediate path.

“In those days, at this time.” History needs to dialogue with everyday life. Without history we are trees without roots. If we have only history, we will turn into a museum of antiquities. It is precisely the rereading of history in a creative way that gives relevance to contemporary Judaism.

the world. Once again, we see the search for balance between what is private to us and our universal responsibility.

Light itself brings an interesting contradiction. When there is no clarity, we are lost. At the same time, when we are exposed to excessive light, we become blind. The Aramaic term for blind is sagei nahor, or overly enlightened.

Hanukkah Message

Excessive light does as much harm as absolute absence of light. Our challenge is to seek light that is strong, on the one hand, but that does not obscure our vision on the other.

The main reasons for celebrating Chanukah are the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks and the miracle of oil that lasted eight days. There are important lessons here: Believing in God is important. We must have hope even when physical and material conditions are extremely adverse. Judaism invites us to have faith always. At the same time, the miracle of the oil would never have happened if not for the courage of Matitiahu and his sons. If Yehuda Hamaccabi had not led a revolt in favor of our religious freedom, no miracle would have happened. The miracle, from the Jewish perspective, is the responsibility we delegate to God after doing absolutely everything within our reach.

Chanukah candles are special. We light Shabbat candles inside our homes. The correct place to place the two flames that illuminate our Friday dinners is near the dining table, so that we can use the light of the flame during the meal. On Chanukah, it is different. We should place the candle near the window or outside our homes. This happens because the miracle must be publicized. We have an obligation to spread the light beyond our homes. We must strengthen Jewish particularism to be better citizens of

The correct way to light candles is the subject of a famous discussion between Shammai and Hillel. While Shammai wanted us to subtract one candle each day from the eight in the Hanukkiah, Hillel maintained that we should add a candle each day until we reached eight candles. His reasoning is that, in terms of holiness, we must always increase and never decrease. However, we know that Hillel’s goal is not possible. We know that our religious observance waxes and wanes throughout our lives.

Oil is another symbol of this festival. For this reason, we eat fried foods such as donuts and latkes. There are other meanings: We know that when we put olive oil in a glass of water, the two don’t mix. Only a thin layer of oil comes into contact with the water. Such is the challenge of Jewish survival. If we mix completely, we lose our own identity. At the same time, if we ignore the world around us, we lose the opportunity to enrich ourselves with what is strange and unfamiliar, and we fail to fulfill our mission of making the world more human.

The main challenge of Chanukah, I believe, is to remind us to find balance in a complex world, reconciling past and present, individualism and universalism, excessive darkness and light, identity and isolation. “In those days, at this time.”

Michel Schlesinger is the rabbi of the Hewlett East-Rockaway Jewish Centre.

Rabbi Michel SchleSingeR

HAFTR’s third grade scientists and chemists created their own flavored bev erage and learned about the five taste areas of the tongue.

Students did a taste test with citric acid and dextrose mixed with water and determined the amount of citric acid and dextrose they wanted to add to water as

HAFTR THiRd-gRA

Legislature approves secretive cyber contract

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

law to provide more details about the contract.

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

Blakeman spokesman Christopher Boyle defended the secrecy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tim Baker/Herald NAssAu COuNty LegisLAtuRe’s rules committee approved a new cybersecurity contract to protect government computers and servers. But who is servicing that contract — and how much of taxpayer dollars they’re being paid — is a secret.

Buy a Brick

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

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

For more information visit southnassau.org/buyabrick or call 516-377-5360.

Grand Central Madison deadline looms large

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

the $11.6 billion mega-project.

The MTA cleared a regulatory hurdle last month that would have otherwise derailed any hopes of opening train service thanks to a federal waiver that pushed the deadline for engineers to install new federally mandated safety technology meant to prevent Amtrak trains from entering East River tunnels until February.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan says passengers should be rest-assured technology is already in place that helps prevent trains from speeding, colliding or derailing. In the meantime, the MTA will have to submit weekly safety reports to the Federal Railroad Administration, and conduct tests before the terminal goes online.

Then came a project update that parts of the LIRR’s concourse and facilities at Grand Central won’t be completed until February. That, at least, according to a capital program committee meeting report from last month citing the need for additional time.

“Opening a facility this size is an enormous task,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction & Development, during that meeting. “It is a 700,000-square-foot terminal station with three-and-a-half tunnels to Queens attached to it. It’s like laying the Chrysler Building on its side to get a sense of the complexity of the systems that need to operate to make this concourse, terminal and platforms function.”

Torres-Springer is, nevertheless, hold-

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

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

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

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

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

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

The

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

Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority

STEPPING OUT

Toss off those shoes and skate away

By Karen Bloom

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHERE WHEN

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

• $15 admission

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

•

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

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

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

Off the “ice” a Snowflake Village beckons.

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

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

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

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum

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

Buddy is back!

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

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

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

Eileen Ivers

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

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

Photo:

THE SCENE

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

Art talk

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

Matinee time

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. The story, narrated by the groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete, tells about the immortal winter sprite, who falls in love with a human girl named Elisa after rescuing her. Tickets are $15. Bring the kids to the Plaza stage at the Elmont Public Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 5996870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Hanukkah Gift Event

The Gural JCC. Kosher Response and the Leon Mayer Fund have partnered to hold a Hanukkah Children’s Gift event, Thursday, Dec. 15, 5-8 p.m., at the JCC, 207 Grove Ave., Cedarhurst. To register email Nechama@ kosherresponse.com or call (516) 561-6868 ext. 102.

Baby Shark Live: The Christmas Show!

Grand Menorah

Chabad of the Five Towns kicks off Hanukkah with the first lighting of its Grand Menorah, Sunday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m. Lightings continue nightly, in Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park, 257 Summit Ave., Cedarhurst.

Hanukkah on Ice

Dec. 17

Breakfast with Santa

Have breakfast with Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 17, 9 to 11 a.m., in the church hall of at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 68 Wanser Ave., Inwood. Sponsored by the Christmas Dream of the Peninsula Kiwanis. For more information, call Lena at (516) 239-7025.

Santa visit

Las Posadas Poinsettias

In-person Game Time

Play canasta, mah jongg and Scrabble in the Bentley Room of Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave., Lawrence, Monday, Dec. 19 , 2-4:30 p.m. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated. Masks recommended.

Art Exhibit

See an ice menorah carving, skate, decorate a doughnut, eat hot latkes, and more, at Chabad of Hewlett’s annual Hanukkah on Ice, Thursday, Dec. 22, 6 p.m. in Grant Park, 1625 Broadway, Hewlett.$10 person plus skate rental; co-sponsor for $180; sponsor for $1,180. Go to JewishHewlett.com/ chanukahonice.

Dec. 22

Breakfast with Santa Claus, digital photos with St. Nick and holiday crafts will all all be a part of Breakfast with Santa at the Five Towns Community Center, 270 Lawrence. Ave., Lawrence on Saturday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVP to BakeThatMakeThat@icloud.com or call (646) 535-7452 with age and gender of each child for age-appropriate toy.

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.

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

The “Best Practices” art exhibit will be on display through Jan. 9, in the Boehm Room of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 1125 Broadway, Hewlett.

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon.

Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive. Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Holiday fun

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

Hikes needed to offset losses, authority says

tion being spread on the social media platform, Nahmias stated in the Dec. 5 news release that decals will be incorporated into the E-ZPass system.

Bridge authority board member Shalom Maidenbaum offered further clarification in a Facebook post.

“The benefits that existed before are simply going to be incorporated into the E-Z Pass system,” Maidenbaum wrote. “The annual resident discounted rate will increase to only $199.

“While it represents an increase over the present discounted rate, it is necessary for the continued operation of the bridge.”

Atlantic Beach resident Barry Ringelheim said he wonders why the authority needs a sudden increase in tolls when it spent $9.9 million to restore the bridge in 2017. Ringelheim does, however, look forward to using E-ZPass on the bridge.

“I don’t mind the E-ZPass,” he said. “I want proof that it was necessary to raise the tolls, and if in 2022 the bridge makes money or loses money,” he said.

Nahmias said the authority lost nearly $1 million over the past three-years and was on track to lose $2 million in 2023.

Earlier this year, the authority created, and then disbanded, the Atlantic Beach Bridge Citizens’ Committee, with the purpose of encouraging input from community members.

It consisted of 12 members, one of whom, Woodmere resident Asher Matathias, said he believes the bridge authority should be disbanded.

“The time has long been here to bury the bridge authority and permit the easing of its transfer to Nassau County,” Matathias said.

For his part, Ringelheim called for members of the authority to come to a village board meeting on Monday, to hear what commuters had to say about the decision to raise the tolls.

At the meeting, no authority members were in evidence, and Atlantic Beach Mayor George Pappas spoke only briefly

about the tolls, emphasizing that the village was not involved.

He suggested to those in attendance that they attend a meeting planned by the authority at its headquarters on the bridge, scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at which the tolls were expected to be the main topic of discussion.

Courtesy Nassau County Bridge Authority

AtlAntic BeAch Bridge users will see the first toll increase since 2007 starting Jan. 1.

HAFTR High School hosts an open house

By EVA CZEGLEDI Special to the Herald

It was a beautiful fall morning, there was a crisp breeze and energy in the air. Walking up to the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School campus, signs, balloons and smiling faces let everyone know that HAFTR was opening its doors for its annual open house. Eighth graders from yeshiva middle schools throughout the metropolitan area arrived at the high school on Nov. 13, excited about what they might experience.

HAFTR is renowned for its academic excellence, religious life, school spirit, competitive scholastic and athletic teams and, most of all, the spirit and unity amongst the entire HAFTR family.

The open house demonstrated to every prospective family the many wonderful opportunities that the yeshiva provides to every student for academic, religious and social growth.

The engaging, interactive program began with administrator and student presenters. Assistant Prinmcipal Josh Wyner welcomed the guests with words of Torah and insights about the school’s focus on positivity and the actualization of every student’s potential.

He introduced Principal Naomi Lippman, who spoke about the level of excellence and academic achievements of our students, as well as the yeshiva’s warm and inclusive school culture. Rabbi Yitz Riselsheimer, dean of Limudei Kodesh, then described the meaningful Torah learning and the strong connection that students have with their rabbis and teachers.

HAFTR High senior Molly Klein shared

with students her outstanding school experience. Attendees then watched a video, created and edited by sophomore Zachary Newmark, that gave everyone a glimpse into a day at HAFTR High School.

Following the introductory program, the students and their parents were guided by faculty and current high school students on a tour of the school. Along the tour, students and parents took part in mini-lessons and activities, during which they learned more about the yeshiva’s rigorous academics in Limudei Kodesh and general studies, outstanding Israel and college guidance and robust religious programming and student life.

They were shown the highlights of the facility, including HAFTR’s Technology and Innovation Center, which includes a state-of-theart STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) lab, a high-tech science lab, a newly renovated computer center, a well-equipped maker space and a sophisticated audio-visual studio.

The open house ended in the gymnasium where the families, faculty and students were able to enjoy brunch while mingling with HAFTR students, faculty and principals.

Prospective students and their parents took the opportunity to ask questions about specific aspects of the HAFTR program that interested them.

The event was a wonderful opportunity for the future freshman class to explore the experience that HAFTR High School offers. We hope to see everyone next year as they walk through the doors as the Class of 2027!

Czegledi is a HAFTR High School senior.

CITY CELLAR AMERICAN MODERN

Courtesy HAFTR

ThE LIpTon fAmILy, mother Gail, HAFTR Middle School eighth-grader Ben and father Herrick attended the high school’s open house last month.

p rospective students and their parents took the opportunity to ask questions about specific aspects of the HAFTR program that interested them.

E ach of us has an inner critic which might be functioning well or too stridently. When it works well, it provides you with a healthy dose of reality. You self-correct by amending your assumptions, altering your behavior, editing your work and upgrading your assessments.

When it works stridently, however, it pounces on you, inflicting injury, constricting spontaneity, bawling you out for a mistake you made, and diminishing whatever you’ve already accomplished. Now that’s a problem. It’s tough enough battling with others but when you’re also battling with yourself, you’re making it ten times worse.

Heather typifies harsh self-criticism. “If something doesn’t work out right, I don’t simply tell myself I made a mistake. I call myself an idiot and some other choice words I’m too embarrassed to repeat. Yeah, I know I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t help it; I’m my own worst enemy.”

Identify with Heather? Here are some ways for you to keep your inner critic in check:

■ Accept that you’ll make mistakes — like everyone else. You’re not a perfect person, nor do you need to be. Scratch the idea that you have to do everything right or be better than everybody else.

■ You’re still learning. That’s a good thing, so don’t denigrate yourself for not knowing everything. Tone down your selfcriticism and it becomes easier to learn new skills that’ll make your life less stressful.

■ Clarify what skills you need to learn. You may not think of them as skills, but they are. You may need to know when to be assertive and when to be quiet; when to curb your temper and when to speak up; when to start working and when to take a break even if your work’s not completed. These are skills people actively learn; we’re not born with such knowledge.

■ Accept your weaknesses. We’ve all got them. Some folks brag about them while others keep them to themselves. Having deficiencies and shortcomings doesn’t make you an awful person. You’re simply a regular person who is still growing and learning.

■ If your weaknesses upset you, work to strengthen your skills. There’s no magic wand to make your weaknesses disappear; you must put in time and effort. Even if you think you’ve got a muddled brain, two left feet, and no time to spare, you can still learn to do anything you put your mind to. You may never reach an expert or even intermediate level but you can still learn to be good enough.

■ Speak compassionately about your mistakes. Scratch those harsh words. Chase away the name-calling. Own up to your mistakes using gentle words

and a caring voice. “Yup, I miscalculated those numbers. Overlooked a detail. Ignored my hunch. Lost my cool. Broke the shade. I goofed. I messed up. I made a blunder.” You are not just playing a game with yourself by altering your choice of words and tone of voice. Rather, you’re constructing a kinder, more accurate accounting of your mistakes.

Use these ideas to cut yourself some slack, give yourself a break and keep that inner critic of yours in check. Mark Twain’s advice might assist you as well:

“An occasional compliment is necessary to keep up one’s self-respect. When you cannot get a compliment any other way, pay yourself one.”

©2022

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist, coach and author in private practice who specializes in helping people become the best they can be. You can reach her at LSapadin@DrSapadin.com Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

Linda Sapadin

Hewlett’s Aryeh dedicates his life to volunteering

recalled.

Eventually he received a call from Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan, where a girl who was battling Stage 4 cancer wished she could ride in a Lamborghini, a car that Aryeh had access to. One day in July 2006, he pulled into the driveway of the girl’s home, and when she walked outside, he recalled, she wore the biggest smile he had ever seen. “To me, to have that impact, I was like, I don’t know how, but I want to dedicate my life to volunteer,” he said. He made it his mission to do just that, and in 2008, the nonprofit Smiles Through Cars was created.

driver of another vehicle failed to see him as he got out, and hit him, and Robinson died of his injuries. After that, Aryeh began dressing up as the Caped Crusader to pay homage to Robinson’s mission.

“Despite never meeting Lenny or his family members,” Aryeh said, “I wanted to continue the vision he had so it wouldn’t die with him.”

Josh Aryeh founder Smiles Through

The initial mission was simply to take people for rides in exotic cars, but it became more than that when Aryeh began dressing up as Batman. He was inspired by the story

Smiles Through Cars now has more than 10,000 volunteers across the country. Some dress up once a year, others once a month. They range from those who have known someone who was ill to the parents of children whom Aryeh and others have visited.

One volunteer, Yessenia Gomez, of Prospect Park, New Jersey, has a daughter named Chrisbelle who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma when she was 1. “Bella,” now 6, is in remission after years of chemotherapy, and was visited by Aryeh, dressed as Batman, in her Columbia University hospital room in the early stages of her illness. Gomez, a health care worker who has seen patients fight for their lives, was blown away by the excitement when

Batman and Spider-Man, another Smile Through Cars volunteer, visited.

Gomez was never a fan of dressing up before seeing Aryeh and his team at work, but now she volunteers as much as she can, dressed as Catwoman, to make a difference in children’s lives. “It’s a way to connect with the children while they’re going through a crisis,” she said.

Aryeh has not only changed the lives of many children, but has inspired

Happy Holidays

Danny Tallas, of Great Neck, to be a better person. Tallas, who volunteers when he’s available, invites children to sit in his BMW. Seeing their joy gives him joy, and he understands why Aryeh does what he does.

“He really is a saint,” Tallas said. “All he does is go from one hospital to another. His name is out there, and people call him to help. His life is really dedicated to this.”

To me to have that impact, I was like, I don’t know how, but I want to dedicate my life to volunteer.

Cars

Courtesy Josh Aryeh

The CAped CrusAder, Josh Aryeh, and another volunteer, Bryan Salamone, make a difference one child at a time.

NSHA helps after Ian

By Rachel Sales Special to the Herald

The sheer scope of the devastation was unlike anything they had ever seen. Houses were flattened. Giant trees were toppled, exposed roots clawing the air. More than 80 people died in the Category 4 hurricane, the fifth-strongest ever in the U.S., and the 150 mph wind caused billions of dollars in damage. Thousands of people lost their homes.

Roughly two dozen students from North Shore Hebrew Academy spent an emotional two days in west Florida this past month, helping with relief efforts following Hurricane Ian, which tore through the region on Sept. 23.

“As someone who was a victim of Hurricane Sandy, I thought I saw the highest extent of what a storm can do to a place,” said Sasha, a junior. “I was wrong.”

Jamie Lassner, the director of the Office of Student Life at NSHA Middle School, led the trip for middle school and high school students. Lassner has extensive experience in disaster areas and volunteer work with the Hatzalah emergency and ambulance corps.

The students spent one part of their trip working with a contractor to demolish parts of a home on Sanibel Island, smashing through floors and walls that were water damaged to make way for renovations. Another day, they loaded a 52-foot trucking container to the brim with new mattresses for storm victims. The local Chabad, which is highly involved in the relief efforts, connected the students with support when it was most needed.

“There was no better feeling than going with my friends to help people who may have been experiencing the worst moments in their lives,” said Jeremy, another 11th grade student. “The media tends to show scenes from many graphic events, and it’s hard for people to believe what is really going on. Here, I was actually able to see and help after one of the worst natural disasters that had ever hit the west coast of Florida.”

This wasn’t the first time North Shore students have responded in the aftermath

of a natural disaster. This summer, a group of students traveled to Kentucky to help the area after catastrophic flooding.

Although these types of chesed (a Hebrew word that loosely translates to kindness) trips can be challenging, NSHA believes they help prepare students to be compassionate leaders.

“We are planting the seeds for these kids to say, ‘I need to stand up and do something right now,’ whether it’s in their immediate community or the larger community,” Lassner said. “This type of out-of-the-box experiential learning, while challenging, is a vital part of being a good citizen and a good Jew.”

One of the most moving parts of the trip was when the students stopped at a local Jewish home whose family was sitting Shiva, and helped fill out the minyan (prayer group).

“My door just opened and this unbelievable stream of Jewish high school students from Long Island came into my home to make a Shiva call,” said Taryn A., whose mother had died a few weeks after the hurricane devastated the area, told the students. “My mom was a teacher in East Hartford, she loved your age group, and this was her life and her calling. For the last night of minyan to have all of you walk in this door and daven (pray) and honor her, is the most incredible thing.”

The impact of the trip continued to reverberate after their return. Many said they were acutely grateful for things they had previously taken for granted, such as clean water, enough food, or something as simple as a roof over their heads. One student was so inspired he started reaching out to set up his own charity, to provide computers for children in need and increase their access to technology.

Over the coming weeks, the students plan to brainstorm other ways they can continue to have an impact. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, because this was totally out of everyone’s comfort zone,” said Maayan, also a junior. “But I’m glad I came, and I want to go on other chesed trips ... I’m happy that we helped out, because cleaning even one house makes a difference for someone.”

PRESS RELEASE

Chairman of the Nassau County Bridge Authority Issues Response to Decal Concerns

Dear Atlantic Beach, Long Beach and Neighboring Resident Communities:

The Nassau County Bridge Authority (NCBA) is a separate functioning Authority. Unlike other bridges, the NCBA does not receive Tax Payer, Property Tax, County and State Funding. The NCBA funds 100% of its operations through toll revenue. The Atlantic Beach Bridge spans 1173 feet (40%+ greater than its neighboring Long Beach Bridge)

When I was nominated for this role, I was honored to give back to the communities. Unfortunately, timing is not something we can all control.

My first initiative as Chairman was to review the status of our finances, revenues and capital needs. My second initiative was to work with our engineers at Hardesty & Hanover and our auditor to ensure that we have adequate capital to address our required infrastructure needs. My third initiative and quite an important one, was to address the public outcry on the failing toll plaza.

Over the past three-years, the Authority has lost nearly $1M per year (excluding goodwill). One can assume that this was due to the COVID pandemic and loss of toll revenue. While the Authority was hoping for a return back to profitability, unfortunately this proved impossible at our current revenues.

Just like all American businesses, citizens and public authorities, we are not immune to inflation. We have encountered inflation unlike anyone has seen in 40+ years. This has affected all aspects of the Authority’s finances. We are scheduled to lose over $2M in 2023 and headed towards a path of insolvency unless we address the issues.

In my learnings, I discovered that our prior toll increase took place roughly 17 years ago and the study at the time, indicated that it was only good for about 5 years. The prior board did as much as they could to extend this until now. However, no-one could have predicted the pandemic and subsequent high inflation.

After a vigorous review, our auditor and board determined that a toll increase is required for the viability of the Bridge Authority. As a point of reference, bridges are rated 7 to 1, 7 being in excellent new condition and 1 being the opposite. The Atlantic Beach Bridge is rated a 5, which is incredible for a 70-year-old bridge. Make no mistake, this is because we were setup as a separate Authority from the start, in order to maintain our own bridge.

The decision to raise tolls does not come lightly, especially at a time when our residents are hurting due to high inflation. That is why we made the decision to raise the residents at a much lower amount vs. non-residents and commercial vehicles. While going from $2.00 to $3.00 seems excessive, until EZ-Pass is implemented, it is still far below what $2.00 would be worth 17 years later with inflation.

The implementation of EZ-Pass was sound and logical considering the latter. The board could have simply spent similar amounts to upgrade the failing system and keep it as a cash toll. This seemed counterintuitive given the number of complaints ranging from pedestrians not having cash, commercial vehicles having to pull to the side, delivery drivers not knowing what to do and of course the dangerous conditions it causes when vehicles must back out. This is on top of the heavy summer traffic build-up on the 878, that occurs due to only accepting cash.

The biggest issue I want to clarify, is the circulation of ongoing misinformation (see figure #1 below). Misinformation has been circulating that the Decal system and its benefits are being completely eliminated. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, we are upgrading how we treat Decals. While we are phasing out the Decal “stickers” by mid-2023, we are incorporating the Decal benefits into the EZ-Pass system. Travelers will be able to enjoy all of the benefits of their prior Decals with the current EZ-Pass Reader/Transponder. Travelers will be able to login to their EZ-Pass account and add the Atlantic Beach Bridge to their annual unlimited use for $199 (residents) and $349 (non-residents).

As our commitment to the Atlantic Beach, Long Beach and Neighboring Resident Communities, presently we do not plan to raise tolls again until at least January 2028 and beyond. We are looking towards other revenue streams to help offset our costs and to date are pursing the following:

1. Placing our liquidity in higher interest-bearing accounts at today’s rates. This will result in a financial benefit of roughly $200K annually.

2. Restricting overnight openings for the drawbridge to a schedule which will decrease costs by roughly $100K.

3. We have explored refinancing the bonds and are waiting for the right opportunity to save significantly.

4. Exploring the use of vacant land.

Lastly, with the EZ-Pass upgrade, the security gates in the toll lanes will remain in place. We are planning to add better LED lighting to the bridge, security cameras and having more of a police presence at the Bridge Authority. Rest assured that we are working for the benefit of the people. Sincerely,

Figure #1: Misinformation:

***Please Note The Bridge Authority of Nassau County is*** changing the prices of the Atlantic Beach Bridge from $2 to S3 for all Nassau County Residents, and $4 for all Non-Nassau County Residents. They are also planning to remove the Atlantic Beach Bridge pass entirely in 2024. This means that the price will rise from $130. a year (the current decal price for nassau county residents), to approximately $4000. per car per year, because in 2024 the decals will be eliminated. We need to have a meeting with the Nassau County Bridge Authority to determine what can be done to minimize damage to residents and businesses in Atlantic Beach, Long Beach, Lido Beach, Point Lookout, and the entire Barrier Island who rely on using the Atlantic Beach bridge for work, school, shopping, and life’s activities.

Courtesy North Shore Hebrew Academy

NoRth ShoRe heBRew Academy middle school and high school students traveled to Florida and helped with relief efforts after Hurricane Ian.

Samuel Nahmias Chairman of the Nassau County Bridge Authority.

WINNER:

BEST BOUTIQUE

Artisan Jules Gifts and Goodness

215 Glen Cove Ave, Sea Cliff, NY 11579 (516) 240-1894 www.artisanjules.com

FINALISTS: Madison’s Niche Multiple Locations (516) 246-9964 www.madisonsniche.com

Hummingbird Boutique 321 Sea Cliff Ave, Sea Cliff, NY 11579 (516) 671-2281 www.welovehummingbird.com

BEST GIFT SHOP

THE L.I. GUIDE TO:

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

BEST LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING

WINNER: Ruby and Jenna 433 Glen Cove Rd, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 (516) 801-3444 www.rubyandjenna.com

FINALISTS: Rose and Eye 893 W Beech St, Long Beach, NY 11561 (516) 544-4477

Temptations for Her 3175 Long Beach Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572 (516) 678-1150 www.temptationsforher.com

WINNER:

Artisan Jules Gifts and Goodness

215 Glen Cove Ave, Sea Cliff, NY 11579 (516) 240-1894 www.artisanjules.com

FINALISTS:

Dolce Confections 1319 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557 (516) 347-1940 www.dolceconfections.com

White House Home 288 Hempstead Ave, Malverne, NY 11565 (516) 887-1288 www.white-house-home.business.site

BEST LOCAL JEWELRY STORE

WINNER:

Ritz Jewelry 3574 Long Beach Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572 (516) 255-0465 www.ritzjewelryinc.com

FINALISTS: Hewlett Jewelers 1344 Broadway #6, Hewlett, NY 11577 (516) 374-3950 www.hewlettjewelersny.com

Matthew James Jewelers 76 Rockaway Ave, Valley Stream, NY 11580 (516) 561-3080

BEST LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING

WINNER: Mur-Lees Men’s & Boy’s Shop 24 Atlantic Ave, Lynbrook, NY 11563 (516) 599-7777 www.murleesclothing.com

FINALISTS: Bertalia 15 N Park Ave, Rockville Centre 11570 (516) 536-3100 www.bertalia.net

MyTuxes at Ginos Galleria Tuxedos 234 NY-109, Farmingdale, NY 11735 (631) 753-4466 www.tuxes.business.site

BEST LOCAL CHILDREN’S CLOTHING

WINNER: Denny’s Fashion. Style. For All. 343B S Oyster Bay Rd, Plainview, NY 11803 (516) 681-4490 www.shopdennys.com

FINALISTS: Morton’s Official Camp Outfitter 533 Central Ave, Cedarhurst (516) 347-1940 www.dolceconfections.com

Cathy’s Touch 67 Merrick Ave N, Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 377-1127 www.cathystouch.com

BEST LOCAL SHOE STORE WINNER: Hummingbird 321 Sea Cliff Ave, Sea Cliff, NY 11579 (516) 671-2281 www.welovehummingbird.com

FINALISTS:

Eric’s Comfort Shoes 426 Hillside Ave, Williston Park, NY 11596 (516) 877-2002 www.ericshoes.com

Halperin Comfort Footwear and Orthotics 1 N Village Ave, Rockville Centre, NY, 11570 (516) 766-9220 www.halperinfootwear.com

BEST CONSIGNMENT/THRIFT STORE

WINNER: LuxeSwap 21 Berry Hill Rd, Oyster Bay, NY 11771 (516) 226-1055 www.luxeswap.com

FINALISTS: National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop 342 Central Ave (516) 569-0510 www.longislandthriftncjw.com

Lucky Finds Boutique

7A N Park Ave, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (516) 442-4600 www.luckyfindsboutique.com

herald neighbors

The Community Center welcomes Christmas

caroling, additional seasonal music, tasty treats, crafts in the gymnasium and toys for young children, Santa Claus, elves and the Inwood Fire Department were all part of the fifth annual Five Towns Community Center Christmas tree lighting in Lawrence on Dec. 9.

From Santa arriving on an Inwood fire truck to lighting the Christmas tree to ice cream and dancing, the Community Center welcomed the holiday season with exuberance.

Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. Bank NA, successor trustee to Bank of America, NA, successor in interest to LaSalle Bank NA, on behalf of the holders of the WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR15, Plaintiff AGAINST Michael S. Grossman a/k/a Michael Grossman; Elaine J. Grossman a/k/a Elaine Grossman; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 23, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive,

Mineola, NY 11501 on January 19, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 663 Barnard Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Woodmere, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section: 39 Block: 147 Lots: 41, 42 & 43. Approximate amount of judgment $865,837.52 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 608171/2018. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Mark Lieberman, Esq., Referee

LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: November 7, 2022 135919

Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE

RE: OPEN MEETING

LAW

Please take notice that the annual Organizational Meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Atlantic Beach Fire District will be held on January 9, 2023.

A resolution was passed that regular monthly meetings for the year 2023 will be held on the first Monday of every month at Atlantic Beach Fire Rescue HQ, Bridge Access Road a/k/a One Rescue Road, Atlantic Beach, New York at 6:15 PM.

This notice is given pursuant to Article 7 of the Public Officers Law. Dated: Atlantic Beach, New York Date: December 5, 2022 By Order of the Board of Fire Commissioners Arnold Geller, Commissioner/District Secretary 136033

To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

Mariarosa Guzzardi coordinated the holiday dance with the youthful elves.

Joe Abate/Herald photos

santa claus lit the Christmas tree at the Five Towns Community Center fifth annual holiday event.

the Grinch MiGht have been a looming presence but his doom and gloom spirit did not halt the kids from having fun.

Five towns coMMunity Center board member Byron Alvarado, Town of Hempstead Councilman Melissa “Missy” Miller and Community Center program director Sasha Young at the holiday event.

— Jeffrey Bessen

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ADMINISTRATIVE

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

Multi-Media Coordinator (Hours Flexible)

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

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

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

American Software Resources Inc. is seeking 1 FT professional (40 HW) for the position of Data Engineer II at 4 Brower Ave, Ste # 4, Woodmere, NY 11598 for competitive salary. Data Engineer II: Analyze, Design, Develop & Test general computer applications software using Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx, Microsoft Project/Excel/Access/Visio, SQL Server, Power Apps, Sharepoint, SQL, Snowflake, Microsoft Analysis Services, Database Management, Spend Analytics, Supply Chain & Logistics Management, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Project Costing, Asset Management, Billing, Purchasing, Supplier Relationship Management, Root Cause Analysis, Lean Six Sigma. Educational & Exp Requirements: Masters in Comp Sci or Tech Mgt in Engg Tech or Info Tech + 12 months of experience as Comp Software Professional. We offer comprehensive benefits. Travel within the USA is required for the position. To apply send your resume to the above address.

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time

Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.

STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time

Positions Available!

Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

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

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

OUTSIDE SALES

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

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

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

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

2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!! SD#20 $1,599,000

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

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

E a ST ROCK aWay

8 Acorn Rd, 2-3:30, 5 BR, 3 Bth Front to Back Split on Beautiful Quiet St in Lynbrook SD#20. Fin Bsmt, Att Gar. CAC, Gas Ht, HW Flr. REDUCED! $749,000 8 Howland Rd, BA, 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch on Beautiful Tree Lined St in SD#20. LR, DR, EIK, Den & Enclosed Porch. Full Fin Bsmt., 1 Car Gar. CAC, Gas Ht, HW Flrs. Update to Your Taste! $699,000 Fa R ROCK aWay 33-47 Bay Ct., BA, Enjoy The Waterviews in This Bayswater 4 BR, 1.5 Bth Split Tucked Away in Cul de Sac. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. O/S Resortlike Yard on the Bay. Opportunity to Make This Your Dream Home! REDUCED $675,000

Open Houses

Apartments For Rent

Cemetery Plots

Herald

Home Sales

A sampling of recent sales in the area

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

Taxes: $15,290.84

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

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

Taxes: $8,470

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

Taxes: $8656.81

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

Taxes: $14,931.77

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

Taxes: $15,077

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

Taxes: $11,596.47

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

Taxes: $9,499.90

Oceanside $615,000 Davis Street. Ranch. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. L-shaped dining room. Den/family room.

Taxes: $13,090.82

Source:

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

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

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

Costs in the postpandemic world

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

Ask The Architect

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

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

Then you’re a Kinship Caregiver!

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

NYS Kinship Navigator provides information, referral and assistance with financial needs, legal options, school enrollment, kinship law and other resources.

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

Want to keep your family healthy and safe?

Help is just a phone call away. 877-454-6463

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

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org

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

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

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

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

NYS Kinship Navigator can help. nysnavigator.org 1194471

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

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

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

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

Monte Leeper

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

KING

CHRISTMAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finds $100-$350

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

KITCHEN

516.668. 8877

Finds $100-$350

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

TREADMILL GYM SIZE Great Condition. $300 516 668 8877

SERVICES

Electricians

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

Handyman

HANDYMAN

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

Heating

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

Home Improvement

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

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

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

HANDY DANDY

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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

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

Miscellaneous

BEST SATELLITE

Plumbing

PLUMBER!

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

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

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

Autos Wanted

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

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

Autos Wanted

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

Cars Wanted

TILE

Tile

Satellite/TV Equipment

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

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

855-543-6440. (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required

Health & Fitness

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

Beware the lure of DeSantis

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

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

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

may be forced to hire people who are unlicensed and have no formal training.

JERRY KREMER

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

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

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

Yes, left and right,

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

the problem. They feel loyal to the former administration.

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

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

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

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

more alike than not

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

keep our elders safe through the holidays.

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

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

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

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

RANDI KREISS

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s take a breather over the holidays.

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

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

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

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

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

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

we are

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

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

569-4000

Fusion can augment clean-energy creation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

letters Should government manage electricity?

To the Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

opinions

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

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

aLan sinGer

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

ents underneath, to be opened on Christmas morning.

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

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

Letters

She’ll take O’Connell’s agenda

To the Editor:

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

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

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

LINDSAY ANDERSON Glen Cove

Modernize the ‘Bottle Bill’

To the Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Framework by Tim Baker

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

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

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

JOSEPH M. VARON West Hempstead

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

Horse and carriage rides at the Christmas tree lighting — Bellmore

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