Oceanside/Island Park Herald 01-05-2023

Hilary Topper, once a couch potato, is now veteran triathlete

By KARiNA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

When she turned 48, Hilary Topper decided to change her life. Now 60 and in better shape than ever as a triathlete, she’s encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and make their own life changes.

In her new novel, “From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete,” Topper tells her story of going from overweight workaholic to gym nut

training for marathons. She’ll share her story and how others can be just like her at the Island Park Public Library, 176 Long Beach Road, on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.

Waking up each morning at 4:30, Topper begins her day with a brisk workout. But it wasn’t always like that.

“I was packing on weight, and I wasn’t doing anything for myself,” Topper said. “As soon as I came home, I took care of the kids. I never took that time out for myself, and

one day I woke up. I was 48 years old. And I said, ‘You know what? I need to make a change.”

So, Topper joined her first gym, New York Sports Club, and even hired a personal trainer who motivated her through the initial growing pains of beginning her new lifestyle. Like her first time on the treadmill.

“He said to me, ‘Go warm up on the treadmill,’” she recalls. “I go to the treadmill,

Library work progressing

Modernization expected to be completed in early 2024

By KARiNA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Artists’ renderings released by the Oceanside Library are giving the public a better picture of the Vision 2020 project that will completely renovate the space on Davison Avenue.

The library broke ground on the project last, and the work is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2024. The makeover, library officials say, will bring the facility into the 21st century, with new security features, space dedicated to STEM study and a 165-seat theater. In addition, 15,000 square feet of space will be added.

Calls for renovations began when the staff evaluated the building’s issues — the roof, windows, HVAC system, restrooms and elevator all needed to be replaced. And from a modern standpoint, the 1997 design of the building was less than desirable. Rooms had poles in the middle of them, blind spots obstructed patrons’ views

and shelves of children’s books were unreasonably high.

“The new building will allow us to enhance and expand programs that are already popular, like cooking and nutrition, arts and crafts, lectures, movies, etcetera,” said Assistant Director Tony Iovino. “It will also allow us the space and tools to create new programs and services. Every program room, for instance, will have a minimum of three cameras, so that programs and events can be livestreamed and recorded, more like a TV show.”

A $33,500,000 bond was approved in June 2020 for the project, which amounted to a tax increase of about $140 per year per household. No additional taxes will be levied for it.

Library staff then began the process of collecting data on employees’ and patrons’ needs. They conducted 26 community focus groups with over 300 participants, who reviewed the ini-

Courtesy Hilary Topper

loNG BeACh NATiVe Hilary Topper showed off one of the medals she’s won over the years. She’ll talk about her fitness journey at the Island Park Public Library on Jan. 21.

T he library has become the center of our community. We reach all areas.

ChRisTiNA MARRA Library director

Hablamos

Oceanside’s Bob Iger back as Disney CEO

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Bob Iger, 71, the executive who brought Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel under the Disney name and stood up to new dominating streaming services such as Netflix has replaced former CEO Bob Chapek. Chapek’s twoyear term has been rocky as Disney’s financials fell along with their stock. Iger will bring over a decade of experience as he assumes the role. And his top priority: creativity.

“It is with an incredible sense of gratitude and humility—and, I must admit, a bit of amazement— that I write to you this evening with the news that I am returning to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer,” Iger, who grew up in Oceanside, wrote in an email to employees.

“The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the company through this pivotal period,” said Susan Arnold, Disney’s chairman, in a prepared statement.

Iger picked Chapek as his successor, training Chapek for nearly two years to facilitate a smooth transition of power. But when the pandemic struck and most recently inflation, Disney began to fall under immense strain.

Then, the company, which historically stays out of politics, became involved in a clash with Gov. Ron DeSantis, after Disney’s home state of Florida enacted the dubbed “don’t say gay” law which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools up to third grade.

Chapek remained silent at first, but that kick started an employee revolt and when Chapek later denounced the law, it started a backlash. Disney was

deemed too “woke” and the media and consumers alike started to turn off the entertainment empire’s shows.

Months after, Chapek fired chairman of Disney General Entertainment Television Peter Rice, who is among the most highly regarded TV executives in the business. The firing shocked Hollywood and rehashed

criticism about Chapek’s leadership. Leading to Iger’s name being brought up since he was the face of Disney an upwards of 15 years.

Wall Street applauded Iger’s return, with Citi analyst Jason Bazinet writing, “We believe there is little doubt that investors will applaud this move...We view his return as an unalloyed positive.”

DIsNey CeO BOB Iger, of Oceanside, is working to bring creativity back to Disney and into the homes of viewers.

Husband and wife duo create lasting pieces

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

In a small workshop off of Austin Blvd in Island Park Isabel and David Doerbecker give trees a second life in their husband-and-wife woodworking shop called 1ofAKindLiveEdge. Upcycling local trees, the couple brings them back to life by transforming them into memorable pieces of furniture such as tables, kitchen islands, charcuterie boards and more. In the new year they’re continuing their tradition of giveaways with a blue resin river maple coffee table.

Seven years ago, Isabel and David bought a house for their family that had cedar siding. But when they turned to designing the inside, everything on the market seemed too simple, too plain. So, using David’s carpentry background and Isabel’s design prowess they created a 10-by-4-foot maple kitchen island to complement the space. Soon complements were trickling in.

“We had people who saw it and they wanted it, so we started an Etsy shop, and it just took off,” Isabel said. They created 1ofAKindLiveEdge on Etsy. Now they’re in 46 states and have been featured in various celebrities’ homes and magazines. Some names include Food Network chef Jet Tila, jewelry Stephanie Gottlieb and Mets Owners Steven and Alex Cohen. To name a few.

Moreover, the partnerships have brought countless pieces through giveaways into the homes of others. Isabel, a philanthropist by nature, does three to four giveaways a year and works with different char ities. After every prod uct they sell, they donate to One Tree Planted, a foundation that helps areas that have been affected by forest fires that’re replanting. They also work with the Mets Foundation Charity.

“It’s good to give back, her natural instincts are to give back,” said David of Isabel. Using locally sourced materials, David is also all about reusing and giving back. He “knows all the local tree guys,” he said and has taken trees out of landfills to put into their greenhouse in Oceanside, where they go to dry. David follows the trees through the process “every step of the way.”

Working together as husband and wife has been a dream for the duo. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, we’ve grown as a family and as a business, we’ve grown together,” David said, “We hold each other accountable to have a really high-quality product.”

Their goal is for people to use the unique pieces to create new memories. “People raise their families around the dinner table, you have your fights, your get along, you do your homework, holidays. When you think of memories typi-

cally, they’re happening around a table, it’s the same thing,” David said, “When you’re raising your family or when you’re in your home a lot happens around a table. Whatever it may be.”

One customer who enjoys their pieces with their family is Tila, who spoke to the Herald from their 1ofAKindLiveEdge table in California. Starting as a cold email from Isabel, a relationship formed years ago during the beginning stages of the company.

Soon Tila was in New York shooting the Today Show, when he decided to drive out to the Island Park facility to check out the familyowned business, starting their personal and professional relationship.

“This has become a personal friendship over the years, they’re real people and we’ve done a lot of giveaways. It’s the way life should be, non-dramatic, meeting good people, and providing a good service,” he said. Saying he owns five or six pieces.

“It’s interesting how I think they were ahead of their time in terms of what people are kind of looking for,” said Tila, “I’m not like a hippie, granola sustainable guy but knowing a tree didn’t get chopped down. It makes me sleep a little better at night. You know, utilizing pieces they’re already existing, and making art is just beautiful. So, it’s functional art. To me, that’s how I feel about their pieces. And there’s a real true sense of like legacy and history here.”

FOOd NetwORK’s Jet Tila with 1ofAKingLiveEdge owners Isabel and David Doerbecker with Tila’s custom piece. See Tila below with the piece that rivals his own height.

sCeNe thIs QR code to the left to enter the 1ofAKingLiveEdge giveaway for a blue resin river maple coffee table.

Photos courtesy of Isabel Doerbecker

BTW, LGBTQ bar in Oceanside, closes doors

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

BTW, an LGBTQ bar in Oceanside that stands for ‘Born This Way’ has closed its doors due to bad timing and fiscal strain, for now. Owners and allies Gina and Dave Wuestmann of Rockville Centre own the North Village Tavern in RVC, and after hearing customers discussing safe spaces in the bar decided to open BTW in Oceanside. The only caveat being the Covid pandemic, which ultimately lead to too many sunk costs and problems during start-up.

“We got really screwed with Covid, we were building it and then Covid happened, and it really set us back about a year,” said co-owner Gina, “Our timing was just horrendous.”

The couple said they opened their doors Nov. 2020 the day before New York prohibited gatherings at non-essential businesses between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., decimating their chance of revenue during high-activity hours of operation. And although people weren’t coming in, the costs still were, including rent, insurance, electric and other supplies.

Dec. 17 was the official closing date of BTW, but the owners are currently in negotiations with a prospective buyer about purchasing BTW and keeping it an LBGTQ bar. Gina said once they opened BTW, her and her husband became more

aware of the needs of the LGBTQ community like the bar. It was also one of the only gay bars on Long Island, with only a handful left. “In the 80s and 90s there used to be a really nice LGBTQ bar scene, but it seemed to go away,” said Gina.

“Some people don’t understand why there has to be a separate base when we’re trying to advocate for inclusivity,” said Gina, “But the fact of the matter is, like everybody, you want to sometime be with your own people who understand what you’re going through…Not everyone is open minded, I think through the years, it’s gotten better, but it still needs a lot of work as far as accepting everybody. And that’s what the bar is about. It’s about everybody just being who they want to be, what they want to be and nobody judging it.”

Although they won’t be operating BTW, they’ll still be helping the cause through philanthropy by volunteering their time at different organizations. The Wuestmann’s are the founding chapter members of the Long Island Pride Lions Club, which is the fourth LBGTQ Lions Club Chapter in the nation.

And have worked with Project Safety Net, a not-for-profit offering sexual and mental health services, and Pride for Youth run by the Long Island Crisis Center, which has programs and services addressing the needs of the LGBTQ community and their families.

Since we’re family owned and operated, we have the exibility to meet your individual needs. You will be served by the people who are members of this community, where the best does not cost more, in fact it may cost less.

“We plan on doing some fundraising for the LGBTQ in general. It’s not the last of us, you’ll see us. Hopefully this all

works out and we can go in and be customers and hopefully watch a legacy begin,” Gina said.

Guy Donza, omas Donza & Christine Donza Funeral Directors & Pre-Arrangement Counselors

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When it comes to Facilities, the Donza Funeral Home provides the best in the area

Courtesy of Gina Wuestmann

DAVe AND GINA Wuestmann owned two bars, the North Village Tavern in Rockville Centre and BTW in Oceanside. Due to the pandemic they had to close their doors at LGBTQ bar BTW.

Additions will modernize, enhance library space

tial plans and offered suggestions on what they’d like to see.

Adapting to modern uses for the library, new spaces for Zoom calls, podcasting, and cooking classes will be available for public use. Overall, the facility will be more ADA-compliant and safer.

“The library has become the center of our community,” said Christina Marra, its director. “We reach all areas of our community, providing services and programming for all. The new library meets the needs we currently have and is designed to meet our needs for the next generation. We were able to modify the initial design to take into account new challenges, like online programming and Covid-related cleaning and air-flow measures.”

more features

■ New restrooms on all floors, including a special restroom for patrons with caretakers.

■ American Institute of Architects award-winning LED lighting throughout.

■ Solar panels, which will provide about 15 percent of the library’s energy needs.

■ Twice as much parking.

■ Enhanced active shooter security, and increased camera security.

■ Demonstration kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes, which are the most requested programs.

■ Green room set up for zoom calls, interviews and podcasting.

■ •After-hours access to program rooms.

■ A café.

News brief

Hope’s Land of Candy moves to I.P.

Owners of Hope’s Land of Candy took to Facebook Dec. 28 to tell customers they were closing their doors for the final time Jan. 31.

“We thank and appreciate everyone who has been a part of Hope’s Land of Candy and enjoyed all the fun and sweetness we got to spread,” they wrote.

Saddened patrons took to Facebook to express their dismay at the long-time store closing.

However, Hope’s Land of Candy won’t be gone forever, they’re simply moving to 3942 Long Beach Road, Island Park in the Old Locksmith Chardon’s location.

They will have a grand opening date at the new location on Feb. 1.

Protecting Your Future with

What is Elder Law Estate Planning?

“Elder Law Estate Planning” is an area of law that combines features of both elder law and estate planning and relates mostly to the needs and concerns of the middle class.

Estate planning was formerly only for the wealthy who wanted to shelter their assets from taxes and pass more on to their heirs. But today estate planning is also needed by the middle class who may have assets exceeding one million dollars, especially when you consider life insurance in the mix.

Estate planning with trusts became popular starting in 1991 when AARP concluded that probate should be avoided and trusts should be used to transfer assets to heirs without a court proceeding. Trusts are also widely used today to avoid guardianship proceedings on disability, protect privacy, and reduce the chance of a will contest in court.

As the population aged and life expectancies increased, the field of elder law emerged in the late 1980’s to help people protect assets from nursing home costs by using Medicaid asset protection strategies.

The two fields of elder law and estate planning still tend to be separate, which can

work against a client needs. For instance, a client may see an elder law attorney for Medicaid asset protection planning in the event of disability, but overlook the benefits of estate planning, such as avoiding estate taxes or keeping assets in the bloodline. Similarly, a client may have prepared an effective estate plan for death with an estate planning attorney, but failed to avail themselves of Medicaid asset protection strategies for their lifetimes.

For this reason, we have been practicing “elder law estate planning” together for over thirty years to address these needs:

• Getting your assets to your heirs, with the least amount of court costs, taxes and legal fees possible.

• Keeping your assets in the bloodline for your grandchildren and protecting those assets from your children’s divorces, lawsuits and creditors.

• Protecting your assets from the costs of longterm care and qualifying you for government benefits to pay for your care either at home or in a nursing facility.

• Avoiding guardianship proceedings if you become disabled and probate court proceedings on death.

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

Courtesy Oceanside Library

RendeRings show the modern look the Oceanside Library will have when work is completed in early 2024.

— Karina Kovac

spotlight athlete

Herald sports

Oceanside aims to continue rise

By garrett D. UriBe sports@liherald.com

New Oceanside wrestling coach Brian Schoenfelder wasn’t left wondering for long.

aNDie aDaMs

Lawrence Senior Basketball

there’s a NeW an all-time leading scorer for Lawrence’s girls’ hoops program. Senior point guard Andie Adams, who last winter reached the 1,000 mark, entered this season 46 points away from breaking 1999 graduate Danielle Moorer’s record of 1,049 career points and did so in a win over Roosevelt on Dec. 6. Adams earned AllCounty honors last season and averaged 23.5 points per game.

gaMes to WatCh

thursday, Jan. 5

Gymnastics: Oceanside at South Side 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Wrestling: East Meadow at Long Beach 6 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Syosset at Freeport 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Port Washington at Oceanside 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: East Meadow at V.S. Central 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: V.S. Central at East Meadow 7 p.m.

Wrestling: Mepham at MacArthur 7 p.m.

Wrestling: Roosevelt at Hewlett 7 p.m.

saturday, Jan. 7

Girls Basketball: Clarke at North Shore 10 a.m.

Boys Basketball: MacArthur at Long Beach 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Jericho at Mepham 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Roslyn at Elmont 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Kennedy at South Side 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: North Shore at Clarke 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Manhasset at Hewlett 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Glen Cove at Carey 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: South Side at Kennedy 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Mineola at Lynbrook 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Hewlett at Lawrence 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Long Beach at MacArthur 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Seaford at Lawrence 4 p.m.

When Christian Scarlata, behind on points, capped the Sailors’ season-opening outing with a last-second pin to win the 189-pound final at the Battle at the Beach at Long Beach Dec. 4 – becoming Oceanside’s first-ever champion at the highly touted tournament – it was clear the club Schoenfelder inherited still had the fire that had fueled last year’s breakout.

“It was just a thrilling match right out of the gate,” said Schoenfelder, formerly a five-year assistant coach at Oceanside, whose team scored a school-record 149.5 points to place fourth at BATB. “That early success told me that there hadn’t been any regression.”

Going 12-5 in Conference 1B dual meets, Oceanside last season seized its first league title since 2004, won a team championship at the Harold Ear Duals and saw nine of its wrestlers qualify for the Nassau Division 1 Championships.

All told, an impressive campaign, but early signs this season suggest it may have been only a prelude. In addition to Scarlata – whose separated shoulder, said Schoenfelder, will keep the senior sidelined until mid-January – Oceanside, sitting atop 1B at 3-0 (4-0 overall) in duals, has seen top-tier performance from all corners of its roster.

With pins of all four of his opponents, Sailors sophomore Jared Marine won the 172-pound title at the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament at South Side Dec. 17. Named No. 4 at 172 in the latest county rankings, Marine – who also won the Most Pins Least Time award at Giampaolo (4 in 5:28) – has gone 4-0 in duals with three pins. “Jared’s an absolute beast,” Schoenfelder said. “He’s very strong, with a very technical approach. He’s come into his own and now the sky’s the limit for him.”

Jake Strianese, the 110-pound runnerup at both BATB and Giampaolo, is 3-0 in duals with two pins for Oceanside, as is senior captain Andrew Cagno at 215, who finished third at BATB. “Jake’s one of the best wrestlers in the county,” Schoenfelder

said of the sophomore ranked third in Nassau at 110. “He’s also a great example to all the young wrestlers in the room for how to approach and prepare for matches. . . . Andrew’s a kid whose hard work is starting to pay off. His strength is now on a par with the weight class he’s in. He’s a leader that all the kids respect.”

Juniors Ben Rivezzo (189 pounds) and Dan Gilmore (138 and 145) are 6-2 and 3-0 in duals for Oceanside respectively. Rivezzo –who has stepped in nicely to Scarlata’s slot – also placed fifth at Giampaolo, where sophomore Jesse Bittenbender (5-2 duals, 2

pins) finished fourth at 126. “We have two good 189-pounders, so Ben has done well with Christian injured,” said Schoenfelder. “Dan Gilmore’s a workhorse who’s really trying to have a good season for us. . . . Jesse’s still quite young but outstanding for his age, in a very competitive weight class.”

Added Schoenfelder: “This team is on the upswing. Last year wasn’t a one-off season; we want to keep building. And with all our young talent, this should be a top-five team in the county for years to come.”

Donovan Berthoud/Herald oCeaNsiDe’s ChristiaN sCarlata, right, captured the 189-pound crown at the Battle at the Beach Tournament to make history for the Sailors.

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Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island!

for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023.

*Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

At 48, she decided to change her life

and I don’t know how to turn this thing on. I had no idea. And I was asking somebody who was like running, asking ‘excuse me?’ It was like that, like really pathetic.”

But then Topper started to gain more confidence in herself and her abilities, shedding some weight along the way. When another runner she met while on the Long Beach boardwalk suggested they take on a half-marathon together, Topper was stunned, In high school, she had never been chosen to be on any sort of team, let alone run a marathon.

But they trained together week in and week out. By the time she turned 53, she ran her first race and was hooked. Since then, Topper has done dozens, and now even leads a runners group of her own each week.

Besides the obvious health benefits, Topper has found it therapeutic to keep her legs moving, working through and coming to terms with her past personal issues while alone on a run. One of those moments is from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy a decade ago coupled with the loss of her mother.

In fact, she was in Florida when the “superstorm” hit, learning from her husband they lost everything — their house, their cars, even her mother’s comfiest lounge chair. That was especially difficult for Topper since her mother had died a

few months before, and losing the chair her mother would sit in felt like “the end of an era.”

No stranger to sharing her personal life, the idea for the book was born out of Topper’s online blog, A Runner’s Diary. Her site manager told Topper she had way too many entries on the webpage, and as she started taking some of them offline, Topper realized there could very well be a much different home for these words among 300 pages of novel content.

Topper talks about her fitness journey in her book, as well as how she learned how to swim, the ups and downs of her public relations business, and how she remained resilient through it all. She also brings humor to the pages, telling funny anecdotes about all of it.

On one occasion Topper is trying on her first wetsuit at the Runner’s Edge in Farmingdale and is struggling to get it on. She likens it to getting her overweight grandmother’s girdle on as a child with the help of her family all tugging in unison.

Even now, Topper still thinks about her weight, but she doesn’t obsess. Instead, she’s more focused on trying new things.

“What matters is that you get out of your comfort zone, no matter what it is,” she said, “It doesn’t have to be a triathlon. It doesn’t have to be the CrossFit swim. It doesn’t have to be an Ironman, but just

trying to get out of your comfort zone and do something that will help improve your life.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do and trying to share with people.”

Looking back on the first 48 years of her life, Topper believes she had some missed opportunities in changing her life. But she’s happy she even started making those changes at all.

And with a new year comes new goals. For Topper, that includes accomplishing what’s still left on her bucket list, like completing the Chicago triathlon in

August, and joining in with Shark Fest, where she’ll join a group of athletes jumping off a ferry and swimming back to shore.

“If I listened and ran track or went swimming or did the stuff that I should have done in high school, I probably would have been a much better athlete,” Topper said, “But, you know, I do what I can. And I’m happy with where I’m at.

“And you know what? It doesn’t matter. If you’re at the back of the pack, (or) you’re in the middle of the pack — at least you’re doing it.”

Courtesy Hilary Topper

Although she grew up in Long Beach, Hilary Topper didn’t know how to swim until much later, proving it’s never too late to learn a new skill. She’ll share some of her fitness journey at the Island Park Library on Jan. 21.

Echo Park closing doors for $2 million renovation

By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com

The Echo Park indoor pool complex in West Hempstead has a long history of providing entertaining relief for Hempstead town residents. But that history will have to pause over the next several months while town officials push through the first phase of renovations, closing the pool until at least around Labor Day this year. And those $2 million worth of construction is just the beginning.

“The renovation of Echo Park is a multimillion-dollar project that will be completed over the next few years,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “The Town of Hempstead is committed to upgrading this facility while minimizing the inconvenience for our local swimmers who frequent the park year-round.”

potentially save on energy bills.

That should bring Echo Park into the late summer or early fall, a town spokesperson said. What comes next is still being decided by town officials.

“The new and improved Echo Park will surely make a splash when completed,” Clavin said.

In the meantime, typical Echo Park visitors can travel to East Meadow instead to use the indoor pool there. The Nassau County Aquatic Center will accept passes issued by the Town of Hempstead during the renovation project.

DON CLAviN Hempstead town supervisor

Echo Park is generally open to all town residents, providing a rate discount to those who don’t live inside an incorporated village or special park district. Daily rates there are typically $8 to $9 for individuals, and $4.50 for children between 5 and 9, as well as senior citizens, the disabled, and volunteer first responders.

The first phase of construction includes a new air ventilation system, something that has taken on even more importance during the Covid-19 pandemic era. Other scheduled work includes a new state-of-the-art pool filtration system, new energy-efficient lighting, renovation of the north and south interior walls, and recaulking windows to prevent air leaks and

Nassau County offers similar rates in its East Meadow complex for those living in the county who also buy a three-year “leisure pass” for $36. Those without the pass, and those who don’t live in Nassau County, could pay daily rates as high as $22 for adults, and $14 for children.

And renovations in Echo Park aren’t exactly new. The West Hempstead complex

reopened in January 2018 after a $208,000 renovation that included resurfacing several indoor areas and refinishing the diving boards. The year before, Echo Park was part of a town-wide $1.26 million recreational facility improvement plan that focused on restroom and locker room upgrades.

Despite the inconvenience this time around, town councilman Thomas Muscarella says the upgrades are needed.

“Improvements to the pool are long

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES WITH CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS

overdue,” he said. “Echo Park is a beloved facility in our area. Residents frequent the indoor pool all year.”

Other than this brief closure each winter, the Nassau Boulevard Echo Park facility is open seven days a week, year-round. It’s also home to a number of other yearround aquatic, physical fitness and cultural arts programs.

For more information on the center and using the Nassau County facility, call the Echo Park office at (516) 483-7400.

LIJ Medical Center is in the top 10% of hospitals nationally for oncology, according to U.S.News&WorldReport.

Our doctors are raising health by pioneering innovative approaches to cancer from novel chemotherapy techniques to first-in- the-nation robotic mastectomies with minimal scarring. Because when it comes to cancer, there’s no status quo. There’s only “how far can we go?”

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The new and improved Echo Park will surely make a splash when completed.

Herald file

A $2 MiLLiON renovation project will shut down the Echo Park indoor pool complex in West Hempstead through this coming summer, instead redirecting swimmers to the county facility in East Meadow.

STEPPING OUT

Dancing With The Stars Live

Heroism unfolds in an epic adventure

By Karen Bloom

elcome the New Year with another dose of that wonderful world of Disney. The latest Disney ice extravaganza arrives at UBS Arena in Elmont to the delight of families who can’t get enough of their favorite Disney moments. Audiences can relive some of the iconic characters and stories — classic and new — when Disney on Ice’s “Into the Magic” brings a lineup of Disney “royalty” here for four days, opening Jan. 5.

WHERE WHEN

• Thursday through Sunday. Jan. 5-11; times vary.

• Tickets start at $20 (pricing may fluctuate based on demand); available at Ticketmaster.com or DisneyOnIce.com

• UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont

This production showcases inspiring favorites from the Disney canon, including those spunky royal sisters, Anna and Elsa, from the always popular mega-hit “Frozen.” Joining this spirited pair are the forever-enchanting Belle, dauntless Rapunzel and the charming bandit Flynn, the determined Cinderella, the aspiring young musician Miguel, and the daring and fearless Moana. Their courage and plucky grit to live their best lives are set forth in lively — albeit condensed — re-tellings of “Beauty & the Beast,” “Coco,” “Tangled,” “Cinderella,” “Frozen” and “Moana.”

These unforgettable characters and their adventures are brought to life on ice in a captivating production that transports audiences to worlds where imaginations soar and in true Disney spirit “anything can happen if you just believe.” Guided by Mickey and Minnie and their crew, of course — with the assistance of two hosts this time around — these tales are told through graceful, artful skating and dynamic special effects, set to the soundtrack fans know and love.

In keeping with longstanding Disney tradition, it’s a fast-paced spectacle with rapidly changing segments.

“All celebrate why these stories are so special,” says Chase Belmontes, who performs as Gaston, Belle’s strapping suitor. “The uplifting nature of these stories all end strongly with an inspiring message about finding your dreams and finding your inner hero.”

That message surely resonates with the 27-year-old Las Vegas native, who is in his third year with Disney On Ice. “I grew up with Disney as a

kid,” he says. “I loved Disney and watched all the movies. Being here now is a personal accomplishment.”

As with his fellow cast members, Belmontes’ competitive skating skills enhance the high level of athleticism that is the hallmark of these productions. Solos, pair and fast-paced ensemble skating with high-flying jumps add to the appeal of the stories the audience knows so well.

“There are so many iconic moments,” he says, noting the pairs sequence in his “Beauty and the Beast “ portion, which also includes a dramatic ensemble routine. “It’s all very exciting.”

And, of course, “Frozen” elicits an enthusiastic response. As Belmontes says: “Always a fan favorite.” Especially when it comes time for “Let It Go.”

“It’s absolutely magical,” he continues. “Everyone sings along to every single word. It’s such a wonderful experience.”

There’s plenty of singing, with the audiences up on their feet throughout the show. And, naturally, Belles, Cinderellas and many others are scattered throughout the arena.

“Everyone dresses up in costume, even adults.” Belmontes says. “It’s amazing. So sit back and soak it all in. There’s a lot to look at and enjoy.”

indeed.

The popular dance showcase is back on tour this winter to celebrate its 31st season. The tour delivers electrifying dance performances from world-renowned dancers including Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Sasha Farber, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater, Britt Stewart, and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ winner Alexis Warr, who now appears on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ See the ballroom brought to life in this new production featuring your favorite ‘Dancing’ pros, plus special guest stars, performing original numbers as well as some of the showstoppers featured in Season 31. With dazzling routines in every style, fans will enjoy an unforgettable night full of all the magic of the television competition series and more. Experience the excitement, glitz and glamour they see in the ballroom live, up-close and personal.

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 8 p.m. $99, $79, $59, $49. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100, or TillesCenter.org.

Literary Luncheon

Madison Theatre hosts Deborah Goodrich-Royce, who discusses ‘Reef Road,’ her latest psychological thriller that explores the psychology of criminals and their victims, while drawing from real-life events that happened before she was born.

Goodrich Royce is the author of the widely praised psychological thrillers ‘Ruby Falls’ and ‘Finding Mrs. Ford.’ A former film and television actress, she is remembered by soap opera fans as Silver Kane, sister of the legendary Erica Kane, on ABC’s ‘All My Children.’ She later worked as a story editor for Miramax Films and was instrumental in developing such films as ‘Emma’ and ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ With her husband, Chuck, she restored the Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, which now operates as a not-for-profit dedicated to independent, classic, foreign, and documentary films.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, noon. $50. Molloy University’s Larini Room, Public Square Building, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444, or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

Photos courtesy Feld Entertainment

Photos: Old and new favorites lace up their skates for a show that encourages everyone to ‘find your inner hero.’

Become a warrior for the community

Join the Oceanside Community Warriors for weekly community cleanups around the hamlet every Sunday. Contact Oceansidewarriorsny@gmail. com for information on the location of their next cleanup.

Art talk

America

The perennial classic rock favorite is still going strong, appearing on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. Founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell celebrate the band’s 53rd anniversary on their current tour, on the LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. The pair (along with former band mate Dan Peek), who met in high school in London in the late 1960s, quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song “A Horse With No Name.” America became a global household name and paved the way with an impressive string of hits following the success of their first #1 single. Forty plus years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound. Tickets are $99, $79, $69, $59; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Jan. 27

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

Studio time

Join local artists to paint with watercolor paints, starting Thursday, Jan. 12, 3-6 p.m., at Island Park Public Library, 176 Long Beach Road.

Oceanside Board of Education Meeting

There will be an Oceanside school district Board of Education meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the School No. 6 Auditorium Jan. 18

Island Park Board of Education meeting

There will be an Island Park Board of Education Meeting Jan. 23, at 7 p.m., in the Lincoln Orens Middle School auditorium.

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of ShinrinYoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Pre-registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901.

Dungeons and Dragons for tweens and teens

Have you ever wanted to take the dive into the world of Dungeons and Dragons? Interested in discovering the ins and outs of playing and developing your character?

Say no more! Visit Oceanside Library, 56 Atlantic Ave., for a bi-monthly beginner’s friendly game run by a longtime Dungeon Master, starting Saturday, Jan.11

For information, visit OceansideLibrary.com.

Mount Sinai South Nassau Diabetes Seminar

In concert

David Alterman returns to the stage with Altzim, Friday, Jan. 13, at My Father’s Place supper club. Enjoy an evening of music that Alterman describes as “Dylan with a twist,” with special guest Cathy Rose Virgilio. Rich Demand and his band also appear. Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. The Metropolitan, 3 Pratt Blvd., Glen Cove. For tickets/information, visit MyFathersPlace.com or call (516) 580-0887.

Ask a techie

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.

Jan. 10

Atend an informational seminar on managing healthy lifestyle while living with diabetes, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2 to 3 p.m. Session is held in the n the Oceanside Library community room, 56 Atlantic Ave.

Having an event?

Bring your laptop, phone or other electronic devices and your questions to Ian the techie at the Island Park Public Library, 178 Long Beach Road. Call the library at (516) 432-0122 for a half-hour appointment on Jan. 12 sometime between 10 and 1 p.m.

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

Skate on

Long Island Children’s Museum’s “skating rink” is open for a final weekend, Friday through Sunday, Jan. 6-8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Related crafts activities throughout the weekend. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Located at 234 Merrick Road in Oceanside

Ways to stay warm and save money this winter

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Winter is officially here, and PSEG Long Island has tips to help customers stay safe and warm and save money and energy. First, lower your thermostat by just one degree to potentially reduce your heating bill. Lowering it two degrees during the day and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.

Moreover, use a programmable thermostat to automatically manage your home’s heating and cooling needs. ENERGY STAR estimates that properly used programmable thermostats can save the average American household about $180 a year.

A simple replacement of inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs can, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, can use up to 90 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer. Installing timers and motion detectors to automatically manage indoor and outdoor lighting can help ensure lights are not on when they’re not needed.

On the home improvement side of things, sealing windows and doorframes with weather stripping or caulk, and removing or covering window air conditioners can help prevent drafts that waste energy and money. Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter. By setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air

down into a room.

To stop warm air from escaping through chimneys close fireplace dampers when not in use. Also make sure to move furniture and drapes away from heat sources by removing furniture or items that block vents and open any register or baseboard dampers.

Assistance is available to those struggling with bills and the company encourages anyone with a past-due account balance to call (800) 490-0025 so a representative can help them develop a deferred payment agreement tailored to the needs of their household.

Additionally, there are financial assistance programs offered by New York State. Including the Home Energy Assistance Program, which can provide a heating fuel grant to eligible homeowners and renters depending on income, household size and how they heat their home. A family of four may have a maximum gross monthly income of $5,485 and still qualify for benefits. This benefit opened on Nov. 1. For more information, visit Otda.NY.Gov/ Programs/HEAP/.

Emergency HEAP, a subset of the HEAP program, offers eligible customers a grant to help low- and middle-income New Yorkers avoid having their home heating disconnected or exhausting their heating fuel source. This emergency portion of HEAP is scheduled to open on Jan. 3, 2023. If customers are experiencing an emergency, they can apply for this benefit

by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location.

For low-income households facing noheat situations, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is also accepting applications for its heating equipment repair or replacement benefit. Eligible homeowners can apply for up to $4,000 for repair or $8,000 for replacement of a furnace, boiler or other direct heating equipment necessary to keep the household’s primary heating source working. Customers can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location.

Customers who apply for and receive one of these state or federal benefits are automatically placed on PSEG Long Island’s Household Assistance rate and the residential energy affordability program providing energy efficiency measures and suggestions to help lower consumption.

In addition, United Way’s Project Warmth is an emergency assistance program administered by United Way of Long Island to help low-income families and individuals with energy emergencies.

To receive funds from Project Warmth, customers must be a resident of Nassau or Suffolk County or the Rockaways; show financial need; provide an acceptable explanation for any unpaid energy bills; have exhausted or been denied emergency HEAP assistance; not topped their oil tank in any previous year. Project

Warmth is available until funds are exhausted. More information can be found at UnitedWayLI.org/Project_ Warmth.

Karina Kovac/Herald TuRNINg The TheRmOsTAT down a degree or two will save you money on your heating bill says PSEG.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU AJM CAPITAL II, LLC, Plaintiff -againstQUEBEC DEVELOPMENT, LLC, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated October 20, 2022 and entered on October 21, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 7, 2023 at 2:00 pm premises situate, lying and being in the County of Nassau, State of New York, known and designated as Section: 43 Block: 42 Lots: 234 and 235.

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

Said premises known as QUEBEC ROAD, ISLAND PARK, NY

Approximate amount of lien $1,088,211.77 plus interest & costs.

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

Index Number 612423/2017.

KAREN C. GRANT, ESQ., Referee

Braunstein Turkish LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 7600 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 402, Woodbury, NY 11797

{* ISLAND PAR*} 136289

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST MARIA MAESE, STEPHEN MAESE, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 6, 2022, 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 February 6, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 2525 Rockville Centre Parkway, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54, Block 158, Lot 39-41.

Approximate amount of judgment $451,990.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607259/2019. 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”. Brian J. Davis, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 20-002342 74341 136439

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, PS FUNDING, INC., Plaintiff, vs. W HENRIETTA PROPERTIES LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 3, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 17, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 307 West Henrietta Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 43, Block 345 and Lot 43. Approximate amount of judgment is $696,448.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 614017/2020. 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.

Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee

Chartwell Law, One Battery Park Plaza, Suite 710, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff 135949

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE IN TRUST FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF MORGAN STANLEY ABS CAPITAL I TRUST 2006-HE6, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2006-HE6, Plaintiff, vs. THOMAS COCCHIOLA, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 7, 2018, 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 on January 17, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 181 Nassau Parkway, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in Oceanside, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54, Block 142 and Lot 456. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,159,297.51 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #6777/2014. 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.

Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 135951

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L & L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. NANCY M. NATOLI, et al, Defts. Index #615000/2018.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Feb. 14, 2020, I will sell at public auction on the north front steps of Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on January 23, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. prem. k/a Section 43, Block 212, Lot(s) 28-30. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

TONY D’ANZICA, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY. #99908 136139

LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE

OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff - against - KERRY SARWAN, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on February 3, 2022. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 24th day of January, 2023 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Island Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 3977 Long Beach Road, Island Park, (Town of Hempstead) NY 11558. (SBL#: 43-187-85) Approximate amount of lien $535,382.77 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 608704/2018.

Rita Solomon, Esq., Referee.

Davidson Fink LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618 Tel. 585/760-8218

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

Dated: October 5, 2022

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 136093

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ACCREDIT LOANS, INC., MORTGAGE ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-QS3, Plaintiff against ZEV ANGELOU, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 103N, Westbury, NY 11590.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered June 6, 2022, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 23, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

Premises known as 504 Long Beach Road, Island Park, NY 11558. Sec 43 Block 9 Lot 164 & 166. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Island Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $813,797.28 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 006451/2015.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee DHNY091 136137

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR ARGENT SECURITIES INC., ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-W4, V. NOREEN M. MCCABE, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated May 9, 2017, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR ARGENT SECURITIES INC., ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-W4 is the Plaintiff and NOREEN M. MCCABE, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 2, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 2863 CALVIN RD, OCEANSIDE, NY 11572: Section 0054, Block 00506-00, Lot 00058 & 00138:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT,

PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING ANS BEING AT OCEANSIDE, IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 007501/2015. Janine T. Lynam, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 136326

State has been designated as agent of the company upon whom process may be served, and the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the company served upon him or her to The LLC, 61 Foxhurst Road, Oceanside, New York 11572. The business purpose of the company is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under the laws of the State of New York.

136279

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS INC., ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-16, INDEX NO.:601698/2022 Date Filed:2/9/2022

NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. WINDWARD BORA LLC, Pltf. vs. VINCENT FERNICOLA A/K/A VINCENT FERNICOLA JR., A/K/A VINNIE FERNICOLA A/K/A VINCENT FERNICOLA, SR., et al, Defts. Index #612243/2018. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated Nov. 2, 2019, I will sell at public auction on the north side fronts steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 1, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., prem. k/a 81 Bellevue Avenue, Oceanside, NY a/k/a Section 38, Block 365, Lot 33 & 34. Approx. amt. of judgment is $69,696.17 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Said Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale forecloses a Second Mortgage. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

LEGAL

MARK RICCIARDI, Referee MARGOLIN, WEINREB & NIERER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 165 Eileen Way, Ste. 101, Syosset, NY. #99986 136324

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE FOR FORMATION of a limited liability company (LLC). The name of the limited liability company is FOXHURST LEGACY LLC. The date of filing of the articles of organization with the Department of State was December 15, 2022. The County in New York in which the office of the company is located is Nassau. The Secretary of

Plaintiff(s), -againstSUMMONS Unknown heirs at law of LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action, such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of who and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff, CHRISTINE LONERGAN-BACH, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONDERGAN, BARBARA LONERGAN, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, BILLY LONERGAN, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, COLEEN FUSCO, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, CATHY MATTHEWS, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN

Plaintiff designates NASSAU County as the place of trial

A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, ELIZABETH ANDERSON, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, DENISE LONERGAN, AS HEIR AT LAW OF LINDA LONERGAN A/K/A LINDA S. LONERGAN, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICADEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Venue is based upon County in which the premises are situated Premises: 1043 DELAWARE AVENUE ISLAND PARK, NY 11558 Defendant(s).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party Defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to the mortgage company will

Patrick Turk named Boys Soccer Coach of the Year

Patrick Turk, who teaches social studies at Oceanside High School and coaches boys’ soccer has been named AA Soccer Conference Coach of the Year as well as Nassau County Boys Soc-

cer Coach of the Year. Turk led his team to the AA championship in 2022 and in the fall the team won the national Team Academic Award from United Soccer Coaches.

ScHoolS

Two high school students are P.E. Students of Year

Gianna Horen and Andrew Cagno of Oceanside High School were named Outstanding Physical Education Students of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. They received their awards at an AHPERD Nassau Zone special dinner.

The Outstanding Physical Educa-

tion Award honors high school seniors who are recognized as leaders in physical education and serve as role models to their peers.

Award recipients lead a healthy and physically active lifestyle, and demonstrate responsible behaviors such as good sportsmanship, character, and citizenship.

Public Notices

not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated:November 11, 2022 Armonk, New York LEOPOLD & ASSOCIATES, PLLC

BY: Jacqueline K. Lamer, Esq.

Attorneys for Plaintiff 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110 Armonk, NY 10504 914-219-5787 136133

hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 1/11/23 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 40/23. - 41/23.

stairs., W/s Kings Hgwy., 332.82’ S/o Mott St., a/k/a 3534 Kings Hgwy. 43/23. NR ISLAND PARKDenise Fassi, Variance, rear yard, maintain deck attached to dwelling., E/s Jefferson Ave., 135’ S/o Brighton Blvd., a/k/a 92 Jefferson Ave

HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BY THE BOARD OF

APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is

OCEANSIDE - John & Mary Auerbach, Variance, lot area occupied, construct roofed over open porch attached to dwelling; Special exception to maintain accessory structure (shed) higher than permitted & with lot area occupied variance., S/s Perkins Ave., 120’ E/o Fulton Ave., a/k/a 103 Perkins Ave. 42/23. OCEANSIDEParvina Yakubdjanova, Variances, height, lot area occupied, side yards aggregate, construct dwelling with garage and 2nd story deck with

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 1351/23. - 1352/23. NR ISLAND PARK - Shannon Foster, Variances, lot area occupied, side yard, side yards aggregate, rear yard, construct 2 1/2 story addition, roofed over open porch, rear 1-story to be renovated with roofed over patio & A/C units all attached to dwelling; Variances, lot area occupied, rear yard, maintain deck attached to dwelling., E/s Harrison Ave., 185’ S/o Kent Blvd., a/k/a 190 Harrison Ave.

This notice is only for new cases in Oceanside and Island Park within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 136496

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232 PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com TO PLACE AND AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET,

High school donates to Little Saint Nick Foundation

Oceanside High School’s GEM Mentoring Program students worked with the high school’s Youth Council to collect items and pack bags that will be delivered to children at local hospitals.

The students collected coloring books, crayons, squishies, and stuffed animals

and packed each bag with their own handmade cards. The Little Saint Nick Foundation will distribute the gifts that the students collected. The Little Saint Nick Foundation mission is to create a positive experience for kids in crisis through the compassionate power of a helping hand.

Oceanside school district

Oceanside HigH scHOOl students with their collected goods for the Little Saint Nick Foundation

Oceanside school district

gianna HOren and Andrew Cagno of Oceanside High School hold up their awards at the Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance awards dinner.

Oceanside school district

THe sOccer Team with their national Team Academic Award from United Soccer Coaches with coach Patrick Turk, second from the right.

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

Administrative Assistant

For Five Towns Law Office

Mgmt/ Computer Skills Mandatory Salary Commensurate With Experience. Email Resume To Siberlaw@aol.com

ADMINISTRATIVE

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

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

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

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

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

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

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

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS Assist General Contractor. Drivers License. Knowledge Of Construction. Call Mike. 516-887-8877.

DRIVERS WANTED

EDITOR/REPORTER

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

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

HOSTESS/PHONE PERSON PARTTIME, Customer Experience necessary, Evenings, 4pm-8:30pm $16/hr. La PiazzaPlainview. Call Maria or Toni 516-938-0800

MERRICK BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM seeking mature individuals to supervise elementary school aged children from 2:45 pm to 5:00 or 6:00 pm weekdays. Experience helpful. If interested email merrickbasp@aol.com or call (516)379-4245

OUTSIDE SALES

lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

Open Houses

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HEWLETT

My building’s in need of a tenant

Q. I have a building that has been unoccupied for three years. I bought it because it was going to have a long-term tenant. They backed out, so I need to get the building rented. I have a prospect who wants me to get the permits for their animal grooming service operation, with possible overnight boarding. They’re only interested if the permits are ready to go. What is the minimum I can do to get the permit and get the tenant into the building to rent? The building is 8,000 square feet, and the tenant only needs about 5,000. Do I need more permits for another tenant, and can I get them both together to save money? I need to do this quickly, or the tenant will go elsewhere. What can be done?

A. Time and cost are a problem. You probably won’t get results in under seven months to a year. Building plans take time, and must involve the tenant’s specific input as to where walls, plumbing and equipment will be located.

Most people treat plans like they’re just a suggestion, to be changed later, but the reality is that the plans need to show very specifically what will be done. Those plans have to be filed with all the required application papers and a property survey with the building department, which will then put the plans in a lineup with all the other plan folders that come in that will eventually be reviewed. Depending on the size of the community, this process can take three to four months before you first hear back that your plans are objected to or rejected.

Once you learn that you can’t be approved with a straight-away permit, you may request that the file go into a request for varying from the zoning code, since most municipalities do not allow overnight animal boarding. This is the zoning variance request. A zoning case is separate from a building permit, and requires the preparation of a map of the property, along with neighboring properties — sometimes, depending on the community, as far away as 600 feet. For commercial use, some municipalities require that the map show the accurate outline of all buildings and names of tenants and owners on each property, prepared by a licensed land surveyor.

If the plans you submit on behalf of your potential tenant do not reflect the true layout of the shapes and sizes of rooms, the location of equipment, etc., you may find yourself applying again to repeat the process when a building inspector sees that the plans were not followed, so you and the tenant have to treat this process seriously.

Also, if the building is not yet outfitted with sprinklers, plan on another seven- to 10-month process with the fire marshal. It can take less, but this is a common time frame. This process cannot be rushed, and isn’t like getting a driver’s license. Each tenant’s plans will need to be filed for separately. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Monte Leeper

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Health & Fitness

The ups and downs of 2022

Yes, 2022 was quite a year. Politics were at their ugliest. The world was in turmoil. War raged in the Ukraine. Overall, it was a tumultuous year. Here are some thoughts on it. The election had many surprises for New Yorkers. Kathy Hochul became the first elected woman governor in state history, but won her first full term by only 5 percentage points.

JERRY KREMER

Hochul ran a remote campaign, and failed to do local events. Her Republican opponent, Lee Zeldin, made it a closer contest than expected, using the issue of crime effectively.

Long Island made history by electing four Republican members of Congress, who helped their party cement its majority in the House. One of the winners, George Santos, turned out to have lied about his entire resume. Candidates sometimes exaggerate a chapter of their history, but not the entire story. At this writing, Santos was about to be investigated by the Nassau County district attorney. Even if he’s able to hang on to his job, he’ll definitely be a one-term member of Congress.

There were some other big local winners. Nassau Republican chair Joe Cairo’s candidates unseated two state senators, and his party now has seven out of nine Long Island senate seats. We can hope that the winning seven will find a way to work with the two Democrats whose party controls the senate. Cairo also produced a winning margin locally for Zeldin, which helped make the final results much closer.

Love him or not, President Biden had some big victories last year. Congress passed a bipartisan gun control bill, the first of its kind since the early 1990s. Of course, it took a number of major tragedies to spark a major defeat for the National Rifle Association, which had successfully blocked previous bills.

As well, new microchip legislation will pave the way for microchip factories in the United States. New York will get its own major chip facility upstate, which could bring thousands of jobs.

Another bipartisan win was the passage of a major bill that will fund the battle against climate change, a first in the country’s history. New York did its share by passing a $4 billion bond to combat global warming in the state. It will pay for

badly needed repairs to water and sewer systems and provide dollars for new forms of clean energy. Considering the measure’s high cost, its approval by voters was a miracle.

Those voters also sent a clear message to the Albany establishment on the issue of bail reform. Whether or not crime rates are as high in your community as some claim, the State Legislature will have to clean up the current law, or Democrats will take a bigger beating in 2024 and possibly lose control of the Senate.

And 2022 was supposed to be the year when cannabis would be sold at retail dispensaries. Some permits were given to people who’d had marijuana-related convictions, but otherwise the program stalled. New York is far behind Massachusetts and Rhode Island when it comes to legalized pot sales.

Our battle against the coronavirus last winter was successful. The number of New Yorkers suffering from the disease dropped dramatically. Covid vaccines proved to be effective. While mandates to wear masks were finally lifted, wearing masks in 2023 in crowded places will still be effective in keeping the numbers down.

Last November’s election results were historic. Over the past 50-plus years, the

president’s party has almost always lost seats in Congress, and has sometimes lost control of the House or Senate as well. But this time around, the Democrats, who some forecast would lose both houses, surprisingly kept control of the Senate, and almost retained control of the House.

So, 2022 was the year that prosecutors and the Jan. 6 committee painted a vivid picture of numerous wrongdoings by former President Donald Trump. He is facing grand jury deliberations, and even many of his staunchest supporters acknowledge that his reputation has taken a major hit. The failure of the candidates he endorsed in November didn’t help, either. This may be the year that he is called to account for his missteps.

The nation needs a cleansing from Trump’s grip on the Republican Party, which will help both political parties refocus on making government work — or at least they will try. This was quite a year. Hopefully, our leaders will learn from their mistakes, and produce some positive results for we the people.

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

Happiness is a reach, but we have long arms

Happiness is a reach, but we have long arms

As the new year begins, let us look up to the stars that light our winter nights.

The transition from 2022 to 2023 has been showered with starlight. Fresh off the front lines in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, the most unlikely of heroes, came to America to thank us for our support, and ask for more. As it turns out, the man in green fatigues roused something in us that had been beaten lifeless over the past few years: pride in our will to do good, faith in our democracy and a clear demarcation between right and wrong. Heroism is a rare commodity, but it walked into Congress on Dec. 21 and reminded us of who we are.

invaded, he stepped out of his old life and into battle dress. His visit to the U.S. shook something loose in our pervasive national cynicism and growing mistrust of one another. Here is a good guy, brave, not afraid to die for his country, a real David against a monstrous Goliath.

The Ukrainians face a winter without heat or running water, under constant bombardment by Russia. Their courage reminds us what death-defying bravery looks like after years of Trumpist self-serving corruption.

RANDI KREISS

“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars,” the philosopher Hannah Arendt said. Just in these last weeks, as 2022 ended and as 2023 begins, the sky seems afire with hope.

human-rights and voter-rights legislation through Congress.

Heroes come in unlikely personas at odd times. Cassidy Hutchinson is in the news, too. The 26-year-old former assistant to Mark Meadows, the Trump White House chief of staff, a woman who knows right from wrong, decided to tell the truth about President Trump’s alleged crimes despite enormous pressure to dissemble. It is hard to overstate the significance of her testimony. She is key to the Department of Justice investigation of Trump and the insurrection. A woman who had to look up the history of Watergate to guide her may be key to preserving our democracy.

cal behavior at NYU Langone. The article alleged longstanding policies on the part of hospital administrators to offer favorable treatment to powerful donors and celebrities and political figures. The reporting stood boldly against those who think that might makes right, and in support of those who surrender to privilege or who are resigned to “the way things work.”

In the wake of the Times story, maybe those bending the rules will be held accountable. It’s going around.

The fact that we have newspapers and reporters who sweat the details and follow up and write truth to power is another bright star in our firmament.

Nothing about the Ukrainian presidential visit was business as usual. Zelensky’s superheroic persona was forged in the fires sparked by Russian missiles and tanks. Seems like a minute ago he was an entertainer raising a family in a safe and bustling society. But when the Russians

There was something uplifting in how it all looked: the man from Ukraine hugging the outgoing Speaker of the House and embracing the American president. Political pundits have been busy hounding aging boomers out of the public spotlight and urging older statespeople to retire. Yet it was 82-year-old Nancy Pelosi and 80-year-old Joe Biden who were getting things right, and getting the people’s work done. It was 72-year-old Sen. Chuck Schumer who pushed some critical

Then there’s the January 6th congressional committee and its 800-somethingpage report, released during these weeks of wonder. Another unlikely force for good, the committee, over 18 months, compiled a detailed and disturbing account of a rogue presidency, an attempted coup, and a coterie of accomplices to crimes against our nation.

Accountability is in the air, and it isn’t only playing out in our government. More locally, The New York Times recently ran a front-page story detailing alleged unethi-

For these many years of political travail and pandemic grief, newspapers have kept us informed. Stories like the expose on NYU prove that we have people in our profession who care about public corruption and work hard to bring it to light.

Correspondents on the ground in Ukraine risk their lives every day to bring us the human story unfolding there.

We survived the shortest day of the year. As the daylight lingers, is it harmony in our homeland we see in the new year? Moments of happiness? Certainly the stars are brilliant in our cold, dark skies, and we can read that as hope.

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

I s it harmony in our homeland we see in the new year? Moments of happiness?

This was quite a year. We can hope that our leaders will learn from their mistakes.

When ‘it’s just government’ isn’t an excuse

it’s a new year. A time of renewal. A time when we look ahead to brighter days.

Many people, however, woke up a couple of days before Christmas to heavy rain and wind that once again brought a frightening amount of flooding to residential streets and primary roadways.

The early-winter storm evoked memories of 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, which was considered a once-in-a-century weather event. One South Shore resident even said that the storm was “giving me Sandy vibes.”

As early-morning motorists maneuvered through small rivers of water, it wasn’t surprising that some thought, “No, not again.” But they may have scratched their heads at the next thought: “Where are all those Sandy flood-mitigation projects we were promised?”

Less than a year after Sandy, New York state — under the direction of then Gov. Andrew Cuomo — established the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery to centralize the rebuilding and recovery efforts through what was called the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program. Sandy was one of three storms — along with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 — that were under the storm recovery office’s umbrella.

Roughly $4.4 billion was made available through federal funding for an assortment of resiliency projects across the state. Communities assembled committees of civic leaders. There were public meetings. State engineers were consulted. Ideas were exchanged. Public comment was collected.

From the list of projects provided by the storm recovery office, 45 have been

letters

Does the columnist understand the waves?

To the Editor:

Re Matthew Adarichev’s column “The red wave that wasn’t, and the crime wave that isn’t” (Dec. 8-14):

I guess Adarichev didn’t see or understand the election results here, where people rejected the Democrats’ message of being soft on crime and bail reform.

He writes that fear of crime enabled Republicans to pull the red wave here.

So let me get this straight: We were supposed to elect people who couldn’t care less about us being free and safe in our neighborhood and homes while democracy and inflation were the two top issues?

The left loves throwing the word “democracy” around, but when you ask them for a definition, their minds go blank.

Adarichev goes on to say that there’s no crime wave, and that it’s OK to steal your

completed in Nassau County, while 30 others are in progress. The projects total nearly $334 million. GOSR has done a heck of a job.

However, getting to this point is one thing, but finishing is something else, and it looks as if it’s going to be a tough haul.

Local officials tasked with cooperating with their state counterparts have found the process, which continues today, annoyingly slow and frustrating. There have been too many meetings, too much talk, and a lack of coordination — to the point where it felt like projects were constantly stopping and starting.

The enterprise appeared to apply the software industry philosophy of “building the plane while it’s flying” as a way to fix problems as an imperfect process bumped along.

One of the problems appears to be selfinflicted. As local officials pushed to move these projects forward, not only were there too many personnel changes in the state storm-recovery office, but the handoffs from outgoing to incoming officials were apparently not the smoothest. Some projects went through nearly 10 iterations. It seemed that the process had to start from scratch any time there was a change in leadership in Albany.

Storm recovery representatives were also constantly interpreting federal language differently, creating more bumps in the road. The large amount of paperwork that moved back and forth between municipalities slowed projects down.

Then, in 2020, the world shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Projects that were in the works were given extensions because of unforeseen condi-

tions that created supply chain issues. That is understandable.

But don’t misunderstand: Much has been accomplished. There is a pump station in Cedarhurst, for example, that surely could help reduce flooding on Peninsula Boulevard.

Cuomo’s idea of having one central entity to oversee the projects was a good one. The state’s execution has to be better. Now that there is a record of what was done — good and bad — there should be an audit, and what is learned from it should be applied as soon as possible.

The state’s newly created — and much more permanent — Office of Resilient Homes and Communities will now take over the storm recovery office portfolio. We hope that a permanent department will mean less staff shuffling and a streamlining of the bureaucracy, with state officials more familiar with the communities they are supposed to be helping.

Communications among all parties necessitates documentation that must be retained. There should be checklists of what needs to be done. Personnel changes must include physical handoffs of duties and project details from one representative to the next.

At one of many public meetings held several years ago, one resident was heard to say, “It’s just government,” in response to proposed plans that neighbors did not completely agree with.

That’s not an excuse our government should hide behind. To start the new year off right, the state should move the remaining projects to completion as soon as possible — before the next storm strikes.

Does Kirsten Gillibrand care about Long Islanders?

new York state’s missing U.S. senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, recently surfaced on Long Island. That must mean that Gillibrand finally got around to analyzing November’s election results and the near-death experience that will be seared into Gov. Kathy Hochul’s memory. Say what you will about our senior senator, Chuck Schumer — and there’s much to say — at least he knows where Long Island is. Before he became majority leader, Schumer seemed to be on the Island every weekend, holding news conferences on topics ranging from baby products to the width of airline seats. He understood the power of Long Island’s potent voter base and its propensity to swing right or left, depending on issues and personalities.

Schumer has been in our faces, like him or not, because he understands politics and the importance of engaging voters. He has long recognized that if you take Long Island for granted, you do so at your own political peril.

Gillibrand? She has long been absent on issues. Absent on voter engagement.

Absent on personal appearances. Just plain absent. Even Newsday was compelled at one point to ask, “Where is she?”

Well, you can tell that she has checked the calendar, and discovered that re-election is just two years away. Last month she met with journalists in Melville. In what was described as a wide-ranging discussion, Gillibrand announced that Long Island’s “red wave” would end in 2024. While suggesting that her party was trounced in November because “a lot of Long Island is libertarian,” she added, “I intend to run for re-election and win the state back, along with Long Island.”

These are bold words from someone who has failed to make a serious connection with Long Island voters. Over the years, Gillibrand has made a handful of announcements about federal programs, with little evidence that she pursued them specifically for our region, or even the state. In some instances, she has simply piggybacked off press statements from Schumer’s office.

To be fair, a search reveals that she held a town hall meeting at Hofstra in October. At that event, in which she engaged with students, the focus was the

Letters

catalytic converter. These thieves aren’t looking for their next meal or hanging out at soup kitchens. They are highly organized criminals, along with a few complicit junkyard owners, netting hundreds of thousand of dollars a year.

It sickens Adarichev that there’s another shooting, another corpse and some boyfriend beating up his girlfriend.

No mention of how the victims feel being pushed in front of a train or mugged on the street, or of bullets shot through children’s bedroom windows. Welcome to the world of bail reform, criminals’ getout-of-jail-free card. But according to Matt, we have nothing to worry about.

Then he brings up a price cap to reduce the cost of gas. Here’s an idea: open drilling and exploration, like the last administration did. We were energy-independent and gas was $2 a gallon.

Now President Biden begs for gas from Venezuela, which is run by a dictator, and Saudi Arabia, which still hasn’t come clean about 9/11.

MICHAEL APPICE Westbury

Government shouldn’t control energy on L.I.

To the Editor:

The recent column by Ronald Rosenberg (“‘Energy efficient’ may become a contradiction in terms,” Dec. 1-7) hits the nail on the head. Proposed moves away from the current public/private energy setup, which works well, are supported by left-wing activists who want further government control.

Current conventional energy producers and purveyors tend to be Republican and conservative. The cries for clean and green energy have less to do with saving the planet and more to do with consolidating power among Democrats and socalled progressives. More and more analysis has shown that electric cars, wind power and solar power are fraught with failures. Wake up, folks — the real goal here is to consolidate power among the radical left, not to save the planet.

MIKE TARTAGLIA Franklin Square

Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion. She told the Herald that she was in favor of term-limiting the justices. Ironically, that’s a suggestion she has not proffered for members of the Senate.

Gillibrand described herself as “very progressive” in her Melville interview, which raises the question: Just how far out of step is she with the majority of New Yorkers and those Long Island “libertarians” who voted in the last election cycle? Does she appreciate that being “very progressive” may serve to short-circuit a primary challenge from the left, but leaves her totally at odds with moderates in both parties?

Being frightened of a left-wing primary challenge led Hochul to ignore such profound issues as crime, high taxes, and municipal zoning authority. Her election night turned rather tense as returns demonstrated that a state with nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans wasn’t going to give her the margin of victory her consultants were touting.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin has given no indication of what he plans to do for the next two years. He has been mentioned as a potential choice as the next state GOP chairman, who could infuse new blood and strategic vision into that posi-

tion. There is also speculation that he could run for Senate, confronting Gillibrand’s progressive candidacy with the grounded policies of moderates and conservatives who want an engaged senator who knows the difference between AOC and the LIE.

Another Long Islander who would make a formidable opponent to Gillibrand is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. He has quickly established his credentials as a tireless campaigner who embraces policies that are welcomed by those who describe themselves as Republicans, as well as independents who are in search of common sense. Comfortable before the media, popular “at home” and dedicated to public service, Blakeman would be an attractive candidate on many levels.

While two years is a lifetime in politics, Gillibrand’s recent return to Long Island is like Halley’s Comet, an event that happens very rarely. And her description of our red wave as the product of a bunch of libertarians is a reflection of the fact that she may visit every once in a while, but she doesn’t know us. And never has.

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 Rosenberg Calica & Birney in 1999.

Framework by Tim Baker

Preparing to ring it in at the Electric Light Parade — Long Beach

the senator may visit every once in a while, but she doesn’t know us, and never has.

ronaLd J. rosenBerG

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