Oceanside/Island Park Herald 03-09-2023

By KARINA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Residents of Island Park, Long Beach and Oceanside voiced their opinions, made comments and asked questions virtually March 2 at a New York Public Service Commission hearing on Equinor’s proposed wind farm off the South Shore, but only questions about the routes of Equinor Empire Wind 2’s transmission cables were answered, as per commission rules.

Equinor, a multi-billiondollar energy company based in Norway, is planning to install 12 miles of transmission lines on the South Shore. It has asked the commission to approve the routes of those lines, but many residents aren’t happy with them.

The cables, if approved, will come ashore in Long Beach, at Riverside Boulevard, and continue up to a substation, not yet constructed, on Railroad Place in Island Park, where Pop’s Seafood Shack & Grill restaurant used to be. From there they will run north, parallel to the Long Island Rail Road tracks, to the E.F. Barrett Power Plant.

Once completed, the project is expected to bring 3.3 gigawatts of power into the state’s grid, a step toward achieving the state Energy Research and Development Authority

Flach is given 25 years to life

By KARINA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Tyler Flach was sentenced to 25 years to life on Feb. 28 for the 2019 murder of Oceanside High School student Khaseen Morris.

Flach, 22, of Lido Beach, will begin serving his sentence at upstate Fishkill Correctional Facility.

Morris, 16, had been a student at the high school for only 10 days when he was stabbed death at an Oceanside strip mall, a popular after-school hangout.

Couple is compatible in more ways than one

By KARINA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Before any talk of transplants, Lauren Toby happened to see her husband D.J.’s organ donor card in his wallet, and they started discussing their shared blood type. They didn’t know at the time how critical that compatibility would be.

After Lauren gave birth to their son Donovan, now 2, her rare primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, led to the perfect storm of complications, and she needed to be put on a liver waitlist, for fear of contracting bile duct cancer. But they decided to go anoth-

Continued on page 22

directly, telling him to look around the courtroom. “You’ve affected each one of their lives, and none of them in a good way,” the judge said. “You’ve hurt the family of Mr. Morris, friends of Mr. Morris, you’ve deprived them of a son, sibling, friend and a loved one. On the other side of the room, you’ve hurt your own parents and friends.”

You killed a young man.

In court two weeks ago, Judge Howard Sturim denied the defense’s previous motion to overturn the seconddegree murder conviction, and then members of Morris’s family read impact statements. Flach never looked back at them.

HowARd StuRIM judge

On Sept. 16, 2019, Flach and his friends attacked Morris and several of his friends on Brower Avenue in Oceanside, an assault that bystanders caught on video and which gained national attention. During the fight, Flach stabbed Morris in the heart. Morris was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospitals, now Mount Sinai South Nassau, where he died shortly after.

“I’m sorry,” he told the Morris family after the victim impact statement and before sentencing. “I hate that day. I hate myself for accidentally causing the death of your son.”

Sturim then addressed Flach

“Why — to what end?” Sturim asked Flach. “You brought a knife to a fistfight. You killed a young man who didn’t even know you, you didn’t even know, to impress the people that

Continued on page 13

‘You will suffer for your stupidity,’ he is told by judge at sentencing

You brought a knife to a fistfight.

Karina Kovac/Herald lAuReN ANd d.J. Toby in their Baldwin home, where they are recovering from liver transplant surgery. The couple said they were happy to spend some quality time together while on the mend.

Elementary school students meet living authors

By FARRAH SALAZAR Intern

Students, parents and school staff gathered at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary in Island Park for a living book fair on March 1. More than 20 authors and illustrators were in attendance as part of the Long Island Children’s Writers and Illustrators organization, a not-forprofit organization dedicated to the pursuit of writing and illustrating children’s literature with a goal to create quality works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry that educate, entertain and inspire children of all ages.

The gymnasium and cafeteria were packed with students and their families, eager to participate and enjoy grade level activities and literacy games. Parents and students were in-tune participating in the creative activities provided by the authors, illustrators and school staff.

“I really wanted to buy a book and see the author,” said Myles Layton, a first grader who was waiting in line with his friends and family.

Hegarty principal Adam Frankel recommended students to read, “on the days that they breathed” he said to incentivize the children to continue reading even on their days off. Additionally, the Parent

Teacher Association provided the raffle prize of the night, a $100 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

“My son was so excited to come, not only to see his friends but to tell me about the books he liked from school and even get an autograph from the author,” said Myles’s mother, Samantha Layton.

“This is great, we have the whole community together promoting literacy,” said Paul Golombek, long-term per diem substitute teacher for kindergarten, first grade and special education at Hegarty.

“Meeting new authors, making bookmarks and doing all these great things after a time where we couldn’t do anything together makes this really special,” he said.

“I started out as a teacher and so I know how kids speak,” said JoAnn VergonaKrapp, in regard to her experience being an author of children’s literature. Vergona-Krapp wrote articles on children’s literature and has since appeared in numerous periodicals, including School Library Journal and School Library Media Activities Monthly.

“I started writing literature and I decided I would write about places I’ve actually traveled to,” said Vergona-Krapp.

Vergona-Krapp has been a part of children’s writers organization for more than

20 years, going to schools all over the island promoting literacy with other authors and illustrators.

“I love writing for children, they are my best audience,” said Antoinette Truglio Martin, author of, “Famous Seaweed Soup” which will be reissued in May 2023 with Purple Butterfly Press. This new edition will feature new illustrations by

‘CHRoniCLeS

oF tHe Monster Detective Agency’ author Jason Edwards with second grader Jackson Sargent and third grader Eva Reechulsky.

Penny Weber and updated content. “Island Park has a really great literacy program,” said Martin of participating in the event at the Hegarty school.

The attending authors and illustrators received no remuneration other than a welcoming buffet dinner provided by the PTA and the pleasure of sharing an evening with children who enjoy their books.

Farrah Salazar/Herald

i met really cool authors, it was fun and exciting. BiAnCA GetHeRS student

Feast of Lots celebrated in Oceanside

The community came together to celebrate Purim, a Jewish holiday also known as the Feast of Lots at the Barry and Florence Jewish Community Center on Sunday. Activities included face painting, arts and crafts, food, carnival games and inflatable bouncy houses for the children. Families were encouraged to arrive in costume as prizes would be awarded to the best family costume.

Purim is a joyous festival, marking the survival of the Jewish people, who in the 5th century were marked for death by the Persian ruler Haman. The story is told in detail in the biblical Book of Esther. The significance of wearing costumes during Purim is a nod to this original story, which is about hidden things, such as Queen Esther’s Jewish heritage she hid from her husband, the king.

“Overall, this experience is so nice to see and every year it just gets better and better,” said Andrea Ahearne, working at the grogger station where children could decorate a take home a shaker with gems and tissue paper.

“This is so fun,” said Alex, who attended the celebration with her family. Her two sons, Steven, 5, and Justin, 3, dressed up as Miles Morales and Spider-Man.

“It’s a great family event, for everyone to spend a wonderful time together,” said John Wozniak, assistant executive director at the JCC.

VolunTeers happily helped feed locals dishes at the Purim festival.

iT was a big showing at the Barry and Florence Jewish Community Center on March 5 as locals flocked to celebrate Purim, or the Feast of Lots.

Two young celebraTion enjoyers dressed up as a cupcake and donut to rejoice Purim.

–Farrah Salazar

Daniel Tommasino/Herald photos Those dressed up in costumes took a break from the fun and games to enjoy some food and camaraderie.

Symposium tailored to community needs

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

Our phones and other devices are no longer simply tools that we use. They’re also doorways into online communities. On March 18 at 8:30 a.m., the Oceanside School District is offering a Saturday Symposium for parents at the Oceanside High School titled “Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World” featuring author and expert Devorah Heitner, a noted authority on kids in the digital age.

After the Heitner’s keynote address, participants can either choose one of three smaller expo workshops, a new addition to the Saturday Symposium. Either a yoga session, an information session on your brain and emotions or the expo section. Each will be held from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m.

The expo will have representatives offering valuable tips, tools, and information for parents on college admissions, the college bound athlete, the SAFE Coalition, Families Together in New York State and the Town of Hempstead will have information on events, programs and useful applications. The

Oceanside Library Bookmobile will also be on the premises.

Diane Provvido, the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and research said the event is a “time for us to come together on a Saturday morning, have parents come in leisurely, enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy learning together. We like to say we do it all because together we’re doing the most important mission of all, which is raising our kids and raising them to be healthy, happy individuals.”

The event is supported by Parent University, a group of individuals consisting of administrators, parents and faculty members who come together each year to talk about topics the community wants to know about. Creating a presentation specifically for parents, they get information from the community on what they’d like to see talk about. They then bring in workshops tailed to that into the community. Community topics ranged from academics to other things like nutrition, mental health and time management.

Managing the digital age triumphed overall, as parents work to catch up with technology the newer generation has always been exposed to. Provvido

Registration in advance is advised but not required.

said, “it’s all about helping parents raise our young people with the advent of social media and technology and digital media, and how to help our kids thrive and have good empathetic digital interactions. Helping them to understand the idea of personal privacy and being a responsible digital citizen.”

The districts first symposium went really well Provvido said, and everyone was eager to plan the second one for the second week of March 2020. However, due to Covid-19, things didn’t work out as planned. This year’s symposium will be the first since Covid.

“We hope that the environment will be nice and relaxed for families who are so busy,” Provvido said. Saying they should see the event as a one stop shop for all parent and community needs to be fulfilled.

Courtesy Oceanside School District ON MARCh 18 at 8:30 a.m., the Oceanside School District is offering a Saturday Symposium for parents at the Oceanside High School titled ‘Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World’ featuring author and expert Devorah Heitner, a noted authority on kids in the digital age.

HOW TO REACH

To register, visit: tinyurl.com/OCESymposium.

Quality-of-life issues arise during hearing

and the Department of Public Service’s nation-leading climate goals of generating at least 10 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035 — enough to power nearly 700,000 homes.

Multiple onshore cable routes are under consideration, Josh Verleun, Equinor’s director of permitting, explained at the hearing, and up to two routes will be used.

Residents like commercial fisherman James Torborg, of Island Park, are asking if the routes and substation could be moved to the industrial area of Island Park, further north. “Why do we have to have the substation in Island Park?” Torborg asked. “If you’re going to run cables through what we call either (the) Liotta area, or we call it Oil City back there — very, very industrial — why is this going on waterfront property in a residential area right on the water? Why can’t this industrial substation be put in the industrial place?”

Verleun replied that during the permitting process, Equinor analyzed various alternatives that included a substation on Railroad Place, the Long Beach Road property of Liotta Bros. Recycling Corp., and a third site closer to the Barret property. But company officials ran into a wetland issue near the plant.

“For the offshore wind project, there is a need for … what I’m told by the electrical engineers is voltage regulation as well,

with 230 kilovolts coming from offshore to sort of step that up to 345 kilovolts,” Verleun said. “It’s my understanding that the site at Liotta Bros. would be a challenge from an engineering perspective, to have both the substation and the interconnection facilities that are required for us to connect into the grid.”

“I understand,” Torborg said, making it clear that he was for green energy, but not sure this was the right way to do it. “It just doesn’t really make sense — as a resident living here my entire life, it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Why you would remove a restaurant, a venue that brings business to our community, when there is so much industrial wasteland in this area that could be used?” He added that the Equinor development “drastically affects my life.”

Torborg also brought up the lifespan of the turbines that would be built in the Atlantic, which is about 30 years. As a fisherman, he explained to the commission that he sees the turbines that are part of the Block Island Wind Farm, in operation since 2016, while out on the water, but has never seen all five operating at the same time. He worries, he said, that the same will happen in South Shore waters.

Other questions that were raised by residents, but couldn’t be answered because of the limited scope of the hearing, focused on the carbon footprint of the Empire 1 and 2 projects’ 147 planned tur-

bines, their manufacturing, installation, maintenance and safety in the event of natural disaster or terrorism, and the project’s effects on long-term health.

The next virtual hearings, scheduled for Thursday, at 1 and 5 p.m. will be open to questions on a wider range of topics related to the project.

Karina Kovac/Herald the proposed equinor cable will be routed beneath Long Beach and up to a substation in the Island Park marina. It will continue from there to the E.F. Barrett Power Plant, where it will connect to the power grid.

Victoria’s Secret robbery still unsolved, four men wanted

Police are searching for four men who they say stole $6,000 worth of perfume from Victoria’s Secret on Long Beach Road. According to police, the men took an assortment of perfume and put them in bags. They then walked past the cashiers, exiting the store.

Police said one is a Black male, 6-foot-2, last seen wearing all-black clothing, a black hat and black face mask. The sec-

ond is a Black male, 5-foot-5, last seen wearing a blue/grey windbreaker and blue jeans. The other two were also identified as Black males, but no further descriptions were provided, except one was last seen wearing a green jacket.

Anyone with informatio can contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-8477, or call 911.

All callers remain anonymous.

Island Park man arrested for alleged robbery in Long Beach

Albert Garfield of Island Park has been arrested after police say he allegedly robbed a Long Beach store.

Nassau County police report responded to Ace Hardware on Long Beach Road on March 1. Police say they found Garfield, 57, with merchandise that he tried to walk out with, but allegedly didn’t pay for.

An employee confronted Garfield, who then kicked the employee and ran out of the store, according to police.

Police arrested Garfield. He is facing charges of robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny.

Albert Garfield

HERE FOR EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY LIFE

Our Faith puts all your needs and comfort first. So, our innovative medical care is always delivered with unmatched compassion. It’s because we understand that we’re not treating just patients, we’re treating someone’s family, best friend, and neighbors to us all.

Learn more at chsli.org

At Catholic Health, exceptional medical care and personalized support is inspired by every one of you.

It all started the moment she raised her hand HistoRy

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

When Randi Shubin Dresner was 8, she raised her hand during a school assembly — and that one action shaped the course of her life.

The assembly, at McVey Elementary School in East Meadow, was focused on the March of Dimes, an organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. Representatives were there to talk about an upcoming walk-a-thon, and they asked students if they wanted to serve as school representatives for the event. Shubin Dresner didn’t hesitate to raise her hand.

“I raised my hand at 8 years old, and I never put it down again,” she said. “I volunteered through my entire childhood at the March of Dimes, as well as a couple of other organizations.”

Shubin Dresner, now 62, is the president and chief executive officer of Island Harvest, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, based in Melville. The food bank has a wide variety of programs to help feed those in need, from children to seniors and veterans.

She started there in 2001, after meeting longtime Island Harvest board member Stuart Richner, chief executive of Richner Communications and publisher of the Heralds, in an elevator at a networking event. At the time, Shubin Dresner was working at the Heckscher Museum of Art. She talked to Richner about the possibility of sponsoring an event the museum was having.

“In the time it took to go from one floor to the next, I introduced myself, told him about the organization that I worked with, and almost got him to become a sponsor of the event,” she recalled. “He is and was a board member at Island Harvest, and went back to the organization and said, ‘I just met this person — you better call her and recruit her to come to Island Harvest.’”

than once before deciding to make the switch to the food bank. “It was an interesting mission that I could relate to, and it was a very small organization at the time,” she said.

“I was encouraged by the fact that the board recognized that there was a lot of growth potential, and the board put a lot of trust in me and my vision for the organization.”

Island Harvest wasn’t the first time she explored her potential as a leader. Shubin Dresner has been in the nonprofit sector her whole life. In middle school, she started her own March of Dimes chapter in her basement, and recruited her friends.

“I just liked what they were talking about,” she recalled.

“I liked their enthusiasm, and their excitement about the

HistoRy MontH WOMEN’S

At 17, she became a full-time employee at March of Dimes. And from there, she never looked back. Before landing at Island Harvest, she spent time at the Viscardi Center, in Albertson, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, among other organizations. At the National MS Society, she served as executive director of the Nassau County chapter, and at just 23, she transformed it from a failing organization to an award-winning chapter.

“I knew from an early age that this was going to be my career,” Shubin Dresner said. “I loved doing fundraising, I loved presenting and talking at groups, and giving back to the community, and creating programs that support that community.”

Many of her early career years were shaped by her time at the March of Dimes and the role models she met there — especially the organization’s executive director at the time, Lottie Seligman.

“In the mid- to late ’60s, there weren’t a lot of women in business,” Shubin Dresner said. “I watched (Seligman) and tried to model her in my early years of building my career. The women who were the directors and managers at the organization really taught me a lot. I had really incredible women models in my career.”

Now, at Island Harvest, she prides herself on the relationship she has with the board of directors, and how much she’s been able to involve her family in her lifelong mission of helping others.

“I’m honored to be in this work,” she said. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to work at organizations for an entire career that has an impact on changing lives.”

Herald file photo

RANdI ShuBIN dReSNeR, chief executive and president of Island Harvest, has worked in nonprofits since she was a child.

Long Island’s top real estate pros honored

Hundreds attend annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

The job of someone in real estate goes beyond just helping clients buy, sell or rent properties. For many professionals, it is about the rewarding feeling of finding a person or family’s “forever” home, and seeing their faces light up as they walk through the door.

Individuals in the industry often strive to offer listings or create developments with the goal of enhancing a community and providing potential homebuyers with a lifestyle they have always dreamed of.

The importance of community involvement and advocacy could not ring more true in the room of hundreds of real estate titans and visionaries at RichnerLive’s second annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards last week at The Heritage Club at Bethpage in Farmingdale.

Turn the page for all the winners, and more photos!

“Real estate in my blood,” said Kevin Law, partner and executive vice president of Tritec Real Estate, and the keynote speaker of the evening. “I care about this island — I am hoping that the things I do can make a difference, and make this region a little bit better to live, work and play.”

This year’s REAL Awards honored dozens of professionals in residential and commercial real estate, with some proceeds from the event supporting Habitat for Humanity Long Island — a global non-profit organization whose mission is to bring people together to build affordable, environmentally stable homes for those in need.

Jennie Katz, president and owner of Blue Island Homes, said in her 27 years in the business, the room for creativity is what she finds the most exciting as a broker. For example, she and her business partner, Mark Stempel, are planning to collaborate with interior designers and decorators to stage a truck with all of Blue Island Homes’s listings.

“I started my own business with Mark 10 months ago, and it was about being creative and doing something different,” Katz said. “It’s about passion. It’s about working really hard and being honest.”

Michael Stanco, a licensed real estate broker for the Stanco Misiti team at Compass, talked about his special project, The Residences at Glen Harbor, which received a residential REAL Award at the event.

In the ever-changing housing market, Stanco said it is crucial to provide people with unique living opportunities such as The Residences at Glen Harbor — an alternative option to typical single-family homes.

Anthony Bartone, managing partner of Terwilliger and Bartone Properties, expressed a similar sentiment and discussed his philosophy of mindfulness when introducing projects to Long Island neighborhoods — specifically the environmental impact.

For example, Bartone’s organization pledged to only use native plantings in their developments because of the harmful risk invasive plants pose to the soil.

“It’s important that we set all this up to the extent we can for our next generation,” Bartone said.

The REAL Awards trailblazer Deidre O’Connell — chief executive of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty — grabbed the audience’s attention with her inspirational speech about Realtors pushing through pandemic obstacles these last few years.

She also shared some wisdom for the next generation of homebuyers who may feel a bit anxious when it comes to the prospect of living on Long Island. Statistically, people who buy homes accumulate more money at the end — money they would not have if they put it into renting a place, where there is no return.

“You got to get in the game,” O’Connell said. “Young people have to start at the bottom if their income isn’t going to get them in at the top. Once you’re in the game, you appreciate with the market.”

The major sponsors of the night included Easy Tax Credits, Tenantbase and Maidenbaum. Blue Island Homes, Coldwell Banker American Homes and E.W. Howell were gold sponsors of the evening.

Silver sponsors included Ackerman Law, Breslin Realty Development Corp., Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes, Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, Cushman & Wakefield, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, Douglas Elliman, GLS, Habitat Abstract, Hayduk Engineering, Heatherwood, Japan Schlesinger Narendran, Lipsky Construction, Long Island Board of Realtors, M&T Bank, Property Shark, R&M Engineering, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz,

SMR, Stanco Misiti Team at Compass, Terwilliger & Bartone Properties, The Gitto Group, Valley Bank, Weatherstone Mortgage Corp.

“Our second annual REAL awards was another huge success,” exclaimed Stuart Richner, chief executive of Richner Communications, which created the REAL Awards. “Where else can you find so many individuals and organizations that fuel our local economy? The award recipients are staples in our communities, and their recognition is well-deserved. I am excited to see all that the future holds for

Long Island.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

MARk STeMple, ceO of Blue Island Homes, accepts his REAL Award with company president Jennie Katz and Herald Community Media publisher Stuart Richner.

DeiRDRe O’cONNell, ceO of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, shared her experiences as a trailblazer at the REAL Awards at The Heritage Club at Bethpage in Farmingdale.

keviN lAw, pARTNeR and executive vice president of Tritec Real Estate, delivers the keynote address at the REAL Awards.

FAthER/ dAughtER

tEAm giLbERt and Tiffany Balanoff, above, were recognized for Gilbert’s work with The Law Offices of Gilbert Balanoff, and Tiffany’s job as a licensed real estate agent at Douglas Elliman.

miRiAm hAgEndoRn gEts her REAL Award from Stuart Richner, at left, for her work as a licensed real estate salesperson a Serhant.

2023 Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Award winners

Residential

The Residences at Glen Harbor

Michael W. Stanco

Stanco Misiti Team at Compass

Gina Marie Bettenhauser

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes Long Island Board of Realtors

Hilary Becker Becker Realty Services Inc.

Molly Deegan Branch Real Estate Group

John & Barbara Gandolfo

Coldwell Banker American Homes

Kevin Leatherman Leatherman Homes

Donna O’Reilly Einemann

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Luciane Serifovic Luxian International Realty

Shawn Steinmuller

Shawn Michael Realty

Mark Stempel & Jennie Katz Blue Island Homes

Helena Veloso

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Malka Asch Coach Realtors

Miriam Hagendorn Serhant

Ricki Noto Coldwell Banker American Homes

Scott Wallace

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

David Kasner Coldwell Banker American Homes

Commercial

Thomas DeLuca

Cushman & Wakefield of Long Island

Anthony Bartone

Terwilliger & Bartone Properties LLC

Kenneth Breslin, Esq. Breslin Realty Development Corp.

Christopher Capece

Heatherwood

Rob Gitto

The Gitto Group

Mark Meisner

The Birch Group

E.W. Howell Construction Group

Special Awards

Michael Maturo

RXR Realty

Martin Lomazow CBRE

Michael S. Ackerman Ackerman Law PLLC

John D. Chillemi Ruskin Moscou Faltischek PC

Bryan P. McCrossen

Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran LLP

Christopher H. Palmer Cullen and Dykman LLP

Ellen N. Savino

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

Commercial Industrial Broker Society of Long Island

David Pennetta

Stephen A. Hayduk

Hayduk Engineering LLC

Gilbert Balanoff

The Law Offices of Gilbert Balanoff PC

Tiffany Balanoff

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Nicholas Ceccarini

Weatherstone Mortgage Corp.

Christine Curiale

Valley Bank

Melissa Curtis Contour Mortgage

Michael Steinberg

Hedgestone Business Advisors

Alex Lipsky Lipsky Construction

Sean M. Cronin, Esq. Cronin & Cronin Law Firm PLLC

Ryan J. Coyne Serhant

VincePropertyShark PropertyShark.com

Habitat Abstract

dAvid KAsnER, bRAnch manager of Coldwell Banker American Homes, at left, and Daniel Williams, president of E.W. Howell Construction Group, at right, get their awards from Stuart Richner.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Hundreds of Honorees, guests and sponsored enjoyed refreshments and conversation ahead of the second annual REAL Awards hosted by RichnerLive.

Bryan McCrossen, Center at top-left, a partner at Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran, joins strategic marketer and financial educator Jesika Kalika in the selfie booth.

JoHn frasCella, MaidenBauM’s residential property tax supervisor, was a major sponsor of the REAL Awards.

tHoMas deluCa, senior director and real estate broker at Cushman & Wakefield of Long Island — at left —enjoys a moment before receiving a REAL Award of his own.

Courtesy Le Selfie

Courtesy Le Selfie Helena Veloso, at center in pink, has fun with the rest of her Douglas Elliman Real Estate team at the selfie booth at the REAL Awards.

CHEF PATRICK DELAY

of Long Beach is in dire need of a kidney transplant.

SOME FACTS

• Living donor transplants work better and generally last far longer than deceased donor kidneys.

• The donor kidney is removed laparoscopically and most donors return to regular activities in two - three weeks.

• Gettng tested begins with a blood test. There is no cost to the donor for this lifesaving gift.

BIO

After many childhood struggles, Patric had his first transplant in 2009 at the age of 19. Unfortunately that kidney began to fail in 2019. After many frightening health scares, Patrick started dialysis in 2020, and after many close calls in and out of the hospital, Patrick was fortunate to receive the life saving gift of another kidney in May 2021. Unfortunately for Patrick the kidney is not sustaining him.

The continued struggles have since been devastating for Patrick and once again he’s facing dialysis Patrick is a hard working talented chef at Pearl in Island Park and just wishes to live a life that allows him to follow the professional dream he loves so dearly.

Morris sisters say they feel justice was served

you barely knew. You made Khaseen Morris pay the ultimate price because of a disagreement that wasn’t even yours. You’re about to learn a very harsh lesson. You’re about to spend many, many years in prison for your actions.”

During Sturim’s statement, Flach interrupted him, shouting out, “We were kids, we were kids, we were kids!” Morris’s family members yelled back, “So was he!”

Sturim chastised Flach for speaking out, and pronounced the maximum sentence, 25 years to life on the charges of second-degree murder, gang assault, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. “You will suffer for your stupidity for years and years and years,” Sturim said.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed in the judge’s decision as to sentence today,” Flach’s attorney, Kevin Dunshee, said after court was adjourned, “as we were disappointed as to the verdict and as to the court’s decision on our 330 motion to set aside that verdict. Tyler’s family is prepared for a long appeal process in this case — we view this as the beginning, not the end. I think what you saw today was a young man who’s filled with remorse for a tragic accident. Tyler is many things. He’s not a murderer. He never intended to

kill anyone.”

Dunshee claimed that there were many issues that were mishandled during the trial, including evidence.

The Morris family said they felt that justice had been achieved with the sentencing. “Khaseen was heard, his innocence was heard, and everyone got to see Tyler Flach for who he really is,” Keyanna Morris, Khaseen’s sister, said after the sentencing. “He tormented communities and finally, sadly, it took my brother’s life for it to be stopped. But I’m happy to say he won’t be able to take another innocent child’s life. Khaseen was everything to us, and it hurt so much,” she added before breaking into tears.

“We needed him to know, not only did he hurt our family, but he hurt communities, two different communities — not only Oceanside, but Freeport, he also hurt Long Beach,” Kedeemah Morris, Khaseen’s other sister, said of Flach. “He chose to do what he did. He chose to get in that car. He chose to bring a knife, he chose to stab my brother. All of those were his decisions, thoughtful decisions. So I refuse to entertain any sob story from Tyler.”

Kedeemah told reporters that throughout the trial, Flach had been walking in smiling, winking and blowing kisses with

his head held high, as if he thought he was going to get away with murder. That’s why, she added, “I’m so happy that the

real story was shown, and his intention was proved, and he got what he deserved.”

Karina Kovac/Herald Khaseen Morris’s sisters, Keyanna and Kedeemah Morris, with District Attorney Anne Donnelly, said justice was served with Tyler Flach’s sentencing to 25 years to life for the murder of their brother.

attorney Kevin dunshee

County maps ‘not perfect,’ but still ‘fair’

New legislative districts approved along partisan lines

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

After dozens of hearings, months of public input and several heated exchanges among Nassau County lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, a final district map drawing out borders for the 19 legislative districts for the next 10 years has finally passed.

All 11 Republicans of the majority voted for the map, while seven Democratic minority members voted in opposition. For those on the wrong side of the vote, it was a disappointing — but inevitable — end to community members and Democratic officials who have been vocal over their claims of partisan gerrymandering.

“Tomorrow morning, students in Nassau County are going to wake up to a snow day,” Democratic legislator Josh Lafazan said ahead of the region’s first real snowfall of the season. “This legislative body is going to wake up to a lawsuit.

“Our constituents lose tonight, and nobody wins.”

Before the evening vote, some members of the community gathered to express final pleas for the Nassau County Legislature to not approve the map. They claim the map fails to include five majority-minority districts, it violates state and federal voting laws, neglects to consider racial demographics, and dilutes minority votes in communities such as Lakeview and Freeport.

In fact, dozens of Lakeview residents turned up at a previous public hearing sharing stories of their fight for equality and fair representation.

The current map places Lakeview — a predominantly Black community of more than 6,200 people — in a district with predominantly white communities likeMalverne, Lynbrook, West Hempstead and East Rockaway.

Scottie Coads said the hearts of her Lakeview neighbor are “hurting” because of this decision.

“I almost went to tears when I saw our hard work being put into a district with Lynbrook and Malverne,” Coads said. “Those people don’t even want us there. They don’t even talk to us.”

Doris Hicks Newkirk, president of the Lakeview NAACP and former educator in the Malverne school district, said she knows of young Black students who have been told to “go back where they came from,” and called racial slurs.

Lisa Ortiz, one of the founding members of the Lakeview Civic Association, talked about how the Malverne district became the first in the state to be forced into desegregation — more than a decade after the national Brown v. Board of Education decision.

For more than 60 years, many representatives of Lakeview and the school district fought to have a street name of a Ku Klux Klan leader removed — only recently accomplishing this feat.

Fast forward to today, the redistricting process is another hurdle the Lakeview community is not backing down on.

“When we think about disenfranchis-

ing — when you think about gerrymandering — you think about making sure that you are silencing a community that has a very, very loud voice,” Ortiz said.

“That’s exactly what you’re doing.”

County legislature minority leader Kevan Abrahams called out his Republican colleagues for choosing secrecy over transparency during the redistricting process, especially when it came to the legal fees for the analysis provided by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP.

“We have the power and the authority tonight to do the right thing,” Abrahams said. “Unfortunately, this map is going to go forward, and this body is choosing to vote for a map that is illegal. None of us want this. I’d rather things get worked out, because ultimately, the lawsuit is

going to cost taxpayers money.”

But presiding officer Richard Nicolello said numerous changes were made to the map to acknowledge this input. He also admitted not every request was addressed in the final proposal, but in the end, the district lines were considered fair and applicable to state and federal laws.

“Did we make every requested change? No. Is this map perfect? No. But perfection is impossible in redistricting,” Nicolello said. “This map is a fair map. It provides for equal representation for all our residents, and protects community interests as much as possible.”

sCOTTie COAds Of Lakeview expresses her anger over countywide district maps at several public hearings before Nassau County lawmakers ahead of them passing a final proposal late last month. For decades, Coads has fought for fair representation in Lakeview, a predominantly Black community placed in a district with Malverne, Lynbrook and East Rockaway.

NAssAU COUNTy LegisLATOR and Democratic minority leader Kevan Abrahams joined his political colleagues voting against a proposed countywide redistricting map last month. The votes weren’t enough, but Abrahams wanted to be on the record for his claims the map represented partisan gerrymandering while violating voting rights protections for minority communities.

Ana Borruto/Herald photos

NAssAU COUNTy LegisLATURe presiding officer Richard Nicolello shared heated exchanges with minority caucus leader Kevan Abrahams over the past few weeks over the new countywide district map. At the final meeting, Nicolello and 10 other Republican majority members voted in favor of their map, admitting that while it is not perfect, it is fair and protects community interests.

STEPPING OUT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

A sweet time awaits at the Surrounded by confections

By Karen Bloom

Smitten by chocolate, and so much more. Temptations await at the Chocolate Expo’s latest edition, ready to entice everyone on March 12.

By Karen Bloom

The popular event is back on Long Island to delight chocoholics at its new location — Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex in Hempstead, for a day-long foodie paradise. More than 80 vendors — representing Long Island, New England and elsewhere, even international purveyors — will share their sweet and savory wares during this unique foodcentric festival.

WHERE WHEN

Pat McGann

The Ugly Duckling

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

• Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Tickets are $20 adult, $15 ages 5-12 or $30 adult, $15 ages 5-12 at door; available from TheChocolateExpo.com

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

• Hofstra University, David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex, Hempstead

Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines power of the arts in society.

Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence. the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April. interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia climate is now, this exhibit could not be more timely than Albert adds. highlights, she points to the series of prints from the Freedoms. Their four large scale photos are based on 1943 oil paintings inspired by President Franklin D. State of the Union address that outlined what he essential four democratic values freedom of speech, worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. For interpreted these iconic works for our era. composition,” Albert says. “From 1940s America, what America is today, our diversity and what we look museum offers additional enhance the exhibit experience. include an artist panel on Feb. 23, the role of the artist as activist, and a Alexandra Giordano, March 16.

Founder Marvin Baum says this year’s event includes many first-time vendors as well as a diversity of offerings — even some for your beloved pooch. As Baum puts it: “People take care of themselves with special treats, so why not let your pet enjoy some, too?

Visitors can celebrate and indulge in gourmet chocolates, baked goods, specialty items, cheeses, wines, spirits, hard ciders, craft sodas, and much more. Of course tasting is very much a part of it all — starting from the moment you enter. Guests are greeted by fountains overflowing with dark, white and milk chocolates, in which a selection of fresh fruit, marshmallows pretzels and Rice Krispies treats can be deliciously drenched.

“When you go to these festivals, you remember something you tried that you can’t get elsewhere,” Baum says. “That’s what we try to do with this.”

Participating chocolatiers offer chocolate bonbons, chocolate bars,

raw chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate fudge, chocolate novelties, chocolate barks and chocolate-covered goodies, chocolatecovered soft pretzels, even chocolatecovered bacon. Cupcakes, brownies, doughnuts, and assorted cakes are showcased along with other gluten-free offerings and other baked goods, while hot cocoa, wine, and hard ciders, and even chocolate moonshine, will be among the craft beverages available for tasting and purchase.

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

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

Lightwire Theater brings a classic tale to the modern stage. Since bursting to national acclaim after appearing as semi-finalists on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and winning the top honors on truTV’s ‘Fake Off,’ Lightwire has gone on to enthrall audiences worldwide with their unique combination of skill and grace as told through the technological innovations of moving light characters. In this unforgettable theatrical experience — created with electroluminescent wire — the beloved story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ plays out through a cutting-edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance. Ideally suited to kids through Grade 6, all ages will enjoy this innovative re-imagining of the beloved tale, with its dazzling visuals, poignant choreography and creative use of music ranging from classical to pop.

Saturday, March 11, 11 a.m. $28. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Yarn/Wire

“We’re really excited to be here,” Baum says, noting that his chocolate-fest has emerged from the pandemic renewed and reinvigorated. “We love to work with local vendors and support new businesses by introducing people to them.”

These include: The Best Goody Bag, a Valley Stream baker of custom birthday cakes and other birthday-related treats; Peace Love & Hot Chocolate, a purveyor of gourmet hot chocolate kits, based in Island Park; Uncle Jeff’s Pecan Pies, a Wantagh baker, who’s all about pie — pecan pie that defies imagination; and West Hempstead’s Sunflower Bake Shop, which specializes in kosher and vegan baked goods.

If your palate reaches sensory overload, take a break for a while and check out some of the many activities that round out the day. Magician Eric Wilzig, of “America’s Got Talent” fame, performs two high-energy “extreme” magic shows on the Expo stage. Actor Paris Themmen — who starred as Mike TeeVee in the original “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” film — is on the scene to greet guests from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., plus he does an interview noon, followed by audience Q&A.

Also appearing is chef Francis Legge, a winner of Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and a contestant on Netflix’s “Snack vs. Chef,” who will do an on-stage demonstration, while Long Island’s DJ Chef, who won Food Network’s “Cuthroat Kitchen,” does his “Beats & Sweets Interactive Cooking Show,” combining his passions for food and music. Kids will enjoy face painting and balloon twisting activities in the Kidz Zone, along with chocolate-themed crafts.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions and performances that have made a significant contribution to the canon of experimental works. The quartet features founding member Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer on piano and Russell Greenberg, also a founding member, and Sae Hashimoto playing percussion. Barger is a frequent guest with many top American contemporary ensembles. French-American Den Boer performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Greenberg is in demand with varied ensembles. Hashimoto, the newest member, contributes a unique approach to performance cultivated by her intensive classical training .

Friday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. $30 with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

The Sicilian Tenors

The Sicilian Tenors bring their dynamic sound to Tilles Center, ready to put their spin on the classics, and so much more. The three classically trained tenors sing their own interpretations of some of the world’s best music in this lively evening. It’s a journey from Hollywood to Broadway to Italy as these operatic voices perform a wide selection of beloved songs. Combined with light-hearted fun, Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio and Sam Vitale put on an appealing show for everyone — all ages and musical tastes. They are a fresh and accessible take on the great Italian musical tradition. Always in demand, their special blend of classic opera and Broadway hits, along with Rat Pack-type shenanigans is a consistent crowdpleaser.

Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m. $52, $42, $32. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

Photos courtesy Chuck Fishman Take your pick. This year’s Chocolate Expo is a showcase of scrumptious bites.

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

Courtesy Hofstra Universally Museum of Art Rockwell’s celebrated ‘Four Freedoms’ are reinHank Willis Thomas and Emily Shur in Gottesman and the Wyatt Gallery.

Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Thomas, ‘Lives of Others,’ 2014, made resin and standing 57 inches tall

THE SCENE

March 11 StepCrew

StepCrew brings their Celtic flair to the Adelphi University

Performing Arts Center stage, Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. The talented cast is led by Long Island’s Cara Butler and the Pilatzke Brothers, Jon and Nathan, longtime touring members of the acclaimed The Chieftains. The StepCrew boasts Celtic and World music from three world-class fiddle players backed by a five-piece ensemble, featuring three dance styles — Irish, Tap, and Ottawa Valley step dance. Tickets start at $55, with discounts available to seniors, students, Adelphi alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 8774000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

Hula hoop class

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.

Island Park Kiwanis Club meeting

Learn more about the Island Park Kiwanis Club at their next meeting, Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 p.m., at the Island Park Public Library, 176 Long Beach Road.

Granny’s Attic sale

Nile

The singer-songwriter visits the Landmark stage, Saturday, April 1, 8 p.m. Nestled somewhere between power-pop and American folk you will find Willie Nile strumming his guitar. A true believer in rock n’ roll, over the years Nile has made admirers out of Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend who personally requested him to tour with The Who, among others who sing his praises. The New York Times called him “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years.” Nile shares the stage with James Maddock; their pairing results in an exciting evening of roots rock. $42, $36, $31. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Join Oceanside Library and instructor Jamy, every Tuesday, at the Schoolhouse Green at School No. 6 on Foxhurst Road, for a fun workout. Jamy will walk you through the workout which has been proven to have healthy benefits for your body, mind and soul. Register online

Browse among all sorts of items at bargain prices at Temple Avodah Sisterhood Granny’s Attic sale, Sunday, March 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. New and gently used toys and children’s books, sporting goods, tools and hardware, collectibles, linens, small furniture, knitting and craft supplies plus unique boutique items are available, in Temple Avodah Annex, 3050 Oceanside Road. Shoppers are required to wear masks.

Willie

St. Patrick’s Day Parking Lot Palooza

Experience the first ever EGP Land and Sea St. Patrick’s Day Parking Lot Palooza, Friday, March 17, 7 to 10 p.m., With bull riding, live music, good food and a cash bar, and other games. Call (516) 544-2879 to reserve a spot.

Monthly Oceanside

Chamber of Commerce meeting

Network with other business and community leaders through the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting, Thursday, March 16, 6:30 p.m, at VFW Post 5199 in Oceanside.

Saturday Symposium Expo

All hail the queens

Rhonda Denét returns to Island Park Library to celebrate the music of Aretha Franklin, performing some of her most successful hits, Saturday, March 11, 2 to 3 p.m. She will also touch upon the work of other legendary vocalists, including Donna Summer and Chaka Kahn. Register online on the library’s website, 176 Long Beach Road.

Breastfeeding Support Group

March 15

In concert

Singer-songwriters Kala Farnham and Lara Herscovitch share the bill and swap songs during the monthly Hard Luck Café series, co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre, Wednesday, March 15 , 7-10 p.m. An open mic precedes the concert, in Cinema’s Sky Room, 423 Park Ave., Huntington. $20. For tickets and information, visit CinemaArtsCentre.org.

‘Forever Plaid’

Plaza Theatrical is ready to spring forward with “Forever Plaid,” an affectionate musical homage to the close harmony guy groups that reached the height of their popularity during the ‘50s, Saturday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 19, 2:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 23, 2 p.m. The show features such hits as “Three Coins in a Fountain,” “Heart and Soul,” “Catch a Falling Star,” and “Love is A Many Splendored Thing.” It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $49, $45 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

March 18

Oceanside School District’s Parent University presents Saturday Symposium Expo, Saturday, March 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The expo will be held at the Oceanside High School, 3160 Skillman Ave. The keynote speaker is Devorah Heitner, author of “Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World,” with informational booths run by various community based organizations.

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year). Registration required. Call Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 or visit CHSLI.org. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre.

Having an event?

A night at the races

Oaks School No. 3 presents Parent Night Out with “A Night at the Races,” Thursday, March 9, 6 to 10 p.m. Dress up for the derby and enjoy racing, games and food. With prizes and raffles, Knights of Columbus, 2985 Kenneth Place, Oceanside. $65. Proceeds support Oceanside students.

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.

Family theater

Everyone’s favorite cat comes to mischievous life in this theatrical adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, presented Plaza Theatrical Productions, Saturday, March 11, 11 a.m.; Sunday, March 12, noon. See what goes on during that rainy day when two siblings are home alone with their pet fish while their parents are out of town, and the tall cat wearing a hat appears. Tickets are $15. Visit the Plaza stage at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore. For information/tickets, go to PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.

Blakeman claims a successful first year

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

It’s been a little more than a year since Bruce Blakeman officially took office as Nassau County executive. Since then, how much has life improved for the nearly 1.4 million people living under his administration?

Significantly. At least according to Blakeman, thanks to his work with the majority party in the Nassau County Legislature. Triumphs Blakeman shared as part of his Feb. 28 State of the County address.

And there was a lot on Blakeman’s plate, after taking over for Laura Curran — not all that could be handled at the county level. Inflation. Catalytic converter theft. Support for local businesses. Bringing Nassau out of the Covid-19 era. And challenging some proposals that had made their way down from Albany.

“Our administration increased the boost (of the) Nassau Main Street grants program by an additional $10 million to support small businesses and keep family-owned businesses in Nassau County,” Blakeman said. He also met with professionals and entrepreneurs from a number of communities to begin work on expanding opportunities “for all people so that every community in every person — Black, white, Asian, Hispanic and Latino — share in our county’s prosperity.”

It is important to invest in local business because Nassau is bigger than 10 states by population, and has a higher gross domestic product than 145 countries, Blakeman said. And there is something in the works that could shake this up even more — the proposed plan to bring a Las Vegas Sands casino to the Nassau Coliseum.

“We are considering this proposal, and I have consistently stated that we would keep an open mind,” Blakeman said. But there are conditions.

“It must be world-class, with a luxury hotel and entertainment component,” he said. “It must bring significant

In HIS StAtE of the County speech on Feb. 28, Nassau executive Bruce Blakeman praised what he described as a successful first year in office, giving credit to law enforcement and the county legislature for working with him on a number of initiatives to help bring some of his campaign promises to fruition.

revenue to the county and surrounding areas, including construction and permanent jobs. And third, it must have the support of the community.”

A cornerstone of the Blakeman administration has been tackling the mass thefts of catalytic converters in Nassau. Some of that concluded in December with “Operation Cat-Track,” partnering with Nassau County Police Department commissioner Patrick Ryder to recover $7 million worth of stolen converters. The operation, Blakeman added, put a significant dent on an organized crime ring responsible for the thefts.

“I especially want to thank Sen. Chuck Schumer for

asking the Department of Justice to help us and send a special response team to mobilize and to help crack down on these thefts,” Blakeman said.

While the Republican executive crossed party lines to praise Schumer, he still had some harsh words for Joe Biden, blaming the president’s border policies for the current fentanyl crisis.

Democrats closer to home — in his county legislature took issue with some of what Blakeman said, specifically where the credit should go for the positive direction in the last year.

“While we got off to a very rocky start when the county executive first took office, there has been some progress,” County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said as part of the Democratic response. “I am glad to report that minority-led proposals have been adopted, including a gas tax holiday, (and) tax relief for eligible seniors and disabled homeowners. And just this Monday, property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.”

However, DeRiggi-Whitton hit Blakeman over the ongoing county tax assessment issue, which remains frozen. Blakeman maintained in the speech that much of the issue with tax assessment is still the fault of the Curran administration, which froze it during the pandemic.

As for fentanyl? DeRiggi-Whitton agreed the crisis must be addressed, but isn’t spending time pointing fingers.

“With fentanyl overdoses posing such a major threat, the Minority Caucus has introduced a law which would require low-cost fentanyl detecting strips to be included in every Narcan kit distributed by a county agency,” she said of the packages used to help save lives of those suffering opioid overdoses.

“Even though we have seen the potential of this approach in towns, cities and states across the United States, there has been no action by the majority on our proposal to date.”

Craft

Kitchen & Tap House

St. Patrick's Week Menu

2023

Beef Barle y Soup 10

Appetizer s

Chef Patrick was influenced as a young man by his Grandmother 's kitchen, and that's where he saw that cooking can feed peoples souls.

Patrick attended and excelled at the culinary schools he attended. His first stop was at Sullivan College. His journey started at the Garden City Hotel, in the La Cote d' dining room with master Chef Patrick Pino, who shaped his philosophy of cooking. Patrick then headed to New York City to expand his culinary repertoire at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. That's where he met Three Star Michelin Chef Gunther Serger Chef Serger instilled in him the elegance of simplicity, artistry of balance and the appreciation of the ingredients. Patrick moved south to Atlanta and worked with renowned chef and author Marcella Hazan who instilled the purity and quality of the products that they used. A short stint with Chef Emeril Lagasse exposed Patrick to southern flares and flavors as well.

Patrick felt he had found his culinary voice and headed home to Long Island. That's when he found local farms and fishermen that worked with sustainable practices. Over the years Patrick has instilled balance in the blends of ingredients in his cuisine, still striving for the fulfillment of his culinary soul. Craft Kitchen & Taphouse are so excited to have Chef Patrick heading to the Lynbrook team. His weekly specials are a "must try" and will be changing the seasonal menu this May, making it a great Spring Summer destination whether you dine inside or out at Craft.

44 Stauder man Avenue • Lynbrook 516-341-0547 • www.CraftLynbrook.com

Irish Nachos

Potato Chips, Cor ned Beef, Sour Cream, Scallions, Swiss Cheese Sauce 15

Kilkenny Ste w Beef, Potatoes & Veggies, Over Egg Noodles 22

Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Cole Slaw, Hand Cut Fries 22

Cor ned Beef & Cabbage Boiled Potatoes 25

Dublin Eggrolls

Cor ned Beef, Cabbage, Swiss Cheese 15

Entrées

She pherd's Pie

Ground Beef, Car rot & Pea Casserole, Topped W/ Mashed Potatoes 22

Done gal Tidbits

Cor ned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Fries 18

Reuben Sandwich

Cor ned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, Russian Dressing, Fries 17

CB Sandwich

Cor ned Beef, Rye Bread, Fries 16

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Oceanside faces off against Long Beach in the Battle of the Bridge event

Life Fits Sailors from Oceanside High School faced off in a friendly basketball game against Long Beach High School in their third annual Life Fit Event. It was a big showing as the dance team, cheerleaders and audience cheered on students as they showcased their dribbling, free-throws, lay-ups and footwork.

Protecting Your Future

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

The Five Steps to an Elder Law Estate Plan

Elder law estate planning provides for (1) your care in the event you become disabled as you age, and who will be in charge of that care, and (2) the passing of your assets on death to whom you want, when you want, the way you want, with the least amount of taxes and legal fees possible. These are the five steps to creating such a plan.

Step One: Understanding the Family Dynamics. Clients often overlook the inestimable value of getting to know the family dynamic. We are firm believers that the social goes first and the legal should serve the social. Too often it is the other way around. Once we understand who’s who and everyone’s interpersonal relations with each other, we are far better able to craft a plan that will work socially as well as legally. The failure to address the social aspects has led to many a plan tearing the family apart.

Step Two: Reviewing the Client’s Assets. IRA’s and other “qualified” assets (i.e. tax deferred) are treated quite differently, on death or disability, from “non-qualified” assets. The determination of the amount and value of all assets, who owns them, and whether they have named beneficiaries are of the utmost importance in planning correctly,

including saving legal fees and taxes.

Step Three: Reviewing Existing Estate Planning Documents. Not having been prepared by an elder law attorney, clients’ documents rarely have adequate provisions to take advantage of the many benefits the law provides for our elderly population. Wills instead of trusts have often been prepared either because the client was considerably younger and a trust was not needed or a trust was needed but the general practice lawyer was unfamiliar with the specifics of preparing a trust.

Step Four: Developing the Elder Law Estate Plan. We are now in a position to determine which persons are best suited to handle your legal, financial and medical affairs on disability or death, what type of plan should be used and how the estate should be distributed — keeping in mind the preservation of harmony in the family.

Step Five: Executing and Maintaining the Plan. Legal documents are explained and executed, assets are retitled and beneficiaries on assets changed in keeping with planning objectives. The client is called in to the law firm every three years to ensure the plan meets the client’s current wishes and conforms with any law changes.

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

ELDER LAW ESTATE PLANNING SINCE 1991 trustlaw.com

Trusts

Bowling fundraiser helps hundreds of pets

The Long Beach Humane Society Kitty Cove held its biggest fundraiser of the year at Maple Lanes in Rockville Centre on Feb. 26, following a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, the Bowling for Kitties fundraiser event raised $7,200 to help rescue, care and find loving forever homes for hundreds of cute and cuddly pets all over Long Island.

Each of the participants enjoyed an evening of bowling with friends and neighbors, while many helped by bidding on more than 40 different raffle baskets.

The raised money will help more than 300 abandoned kittens, cats, and dogs rescued each year by the volunteer-based nonprofit group located in Island Park.

To learn more about the Long Beach Humane Society Kitty Cove, or to find out more about how you can adopt a pet of your own, visit Long-

BeachHumaneSociety.net for more information.

–Daniel Offner

Courtesy Long Beach Humane Society Kitty Cove Long Beach humane Society Kitty Cove director Helen Henry Aloi joins mascot, Annie the kitty cat, in the fun and excitement during the annual Bowling for Kitties fundraiser at Maple Lanes in Rockville Centre.

LISA MIRABILE

President & Founder

Vertigo Media Group

EDUCATION

MARIA P. CONZATTI

Interim President

Nassau Community College

BARBARA J. HOLAHAN

CFO, VP for Financial Affairs & Treasurer

New York Institute of Technology

MARYANNE HYLAND

Dean of the Robert B. Willumstad

School of Business Adelphi University

MAURIE McINNIS

President

Stony Brook University

ENERGY & ELECTRIC

JENNIFER HAYEN

Director of Communications

Long Island Power Authority

MICHELLE D. SOMERS

Marketing Manager

PSEG Long Island

ENTREPRENEURS

JOSEPHINE FITZPATRICK

Nutrition & Weight Loss Specialist

Innovation Weight Loss & Healthy Market

ELLEN PELLEGRINO

Entrepreneur/Movie Producer

Windows on the Lake Beach Club Estate

Age of New Beginnings

MAUREEN TARA NELSON

CEO MTN Matchmaking

GOVERNMENT

LISA M. BLACK

Chief Deputy County Executive Office of the Suffolk County Executive

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

MELANIE BASILE

Chief Growth Officer

The Smilist

DR. MICHELLE A. CHESTER

Senior Director Operations, Occupational Health Services

Northwell Health

DR. GAIL CORREALE

Optometrist

THERESA DILLMAN, DNP (C), MSN, MHA, RN, NE-BC

Associate Executive Director and Chief Nursing Officer Glen Cove Hospital, Northwell Health System

DR. ODETTE R. HALL

Chief Medical Examiner

Suffolk County Office of the Medical Examiner

NITZA KAHALON HASIS

Clinical Director

New Horizon Counseling Center - Valley Stream

STEPHANIE MONTANO M.S., CCC-SLP

CEO & Co-Owner

Theralympic Speech

CHRISTIANA NEOPHYTOU M.S., CCC-SLP

CEO & Co-Owner

Theralympic Speech

REBECCA SANIN

President & CEO

Health & Welfare Council of Long Island

JULIE WEXLER

Director of Business Development

The Bristal Assisted Living

HUMAN RESOURCES

ELIZABETH MARIE SAITTA

Executive Director

SHRM Long Island Chapter

INSURANCE

CATIA ALATI

Vice President

Lockton Companies

LEGAL

PAULA PARRINO, ESQ.

Chief Administrative Officer & Vice President of Operations

Nationwide Court Services, Inc.

STEPHANIE A. CLARK, ESQ.

Lead Attorney

Law Offices of Stephanie A. Clark

ERIKA L. CONTI, ESQ.

Partner Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

DEANNA M. EBLE, ESQ.

Partner Russo Law Group, P.C.

LAUREL R. KRETZING

Partner

Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran LLP

KAREN J. TENENBAUM, ESQ.

Tax Attorney

Tenenbaum Law, P.C.

DINA L. VESPIA, ESQ.

Partner

Cullen and Dykman LLP

NICOLE L. WEINGARTNER

Director of State Government Affairs

Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP

MEDIA

DANA ARSCHIN KRASLOW

2x Emmy-Winning Journalist

Holocaust Storyteller

The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC)

MIMI BISHOP & JACKIE GHEDINE

Co-Founders

Modern Gen X Woman

PEI-SZE CHENG

Emmy® Award-winning reporter

NBC 4 New York’s investigative unit, the I-Team

MUSIC

DR. YEOU-CHENG MA

Executive Director

The Children’s Orchestra Society

NOT-FOR-PROFIT

TERRI ALESSI-MICELI

President & CEO

HIA-LI

ELIZABETH EINHART

Executive Director & Vice President

The Theresa Foundation

THERESA SANDERS

President & CEO

Urban League of Long Island Inc.

TAMMY SEVERINO

President & CEO

Girl Scouts of Suffolk County

STACEY SIKES

Vice President of Government Affairs & Communications Long Island Association

TOURISM

KRISTEN REYNOLDS

President & CEO

Discover Long Island

TRANSPORTATION

SHELLEY LaROSE-ARKEN

Aviation Commissioner

Long Island MacArthur Airport

SPECIAL AWARDS

LEGACY AWARD

MEREDITH WALDNER STERN

President Waldner’s Business Environments

NEXT GENERATION: UNDER 30

KATHLEEN DONNELLY

Senior Associate

Long Island Architecture Studio, DPC

LIANNE WEBB

Miss Long Island 2023

Miss Long Island Pageants

RISING TEEN AWARD

NATALIA SUAZA

Miss Long Island Teen 2023

Miss Long Island Pageants

TRAILBLAZER AWARD

DANI RYLAN KEARNEY

Founder National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL)

MAJOR SPONSORS:

GOLD SPONSOR:

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. CELEBRATE!

Couple have surgery on their own terms

Continued from front page

er way — with a living donor — which D.J. happily signed up to be. The liver transplant surgery was Jan. 24.

Lauren and D.J., who are both 36, have known each other since their Oceanside High School days, and always had a connection, but didn’t pursue a relationship because of their friendship. Sort of like Monica and Chandler of “Friends,” they said.

But eventually the spark ignited, and in their late 20s they began dating. They will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary this summer, and they now live in Baldwin in Lauren’s grandparents’ home, which was a bit of a fixerupper.

Lauren works at an engineering firm in Lynbrook where she manages construction permits. D.J. works around the world as a harbor pilot for Interport Pilots, which takes him away from his family.

When Lauren’s PSC worsened after Donovan’s birth, D.J. couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of being away when she got the three-hour notice she’d need to get to the hospital for a transplant, with him not being able to make it to shore.

Lauren was diagnosed with PSC eight years ago, but was told it was a “very slow problem.” The illness causes the body to constantly attack the bile ducts to the point of scarring, and when a scar closes, it can prevent bile from flowing properly through the liver, which can lead to the loss of liver function. Researchers estimate that five to 16 out of every 100,000 people have PSC.

The Tobys were way down the liver transplant list in January 2022, because although Lauren’s disorder was serious — with a Model For End-Stage Liver Disease, or MELD, score of 14, over twice the normal, as well as jaundice, weight loss and severe itching — it wasn’t serious enough for an immediate transplant.

So, instead of letting fate decide the time and place, they took her off the list a month later, and took destiny into their own hands. A doctor had told them about the living donor option in which a portion of D.J.’s liver would be transplanted to Lauren, and both organs would eventually grow into healthy livers, and D.J. was immediately interested.

“D.J. says it was like a no-brainer decision,” Lauren said of the surgery, but “I found it absolutely terrifying, because we both have this small child, and both parents are undergoing major surgery.

“So it’s obviously, like, a very hard decision to make, but it definitely seemed like the right thing for us.”

And D.J., a former All-American lacrosse player, is in great shape, and another organ, from a deceased donor, will be available to someone else who desperately needs it.

Dr. Robert Brown, the chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at New YorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that having a living donor,

instead of a deceased donor, shortens the recovery period. “For the donors, if they have a laparoscopic donation, they stay in the hospital five to seven days, and for open procedures, a little longer than a week,” Brown explained.

“The amazing thing is that the liver regenerates to full size in both in one to two months,” he said.

35 percent of D.J.’s liver was transplanted to Lauren on a Tuesday, and he was sent home on a Saturday. They will both will make a full recovery in a few months’ time, but now they are dealing with restless nights as their organs settle back into place.

Having a “piece” of her spouse in her 24/7 is a warm and fuzzy feeling for Lauren. “I love that a piece of him is in me,” she said. “It just, like, makes us more connected than we were before. I feel like it all sounds very cheesy, but it’s true.”

“I’m limited, but I’m pretty mobile,” D.J. said. “They encourage you to walk and just do daily tasks, no heavy lifting, because the easiest way to get back to normal self is just doing normal things.”

The transplant will give Lauren a type of reset, her doctor told her, as if she hadn’t been sick in the first place. That’s a comfortable feeling, considering that PSC currently has no therapeutic drug available.

The Tobys said the peace of mind is well worth what they went through, and there’s no more worrying about who

How to start the living donor process

“Prospective donors can call our office and are given a questionnaire,” said Dr. Robert Brown.

“The next step is checking blood type — which needs to be compatible — and some blood tests. Then they’ll meet the entire team and start the process.”

To contact the medical center for kidney and pancreas transplant programs call (516) 746-3099.

For pediatric kidney transplantation, call (646) 962-4324.

would raise Donovan if Lauren were sick all the time.

“We’re so, so lucky that this was an opportunity for us, and obviously I’m so lucky to have a husband willing to do it,” she said.

D.J. added that he can now “go fishing whenever I want.”

Lauren described planning the operation as if she were planning the worst wedding ever.

But the doctors helped from start to finish. “It was really amazing how, like, seamless the whole operation is,” she said.

“You realize that you’re going to one of the best hospitals in the country — like you realize this is why we live in New York,” D.J. said. “Because you have

The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation is (212) 746-2127.

And for the Heart Failure and Transplantation Center, call (646) 9625555.

NewYork Presbyterian is an international leader in the transplantation of organ including the heart, lung, liver, kidney intestine and pancreas. It has performed the most transplant surgeries in the United States, with programs existing for decades.

the best health care — this is why you pay the high taxes and put up with traffic, so you can have the best doctors in the world.”

Since Lauren’s PSC is still being researched, she said she’s always looking for some type of meaning in the ordeal.

But coming out of the surgery and being able to relax and finally spend quality time with her family, she said, has helped her find that meaning.

“D.J. gave me a piece of his liver — like, this horrible thing became this very beautiful act of love,” she said, “and the whole thing was very, like, moving for me, because I’ve never had anyone show love to me in quite the same way.”

Courtesy New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center d.J. and Lauren Toby after their living organ transplant at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The couple, saved by love and blood type compatibility, will no longer have lingering ‘what if’ questions about Lauren’s PSC turning into cancer.

Coach Realtors merges with Howard Hanna

STAFF REPORT

Two family-owned real estate firms that opened their doors in the 1950s with eyes to serve their immediate neighbors are now joining forces some 70 years later.

Coach Realtors — based in Northport, but with offices across Long Island — has merged with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services out of Pittsburgh. The partnership of “two industry powerhouses” will “transform into even more amazing opportunities for our agents and clients,” said Howard “Hoby” Hanna IV, president of Howard Hanna, in a release.

“Our combined strength, talents and resources will be such an advantage in the industry.”

Howard Hanna first opened in Pittsburgh in 1957, not long after Coach Realtors set up shop in 1954. For Coach, that start began with a friendship founded during World War II that became a business partnership, according to the company’s history.

Since then, however, the two homegrown firms have expanded to become heavy hitters in the national real estate

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

market. Howard Hanna has grown its presence in New York over the last seven years, and describes itself as the largest real estate firm in the state, based on units sold.

“We are thrilled to joined forces with Howard Hanna,” said Whitney Finn LaCosta, broker and owner of Coach Realtors, in a release. “We’re still the same Coach Realtors people have come to know and love, and you can expect the same topquality service from our team. We just have a stronger real estate network for our clients now.”

As part of the merger, Coach Realtors will retain its existing leadership and direction, with Finn LaCosta becoming chief executive of the newly combined Howard Hannah | Coach Realtors.

Coach agents gain an expanded referral network across 13 states, and will grow the overall network to more than 15,000 agents and staff members.

“This partnership allows us to take Coach Realtors to the next level,” LaCosta said. “I’m looking forward to working with Howard Hanna and continuing our legacy of excellence.”

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE CSFB MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2004-CF2, Plaintiff, vs. ALAN MICHAEL BAER, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 16, 2022, 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 March 21, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 103 Knight Street, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54, Block 452 and Lot 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $285,512.03 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 004462/2009. 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. David Lieser, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 137330

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR VCC 2020MC1 TRUST, Plaintiff against 3876 CARREL LLC, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., Woodbridge Corporation Plaza, 485B Route 1 South, Suite 330, Iselin, NJ 08830. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 19, 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 March 21, 2023 at

2:30 PM. Premises known as 3876 Carrel Boulevard, Oceanside, NY 11572-5917. Sec 60 Block 78 Lot 6. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $815,856.61 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 606288/2021. During the COVID-19 health emergency, Bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the 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. Should a bidder fail to comply, the Referee may refuse to accept any bid, cancel the closing and hold the bidder in default. 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. 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.”

Jennifer Ettenger, Esq., Referee NY202000000739-1 137321

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF LODGE SERIES IV TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. ADAM W. KRIEGER A/K/A ADAM KRIEGER, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 28, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 28, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 402 Hull Street, 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 54, Block 505 and Lot 11. Approximate amount of judgment is $479,051.80 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607108/2018. 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.

John G. Kennedy, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 192935-2 137529

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 3/15/23 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. 168/23. OCEANSIDEMatthew Miller, Renewal of grant to maintain 2family dwelling., N/W cor. Faller St. & Weidner Ave., a/k/a 3380 Weidner Ave.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAUThe Bank of New York Mellon as Trustee for CIT Mortgage Loan Trust 2007-1, PlaintiffAGAINSTSantiago Ramirez; et al., Defendant(s)Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 18, 2017 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, New York, 11501 on April 3, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 3068 Morrow Road, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 43 Block 350 Lots 53 and 54. Approximate amount of judgment $591,771.36 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 006490/2015. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”Keith P. Brown, Esq., RefereeLOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLCAttorney(s) for the Plaintiff175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624(877) 430-4792Dat ed: February 8, 2023137649

137670

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 195/23. - 197/23. OCEANSIDE - Marcos Benzaquen, Maintain accessory structure (shed) with less than required side & rear yard setbacks & with lot area occupied variance; Variances, lot area occupied, side yard, rear yard, maintain wood deck attached to dwelling; Maintain 12’ high living fence forward of the dwelling on River Ave. & Pearl St. which may substantially obstruct line of sight & also located within clear site triangle., N/W cor. River Ave. & Pearl St., a/k/a 2840 River Ave., ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Oceanside 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.

137802

Courtesy Howard Hanna | Coach Realtors LuxuRy REAL ESTATE firm Coach Realtors has merged with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services out of Pittsburgh to create an expanded real estate footprint across New York state.

Howard ‘Hoby’ Hanna IV, at right, is the president of Howard Hanna, welcoming Coach’s leadership team of ancillary services vice president Robert LaCosta, operating officer L.P. Finn, and broker/owner Whitney LaCosta.

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING, AR/AP

Do you have accounting, bookkeeping, or AR/AP experience? Are you tired of being retired, or need a few days a week to keep your mind occupied? If so, please send us a quick email and we will call you to discuss more details. We are a Customs Broker looking for someone who can support our everyday accounting needs and who doesn’t necessarily need or want to work every day. We look forward to talking with you!!! Email: Jobs@agraservices.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FT: RVC. Administrative Work, Answering Phones, Computer Skills – Microsoft, Excel, Outlook, Financial background helpful. No Health Beneifts. 516-763-9700 frances.difede@lpl.com

AUTO TECHNICIAN FT

Experienced And Reliable. NYSI A Plus. Busy Merrick Shop. Call 516-781-5641

AUTO TECHNICIAN WANTED

Gregoris Subaru, Valley Stream

Experience Needed, Own Tools NYSI License Necessary

All Skill Levels Welcome Salary Commensurate With Exp. Health Benefits, Union Call Steve H 516-872-9755 Ext.1 Email Steveh@gregorismotors.com

BOOKKEEPER P/T EXPERIENCED

5-10 Hours Per Week. Handle Real Estate

Property Management, Personal Finances. Computer Skills Necessary. Can Work From Home Or Office. Lawrence. Call 516-375-9642

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

Clinical Research Specialist sought by Mindful Care Ltd dba Mindful Urgent Care for West Hempstead, NY to manage & oversee the dvlpmt, implmtn & evaluation of a sleep study. Must have a Bach Deg in Biology, Health Sciences or Medical Technology + 1 yr exp in Clinical Research + special skills: RedCap, SPSS, CITI certification. Resumes to: Tamir Aldad, 510 Hempstead Turnpike, #203, West Hempstead, NY 11552. No calls.

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available!

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

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WANTED

Will Certify And Train HS Diploma NYS License Clean 3 Years Call 516-731-3000

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

INVESTIGATOR

Skip Tracer, Asset Locator. 3Yrs. Experience. Bi-lingual A Plus. Work From Home. mgal2@verizon.net 516-868-9888

MOTOR VEHICLE CLERK

FT

Valley Stream Subaru Seeking Conscientious, Organized, Computer Literate. Reliable Individual. Will Train If Needed. Family Run Business With Small, Friendly Office Staff. Salary, 401K, Benefits. Ask For Richard Or Therese 516-825-8700

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships.

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required.

HomesHERALD

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

Lido Beach

New Construction

The architect planned one thing, and the plumber did another

Q. My basement is being finished, and we’re adding a bathroom with a shower. Our plumber just left, and I’m bewildered by the way things are going. The plumber says we passed the inspection, but we’re concerned that he persuaded us to move the door, and all of the fixtures are different than the plans show. Our architect lined up the toilet, the sink and the shower in a row so we could use just one “plumbing wall” for all the pipes, but the plumber moved the shower to a different wall, which left nothing but empty space in the corner beside the toilet. Then the plumber ran flexible hot and cold tubing along the ceiling, so now we have to add a drop-down ceiling around the pipes. Is this acceptable and normal to do, and why did the work pass inspection if it didn’t follow our plans? We spent a lot of time discussing and planning where everything would go with our architect, and now we wonder who’s in charge if it passes inspection.

Stunning brand-new Colonial. This grand home features a large living room, granite kitchen and baths, den with fireplace, sliding doors to a huge deck, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, master suite with a double shower and tub along with large closets. There are hardwood floors throughout, central air, central vacuum and water heater on demand. You will love the 2-car garage, in-ground sprinklers, fenced yard and plenty of storage. This beauty is close to beach, school, shopping. It is a must see! Asking $1,350,000.

Mazal Amram, Licensed Associate Broker Cell: (516) 782-6331

Office: (516) 889-6677

Email: jamram123@aol.com

Topper Realty 84 East Park Avenue Long Beach, NY 11561

A. You ultimately have the last word on what you accept. I always tell clients that we play by the Golden Rule in construction. The Golden Rule used to mean, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It now means that he (or she) who has the gold rules.

OPEN HOUSES SUNday, 3/12/23 HEWLETT

1267 Peninsula Blvd, 2:00-3:30, NEW TO MARKET! 5 BR, 2 Bth Exp Cape in SD#14

(Hewlett-Woodmere) Living Room, DR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK & Bths. Det 1.5 Gar & Driveway for 4/5 Cars. HW Floors. Gas Heat. Near LIRR, Shops, Trans & Schools.

A Steal!

$599,000

257 Willard Dr, 12-1:30, Spacious 5 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch With Open Layout.Main Floor Mstr Ste Plus Potential Mstr Ste on 2nd Flr. LR/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sundrenched Family Rm w/ Doors to Deck. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. Loads of Updates!! SD#20 (Lynbrook) No Flood

Insurance Req. MUST SEE THIS! REDUCED!! $1,025,000

1193 E. Broadway # M23, BA, NEW TO MARKET! Move Right Into This Stunning

Gut Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Garden Town. Gourmet Kit W/Thermdore St Steel

Appl Opens Into DR & LR. Primary BR w/Bth Plus Spac 2nd BR. W/D in Unit. New Self Controlled CAC. Oak Flrs, LED Lights. Near LIRR. Parking Avail. SD#14. You Don't Want to

Miss This

$379,000

1608 Ridgeway Dr, BA, Move Right Into This Completely Gut Renovated 4 BR, 3.5 Bth

Col on 1/4 Acre Prop. New Kosher EIK, FDR, LR w/ Fpl, Den & Enclosed Porch. Radiant

Heated Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!! SD#20 DRASTIC REDUCTION! MOTIVATED SELLER! $1,399,000 ALSO FOR RENT $6,500 per month

1534 Broadway #103, BA, Magnificent New Renovation! One of a Kind Ranch Style

Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall Condominium with Doorman & Elevator. Just Move into This Gut Rvated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout.Large Designer Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm.Master BR Boasts Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet.

Terrace Faces

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

As long as you haven’t paid yet, you still have some authority. Once you pay, the issue becomes unclear, since paying is a demonstration of satisfaction, and it’s hard to show you were dissatisfied when someone else, like a judge, has to determine if you really just changed your mind but were once satisfied. Situations like yours prompted me to put a clause in my agreements that often seems questionable to prospective customers. I write that I am not responsible for deviations from the plans by the contractor, subcontractor, plumber, electrician or any other party hired by the owner, of it they cut through building components and cause damage.

Many people are naïve to the fact that the workers you hire often deviate from the plans. The building owner really believes that people follow the plans. Sadly, the plans prepared by a design professional, architect or engineer are carefully scrutinized by building officials before a permit is granted, only to be ignored when the plans are then not followed and the inspection in the field passes.

Most of the officials I speak to would never consciously let that happen, but at least three or four times a week, work passes an inspection when the plans don’t match. What should happen is that the owner should be communicated with about any change, and instead of fearing extra cost to get the architect or engineer involved, should pick up the phone, text or email to get the issue resolved quickly. You need to speak up, immediately, to take care of this before moving on. 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.

HomesHERALD

Results t hat Move You

HELPING YOU ON YOUR REAL ESTATE JOURNEY

Rob Kolb Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Tripodi Shemtov Team

Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30 West Park

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate

RETIRED NYC EMS fire lieutenant selling quarter to half acre lots in Palm Coast Florida. We pay closing costs. We have a travel program to buy call 1-386-437-7058

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 257 WILLARD Dr RE-

DUCED!! Spacious 5 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch

With Open Layout.Main Floor Mstr Ste Plus Potential Mstr Ste on 2nd Flr.LR/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sundrenched Family Rm w/ Doors to Deck. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. Loads of Updates!! SD#20(Lynbrook)No Flood Insurance Req. MUST SEE THIS!..$1,025,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman

516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA, 1534 Broadway #103,

REDUCED AND MOTIVATED! Magnificent New Renovation! One of a Kind Ranch

Style Living in Luxurious Jonathan Hall

Condominium with Doorman & Elevator.

Just Move into This Gut Renovated, Spacious 2 BR, 2 Bath Apt with Open Layout.Large Designer Eat in Kitchen with Sep Pantry & Laundry Rm.Master BR Boasts Gorgeous Bth & Walk in Closet. Terrace

Faces into Courtyard and the Garage

Parking is Incl..$699,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA, 1608 Ridgeway Dr, Drastic Reduction! Move Right Into This Completely Gut Renovated 4 BR, 3.5 Bth Col on 1/4 Acre Prop. New Kosher EIK, FDR, LR w/ Fpl, Den & Enclosed Porch. Radiant Htd Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!! SD#20...$1,469,000 RENTAL

$6500 PER MONTH Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

House For Sale

POINT LOOKOUT: WATERFRONTLARGEST Selection of Beach Homes, Sale/ Rent. Our Home Listings Sell FA$T! VIDEOS. HUG R.E. 516-431-8000 www.hugrealestate.com

Apartments For Rent

CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For One Bedroom When Available.

(516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/

(516)582-9978

Vacation Rentals/Prop

Apartments For Rent

EAST ELMONT: 1 BR Cottage, New Carpets/ Flooring. No Smoking/ Pets. $1400 Plus Utilities. 516-437-7608

WEST HEMPSTEAD: SPACIOUS Lower Level, All Included, Separate Entrance, Backyard, EIK, Fbth, Near All/ LIRR. $2100. 917-640-3028

Out Of Town/Real Estate

NINEVEH NY: 25 Acres With Cabin And Bluestone Quarry. Hunting, Farming, Mining. Below Market. Must Sell. $75,000. Ben 347-866-5619, 718-266-9700

MoneyTo Lend

ARE YOU BEHIND $10k OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-869-5361 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST)

Cemetery Plots

CEMETERY PLOT FOR TWO For Sale: Pinelawn Cemetery. Garden Of Normandy North. Price Negotiable. 516-375-1905

This Robin won’t rest until you are in your new NEST!

How’s the market?? Please contact me for your free market report and personalized service!

Robin Reiss Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Cell: 516.510.6484 Office: 516.623.4500 Robin.Reiss@elliman.com

Baldwin $551,000 DeMott Avenue. Ranch. 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. Finished basement. Formal dining room. Den/family room and home office.

Taxes: $11,716

Bellmore $700,000

Farmers Avenue. Colonial. 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Updated eat-in kitchen with quartz countertops and deck off kitchen. Open layout. Fireplace and cathedral ceiling. Updates include 2-zone heat and central air conditioning. Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and skylight.

Taxes: $13,448.12

Cedarhurst $1,200,000

West Broadway. Colonial. 5 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Kosher eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and highend stainless steel appliances, including 2 ranges and 2 dishwashers, and island. Living room with custom built-ins. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Large rooms. Parklike backyard. Central air conditioning.

Taxes: $8,372

East Meadow $700,000

Francis Drive. Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Finished basement. New eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and porcelain flooring. Formal dining room. First floor master bedroom. Updates include windows and ductless air conditioning system.

Taxes: $11,754.12

East Rockaway $710,000

Alden Road. Cape. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen with granite countertops. Formal dining room. Den/family room and home office. First floor bedroom. Security system.

Taxes: $17,764.30

Freeport $760,000

Maryland Avenue. Expanded Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Updated eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Den/family room. First floor master bedroom suite. Convenient location in heart of Sterns Park.

Taxes: $16,524.30

Long Beach $600,000

Lincoln Boulevard. Ranch. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. Updated open-concept eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Den/family room. Many extras, including high hats, crown molding and closet systems. Large rooms. Central air conditioning.

Taxes: $10,661.35

Oceanside $590,000 Bayfield Boulevard. Split Level. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Formal dining room. Den/family room. First floor master bedroom.

Taxes: $17,839.21

Valley Stream $651,000

Todd Road. Expanded Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Partial finished basement. Updated eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances and walk-out to Trex deck. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Large rooms.

Professional landscaping.

Taxes: $11,872.36

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements

THE LONG BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY 226 West Penn St, Long Beach Invites You To Shop Our Antique, Vintage & Treasures Sale Sat., March 18th, Sun., March 19th. 11am-5pm. Exciting Finds Throughout The Museum. For More Information: 516-432-1192.

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

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

FINDS UNDER $100

Finds Under $100

BATHROBE: UNISEX 100% Turkish Cotton, Garden City Hotel Embroidery, One Size. Tags On, $90. 516-320-1906

CRYSTAL STEMWARE (MACY'S). Gorgeous Wine , Water, Champagne. Brand new original boxes $95. 516-225-9191

DINING ROOM FURNITURE wood espresso color $99. (516) 462-2656

DOG CRATE, 24" x 20" x 22" tall, metal tray. $29. call 516-798-2098

Finds Under $100

FIREWOOD SEASONED MAPLE Cut Logs $40 S. Freeport 516 279 7696

FREE PIANO! IN good condition. You just have to transport. Call 516-596-1078

KID'S BEDROOM FURNITURE wood honey color $99. (516) 462-2656

LACROSSE BALLS,100, NEW and used, $70, 516-816-7383

PICTURE FRAMES, ALL shapes & sizes, wood, metal, etc. everything under $6. 516-225-9191

SEARS CRAFTSMAN PUSH Reel Lawnmower (old style), $30, Excellent Condition, 516-816-7383

VINTAGE SUNBEAM MIXMASTER Electric Mixer w/bowls, working, excellent, clean, $55. 516-798-2098.

SERVICES

Cleaning Services

MARINA'S CLEANING SERVICES: Cleaning Homes, Apartments, Condos, Offices. Experienced. FREE Estimates. Serving Long Island. 516-670-7764

Decks

DECKS DECKS Our Only Business COMPOSITES/WOOD Excellent References & Many Photos

516-729-5859

Electricians

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

516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.

Handyman

HANDYMAN Repairs and Installations for the Household. Careful and Reliable and Vaccinated. Licensed and Insured. 30-Year Nassau County Resident.

Home Improvement ROOFING

$59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 888-508-5313

Plumbing

PLUMBER! PLUMBER! PLUMBER! FREE ESTIMATES!

Heating, Repairs, Installations. $25 OFF New Customers. 24 Hour Emergency Response. 516-599-1011

Tree Services

T&M GREENCARE TREE SERVICE

Again! American Residential Warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. 30 DAY RISK FREE/ $100 OFF POPULAR PLANS. 833-398-0526

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

*Tree Removal *Stump Grinding *Pruning *Roof Line Clearing. Residential and Commercial. "We Beat All Competitors' Rates." Lowest Rates. *Senior Discount. Free Estimates. *516-223-4525, 631-586-3800 www.tmgreencare.com

Satellite/TV Equipment

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24. 1-866-595-6967

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 844-947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

Health & Fitness

VIAGRA AND CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 855-413-9574

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

ACURA 2003, 3.2 CLS, 2 door, Silver, Black Interior, 160K Plus. Needs Battery. $1800 516-668-8877 runs great

JEEP 2012 LIBERTY: 79,000, Navy Blue, MUST SELL! As is $7500.00. 516 435 3461

Autos Wanted

***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highest$

Ca$h Paid$. All Years/ Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct + Ca$h. DMV ID#1303199. Call LUKE 516-

The shell game we like to call graduation rates

The good news for the New York State Education Department, and the sobering news for the rest of us, is that state taxpayers remain mostly blinded by educational obfuscations like the high school graduation rate.

The SED released 2022 graduation rates last month, and the percentage of students who collected diplomas on Long Island crept up slightly last year, to 92.6 percent.

Long Island has a higher graduation rate than almost any other region in America.

If we were a state, we would have the highest graduation rate in the nation.

“Wow!” you say.

“Long Island schools are second to none!”

Hold on to your mortarboard.

If the graduation rate helps rank schools and compare graduating classes, why complain? It’s an easy way to see if your high school did better or worse than last year. It also tells you how your school compares with others.

It’s also a remarkably misleading statistic that is sometimes abused for lessthan-ethical purposes.

On the surface, graduation rate is simple, determined by dividing the number of students who graduate by the total number of eligible students. But there are all sorts of inside-baseball statistics — such as cohort graduation vs. on-time graduation — that the Education Department, and superintendents around the state, jumble, mix and match in an effort to figure out how to get more diplomas in the hands of teens.

The statistics themselves aren’t insidious. Numbers are simply tools. It’s the use of the graduation rate to determine school rankings and state funding that makes it so odious. Even worse is what some educators will do to boost the rate.

Ask a high school teacher how many times he or she has been queried by an administrator:

“What does this kid need to graduate?”

“Can we give her extra credit?”

“How many points does he need?”

“He’s worked so hard all year — surely there must be something that can be done.”

It’s a confidence game. Nudge the numbers, appeal to a teacher’s good intentions, and the graduation rate ticks upward.

Floor grades are a neat trick. The

intent of a floor grade — a number that can’t dip below 55 or 45, depending on attendance — is to give students a fighting chance to pass a class.

Consider this scenario without a floor grade: A student fails the first two quarters of a class with abysmal grades of 12 and 15 — more common than you might think — so it becomes statistically impossible to pass for the year. The student realizes this, completely gives up, and becomes a discipline problem.

Giving the student a floor grade means that he or she only has to get a grade of 75 for each of the last two quarters to pass the class. The student sees light at the end of the tunnel, and becomes a model learner.

Alas, crafty students immediately figure out the floor-grade scam. Some students take it as a fall-quarter extension of summer break — while other students bemoan the benefit given to slackers. Floor grades reward laziness and diminish the quality of education needed to graduate.

Floor grades aren’t universally used or required, and there are no state or nationwide regulations. Some schools implement them at the end of the marking peri-

od. A grade of 32 miraculously jumps to 55. Other schools prohibit teachers from uploading any grade below 55 for any assignment. A student who does not a jot of work all of September still gets a 55.

See you on the podium in June, Jimmy!

Then there are credit-recovery programs — kids on Chromebooks after school for a few weeks, punching keys to earn class credits — and summer school. Ask a high school administrator what their summer school pass-fail rate is. Derelict students somehow evolve into scholars in the span of six weeks.

Obviously, not every student slacks, not every teacher fudges and not every administrator nudges. But let’s be honest about loopholes.

Graduation rate can’t measure rigor. Parents largely want their children’s diplomas to mean something more than a number. Graduation rate doesn’t emphasize philosophy, critical thinking or scientific theory.

So, by all means, toast the graduates this spring with a glass of sparkling cider — and a shot of reality. Not all diplomas are equal, and that graduation rate may be hiding some of your high school’s flaws.

Mark Nolan, the editor of the Lynbrook/ East Rockaway and Malverne/West Hempstead Heralds, taught high school English for 11 years.

Writers will tell the story of our times

In honor of National Reading Day on March 2, I reread Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” Setting: America, in its earliest days. The settlers of Salem, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were religious and community-minded, good people who cared for their children and worked desperately to survive in a forbidding environment.

In 1692, these righteous citizens accused, tried and hanged 14 women, five men and two dogs for practicing witchcraft.

offered accounts of teenage girls dancing naked in the woods and reports of broomsticks found high in the trees. Daughters accused mothers and husbands accused wives. Once accused, you either confessed and implicated others, or you were hanged anyway for not telling the truth.

What finally shined a light on that dark summer of 1692, what pried the truth out of the cold foundations of old Salem, was “The Crucible,” Miller’s play, which he wrote more than 250 years after the fact.

RANDI KREISS

Some time ago, I also read Stacy Schiff’s “The Witches: Salem, 1692,” a nonfiction history of the time. It has been noted that no historian has ever fully explained what fever possessed the people of Salem. Even Schiff’s remarkable history does not answer the question of how the community’s paranoia achieved the critical mass that led to hangings.

You know where I’m going with this. We live now in a time of similar groupthink and communal delusion. (They nearly hanged Mike Pence!)

In Massachusetts Bay, “eyewitnesses”

In writing a work of fiction, Miller revealed the true hearts and minds of the accusers, victims and bystanders. He knew them because he knew human nature, and because he was living through a time of another witch hunt: the great Red Scare of the early 1950s.

Miller was one of the artists accused of ties with communism, and in an essay, “Why I wrote ‘The Crucible,’” he wrote, “The play was an act of desperation.” The accusations of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee, Miller wrote, had “paralyzed a whole generation and in a short time dried up the habits of trust and toleration in public discourse.”

He wrote, “In 1948-51, I had the sensation of being trapped inside a perverse work of art … in which it is impossible to make out whether a stairway is going up or down. Practically everyone I knew stood within the conventions of the political left of centre; one or two were Communist party members … I have never been able to believe in the reality of these people being actual or putative traitors any more than I could be, yet others like them were being fired from teaching or jobs in government or large corporations … The surreality of it all never left me … In today’s terms, the country had been delivered into the hands of the radical right … It is always with us, this anxiety, sometimes directed towards foreigners, Jews, Catholics, fluoridated water, aliens in space, masturbation, homosexuality, or the Internal Revenue Department … And if this seems crazy now, it seemed just as crazy then, but openly doubting it could cost you.”

Miller’s play became a metaphor, even a cliché of that era, when friends betrayed friends and people lost jobs and secret accusations could lead to public humiliation and worse. Miller said that he wrote “The Crucible” because it was what a

writer would do to get to the underlying truth of a moment in history. In writing about 1692, he was also writing about 1952.

And now, when we read his play, we are also reading about our time. Once again, America has lost its moorings, and no one can adequately explain or understand 2023, because we are treading water in the midst of it.

We won’t have a bead on our own time until the novelists and playwrights create the fictional works that reveal us to ourselves.

Read “The Crucible” again. It speaks to the currents of evil that can sweep away an entire community: irrational fear of “the other,” jealousy, fundamentalist religion, isolation, political manipulation. Miller was writing about Salem and the Red Scare, but he might as well have been writing about Stalin’s Russia or Pinochet’s Chile, Mao’s China or the Khmer Rouge. Or he might have been writing about America today, about QAnon or DeSantis or Trump or Marjorie Taylor Greene, about book bans and racist attacks and antisemitic resurgences.

It is America in 2023. We have run off the rails, again. We need to wait for the novelists and playwrights to find the truth of this moment and bring it to us.

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

Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, ‘The Crucible,’ could have been written in 2023.

They’re misleading statistics that are sometimes unethically abused.

HERALD

We must keep government transparent

the middle of March is something many of us look forward to, because it means spring is just around the corner. But this coming week, March 12-18, is known as Sunshine Week. Associations, institutions and organizations connected to journalism will celebrate the initiative to promote open government, which was launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors, now the News Leaders Association.

The week coincides with March 16, National Freedom of Information Day, which honors a bill signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, allowing members of the public and journalists access to government information in the interest of keeping our leadership transparent.

States across the country have since enacted similar laws, but why is this important? Why should you care?

Because government information is taxpayer-supported, public information, and it belongs to you. Whether it’s a public school district, a village, a town, a county, the state, or the nation’s highest governing entities, everything said, spent or done there impacts you.

In the midst of the Cold War, with the United States and the Soviet Union locking political horns after World War II, the American government appeared to be suppressing information. That wasn’t going to work for John Moss, a newly elected Republican congressman from California. Moss campaigned for increased transparency, but was continuously rebuffed by a government he viewed as acting secretly. People were fired from their jobs and blacklisted for being com-

letters

Peter King’s return to Washington

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column last week, “At the Capitol, it was almost as if I’d never left”: Mr. King’s “bittersweet” tour of his part-time “home” for 28 years is qualified by an expansive “almost.”

Since his departure in December 2020, we outsiders have seen members of Congress fleeing the Capitol, election-deniers elected, Marjorie Taylor Greene advocating secession and a national divorce, the meretricious McCarthy spectacle, the frantic shunning of George Santos and the Republican Party’s growing angst with its likely nominee. Mr. King apparently did not notice any of this. His visit was a lot like old times, we’re told.

Who knew this would be cause for nostalgia?

BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

munists, many without a shred of real evidence.

Moss championed his caused by hosting hearings as chair of a House subcommittee on government information. Support was nonexistent from the majority GOP, but outside Congress, educators, journalists and scientists strongly supported Moss.

Not surrendering, Moss pushed his Freedom of Information Act for over 10 years until, finally, a fellow Republican, Donald Rumsfeld — then a young representative from Chicago — added his name. The act eventually passed in the House and the Senate, and then landed on the desk of Johnson, a Democrat who opposed some aspects of the bill, especially when it came to classified material. Still, LBJ signed the legislation into law on July 4, 1966, making the supposed greatest democracy on Earth the third country to create such a law.

“I sign this measure with a deep sense of pride that the United States is an open society in which the people’s right to know is cherished and guarded,” Johnson said.

You might live in an incorporated village with a government that includes a board of trustees. You might attend a board meeting at which those trustees vote to spend money to improve a playground. You want to know exactly how that money — your village taxes — will be spent.

You might ask a trustee. Maybe he or she answers your question. Maybe they do not. You want to know more. That is when you can file a Freedom of Information request — the process created by the Free-

dom of Information Act — to obtain that information.

Is it that easy? Usually, yes. Occasionally, however, it becomes a tug-of-war between the government and the party who “FOILs” for the information.

This is what Sunshine Week is about, and why it matters. The information that a government entity possesses does not belong to elected or appointed officials. It belongs to the people they represent.

You.

To promote the message of Sunshine Week, you can write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper — like this one — or help spread the message through social media.

Elected officials, doing their part, could review current public-access laws, introduce legislation to strengthen accessibility to public information, and encourage the training of government employees to help ensure compliance with existing open-record laws.

Grass-roots community organization might organize local forums, sponsor essay contests, or push elected representatives to spotlight the importance of open access to government information.

Teachers can use Sunshine Week to educate students on how government transparency improves their lives and creates stronger communities.

Government transparency was on the mind of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis when he told Harper’s Weekly in 1913 that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Increased openness should be the standard that all government entities strive for. It makes for good governance, and a strong and civil society.

The governor’s misguided affordable-housing plan

It appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul has made a conscious decision to declare political war on Long Island.

In her proposed statewide mandate to increase the number of affordable homes by 800,000 units over the next 10 years, Hochul seeks to override local zoning control that is directed, in large measure, by the people who live there. For Long Island, home rule defines our region just as much as Jones Beach and rush hour traffic on the LIE. Make no mistake: Hochul’s housing plan is taking aim at the Island by imposing a 3 percent increase in affordable housing one way or another.

In an effort to couch it in humanitarian terms, she told the State Legislature, “Housing is a human right.” That’s bold rhetoric, but in truth, there is nothing in the federal or state Constitutions stating that housing is a basic right guaranteed by government. On the other hand, our state Constitution says, “Effective local self-government” is one of the “purposes of the people of the state.” Thus, the governor’s intent to allow the state to override local zoning ordinances is contrary

OK, Santos lied.

to a basic tenet of our governing document.

If citizens in a democracy wish to support initiatives that provide subsidized housing, then government can invest in efforts such as the New York City Housing Authority. With broken elevators, poorly maintained boilers, lurking crime and other assorted issues, however, you have to admit that NYCHA has proven that government-subsidized housing isn’t exactly a panacea. That may help explain why over 30 percent of those renting from NYCHA didn’t pay their rent last year.

Hochul had a near-death political experience last fall, when Long Island did not give her a majority at the polls. There are a number of reasons for the Island’s antipathy toward her, but one was her earlier call to allow illegal two-family homes to become legal. Yet after retreating from blistering bipartisan opposition to that proposal, she has come back with yet another draconian housing “solution,” one driven more by ideology than market forces. Perhaps her call to dismantle local zoning is her punishment for a region where voters found her the lesser candidate.

Nevertheless, in the interest of building a coalition, Hochul has sent Ruth-

Letters

So does everybody in D.C.

To the Editor:

I took offense to Rick Herman’s letter, “Randi takes on George Santos” (Feb. 23-March 1), asserting that 99.9 percent of the “cuckoos” are Republicans — and I guess he forgot to mention that we’re all deplorable and racist.

I feel sorry for Mr. Herman’s grandson, who will be influenced by a grandfather who believes that his views are the only ones that matter, and that someone who has a different opinion needs to be silenced and disparaged.

I’m not defending Santos, but politicians, the media, government agencies and the pharmaceutical companies lie to us on a daily basis, so why would Santos think it was a problem to “enhance” his resume? Thankfully, in his case no one died as a result of his lies. We can’t say that for some other people in Washington.

For weeks there have been articles in the Herald about Santos. Move on, already. There are a lot more important issues going on in this country (and throughout the world) than Santos lying on his resume. Next election, vote him out.

If you want to start kicking politicians out of office for lying, you might as well start closing the buildings in D.C. There

probably will only be a handful of honest ones left.

BARBARA HALL

Formerly of Glen Cove

Hochul’s budget takes aim at smoking

To the Editor:

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2024 Executive Budget includes critical tobacco-control policies that, if passed, will reduce youth tobacco initiation rates and adult smoking rates, thus ensuring a tobacco-free generation. The elimination of flavored tobacco products from retail shelves is a common-sense action that will greatly improve the health of New Yorkers who continue to use tobacco products.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in New York. Every year, approximately 4,300 New Yorkers under 18 become daily smokers, with 80 percent of young smokers starting with a flavored tobacco product. Flavored products, including menthol, are enticing to young smokers, and make it more difficult for them to quit once they are addicted to nicotine.

In addition, menthol tobacco products have been disproportionately marketed to Black communities for decades. As a

Anne Visnauskas, commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, to meet with Long Islanders in the public and private sectors. In 2017, Visnauskas was appointed president and CEO of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, the State of New York Mortgage Agency and the State Affordable Housing Corporation. She previously served as Homes and Community Renewal’s executive deputy commissioner for Housing Development, the Mortgage Insurance Fund, the Office of Community Renewal and the Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services.

All that is fine, Commissioner, but welcome to Long Island.

Just in case you don’t believe our region is specifically targeted in the governor’s public agenda, consider the following. Hochul acknowledges that the majority of communities around the state are already hitting or close to achieving her arbitrary affordable-housing targets — except Long Island. For Nassau and Suffolk, she has set a goal of 38,218 new affordable housing units between 2023 and 2025.

This is not to say Long Island doesn’t have a housing problem. It does. Far too many municipalities here are shutting

down applications for next-generation housing, creating an unforced exodus of young people who will be needed to power the economy, pay the taxes and build the future. But Hochul’s proposed remedy is akin to being held hostage by an Albany now under progressive domination.

If it is passed, it is a certainty that there will be lawsuits, protests and, most important, a response at the voting booths that will jeopardize every elected official who supports the plan. And the political aftershocks will not stop with state and local officials. Much as the issue of crime drove Democrats to cross party lines and vote for Republicans last November, Hochul’s assault on the integrity of local zoning may move Long Island voters to overwhelmingly support the Republican who runs against Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

While Gillibrand seems to need a GPS to even find Long Island, she will be within reach of voters who intend to express their seething anger over a DemocraticProgressive agenda that destroys the integrity of suburban home rule. She will be another politician who ruefully discovers that you “don’t mess with the Island.”

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.

result, the tobacco industry has profited from the creation of generations of longterm nicotine addiction and devastating health consequences.

Now is the time to take action against Big Tobacco’s shrewd and manipulative marketing tactics. I urge the State Legis-

lature to pass the proposed budget and protect young New Yorkers from tobaccorelated death and disease.

MAUREEN KENNEY Division director, American Lung Association Hauppauge

Framework by Tim Baker

Everton Bailey leads the Instrumental Sounds of Praise Youth Ensemble — Hempstead

Hochul’s draconian housing ‘solution’ is driven more by ideology than market forces.

ronaLd J. rosenBerG

If you are someone who values conscious consumption, loves organic, fresh produce, and wants to support the local independently owned business, come meet us! We believe you will love what Wholly Fresh has to

you and our community.

If you are someone who values conscious consumption, loves organic, fresh produce, and wants to support the local independently owned business, come meet us! We believe you will love what Wholly Fresh has to o er you and our community.