Oceanside/Island Park Herald 03-11-2021

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OHS senior pushes for solar ‘land farm’ But that didn’t stop Weissman from pursuing the club’s mission. She wanted to network, and Oceanside High School senior find different ways to further Rebecca Weissman has worked CARE’s environmental goals in to increase environmental the community. That led to a awareness through her school meeting last March with repreclub, Community sentatives of the Activists RecoverS i e r r a C l u b, a ing Earth. nationwide enviThe 90-member ronmental organiorganization has z a t i o n . Je s s i c a the ambitious goal Enzmann, one of of getting a solar the leads for the farm installed on Sier ra Club on the Oceanside landsolar farm projects fill, on Long Beach across the U.S., conRoad across from tacted Weissman the Kohl’s shopand asked if she ping center, which would be interested town officials have REBECCA in advocating for mulled since 2018, an Oceanside plan. in an ef for t to WEIssMAN “I was immediexpand renewable Senior, Oceanside ately sold,” Weissenerg y on Long High School man said.

Island.

CARE got to We i s s m a n work spreading founded CARE as a freshman at awareness by drafting a petition OHS in 2017, to stimulate envi- to gather signatures from comronmental awareness in the munity members who support community. The club initially the project. Students sent out addressed plastic and paper pol- emails, made calls and eventuallution, hosting beach cleanups ly got in touch with Hempstead and meeting with government Town Councilman Anthony officials. With the arrival of the D’Esposito. He invited Weissman coronavirus pandemic last to sit in on a virtual town meetMarch, however, all in-person activities were paused.

Continued on page 7

By toM CARRozzA tcarrozza@liherald.com

t

Mike Smollins/Herald

FRANK luIsI, tHE adviser for NCAA college-bound student athletes at Oceanside High School, got vaccinated last Friday as part of a Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital and Nassau County pilot program to inoculate staff from local schools. Denise Corrigan, MSSN’s director of quality management, administered the shot.

‘It’s about relief and hope’

MSSN vaccinates O’side, I.P. schools staff

By MIKE sMollINs msmollins@liherald.com

Moments after rolling up his sleeve to receive the vaccine that he had awaited for months, not even the facemask he was wearing could hide the joy in Frank Luisi’s face.

“Today is about two things — it’s about relief and hope,” he said, “and that’s what this is.”

Luisi, the adviser for NCAA college-bound student

athletes at Oceanside High School, was one of 300 employees of the Oceanside, Island Park, Long Beach and Rockville Centre school districts who were eligible to be inoculated on Friday. The event was the launch of a pilot program at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital to vaccinate teachers and other school staff in Nassau County after a news conference at one of the hospital’s Covid-19 pods in Rockville Centre.

Luisi said he was eligible

to receive the vaccine sooner, but had difficulty making an appointment. He added that he was grateful to the hospital staff and the district for giving him the opportunity, and that his grandchildren eagerly anticipated his being inoculated.

“Cecelia and Julian were so happy that I was going to be able to get it so that I’d be OK and I wouldn’t get sick,” he said. “They were like, ‘Grandpa, now you can come Continued on page 3

his would amplify our efforts to make Oceanside more sustainable and a green community.

Neighbors iN the News I.P. students share the love

Courtesy Island Park Public Schools

The Island Park School District students of the month were, top from left, Ruby Porcelli, Anthony Alonzo-Contreras, Vincent Garone, Liam Fallon and Julia O’Connell, as well as, bottom from left, Gia Mosey, Valentina Boncina, Gianna Hidalgo and Anasia Rodriguez.

I.P. recognizes Students of the Month The Island Park Board of Education recognized the Students of the Month at its Feb. 22 board meeting.

Francis X. He g ar ty Elementary School Principal Cynthia Cameron and Lincoln Orens Middle School P r i n c i p a l D r. B r u c e H o f f m a n announced each honoree and read remarks shared by their teachers.

The recipients included Ruby Porcelli (kindergarten), Anthony Alonzo-

C o n t r e r a s ( f i r s t g r a d e ) , Vi n c e n t Garone (second grade), Liam Fallon (third grade), Julia O’Connell (fourth grade), Gia Mosey (fifth grade), Valentina Boncina (sixth grade), Gianna Hidalgo (seventh grade) and Anasia Rodriguez (eighth grade).

Lincoln Orens Middle School recently celebrated P.S. I Love You Day with activities that promoted kindness, wellness and positive actions.

The week leading up to the event emphasized mental health awareness with different themes and announcements. Topics included self-care, mindfulness and other positive coping strategies.

In collaboration with the building’s mental health staff, Student Council members invited their peers to create a “compliment chain” comprised of paper hearts that display kind sayings and advice.

Another activity took place during

lunch periods and was led by school social worker Allison Janofsky, guidance counselor Andrea Porzelt and school psychologist Courtney Duhning. Students were given purple heart cutouts, on which they wrote positive messages. The final products are displayed on a bulletin board in the guidance area.

P.S. I Love You Day helped to promote a sense of unity among students and staff members and supported the district’s social emotional learning initiatives.

Courtesy Island Park Public Schools; compiled by Mike Smollins

lIncoln orens MIddle School celebrated P.S. I Love You Day with activities and lessons led by the district’s mental health staff members.

Courtesy Island Park Public Schools; compiled by Mike Smollins Courtesy Island Park Public Schools

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021 Mike Smollins/Herald

As Mount sinAi South Nassau staff prepared to administer vaccines to 300 local school staff, including from the Oceanside and Island Park districts, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adhi Sharma said it was a step toward returning to full-time in-person schooling for students.

Staff vaccinations a step toward school return Continued froM front pAge over again.’ I feel so grateful, so happy and so grateful. There’s a lot of people who don’t have it, and I feel very badly for them, but I’m grateful to get it.”

Denise Corrigan, MSSN’s director of quality management, administered the vaccine to Luisi. “We say we’re changing the world one arm at a time,” she said after.

The pilot program aims to vaccinate as many teachers and school staff members as possible to help facilitate a full return to school. It is a joint effort between MSSN and the Nassau County Department of Health. County Executive Laura Curran and the county’s health commissioner, Lawrence Eisenstein, signed off on setting aside specific doses of the vaccine for school staff members. The four school districts were then offered up to 75 appointments to designate to staff members. While the program is set to expand, individual teachers and staff cannot make appointments and must go through their school districts to register.

“We realize that as soon as we can get our teachers vaccinated, that ensures inperson education of all students of Nassau County,” MSSN Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adhi Sharma said. “We have children at home that are either in the hybrid model, or some kids aren’t allowed to go to school at all. A lot of this is because of the difficulties of vaccinating people.”

Among the attendees at Friday’s news conference and vaccination session was Island Park Public Schools Superintendent Vincent Randazzo, who reflected on the difficulties of the past year and expressed his appreciation for the pilot program.

“Our district has come such a long way since last spring, and that’s thanks to our staff,” he said. “This vaccine gives our faculty and staff the reassurance that they need. Over the coming weeks, more students will be allowed back. This program will help us move forward and keep schools staffed so that we can safely move forward.”

Johanna Appel, who teaches thirdthrough fifth-grade technology at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School, was among

the Island Park staff who received the vaccine. She said the past year has been “very hard,” and noted that communicating with colleagues and fostering a feeling of togetherness with students has been more difficult than usual with some learning remotely, others hybrid and others in-person fulltime. The district has given all elementary students the option of returning to fulltime in-person instruction and will soon phase in seventh- and eighth-graders at Lincoln Orens Middle School.

Appel said she felt comfort receiving her first shot.

“I definitely felt instant relief,” she said.

“I feel a lot better and I’m excited to get back to normal, hopefully soon.”

The return to normal inched even closer when a vaccine by Johnson & Johnson was recently approved. Sharma said only 3.9 million doses were distributed around the country, and it likely would not be readily available until April. Sharma added that MSSN plans to create a mobile vaccination bus, which will drive to churches, recreation centers and other places to administer vaccines to seniors and those with mobility issues who have difficulty getting around, or to anyone who has had trouble making an appointment.

The bus, which the hospital was receiving from North Carolina through CARES Act funds that were secured with the help of Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, was initially to be a testing bus, but hospital administrators decided it would be better suited for vaccinations. Sharma said the plan was to have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the bus because it is a oneshot vaccine.

For school staff like Luisi, Friday was a big step toward normalcy, and he said he appreciated how hard teachers have worked to adapt to a new normal.

“At Oceanside, teachers work so hard to help the kids and serve the kids,” he said. “They’ve been serving our kids so sincerely, so passionately, and we have to help the kids get through this so we can have regular learning so they can be as strong as possible.”

A Q&A with Mssn Chief Medical officer dr. Adhi sharma Herald: What is the status of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout at the hospital? sharma: Johnson & Johnson got emergency authorization, and we received our first shipment of the single-dose vaccine. The benefit of it is it’s one dose, so with many patients who have trouble getting around or are in remote areas, they’ll be able to get the single dose.

The ramp up will also allow three manufacturers to make vaccines, and that should increase supply.

Herald: How does it compare to other vaccines when it comes to effectiveness? sharma: Generally speaking, every year with the flu vaccine, the best we could hope for is around 70 percent, but we still encourage people to get that shot.

So this threshold that Pfizer set at 95 percent is fantastic. Moderna is a very similar technology. With Johnson & Johnson, they tested it in South Africa and other countries and tested it later, so they were up against the variants, and so the good news is that there were zero patients in the Johnson & Johnson study that died from Covid and zero that got hospitalized. And that’s the goal of the vaccine.

Herald: How well will the vaccines work against the variants? sharma: It’s too soon to tell. We’ll have to see how these variants behave. Some

of [the vaccines] have shown to be effective against [the variants]. The U.K. variant for one. Israel’s publishing the most in-depth data because they were so quick to get so much of their population vaccinated, they can do huge studies . . . Eighty percent of their cases were U.K. variants, so some of the variants it seems to be very good against.

Herald: Do you have any advice for people after they receive both doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson one? sharma: They should continue to wear masks, be smart and use common sense. What I tell people is, you’re not bullet proof, you’re wearing a bulletproof vest. So you could still get shot, it doesn’t mean you’re Superman. So, if you think about it that way, police officers who wear bullet proof vests, they’re not reckless.

Herald: Do you have any advice for people still wary of getting the vaccine? sharma: There are so many options now. I would hope that they would be encouraged to get one of the three vaccinations, and hopefully they’ll feel safe with that. Our only path to normalcy is through mass vaccination. That’s it. This virus is not going away. What it’s shown us is it’s going to mutate and become other viruses, so the only way we can get back to normal is through vaccination.

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What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

Herald ScHoolS

OMS button project explores themes from WWII-era book

In the novel “Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” which Oceanside Middle School students are reading, 12-year-old Henry Lee’s father makes him wear a button that says, “I am Chinese.” The novel takes place during World War II and centers on the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans to internment camps.

Henry’s father doesn’t want Henry to be mistaken for a Japanese person and treated badly as a result, but Henry faces stereotyping and exclusion anyway. He also loses contact with his friend, Keiko, who is Japanese, and must go to a camp with her family.

“Identity is such an important theme for middle school students,” OMS English teacher Janice Harrington said, according to a district release.

Harrington teamed up with librarian Jeanmarie Johnson to delve into the concept by having students make identity buttons. The idea came from the author himself, after Harrington wrote to him on Instagram requesting suggestions. Johnson, who brought her button-making device to

photos Courtesy Oceanside School District

Oceanside HigH scHOOl students, from left, Samantha Civil, Samantha Santiago and Sophie Stakhov were selected for the prestigious All-Eastern Honors Music performances later this month.

Students hit right notes with All-Eastern selection

www.liherald.com

Three Oceanside High School music students have been selected to perform in the prestigious All-Eastern Virtual Honors Music Ensembles, taking place later this month.

Samantha Civil, who plays the bassoon, will perform with the Symphonic Band, while Sophie Stakhov and Samantha Santiago will sing with the Treble Chorus. This event features

Have a great school story?

NOMINATE

Courtesy Oceanside School District; compiled by Mike Smollins

the top student musical talent from 13 East Coast states in the genres of band, choral, orchestra and jazz.

George Grossman is the chorus teacher and vocal instructor at OHS and Lynne Garcia is the band director.

Courtesy Oceanside School District; compiled by Mike Smollins

Call our editors today 516-569-4000 or email msmollins@liherald.com

Oceanside Middle scHOOl students in Janice Harrington’s class displayed the buttons they’ve made in conjunction with their reading of the novel “Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet. “

Throughout the pandemic, healthcare workers, first responders, grocery and pharmacy personnel, and so many others, have been dedicated to supporting and assisting our community. They are true heroes who deserve our respect, praise and recognition.

As many remain on the front lines in 2021, we invite you to nominate a Hometown Hero to be featured in Herald newspaper editions throughout the year.

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the classroom for the activity, said that the button makers she purchased for the OMS library have been useful in many projects.

Montana Brobston, an eighth-grader in Harrington’s class, used an image featuring blue flowers to represent both her favorite color and the flowers that she has seen at her grandfather’s gravesite. Other aspects of her button reflect her heritage, her family relationships, her interests, hobbies and the concept of herself.

James Healy, who said he likes the character of Henry even though he doesn’t have much in common with him, said he chose a “less is more approach” to his button. He wanted to focus on what matters most to him.

What do characteristics such as hair color and other external traits say about our identities? How much do they really matter? Those are questions that students will continue to explore as they finish reading the novel.

To nominate, go to LIHerald.com/NominateAHero today!

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Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/oceanside ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: oceaneditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 265 E-mail: oceaneditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Oceanside/Island Park Herald USPS 398610, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Oceanside/Island Park Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1 Subscription rates: $50 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $60 for 1 year. Copyright © 2021 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Officials mull converting landfill to solar farm work so well, and we’ll go from there.”

In his Jan. 13 State of the State address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined a $26 billion green-energy plan to increase solar and wind projects, including two offshore wind farms, one of which is slated to connect to the E.F. Barrett Generation Station in Island Park. The wind farms — one roughly 20 miles south of Jones Beach, and the other more than 60 miles east of Montauk Point — would have a total of more than 90 turbines.

The Island Park plant would serve as an interconnection point for the wind farm south of Jones Beach, which would generate 2,500 megawatts of power. The transmission cable connecting the wind farm and the plant would run through Jones Beach, while the cable connecting the turbines off Montauk to Astoria, Queens, would run 200 miles under the Long Island Sound, the governor said.

“This is the largest production of renewable energy by any state in United States history,” Cuomo said at the time.

His overall green-energy plan includes 100 projects, 68 of which are already in the works. They include 52 solar projects, and 13 on-shore and three offshore wind projects. Offshore and land-based wind projects would reduce carbon emissions by almost 16 million metric tons per year, Cuomo said, noting that there would be nearly $26 billion in direct investment and more than 17,000 jobs created.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

Continued from front page ing.

Though Weissman will be going away to college this fall, she said she wants to make sure she leaves having made a lasting impact.

“This would amplify our efforts to make Oceanside more sustainable and a green community,” she said of the solar farm.

Additionally, the plan would create jobs in construction, installation and maintenance of the facility, bringing with it economic benefit to the community.

The Sierra Club website continues to ask for signatures of community members looking to support the plan. The facility would produce 10 megawatts of clean energy and remove 8,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while also cutting greenhouse emissions and bringing in additional revenue for the town. Additionally, the solar farm could reduce carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by 10,000 metric tons annually and bring about $300,000 in revenue for leasing the land.

In December 2018, the Hempstead Town Board awarded Clearview Consultants, of Coram, a $10,000 contract to conduct a costbenefit analysis of the proposed plan.

“Right now the individual commissioners and department heads are reviewing the parcels that were reviewed that are specific to their department,” D’Esposito said.

“So they’re going to report back to us as to what they feel is feasible and what may not

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Hempstead town CounCilman Anthony D’Esposito said the Town Board has hired a firm to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the feasibility of converting the Oceanside landfill into a solar farm.

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March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

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Bringing local sports home every week

Herald sports Kickoff time for Nassau County football

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Are you ready for some Nassau County high school football?

A six-week regular season kicks off Friday night with three games, including Glen Cove at Hewlett, and 46 more teams will be in action this Saturday for the first time since the fall of 2019. Only the top four finishers in each of the four conferences will advance to the playoffs. Here’s a rundown of the 27 south shore teams in the Herald’s coverage area. For schedules, visit www.secviii.org.

Baldwin Bruins

Coached by Steve Carroll, the Bruins’ biggest weapon is senior All-Conference running back/linebacker Trey Parkins.

Seniors Kenny Ojeikere (wideout/cornerback) and Keyon Wingate (running back/ linebacker) are also returning two-way starters. Baldwin is seeded No. 10 in Conference I and opens at Port Washington.

Calhoun Colts

The Colts, coached by Brian Moeller, attempt to rebound from a difficult 2019 behind MVP Ryan Baci, a senior captain and starting defensive end/receiver, senior running back/linebacker Timmy Mack, and senior running back/cornerback Markus Bautista. Calhoun, the No. 11 seed in Conference II, opens at rival Mepham.

Carey Seahawks

The Seahawks are perennial contenders hoping to dethrone four-time defending Conference II champion Garden City, which happens to be their first opponent.

Leading the way for coach Mike Stanley is All-County senior linebacker/running back Anthony DeNicola, senior defensive end/tight end Joseph Todaro, and senior wideout/safety Nick Cowen.

Clarke Rams

Seeded sixth in Conference IV, the Rams and coach Tim O’Malley will lean on the senior leadership and work ethics of linebacker/fullback John Kern, lineman Kevin Henning and running back/linebacker Joe Dieppa to make a playoff push.

They host East Rockaway in the opener.

East Meadow Jets

Back in Conference I as the No. 7 seed, the Jets, coached by Doug Bange, host Herricks in the opener. They feature twoway senior standout Chris Barry, who has 12 touchdowns in his past 12 games, senior running back/defensive end Marc Giraud and senior O-lineman/linebacker Alvaro Lopez-Salinas.

East Rockaway Rocks

The Rocks have their work cut out in Conference IV as the No. 10 seed but have experience at quarterback with senior Jordan Palmer and senior rushers Franklin Infante and Robert Welch. Junior line-

backer Jack Mistretta sparks coach Russ Pajer’s defense. They open at Clarke.

Elmont Spartans

Senior All-County lineman Jason Richardson is the heart and soul of the Spartans, the No. 8 seed in Conference II. They open against Kennedy and return senior Jonathan Maldonado at quarterback.

Coach Jay Hegi is high on senior wideout Ted Phebe and junior running back/linebacker Tyler Myers.

Freeport Red Devils

Coach Russ Cellan’s Red Devils haven’t lost a game since 2017. The two-time defending Nassau and Long Island champs lack experience but not talent.

The Red Devils, who open against Massapequa, will lean on senior cornerback/ wideout Christian Quinn, senior two-way l i n e m a n Wi l dy B a e z a n d s e n i o r linebacker/O-lineman Tyrek Rawls.

Hempstead Tigers

The Tigers, coached by Sylas Pratt, are seeded No. 8 in Conference I. They’re led in the trenches by two-way starting lineman Kevin Garcia and feature a dynamic offensive weapon in senior Donovan Levenir. They hit the road for the opener at Hicksville.

Hewlett Bulldogs

Junior nose guard Jacob Maiorano will set the tone for the coach John Palladino’s Bulldogs, the No. 8 seed in Conference III. The offense will look to establish balance with senior wideout Manny Richards and junior signal-caller Mark Winkler. They host Glen Cove in the opener on Friday night.

Anthony Hughes/Herald

BaLDwIN SENIOR KENNY Ojeikere is a weapon in the passing game.

Kennedy Cougars

Coach John McGuire’s defense will look to set the tone. The Cougars are the No. 12 seed in Conference II and open at Elmont. Senior safety Ryan Draude was their defensive MVP in 2019. Senior twoway lineman John Leone and senior running back/linebacker Zaid Kaileh also play vital roles.

Lawrence Golden Tornadoes

Part of Conference IV for the first time, coach Jason Supple’s squad is aiming for a playoff berth behind senior twoway starters Luke Kirchner (center/linebacker), Mikell Henry (wideout/safety) and Yuri Martinez (lineman.) The fifthseeded Golden Tornadoes open at home against Cold Spring Harbor.

Long Beach Marines

The Marines are rebuilding but coach Scott Martin returns senior safety Izzy Maldonado, who led them in tackles in 2019, as well as senior running back/safety Ryan Buonocore, and senior running back/linebacker Jahmeke Primer. The Continued on next page

Keith O’Reilly/Herald

CaREY’S aNTHONY DENICOLa earned All-County honors as a junior in 2019.

9

Bringing local sports home every week

continued from previous page No. 10 seed in Conference II opens against Valley Stream Central.

Lynbrook Owls

Senior tailback Ethan Hoyte totaled 834 yards and 9 touchdowns in four wins in 2019 and leads their Conference III playoff hopes. Coach Steve LoCicero is also counting on senior quarterback Dante Quilca and senior linebacker/O-lineman Jonathan Rivas.

The Owls open against defending champion Plainedge.

MacArthur Generals

The Generals, who open at South Side, reached the Conference II title game and won 10 straight games in 2019. Senior Andrew Calderon is an All-County lineman, and senior Greg Milau is his partner in crime. Senior Ryan Isom gives coach Bob Fehrenbach a dynamic running back/linebacker.

Malverne Mules

The Mules, who visit Island Trees in their Conference IV opener, feature senior Michael Warren Jr., who had 9 touchdown receptions in 2019. Senior Gerardo Delligatti is a strong two-way lineman, and junior DeAndre Blagrove is a talented running back/linebacker for coach Kito Lockwood.

Mepham Pirates

The production of senior quarterback Billy Kender (13 touchdowns in 2019) will go a long way in determining the success of coach Anthony Cracco’s team. The fifth-seeded Pirates open against rival Calhoun. Additional keys are senior lineman Jack Savalli and senior wideout/cornerback William Molloy.

Oceanside Sailors

The Sailors are the favorites on paper in Conference I and kick off the campaign at Farmingdale. Coach Rob Blount boasts an exciting set of skill position talent led by junior quarterback Charlie McKee, senior tailback/slot receiver Thomas Flavin, and senior running back/linebacker Andres Duran.

Seaford Vikings

The defending Conference IV champs open at North Shore. They’re led by senior All-County linebacker Craig Ackerman, who had 97 tackles and 5 sacks in 2019. Coach Rob Perpall is also counting on senior tight end/defensive end Brendan O’Hagan and senior two-way lineman Nick Luciano.

Sewanhaka Indians

Defensive end/wide receiver Frantz Compere is a leader on and off the field for the Indians, the No. 7 seed in Conference II hosting New Hyde Park in the opener. Coach George Kasimatis has

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

Herald sports Six-game season begins this weekend senior Holy Gaboton anchoring both lines and senior Brian Lowry at running back/ linebacker.

South Side Cyclones

The Cyclones are returning to Conference II after going 16-5 the past two seasons in III. They open against MacArthur.

Coach Phil Onesto has emerging senior quarterback JohnJude Considine, who’ll work behind a line led by senior two-way starters Nick Tesar and Jack Temple.

Uniondale Knights

The Knights bring back their leading tackler, senior linebacker Isaiah Lee, and he’ll set the tone on defense along with senior safety/wideout Nathaniel Moorer.

Coach Phil Coppola’s front lines will be led by junior Deomiee Scales-Melvin.

Seeded ninth in Conference I, they open at Syosset.

V.S. Central Eagles

The Eagles, who open at Long Beach, come off a memorable 2019 season that saw them reach the Conference II semifinals. They’re seeded sixth. Coach Mike Rubino has seniors Dawin Fanor (cornerback), Reese Kaufman (lineman) and Wakeem Jackson (wideout/safety) to keep the momentum going.

V.S. North Spartans

New coach Mike Paolillo looks to get the sixth-seeded Spartans to the Conference III playoffs behind seniors Noah Etame (running back/linebacker) and Peter Mura (lineman), as well as junior wideout/cornerback Andrew Lusterino.

North kicks off the campaign with a trip to Mineola.

Jeff Wilson/Herald

SENIOR THOMAS FLAVIN is part of a dangerous Oceanside offense.

V.S. South Falcons

The Falcons, who visit Bethpage in the opener, are rebuilding. Coach Joe Guastafeste has senior running back/cornerback Yasir Shabazz-Allah, who had 7 touchdowns in 2019, to spearhead the effort along with two-way senior lineman Tyler Van Etten and senior tight end/linebacker Malik Rowe.

Wantagh Warriors

Coach Keith Sachs’s team slides into Conference IV where its seeded No. 2 and opens at Locust Valley. The Warriors will try to overcome their inexperience behind the efforts of senior Joseph Fontana (tight end/defensive tackle) and junior linebackers Liam Casey (over 100 tackles in 2019) and Tyler Martini.

West Hempstead Rams

The Rams, coached by Dom Carre, are seeded No. 8 in Conference IV and open at Friends Academy They return starting quarterback Peter Theodoratos, who’ll lead an offense that includes two-way starters Zadrian Budhoo, a junior running back/safety, and senior Ak Kargbo, a linebacker/fullback.

Keith O’Reilly/Herald

LyNbROOK’S ETHAN HOyTE is among Nassau’s most talented rushers.

March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

10

events and activities

community update Thursday, March 11

Thursday, April 1

Family Baking Program: Irish Soda Bread

Sanitation Meeting Oceanside Sanitation District No. 7 will host its next board meeting at 7 p.m. at sanitation headquarters, 90 Mott Street, in Oceanside. It will also stream

Join the Island Park Library virtually for the family baking program with a special St. Patrick’s Day treat, Irish soda bread.

Video will be available starting March 8, and kits will also be available with all the ingredients you will need. You must register in order to receive a kit. The kit costs $3. The library will call you when the kits are available for pick up. One kit per family. Visit islandparklibrary.org to find the link to the virtual video.

on the district’s YouTube channel.

Saturday, April 24 Drug Take Back Day

Friday, March 12 Virtual Chair Yoga Join Marianne Bochilo for a relaxing session of online chair yoga, from the comfort of your home presented by the Oceanside Library at 12:30 p.m. For more information and the virtual link, visit oceansidelibrary.com.

Monday, March 15 Virtual Tai-Chi and Chi Cong Join the Island Park Library virtually for this program at 10:15 a.m. Register at islandparklibrary.org or call (516) 432-0122.

Grab & Go Craft This week’s craft is an “I’m lucky because” craft kit. Stop by the Island Park Library to pick up a craft. You can also call the library or email iplchildrens@islandparklibrary.org to arrange a pick up time.

Thursday, March 18 Village of Island Park Board Meeting The Village of Island Park hosts its monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 127 Long Beach Road.

For more information or the agenda, visit villageofislandpark.com.

Courtesy Island Park School District

A step toward normalcy Island Park Superintendent of Schools Vincent Randazzo spoke at a news conference on Friday and thanked Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital and Nassau County for helping provide the Covid-19 vaccine to education workers.

Saturday, March 20 Saturday Vinyasa Yoga with Dot Scott Start your weekend off on the right foot and grab a mat and some blocks (use whatever you can around the house for support) and join the Oceanside Library for an online session with Dorothy Scott from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. For more information and the virtual link, visit oceansidelibrary.com.

Monday, March 22 Island Park Board of Education

ing at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Orens MIddle School, 150 Trafalgar Blvd. It will also be streamed online. For information on how to live stream or phone in, visit www.ips.k12.ny.us.

Tuesday, March 23 Play Hooray Videos Watch Molly Mouse from home! Since we can’t meet in person right now, enjoy these 20-minute videos from PlayHooray in your home, at your convenience. Videos will be made available on the Island Park Public Library’s website. Register at islandparklibrary.org or call (516) 432-0122.

Wednesday, March 24 Oceanside Board of Education The Oceanside Board of Education will host its next public meeting at the School No. 6 auditorium at 7:30 p.m. It will also be held virtually on YouTube. To submit questions, email mbarbella@ oceansideschools.org under the Subject Line “Public Meeting” before 5 p.m. the day of the board meeting. The board is also hosting a special meeting on March 3, which will be its third budget workshop.

The Island Park Public Schools Board of Education will host its next board meet-

l l l l l

The Oceanside SAFE Coalition, along with the Oceanside School District and Fourth Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department, will conduct a prescription and over-the-counter drug take back day from noon to 2 p.m. at the front circle of Oceanside High School, 3160 Skillman Ave. The event will enable residents to safely dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications. The drop-off aims to protect the environment and keep families safe while providing a simple and convenient way to do so. All returns are anonymous. Remove the label on any prescription medicines.

This month’s library baking program features a St. Patty’s theme.

MSSN officials are working on securing a mobile vaccination bus.

Make a St. Patrick’s Day-themed craft virtually at the I.P. Library.

The Island Park village board meets March 18.

Local libraries are offering several of virtual activites on their websites.

HAVInG An EVEnT? Items on the Community Update pages 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 msmollins@liherald.com

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News brief Parents of children turning 3 or 4 in 2021 can register them for pre-school at Oceanside schools beginning on March 15 and running through March 26.

A live link for registration will be posted on the Oceanside schools’ website (oceansideschools.org) on March 15.

As parents complete each step in the

registration process, they will be guided with specific instructions on the next steps.

Initial payments will be due on or before May 1.

K i n d e r g a r t e n re g i s t r at i o n h a s already begun. For more information, visit bit.ly/3qcNSvP.

CVS expanding Covid-19 vaccine availability in some Nassau County locations CVS pharmacies are now expanding community access to the Covid-19 vaccine at the following sites within the Heralds’ coverage area: ■ Baldwin ■ Bellmore ■ Cedarhurst ■ East Rockaway ■ Glen Cove ■ Glen Head ■ Hewlett ■ Lynbrook ■ Oceanside ■ Oyster Bay

■ Valley Stream ■ Woodmere All of these sites’ appointments were fully booked on the afternoon of March 5.

For eligibility requirements or to make an appointment, go to https://www.cvs. com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.

The Coliseum vaccination site is scheduled to open later in March and will be located on the lower-level exhibiNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum tion hall. will become a Covid-19 vaccination site, Earlier, Curran had released a stateC o u n t y E xe c u t ive L a u r a C u r r a n ment on the first anniversary of Nasannounced over the weekend. sau’s first confirmed Covid-19 case that “We’re focused on conread: “We remember the tinuing to ramp up our 2,935 precious lives lost [in capacity for vaccination as the county] and look forward more supply is anticipated to to the future with renewed arrive in the coming weeks,” hope. Nassau continues to Curran said in a statement. lead the way among major “All of our residents must New York counties in getting have access to the Covid-19 residents vaccinated, which vaccine, and this iconic site is a very positive signal for gives us the ability to deliver our recovery.” the vaccine rapidly. I would As of Sunday, 22 percent, like to thank the New York or a little more than oneIslanders for so graciously fifth, of Nassau residents sharing their home with the had received at least one dose community, as well as the LAurA currAn of the Covid-19 vaccine, management team at Nassau County executive according to Curran.

Live for helping pave the way She noted, however, that to Nassau’s comeback.”

N a s s a u re s i d e n t s m u s t The Coliseum will be the third major remain vigilant in the fight against the vaccination site opened by Nassau Coun- coronavirus and continue to wear masks ty. The county is already operating sites a n d m a i n t a i n s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g . at Nassau Community College and the “Although we’ve seen a major decline in Yes We Can Community Center in West- cases and hospitalizations since our winbury, in addition to one-day pop-up sites ter peak,” she said, “we’re not out of the in communities of color that have been woods just yet.” most affected by the pandemic.

By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

A

ll of our residents must have access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Let us Know News Brief items including awards, honors, promotions and other tidbits about local residents are welcome.

Photographs may be emailed as well. Deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, week prior to publication.

Send to msmollins@liherald.com

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13

NICE Bus offering purchase option on app

Guest Column

How to have a good conversation

speaking ■ Going on and on without giving the other person a chance to talk. (Yakety, yak, yak, yak)

■ Pontificating. (This is the best way, the moral way, the only way!)

■ Mixing up listening with obeying.

(Why didn’t you listen to me? I told you to do it this way!)

■ Speaking definitively without explaining your position. (This is what must be done, period!)

Listening ■ Listening while multi-tasking. (Checking your phone as you listen.)

■ Responding with “Yes, But” statements. (“Yes, BUT it’s better this way.”)

■ Interrupting with rebuttals. (“I know what you’re saying and it’s ridiculous.”)

■ Rolling your eyes or displaying other disrespectful body language.

Do you identify with any of these conversation breakers? Good, I respect your honesty. You’re more sincere than others who deflect their own behavior by blaming others. “I don’t listen because you give me too many details. I only speak that way because you never listen.”

Though first-rate speaking skills enhance people’s ability to listen, you shouldn’t have to be an award-winning speaker to get someone to listen to you.

Likewise, you shouldn’t have to be a topflight listener to get someone to speak respectfully to you. Good enough is often good enough!

Yet, if you want an extraordinary game of catch in which you’ll both feel energized, enriched, respected and valued, see if you can improve your speaking and listening skills. It’s a great goal to aim for, don’t you think?

Nassau Inter-County Express Bus officials last week announced expanded mobile ticketing with the launch of the Transit app’s fare payment option. Riders can now purchase tickets using Transit app, which combines fare payment with trip planning, real-time tracking and multimodal connections.

More than 40,000 NICE Bus riders use Transit app monthly to plan and track trips. These riders can now purchase their tickets directly in the app by using the “Buy Ticket” button at the bottom of their screens. Users can create a Transit app account and enter their credit card information to purchase a ticket. When boarding, riders display the activated pass to their driver for visual validation.

The new feature was made in partnership with Masabi, developer of the NICE GoMobile payment app. In addition to the Transit app, payment options include NICE GoMobile, MTA MetroCard and cash.

“By enabling riders to plan, track and pay for their trips in one place, NICE Bus is providing customers with reliable and intuitive service at every step of their journey,” said Jack Khzouz, NICE Bus CEO. “This new partnership with Transit will allow us to better connect with ridership while providing data on multimodal ridership demand.”

Courtesy NICE Bus

With NiCE Bus’s Transit app, riders can now buy tickets directly to their phones.

Your LocaL communitY

WantS You!

©2021 Linda Sapadin, Ph.D., psychologist, coach and author specializes in helping people overcome procrastination and debilitating anxiety and fear. Contact her at DrSapadin@aol.com. Visit her websites www.BeatProcrastinationCoach.com and www.PsychWisdom.com.

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Some conversations make you feel terrific. Others, not so much. And it’s not always the topic that’s at fault. It could be how you, or the one you’re speaking to, responds.

Conversation is like a game of catch.

For it to go anywhere, you need to have someone catch the ball and throw it back to you. Similarly, discussion goes nowhere unless you have someone who listens to what you’re saying and responds in a way that keeps the conversation going.

Yes, a good conversation needs a speaker and a listener each doing their part.

And a great one has interesting, enriching content expressed in a respectful manner. You learn something. You teach something. You share something. You enjoy yourself. Your curiosity is piqued. You relish the time you spend together.

The prototype for a great conversation is a couple in love. They make good eye contact. They listen well. They speak enthusiastically. They value what their partner is saying. They feel valued, by their partner. They take pleasure in each other’s company. They find humor in their conversation. When they disagree, they do it respectfully.

The prototype for a poor conversation is what occurs in today’s politics. Pontificating, moralizing, mocking anyone with a different take on the matter. Nobody listens. Nobody learns. Nobody appreciates.

Nobody enjoys. Nobody speaks respectfully. Is it any wonder that Americans with differing political beliefs feel so divided from one another?

If you wish to improve your conversational skills, you need to listen and speak respectfully. Nope, you don’t need to be a starry-eyed lover. But you do need to avoid speaking like political rhetoric that yells at you or denigrates you while trying to pass for conversation.

Here are a few conversational breakers to watch out for:

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March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

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March 11, 2021

focus on

Hearing and Vision

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

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March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

Listen up!

H

Lifelong hearing health starts with you

earing is the gatekeeper to human communication — it is one of the primary ways in which we connect with other people. Those of us who hear clearly probably cannot appreciate how difficult hearing loss can be. It can even lead to isolation and withdrawal from many pleasurable activities.

While not all types of hearing loss are preventable, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing age-related hearing loss and/or noise-induced hearing loss. It’s never too early — or too late — to begin wearing hearing protection around loud noises. And adopting a healthy lifestyle and following your doctor’s advice can go a long way to protecting your hearing health.

Your inner ear contains delicate hair-like cells that are quite sensitive to changes in blood flow. If these cells are damaged, you experience hearing loss. The healthier you are overall, the better you can prevent hearing loss — or preserve the hearing you do have, if you already have hearing loss.

Manage your blood pressure and cardiac health High blood pressure and heart disease can damage the fragile mechanisms that help you hear.

If you have high cholesterol or blood pressure, follow your doctor’s treatment orders to get it under control.

Stop smoking and vaping, and limit drinking Studies definitively show that cigarette smoke — whether directly, secondhand, or even in utero — can have a big impact on a person’s hearing health. Likewise with heavy alcohol use, which can create a toxic environment in the ear. Vaping and hearing loss isn’t as well-studied, but there are anecdotal reports linking it to sudden hearing loss.

Keep diabetes under control Research has shown that people with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss. Just as with high blood pressure, diabetes can damage the cells in your inner ears. Keep your blood sugar under control and follow your doctor’s orders for managing diabetes.

Exercise and practice stress reduction What isn’t exercise helpful for? Exercise improves blood flow and helps your body — and your ear health — in countless ways. Just be careful about loud music while working out and incorrect

weightlifting; both are linked to hearing damage. And because chronic high levels of stress aren’t good for your hearing (or the rest of you), do what you can to keep stress levels under control.

Eat foods high in certain vitamins and minerals Did you know that certain vitamins, especially B12, are vital to good hearing? The same is true of minerals including potassium and magnesium.

Iron-deficiency anemia is also linked to losing your hearing.

Know your family history While knowing your family history won’t directly prevent hearing loss, it will help you know if you’re at elevated risk. Catching it early can reduce your risk of the negative impacts of hearing loss, such as cognitive decline, depression and social isolation.

Be aware of drugs that cause hearing loss Hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription drugs are linked to hearing loss. These ototoxic drugs range from ordinary, over-the-counter medications like aspirin to chemotherapy drugs and IV antibiotics. In some cases, you may be able to take an alternative drug to reduce your risk of drugrelated hearing loss.

Lower your risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) Even if you’re as healthy as an Olympian, you still risk hearing damage if you don’t protect your hearing in noisy environments. Regardless of your age or your hearing status, it’s always a good idea to protect your hearing when you’re going to be exposed to loud sounds.

Noise-induced hearing loss can have many sources. Blasts, like gunfire or fireworks, can cause immediate hearing loss. Less explosive sounds, such as airplane engines, rock concerts, or even high-pitched dentist drills, still cause damage, just more slowly. Either way, the damage is almost always irreversible and cumulative.

One common source of hearing damage you might not even realize? Your earbuds and headphones, especially if you don’t take the right precautions when you listen to music.

Above photo: Hearing loss prevention begins with healthy habits like regular exercise.

Living with hearing loss No need to fear communications breakdowns Hearing loss can seem daunting, with its ability to affect relationships, selfconfidence, physical health, and more. Taking charge of it, however, can go a long way toward keeping you feeling empowered and engaged.

There are many different cues that we receive that help us to understand speech and language. People with normal hearing don’t always receive all the cues, but the English language has enough redundancies that they often get enough cues to correctly identify the message. However some cues are unheard due to the hearing loss.

Increased reliance is then placed on the remaining cues to understand conversation. This becomes more difficult when hearing is compromised and frustration often occurs between family members as everyone struggles to understand the rules of communication.

Instead of getting frustrated, use the following tips to help you communicate more effectively and take your hearing loss in your own hands.

Be an advocate for yourself Others cannot guess what you need.

By hiding a hearing loss you will miss conversation and may respond inappropriately and cause further miscommunication.

Ways to be an advocate: √ Tell others if you are having difficulty understanding. √ If you don’t understand what someone has said ask him or her to rephrase the message, not just repeat it. √ Educate others regarding hearing loss.

Many do not understand why you can hear that they are talking but cannot understand what they are saying. They also don’t know what they can do to help. Ask others to talk more slowly and clearly and not to obstruct their mouths.

Manipulate your environment to your advantage.

Hearing clearly when there is background noise is probably the biggest challenge for people with hearing loss. When

you can, choose quiet listening environments. In a restaurant, request to be seated in a quiet area away from the door and the kitchen. Partitions and low ceilings may be helpful to reduce noise. Also carpet and upholstery may help to reduce echo, which may help you to understand speech more clearly. Good lighting may also be helpful so that you can see the speaker’s face and gestures. √ If you have a good ear, place yourself so that it is facing the speaker. √ Different environments pose unique challenges. Get creative and make each environment work to your strengths. √ When attending a meeting, get an agenda so that you know the topics that will be discussed. This will give you a few key words to work from when listening. √ In a lecture, record the speaker so that you can review the details later if you missed something.

Investigate assistive listening devices.

These devices often allow the listener to receive the sound directly from the source, thereby eliminating background noise. They are often available at many theaters, churches and other public venues and are free to use.

You may also purchase personal assistive listening devices for use at home or elsewhere. These may include amplified telephones, smoke detectors and alarm clocks, as well as personal devices to listen to the TV. Your audiologist may be able to help you investigate these devices.

You may need plenty of hands-on experience with these devices to become comfortable using them outside of home, but once you are comfortable with them, they offer dramatic results in terms of improved communication, increased selfesteem, and reduced negative feelings surrounding communication.

Above photo: Better hearing requires more than just hearing aids. Hearing your best means having the right technology — fit specifically to your unique hearing needs — for the environments you find yourself in most often, and maximizing that technology with better communication strategies.

HEALTH HEALTHMEMOS MEMO

March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

18

D

Five reasons to make better hearing a priority

id you know? An estimated 466 million children and adults live with a disabling hearing impairment, according to the World Health Organization. As one of the top chronic public health challenges facing families and communities on a global scale, it’s much more common than people realize.

Many also may not realize how far-reaching hearing loss can be, with its links to physical, mental, social, and even financial issues that could affect quality of life. Consider these five examples of problems associated with hearing loss, showing the importance of staying atop your hearing health.

Cognitive Decline: A growing body of research connects hearing loss to reduced brain function. Older adults with hearing loss, for example, are up to five times more likely than their normal-hearing peers to develop dementia, per a study by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. Another study finds that seniors with a hearing condition may experience faster-than-usual brain shrinkage.

The good news? Proper use of hearing aids may slow down cognitive decline as much as 75 percent, per a study published in 2018.

Social Isolation: Hearing plays a big role in everyday interactions with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues, so it’s no wonder

that hearing loss can impact your sense of engagement. Those with untreated hearing loss are less likely to participate in social activities, per a study commissioned by the National Council on Aging. This can help lead to social isolation and other problems. Conversely, seniors treated for hearing loss report significant improvements in their social life, relationships, sense of independence, and more.

Depression: Multiple studies support a connection between hearing loss and depression. Seniors with hearing loss, for example, may have a 57 percent greater risk of experiencing deep depression, according to a

Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Researchers have also found, however, that the odds of depression may be lower with hearing aid use.

Falls: Ears not only help with hearing but also contribute to your balancing ability.

Research points to the increased likelihood of falls among middle-aged and older adults with hearing loss. Even mild hearing impairment can triple the risk of falling, and every 10-decibel increase in hearing impairment might mean a 1.4-fold increase in the odds of sustaining a fall.

Mortality: Hearing loss goes hand in hand with higher mortality. One study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences found a 20 percent greater risk of mortality among adults 70 years and older with hearing impairment.

Other research has estimated the increased risk at an adjusted 21 percent or even an adjusted 39 percent, depending on the severity of hearing loss.

As you can see, hearing loss isn’t an isolated concern. It affects your communication and, potentially, your overall health and well being.

So don’t wait. Just as you would for your eyes and teeth, schedule regular checkups to help keep your ears and hearing health in optimal shape.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 516-387-4000 or at comprehensiveaudiology. com/make-appointment/. Follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Google, or Instagram @comprehensive_audiology, or visit us at www.comprehensiveaudiology.com.

Dr. Esther Fogel Owner/Director

261 Broadway, Lynbrook 516-387-4000 www.comprehensiveaudiology.com

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

HEALTH MEMO

HEALTH MEMO

Protect eyes from sports-related injury

C

lose to 40,000 sports-related eye injuries occur each year, with approximately half requiring emergency room care. School-age competitors are particularly prone to eye injuries since their developmental skills of coordination, balance, reaction time; speed and strength are still being fine-tuned by your coaching efforts.

As you know, when a student participates in aggressive sports, an opponent’s fingers, hands, and elbows suddenly become a threat to a student’s visual safety. Baseballs, racquets, hockey pucks, and especially soccer balls and the feet kicking them are a potential danger to the unprotected eye.

The good news is that you can help prevent a young person from being sidelined because of a serious eye injury. You can make the decision to help protect their eyes by adding protective sport goggles to their equipment bag. Remember, while protective sports eyewear can provide significant protection; they cannot guarantee to be unbreakable or guard against all foreseeable impacts. However, a quality pair of RecSpecs equipped with 3mm thick polycarbonate lenses and transition lenses, which change from sunglasses to clear in minutes, can be sight savers since they help keep the eyes and surrounding ocular region protected.

Accent on Eyes is your sports vision specialist, with a full line of RecSpecs Rx sports goggles to meet the needs of your up and coming superstars!

Call for more information for all of your sportsrelated eyewear products. Accent on Eyes also carries a full line of prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, including Oakley, Ray Ban, Maui Jim, Nike, and more.

Are your financial and tax advisors talking?

W 28 S. Park Ave. Rockville Centre 516-766-2800

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

e’re now entering tax season. As you prepare your tax returns, you might be wondering how you could improve your taxrelated financial outcomes, now and in the future.

One key opportunity is to connect your tax professional with your financial advisor. This collaboration can benefit you in several ways. For example, your tax advisor, working with your financial advisor, could help you determine if a Roth or traditional IRA makes more sense for you. Your financial advisor can then help you choose the right investments within the IRA. Also, your tax professional can identify how much you need to contribute to an IRA to possibly lower your taxable income.

Your financial advisor can then plug this figure in to your projected retirement savings as part of your total financial picture. Your tax and financial advi-

sors can also work together to address issues such as capital gains taxes from sales of mutual fund shares. Your investment and tax pictures have many overlaps. And by ensuring your team of advisors is working together, you can boost your chances of getting the results you desire.

Marie L. Taylor, CRPC, AAMS Edward Jones Financial Advisor 365 Hempstead Ave., West Hempstead 516-538-4338 • 866-400-4338 www.edwardjones.com marie.taylor@edwardjones.com

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

Eat right, help your sight

19

Eating healthy is good for your whole body — especially your eyes!

There’s so much more to eye nutrition than just the carrots that mom always told you to eat.

Everybody knows that eating right is the way to keep your heart healthy. The good news is that the same diet that helps your heart is probably also good for your eyes. A diet low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can pay benefits not only to your heart but to your eyes. The connection isn’t surprising: your eyes rely on tiny arteries for oxygen and nutrients, just as the heart relies on much larger arteries.

Include an abundance of these foods in your diet and help protect against sight-threatening diseases.

Fish Cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help protect against dry eyes, macular degeneration and even cataracts. If you don’t eat seafood, you can get a good supply of omega-3s by using fish oil supplements or taking vegetarian supplements that contain black currant seed oil or flaxseed oil.

Leafy Greens Spinach, kale and collard greens, to name just a few, are packed full of lutein and zeaxanthin, important plant pigments that can help stem the development of macular degeneration and cataracts. Broccoli, peas and avocados are also good sources of this powerful antioxidant duo.

index (GI) can help reduce your risk for agerelated macular degeneration. Swap refined carbohydrates for quinoa, brown rice, whole oats and whole-wheat breads and pasta. The vitamin E, zinc and niacin found in whole grains also help promote overall eye health.

strawberries, pumpkin, corn and cantaloupe are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. And carotenoids — the compounds that give these fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange and red pigments — are thought to help decrease the risk of many eye diseases.

Citrus Fruits and Berries Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and berries are high in vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Legumes Kidney beans, black-eyed peas and lentils are good sources of bioflavonoids and zinc — and can help protect the retina and lower the risk for developing macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eggs The vitamins and nutrients in eggs, including lutein and vitamin A (which may protect against night blindness and dry eyes), promote eye health and function.

Nuts Pistachios, walnuts, almonds — whichever type tickles your fancy — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E that boost your eye health.

Whole Grains A diet containing foods with a low glycemic

Colorful Fruits and Vegetables Foods such as carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers,

Sunflower Seeds Help keep your eyes healthy and disease-free by snacking on sunflowers seeds, which are excellent sources of vitamin E and zinc.

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Good nutrition will keep those peepers in top-notch shape

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March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

HEALTH MEMO

T

Twelve NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery physicians named to 2021 Castle Connolly list

welve of the 28 physicians associated with NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery have been named to the latest edition of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, an annual reference guide published by Castle Connolly, a New York City research and information company.

They are: Jeffrey A. Brown, M.D. (Neuropathic Facial Pain Surgery), Jonathan L. Brisman, M.D. (Neurovascular and Brain Surgery), Benjamin R. Cohen, M.D (Spine Surgery), Vladimir Y. Dadashev, M.D. (Spine Surgery), Zachariah M. George, M.D (Spine Surgery), John A. Grant, M.D. (Pediatric Neurosurgery), Sundeep Mangla, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), Stephen T. Onesti, M.D. (Spine Surgery), Sachin N. Shah, M.D. (Spine Surgery), John Pile-Spellman, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), Brian J. Snyder, M.D. (Pain and Parkinson’s Surgery), and Alexandros D. Zouzias, M.D (Spine Surgery).

“It’s a pleasure to congratulate our colleagues and partners for receiving this honor,” said Michael H. Brisman, M.D., the chief executive officer of Rockville Centre-based NSPC. “Our practice has provided patients from Long Island, and elsewhere, with the most compassionate and comprehensive brain, back, and neck care available for over 60 years. The selection of these twelve physicians to the 2021 Top Doctors: New York Metro Area listing confirms a tradition of clinical, and patient-centered excellence, at NSPC.” For decades, Castle Connolly has been conducting a peerreview survey to select the region’s top doctors based on the

Connolly was acquired by the Everyday Health Group, a division of J2 Global Inc. The Top Doctors: New York Metro Area guide lists those whom Castle Connolly has determined to be in the top ten percent of the region’s physicians — approximately 6,000 in all.

theory that medical professionals are best qualified to assess the qualifications of other practitioners. Licensed physicians vote online for those doctors they consider outstanding. A Castle Connolly doctor-led research team then counts the nominations and vets the nominee pool with the aid of a number of screens, including confirming board certifications and investigating disciplinary histories. Last year, Castle

About NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery Founded in Freeport in 1958, NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery has grown to become one of the largest, private neurosurgical groups in the U.S. with seven conveniently located offices on Long Island, including offices in Lake Success, Rockville Centre, West Islip, Commack, Port Jefferson Station, and Riverhead.

The practice’s experienced neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists are experts in “Bloodless” brain and spine surgery, including laser spine surgery, endoscopic spine surgery, ultrasonic spine surgery, radiosurgery, and other advanced minimally invasive techniques which are used to treat brain tumors, brain aneurysms, trigeminal neuralgia, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, chronic back pain, and other conditions. Please visit www.nspc.com to learn more.

100 Merrick Road, Suite 128W, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 • 844-NSPC-DOC Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

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Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness

21

HERALD — March 11, 2021

Don’t skip eyecare checkups

Blindness caused by glaucoma is insidious. In most cases, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. Many people do not even realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision. But there is a way to prevent the devastating effects of glaucoma: Don’t skip your eyecare visits.

Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components: 1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping 2. Loss of visual field 3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG) People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Blacks, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes.

The elevated intraocular pressure from glaucoma damages the optic nerve mechanically and creates decreased blood flow to the eye. The most identifiable cause of glaucoma is the enlarged lens or cataract in the eye. Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass has become the best option to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eye drops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.

Screenings are essential All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam. Screening should consist of an eye examination consisting of gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.

If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion.

People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, you might want to begin with a telehealth visit, if you’re high-risk and remained concerned about venturing into medical offices.

“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.

“A healthy brain function requires a healthy

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

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Kiwanis Club tackles a pancake breakfast

By Mike SMollinS msmollins@liherald.com

Though it had to be modified due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Oceanside Kiwanis Club hosted its annual pancake breakfast in style on Sunday.

In celebration of the Oceanside High School Sailors football team beginning its season, Kiwanis members teamed with IHOP in a scaled down version of the annual event. Proceddes will go toward scholarships for students and other Kiwanis initiatives.

Those who ate at IHOP that day were told to mention Oceanside Kiwanis, and a portion of the proceeds from their meal went toward the fundraiser. The club also hosted 50/50 raffles, a lottery and had a children’s touchdown raffle board outside of the restaurant. Parties were held to a limited number, masks were worn when people were not eating and patrons had the option of eating in or taking out their meal.

Attendees included Kiwanis Club members and officers as well as Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito.

Totals of the fundraiser were not yet calculated at press time.

Photos by Joe Abate/Herald

kiwaniS CluB MeMBerS, from left, Mike Delbero; Mike D’Ambrosio; Nancy Baxter; Eric Abbey; Seth Blau; Jeannine Bodalamenti; and Sandie Schoell attended the annual pancake breakfast in celebration of the launch of the Oceanside High School football season on Sunday at IHOP.

oCeanSide kiwaniS CluB members Jeannine Bodalamenti, top left, and Sandie Schoell offered information to visitors at IHOP. TiM YagniSiS, The Sunday manager of IHOP in Oceanside, above, and Kiwanis Club volunteer Nancy Baxter during the event.

BodalaMenTi, far lefT, Schoell and Baxter offered their time to raise funds for the OHS football team.

25

Employment

CLASSIFIED

Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail you ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify and ad.

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Sharon joined Sharona Beck Realty in order to gain access to the most listings in the neighborhood. She specializes in residential and commercial sales in the West Hempstead/Franklin Square area.

She is very active in many facets of the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County and she is co-chair of the Simcha Connection, a matchmaking group (she has set up 9 married couples so far!). Sharon can be reached at 516-652-1999 or by email at lovy96@optonline.net.

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OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

HERALD

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Q. We read your column about flooring (“Our floor is expanding,” Feb. 25-March 3) and are concerned because our new floors were done last summer and show little rises at the edges. We chose the floor because we have allergies and felt it was easier to clean. The floors were coated with urethane, and we’ve been cleaning with a Swiffer and a Roomba, which uses water. Will this be a problem, since we don’t want to see the floor start swelling? Covid has us thinking we need to clean more often, so please let us know what you think.

Long Beach

HOME OF THE WEEK

Old Meets New…

A. As with most wood maintenance, follow two basic rules: 1) consult experts to confirm the best practice and 2) don’t do anything you have doubts about. Water causes wood to react by swelling, mainly because the nature of exposed wood is to draw in water.

Remember, the flooring used to be the center of a tree, and is composed of onte eeper millions of straw-like fibers that drew water from the roots of the tree high up to the leaves in order for the tree to survive.

Ask any tree, and it wood sway toward telling you it couldn’t imagine giving up its innards to be a floor, but it happens every day.

Because the fibers have such a strong tendency to pull moisture in, any moisture beyond the stabilized room humidity level is going to make the planks swell. Coating the fiber of the wood is a good start, but I often see the edges begin to turn color because the seal coating urethane or other materials can develop gaps. For this reason, it’s best not to saturate the finished planks with water.

If you’re able to use liquid cleaners that combine less water with other ingredients that increase evaporation, such as alcohol, and damp mop with furniture-grade cleaners more, it will help to avoid some of the swelling.

I recently came to a conclusion, thinking about the current pandemic, about the last pandemic, the influenza of 100 years ago. It was around that time that the modern architecture movement began, and I realize that part of the influence was a reaction to the need to create healthier living environments in our homes and workplaces. Even though most of us remember all the knickknacks and tchotchkes our grandparents had on their shelves, window sills and mantels, not to mention the coveted corner glass cabinets containing show pieces of crystal and figurines, the stark departure to the modern architecture movement was slowly taking hold.

It was based on the need to eliminate dust-catchers. The Persian rugs disappeared and tile, marble and wood floors became more common. The first home I remember living in had hard, granite-like terrazzo floors and a projecting flat roof held up at one corner by two angled columns forming a V. Now we’re returning to hard, washable surfaces, so we just need to understand where the materials come from and how to treat them. Good luck!

Ask The Architect

M

A

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© 2021 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.

27

Market Place • •

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HERALD — March 11, 2021

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

29

OpINIONS

ow strange the past 12 months have been, for us all. Personally, I’ve been holed up for most of it at my desk in my bedroom, papers stacked up around me, my cellphone always at the ready, resting against my computer.

I’m not complaining. I know how fortunate I am during this coronavirus pandemic to be able to work as a newspaper editor from home most of the time.

My two adult children, both in college, Zoom in to their classes from their bedrooms one floor below. My wife, a teacher, SCOTT works at her school, but on occasion has BRINTON been called to teach virtually from home.

I can’t help but feel cloistered, hemmed in by my bedroom walls. There’s a world outside, waiting for me, but I can’t venture far very often. So few of us can these days, our lives dictated by the ebbs and flows of an insidious viral invader.

I leave my house in Merrick only for short, well-planned errands — no more browsing in stores — to teach three hours a week at Hofstra University, to take walks around the neighborhood or at a local park

with my family, or to report a story.

I’ve realized that I’ve never before spent so much time by myself. I had grown accustomed to the nervous energy of a newsroom on deadline, the constant tapping of fingers on keyboards, the chatter of reporters speaking at breakneck pace with sources on the phone, the sound of footsteps moving hurriedly across a carpeted floor.

Then, suddenly, seated at my home desk, there was only quiet whenever I stopped to listen. I could hear nothing but the faint sound of cars on the Meadowbrook Parkway nearby or, here and there, the howling wind. There was no movement, only stillness.

At first, I felt alone. Then, as the months passed, a funny thing happened: I started to embrace the aloneness.

My mind was less cluttered. I found I could think faster, write faster. I became a more efficient editor.

As still more time passed, my mind started to wander during the precious moments of free time between editing and writing stories or teaching classes. Often it turned to the woods of my childhood in Yaphank, in Suffolk County — the hundreds of acres of oaks and pines behind my family’s home where I trekked off for hours, learning, by trial and error, to differentiate between poi-

I

son ivy and Virginia creeper or to navigate by paying close attention to unusual landmarks. It was the only other time when I was as alone as I am now. It was also when I was most at peace — when I could think freely.

As a child, I spent more time than most in the woods. Not only did I grow up surrounded by forest, but also, as a Boy Scout, I ventured into many an upstate park, from the Catskills to the Adirondacks, always feeling a sense of oneness with the earth in the woods. That was, in part, why I spent four summers as a Fresh Air Fund counselor in Fishkill. I could do good for the world — the camp was for underprivileged children from the inner city — while living entirely outdoors. It was also why, the week I finished my master’s degree, I headed off to northern Maine to climb Mt. Katahdin — alone.

The early days of the pandemic are a blur to me, a rapid-fire succession of hard-news stories that I had to write or edit. Over the summer, I marched alongside the Black Lives Matter protesters for miles to document that history-making movement, never stopping to think whether I might become infected with Covid-19 while walking among so many thousands of people.

Then, during the fall, I began to settle into my lonesome routine, sending my mind

’ve grown used to the the quiet of my bedroom, in stark contrast to a newsroom.

in search of my past. I wondered why I thought so often about the woods. The answer, I believe, is simple: In the forest, I was without fear.

We are all, I think, searching for some modicum of peace now. We must cling to some form of past happiness, because in it, we find hope, which we so desperately need to give us the inner strength to endure these final months of the pandemic before we reach herd immunity — we hope, sometime over the summer.

In the future, I determined, I must return to the woods more often — to live, as Henry David Thoreau implored us, deliberately. In the woods, as Thoreau wrote, I can “front the essential facts of life.”

I decided to buy a pair of Vasque Sundowner hiking boots — beautiful, brownleather, Italian-made hiking boots — the same pair that I purchased before I drove off to Maine, but somehow lost as a Peace Corps volunteer.

I hope to climb Bear Mountain, Mount Marcy and Mount Katahdin again, and perhaps others as well. I hope. I hope. I hope. We must keep hope alive to remember why we should do all we can to survive these terrible and terrifying times.

Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@liherald.com.

Fighting the good fight against conspiracies (Part 2)

A

merica has been fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Some social scientists say that the conspiracy world began to flourish with the Kennedy assassination in 1963. A succession of violent events shocked a public that demanded an explanation.

Before our eyes, our young president was shot down, and days later the shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed on live TV by Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner.

Who was Oswald, the strange guy in the Texas Book Depository who took out JFK as he RANDI rode in a motorcade KREISS through Dallas?

Dozens of books and movies fed the “real” stories.

Enter the internet in the 1990s, and suddenly strange ideas, random sightings and pseudo explanations for phenomena of all kinds proliferated, striking roots in dark places, where they thrived.

Who said men ever walked on the moon?

How many humans have actually been snatched by aliens for visits to outer space?

Elvis is really alive, and Paul McCartney is really dead.

Apparently, the earth is flat. Or possibly

hollow. Or probably inhabited by beings who live in the netherworld below.

You can’t even begin to count the vampires in the royal family, and some believe that a footman found human remains in the queen’s family freezer. Snack food?

Most conspiracy propaganda is ridiculous and not particularly threatening, but what happens when a lunatic fringe goes more mainstream? What happens when a dangerous conspiracy theory gains traction with hundreds of thousands of people and more? What is the consequence of a conspiracy group getting one of theirs elected to the United States Congress?

Well, here we are, folks, with Marjorie Taylor Greene, late of QAnon, in the House of Representatives. Early on, she allied herself with the group that believes that prominent elected officials and Hollywood celebrities are devil worshippers and child molesters. Greene expressed her support for threats of violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

How do you counter a new, popular, destructive belief system? The solutions are neither quick nor easy.

The only antidote to the proliferation of conspiracy theories and hate groups is universal, robust education. It’s no coincidence

U

that QAnon has surged during a pandemic when everyone is trapped inside with little to do but weave webs of deception online.

Do you love America? Help make our education system the best in the world, not just in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, but also in civics. We have to teach constitutional democracy, and make it come alive for kids as a living, breathing way of life.

Please read “America must embrace civics and history instruction for the sake of our democracy,” an editorial in the Washington Post on March 2. As adults, we have a lot to learn about how to support our freedoms and recognize authoritarianism when it emerges.

We can all help our children become sharper, more critical thinkers instead of classroom sponges.

As a former teacher, a parent and a grandparent, I have both experienced and witnessed the droning boredom of rote learning and “teaching to the test,” and lifetime jobs for teachers who long ago cashed in their chips. When we send our kids to school, we are entrusting their minds and futures to teachers who must inspire and sow creativity.

A child who learns from their parents to be curious about the world, to ask questions,

niveral, robust education will help our children become critical thinkers.

to pursue proof in the face of dogma is someone who can resist conspiracy theories with intellect and moral courage. Actively curious children become intellectually healthy adults. We can all learn better to question assumptions, be aware of our own biases and evaluate evidence.

According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking website, “Critical thinking is just deliberately and systematically processing information so that you can make better decisions and generally understand things better.”

I don’t know how we get there from here, but I am absolutely sure that quality education blows the cobwebs out of the corners and engenders creative thinking and questioning in the face of false information and demagoguery.

Did you know that Finland doesn’t exist?

That Meghan Markle is a robot? That 5G causes Covid-19? That 9/11 was an inside job by the U.S. government? And so on. People believe this stuff, and generally their flights of fantasy do no harm. But today QAnon has emerged, raising a big tent for haters and fear-mongers from every corner of America.

Many of our fellow Americans are buying what Q is selling.

We must do better than this as a nation.

Change begins with teaching our children how to learn.

Copyright 2021 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

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Reflections on a pandemic year

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HerAld editoriAls

Oceanside/island park

March 11, 2021 — OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD

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Cuomo’s days in office appear numbered

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year ago, the coronavirus pandemic arrived in New York, and fear and confusion ensued. People had no real idea what this terrible disease was — how deadly it could be or how, precisely, it spread. We needed a calming voice to talk us through the crisis.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was that voice.

Day after day, week after week, he spoke directly to New Yorkers at daily televised news conferences, which quickly became popular not only here, but also across the country. He told us hard truths and offered credible solutions that brought calm — and results. By summer, New York’s Covid-19 infection rate, once the highest in the nation, had plummeted to 1 percent.

That is, in part, why it has been so disturbing and disheartening to hear a series of accusations against the gover-

nor — first, that his administration may not only have under-reported nursing home deaths, but also altered the reports, and second, that he may have sexually harassed four women.

If the growing number of accusations against Cuomo and his administration are proven true in the independent investigations now taking place, then he should resign, so as not to put the state through the long agony of an impeachment proceeding.

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City who represents the 4th Congressional District, has already called on Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, to step down. Rice made the announcement on Twitter March 1. Meanwhile, her House colleague Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove who represents the 3rd District, is taking more of a wait-and-see approach, allowing the investigations to

Undocumented immigrants need relief, too

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hey rip roofs off houses under repair, wash dishes in restaurants and pick fruit and vegetables, among countless other jobs, working 12- and 16-hour shifts for poverty-level wages with no benefits. They often live in tiny illegal basement apartments, or in multi-family houses that are stretched beyond capacity, or, in some cases, in the woods along our parkways.

They are undocumented immigrants, existing in America’s shadows, afraid to speak up for themselves for fear that they might be deported to their home countries. Many pay taxes — the IRS estimates that 6 million undocumented immigrants file individual income tax returns — but they receive little in the way of services or

benefits.

That has been the case even during the coronavirus pandemic that has devastated New York and the nation. Undocumented immigrant workers were excluded last year from the $2.2 trillion federal CARES Act, which provided aid to struggling businesses and most American workers.

States could offer pandemic aid to these workers — and California did, setting aside $75 million for disaster relief aid for them. The California Department of Social Service selected 12 nonprofit groups to help undocumented immigrants apply for disaster funds, amounting to $500 per adult, or a total of $1,000 per household.

New York, however, has not provided a

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play out.

According to a Quinnipiac poll last week, 55 percent of New Yorkers said they believe Cuomo should not resign, though the results were released the day before revelations that his aides may have changed death reports to reflect more favorably on the governor, so we may see that number drop. At the same time, 59 percent of New Yorkers said they do not want to see him run again.

Cuomo is a fighter who doesn’t back down, so we don’t expect him to resign, though the allegations against him are mounting daily, so he may have no choice. New York has been through hell over the past year, and we don’t expect the coming year to be much easier. We will recover, but it will take time. What we need now is a strong leader at the helm, not one so damaged by scandal as to become ineffectual.

Health care for all New Yorkers To the Editor: Re the Feb. 25-March 3 editorial, “A year later, lessons learned from the pandemic”: The question is asked, “When we are past the pandemic, who will we become?” We are all challenged to ponder this question. Upon examination, there is no way that we can look back on the last year and think that our health care system is not in dire need of change.

Our current health insurance system doesn’t work.

The tragic and preventable statistics and stories of people losing their life savings due to cancer, or families resorting to GoFundMe for medical bills, remind us that this system had already failed for too many before the coronavirus pandemic.

Now the failures of this system are even clearer. We

similar aid package to undocumented immigrants. The statewide campaign #FundExcludedWorkers is calling on lawmakers in Albany to do just that. A measure now sits in the State Senate Labor Committee, but it has gone nowhere.

We’re calling on New York lawmakers — in particular, our Long Island Democratic senators — to push for and pass this legislation as part of the state budget, due April 1.

Providing aid to the people most in need, who so often labor in the jobs that put them most at risk for contracting Covid-19, would be the right thing to do.

Our lawmakers should set politics aside and summon their better angels to ensure that this measure passes.

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opinions

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n case you haven’t noticed it, there are all kinds of battles going on between legislators and governors all over the country. As far south as Texas and as far north as Albany, elected officials are fighting over electrical power and political power. Unlike a boxing match, when the dust has settled and the fighters retreat to their corners, there will be no winners.

The most horrible case of government malpractice has occurred in Texas. It’s hard to believe that the most energy-rich JerrY state in the nation can go into a deep kremer freeze impacting the lives of 28 million people. Wherever you travel in Texas, you’ll find oil rigs, natural gas facilities and ancient coal plants. With all those sources of power, a major cold wave hit the state in mid-February and froze much of the energy-generating equipment.

When the temperature dropped, the state’s public utility corporation was totally unprepared to stop its generators from freezing. This is especially discon-

certing considering that in 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the federal agency in charge of America’s energy resources, told Texas energy officials that they had to winterize their power facilities to prevent them from freezing over if hit by a major storm.

Texas has always taken the position that its power plants shouldn’t be regulated by the federal government. They have gone as far as to decline to be tied into any power system in a neighboring state. New York, for example, is connected to a national grid, and when the state suffers a power loss, it can buy excess power from our surrounding states. During a typical summer heat wave, utilities such as Con Edison and PSE&G buy out-of-state power.

When the cold descended on Texas, the first thing the Republican governor and lieutenant governor did was to blame the freeze on the wind and solar industry, claiming those energy sectors had caused the shutdown. They even attacked the so-called Green New Deal, which is a proposal and not a law. After a few days of ducking and weaving from Democratic assaults, Lt. Governor Dan

i

f it’s not electrical power, there’s always Covid restrictions to battle over.

Letters all feel the insecurity, as employment is more uncertain, health care is increasingly expensive and an unfortunate diagnosis can have dire consequences. The pandemic and the associated economic crisis exposed the inadequacy of employment-based, profitdriven insurance.

Meanwhile, health insurance companies, and New York’s billionaire class, enjoyed a lucrative 2020, reaping profits while health care workers were overworked, working families were stretched further than ever, and Covid19 cases and deaths escalated.

The New York Health Act, proposed in the State Senate and Assembly, would replace these costly and inefficient systems with one comprehensive health care plan for all New York residents and workers. This would leave more money in the pockets of 98 percent of people, save billions in administrative costs and provide relief for small businesses that struggle to afford health insurance for their employees.

New York is a great state, and it should have a great health care system, and now we have a chance to lead the way for the rest of the country by passing this legislation.

Ensuring that your family and community have health care is essential.

What is not essential is for-profit health insurance, or protecting the tax

Patrick conceded that the state-owned system needed to be winterized. In the interim, some homeowners are getting energy bills in the thousands of dollars due to the breakdowns in the system.

Back here in New York, there’s a fistfight going on between the Long Island Power Authority and PSE&G, which has a contract to run the power system. Their battle is focused on Tropical Storm Isaias last August, which left record numbers of homeowners without power for almost two weeks. LIPA is suing PSE&G, and the politicians are talking about creating a publicly owned power system. If I had a choice between PSE&G or Con Edison and a publicly run system, I’d stick with private enterprise.

The other battle for power is going on between numerous governors and their state legislatures over Covid restrictions.

It seems that a number of legislatures, including New York’s, are tired of their governors dictating to the states on mask wearing, business openings and a variety of other restrictions. It has gotten so bad in some states that Republican legislators are battling Republican governors,

calling them “dictators.”

The New York legislative battle between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the leaders of the Legislature has been temporarily resolved with an agreement that Cuomo’s executive powers will be suspended by the end of April and the Legislature will play a greater role. Much of what will happen is linked to the fate of Cuomo, who is under fire amid allegations of sexual harassment.

There is more to this power struggle than just a tug of war for control. Individual legislators have claimed that Cuomo has threatened them personally, and they are looking to restrict his powers. It’s no secret in Albany that Cuomo has a reputation for being a tough boss, and he never hides his feelings, but new laws will not settle this brawl.

I’m not an expert on health issues, but it seems that the Covid-19 has another side effect. It causes politicians to go into fits of rage and attack each other for weeks on end with little to show for it.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years.

He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? JKremer@liherald.com.

Framework by Lisa Melillo

rates of New York’s hyper-wealthy.

Our Long Island representatives need to hear the message from us all: Pass The New York Health Act. DR. DANIEL COLACURCIO Westbury

Cuomo should practice what he preaches To the Editor: Gov. Andrew Cuomo doesn’t always practice what he preaches. He is asking New Yorkers not to pass judgment on the accusations of sexual harassment against him until State Attorney General Letitia James completes her investigation. Remember the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh?

Cuomo wasn’t so charitable in that case.

As for sexual harassment training, employees receive a certificate upon completion. May we see a copy of Cuomo’s certificate? It would include who provided the training and the date he completed the session. He needs a refresher course.

LARRY PENNER Great Neck

It seems like just last week — Bayville Creek Beach

OCEANSIDE/ISLAND PARK HERALD — March 11, 2021

The pandemic gives states one more thing to fight about

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