Oyster Bay Herald 12-02-2022

Caring for the caregivers at G.C. Hospital

By LAURA LANE llane@liherald.com

Nancy White and Christine Mills met in 2018, when they answered an ad for volunteers at Glen Cove Hospital. Sitting next to each other at the orien tation, the retired nurses immediately bonded, eventual ly becoming good friends.

They discovered that they lived near each other, White in Glen Head and Mills in Oyster Bay, that their husbands had once worked together in the medical field, and that they had a common goal — to interact with patients again. But their

volunteerism was cut short when the coronavirus pandem ic hit.

White and Mills were ecstat ic when they got a call in March from the hospital, ask ing them to come back. They would still be volunteering, they were told, but this time as caregiver coaches.

“Being a caregiver coach is different than being a regular volunteer,” explained Lorna Lee-Riley, the hospital’s senior social worker and the coordina tor of the caregiver program.

“They don’t have to have a med ical background. We’re looking

At Raynham Hall Museum, a chance to meet a ghost?

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

Halloween has come and gone, but the spooky thrill of the holiday hasn’t yet worn off at Raynham Hall, where the house museum will continue to hold ghost tours through its halls one night per month.

While Raynham Hall is best known as the birthplace of American patriot and Revolu tionary War-era spy Robert Townsend, it has unofficial noto riety as one of the most haunted homes on Long Island. Numer ous ghost-focused websites and surveys assert that the ghosts of numerous residents of the home

are still there, such as Robert’s sister, Sally, and two British offi cers, John Graves Simcoe and John Andre, who occupied the property during the Revolution.

Christopher Judge, head of visitor services at Raynham Hall, explained that the museum offered ghost tours for years, but had taken a break to focus on the rich history of Oyster Bay and the Townsend family. The popu larity and notoriety of the build ing as a haunted place, however, continued to draw ghost-chasers and spiritualists, however, and museum officials reinstated the ghost tours in October.

“Raynham Hall is listed in a lot of websites and even some

books as one of the most haunt ed places on Long Island, and a lot of visitors have said they’ve had a supernatural experience here,” Judge said. “We don’t know how it started, but it’s one of those things that once it’s on the internet, you just can’t get rid of it.”

The tours are led by the muse um’s tour guides as well as a pro fessional spiritualist healer, Samantha Difronzo, of Hicks ville, who has been working in the field of spiritualism for four years.

Difronzo got involved in the tours through a friend’s sister, Mary Kenny, a tour guide at the hall who now helps lead the

ghost tours. Difronzo said that when she first visited the muse um, she was surprised and excit ed by how friendly and welcom ing the spirits of the old house were.

“The spirits — especially the original owners, like Samuel and Sarah Townsend — they want to connect and show that they appreciate everybody that’s com

ing and seeing their history, and to connect with them,” Difronzo said. “So as we walk forward, they’re walking with us, trying to interact with us and share their point of view.”

Difronzo’s role, she said, is more than just “speaking to the dead.” She is tasked with provid ing a conduit through which the

Laura Lane/Herald

DANIELLE KERR, A social work intern from Adelphi, far left, volunteer caregiver coaches Christine Mills and Nancy White, and Lorna Lee-Riley, Glen Cove Hospital’s senior social worker, in one of the rooms at the new Caregiver Center.

Board meeting includes honoring of students

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

A wide range of topics were discussed at the Locust Valley Central School District’s Nov. 16 meeting of the Board of Education, including arts and athletic awards, the retirement of the middle school principal and a review of student performance and development from the 2021 to 2022 school year.

Numerous students who had achieved significant artis tic and athletic accomplishments in the fall term were honored by the district, presented with a wide range of awards. Many forms of recognitions also came from the county and state level, an indicator that Locust Valley stu dents continue to compete at the top level in every field, not just athletics.

AnnMarie Buonaspina, coordinator of instructional technology and the fine and applied arts, highlighted sev eral students whose artwork had been selected and dis played by a range of competitions. Four had their art selected by the 2022 Nassau County High School Student Jury Art Competition and Exhibition, while another two were honored by the Nassau branch of Cornell Coopera tive by having their work placed in their 2023 Long Island Gardening Calendar and Guide.

One more student also had their art featured in a New York Times Book, “Coming of Age in 2022.”

As the students were called up, their art was displayed on the projector. Buonaspina commended the students.

“This evening it is my pleasure to introduce some of our students who have had their art recognized in remark able ways,” Buonaspina said. “All of these extraordinary artistic feats would not have been possible without the vision and mentorship of our Locust Valley art teachers.”

Several students were honored during the evening for their athletic accomplishments as well. Danielle Turner,

director of health, physical education and athletics, high lighted their successes, and called out the individual stu dents who had done particularly well this season.

Three students who played soccer were recognized as Newsday’s Pre-Season Top 100 players, while several more were finalists for Heisman High School Awards, with two winning the prestigious award.

“We had another incredible fall season here in Locust Valley, and almost all of our teams made post-season play,” Turner said. “It’s been an amazing season, and we’re just so proud of our student-athletes.”

The Board of Education then went into executive ses sion to discuss the retirement of Principal Thomas H. Hogan of Locust Valley Middle School. While the Board did not discuss the reasons for Hogan’s retirement, they expressed their gratitude to him for his decades of work molding young minds.

There was also a presentation by the assistant superin tendent for curriculum and instruction on the academic performance of the district’s students in the previous school year. She discussed how certain grades have seem ingly been more affected by the coronavirus pandemic than others, reflected in changes in test scores from previ ous years.

Although Locust Valley students across the board seem to have scored worse due to the pandemic, compared to the rest of the county and the state, they continue to score higher than many of their peers. Sampino also explained how data such as this would be used to better understand the impact of the pandemic on the students’ studies, and how to mitigate it going forward.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Sampino said. “It’s really important for us to understand what the students are get ting wrong, where are the gaps.”

Will Sheeline/Herald

THE LOCUST VALLEY Board of Education honored several students for their athletic and artistic achievements and learned about the impact of Covid-19 on the district.

Not a silent night, instead an ‘Art Night’

Oyster Bay art galleries, studios to host viewings

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

Christmas is normally the focus of December, as shown by the constant holiday ads and decora tions that are on display throughout the month.

On Dec. 9, however, the hamlet will instead turn its focus to the arts, with an evening of artistic enjoyment known as “Oyster Bay Art Night.”

Three local art galleries and two studios will be par ticipating in the event, which will run from 6 to 10 p.m. These include the Bahr Gallery, The Teaching Studios at Project Space Gallery, Nola Zirin Studios, The Pagio Gal lery and Hive Market and Mak er’s Space.

Each of the venues will have their doors open to the public and will be displaying their latest exhibits for attend ees to view and enjoy. All the properties are within a few minutes walk from each other, leaving art fans plenty of time to see the wide range of artis tic mediums and styles on dis play.

Ted Bahr, owner of the Bahr Gallery, explained that a large part of why they had decided to organize this event was not just to promote the business of the local galleries, but of the arts in general. Although he asserted Oyster Bay is well-known for its iconic history and wide range of restaurants, according to Bahr events like this are essential for promoting a focus and appreciation of all forms of art in the hamlet.

LAURA ESCOBAR Owner, Hive Market and Maker’s Space

“One of the goals is to showcase that Oyster Bay has some really incredible art here,” Bahr said. “Even though we don’t have a whole lot of it, it’s really power-packed, as it were.”

The art on display will cover a wide range of genres, which makes sense as each of the partic ipating groups has radically different artistic styles and focuses, as well as a limited range of food and drinks. Bahr Gallery will be featuring their newest late-1960’s psychedelic poster exhib it, “Art of the Grateful Dead,” with a large first print Aoxomoxoa poster serving as the center piece.

This will also serve as the second open studio event in Oyster Bay for Nola Zirin Studios, owned and run by an accomplished artist of the same name. The art featured there will of a con temporary and geo-abstract style, some of which has been displayed as far afield as the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art.

The Teaching Studios at Project Space Gal lery will be showing the works of the owner, art ist and Robert Zeller, the author of the definitive book on figurative drawing, “The Figurative Artist’s Handbook: A Contemporary Guide to Figure Drawing, Painting, and Composition.” As Zeller rarely holds viewings in Oyster Bay, preferring to focus his efforts on teaching and writing, this will be one of the rare chances residents will be able to view his traditional style in person.

The Pagio Gallery, a contemporary fine craft gallery, will be displaying their unique jewelry pieces designed by the owner, Paola Giordano, as well as other artwork in various mediums made by artists from Manhattan. Hive Market and Maker’s Space will be hosting a “Sip and Shop” event as well as a Pour Jewelry Workshop.

Laura Escobar, owner of Hive Market, expressed her

enthusiasm for the event, saying how great it was for the artistic centers of Oyster Bay to work together and sup port each other.

“We’re supporting local, supporting each other, and really we’re just coming together to have fun,” Escobar said. “We all live in this town, and we just love what we’re doing, you know.”

The various artists and art galleries have been reach ing out to their customers and supporters through social media, encouraging everyone to participate in the show. Although it is hard to gauge how many will eventually show up, Bahr estimated that it could be as many as 100 to 150 people.

Zeller emphasized the fact that, regardless of the

MARKET AND Maker’s Space,

exact number of attendees, the event will be an amazing showcase of the artistic talents and range in Oyster Bay. Although the event won’t turn the hamlet into a cultural capital overnight, he said that art showings like these are essential to raising awareness for the necessity and pur pose of art in the community.

“I really appreciate the interest and intent to get Oys ter Bay slowly on the map as an arts and cultural desti nation, not just a great restaurant town,” Zeller said. “It’s gonna take a little bit of work, and it’s going to take a team effort.”

Photos courtesy Ted Bahr

NOLA ZIRIN’S STYLE is very contemporary, with an emphasis on geo-abstract concepts.

ROBERT ZELLER’S ART, above, is more traditional, focusing on capturing realistic forms using distinctive colors.

HIVE

left, will be holding a Sip and Stroll event for the Art Night.

We’re supporting local, supporting each other, and really, we’re just coming together to have fun.

Raynham Hall now holding ghost tours

spirits of the deceased can express their desires and address whatever still tethers them to the mortal world. While she doesn’t teach the tour-goers the history, she does act almost as a thermometer of the spir ituality of the place, she added, gaug ing the level and benevolence of spir ituality in the house as a tour goes through.

But that doesn’t mean that the museum’s tours have lost their his torical edge or accuracy. According to Judge, the ghost tours still cover much of the history of the house, although they are held only in Rayn ham Hall itself, not the visitor center, which is in a building nearby.

According to Mary Kenny, the tours have been a success so far, fre quently selling out.

“The first weekend we did it, before the Halloween parade, it sold out so quickly that we had to add another week because it was so pop ular,” Kenny said. “It’s been very successful, and we’ve had at least one woman come and then become a member because she wants to be able to come back more often and experience the house again.”

The next tour, which runs roughly an hour and a half, is scheduled for Dec. 23. For tickets, call (516) 922-6808.

The First Presb yterian Church is grateful to the following businesses and merchants who generously supp orted our Holiday Fair.

Youngs Farm, Old Brookville Sanctuary Home & Patio, Oyster Bay

Smith Jewelers, Oyster Bay Sagamore Creative, Oyster Bay

Anthony Jewelers, Huntington Iavarone Bros., Woodbury

Jim Dandy Cleaners, Huntington Salon di Bianca, Huntington

Christina’s Epicure, East Norwich Cardinali Bakery, Oyster Bay

Autentico, Oyster Bay

Teddy’s Bully Bar, Oyster Bay

Coach Meeting House, Oyster Bay Umberto’s Pizza, Oyster Bay Taby’s, Oyster Bay

NEWS BRIEF

Santa hitching a ride with the Fire Company

Santa Claus and his elves, with the help of the East Norwich Fire Company, will be traveling through East Norwich, Muttontown, Brookville and Upper Brookville to spread some holiday cheer on Dec. 18, starting at 11 a.m.

This year they will be collecting non-perishable food items to support the People’s Pantry in Oyster Bay and donations for the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots. Donations can be given to Santa during his ride through town, or they can be dropped off at the East Nor wich Fire Company, at 900 Oyster Bay Road in East Nor wich.

SANTA WILL BE visiting the community on Dec. 18.

Over the Bridge, Bayville Wild Honey, Oyster Bay

What’s Cooking?, Oyster Bay

Cafe al Dente, Oyster Bay Oyster Bay Yoga, Oyster Bay

Mizoey Lash, Huntington Appliance World, Oyster Bay

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

LONG PAST HALLOWEEN, the ghosts that supposedly haunt Raynham Hall continue to interact with visitors during the monthly ghost tours.

Lianne Webb, Natalia Suaza take home crowns

Baldwin, Valley Stream contestants win at Miss Long Island pageant

By daniEL oFFnER doffner@liherald.com

Lianne Webb and Natalia Suaza stood out from among dozens of contestants from across Nassau and Suffolk counties, crowned winners of Miss Long Island and Miss Teen Long Island.

The two young women from Baldwin and Valley Stream were among those who gathered at the Madison Theatre at Molloy College on Nov. 20, selected by a panel of judges based on their talents, drive, beauty and compassion.

Before stepping on stage, Suaza said that she set out to complete the New York City Marathon as a way to take herself out of her comfort zone and face her fears head-on.

Upon her coronation as the new Miss Teen Long Island, Sauza says she plans to work with Long Island communities, spreading her message of cancer aware ness.

“With my title, I hope to partner with the Center for Hope at Northwell Hospi tal and the Calvary Hospital,” she said.

Having lost her father when she was just 9, these organizations helped pro vide Suaza an opportunity to talk about him — just as they helped others with loved ones who have passed, and to try and live the lives that they would’ve wanted them to live. Suaza also praised their free summer camp that was offered for her and her siblings.

“This really impacted my life and made me as strong as I am today,” she said.

Leanne Baum, executive director of the Miss Long Island pageants, said that over the next year, both of the winners will make guest appearances to promote their platform.

Webb’s platform aims to promote advocacy for children. She works as a

behavioral therapist with Achieve Beyond, where she works with students with autism. She’s also a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island.

By promoting these different causes across Long Island, the goal is for the pageant winners to become role models for change in the world. This year, for example, all of the pageant contestants came together before the big night to help collect food for Island Harvest, Baum said. In fact, they ended up with more than 400 pounds of food for Long Island’s largest food bank.

Both Webb and Sauza now move on to compete for Miss New York USA and Miss Teen New York USA next August.

Some of the runners-up from this year’s Miss Long Island competition include Jenna Hofmann of West Islip, Alexandra Ali of Commack, Alliyah St. Omer of North Baldwin, and Michelle Lent of Glen Cove.

The Miss Teen Long Island competi tion runners-up include Emily Hall and Valarie Goorahoo of Valley Stream, Rudra Patel of Farmingdale, and Kyra Smith of East Hampton.

Miss Long isLand Teen 2023 Natalia Suaza, from Valley Stream, joined by Miss Long Island Pageants executive director Leanne Baum, and Miss Long Island 2023 Lianne Webb, from Baldwin.

ThE 2022 Miss Teen Long Island winner Jessica Fuentes crowns her successor, Natalia Suaza, of Valley Stream.

ThE 2022 Miss Long Island winner Nadgeena Jerome crowns fellow Baldwin native and 2023 Miss Long Island winner Lianne Webb.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Miss Long isLand contestants hit the stage at the Madison Theatre in their glorious gowns, showing their best for judges Matthew James Graziano, Yasmeen Gumbs, Amy Amato of RichnerLive, Peter Andolina and Edson Estime

LIPA looks to power future with scholarships

Looking for a career? Long Island Power Authority might have it for you — and the utility is putting money behind it through a new scholarship program with Nassau and Suffolk County community colleges.

The LIPA scholarship is designed to provide education and training for stu dents from households with incomes below Long Island’s median, which is about $100,000 for a family of four.

The scholarship represents a $350,000 commitment over the next five years. It will provide 50 full scholarships for stu dents to attend one of the community col leges and earn an associate’s degree or certificate that’ll help them pursue a career in the electric utility or clean ener gy sectors.

“Electricity is the clean fuel of the future,” said Thomas Falcone, LIPA’s chief executive, in a release.

In fact, Falcone points to various stud ies he says predicts electricity will pro vide more than 70 percent of New York’s energy needs by 2050 — and be entirely carbon-free.

The 50 scholarships LIPA will offer over the next five years are intended to ensure there will be an adequate, home grown workforce to support it, the utility leader added.

Falcone was joined in the announce ment by Maria Conzatti, interim presi dent of Nassau Community College, and Edward Bonahue, president of Suffolk

What awardees get

Winning a Long Island Power Authority scholarship allows students to:

■ Get money toward earning an associate degree or certificate pro gram at either Nassau or Suffolk County community colleges.

■ Attend LIPA workforce seminars with utility executives and experts.

■ Receive job placement support for available positions at LIPA, PSEG Long Island, and other LIPA contrac tors and suppliers.

County Community College.

“The Long Island Power Authority’s generous scholarships will help us recruit and sustain students entering the STEM fields,” Bonahue said, “transforming our workforce and our region’s economy.”

The curriculum offered at both schools are expected to include courses relevant to the work LIPA does now — and is expected to do — to meet the clean energy goals set by New York’s Climate Act.

Signed in 2019, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires New York to reduce greenhouse emis sions 40 percent by 2030, and no less than

85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. The law is designed to help guide New York toward carbon neutrality — achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Also, the courses are expected to show case LIPA’s mission of providing clean, reliable and affordable energy to not only Long Island, but also the Rockaways.

Graduates using LIPA scholarship funds are expected to get a competitive edge when it comes time to apply for jobs at the Long Island Power Authority, along with PSE&G Long Island, which plans to hire hundreds of entry-level workers over the next five years.

Ben Fiebert/Herald

NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE is one of the two schools that are working with Long Island Power Authority to give scholarships to students looking to get into the electrical and power fields. LIPA predicts electricity will account for 70 percent of New York’s power needs by 2050.

The five-year program will provide annual funding for 10 full-time, two-year scholarships.

Scholarship recipients will come from low- to moderate-income students who reside in disadvantaged communities — identified by New York’s Climate Justice Working Group — planning to attend either Nassau Community College or Suf folk County Community College.

The first recipients are expected to be announced early next year. To learn more, visit LIPower.org.

–Ben Fiebert

STEPPING OUT

‘First Couple’ of ‘Up, Up and Away’ with Marilyn McCoo Billy Davis Jr.

By Mary Malloy

It’s easy to see why seven-time Grammy winners Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., have been married for 53 years. A dynamic duo on and off the stage, the former members of the 196070s group The 5th Dimension have an easy way of sharing the conversation, finishing each other’s sentences, and endearingly calling each other “baby.” They are in true harmony — and headed to Tilles Center for the Performing Arts for “Up, Up and Away! A Musical Fable,” with special guest The Next Dimension, on Saturday.

As two of the lead vocalists with one of the top pop-R&B-soul-jazz groups of the era, their popular classics — among them “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “One Less Bell to Answer” and “Stoned Soul Picnic” — live on. Graced with McCoo’s three-octave vocal range, the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002, and have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

After a decade with The 5th Dimension, McCoo and Davis decided to step away in 1975 to establish themselves as a duo. They had immediate success with the single “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be In My Show)” which hit No. 1 on the charts and earned them a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. They have since enjoyed enduring success through the years as recording artists, performers and authors. Throughout their career, this showbiz couple has been honored with seven Grammy Awards and earned 15 gold and three platinum records, as well as enjoyed starring roles on television and the Broadway stage.

• Sat., Dec. 3, 8 p.m.

• Tilles Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, LIU Post, 720 Northern Blvd. Brookville

• Tickets are available at TillesCenter.org, or by calling the box office at (516) 299-3100

Their many endeavors go beyond their musical achievements. They also have a movie coming out during the holidays, “The Waltons Thanksgiving,” on the CW network. “It’s family-oriented, and it’s so perfect for this time of year,” McCoo says. “It’s nice for people to remember the warmth and love and excitement that comes from family.”

From East to West

“We are so looking forward to being in New York,” says McCoo, who, with Davis, calls California home. “We’ve visited, but we haven’t done a show there in quite a while. We truly always enjoy coming back … Long Island is such a pretty area, and we’re very excited.”

“We love New York, we have a history with New York,” Davis adds.

“Up, Up and Away” is a journey and musical celebration of their iconic music. The concert also includes tributes to fellow music legends including The Beatles (McCoo and Davis’ contemporaries) and The 5th Dimension’s original lineup.

They will perform some songs from their newest CD, “Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons,” a celebration of The Beatles’ timeless music. The album covers 10 Beatles classics and solos. “It’s so relevant,” Davis says about the title track. “It fits in with things that are happening today. The young people are very concerned with what was going on in the world.”

And what about their own iconic songs as the “First Couple” of Pop & Soul?

“Of course, we’ll enjoy doing many of our hits,” says Davis. “They wouldn’t let us off the stage if we didn’t!”

Tony Danza

The actor-entertainer croons the classics in his cabaret turn. In ‘Standards & Stories,’ he performs a selection of his favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, plus selections from Jason Robert Brown’s score for ‘Honeymoon in Vegas,’ while interweaving stories about his life and personal connection to the music. Danza combines timeless music with wit, charm, storytelling, and a dash of soft shoe and ukulele, in this evening of glorious songs and personal storytelling, backed by a four-piece band. Perhaps best known for his starring roles on two of TV’s most cherished and long-running series, “Taxi” and “Who’s The Boss,” Danza has also established himself as a song and dance man, and received rave reviews for his performance in the Broadway musical comedy ‘Honeymoon In Vegas.’

Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $62. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, Route 25A, Brookville. (516) 2993100 or TillesCenter.org.

Judy Collins: Holidays & His

The iconic legend lends her voice to holiday standards along with her classic hit songs as only she can. Collins performs holiday classics, along with songs from her latest album ‘Spellbound’ — her 55th album and first complete album of originals — and beloved songs culled from her six-decade career. Collins is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern-day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. $70, $65, $60. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

WHERE WHEN

Courtesy Darren Stone/Jon Carrasco

Photos: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., honored with multiple Grammy awards numerous gold and platinum records, return to the concert stage with their iconic hits — and some surprise selections.

THE SCENE

On stage

Plaza Theatrical continues its season with “Grumpy Old Men: The Musical,” Thursday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m; Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 4, 2:30 p.m. Based on the beloved 1993 film, which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret, this stage adaptation captures the lovably crotchety characters through twinkling humor, great songs, and the affectionate depiction of a small town that feels like home to everyone. It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $49, $45 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Deck the halls

Legally Blonde: The Musical

Artist/Craft Fair

Head to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, for a holiday crafts fair on Saturday, Dec. 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 253 Glen Ave. in Sea Cliff, There will be a raffle with the grand prize of three days and two nights at the Cobble Mountain Lodge in Lake Placid, as well as a Gingerbread House decorating station for children. All proceeds to benefit children in Ukraine in need of medical assistance. For more information email kkallaur@ gmail.com.

Annual Winter Concert

Dec. 4

Dec. 10

The ultimate Broadway tribute to girl power arrives at Tilles Center, Saturday, Dec. 10, 4 and 8 p.m. Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge (again) in this ultimate Broadway tribute to girl power, on the LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Based on the beloved movie, the musical follows Elle’s transformation as she tackles stereotypes, sexism, snobbery and scandal in pursuit of her dreams, and proves that you can be both ‘legally blonde’ and the smartest person in the room. Tickets are $89, $69, $59, $49; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Celebrate the season as Planting Fields Arboretum kicks off the holiday season with a cocktail party, Saturday, Dec. 3, 6:30 to 9 p.m., 1395 Planting Fields Rd., Oyster Bay. Purchase tickets online at PlantingFields.org. For more information, call (516) 922-9210.

The Friends of the Gold Coast Library invite any and all to their Annual Winter Concert featuring the Island Winds Ensemble on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. at American Legion Post 336, located at 190 Glen Head Road in Glen Head. The ensemble, comprised of 12 musicians, perform light classics and popular music while refreshments are served. To register and for more information go to GoldCoastLibrary.org or call (516) 759-8300.

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. 1,-2 10:15 a.m and noon; Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 7, 10:15 a.m. and noon, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. Meet the Cratchit family, Mr. Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show that weaves together music, humor, puppetry and collaboration. Celebrate the change of seasons through this beloved literary tale. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org.

Take and Make Gingerbread Memory Box

Families can make a holiday memory book, Monday, Dec. 5, 9:30 a.m., at Oyster Bay-East Norwich Public Library, 89 East Main St., Oyster Bay. Kids ages 3-5 can make a gingerbread memory box to store holiday memories. Registration required. For more information, contact Stacey Kaloudis at (516) 922-1212 or skaloudis@oysterbaylibrary.org.

Holiday Artisans Marketplace

Deep Roots

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.

Dec. 3

Farmers Market and Glen Cove Downtown BID have present a Holiday Artisans’ Marketplace, Saturday, Dec. 3, 12:30-5 p.m., at 100 Village Square in Glen Cove .More than 15 local artists will offer hand-made items including jewelry, pottery, textiles and more. For more information visit glencovetown.org or call (516) 318-5487.

Happy Hanukkah

Get ready for Hanukkah by learning all about dreidels, at Long Island Children’s Museum, , 1-3 p.m. Discover the game’s history and rules, and decorate your own dreidel to take home, at the drop-in program. Visit the museum on Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or

Matinee time

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 3, 11 a.m. Also Dec. 17. The story, narrated by a groundhog name Pardon-Me-Pete, tells us 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 Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Glen Cove native Sharon Sprung was chosen to paint the official White House portrait of then first lady Michelle Obama. Sprung is one of a select group of women tasked with creating a White House portrait, but her journey began with a difficult childhood. Those experi ences, however, helped to shape her abili ty to observe people beneath the surface and reveal their character through art.

Sprung, 69, was born in Brooklyn, and her family moved to Glen Cove not long afterward. She grew up on Milford Lane, where she lived for 20 years with her family.

“I was a real Glen Cover,” Sprung said. Her mother, a Glen Cove High School guidance counselor, was widowed when Sharon was 6 years old, and raised two children on her own. In the years follow ing her husband’s death from leukemia, Sharon’s mother refused to talk about it, which created what her daughter said was a quiet household.

Sharon’s mother threw out all of the photos of her father, leaving behind only whatever memories the young artist could conjure of her father’s face. For Sharon, this naturally progressed to a strong interest in art.

But her mother, who had a doctoral degree in education, wasn’t supportive of her daughter’s desire to earn a living as an artist, fearing she wouldn’t be able to do so pursuing her passion. The disagree ment led to a turbulent relationship between the two. Sprung’s mother never truly understood her daughter’s passion for art before she died three years ago.

“I had a very strong will and I wanted to follow my passion,” Sprung said. “I just felt the stork delivered the baby to the wrong house, I disappointed her and she disappointed me.”

After high school, Sprung attended Cornell University. She dropped out after being discouraged that she found it impossible to balance her art and academ ics.

“It’s not that I didn’t enjoy taking the other classes,” Sprung said. “I just didn’t have enough time to develop the craft that I knew I was going to have to develop.”

After leaving Cornell in her 20s, Sprung started showing her work at the Harbor Gallery in Cold Spring Harbor in the 1970s. Then she began studying at the Art Students League of New York City where she teaches today.

Sprung is not a stranger to Washington D.C. Throughout her career she has paint

Courtesy the White House Historical Association GLEN COVE ARTIST Sharon Sprung painted the portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama which took nine months to complete in her Brooklyn studio apartment.

Highlight of career painting Michelle Obama

ed other notable figures like Jeannette Rankin, a congres sional representative from Montana, who was the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. Sprung also worked on a portrait for Patsy Mink, a former repre sentative from Hawaii, the first woman of color elected to Congress and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

SHARON SPRUNG Artist

Sprung’s experience as a por traitist caught the attention of the White House in 2016. She received a letter from the curator of the White House identifying her as one of the top candidates to paint the first lady. Initially Sprung felt overwhelmed by the request, but as time passed, she had a change of heart, given her tremendous respect she had for the first lady.

The portrait, created in her Brooklyn based home-studio, took Sprung nine months to complete. During those months she meticulously studied Obama, surrounding herself with images from her early childhood up until her time at the White House.

“I really think that I gained a good sense of who she was,” Sprung said. “Even if I couldn’t describe it in words.”

Michael Hall, executive and artistic director of the Art Students League of New York, where Sprung teaches, said she has a forensic approach when selecting color pal lets, expression and body language in her works. Hall emphasized that Sprung went so far as to keep the first lady’s dress in her studio. The light-blue chiffon dress

designed by Jason Wu and donned by the former first lady was the most difficult section of the portrait, given the vibrant color.

“She humanizes Michelle really well,” Hall said.

“But also shows a level of seriousness while showing warmth.”

The result of Sprung’s labor encompasses a soft but bright depiction of the former first lady in her blue dress, while sitting on an embroidered red couch in front of a muted pink wall.

Since the Kennedy Administration, the White House

Historical Association has commissioned portraits. Tra ditionally, they’re unveiled in a public East Room ceremo ny within a few years of the president leaving office, though the Trump administration skipped that formality, leading to both Obama’s portraits unveiled on Sept. 7, six years after the Obama’s left the White House.

Sprung said she enjoys the challenges that come with being an artist, describing the process as a puzzle that she has become addicted to.

“My place in the world is to paint,” Sprung said. “How ever I have to do it, I’m going to do it.”

SHARON SPRUNG CREATES many of her portraits at Manhattan’s Art Students League of New York. Once a student there, she became an art teacher after 20 years of membership.

Courtesy Max Burkhalter

A hospital committed to helping the caregivers

for people interested in being a support for the caregivers, someone passionate about them who will make sure they receive education and provide resources to them.”

Wearing uniforms of a navy-blue blaz er and white pants, Mills and White bring a variety of brochures when they drop by a patient’s room. After they explain why they are there, they often see a look of relief from the caregiver, they say. It’s a gentle process.

The brochures, full of information including community resources, are left with the caregivers, who are encouraged to check out the Caregiver Center, which is right off the downstairs lobby. It opened in July, although it was complet ed in 2001 as part of a $750,000 project funded by the volunteer Community Partnership Board. The pandemic delayed its opening.

The center, open 24 hours a day, was designed to give caregivers respite. The atmosphere in two private rooms is calm ing, with light-blue reclining sleeper chairs, adjustable lighting, pale-gray flowered carpeting and original artwork on the walls. There’s calming music in one room and white noise in the other, to

help caregivers relax. And there’s a phone in each room, so no one will worry about being out of touch with a patient.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. EST, at the office of the Oyster Bay Sewer District, 15 Bay Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771, for furnishing during 2023 approximately 25,000 gallons of sodium hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution shall contain up to 16% available chlorine and not less than 14% available chlorine when delivered.

General specifications and bid form must be obtained at the Oyster Bay Sewer District, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771.

The Commissioners reserve the right to reject any or all bids, and to accept the bid considered most advantageous to the purchaser.

OYSTER BAY SEWER

DISTRICT

Thomas D. Galasso

Joseph G. Pecora, P.E. James T. Whelan Board of Commissioners 135727

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. EST, at the office of the Oyster Bay Sewer District, 15 Bay Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771, for furnishing during 2023 approximately 3,850 gallons of 38 to 42% sodium bisulfite solution.

The chemical shall be delivered in returnable 55-gallon drums. General specifications and bid form must be obtained at the Oyster Bay Sewer District, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771.

The Commissioners reserve the right to reject any or all bids, and to accept the bid considered most advantageous to the purchaser.

OYSTER BAY SEWER

DISTRICT Thomas D. Galasso

Joseph G. Pecora, P.E. James T. Whelan Board of Commissioners 135728

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. EST, at the office of the Oyster Bay Sewer District, 15 Bay Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771, for removal and disposal of grit and screenings from the District sewage treatment plant during 2023.

General specifications and bid form must be obtained at the Oyster Bay Sewer District, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771.

The Commissioners reserve the right to reject any or all bids, and to accept the bid considered most advantageous to the purchaser.

OYSTER BAY SEWER DISTRICT Thomas D. Galasso

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME:King & Marie Properties, LLC.

Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 08/29/ 2022. NY Office

location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:260 Madison Ave 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016

Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. 135614

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE: INC. VILLAGE OF LAUREL HOLLOW - PLANNING BOARD

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public meeting and hearing will be held by and before the Planning Board of the Inc. Village of Laurel Hollow, Nassau County, New York, on Tuesday December 20th, at 7:00 P.M. at the Village Hall located at 1492 Laurel Hollow Road, Laurel Hollow, NY to consider the following: P-6-2022/T-37-22: Public hearing on the application of Thomas A Abbate P.C on behalf of Joel Friedman to modify a condition set forth in the

February 10th, 1997 Planning Board Final Approval of an application by Edward Ames, Oakes Ames, Olivia Hoblitzelle and Joan Ames to partition a 9.248 acer parcel into four (4) lots: one of which is the subject property known as 1247 Laurel Hollow Road, Laurel Hollow, NY.

The applicant is seeking permission to erect a tennis court on the property under application and seeks modification of the condition set forth in the aforesaid Planning Board Final Approval which precludes exceeding of the Villages total surface lot coverage due to drainage concerns. They are also seeking approval to remove 2 trees in their rear yard. This property is designated as Section 26 Block E Lot 98 on the Land and Tax Map of Nassau County.

All relevant documents submitted in connection with this application are on file at the Village Hall. If you wish to inspect the documents, please email the Clerk at Deputy@laurelhollow.org in advance of the meeting to make arrangements.

All persons interested will be given an opportunity to be heard at said time and place.

By Order of the Planning Board

Chris Hadjandreas, Chairman November 28, 2022 135729

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

chairs, for conversation, and a couch.

“If a patient is critical, the caregiver can sleep overnight here,” Lee-Riley said, pointing to the couch. “The idea is to minimize the stress a person is feeling.”

The third room is a resource center that has computers, desks, phones and Wi-Fi.

Caregiver coaches undergo training for two to three months, in which they learn how to interview and connect with caregivers, and strategies for working with the most reluctant. They also shad ow social workers and role-play. It’s important, Lee-Riley said, that the coach understands human behavior.

White has firsthand experience as a caregiver. Her husband, Craig, had a stroke in 2017, and spent roughly nine months at Glen Cove Hospital. He’s doing well now — even driving, Nancy said — but she remembers the long road of help ing him.

“The nurses and social workers at the hospital were very helpful, always ready to talk to me,” she said. “I wanted sup port the most.”

The women said that more often than not, caregivers are happy to see them, and appreciate any help finding resourc es. And just talking, they added, can sometimes be most important.

“I find as a coach that some welcome the opportunity to let it all out,” Mills said. “Caregivers generally don’t take care of themselves. We emphasize the need for them to, and offer self-care tips.”

In addition, there is a support group for caregivers that meets on the first Tuesday of the month. Victoria Bjorklund, who takes care of her hus band, said the group has been very helpful.

“You think, because you’re isolated, that you have all of these challenges, but then at the meeting you hear all the chal lenges others have,” said Bjorklund, who lives in Sea Cliff. “You get constructive suggestions. I learn from other people, and I’m able to offer advice, too.”

Caregivers support each other, she

CHRISTINE MILLS, FAR left, and Nancy White, in one of the rooms at the Caregiver Center, say their work as volunteer caregiver coaches at Glen Cove Hospital is rewarding.

Caregivers on the rise

■ 54 percent of Long Islanders say it is extremely or very likely that they will be a caregiver for an adult loved one in the next five years.

■ Over 55 percent of those over age 50 indicate that they are either currently, or in the past five years have been, a caregiver for an adult loved one.

■ Caregivers experience mental or emotional strain, and elderly spou sal caregivers have a 63 percent higher risk of sickness than noncaregivers.

■ One-third of those caring for peo ple 65 or over describe their own physical health as fair to poor.

–Courtesy Glen Cove Hospital

added. “One even brought in articles for me,” she said. “Before this, it was a lone ly situation.”

Lee-Riley said she believes the coach es and the center helps. “You can see a change in (caregivers’) demeanor in a positive way after they receive the small est intervention,” she said. “We some times underestimate that, how asking what a person is feeling can make an impact. Caregivers often feel their needs shouldn’t be taken into consideration.”

White and Mills said that being a care giver coach has been nothing but posi tive. “Doing this is very satisfying and fulfilling,” Mills said. “When I leave here, I feel good about myself that I’ve helped.”

“I feel the same way,” White said. “It’s very gratifying to know that I helped. This is what I always wanted to do.”

Joseph G. Pecora, P.E. James T. Whelan Board of Commissioners 135726

The space also includes a table and

Laura Lane/Herald

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OPINIONS

The challenges for the Long Island Four

Once upon a time, there was a group known as the Long Island Nine. They were the nine Republican state sena tors who wielded enormous power in Albany. We now have a new group of seven Republican senators, but the spotlight is shifting to a new Long Island Four: the newly elected Republi can members of Congress, who will have enor mous influence due to the fact that the Republi cans in the House of Representa tives will be gov erning with such a small margin.

JERRY KREMER

The Long Island Four are Representatives Andrew Garbari no, Anthony D’Esposito, George Santos and Nick LaLota. On almost any issue where a critical vote is needed, those four must support the needs of the lead ership, and that’s where the headaches begin. Sometimes what your leadership wants could be a vote that would do enormous damage back at home. I know from personal experience as a state leg islator that bucking the leaders isn’t

easy, but you aren’t elected just to do what the bosses want.

Santos was the first of the four to make a public statement about the House’s mission in 2023. He made it clear that he was “not interested in a Congress that spent all of its time investigating the enemy,” and wanted to be a part of productive actions. Santos and his colleagues will be tested very early in the new session, when the far-right wing proposes the impeachment of President Biden and investigations into the business activities of his son Hunter.

The next test will be whether to shut down the federal government to appease a group that would like to cut back on entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security. That will be fol lowed by resolutions to strip certain Democrats of their committee assign ments to get even for last year’s actions against Congresswoman Marjorie Tay lor Greene of Georgia. I could go on, but that’s just a taste of what is likely to happen early on in their tenure.

Most Long Island voters are just like any other rational voters. They want government to work, and are generally

tired of partisan bickering. Inflation is an issue that hurts voters of all parties, and Congress must be prepared to take action that will heal our economy. Last month’s election taught Washington pol iticians that there is overwhelming sup port for a woman’s right, in consultation with her doctor, to decide whether she should have an abor tion. Women in the four local congressional dis tricts expect their voices to be heard, and that promis es to be another dilemma for the Long Island Four.

To add to these new members’ potential politi cal challenges is the fact that most of them received substantial funding from the Republican Congressional Cam paign Committee. Without that money, a couple of them might never have made it to Washington. How do you vote on an issue that hurts your district but is a priority of the party leadership? That headache reminds me of the old Tip O’Neill reminder that “all politics is local.”

Of course, there’s a positive side to being a member of the majority. With the backing of your party leaders, you can get grants for programs and proj

ects that will make the voters happy. You also get sufficient staff to be able to han dle the thousands of requests for help from your constituents. One of the cru cial things that help candidates get reelected is good constituent service. There are numerous cases of members of Congress losing their seats because they ignored the day-to-day demands of their voters.

Representing our suburban congres sional districts shapes up as an enor mous challenge. Long Island is a very informed and progressive region. There are no secrets about how our represen tatives vote on contentious issues, and bad votes will be part of the debate when they seek re-election. Local voters have many issues they care about at the federal level, and they won’t be bashful about demanding action. As one who served almost a lifetime in public office, I wish the Long Island Four the best of luck as they embark on their new chal lenge. They will need a lot more than luck to stay in office.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strat egies, a business development and legis lative strategy firm. Comments about this column? JKremer@liherald.com.

Being vulnerable, a new holiday ritual

Can we settle in and be real?

No, not everyone is having a better time than you. No, you aren’t the only one who wishes you’d passed on the second slice of coconut custard pie. Yes, we’ve said it before, but that doesn’t make it any less true: Families coming together for holi days are a movable feast of food and family history, old gripes and edgy new connections.

And, yes, the coronavirus pan demic and politi cal fractiousness will take seats at our tables this year.

Ph.D. researcher-scientist who’s a pro fessor at the Universities of Texas and Houston. She says she has studied cour age, vulnerability, shame and empathy for the past few decades. She says she is a storyteller. She has a Netflix docu mentary out, several books that hit bestseller lists and podcasts galore. She has a unique style propelled by wit and infused with intel ligence. She tells us we need to be vulnerable. She tells us that when we’re willing to be vulnerable, we connect with people in more genuine ways.

nabes. So smart, so funny and so authentic. I identified with her immedi ately when she told a story of her daughter going to a prom. Her date picks her up in his pickup truck. The girl is dazzled; the guy is strutting. All Brown can think is, “They’re going to crash.” I get that. She was willing to share that tendency to cat astrophize, which as a mother, I own.

I know it all sounds like stuff we know, but try her podcast or her Netflix doc umentary and see for your self.

ly can learn from my experience.

So, to be more vulnerable, I shared some truths with my daughter I haven’t thought to mention in 45 years. I initiat ed a few risky talks with my son. I told stories on myself to the teenage grand kids, not the usual morality tales I prof fer but the real stuff, the dumb stuff, the mistakes that I was lucky to survive. I told them I pretty much stayed within my own no-risk zone all my life, and I know I should have stepped out, and I hope I still may.

RANDI KREISS

So give your self a break. With Thanksgiving just behind us and this month’s Hanukkah/Christmas/New Year’s Eve trifecta ahead, we need to treat our selves with care. We’ve all been through a meat grinder. It’s OK if the fruitcake isn’t homemade. It’s fine if the gift-giv ing isn’t a whirlwind of gimme-gimmegimme.

To strike a vulnerable note myself, these ideas didn’t come to me just like that. Lately I have been watching and reading Brené Brown, the MSW and

“I believe that you must walk through vulnerabili ty to get to courage, there fore … embrace the suck,” Brown says. “I try to be grateful every day, and my motto right now is ‘courage over comfort.’”

Vulnerability might look like shar ing something about yourself you might tend to hold back, or telling somebody they have hurt you in some way, or stepping out of your comfort zone to try some new adventure or job or social group. Brown talks a lot about vulnerability, and how it makes us so much more approachable.

She’s an influencer who has the creds to influence, unlike so many wan

I brought all my new found wisdom (not that much) to the Thanksgiving table, and now call on myself to be vulnerable and tell you most of the truth of my own holiday experience with the whole family.

The mélange included kids, grand kids (all teens), ex-wives, new partners, airplane travel, car trips, weather, secrets, trying to squeeze 75 years of life lessons into words of wisdom for the grandkids, not because I should or because they want to hear it but because that is who I am. I need to teach, to hope that my words land in fertile ground and set roots, so my fami

This isn’t a recipe, but I noticed that when I opened up a bit with an honest personal story, so did others. Not every one, but the teenagers did let a crack of light into the mysterious interior of their adolescent lives.

It feels like a challenge with a big payoff. I’m going to keep reading Brené Brown. I’m pushing myself, and it feels right.

Try it for Hanukkah and Christmas and New Year’s. Talk to strangers at the party. Invite someone for dinner. Actu ally go to the shelter to deliver food. Find a way to find warmth after this long winter apart.

The best of times and the most chal lenging times lie in the holiday weeks ahead.

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

A popular author suggests it, so I gave it my best shot at the family gathering.

O ur newest members of Congress must support the needs of the party leaders.

Remembering for those who no longer can

Where were you when Kennedy was shot?”

Many of us remem ber asking that, or being asked. That question has since been supplanted by ones like “Where were you when the Challenger explod ed?” or “Where were you on Sept. 11?”

But those singular tragedies were hardly the first to dominate our everyday lives on such a massive scale. That is a tragedy remembered for decades with its own question: “Where were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed?”

Yet there are very few people left who can answer that. Not surprising, since the stunning attack that officially brought the United States into World War II happened over 80 years ago. Without those living witnesses, however, we risk the possibility that the attack, the war itself, and atrocities like the Holocaust will become mere footnotes in history.

And that’s simply not acceptable.

This was the time of what NBC anchor Tom Brokaw coined the Greatest Generation. People who lived through the suffering of the Great Depression, only to find themselves fighting for something greater: freedom. Not for Americans, but for people on a global scale. We fought to destroy fascism as well as its key components, totalitarian ism and authoritarianism, as well as hate.

Not that we were perfect in doing so —

far from it. But if anything good came from that period, it was the fact that our global society at least took some signifi cant steps forward.

Conflict has been a part of human his tory, but never on the scale we saw in World War II. Never in the numbers of people lost. The outright attempted geno cide of an entire religious ethnicity. We have to take time to remember because, as Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Part of that education comes from exploring what happened at Pearl Har bor — a place thousands of miles away, practically across an ocean, on a group of islands that, at the time, were merely an American territory. The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel and destroyed or damaged 19 ships — nearly half of them battleships.

By the time World War II ended in 1945, American deaths would reach near ly 420,000, while globally, 15 million sol diers and 45 million civilians would lose their lives.

The pain from that war — and World War I, “the Great War,” before it — was felt for generations, to the point where governments worked as hard as they could not to let any other conflict balloon to such a global scale. But memories fade, hastened by the loss of those who experienced that suffering firsthand.

Now we live in a time when fears of a

worldwide conflict are stronger than they have been in decades. It’s not just political polarization, but also what has become a broader tolerance of intoler ance and outright hate — something that can never be allowed to normalize, whether it’s antisemitism, racism, sex ism or homophobia. Attacking where someone is from, how they worship — or if they worship — or even how they iden tify gender-wise.

History is fading, and with it its les sons. And we can’t let that happen. That’s why Dec. 7 is so important. Or Jan. 27 — International Holocaust Remembrance Day — as well as spring’s Yom Hashoah. Because you can’t even begin to talk about loss during this peri od without talking about the 6 million Jews who were killed — a third of Jews worldwide. Or the 2 million ethnic Poles. Or 500,000 Roma. Or thousands more who were gay, or who were political or religious prisoners.

The late Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survi vor himself, once said, “To forget a Holo caust is to kill twice.” And that can be applied to any tragedy we try to forget.

Next week, we have a chance to remember on the 81st anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. There might be few left to ask where they were when this tragedy took place, but remember ing means we’re learning. And learning gives us a fighting chance to never repeat those horrors again.

LETTERS

O’Connell sure didn’t pull any punches

To the Editor:

Don’t you love freedom of the press? That basic right enables people like John O’Connell, former executive edi tor of the Heralds, to blatantly cast aspersions on public figures without including specific evidence to support his claims.

In his op-ed last week, “I’ll take the GOP agenda — without Trump — any day,” O’Connell refers to Hillary Clin ton as a “backstabbing, secretive, supercilious, lying, characterless cypher.” While I don’t love Hillary, I question what purpose such unsup ported name-calling achieves, except perhaps to justify why O’Connell opted to vote for Trump, despite his “unap pealing, obnoxious,” “insufferable” and “bullying” behavior.

O’Connell goes on to blast our sit ting president, vice president, trans portation secretary and governor,

OPINIONS

‘Energy efficient’ may become a contradiction in terms

Hearings are getting under way on a proposal to socialize energy on Long Island. It would make the Long Island Power Authori ty the region’s sole entity responsible for keeping our lights on. Its structure would replicate virtually every government agency, bureau or department that you have cursed as inept, incompetent or indifferent.

The hearings, by a special com mission, are the result of legisla tion signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul. It directs the review of a plan to convert the existing public-pri vate partnership that manages our electrical grid to one that would, in essence, make the governor ultimately responsible for its operation and mainte nance.

To set the stage for these hearings, you need to understand that LIPA currently owns most of the Long Island electrical grid, including the bulk of our power plants. It has an incentive contract with PSEG Long Island, which actually runs the system. If PSEG does well and hits certain performance criteria, it is finan cially compensated. If it fails, it will take a financial bath. This is the essence of

why capitalism is always better, and why it provides for more-efficient creation and distribution of goods and services than any government-controlled or socialized economy.

What is instructive about this forced march to complete govern ment control is that these hearings were mandated by law to be held by the end of September, but are just beginning now. The govern ment commission couldn’t even get its act together to hold them on time. Good thing it isn’t responsible for directing our electrical future.

Oh, wait. It is.

James Hanley, a fellow with the Empire Center for Public Policy, is a seasoned observer of Albany’s political stinkpot. “It’s hard to predict what will come of this proposal,” Hanley has written. “Public power (left wing) advocates clearly want to eliminate any role for a private utility in operating LIPA’s grid. They don’t have any evidence that LIPA could improve upon PSEG’s management; they seem to think the word `public’ is a magical incantation that will make everything better.”

In truth, it makes everything worse. An example? Which delivery service is more reliable, the government controlled U.S. mail, or the privately owned Federal Express? The answer is obvious.

LETTERS

among others, again without a logical explanation. He cites the GOP agenda, familiar to most of us. However, he does not mention the many Americans who suffer from a housing shortage, food insecurity, climate change, or a lack of adequate gun control. He also exhibits no concern for the recent increase in racist, antisemitic and homophobic violence against fellow human beings. Will these people merely be casualties of war as the GOP tries to stifle the voic es of its opposition? Surely a nation as great as ours must be able to find a way to achieve compromise so that the needs and safety of so many of its citizens are not ignored.

PAM SINGER Malverne

Trump’s ‘great’ accomplishments?

To the Editor:

John O’Connell asserted in his Nov.

24-30 column that he doesn’t like Donald Trump, but that the former president accomplished “great things.”

What in the world would those “great things” be?

His disrespect for the country’s courts and its diplomatic and intelli gence services? His refusal to accept the results of an election? Deepening politi cal divisions and encouraging racial bigotry?

O’Connell’s column derides potential Democratic candidates for president and vice president, but omits any men tion of the many GOP members of Con gress who have gone along with Trump’s lies about a rigged election. Nor is there any mention of Trump’s attempt to defy the will of American voters by backing a coup.

O’Connell even claims there is a “GOP agenda.” And what would that be? More stunts such as votes to end Obam acare?

LARRY McCOY Rockville Centre

Hanley has identified the ideological underpinnings of this power grab. It has little to do with the efficiency, innovation and accountability demanded of PSEG Long Island under a strict don’t-screw-up contract with LIPA. Rather, it is about a progressive agenda of grow ing government whenever it can, assuming authority over infrastructure that it has no competence running and operating costs it has no interest in cutting.

What makes this power play particularly toxic is that LIPA had been tasked with running the grid before. It failed, miserably, when Superstorm Sandy came ashore a decade ago. As a result, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo required LIPA to engage private industry in running the grid, and to use financial incentives and penalties that are employed in the real world. Hav ing had such a raving success with cash less bail, today’s progressive powerbro kers seem quite content to ignore those lessons, and now seek the keys to the power grid.

How would that work? For starters, the people currently working for PSEG would probably be asked to transfer their skills and expertise to LIPA, a government enti ty. As LIPA employees, they would be given salaries, benefits and pensions that you and I would pay for. The LIPA man

FRAMEWORK

agement structure would balloon with executives making six-figure salaries. There would be no financial incentives for any of them to work smarter, better, more efficiently.

Compare that with a recent J.D. Power survey that found dissatisfaction with PSEG Long Island among businesses on the Island. That could mean a financial hit for the utility management company, because its compensation is directly tied to customer opinions of its performance. Were LIPA in charge, and faced with such a report, its response would undoubtedly be “Feh,” for there would be no account ability under a socialized structure. That would be good news for those who feast on political patronage, because one suspects someone’s brother-in-law would be in charge of consumer complaints.

We can assume that it will be Hochul’s decision as to whether Long Island’s power goes progressive. She needs to, but probably doesn’t, appreciate, or care, that if that’s the future of LIPA, her office number will be on speed dial for 2.7 mil lion Long Islanders the next time a hurri cane takes down the grid. And if last month’s elections proved anything, it’s that those LIPA customers vote.

Ronald J. Rosenberg has been an attorney for 42 years, concentrating in commercial litigation and transactions, and real estate, municipal, zoning and land use law. He founded the Garden City law firm Rosen berg Calica & Birney in 1999.

by Fatima Lasso

In a season of crowded stadiums, a moment to appreciate where it all began — Rome

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n Albany, a potential plan to gut the public-private management of our electricity.

RONALD J. ROSENBERG

Baby Blessings

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to support the Helping Hand Rescue Mission’s Baby Blessings Event on December 13th We will be accepting donations now through December 9th.

For Babies:

Diapers (Size 3, 4, 5, 6) | Baby Wipes, Hygiene Products, Formula (Similac Advance with Iron & Enfamil with Iron) Baby Food/Snacks,Baby Clothes (Infant–Toddler sizes, gently worn is fine. Spring clothes are being collected at this time) Small Baby Toys/Baby Books | Pack & Plays/Small Swings | Bassinets, Portable Beds Seats & Car Seats (need to be within the date on the sticker)

For Mothers: Body Lotion | Body Wash | Shampoo & Conditioner | Slippers Nursing Tops | Sanitary Products | Diaper Bags Locust Valley Office | 1 Buckram Rd, Locust Valley, NY 11560 | 516.759.4800 | danielgale.com

appreciate your donation and support for mothers in our local communities.