Oyster Bay Herald 12-15-2023

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What’s INSIDE

DECEMBER 29, 2023 - JANUARY 4, 2024

VOL. 126 NO. 1

HERALD PERSONS OF THE YEAR LINDSAY FOX and NITIKA MORAN

Finding fulfillment in helping their neighbors Friends of St. John’s builds relationships

By Laura Lane

Little dancing bunnies marked the Lunar New Year Page 8

People Loving People serves many at food pantry Page 14

A new principal at Oyster Bay High School Page 22

It was a simple act of kindness, volunteering to serve dinner at the Glen Cove men’s shelter, that led Lindsay Fox and Nitika Moran to found Friends of St. John’s seven years ago.

The Locust Valley women never imagined that the organization would grow to help so many people on the North Shore, or that an abundance of volunteers would join them in their efforts.

For their tireless commitment to helping those in need, the Herald is proud to name Fox and Moran its 2023 People of the Year.

Fox said it was the conversations she and Moran had with the men at ’ve always the shelter that led to the creation of known that Friends of St. John’s, which is named for St. John’s of Lattingtown Episcopal giving back or Church.

“Nitika and I were serving dinner to serving others the men through the Thistle and Spoon is a part of my program at St. John’s,” Fox recalled, life. It’s who I referring to the ministry that provides meals with the North Shore Sheltering am.

Program, “and the men were talking to us about how they wanted to go on job NITIKA MORAN interviews but couldn’t afford razors.

Co-founder, Food stamps doesn’t cover personal Friends of St. John’s hygiene or cleaning supplies.”

Fox and Moran, who have been friends for 11 years, decided to start an interfaith outreach group. There were so many mothers in the Locust Valley School District and the community who told the two women they wanted to get involved in volunteering but didn’t know how.

Forming an interfaith group gave them all an avenue to volunteer.

Friends of St. John’s was founded in November of 2017. No money is collected; it simply organizes volunteers to help those in need living in Locust Valley, Glen Cove and Bayville.

One initiative, Soap for Hope, provides personal hygiene and cleaning supplies each November. The women describe it as an “add-on to the various Thanksgiving food drives.”

“These types of things — toiletries, dish soap, trash bags — give people dignity to be able to keep their house clean,” Moran said.

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The donated supplies, which include toothpaste, soap and cleaning supplies, are given to 10 different groups for distribution, among them the Finley Middle School Food Pantry, the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club and the Interagency of Glen Cove’s Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Each year, roughly 100 boxes of supplies are also given to the Dr. Alberta Hersey Foundation, a charity in Glen Cove. “It really helps a lot,” Pandora Hersey, who runs the foundation, said.

“Lindsey and Nitika are fantastic. People appreciate it so much.”

Holiday Meal Box program

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, and pantries were shuttered, Fox and Moran continued to collect items for Soap for Hope, but wanted to help provide food too. They joined Nosh, who deliver food, in 2020, to help the food insecure on the North Shore. But they wanted to do more.

“I’ve always known that giving back or serving others is a

Continued on page 3

Courtesy Courtney Callahan

Nitika Moran, at left above, and Lindsay Fox founded Friends of St. John’s in 2017, providing opportunities for partnerships between volunteers and families in need. Moran and Fox are the Herald's Persons of the Year.

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

2

Tom Suozzi stands firmly with Israel

By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com

In a bid to reinforce his commitment to supporting Israel, former Congressman Tom Suozzi embarked on a trip to Israel on Dec. 21, addressing issues ranging from security concerns to the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove, pledged to be a staunch advocate for Israel if successful in the upcoming special election for New York’s third congressional district.

The trip, which Suozzi had long planned, took place amidst a closely contested race with Republican candidate Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Israel Defense Forces veteran. Suozzi emphasized the importance of experiencing firsthand the dynamics on the ground, reflecting his broader philosophy of engaging with both local and international issues.

During his visit, Suozzi spoke with the parents of an IDF serviceman and district resident Omer Neutra, held hostage by Hamas. Suozzi, wearing Neutra’s dog tags given to him by the soldier’s parents, condemned Hamas as a “sophisticated and disciplined terror army with a mission to destroy Israel and Jews.” He underscored the need for educating the public about the true nature of the extremist group.

“I’ve always had a philosophy that you have to go and see what’s happening on the ground,” Suozzi explained. “It’s clear to me that we have to communicate to

people that Hamas is not some random, loose coalition of desert fighters.”

Suozzi particularly emphasized Hamas’ tunnel system as evidence of their advanced tactics used by the terrorist organization. Although Suozzi admitted that he had not personally seen any of the tunnels or firsthand evidence of them, the tunnel system is well known for its multi-faceted use by Hamas and other militant groups for a variety of purposes.

The special election gains significance as both candidates, Suozzi and Pilip, have ties to Jewish communities in the district.

Suozzi, known for his consistent support for Israel during his congressional tenure from 2017 to 2023, emphasized the need for more outspoken pro-Israel Democrats to enhance bipartisan support for Israel.

Suozzi’s opponent, Pilip, a former IDF paratrooper and an Orthodox Jewish Nassau County legislator, has been actively campaigning against antisemitism, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack orchestrated by Hamas. The race remains closely watched, with Jewish voters constituting approximately 13 percent of the district’s electorate.

Recent polls indicate a shift among Democrats regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, with growing support for a ceasefire. Suozzi acknowledged this trend but maintained that having a pro-Israel Democrat, especially one who is vocal and strong in support, is crucial for maintaining bipartisan backing for Israel.

Herald file photo

Congressional candidate Tom Suozzi traveled to Israel to show solidarity with Israelis in their war against the terrorist group Hamas. ”I’m here to show my solidarity with the State of Israel and with Jewish people throughout the world,” Suozzi added, “and to be unequivocal in my support, to learn more and hopefully help educate people about what’s going on.”

Addressing the issue of his party affiliation, Suozzi pointed out that while Republicans generally have higher support for Israel, Democrats need more outspoken advocates to ensure continued bipartisan support. He highlighted the

challenges posed by some Democratic members, like “the Squad,” which include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, who do not align with the broader party support for Israel.

Suozzi also emphasized that despite his support Israel, he remains committed to helping and supporting Muslim-Americans as well. As the founder of the Congressional Uyghur Caucus, which worked to raise support and awareness of the oppression facing the predominately Muslim Uyghur ethnic group in northwestern China, Suozzi expressed his endorsement of a two-state solution for Israel, albeit underlining that it cannot happen while Hamas is in power.

The former congressman’s recent visit also occurred a day before it was announced that the death toll in the Gaza strip had reached 20,000, with an estimated 70 percent of the casualties women and children. Suozzi added that while “you’d have to not be human to not be upset by all these people getting killed,” it did not change his unwavering commitment to and support of Israel and its military in the conflict.

“It’s awful, but the reality it that Hamas must be stopped,” Suozzi said. “I looked at this issue very carefully in 2018 — human shields. This is consciously done, so that (Hamas) can say exactly that ‘civilians are getting killed because this is where we happen to put all of our weapons.’”

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Providing opportunities for all to help others

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president of the parent council for two years. Now she is president of the district’s coordinated parent councils, overseeing all of its PTAs. She and her sons shop for and deliver food to the food insecure, which they began doing for Nosh during the pandemic. When they made deliveries for the Holiday Meal Box program, they formed relationships with the families.

One year, when Fox delivered a box of food for Thanksgiving, she discovered that the mother had had a stroke and was struggling. Fox ordered furniture for the family, and supplied them with other things they needed.

“One year, a kid from a family I delivered to each year said Santa didn’t come last year,” she recounted. “I texted the mom and said I heard things were tight, and was there anything I could get her daughter? We delivered four items for her for Christmas.”

Growing up, Fox volunteered, cleaning senior citizens’ yards and homes.

She said she always liked helping people.

“But it wasn’t until I saw the need in my kids’ school, kids struggling, that I felt a call to action,” she said.

Initially, her children didn’t understand why she was shopping for others, so she got them involved. They carried the boxes of food into the families’ apartments, and saw how much the donations meant to them, Fox said.

“They’d cry and hug us,” she recalled.

“That’s when my children understood what this all means.”

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Continued from front

part of my life,” Moran said. “It’s who I am.”

They started the Holiday Meal Box program in November 2020 through Friends of St. John’s. The program connects volunteers with families in need, providing boxes filled with ingredients for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

“I saw this as a huge opportunity for families sitting at home to fill a void by rallying them to deliver food to the food insecure,” Fox said. “I banded together a group of moms, and we shopped and delivered the food.”

The program started small, with six families in need recommended by St. John’s. In 2021, principals in the Glen Cove and Locust Valley school districts gave the women the names of additional families. Each holiday, Friends is given the names of more families that need help. This year they provided 105 Christmas meals.

“It became like an adopt-a-family,” Fox explained. “We’d pair a volunteer family with a family in need. We tried to create a relationship with the volunteers and families so they’d be delivering to the same family during the holidays.”

The volunteers shop for, and pay for, the items they deliver, which include cooked hams, fresh vegetables, dinner rolls, pies and more. Fox leaves 75 empty boxes on her porch, which the volunteers pick up and fill with the food. The effort is usually a family affair, with children often decorating the boxes and attaching notes.

“It’s great so many families are doing this with their own children,” Moran said. “After Thanksgiving, one (mother) posted on Instagram of her shopping with her kids and how this has become their family’s favorite part of the holiday.”

Most volunteer families help more than one needy family. “Some do one family, other volunteers do five,” Fox said. “The average is two families per volunteer. Some families don’t have cellphones, or they move. The volunteers will find them. And some volunteer families help their needy families yearround.”

Nitika Moran

Moran, a native of Pittsburgh, moved to Locust Valley in 2004. She owns Nitika Moran LLC, which sells custommade carpets by artisans in India to interior designers. The mother of three boys, ages 19, 17 and 13, Moran has impressed upon her family the importance of volunteering, involving them in her work at Friends of St. John’s.

“It’s a family event for us,” she said.

“I love seeing my children having so much fun helping others.”

Patrick Moran, Nitika’s husband of 21 years, described his wife as selfless.

Courtesy Nitika Moran

Lindsay Fox and Nitika Moran’s children are active in Friends of St. John’s. The week before Christmas, Brooks Fox, far left, Logan and Aidan Moran, and Tyler and James Fox delivered holiday meal boxes to a family.

Fox and Moran’s impact Courtesy Lindsay Fox

Lindsay Fox and her sons Brooks, left, Tyler and James, took part in the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk.

“She puts a lot of things ahead of herself in life,” he said. “She’s a very warm person who I admire. I’m lucky to have such a strong person in my life.”

Moran, 49, helped Glen Cove resident Courtney Callahan establish Nosh, which will mark four years in operation in March. The nonprofit has thrived, and now feeds 700 local families per week either by delivery or walk-ins.

Moran, a Nosh board member, has been integral in the organization’s growth.

And her volunteerism has grown over the years to include serving as a board member at the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club.

“Nitika has been very supportive of our fundraising events,” Franco Trunzo, the club’s executive director, said. “She’s a wonderful asset to our board, because having a family of her own, she understands how important it is to have what the Boys and Girls Club offers. She has a big heart, is soft-spoken and is a lovely person wishing to help however she can.”

Moran said that helping others feels

good, and is important. “Service to others is self-fulfilling to us as well,” she said. “It’s not just us giving to them.

They give to us, too.”

And her admiration for Fox is boundless. “Lindsay is pure love,” Moran said. “She’s willing to help anyone.”

Lindsay Fox

Fox, 44, an insurance broker who grew up outside Boston, moved to Locust Valley after her second son was born in 2011. It was her husband, Scott’s, idea to move to Locust Valley, because he was born and raised there.

“I love Locust Valley,” Lindsay said.

“I love that it’s a small, tight sense of community. And I love the school district and St. John’s of Lattingtown. My mother-in-law, Vicki Fox, was always very involved in the church, so I got involved in the community-service aspect of the church too.”

The Foxes’ three sons, ages 13, 11 and 9, attend the Locust Valley School District, where their mother was the

Courtney Callahan, the director of children’s ministry and outreach at St. John’s, has known Fox and Moran for years. “Nitika and Lindsay are two of the best people I know,” she said. “They are the kindest, most empathetic people.

It’s one thing to dream of helping others. It’s another thing to execute it.”

Scott Fox said his wife has always put others first. He’s had to remind her, he said, to do something for herself, too.

“It’s a priority for her to have the kids join in and go out on the road with her, and actually see the faces of the families,” he said. “It’s been an educational experience for our children. I’ve noticed they appreciate things more and are more grateful for what they have.”

The women's idea of getting their children involved, and encouraging relationships between volunteers and families, Callahan said, is important.

“This is all about togetherness,” she said. “For hundreds of years there was one mom on the block that cooked for others. I feel like this is the mom on your block. It’s in Nitika and Lindsay’s DNA to help like this. They exemplify kindness, and are an inspiration to other moms and dads.”

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Most of us have no trouble acknowledging that we’re different physically (I’m tall, you’re short) and mentally (I love math, you hate it!). Yet, we expect our emotional reactions to be the same. Get over it already; I went through the same experience, and it took me no more than a day to get back on my feet. Well, good for you. But have some empathy, please!

Feelings of loss may flood one person, while others with different genes, experiences, and upbringings may experience it as no big deal. It takes longer for some folks’ emotions to ebb and subside after sustaining an unexpected blow.

They’re in shock. “How could this happen? It’s too much for me to bear. Someone, please wake me from this horrific nightmare; tell me it’s all a dream.” But no one does. It’s impossible to imagine that everything was fine just a short time ago. But that was before. This is after.

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On your better days, you empower yourself to make the next hour better than the one before, even if it’s in the most incremental way. You have a glimmer of hope that a better hour might morph into a better day. And a better day might morph into a better life. Though there are moments in which you want to give up, you sense that another part of you is growing in strength.

One day, you connect with compassionate friends; another day, you cannot bear to be with anybody. One day, you cannot get out of bed; another day, you keep yourself busy with whatever needs to be done. One day, you hunger for drugs to numb you; another day you want to suffer pain. There is no right course; there is no proper path. You find your way.

Even if right now hope seems to reside in another galaxy, one day hope will return to your soul, guiding you on how to live a new life. Until hope returns, however, let others who are caring and supportive be a source of comfort as you give yourself time to heal.

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— Winston Churchill “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” — Charlie Chaplin

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OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Washington D.C. isn’t working for us.

I will work day and night with both parties to deliver for the people to make living here more affordable, safer, and better. I delivered for this district before, and I will do it again by putting you ahead of partisanship. Let’s reject the nonsense and get back to work.

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December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

6

Herald file photo

Calling George Santos out. Constituents from the 3rd Congressional District held signs mocking George Santos at his district office in Douglaston, Queens on Jan. 5 at a news conference led by Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan who called for Santos' removal from office.

Herald file photo

Demanding Santos’ resignation. Several Republicans demanded that U.S. Rep. George Santos resign on Jan. 12 at GOP headquarters in Westbury including Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

Honoring those who ‘drew-good.’ Ann Balderston-Glynn, left, brought her daughter, Briana, to ‘The Drew Barrymore Show,’ which aired on Dec. 5. Ann was invited as one of 200 ‘Drew-gooders,’ for her volunteerism as a wedding photographer during the coronavirus pandemic at weddings officiated by the Town of Oyster Bay.

Courtesy Luke Islam

Courtesy Ann Balderston-Glynn

Rolling the dice on the casino. The Las Vegas Sands resort company is one of three businesses considering the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property as a site for a new upscale casino. The idea of having Sands is being championed

by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, but has been met with cautious optimism by others, like County Legislature Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams.

Spreading holiday spirit through the magic of music. Luke Islam, a junior at St. Dominic’s High School, performed at the Life Enrichment Center in Oyster Bay in December, spreading holiday joy among the seniors in attendance. Islam, 16, catapulted to stardom when he performed in Season 14 of NBC’s 'America’s Got Talent' in 2019.

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NEWS BRIEFS One of the HMTC’s most important fundraising events, the dinner pays tribute to Holocaust survivors. Join the center for a moving evening that showcases the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center and the role it plays in the Long Island community and beyond.

Honorees include: ■ Holocaust survivor, Leo S. Ullman

■ Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman ■ Second generation survivor, Charles Krypell ■ In memoriam: Stanley Sanders The event will be held on Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 401 Roslyn Rd. Roslyn Heights.

Town announces winter sports program The Town of Oyster Bay’s Toddler Sports Program will return this winter.

The six week program offers sports classes at the Hicksville Athletic Center for children ages 3 and 4. Registration begins online Jan. 8.

“The Town’s Toddler Sports Program is a fantastic way to teach your toddler the fundamentals of sports in a fun and social environment,” Laura Maier, town councilwoman, stated. “This program is sure to be a hit with children and parents alike, as youngsters are given the opportunity to learn the basics of various different sports such as tee-ball, flag football and more along with children their own age.”

The Toddler Sports Program begins Jan 30. Residents who sign their toddler

up for the program must choose one class per week, per child. Classes will take place on: ■ Tuesdays at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center in Hicksville ■ Thursdays at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center in Hicksville Registration will take place online through the parks portal at OysterBayTown.com/portal beginning Jan. 8 at 9 a.m. Space is limited. Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity.

The Toddler Sports Program is run by the town’s Parks Department, Recreation Division. For further information, call (516) 797-7945.

Decorated general and former CIA Director David Petraeus will be visiting Oyster Bay on Jan. 15 to discuss his new book, co-written with British historian Andrew Roberts, “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.”

The event is being hosted by Theodore’s Books and co-hosted by Raynham Hall Museum and is part of the “In Conversation with Rep. Steve Israel” speaker series.

Petraeus will discuss and sign copies

of the book, a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and a penetrating analysis of what modern militaries must learn from the past, and anticipate in the future, in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.

The event will be held on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at Congregation L’Dor V’Dor, 11 Temple Lane, Oyster Bay. For further information, contact Theodore’s Books at (516) 636-5550.

Commemorating Roosevelt’s death The Friends of Sagamore Hill, in partnership with the National Audubon Society’s Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary in Oyster Bay, will hold a commemoration of the death of the 26th President of the United States, who died 105 years ago on Jan. 6, 1919. Light refreshments will be served at this free event.

The event will include numerous activities throughout the day, including visiting the society’s new visitor center, and the new Theodore Roosevelt Augmented Reality Experience featuring famous TR re-enactor Joe Wiegand, who will guide attendees around the sanctuary.

Author Kurt Deion will also describe his journey in writing “Presidential Grave Hunter: One Kid’s Quest to Visit

the Tombs of Every President and Vice President.” There is a Zoom link for the author’s talk scheduled for noon: Audubon.zoom. us/j/95745305717?pwd=dzVWY2ZVR U1nU0F5ejhQdTQzWnJIdz09 Meeting ID: 957 4530 5717 Passcode: 059375 This will be followed by a short procession to Theodore and Edith Roosevelt’s gravesite for a wreath-laying and comments from a representative of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.

The event starts at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, and takes place at the Theodore Roosevelt and Audubon Center, 134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay.

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OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

HMTC’s dinner to pay tribute to survivors Gen. David Petraeus coming to Oyster Bay

Tim Baker/Herald

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

8

Herald file photo

Hopping into the new year. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, traditional performances from Sitan Tai Chi and Martial Arts, the Long Island Music Conservancy and Yes I Can Performing Arts Center and The Rabbit Dance Team performed for residents in the hamlet.

Roksana Amid/Herald

Santos lies, again. Congressman George Santos in an interview with a Brazilian podcast on Jan. 23, alleged he was the target of an assassination attempt, although he did not provide details.

L.V. Superintendent steps down. Kenneth Graham stepped down as Locust Valley Central School District’s superintendent on Jan. 26. Some parents speculated that the district’s hard-line stance against masking and other Covid safety measures may have affected the relationship between Graham and the board. Locust Valley was one of several school districts that joined a lawsuit against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate, ultimately losing the case.

Will Sheeline/Herald

Courtesy Locust Valley Central School District

Standing up to Santos in D.C.. Casey Sabella, far right, an organizer with the group Courage for America, delivers petitions from constituents of the 3rd Congressional District to a staffer outside the Washington office of U.S. Rep. George Santos on Feb. 7. Sabella and others called on Santos to resign during a trip to Capitol Hill ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address.

Singing through the centuries. An enthusiastic audience enjoyed an afternoon of Negro spirituals courtesy of June E. Townes & Gospera at Raynham Hall Museum on Feb. 11. The a capella performance was a celebration of Black History Month.

Will Sheeline/Herald

The words that inspire. Oyster Bay-East Norwich students from James H. Vernon School received a special visit from motivational speaker Rohan Murphy, courtesy of the James H. Vernon School Parent Teacher Association.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Local library turns to the stars. The Oyster BayEast Norwich Library is offering much more than books these days. As part of its 'Library of Things' program, amateur astronomers can check out a telescope from the library, set up and ready for stargazing.

A life of service to others. Oyster Bay lost one of its exemplary citizens with the death of Roger Bahnik, the founder and former chief executive of Mill-Max. An accomplished businessman, devoted community member and loving family man, Bahnik died on Feb. 28.

Tim Baker/Herald

Courtesy Bahnik family

Shooting for the gold. Locust Valley Falcon Payton Tini, center, starred in the Nassau Class B girls’ basketball final with 33 points, leading the Falcons to a 41-31 win over Cold Spring Harbor on March 1 at Hofstra.

A scholastic opportunity at broadcasting. Students at Oyster Bay High School, like Jaiya Chetram and Madeline Mathews, are learning about broadcasting, taking classes in field reporting, operating television cameras, filming events, editing and anchoring newscasts. And this is all without the benefit of an actual television studio.

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Courtesy Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District

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Elisa Dragotto/Herald

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Will Sheeline/Herald

New book covers the history of the Lexington.

‘The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound’ is Bill Bleyer’s sixth book, and the third that focuses on maritime history on and around Long Island.

Tensions raised at O.B. board meeting.

Syosset resident and selfdescribed independent journalist Kevin McKenna was recording and livestreaming during the Oyster Bay Town Board meeting.

Seniors spread spring spirit. Marilyn Schereck, left, and her husband, Bernie, were welcomed into the home of Margaret Schreda when they delivered a care package to her.

Courtesy Bill Fetzer

Courtesy Ann Balderston-Glynn

Placing the whiskey plank on the Ida May. Head shipwright Josh Herman, above, explained the importance of the whiskey plank, or shutter plank as he called it, in the shipbuilding process.

Will Sheeline/Herald

Will Sheeline/Herald

Hunting for Easter eggs at the arboretum. Bailey Arboretum, home to the world’s largest dawn redwood trees, is also where a popular Easter Egg hunt is held each year. A large group of children could be found scooping up brightly colored candy-filled eggs this year on April 2.

Dredging up Mill Neck Creek. Frank M. Flower & Sons has begun hydraulically dredging Mill Neck Creek for clams, as it did last year.

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

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Courtesy Ann Balderston-Glynn

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Will Sheeline/Herald

Local newspapers honored for community coverage. Michele Johnson, Town of Oyster Bay councilwoman far left, honored Laura Lane, Herald senior editor, Nancy and Stuart Richner, Herald publisher, Iris Picone, operations manager, Anton Community Newspapers, and Will Sheeline, senior reporter for the Herald, for their efforts in community journalism at Raynham Hall’s annual Love ReAwakened Benefit.

Tim Baker/Herald

A journalistic mosh pit. U.S. Rep. George Santos briefly addressed reporters following his arraignment on federal charges in a Central Islip courtroom, although he had to force his way through the crowd of media and spectators to get to the podium.

Ida May launch is a smashing success. Ann Smith, left, and Jennifer Laughlin, the widow and daughter, respectively, of the late Christeen Corporation founder Clint Smith, smashed a ceremonial bottle of whiskey on the hull of the Ida May.

Will Sheeline/Herald

Will Sheeline/Herald

Cooking up culinary delights. Glen Cove Hospital chefs Eric Sieden, far left, Zach Finelli and Pietro Fischetti prepare mouth-watering steaks for the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce’s Culinary Delights event.

Teaching history through model trains. One of the newest attractions at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum is their operation O Gauge model train layout, which can run three trains at once.

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OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

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Elisa Dragotto/Herald

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Courtesy People Loving People

Commemorating the fallen on Memorial Day. Atlantic Steamer Fire Company proudly honored those who have given their lives to protect their country at the Oyster Bay Memorial Day parade.

Courtesy Allison Lillis

Serving food and smiles. People Loving People serves 175 families each week at the Oyster Bay food pantry.

From left, are founders Gina Kang, Valerie Monroy and Donna Galgano.

Courtesy Kimberly Wilson

Will Sheeline/Herald

Family time during Covid-19. Seniors like Barbara Lillis, above center, spent much of the pandemic at home playing games with relatives including her granddaughters Jordan, left, and Jessica.

Finding the music in the pandemic. Kayla and Emma Sorensen performed Christmas songs for Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. The musicians wore their masks inside to follow state-mandated Covid social distancing guidelines.

Calling for Noone’s resignation. Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, second from left, joined Democratic Town Board candidates Danielle Madeiros, far left, Jared Behr and Ravin Chetram in calling for Inspector General Brian Noone’s resignation.

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Will Sheeline/Herald

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Will Sheeline/Herald

Community calls Santos out. Angry constituents lined up outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip to demand for U.S. Rep. George Santos’ resignation.

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

Disappointing results from Sound Beach Report. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park Beach was one of several Town of Oyster Bay beaches to receive a C rating in Save the Sound’s Long Island Sound Beach Report.

Finding friendship in shared faith. The Brookville Multifaith Campus holds numerous interfaith services and events, including an opportunity to dance the hora to celebrate peace.

Courtesy Patrick Lough

Courtesy Vicky Eastland

A presidential experience on L.I. The White House Experience has walls in the hall leading to the Blue Room that feature portraits of former presidents.

Three friends move on to college lax. PJ Verdi, left, Cole Aasheim and Adrian Lough, far right, were coached by Lough’s father, Patrick, throughout their six years on the Rough Riders.

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Courtesy Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club

Courtesy Planting Fields Arboretum

Cycling to save others. Bicycles had more than the right of way in the hamlet when the Town of Oyster Bay hosted Empire State Ride Long Island, a charity bike ride to benefit cancer patients.

Planting trees at Planting Fields. One hundred and one trees were planted at Planting Fields Arboretum throughout spring and summer, with nine extra planted on the property in case any need to be replaced.

Cruising through Cruise Night. Rusty Becker, left and Debbie Dugan, of Glen Head, brought their 19-year old dog Sammy to Oyster Bay’s Cruise Night in their ’51 Chevy pickup.

Courtesy East Norwich Volunteer Fire Company Number 1

Kim Mancuso/Herald

Grenville Baker holds first Summer Soiree. Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club supporters enjoy an evening on the beach at the first Summer Soiree.

Junior firefighters honored for service. Members of the East Norwich Juniors were proud to receive two prestigious honors at the state and national level.

Courtesy Locust Valley Central School District

Honoring 150 years of history. The First Presbyterian Church of Oyster Bay celebrated its 150th anniversary this year.

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

L.V. welcomes students on first day. Locust Valley Middle School’s new principal Michael Cestaro greeted students like sixth grader Declan Keaveney on their first day of school.

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

Courtesy Locust Valley Central School District

OBEN students excited for first day of school. Students from the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District waited for fellow classmates to arrive.

Remembering the tragedy of 9/11. Families of victims and residents attended the hamlet’s annual ‘We Shall Never Forget’ ceremony to mark the Sept.

11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Monday inside Atlantic Steamer’s building at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park.

Students honor lives lost on Sept. 11. Locust Valley Middle School students Gianna Aldorasi, left, Eva Jaszczuk, Mia Marchand, Christos Pappas and Logan Moran held a flag with the names of all those lives lost during the Sept. 11 attack.

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Will Sheeline/Herald

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Elisa Dragotto/Herald

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Elisa Dragotto/Herald

Satisfying the sweet tooth at the Apple Festival. Jack Tucker, 6, far left, Declan Keating, 7, Charlotte Tucker, 11, and Madeline Keating, 12, couldn’t wait to eat their candied apple, which there were plenty of at Mill Neck’s annual Apple Festival.

Lavine reintroduces ‘babysitter bill’ for Oyster Bay. Chuck Lavine, second from left, announced the reintroduction of his bill outside of Oyster Bay Town Hall alongside local Democratic candidates Danielle Medeiros, left, Jared Behr and Ravin Chetram.

Tim Baker/Herald

Courtesy Office of Chuck Lavine

Bringing out the beauty in cancer patients. Jorge Hernandez, owner of Morel Hair Design in Locust Valley, worked with Zyta Piegari to find the right makeup and tones to complement her skin tone and facial structure.

Roksana Amid/Herald

Courtesy Jorge Hernandez

Singing to honor Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill.

Members of the Roosevelt Songbirds, Andrew Mericle, left, and Christopher Judge, sang in a free concert at Sagamore Hill, when 16 songs were performed.

North Shore stands with the State of Israel. Rabbis Michael Churgel, left, and Irwin Huberman united their congregations to provide a space for healing and community in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.

Ghostly visitors from the past. The ghosts from Raynham Hall Museum were out in full force to lead the annual Halloween Ghost Walk.

19

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

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1,000-year-old relic brings some hope to the North Shore

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Holding his Bible and crucifix tightly, Michael Schenc knelt before a relic of St. Jude, the patron saint of hope and impossible causes. He bowed his head in prayer, and then pressed his holy possessions against the glass casing protecting the relic, hoping they would become third-class relics.

Schenc prayed for his autistic daughter to better connect with the world, he said, and for his wife, who has been diagnosed with a neurological condition, and his father, who has Parkinson’s disease.

“Being able to carry some of that blessing from God and St. Jude, and be able to spread it out to loved ones that are in need of the impossible, is important,” Schenc, a Glen Cove resident, said.

“It certainly brings a greater sense of reality to my faith.”

The 2,000-year-old Catholic relic, believed to be a bone of Saint Jude’s arm, was on display at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church last Saturday.

This is the first time the relic has left Italy, and it is being taken on a North American tour.

Denise Busse, of Glen Head, said she felt “pulled” to the relic when she first heard about its visit to Glen Cove. To Busse, seeing the relic was a reminder that asking for help through prayer helps keep her faith strong.

“It felt like a blessing that the spirit

ERALD HHERALD

Tim Baker/Herald

Mario Reali and his wife, Linda, praying to the relic of St. Jude, asking for the health and safety of family members. was with us,” Busse said of her experience with the relic. “And that we can get through anything, especially with what’s going on in the world today.”

Born in 1 A.D. in the city of Galilee, Jude Thaddeus was a far mer who, according to Catholic tradition, was, along with his brother James, personally called by Jesus to become one of his followers and spread the message of the Gospels. After Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, Jude is said to have continued his evangelical mission by traveling to Mesopotamia, Armenia, Persia and Lebanon alongside his fellow apostle Simon.

In 65 A.D., while in Beirut, Simon and Jude were clubbed to death and beheaded by an idolatrous mob, and were buried in the city. Their remains remained in Beirut until 333 A.D., when Roman Emperor Constantine — as part of his mission to recover relics of the early Catholic Church — had the graves exhumed and the remains taken to Rome. There, Simon and Jude were placed in a crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican permitted a portion of St. Jude’s arm to be removed and placed in an upright wooden reliquary resembling an arm giving a blessing. It was given the status of a first-class relic, as is any rem-

nant of a saint’s body.

Glen Head residents Mario Reali and his wife, Linda, came to St. Patrick’s to offer prayers of good health. They prayed for Linda, who uses a wheelchair because she lost all the toes on her left toes to diabetes. They also prayed for their deaf daughter, who recently became legally blind.

“Two years ago, (Linda) was a leader of many people, cooking, getting around, taking care of her two girls and grandchildren,” Mario Reali said. “And now, all of a sudden, she can’t walk. I strongly believe that through faith, maybe St. Jude could help us.”

During the veneration, many pious visitors approached the Pastor of St. Patrick’s, the Rev. Dom Gabriel Rach, and asked him to bless their religious medallions. Rach said that although he has heard anecdotes about a global decline in the influence of religion, people still search for a deeper spiritual connection.

He believes that maintaining that connection means accepting the spiritual with tangible aspects of faith.

“In a world where we’re surrounded by fake things, whether pictures or sounds, things that are made up in fleeting, it’s easy for us to get disconnected to our connections to the world,” Rach said.

“When people are able to see that, it’s important that we remember, as human beings, we are, of course, flesh-and-blood creatures. And to engage the senses can be a very powerful thing.”

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OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

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Tim Baker/Herald

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December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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Spooky Halloween stroll through Oyster Bay. Accompanying the Raynham Hall Ghost Walk were several stilt walkers, towering over the costumed attendees.

Familiar face takes on the role of principal. Melissa Argaman, the new principal at Oyster Bay High School, has been working for the district since 2021.

Tim Baker/Herald

Red wave swamps North Shore. Republicans swept the North Shore of Nassau County in Tuesday’s election, with first-time candidate Samantha Goetz unseating incumbent County Legislator Josh Lafazan in the 18th district.

Fighting antisemitism increase on North Shore. Despite an outpouring of support for Israel in Nassau County, antisemitic attacks have been on the rise in the last decade.

Tim Baker/Herald

Tim Baker/Herald

Boys & Girls Club ‘Celebrate the Children’. Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich helped serve donors and performed for the event.

Bahnik family is about more than just manufacturing.

The Bahnik family — which helped found Mill-Max Manufacturing Co., in Oyster Bay, were honored for their work in not only bringing industry to Long Island, but also for their philanthropic works.

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Courtesy Karin Barnaby

OYSTER BAY HERALD — December 29, 2023

Elisa Dragotto/Herald

A choral Christmas concert you can’t miss. While the North Shore Community Chorus is sometimes accompanied by an orchestra, for this concert it will be largely a cappella along with organ accompaniment.

Lights off, no one home at Santos’ office. George Santos’ former district office in Douglaston appears to have been completely abandoned, and it remains unclear when district residents will be able to receive constituent services again, although it’s required by House bylaws.

Tim Baker/Herald

Will Sheeline/Herald

Blakeman, Poser clash over IsraelHamas. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has demanded Hofstra University president Susan Poser resign after she made what he described as remarks that were ‘antithetical to good moral values.’

Courtesy Tom Suozzi

Juan Lasso/Herald

Let the Christmas holiday begin. Deacon Jay Valdes blessed the East Norwich Christmas tree at the holiday celebration by sprinkling holy water on it.

It’s official: Tom Suozzi running for Congress. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi says people are excited about the Feb. 13 special election where he will be the Democrat’s choice to replace disgraced former Congressman George Santos, who had succeeded him in office last year.

GOP chooses Mazi Melesa Pilip for special election. Mazi Melesa Pilip was chosen by Republicans to run as their candidate in the special election on Feb. 13 against Tom Suozzi, the Democrat.

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

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‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ Oyster Bay was full of smiling faces of all ages as the hamlet filled with local business owners operating stands, holiday visitors from across Long Island and dancers, carolers and more for the annual Holiday Stroll Market and Tree Lighting. The event, put on by the com-

bined efforts of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Association and Oakcliff Sailing, turned Oyster Bay into a true Christmas village, even featuring a visit by the one and only Santa Claus himself.

Santa Claus made an early trip from the North Pole to visit the Oyster Bay Holiday Stroll Market and Tree Lighting.

Public Notices

LOBG1 1229

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, CIT BANK, N.A. F/K/A ONEWEST BANK N.A., F/K/A ONEWEST BANK, FSB, Plaintiff, vs. JUDE T. BARBERA, AS SOLE TRUSTEE OF THE BARBERA FAMILY REAL PROPERTY TRUST, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 10, 2018 and duly entered on July 13, 2018 and an Order dated September 18, 2023 and duly entered September 26, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 10, 2024 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 710 Chicken Valley Road, Locust Valley, NY 11560.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Matinecock, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 23, Block B and Lot 494. Approximate amount of judgment is $3,738,949.89 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 007454/2014.

This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19

safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Roger Hausch, Esq., Referee Bronster, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Suite 703, New York, New York 10019, Attorneys for Plaintiff 143662

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs.

ALTAF HIRJI A/K/A ALTAF A. HIRJI A/K/A ALTAF HIJI A/K/A ASGAR HIRJI A/K/A ALTAAFALI ASGAR HIRJI, ET AL., Defendant (s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 18, 2023 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY, on January 10, 2024 at 2:00 pm, premises known as 2 PEN MOR DRIVE, MUTTONTOWN A/K/A EAST NORWICH, NY 11732. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the

Village of Muttontown, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 16 , Block: A , Lot: 1062. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,941,425.05 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 604108/2019.

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

For Sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.

Fay Mattana, Esq., Referee Roach & Lin, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 143628

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST DON FORCHELLI, III ; NICOLE MARIE FORCHELLI ; ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 3, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public

auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 18, 2024, at 2:30PM, premises known as 79 Capitol Heights Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Oyster Bay, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section: 24 Block: B Lot: 32.

Approximate amount of judgment $712,922.43 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #000595/2017.

The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Janine T. Lynam, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 21-000569 78396 143715

Photos courtesy Dawn Riley

Members of the Gone Dancing dance studio in Oyster Bay performed several holiday routines, including a rendition of ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.’

Chloe Blog, of Theodore’s Books, read holiday-themed stories to the children who attended the event.

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Property Address: ONLINE ONLINE ONLY ONLY EVENT EVENT Wednesday, December 27TH, 2023, 10AM 201Ave., Howell Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901 NY 11901 Address: Property Address: Property Address: 201 Howell Ave., Riverhead, 201 Howell Riverhead, NY 11901 201 Property Howell Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901 201 Howell Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901 Online Auction Closing Begins: Online Auction Closing Begins: 201 Howell Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901 201 201 Howell Howell Ave., Ave., Riverhead, Riverhead, NY NY 11901 11901 201 Howell Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901 ** Action Required ** Online Auction Closing Begins:

Property Address:

Property PropertyAddress: Address:

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November 9, 2023 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

December 29, 2023 — OYSTER BAY HERALD

26

Editor

Jordan Vallone

HeraLd editoriaL Small businesses need us, and we need them

o

ur world is seemingly dominated by the twists and turns of the nation’s largest corporations, where billions of dollars are constantly at play, and millions of jobs on the table.

Because of that, it’s easy to overlook the businesses that aren’t trading on the New York Stock Exchange, or that may not have a lot to spend on marketing and branding — where the owner knows every employee, and every employee knows her.

These are our small businesses — our mom-and-pop businesses. And while they might not be the Apples or the Disneys of the world, they remain vital to our communities, and our very lives.

There are 90,000 businesses on Long Island, according to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and a vast majority of them employ fewer than 50 people. Many might not be household names beyond their immediate neighborhoods, but where they are known, they are important.

Yet with each passing year, our society pulls further away from the small businesses that we so cherish and pushes further into the realm of the megacorporations. Not that there isn’t a place for the conglomerates — it’s just best that they don’t devour too much of our economic base.

Small businesses account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity, according

ates new economies where once there was nothing.”

And that should be the definitive conclusion to this discussion, but sadly, it’s not. While it’s nearly impossible to find anyone who would consciously choose a large company over a hometown business, it still happens all the time. Many times, it’s because we simply don’t think about the impact of ordering something from Amazon, or ordering a pizza from a chain rather than a local pizzeria.

More often than not, it comes down to cost — more often than not, it’s cheaper to head to Home Depot than to a local hardware store. Or to the 7-Eleven instead of the family-owned bodega on the corner. There is a place for the Home Depots and the 7-Elevens in our communities — but just not at the cost of local business. And it’s important to keep that in mind when we choose where we spend our money.

One of the biggest spending periods of the year is coming up after Thanksgiving, and there will be so many businesses chasing after us, hoping to receive the dollars we’re looking to spend.

But let’s make every effort we can to keep those dollar right here in our communities. “Shop Local” isn’t just a slogan — it’s key to keeping our communities thriving. And it ensures that our small businesses will never be overlooked.

Letters Does Congressman D’Esposito want to solve the border crisis?

To the Editor: U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito’s partisan column last week, “The Biden border crisis comes home to New York,” blaming President Biden, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for the influx of migrants at our border, exemplifies the dysfunction of the House of Representatives. It’s up to Congress to work across the aisle and introduce laws that have a chance of passing. But the Republicans don’t really want sensible immigration laws, because they want to scare people into voting for them.

Any fool can see that D’Esposito is intentionally introducing legislation that he knows will never be enacted just so he can say, “See, the Republicans are trying to keep you safe, while the Democrats want an open border.” Keep an eye out for a tax-paid mailer that will mention yet another bill that will never become law.

D’Esposito conveniently failed to mention that he refused to support Biden’s comprehensive aid plan, which would not only give $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, but also direct $14 billion to boost the number of border agents, increase staffing for

FrANkLIN squArE/ELMoNt

HERALD Senior Reporter

to a report from the federal Small Business Administration just ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, and their share of the nation’s gross domestic progress is slowly, but surely, shrinking. Between 1998 and 2014, the small business share of GDP dropped from 48 percent to 43.5.

Small business GDP itself is growing — but just under 1.5 percent a year, as compared to the 2.5 percent of larger businesses.

A lot of that shifting began after the 2008 recession, and continued as big-box stores grew dramatically, as did online retailers like Amazon. That’s a primary reason why organizations like the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce — which represents more than 50 chambers of commerce in the county, and more than 10,000 businesses — are so keen to promote “Shop Local.”

Small businesses need us, and we need them. Small businesses provide more jobs and more opportunities to people in their communities, corporate recruiter Martin Rowinski wrote in Forbes magazine last year.

“Successful small businesses put money back into their local community through paychecks and taxes, which can support the creation of new small businesses, and improve local public services,” Rowinski wrote. “No matter how small it starts — one, two, five, 10 employees — within that town, the city or the county, your small business cre-

nicole Wagner

FrEEport

gLEN covE

processing asylum cases and install new machines at the border that detect fentanyl.

D’Esposito also failed to mention that 93 percent of fentanyl coming over our border is smuggled by U.S. citizens coming through legal entries. So if D’Esposito wants to find real solutions to the fentanyl LoNg BEAch

HERALD HERALD

HERALD

moHammad raFiQ

Brendan carpenter

Reporter

Senior Editor

laura lane

Editor

epidemic, why wouldn’t he vote to pass Biden’s aid package, which would do just that?

D’Esposito’s solution to New York City’s rising costs of sheltering migrants is to defund the effort. Please tell me how that makes sense. One of the major reasons why

LyNBrook/EAst rockAWAy

HERALD Reporter

nicole Formisano

MALvErNE/WEst hEMpstEAD

HERALD Reporter

nicole Formisano

Opinion columns We publish three columns every week.

Columns represent the views of the writers themselves, not of the Herald.

Each writer works independently and chooses his or her own subjects.

Among our regular contributors are former congressman Peter King, Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor Michael Hinman, and the Nassau Herald’s former executive editor, Randi Kreiss.

We also feature columns by prominent political figures, including former Assemblyman Jerry Kremer, who is now a consultant. And we regularly invite guest columnists to offer their views.

Opinion pages 29

opINIoNS

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — November 9, 2023 ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — July 20, 2023

At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display

All these good, hardworking people Tom and Tim Haskell were heroic totaling more than $235,000 have been ecently I attended the annual gathered to show their unfailing dedicaFDNY members, as was their brother, Patriot Award Dinner hosted by given to 112 Seaford High seniors who Ken, who survived that day, and has dedireflect the values of the graduates who the Seaford High School 9/11 tion and commitment to their community cated so much to the Memorial Committee and country more than two decades after died on 9/11. Honorary Patriot Awards Memorial Committee. This as its president. With Ken at the table were America’s darkest hour exemplify patrioevent, and other 9/11 programs in Seaford, have been presented to 59 people who selfhis mother, Maureen; his wife, Genene; lessly service the Seaford community. tism at its best. are administered by the Memorial Comtheir sons Kenny and Ryan; District students make mittee, which was created in the afterAs I left that night, I thought about how Ken’s sister, Dawn; and field trips to the 9/11 Memomath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the comwonderful it would be if the spirit of selfTom’s widow, Barbara. rial at ground zero. mitment to “always remember.” less dedication and commitment that has endured clone the voiceNo of family a family member so This year’s dinner and protections herewas will be nothing t is a commonly held frustration of or the tech sector — one contains the Communities these Seaford residents stillthat demonstrate more than the Haskells. they can fake a hostage situation and held at Crest Hollow Counacrossthat Long Island short of catastrophic. could once again predominate ourwe must Long Island residents our govcutting-edge new companiesin that Somehow theirthe spirit in Woodbury . As heed this warnextort a ransom.

Consider cyberbully divided were devastated by try Club If the sense ofwe unity Nassau County must ernments seem to always be behind attractcountry to our.region so that canand — therewhy was I’m a large 9/11. to None, howevrespect had in the days, who uses AIremains to cloneas thestrong imageasofever an indiing. That’s seeking to propose the curve, as opposed ahead of it. always, securethat ourAmericans tax base and stop Long as doesscenarios the spiritthat of the turnout, more than 300 peoer, has more weeks andexodus monthsofafter the attacks vidual and create never new legislation called the Artificial IntelIsland’s talented youngcould profesQuite regularly we hear the been phrase otheregregiously 9/11 families.

The mood in the room consistent or wide- ple. existed. Or, most , take those somehow ligence Privacy Act. Researchers are sionals. be re-established. If we could uttered that government “must become Seeing so many neigh-AI to workIn a mix ofthe energy and of in its dedi- was together where we agree, bad actors who exploit exploring viability fact, weon asissues a county would be wise proactive rather thanranging reactive.” bors, friends and other explic- try respect.

There was the enercation to preservfind common ground where we discreate and distribute making it a misdemeanor totowelcome pioneering tech companies As a lawmaker, I often hear this comfamiliar faces, I was gyoffense of people who have been the memory and do soinrespectfully it sexual images ofpleased women agree to clone someone’s specializing AI to solve, always some of the plaint when someoneing is describing a and reassured working two decades to and legacy of municthat remembering we areproblems.

Americans. and children.by the numvoice orfor image using artifiworld’s mostthat pressing If there dilapidated pETER ber ofData young people whothe ensure that the memories day and its victims The terrorists attacked usfor on preven9/11 corroborates cial intelligence without are health care who firms using AI ipal building, a were there weren’t yet and legacy of that day are than Seaford. could destroyofusdisease, or break spirit. cause for who concern here. their consent.

The bill I prodeteriorating tive not detection orour environmenKING born on Sept. 11,According 2001. I alsotogave special preserved, along withour respect In November Instead we emerged united.stormWe owe the aU.S. pose would affirm resi- for those sports field or a tal firms using AI more to enhance hello to my sister, Barbara, aof Seaford High diedright and their family members, who 2002, a commemoit detection to our nation, and all whoconservawere Department Homeland dents’ to privacy from poorly maintained who systems or those to bolster graduate who put so much were at the intelligence dinner, as they have been at so rative was thatwe dayshould , not to absolutely divide against Security , AIeffort toolsinto withmakmali- murdered artificial tools, road.plaza The major tion efforts, be ing the dinner acious success. commemorations over the years. constructed at the entrance to Seaford here many ourselves, but rather to do all we can to to intent have created and allocate new resources consequences aggressively courting those companies The student scholarship winners were thoseCounty sitting at my table were High School, dedicated to— the alumni who recapture the here. unity we had then, and 100,000 computer-generated toAmong the Nassau Police almost always set up shop very impressive,fake as were Honorary Steve Camppersonand members of lost their lives: New Yorkextra City Fire Depart- Monsignor forget that weunacceptable are still the greatest nudethe images of women neverHowever, Department to train construction it is that our Patriot Award recipients.

Longtime Seathe family. Camp, ment Battalion Chief Tom Haskell, FDNY nation on earth.

As the hundreds Seawithout their consent or nelHaskell and collaborate withnow the pastor costs for taxpayers government currently lacks anof adequate ford High officials Tom Condon and Ray offederal St. Patrick’s Parish in Huntington, was Firefighter Tim Haskell, — New York City ford residents proudly at the concluJosHUa knowledge.

More troubling officials to enforce add to the understanding of AIsang and the tools that strong leadership priest at St. William the Abbot in Seaford Buckley, who played Police Officer John Perryaffordability , Robert Sliwak sion the Patriot Award Dinner, let usfrom all yet, an AI tool kit was utiright. crisis a that areofneeded to best protect residents LaFaZan roles into forming thetext Memorial Committee in September 2001.

He officiated at funerand Michael Wittenstein.we are facing. proclaim, “God Bless America!”Prilized generate depicting the sexual proudly As new AI technology continues to its abuses.

The Artificial Intelligence and have continued their efforts to this for victims of grow the attacks, and with his Each year on Sept. 11, more 1,000 exploitation of children. proliferate and in sophistication Butthan where reac- als vacy Act I am seeking to propose would day, spoke movingly , andfor then led everyone Peter and concern thatcan did compreso much people attend a memorialtive at the plaza — is compassion King isthe a former congressman, and It is long past time our government even beyond what humans government represent first step of many in thea anget emotional and spirited rendition of tohend, help not only laws the victims’ families, but last year, undaunted by a driving rain. former of thetoward House Committee on serious about protecting the privaneither nor lawmakers’ under- into becoming very dangerous relates to the right chair direction, a balance between America.”

Seafordof community as well. have kept “God Since 2002, developments Patriot Award in scholarships Security. cy ofBless its citizenry . In my estimation, there Homeland standing this new landscape remarkable the world of the innovation and privacy. is no longer time left to wait. up — and we’re already beginning to see artificial intelligence. Experts are warnLet me be clear: This proposal is not ing that the consequences of government the consequences.

Joshua Lafazan represents Nassau Counbirthed of hostility toward AI as a whole, Take the scammer who uses AI to falling too far behind in terms of rules ty’s 18th Legislative District.

opinions

31

Nassau must take a proactive approach to regulating AI

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e need to rekindle the sense of unity we had in the days after 9/11. hat’s why I’m seeking to propose the Artificial Intelligence Privacy Act.

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Special features The op-ed, or opposite the editorial, page features a weekly Framework photo, which is chosen by our photo editor, Tim Baker. The Framework offers a creative, at times humorous outlet for our photography staff. In this spot, we also publish photos sent to us by readers featuring them on vacation, reading the Herald at various international landmarks.

We call it Herald Around the World.

At times, a correction might appear on the op-ed page. We strive each week for the highest standards of accuracy and accountability.

When we make mistakes in our reporting, we believe we must own up to them and correct the record.

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

Framework courtesy Nancy Carr

rarely accelerated new discoveries or the hen you meet chimps, U.S. Some 850 live in laboratories. About Randi is on a brief leave. advancement of human health.” you meet individual 250 chimps are in accredited zoos, 600 in enough support inprivate return.hands, The funding forThe report added, “The majority of our restaurantspersonalities. closed or cut hours is When a sanctuaries, and 250 in This column was originally York’s Alzheimer’s because they arebaby unable tolooks find at staff. We NIH-owned chimpanzees should be desigchimp suchNew as carnivals and low-endDisease zoos. Communipublished June 11-17, 2015. ty Assistance AlzCAP, areit’s at just record unemployment.

Although nated for retirement and transferred to Chimpanzees areProgram, one of theor four great which you, likelow a human baby. We have a support groups, Biden brought inflation down lower than the federal sanctuary system.” apes,offers alongcare with consultations, gorillas, bonobos and responsibility to them.” educational programs any other prices at cussion at a dinner table this week, the We are the only develorangutans.

But chimps are and other services, –Jane industrialized Goodall, animalnation, right activist has stagnant for years, while the numthe grocery stores will still be high as long reaction of my friends — all kind, welloped country in the world closer tobeen humans in their of they caregivers who asChimpanzee our farmersstories are unable find shots, workers. DNAber that continues to use chimthan are to any of need these services inviteto cheap informed people — was complete lack of panzees in invasive experigrow, especially since 2020.

But of course, D’Esposito to mentheirhas apecontinued brethren. to They jokes and fails memoconcern for or interest in chimpanzees, ments. A number of counI have seen the have care-giving struggle firsttion that Hochul passed that will know how to use tools, ries of aJ. bill Fredd abused or otherwise. They trotted out the tries, including Australia, opposable and can My grandma has hand thumbs for five years.

Muggs (a regular allow migrants to work in New York after old argument about it being OK to experithe European Union, Japan learn sign language.

“The Today ment on animals so people can live better Alzheimer’s, andThey my mother is her caregiv30 days instead of a on 180-day wait. Her proand New Zealand, have passer. theMy “mirror” rec-balance caring for my Show”), butemployers, the lives. They said they just couldn’t care mothertest, must gram matches migrants with banned the use of all great ognizing themselves in doing the same for my true story these This about what happens to chimpanzees. They grandmother while filling 1,300 jobs on Long Islandofalone. apes in experiments. reflective glass, and they areshe does this while primates in mod-giving asked where I would draw the line. OK to autistic brother.

And will get migrants out of shelters, What got me thinking self-aware; ern times both famiexperiment on dogs? Rats? Fruit flies? trying express to deal grief, with the other demands of them the ability to provide foristheir about the shameful legacy depression joy;not andalone play — there are many shamefulReal and solutions tragI do draw a line. No experimentation on her life.and She’s lies while they seek asylum. of abuse of chimpanzees jokesofonthese one another. ic. The continuing any higher-functioning animal that is sen“sandwich caregivers” with simito real problems. was the news in April of a decades, aniabuse of tient, but self-aware and capable of emotlarfor stories.

It these is imperative that New York What D’Esposito should be chimpandoing is initi- Yet RANDI lawsuit filed by the Nonhumalssupport have been usednot foronly because it will mitizees in research, ing feelings and socialization. I can be OK them, ating a similar program on the federal KREISS man Rights Project seeking research in thefinancial, U.S., by the and Newthat.

YorkBut no, with experimenting on mice and rats and gate their emotional and physical level. Other countries doajust status for two chimpanzees, National Institutes of Health anditby medistate fruit flies and other lower life forms. struggles, but also because will be less“personhood” of because then he won’t be lawsuit able toarguscare his Hercules and Leo, now being held at Stony cal schools and pharmaceutical ing the “personWe don’t have the moral right to experia financial burden for the compastate than nursvoters into thinking that criminal migrants Brook University. nies.ing This research hood” of chimps, demand focused ment on chimpanzees. The systematic torhome care. rests on the presumpare traveling 2,000 milesour from the border to tion that as higher we havewith the Alzheim-If the apes are freed, they will go to attention action. ture of chimps, once considered Taking carebeings, of someone Merrickand just so they can steal deodorant Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for retired and righter’s to subject other living creatures One to Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of “research” and now discredited by the is extremely expensive. study from CVS. rehabilitated chimpanzees in Florida. painfound and suffering improve owncaregivers our DNA. They are native to Africa and NIH as inhumane and ineffectual, must that 47 to percent of our family CLAUDIA BORECkY According to a spokesman, NhRP is not health andcut longevity . their food, transportation they are endangered, with only 180,000 to stop. Please join me in supporting Jane have back on President, Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club seeking personhood for apes so they can The irony that in 2011, 300,000 remaining. Fifty years ago, there Goodall’s work to save and rehabilitate andawful health careisexpenses to the pay for a loved Merrick roam the streets. It is seeking only one National of Sciences concluded, were probably a million chimpanzees chimpanzees. Go to janegoodall.org, one’sAcademy care. Also, many caregivers struggle specific right: the right to one’s bodily “Most current biomedical research useas of depresroaming Africa. Deforestation, poaching where you can learn, donate or volunteer. with mental health issues, such freedom, the freedom not to be taken and chimpanzees is not necessary .”

In addiand some people’s taste for bush meat sion, and often don’t have the financial kept involuntarily for any purpose. tion,resources a 2013 NIHtoreport confirmed, have depleted the population.

Copyright 2023 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be take care of their own physical When I brought this subject up for dis“Research Nearly 2,000 chimpanzees live in the reached at randik3@aol.com. health.involving chimpanzees has New York can do better in supporting people who take on this vital role. Please To the Editor: join me in calling on our state senators and November is National Family Caregivers Assembly members to increase funding for Month. In New York, 546,000 family caregiv- AlzCAP. ers are providing care worth over $19 bilHELENA MILLER lion to their loved ones with dementia.

Visiting Hallgrimskirkja, its country’s largest church — Reykjavik, Iceland Though these caregivers create significant Volunteer Advocate, Alzheimer’s Association Oyster Bay savings for the state, they are not getting

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