Oceanside/Island Park Herald 05-02-2024

Keith Rossein/Herald Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule, left, presenting a citation to Oceanside resident Alberta Biscotti for her longtime work as a volunteer at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital.

Celebrating exceptional volunteers at Mount Sinai South Nassau

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Mount Sinai South Nassau honored several local residents, including residents from Oceanside, Baldwin and Rockville Centre for their extraordinary contributions as volunteers to the hospital, during its 68th anniversary luncheon at the Coral House in Baldwin on April 25.

The celebration was a tribute to the unwavering dedication and compassion the hospital’s volunteers, past and present, have exhibited.

“We think it’s important to recognize all of the time and energy our volunteers provide for our patients in our community,” Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s president, said. “I think

we can never take it for granted that these people are giving their time freely and fully. Many of them have been here for years and years. They are part of the South Nassau fabric and part of the South Nassau family. You recognize family, and that’s what families do.”

The luncheon served as a testament to the enduring spirit of volunteerism that has permeated the hospital for nearly seven decades. Volunteers from various communities, including Oceanside, Baldwin, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre Malverne, Lynbrook and Freeport, have collectively contributed to the hospital’s legacy of care and compassion.

Among the honorees was 76-year-old Oceanside resident Alberta Biscotti, who has embodied the spirit of lifelong learning and

Commemoration pays tribute to Holocaust victims

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

The Friedberg JCC and the Jewish Community Council of Oceanside will co-host their annual Holocaust commemoration on May 6, bringing community members together to honor the memory of the victims.

The council’s Yom Hashoah event, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the JCC, will invite people from different backgrounds in the Jewish community, as well as those interested in Jewish traditions, to commemorate the Holocaust.

“The broader mission of the council is really, truly, just to sort of keep the Jewish spirit alive within the community overall,” Sam Seifman, the council’s president, said. “We encompass anybody who feels that they are a Jew, is somebody interested in Jewish traditions, and so forth, to come to participate by being an attendee, or come to some of the other events that we have during the year.”

Each year, the event features speakers with compelling personal stories related to the Holocaust. They may include survivors themselves, second-generation survivors, or those with unique connections to the Holocaust.

This year Monte Leeper, a longtime Oceanside resident, will present the story of how his

father, Stanley, a Jewish soldier in World War II, went AWOL at the end of the war and saved the lives of two concentration camp inmates.

Leeper — who is also the Herald’s Ask the Architect columnist — will share his unique perspective on the Holocaust. His presentation promises to shed light on the bravery and resilience of Jewish soldiers amid the horrors of war.

“I’ve followed in his footsteps as much as I can,” Leeper, who was 22 when his father died, said. “I wrote about him being my hero when I was in the third grade, and I never thought otherwise, which is why I’m going to do this presentation, because to me he was always a hero.”

During the liberation of the Gunskirchen camp in Austria, Stanley Leeper encountered two emaciated teens, Wolfgang “Sinai” Adler, 16, and Yehuda Bacon, 15, who had been transferred from Auschwitz and were wearing German uniforms. Despite the risk, Leeper took them to a Red Cross hospital in Switzerland. When they initially were refused treatment because the facility was overcrowded, he threatened the hospital administrator at gunpoint to secure their care.

“My father left his unit and drove all night to get them to a

Just because a business is small doesn’t mean it isn’t important. The small businesses on our island are 50% of our economy. These businesses are part of the fabric of our communities. They’re vital. We’ve been proudly supporting our small businesses since 2014 with cost-saving programs and services. Show your support, too, by shopping locally during Small Business Week (and all year long). It’s no small thing to let them know they matter.

Mac and Cheese Fest draws hundreds

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Hundreds gathered at the Tap Room in Rockville Centre on April 20 to take part in the cheesiest competition in New York.

O’Side resident Matt Kourie of the New York Best Wings Festival said that the inspiration came to him during one of their annual chicken wing competitions.

“I was like, man, you know, we’re dipping our wings in cheese,” Kourie said. “Everybody loves cheese. We got to do a cheese festival. So it just seemed like the thing to do and here we are at another great event with great people.”

The second annual New York Mac and Cheese Festival featured more than eight local restaurants and eating establishments going head-to-head in a battle for the best cheese dish.

The 44-year-old Oceanside native hosted the first-ever New York Mac and Cheese Festival last year at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh. He said his decision to switch the venue to Rockville Centre this year was a no brainer.

“In 2014, we did our very first wing festival,” he said. “Literally our whole legacy started here.”

Before becoming the Tap Room in 2021, the North Village Avenue mainstay was known as Cannon’s Blackthorn when the venue hosted the wing festival in 2014.

Kourie would be back in RVC ten years later hosting the second annual New York Mac and Cheese Festival.

Hannah Mizrahi, the festival’s outreach coordinator, said that because of the impact that the pandemic had on the restaurant and hospitality industry, the company has been working to support local establishments across Long Island.

“We wanted to invigorate business on Long Island,” Mizrahi said, “especially here in Rockville Centre.”

During the competition, as hungry guests enjoyed sampling some of the tastiest, gooiest macaroni and cheese dishes around, three Long Island food influencers chose the top three picks for “Best Mac and Cheese of the Year.”

“It has to be creamy, but not too creamy,” said Bella Litrenta, a Long Island food influencer and one of the Mac and Cheese Festival judges. “And I don’t like bread crumbs on top.”

Will of Long Island Foodtastic said what he looks for is the texture. “It can’t be too mushy,” he said.

Smokin’ Stevie Ray’s BBQ won first prize for their smoked brisket macaroni and cheese dish. Created by brothers Steve and Dan, Stevie Ray’s is a food truck operation serving up traditional pit smoked barbecue across Long Island. Second prize went to the Tap Room and third prize went to Bluebird Kitchen in Bellemore.

Attendees also got the chance to participate in the judging as well, bestowing the People’s Choice Award to Smokin’ Stevie Ray’s BBQ. The winner of the best quest went to Moe’s Southwest Grill in Oceanside and the winner of the best cheese dish went to Tepache Taste of Mexico in Valley Stream.

Kourie said that his next event, The New York Best Wings Festival, will take place on May 19 in Patchogue. For more information visit NYBestWingsFestival.com.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Nicole Cassidy and Samantha Wicks of Merrick enjoy sharing a bite.

Matt Kourie, founder and host of the annual New York Mac and Cheese Festival, serves as MC for the afternoon.

Olivier Francois of Fire and Smoke BBQ serves up a dish of mac and cheese to Shanta Best of the Bronx.

Lexi Martone of Blackthorn plates her dish with perfection.

Gina Braun with Tap Room in Rockville Centre serves up a piping hot sample of mac and cheese.

Steven Jones of Smokin’ Stevie Ray’s BBQ serves up some of their prizewinning brisket mac and cheese.

Who let the dogs out in Oceanside?

O’Side schools grapple with issue of dogs on school grounds

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

A persistent issue has been stirring concern among Oceanside School District administrators along with residents and educators alike: dogs on school grounds.

For years, as the weather becomes warmer the Oceanside School District has grappled with the challenge of ensuring the safety and cleanliness of its community spaces while allowing access to recreational activities.

The presence of dogs on school property, particularly during non-school hours, has presented a complex dilemma for school officials and has once again become an area of concern. While district officials made it clear that while they are fans of the furry friends, school grounds are not where residents should be walking them.

“We’ve all been made aware and specifically, Merle Avenue School) playground, is a playground for children and I can’t stress that enough,” said board trustee Michael D’Ambrosio at the April School board meeting. “We now have, on camera multiple, people. One person bringing five dogs. One person brought a dog in with a child and shut the gate, letting the dog play like it’s a dog park.”

At the heart of the matter lies the school board’s commitment to maintaining school grounds as community spaces, accessible to all residents. However, the recent surge in incidents involving unleashed dogs has raised safety concerns among parents and educators.

“We have mothers, with their children in strollers, using the track and becoming terrified,” D’Ambrosio said. “We have to take back these playgrounds. We have

fathers playing catch with their sons. It’s a shame that some of the people are ruining it for the rest. It’s starting to become a problem.”

Despite clear signage and surveillance measures, enforcing rules against dogs on school grounds has proven challenging. Minor confrontations with violators have been reported to the school board, highlighting the need for to address the issue. The possibility remains that the school district may havelock all lock school gates from dusk to dawn if the matter is not resolved but will seek alternative options..

“I think it would be a real shame if we had to close the playgrounds,” said board trustee Laura Lisi. “Perhaps we can engage the students to make a campaign to get the word out within their own communities because it’s obviously people that live in the area who are doing this.”

Violation of posted rules against dogs on school property may constitute trespassing or nuisance under Nassau County ordinances.

However, the prospect of involving law enforcement remains is a last resort for, as school officials recognize there are more pressing matters for local County police attention.

“We would like to think that we could allow our police officers to be doing much more important work, than giving a summons to someone who just doesn’t understand that it (school grounds) is not a dog park,” Harrington expressed. “We don’t want to go the route of tracking them down and calling the police. It doesn’t seem to be something that should reach that level. But at the same time, we don’t know how to solve this problem other than locking our gates, which is really not what we want to do.”

Oceanside School District administrators are calling on the community to keep dogs off school grounds.

Speakers will showcase the art of liberation

hospital,” Leeper recounted. “He knew they were going to die. He left his unit, which was illegal. He could have been court-martialed but drove them to a Red Cross hospital just over the border in Switzerland.”

The boys later emigrated to Israel, where Bacon became an artist for the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and Adler a prominent writer and rabbi.

In addition to Leeper’s presentation, Judy Cooperman’s unique exhibit of photographic art, “Memories and Missing Memories,” will be presented on May 6 at the JCC. It is a tribute to her mother, Relly Roth, a Holocaust survivor, and was inspired by her need to counter today’s rising antisemitism. Cooperman, who lives in Jericho, is an artist and a professor of art at St. John’s University. Her mother was an artist as well.

Her exhibit is a testament to the enduring impact of trauma across generations. Through her artwork, Cooperman seeks to convey the importance of preserving family history, and to ensure that the stories of Holocaust survivors are never forgotten.

“It’s obviously a very personal project, because I’m sharing what I’ve learned and experiences my family has had,” Cooperman said. “Other people, maybe, can take something from it because they see a shared experience, and they can relate to what she’s been through and what we’ve been through.”

Monte Leeper will tell the story of his father’s heroism in World War II on May 6 at the JCC.

Through the power of storytelling, artwork and community engagement, the May 6 commemoration will honor the memory of those who suffered and strive to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never lost to history.

“We should all stand together and build off of our shared experiences,” Cooperman said. “It’s a time when, apart from the increasing antisemitism, the number of Holocaust survivors is going down. I feel like we need to remember their stories, not just survivors. I always knew, growing up, I had no family because of (the Holocaust). It’s about connecting with the community and then trying to deal with my own experiences and family stories.”

Courtesy Monte Leeper

BRADY MAHLER

Baldwin Senior Lacrosse

A FOUR-YEAR STARTING attackman and twoyear captain who has never missed a high school lacrosse game, Mahler has picked up where he left off last spring after earning AllCounty recognition. He led the Bruins with 65 goals and 17 assists, putting him among the county’s offensive stars. So far this season he has a team-high 39 goals through 10 games. He is also a Top 10 student at Baldwin and earned academic All-American honors.

GAMES TO WATCH

Thursday, May 2

Baseball: V.S. South at Malverne 4:30 p.m.

Softball: East Rockaway at Lawrence 5 p.m.

Softball: West Hempstead at Elmont 5 p.m.

Girls Flag Football: Bell-Merrick at Long Beach 5

Baseball: MacArthur at Mepham

Baseball: Carey at Calhoun 5

Baseball: Kennedy at South Side 5 p.m.

Baseball: Seaford at North Shore 5 p.m.

Baseball: East Meadow at Baldwin 5 p.m.

Baseball: Uniondale at Sewanhaka 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Mepham at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Clarke at Elmont 5 p.m.

Friday, May 3

Softball: MacArthur at Oceanside 5 p.m.

Softball: Massapequa at Calhoun 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: West Hempstead at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Kennedy at Clarke 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Wantagh at Long Beach 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Massapequa at South Side 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 4

Softball: MacArthur at Wantagh 9 a.m.

Girls Lacrosse: East Meadow at MacArthur 11:30 a.m.

Boys Lacrosse: V.S. District at Freeport 1 p.m.

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.

HERALD SPORTS

Defense sets tone for Oceanside

By JUSTIN JOSEPH sports@liherald.com

Shutdown defense, steady goaltending and balanced scoring has Oceanside girls’ lacrosse near the top of Nassau Conference 2 with a record of 7-2.

“Traditionally girls lacrosse has always been a high scoring game, so we just stress that defense matters,” coach Ralph Montera Jr. said. “At Oceanside for years we really have stressed team defense, so its really not just one person, everyone has got to buy in and play team defense.”

A leader in the defensive zone is senior captain Emma Pagano, who leads the team in groundballs (30) and takeaways (20). Montera Jr. noted he loves Pagano’s ability to constantly communicate with teammates at both ends of the field.

“She’s definitely the leader,” he said. “She’s a four-year varsity player, so she she’s the captain of the defense.”

Jayden Connolly is another senior who is a bit more reserved than her teammate but helps the Sailors (7-5 overall) in multiple areas, such as the clearing game and her knowledge of the sport as a third-year varsity player. Sam Farsky is another standout senior on a unit that allowed double digits in goals only once in the past nine games.

The backline of the defense in the cage is senior Riley Mohr, who has recorded 70 saves and has been fantastic in net all season, Montera Jr. said. Mohr made 11 saves against Carle Place, 10 saves against Syosset and nine saves against Long Beach in a tight game the Sailors fell short by a goal.

The only opponent to score more than 10 goals in a game against Oceanside has been undefeated Farmingdale, which is going to be difficult to catch for the top spot.

A perfect example of how the Sailors are keeping the competition off the scoreboard came April 13 when it limited highscoring Mineola to no more than two goals in any quarter in a 9-4 victory.

One week later, Mohr allowed just a pair of shots to elude her and made seven saves in a convincing 14-2 win over

Michelle Ebel/Herald

Senior Grace DiDominica, who has 16 goals and 14 assists in a dozen games, is part of Oceanside’s talented and deep scoring attack.

MacArthur. Oceanside had eight different goal scorers in that one.

The Sailors’ offense has also proved to be potent, led by sophomore attacker Sydney Abbott who has 18 goals and 14 assists.

Balance is what makes the attack hard to predict, Montera Jr. said. Junior Leigha Zaman has 22 goals and five assists, senior Grace DiDominica 16 goals and 14 assists, senior Natalie Paul has a team-high 19 goals, senior Maeve Barrins has 13 goals and eight assists, junior Caylin Harrington has 14 goals and seven

assists, and senior attacker Brigid Mahoney has five goals and 14 assists.

“I think we are so good on offense because it’s so spread out,” Montera Jr. said. “We all work well together and bring something different.”

Oceanside, which prepared for its conference schedule by facing Conference 1 opponents Port Washington, Long Beach and Syosset, has three regular-season games remaining: Lynbrook, Calhoun and Bethpage, before the playoffs begin in two weeks. The home finale is May 6 versus Calhoun at 5 p.m.

Long Island’s top lawyers honored at gala

By Joseph D’Alessandro

It was a pleasant evening of celebration for more than 40 of Long Island’s best attorneys last month, with nearly 300 in attendance.

They gathered at The Heritage Club at Bethpage for the Herald Top Lawyers of Long Island awards gala, hosted by Kristen Thorne, the multi-Emmy-winning investigative reporter for WABC7, and host of Hulu’s crime docuseries “Missing.”

Even better, a portion of ticket proceeds were earmarked for Nassau Suffolk Law Services, which provides legal aid to those who can’t afford it in civil cases.

“Tonight, we come together to acknowledge the vital role of legal professional in protecting the rights of Long Islanders,” said Amy Amato, RichnerLive’s executive director. “We commend their dedication to serving our community, and recognize their significant contributions — both professionally, and through charitable endeavors — enriching the lives of those on Long Island.”

Winners were chosen from attorneys who prioritize those in need — whether by their choice of clientele, partnering with charities, or doing work pro bono, without charging the client. They represent many disciplines of law, including worker’s compensation, immigration, family and elder law, medical malpractice and cannabis practice.

“I’m very honored to get this award,” said Kristi DiPaolo, a senior associate at Cona Elder Law. “I love what I do, so it’s really an honor to be recognized.”

The most valuable part of the work by Marc Saracino — a senior associate at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick — is providing guidance. He donates to CMM Cares, which supports family programs on Long Island.

“You’re helping a lot of people out in the legal community who don’t really know what they’re doing,” Saracino said. “To the extent that I can provide services to them and expedite their legal issues, I think that’s rewarding.”

Jennifer Mone, a general counsel for Hofstra University, also serves on the board of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Long Island.

Hofstra’s mission is to “educate and contribute to the academic education and knowledge of the world,” Mone said. “So, we’re educating students. My role is providing excellent legal services in support of that mission.”

Eduardo Villacorta, founder of Villacorta Law Group, says the most rewarding part of his work is keeping families together.

“We believe in the American dream, and our mission is to make the American dream a reality for immigrants,” he said. “The most rewarding thing I can give is granting their papers, and legalizing them.”

Jeffrey Kimmel, managing partner of Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro — who also is an active member of Nassau Suffolk Law Services — says medical malpractice victims often face an uphill battle when facing large medical institutions.

“Unfortunately, most people who are victims of medical malpractice are from lower income communities that don’t have the best medical care,” he said. “And so they ended up being my clients, and more often than not, without my help, they wouldn’t really know what to do.”

Kelly Koster, a partner at Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano says a reliable attorney is essential. Her firm — which specializes in worker compensation and Social Security disability — also represents women of domestic violence pro bono.

“To young women that are striving to be attorneys, never give up your passion,” Koster said. “Keep your eyes on the goal, and don’t set a time limit, because there’s a time and a place for everything. You can always achieve what you’ve put your mind towards.”

Hon. Gail Prudenti a partner at Burner Prudenti

Law returned to work as an attorney after her career as chief administrative judge. Her firm is involved with the Katz Institute for Women’s Health at Northwell Hospital.

“I really think being an attorney is a vocation,” Prudenti said. “It’s not a job. And while it is a wonderful profession, you really have to be dedicated to being a problem solver. I think that sometimes, in this crazy world, we really need people who are thoughtful, who are kind, who are compassionate, and who are empathetic.”

Platinum sponsor for Herald Top Lawyers of Long Island was Villacorta Law Group. Centerpiece sponsor was Salenger Sack Kimmel & Bavaro.

Gold sponsors were Hofstra University and Mejias Milgrim Alavardo & Lindo.

Silver sponsors were Cona Elder Law, Meister Seelig & Fein, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, The Rizzuto Law Firm, Stefans Law Group, Nixon Peabody, Davidov Law Group, Nassau County Women’s Bar Association, Touro University’s Jacob D. Fuchesberg Law Center, Schroder & Strom, Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, Goldstein & Bashner, Greenberg Traurig, Meyer Suozzi English & Klein, Nassau Community College Foundation, and Vishnick McGovern Milizio.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

The Schroder & Strom team were among those honored at the recent Herald Top Lawyers of Long Island gala.

Honorees Michael and Ilana Davidov of Davidov Law Group.

Holden Leeds/Herald

Kelly Koster, left, of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano.

Bryan Lewis of Nixon Peabody.

Holden Leeds/Herald photos

Julie J. Wyetzner, from left, Amy Amato, honoree Kristi DiPaolo, Jennifer Cona, Melissa Negrin-Wiener and Julie Allegretti.

Nicholas Terzulli of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.

Jeffrey Kimmel of Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro.

Joseph Trotti of Vishnick McGovern and Milizio.

Michael Antongiovanni of Meyer Suozzi English & Klein.

Honoree David Mejias.

Jennifer Mone of Hostra University.

Paul Millus of Meyer Suozzi English & Klein with Herald Community Newspapers publisher Stuart Richner.

Tim Baker/Herald photos Honoree and platinum sponsor Eduardo Villacorta.

Tiffany Graham of Touro University, Jacob D. Fuchesberg Law Center.

Donna Stefans of Stefans Law Group.

Bettina Hollis of The Rizzuto Law Firm.

Oceanside Fire Department earns several honors

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

The Oceanside Fire Department was among several departments honored at the Nassau County Fire Commission awards ceremony at the Krasnoff Theatre at LIU CW Post on April 23.

Along with Oceanside, the Freeport, Rockville Centre, Sea Cliff, East Meadow, Wantagh, Lawrence Cedarhurst, East Rockaway and North Merrick Fire Departments were among those that were recognized for individual and department honors.

The Oceanside Fire Department members were recipients of the Silver and Bronze Medal of Valor along with the department receiving Fire unit citations for their exceptional service during two critical incidents.

The first incident, a building fire on Oct. 26, 2023, tested the resolve of the department’s members. As flames engulfed the structure, firefighters Brian Ferucci and Chris Klein found themselves trapped and injured amid the chaos.

Several members of the department responded to rescue their comrades. Among those recognized with the Silver Medal of Valor for their efforts were assistant chief Sean Lynch, captain Patrick Massimillo, and firefighter Kyle Ambruso. Additionally, former chief Patrick Madden, captain William Sitzman, firefighter Chris Karalis, and firefighter Charles Kreuzburg were awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor for their actions during the harrowing ordeal.

“It’s very humbling,” said assistant chief Sean Lynch. All the members of the department really do it because they’re just mostly driven for service and to be part of a team. They don’t really seek this stuff out, but it is humbling when they are recognized. They put in a tremendous amount of time. It’s not just answering calls, it’s the training that they have to do to stay as a certified firefighter. It’s a big commitment.”

free time that they have left, they’re devoting most of it, to stay trained and stay certified and be able to respond effectively in these types of emergencies,” Lynch remarked. “It’s a big commitment for an all-volunteer fire department, that the members make.

Lynch, a stalwart member of the department for 32 years, underscored the importance of community service and the tireless commitment of volunteer firefighters.

I t’s very humbling. They put in a tremendous amount of time.

SEAN

The second incident, on Nov. 13, involved a woman who became trapped under a school bus, which required a coordinated rescue effort.The actions of numerous members, including assistant chief Sean Costigan, former chief Charles Daskalakis, Captain Matt Regan, captain Jonathan Brooks, lieutenant Josh Engel, lieutenant Angela St. Martin, and several others, ensured the extrication of the trapped woman.

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assistant chief

Their collective efforts, alongside those of fire medic Jack Behar, ex-captains William Sitzman, Thomas Regan, Stephen Bendel, Paul Agruso, Zach Schwartz, Daniel Brooks and firefighters Chris Karalis, Sal Rivas, Sean Regan, Rob Pav, Kyle Ambruso, James Brussell and Jason Love culminated in a life-saving outcome.

“Everybody’s lives around here are very hectic as it is and the little piece of

With the need for volunteers at a high, Lynch highlighted the department’s innovative approach to recruitment, including the successful implementation of a junior firefighter program aimed at nurturing future generations of responders.

“Originally we started off with 25 and now we’ve grown to over 30,” he said. “ We’re keeping their interest right now. We’re training them and then when they get old enough, we bring them up to the big leagues, when they turn 18 and they become a fully active firefighter and it’s working so far. It’s looking like it’s going to be very, very helpful for us, and then when they come in they’ve had two years, sometimes even more, to get trained and acclimated. You’re giving a fire company a trained firefighter who can start on day one, which is a great asset.”

The Oceanside Fire Department held an post-ceremony celebration at EGP Oceanside and will host its own ceremony to honor members’ additional personnel in the upcoming months.

Mike Monahan/Herald

The Oceanside Fire Department collected several honors at the Nassau County Fire Commission award ceremony.

Several members of the Oceanside Fire Department were honored for acts of bravery in the line of duty.

Nassau County local officials took the stage with Chief Michael Uttaro.

Giving

Mothers looking for a hospital at which to give birth should consider the quality indicators used by U.S. News & World Report ® to determine institutions deemed High Performing for Maternity care.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is the only South Shore hospital to earn the rating of High Performing based on eight key measures:

• Reduced C-section delivery rates

• Low early elective delivery rates

• Low overall unexpected newborn complication rates

• Increased routine VBAC rates

• Increased exclusive human milk feeding rates

• Low episiotomy rates

• Routine birthing-friendly practices

• Transparency on racial/ethnic disparities

If you want the best birthing experience for you and for your baby, look no further than Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Learn more at southnassau.org/maternity, or call 877-SOUTH-NASSAU.

THANK YOU!

Island Park students welcomed into National Junior Honor Society

Island Park’s Lincoln Orens Middle School inducted 20 members of the National Junior Honor Society on April 4. The newly inducted Lincoln Orens students were selected based on their demonstration of scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship, and each met specific requirements for academics and community service.

Principal Bruce Hoff -

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie

Assemblymember Carrie Woerner (Assembly Sponsor)

Communities throughout the Empire State appreciate your commitment to the free

man welcomed the inductees and told them they are not only to be honored for their academic success, but also because they are leaders who are involved in their school and community.

Hoffman encouraged the students to continue striving to be their best and remember to work hard and set goals.

— Kepherd Daniel

News briefs

Janae Alvarez

Isabella Antonetti

Kaiden Collins

Kylie Delgado

Delilah Gonzalez

Izabella Gonzalez

Karla Guzman

Amaya

Sophia Hauptman

Sophia Lajato

Giavanna Leach

Elise LoCastro

Julie Marrero

Alex Michaels

Julia O’Connell

Francis Miguel Reyes

Andrew Ruiz

Mason Ruscica-

Duffy

Emma Taglianetti

Kevin Weber

Dakota Whaley

Donate food on May 11 to help Stamp Out Hunger

It’s that time of year again, when you can play a major role in helping those who are hungry by doing nothing more than putting some food out for collection.

It’s all part of the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive — a collaboration involving Island Harvest Food Bank, the National Association of Letter Carriers, and the U.S. Postal Service. It takes place on Saturday, May 11, when everyone is encouraged to leave food donations by their mailbox for their letter carrier to collect before their regular mail delivery.

As part of the nation’s largest singleday food collection campaign, all donations collected in Nassau and Suffolk counties will help Island Harvest provide much-needed food support to more than 300,000 people on Long Island who face hunger — including more than 90,000 children.

“Contributing to Stamp Out Hunger is simple,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and chief executive of Island Harvest, in a release. “Just leave non-perishable food items in a bag next to your mailbox before the regularly scheduled mail deliver. Your USPS letter carrier will do the rest to make sure it gets onto the tables of our Long Islander neighbors in need.”

Non-perishable food items needed include canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices, and shelf-stable milk. It does not include food items in glass containers, as these are easy to break.

In addition, mail carriers will look for personal care items like toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, and disposable diapers. All donations will help replenish Island Harvest’s network of food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in communities throughout Long Island.

Since its inception in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected nearly 1.8 billion pounds of food in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Just here on Long Island, the demand for food has increased significantly since 2019 — with Island Harvest distributing 15 million pounds of food in 2022, up 42 percent from before the coronavirus pandemic.

All donations are tax-deductible since food collected benefits Island Harvest, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

To learn more about how you can help with this and other causes with Island Harvest, visit IslandHarvest.org.

Courtesy of Island Park Public Schools

Lincoln Orens Middle School in Island Park held its annual induction ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society on April 4.

Governor Kathy Hochul

Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (Senate Sponsor)

State Senator Kevin Thomas Assemblyman Ari Brown

NYU Langone makes transplant history

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Lisa Pisano suffered from heart failure and end-stage kidney diseases — conditions that required routine dialysis. Because of that, the 54-year-old New Jersey resident wasn’t a candidate for either a heart or kidney transplant, because doctors feared it just wouldn’t help her long-term.

But those same doctors refused to give up. And last week, NYU Langone Health completed its first transplant surgery to combine a mechanical heart pump and a gene-edited pig kidney.

NYU Langone Health — which operates a hospital in Mineola — completed the first transplant surgery to combine a mechanical heart pump and a geneedited pig kidney,

More than 100,000 people are currently awaiting a transplant across the country, with most specifically looking for a kidney. More than 800,000 people suffer from end-stage kidney disease in the United States alone, yet just 1-in-30 were fortunate enough to undergo a transplant last year, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

With little to no options, Pisano considered xenotransplant — which depends on animal organs to replace human ones in people.

“When the opportunity first came to me, I was like, ‘I got to try it,’” Pisano

Robert Montgomery prepares the surgical site for a medical history-making pig-tohuman transplant surgery by using sterile forceps and scissors for Lisa Pisano at NYU Langone Health’s Kimmel Pavilion in Manhattan.

told reporters through a video conference from her intensive care unit room.

“So, when this opportunity came, I was going to take advantage of it.”

The effort involved approval from NYU Langone’s review board and Food and Drug Administration clearance through its expanded access program.

Also known as “compassionate use, “ the expanded access program is designed for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions.

“There are opportunities for us to

learn a lot,” Robert Montgomery, NYU Langone’s surgery department chair told reporters last week. “But obviously, the intent here is to try to preserve and save that person’s life.”

It otherwise would have taken years for Pisano to find the right match for a human kidney transplant. Montgomery, with the help of the United Therapeutics Corp., matched an investigational gene-edited pig kidney with a thymus, which was available.

Two surgical teams conducted the

series of procedures over nine days. On April 4, Pisano received a mechanical heart pump — a device known as a left ventricular assist device. On April 12, she received a gene-edited pig kidney, and the pig’s thymus gland.

Montgomery performed the transplant itself, while Nader Moazami — a cardiothoracic surgery chief at NYU Grossman School of Medicine — along with Deane Smith, director of mechanical circulatory support, performed the mechanical heart pump surgery at the Kimmel Pavilion in Manhattan.

NYU Langone officials described the overall procedure as the first reported organ transplant in a person with a mechanical heart pump, and second known transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney into a human.

Pisano expressed feeling “fantastic” after the procedures.

“I’ve felt the best I’ve felt in a long time,” she said. “I can’t thank anyone enough for that. My family, the doctors, nurses, staff — everyone here.”

Although uncertain about how she will react over time, Pisano acknowledged the treatment may prove beneficial for someone else — if not for her.

“Worst-case scenario, if it doesn’t work, it might work for the next person,” Pisano said.

“At least somebody is going to benefit from it. If not me, then who? Somebody.”

Courtesy Joe Carrotta, NYU Langone Health

Herald group wins 18 state NYPA awards

STAFF REPORT

It was a big night of wins for your local paper and all of Herald Community Newspapers as the New York Press Association honored the best of the best this past weekend.

The Herald papers earned 18 statewide awards overall at the event in Saratoga Springs, including four first places.

Creative director Jeffrey Negrin earned two of them — one for a Salute to Israel special section honoring the country on its 75th anniversary that he did with deputy editor Jeffrey Bessen, and the other for best special section cover he did for a Your Health & Wellness special section focused on mental health.

“Good editorial design in a mix of visual metaphor, eye-catching imagery and strategic typography,” judges from the Tennessee Press Association said. “This cover expertly made all three elements with ease. The use of a stark gray background was such a great decision for keeping the colorful main image large and incharge.”

Daniel Offner, a senior editor who leads the Rockville Centre Herald, earned a first place in religion coverage for his stories centered not just on the issues plaguing the Diocese of Rockville Centre, but also how many churches adapted to life after the Covid-19 pandemic.

First place also was awarded to The Riverdale Press in the Bronx for best editorial page, honoring former editor Gary Larkin and executive editor Michael Hinman.

“The editorial section is diverse, eye-catching and well-balanced in design,” judges said. “Topics are relevant to readers, well-written, and provide a wide variety of topics of interest.”

The Riverdale Press also earned a second place for coverage of crime, police and courts given to Larkin, reporter Eric Harvey, and former reporter Stacy Driks. Harvey won a second place of his own for best feature story on civil rights attorney Clarence Jones, who hosted Martin Luther King Jr., in his Riverdale home back in the 1960s, just in time for him to write his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

The Riverdale Press also won second place for the Past President’s Award for Editorial Excellence — an award the paper has regularly placed in over the

years, including first-place wins in 2020 and 2021.

This year, the judges called The Press a “strong newspaper with rich and newsy content from front to back” with an “engaging editorial page and eye-catching front pages.”

The Nassau Herald in the Five Towns won second place for advertising excellence, with special kudos to its special sections, its dance workshop ad designs, and for its annual Christmas wrapping paper project.

The Nassau Herald also won second places for special sections/niche publications-newsprint for RichnerLive’s Top Lawyers section, as well as best multiadvertiser pages for its Halloween section.

The Nassau Herald won third place in editorials

written by Bessen, Hinman and former Malverne/ West Hempstead Herald editor Mark Nolan. The editorials focused on project-based learning, a call to replace special political elections with gubernatorial appointments, and calling out the Nassau County Bridge Authority.

“Variety of editorials concern topics in which most readers are interested (like) education, elections and transportation,” judges said. “All three presented clearly, and were well-written.”

Nolan also won third place for column writing for the Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald.

Nolan’s column selection “covered a range of topics,” judges said, “and they were all smooth to read.” One that really grabbed the judges’ attention was on graduation rates, saying Nolan “explained the high number of graduates was misleading in a clear, simple way.”

Negrin won a third place of his own for best media kit and sales collateral, something the judges said should be a “model for media kits everywhere.”

“It’s truly humbling to receive acknowledgment from our peers in the newspaper community,” said Herald Community Newspapers publisher Stuart Richner. “My heartfelt congratulations to all of our winners. Nevertheless, our ultimate gratification stems from ensuring our readers receive the best and most comprehensive community news every single week.”

“Such a great honor for the sales staff to win two awards for advertising excellence,” said Rhonda Glickman, the sales vice president at Herald Community Newspapers. “It takes a great team, including finance, art, production, circulation, the press room, and the marketing staff to bring home these awards. Congrats to our editorial team and creative director for all their awards.”

Honorable mentions went to sports editor Tony Bellissimo for sportswriter of the year, the Rockville Centre Herald for advertising excellence, former East Meadow Herald editor Mallory Wilson for her coverage of education, Larkin for feature story, and photo editor Tim Baker for feature photo in the Malverne/ West Hempstead Herald.

Overall, more than 140 newspapers submitted 2,530 entries in 65 categories, and nearly 380 awards were handed out.

Susanna Ciurleo/Herald

More than 20 members of the Herald Community Newspapers team attended the annual New York Press Association Spring Conference in Saratoga Springs over the weekend, where the newspaper group earned 18 state awards.

Herald Community Newspapers creative director Jeffrey Negrin won first place for best special section cover design for his cover last May focusing on mental health for a Your Health and Wellness special section.

Mount Sinai South Nassau honors volunteers

nurturing, earning the Shining Star Award, which recognizes volunteers who have enhanced the patient experience. Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule also presented a citation to a Biscotti, for her volunteerism at Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Biscotti worked in human resources for her husband’s accounting firm for 30 years and then as a teacher at California Avenue School in Uniondale for 11 years. After retiring at 65, she said she wanted to give back to the community as a hospital volunteer, finding a home in the director’s office.

“I was also honestly afraid of being home after working the way I did raising children,” Biscotti, who also lived in Rockville Centre for 45 years, said. “I went up to the hospital, and the director at the time said to me, ‘I want you to work directly for me.’”

Biscotti has logged 907 hours volunteering at the hospital and has volunteered for 11 years. Her journey from teaching to volunteering in the medical field reflects her nurturing nature and desire to help others. Biscotti even worked remotely as a volunteer during the Covid pandemic, assisting with tasks such as pre-surgical testing and helping patients find information about vaccinations.

“When I speak to patients, a lot of them don’t have families,” Biscotti said. “They didn’t know where to go to get their vaccines during Covid-19. They have a pre-surgical test for very serious surgery and just helping them to give them information about where to park or where to do it really gives you a lot of pleasure. They thank you. Some of them call me ‘Doc.’ I’m not a doctor, just volunteering and I like helping.”

During the April 25 luncheon, 68-year-old Baldwin resident Robert Granoff received the 5 Star Award, given in memory of former volunteer Adelaide Cromwell, recognizing extraordinary dedication and service. Granoff, a

Your “basis” for calculating capital gains taxes is what you paid for the stock or the real estate. For real estate, the basis gets raised by the amount of any capital improvements you make to the property. When you sell your primary residence you may exclude the first $500,000 of gain if you’re a couple or $250,000 if you’re single. The $500,000 exclusion for a couple gets extended for a sale occurring up to two years after a spouse dies. For gifts you receive of appreciated stock or real estate during the donor’s lifetime, no capital gains tax is payable, however the donee receives the donor’s basis. It is generally considered better to wait, if possible, and pass the gift to the donee at death, due to the “stepped-up basis”. The basis of any inherited property is “steppedup” to date of death value. If the property is sold within six months of the date of death, then the sale price is deemed to be the date of death value.

If the property is going to be held for

24 year Baldwin resident, started volunteering at the hospital in 2017 and has dedicated more than 2,010 hours to volunteering. Granoff decided to embark on a journey of volunteer service following his retirement from the fish and seafood industry.

He first began volunteering at Soup To Nuts Soup Kitchen in Freeport, where he has served for 12 years, and volunteered for five years of service at Operation SPLASH, a volunteer non-profit organization that provides a solution to waterfront pollution. Where he remove plastic bags and other pollutants in the waters and marshland on the south shore.

Granoff then became involved with Mount Sinai South Nassau, where he has volunteered for seven years. He is most proud about the connections he has forged with people and the joy he has brought to their lives.

“Just meeting the people and helping them out as much as you can and goofing around with them,” Granoff said. “I always help out all the junior volunteers,

Tips

some time it is helpful to get date of death values to establish the new basis. For real estate, this means getting an appraisal from a licensed real estate appraiser (not a real estate broker!). For stocks, you simply ask the company holding the stocks to provide this information.

When a spouse dies with jointly held property, there is a half of a step-up — the deceased spouse’s half gets stepped-up to date of death value, while the surviving spouse has the original basis. However, for a primary residence the capital gains tax exclusions discussed above continue to apply. With combined Federal and New York capital gains taxes reaching about 30%, it is essential to look at holding onto appreciated property until death (especially if you have taken depreciation on the property which can lower your basis to zero) and to look carefully at the estate plan to see if property should be transferred to a surviving spouse to get another step-up on the second death.

they’re fun to work with, and I don’t treat them like if they were with their parents. I just have fun with them.”

Rockville Centre resident Susan Keller, 68, also was recognized at the event for surpassing an astounding 30,000 hours of volunteer service to the hospital. Keller’s unwavering commitment to the hospital’s compassionate listener program and her presence in various departments, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, exemplify the essence of volunteerism. From reading to newborns to providing companionship to patients, Keller’s compassion knows no bounds. Keller started volunteering at Mount Sinai in 1998 when she wanted to contribute to her community while her daughter attended school nearby.

Despite initially pursuing a career in counseling for the deaf after receiving a Masters degree in deafness rehabilitation after Keller started a family she never got around to pursuing the career. Keller however, found fulfillment in her volunteer work, where she connected with patients and staff on a profound level.

“I think both involve helping, right, but also connecting with people,” Keller said. “That’s a really big part of what I do. Whether it’s reading to babies in the NICU, you have to form some sort of connection with the baby. Taking the dogs around and seeing the connection the patient develops with that dog, and how it brings them out and makes them happy, being a part of that is indescribable. When I visit patients, it’s amazing.”

Keller said she finds joy in various aspects of her volunteer work, particularly interacting with patients and staff.

“I’m not being paid in dollar bills or a check, but when I’m wearing my volunteer jacket, the wealth is in the patients and my memories with them,” she said. “There are certain people I will never forget who have touched me so. I’m a very wealthy person. I really mean that.”

Keith Rossein/Herald

Dr. Adhi Sharma with Susan Keller; Sharon McMackin, volunteer coordinator; and Anne Fernandez.

State legislature allocates $56 million more for TAP

By NICOLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

College tuition is something that can loom over a student’s head long after she graduates. But she and others are getting a little help from Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators, who earmarked an additional $56 million into the state’s Tuition Assistance Program.

More students applying for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form will have the opportunity to receive assistance through TAP. The program has been active since 1974, providing nearly $30 billion in financial aid to 6 million students in New York.

TAP is one of the largest need-based financial grants in the country. The program provided 234,000 students $662 million in TAP grants as recently as the 202223 academic year.

The minimum annual TAP award was increased from $500 to $1,000, capping out at just below $5,700. Income limit threshold qualifications were also increased for both dependent and independent students.

Those who may qualify include:

■ independent students with tax dependents,

■ students who qualified as an orphan, foster child or ward of the court any time since they were 13, and

■ dependent undergraduate students

York’s Tuition Assistance Program after the state allocated an additional $56 million to the program for the 2024-25 academic year.

with a household earning less than $125,000.

Independent students who are married without tax dependents who make less than $60,000 now qualify — up from $40,000 previously.

Independent students who are single without tax dependents who make less than $30,000 now qualify — up from $10,000 previously.

The TAP expansion was celebrated by Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Assemblywoman Taylor Darling, former Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages and members of the Elmont community out-

side of Elmont Memorial High School last week.

“It is indispensable for families who are struggling with the affordability crisis in which we exist today,” Assemblywoman Solages said, emphasizing the importance for students to receive “a quality education at a good price.”

The TAP expansion is meant to help students and families, especially when facing the hardships brought by inflation.

“Turning the TAP on is exactly what we needed to do,” Darling said, adding that students have come to her to say they needed to drop out of school because they couldn’t afford things like a MetroCard or Long Island Rail Road ticket, day care, or

even to put food on the table.

Quincy Velez, a senior at the Elmont school, said he “definitely needed” the help that TAP provides. He receives $2,000 in aid from the program, which helps a lot coming from a single-parent household where going to college isn’t always a viable option.

“Now I can look for a school that is my first choice instead of it not being my first choice because of money issues,” said Velez, who has dreams of someday becoming a pilot.

Such a dream could be expensive, said Lynette Battle — Velez’s mother, and president of the school’s parent teacher association. Aviation school can cost as much as $75,000 per year, if not more. Expanding TAP can really make a difference.

“The struggle is real, and this is a breath of fresh air,” Battle said. “And now, the opportunities are much greater.”

To receive TAP, students must be in good standing on a student loan under any state or federal education loan program, or on the repayment of any state award, among other conditions.

Applications are now open through June 2025.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity,” Battle said. “I hope that every young person makes sure they fill out their FAFSA form, and makes sure they get everything done in a timely fashion, because now is the time.

“The TAP is turned on. Don’t wait until the TAP is off.”

Nicole Wagner/Herald

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages speaks with Elmont residents about the importance of the expansion of New

Knights of Columbus host Blue Mass in O’Side

Lynbrook Knights of Columbus organized a Blue Mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside and a breakfast at St. Mary’s Maris/Stella Knights of Columbus catering Hall in Lynbrook for on April 21 to honor fallen police officer, detective Peter Figoski. The Knights of Columbus blue mass is in support of active officers and those who died in the line of the duty. Detective Peter Figoski was shot and killed in 2011 while responding to a robbery call on Pine Street, in Brooklyn, at approximately 2 a.m.

Figoski was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he died from his wound. Figoski had served with the New York City Police Department for 22 years and was assigned to the 75th Precinct. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective.

The Knights of Columbus honored the memory of Peter Figoski at St.Anthony Church.

–Kepherd Daniel

Skye Margies/Herald

STEPPING OUT

Familiar face leading

Co-founder Harrelson honored with uniform patch

By Tony Bellissimo

The Long Island Ducks took the field for the 2024 Atlantic League baseball season opener April 25 with heavy hearts.

Bud Harrelson, the former Mets great who co-founded and coowned the Ducks, died Jan. 11 at 79 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He co-founded the Ducks franchise with Frank Boulton in 1998, and served as the league’s first president.

“Bud’s impact on Long Island will be felt through Ducks baseball for as long as we play,” Boulton says. “He was my partner in bringing professional baseball to Long Island following his outstanding playing career in MLB, and he made his mark on so many through his charitable giving, appearances and kindness. He was a one-of-a-kind human being, and he is missed greatly.”

The Ducks, who won their first game under new manager Lew Ford, are honoring Harrelson this season with a “3” patch on the front of their uniforms. Harrelson’s family was on hand for the opener, and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Ford became the seventh manager in Ducks history, succeeding Wally Backman. A member of the 1986 Mets World Series team, Backman joined the Ducks prior to the 2019 season, and finished his Ducks career with a record of 284-232 (.550). The team made the playoffs three times, and advanced to two Atlantic League Championship Series (2019, 2021), winning it all in 2019.

Ford has spent the past 13 seasons on Long Island, the past nine as a player/coach.

“I am honored and excited,” Ford says. “I look forward to working with our exceptional staff and players to bring home a championship to Long Island.”

Ford’s 13 years with the Ducks are more than any other player in franchise history, and his run as a player/coach is the longest tenure in franchise annals as well. He has the most hits in team history with 1,036, ranking him third all-time in the Atlantic League. Additionally, he sits second all-time among Ducks players in batting average (.318, mininum of 1,000 at-bats), games played (877), runs batted in (511), runs scored (549), doubles (227) and total bases (1,541).

setting league singleseason records for hits (189) and games played (140) that season. In addition to his time with the Ducks, Ford spent parts of seven seasons at the Major League level, and in 519 big league games batted .268 with 35 home runs and 176 RBIs.

“Lew has been an outstanding representative of the Ducks organization over the past 15 years,” Boulton says. “He has earned this opportunity, and we are very excited to have him guiding our team on

Atlantic League. Additionally, he sits second all-time among Ducks the field.” veteran

The most accomplished player Ford will pencil into the lineup is Major League veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who signed April 4. He appeared in 1,182 MLB games, and won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018. He totaled 109 homers, 449 RBIs and 69 stolen bases over an 11-year career.

Asbury Short Film Concert

The latest edition of the short film showcase is back at the Madison Theatre. With a lineup of classics from Asbury’s past combined with current international festival winners — and in many cases, featuring up-and-coming filmmakers — audiences can get a look at these ‘smaller’ films that don’t often get a big screen showing. The fast-paced evening includes local spotlight selection ‘Across’ from Long Islandbased filmmaker Laura Sweeney It tells the dramatic story of three World War II widows on a road trip together to try and find healing, but instead wind up learning tough secrets. Another stand-out is the 2011 Academy Award nominee, ‘The Crush,’ a quirky drama about an 8-year-old boy and his infatuation with his teacher, from Irish director Michael Creagh. Author, comedy writer and former Friar’s Club archivist Barry Dougherty serves as guest host.

Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. $25. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at MadisonTheatreNY.org, or call (516) 323-4444.

The 47-year-old Central Islip resident played on the Ducks championship clubs in 2012, 2013 and 2019. He also helped lead the Flock to eight division titles and 11 postseason appearances as a player/coach. The outfielder was named the 2014 Atlantic League Player of the Year,

“Jackie is an exceptional talent with a wealth of experience in the game,” Ford says. “His resume speaks for itself. He’s excited to be here and we’re thrilled to have him.”

‘Cold Beer on a Saturday Night’

Bradley will patrol center field with speedy Nick Heath (42 steals) in left and Tyler Dearden in right. The infield features another former Major Leaguer, first baseman Frank Schwindel, who hit 22 in the bigs. Shortstop Ivan Castillo and third baseman Hector Gomez also have some MLB experience. Scott Kelly returns at second base, and Ford expects newcomer Rixon Wingrove to hit some dingers.

Behind the plate, Chance Sisco returns after belting 11 homers, including three in one game, with 33 RBIs in just 31

Bradley will patrol center field with speedy Nick Frank base, games.

“He’s a veteran catcher who calls a great game, and is a very productive hitter,” Ford says.

Stephen Woods Jr., who went 7-2 for the Ducks last season. There

Sisco will work with a starting pitching staff anchored by Stephen Woods Jr., who went 7-2 for the Ducks last season. There is also former MLB southpaw Wei-Yin Chen. A onetime teammate of Ford’s in Baltimore, Daniel Corcino, who spent the past two years with Lexington. And Chris Ellis, who got a taste of the Majors with 25 relief appearances.

“We have talented players and a great clubhouse,” Ford says.

Photos courtesy Long Island Ducksi

Photos (top): Catcher Chance Sisco had 33 RBIs in only 31 games last season.

(middle): Third baseman Hector Gomez is one of many Ducks with MLB experience.

(bottom): Long Island Ducks mascot ‘Quakerjack’ is a hit with fans of all ages.

Get a head start on beach season with Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beach Band. We’re all eager for summertime to arrive, meanwhile Jimmy Kenny and his band come to the rescue on the Paramount stage again. Join in their ‘Ultimate Beach Party Tribute’ to Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band. Parrotheads, No Shoes Nation and the Zamily: It’s 5 o’clock somewhere so let’s ‘raise ‘em up and sing along. The Long Island-based band — guided by Paul C. Cuthbert (aka Jimmy Kenny) on lead vocals/ acoustic guitar, with Linn DeMilta (aka Lovely Linn), lead and backing vocals, Luis Rio, lead guitar/backing vocals, Frank Stainkamp, keyboard/ backing vocals, Dan Prine, bass, and drummer Mike Vecchione — have celebrated the beach country sounds of Buffett, Chesney and Zac Brown Band for more than a decade, spreading their vibe up and down the Northeast.

Saturday, May 4, 8 p.m. $35. $25, $20, $15. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, or ParamountNY.com.

THE Your Neighborhood

Dance Theatre of Harlem

The acclaimed dance company visits Long Island on its 2024 tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, May 10, 8 p.m. With a storied history, the first Black classical ballet company, co-founded by dance icon and international superstar Arthur Mitchell, has toured the world, engaged communities and introduced young minds and bodies to the power of dance. With all its renown, this boundary-breaking, dynamic organization has maintained Mitchell’s core belief that ballet belongs to everyone. Now a singular presence in the ballet world, DTH presents a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century.

The 18-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate Black culture. Through performances, community engagement and arts education, the Company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all. The dynamic program and music by Michael Nyman; Balanchine’s “Pas de Dix, with music by Alexander Glazuno; “Take Me With You,” with choreography by Robert Bondara, featuring Radiohead music; “Return,” choreographed by Robert Garland, with James Brown and Aretha Franklin tunes. Tickets start at $64; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville.

Family theater

Families will enjoy another musical adventure, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, May 3, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, May 7-10, 10:15 a.m. and noon. Back by popular demand after a sold-out 2023 run, see Pigeon, Bus Driver, and some zany passengers sing and dance their way to helping The Pigeon find his “thing” in this upbeat, energetic comedy based on four of Mo Willems’ popular Pigeon books.

Featuring a live band to bring Deborah Wicks La Puma’s jazzy score to life, audiences will thoroughly enjoy singing and flapping along with The Pigeon and friends. The audience is part of the action, in this innovative mix of songs, silliness and feathers. It’s an ideal way to introduce kids to theater and the humorous stories from Willems’ books. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Urban Art Evolution,” is a comprehensive exhibit featuring a diverse range of compositions from the 1980s through the present by creators who were based in the rough and tumble downtown area of New York City known as Loisaida/LES (Lower East Side/East Village) and close surrounding neighborhoods.

Artists pushed the boundaries of what was considered “art” with a primary focus on street/graffiti art. The exhibit’s scope, guest curated by art collector/gallerist Christopher Pusey, offers an even broader view from other creative residents, who worked inside their studios but still contributed to the rich fabric of the downtown art scene from different vantage points and aesthetics.

Works include sculpture, paintings, photography, music, and ephemera from many noted and influential artists. On view through July 7. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA

SOBRE EL PRESUPUESTO Y ELECCIÓN ANUAL DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR Y VOTACIÓN DEL PRESUPUESTO DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR OCEANSIDE UNION FREE, PUEBLO DE HEMPSTEAD, CONDADO DE NASSAU, ESTADO DE NUEVA YORK

POR LA PRESENTE, SE NOTIFICA que la elección anual del distrito escolar y la votación del presupuesto de los votantes calificados del distrito Escolar Oceanside Union Free, pueblo de Hempstead, condado de Nassau, Nueva York, se celebrará el 21 de mayo de 2024, de 7:00 a. m. a 9:00 p. m. en el gimnasio de la escuela n.º 6 de Merle Avenue, Merle Avenue, Oceanside, Nueva York, con los siguientes propósitos: a) Votar sobre el presupuesto anual de la escuela para el año escolar 2024-2025 y autorizar la imposición de un impuesto sobre la propiedad sujeta a tributación del Distrito, que será razonablemente de la siguiente forma: PROPUESTA 1: PRESUPUESTO DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR OCEANSIDE UNION FREE PARA 2024-2025 SE RESUELVE que la declaración de los gastos estimados (presupuesto) presentada por la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Oceanside Union Free, en la ciudad de Hempstead, condado de Nassau, estado de Nueva York, para el año escolar 2024-2025 sea por el monto de $181,393,876 para los fines establecidos, y se apruebe, y que dicho monto total, sin incluir los fondos públicos y otros ingresos legales, se deberá recaudar mediante el gravamen sobre el inmueble sujeto a tributación dentro del distrito escolar y se deberá cobrar durante el próximo año, según lo dispuesto por ley.

b) Elegir a un miembro de la Junta para que cubra la vacante después de la finalización del período de Seth Blau para un nuevo mandato que comienza el 1 de julio de 2024 y finaliza el 30 de junio de 2027.

c) Elegir a un miembro de la Junta para que cubra la vacante después de la finalización del período de Stuart Kaplan para un nuevo mandato que comienza el 1 de julio de 2024 y finaliza el 30 de junio de 2027.

d) Votar sobre las siguientes propuestas:

PROPUESTA 2:

PROYECTO DE RESERVA DE CAPITALES DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR

SE RESUELVE que la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Oceanside Union Free (“Distrito”), por medio del presente, tenga autorización para asignar y gastar del fondo de

reserva de capitales, aprobado por los votantes y establecido el 15 de mayo de 2018, una cantidad que no exceda los $11,379,700 con el fin de realizar un Proyecto de mejora de capital del Distrito en Oceanside High School, la Escuela n.º 3, y en la Escuela n.º 6 (“Proyecto”), que comenzará durante el año escolar 2024-2025 y comprenderá la construcción de mejoras y modificaciones en la propiedad de Oceanside High School, la Escuela n.º 3 y la Escuela n.º 6 según se describe a continuación: Oceanside High School: 1)

Renovación del campo de baseball del equipo estudiantil de la escuela secundaria. Obras para incluir césped sintético en el campo y fuera de él, nueva barrera de contención, nuevas casetas, gradas elevadas con 200 asientos detrás de la base del bateador, nueva cerca perimetral, nueva cerca para home run, distintos equipos para baseball, y pasillos de hormigón; 2)

Renovación del campo de softball del equipo estudiantil de la escuela secundaria. Obras para incluir césped sintético en el campo y fuera de él, nueva barrera de contención, nuevas casetas, gradas elevadas con 200 asientos detrás de la base del bateador, nueva cerca perimetral, nueva cerca para home run, distintos equipos para baseball, y pasillos de hormigón; 3) Renovación de las canchas de tenis actuales, remoción y reemplazo del asfalto, redes de tenis y postes. Pintura de recubrimiento y de las líneas divisorias en todas las canchas, una cancha en la que también se marcarán las líneas divisorias para pickleball usando las redes de la cancha de tenis; 4) Adición de aire acondicionado al salón de la banda actual. Oceanside (Escuela n.° 3): 1) Remoción de una parte del área de juegos de asfalto actual e instalación de nuevas áreas de juego con césped sintético con una cancha para patear la pelota; 2) Remoción de todo el paisajismo contra el edificio actual e instalación de nuevas sendas de hormigón. Pintura nueva de todas las líneas divisorias de los senderos para adaptar el césped nuevo. Instalación de los drenajes necesarios; 3) Remoción y reemplazo del principal dispositivo de alimentación eléctrica subterráneo y bloques de vidrio en dos ubicaciones de la escuela. Oceanside (Escuela n.° 6): Instalación de líneas divisorias en la cancha de handball para pickleball. Instalación de zapatas, redes y postes para redes para pickleball; todo esto

incluirá mejoras en el lugar, mobiliario, equipos, aparatos, maquinaria, demolición y otros trabajos relacionados o mejoras necesarias adicionales, así como los costos preliminares y los costos imprevistos, y su financiamiento; siempre que todos los costos detallados de los componentes del Proyecto según lo estipulado en el Informe puedan reasignarse entre dichos componentes en caso de que la Junta de Educación determine que la reasignación es en favor del Distrito y no se realicen cambios sustanciales al alcance del Proyecto.

PROPUESTA 3:

ENMIENDA DEL FONDO DE RESERVA DE CAPITALES SE RESUELVE que el fondo de reserva de capitales existente de la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Oceanside Union Free (“Distrito”), hasta ahora establecido mediante la autorización de los votantes el 15 de mayo de 2018, SE ENMIENDE POR MEDIO DEL PRESENTE, mediante el aumento del umbral de financiación de depósito del fondo por un monto que no exceda los cuarenta millones de dólares ($40,000,000), más los intereses acumulados. No habrá cambios ni modificaciones en el propósito del fondo ni en las fuentes de financiación, que seguirán siendo las autorizadas previamente por los votantes del Distrito.

PROPUESTA 4:

PROPUESTA SOBRE LA BIBLIOTECA DE OCEANSIDE PARA 2024-2025

Por medio del presente, la asignación anual de $7,358,030 hasta ahora autorizada por los votantes para los servicios de la biblioteca aumenta en $249,113, por una asignación anual total de $7,607,143 para cada año, desde el 1 de julio de 2024, junto con la parte designada de la biblioteca de cualquier pago de la Autoridad de Energía de Long Island (LIPA) conforme con un acuerdo conforme al expediente n.º 403754/2016, lo que representa la cantidad necesaria para los servicios de la biblioteca de conformidad con el contrato por escrito celebrado entre la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar Oceanside Union Free y la Biblioteca de Oceanside.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que la votación se realizará mediante máquinas de votación y las urnas estarán abiertas de 7:00 a. m. a 9:00 p. m. La elección se realizará de acuerdo con las Normas Electorales adoptadas por la Junta de Educación. TENGA EN CUENTA QUE

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que la audiencia sobre el presupuesto se realizará en el auditorio de la escuela n.º 6 de Oceanside, Merle Avenue, Oceanside, Nueva York, el miércoles 8 de mayo de 2024 a las 7:30 p. m., para la resolución de dichos asuntos según lo autorizado por la Ley de Educación. La reunión será pública y se transmitirá en vivo. Estará preparada la versión resumida de la propuesta sobre el presupuesto y el texto de todas las demás propuestas que aparecerán en las máquinas de votación, como así también una declaración detallada por escrito de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año escolar 2024-2025 para fines escolares, que especifica los fines y la cantidad para cada fin, y habrá copias disponibles, a pedido, para cualquier residente del Distrito en cada escuela del Distrito donde se mantiene la escuela de 9:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m. durante los catorce días previos a la elección del 21 de mayo de 2024, excepto sábados, domingos y feriados, en dicha audiencia sobre el presupuesto y elección anual, y en el sitio web del Distrito.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que, conforme a la Sección 495 de la Ley del Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles, se requiere que el Distrito adjunte un informe de exención al presupuesto sugerido. En este informe de exenciones, que también formará parte del presupuesto final, se mostrará cómo el valor total estimado de la lista de tasación final que se utilice en el proceso presupuestario queda libre de impuestos, se enumerarán todos los tipos de exenciones que otorgue la autoridad legal y se expondrá el impacto acumulativo de cada tipo de exención, el monto acumulado que se prevé recibir como pago en lugar de impuestos y el impacto acumulativo de todas las exenciones otorgadas.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que las nominaciones de los miembros de la Junta de Educación, a menos que la ley estipule lo contrario, se deberán realizar mediante solicitud firmada por al menos 39 votantes calificados del Distrito, deberán indicar el nombre y la residencia del candidato, así como también el nombre y la residencia de cada firmante, deberán describir la vacante específica para la que se nomina al candidato, que incluye la duración del cargo y el nombre del último titular, y deberán presentarse en la oficina

de la Secretaría del Distrito, en el edificio de la Administración, 145 Merle Avenue, Oceanside, Nueva York, desde las 9:00 a. m. hasta las 4:00 p. m., a más tardar 30 días antes de la elección, este año, el 22 de abril de 2024, y el 22 de abril de 2024 desde las 9:00 a. m. hasta las 5:00 p. m. La Junta de Educación puede rechazar una nominación si el candidato no es elegible para el cargo o declara su poca disposición para desempeñar las funciones.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que cualquier propuesta que deba hacerse en las máquinas de votación se deberá realizar por escrito mediante solicitud firmada por al menos 97 votantes calificados del Distrito y presentar en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito de 9:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m., a más tardar 30 días antes de la elección en la que se votará la cuestión o propuesta, este año, el 22 de abril de 2024, y el 22 de abril de 2024 de 9:00 a. m. a 5:00 p. m. Esta norma no se aplicará a las propuestas que deban publicarse ni a aquellas propuestas o cuestiones sobre las que la Junta de Educación tenga la autoridad por ley para presentar en cualquier elección anual o especial del Distrito.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que se permite el registro de los votantes calificados de este Distrito para la elección anual del Distrito en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito desde las 9:00 a. m. hasta las 4:00 p. m., de lunes a viernes, hasta el jueves 16 de mayo de 2024 inclusive. Se preparará y presentará un registro en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito, que estará abierto para que cualquier votante calificado pueda inspeccionarlo desde las 9:00 a. m. hasta las 4:00 p. m. los cinco días antes de la elección, excepto el domingo, y el sábado con cita desde las 9:00 a. m. hasta las 12:00 p. m., y en el lugar de votación el día de la elección.

TENGA EN CUENTA QUE TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que el registro incluirá: todos los votantes calificados del Distrito que se hayan presentado personalmente para el registro; todos los votantes previamente calificados del Distrito que se hayan registrado para cualquier elección anual o especial del Distrito y que hayan votado en cualquier elección anual o especial del Distrito realizada durante los cuatro años calendario (2020-2023) previos a la preparación de este registro; y los votantes que estén registrados de manera permanente en la Junta Electoral del condado de Nassau. ASIMISMO, SE NOTIFICA que las solicitudes de boletas electorales por correo anticipado se deben completar en un formulario elaborado por la Junta Electoral del Estado. Dichas solicitudes están disponibles en el sitio web del Departamento de Educación del estado en https://www.counsel.nyse d.gov/miscellaneous, o en el sitio web del Distrito https://www.oceansidesc hools.org, y en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., en los días en que la escuela está en sesión. Las solicitudes de boletas electorales por correo anticipado completadas deben recibirse al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección si la boleta electoral por correo anticipado se enviará por correo al votante o hasta el día anterior a la elección si la boleta electoral se entregará personalmente al votante o a la persona que designe. No se aceptarán solicitudes de boletas electorales por correo anticipado antes del 22 de abril de 2024. Las boletas electorales por correo anticipado de los votantes se deben recibir en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del día de las elecciones que se vayan a escrutar. En la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito podrá consultarse una lista de todas las personas a las que se les hayan emitido boletas electorales por correo anticipado cada uno de los cinco días anteriores a las elecciones, de 9:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m., excepto los domingos, y solo con cita previa de 9:00 a. m. hasta el mediodía del sábado anterior a la elección. TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que las solicitudes de voto por ausencia se deben completar en un formulario elaborado por la Junta de Elecciones del estado, el cual puede obtenerse en el sitio web del Departamento de Educación del estado (https://www.counsel.nys ed.gov/miscellaneous) o comunicándose con la Secretaría del Distrito por correo electrónico jkraemer@oceansidescho ols.org o por teléfono (516-678-1226). Las solicitudes completadas deben recibirse al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección si la boleta electoral se enviará por correo al solicitante o hasta el día anterior a la elección si la boleta electoral se entregará personalmente al solicitante o a la persona que designe. La Secretaría del Distrito no aceptará solicitudes de voto por ausencia antes del 22 de abril de 2024. Habrá una lista de todas las personas a quienes se les haya emitido boletas

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING AND ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ELECTION & BUDGET VOTE OF OCEANSIDE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual school district election and budget vote of the qualified voters of Oceanside Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, NY, will be held on May 21, 2024, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Merle Avenue School No. 6, Merle Avenue, Oceanside, NY, for the following purposes:

a) to vote upon the annual School budget for the school year 2024-2025 and to authorize the levying of a tax upon the taxable property of the District, which shall be in substantially the following form: PROPOSITION 1OCEANSIDE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET FOR 2024-2025 RESOLVED, that the statement of estimated expenses (budget) presented by the Board of Education of Oceanside Union Free School District, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, for the School Year 2024-2025 in the amount of $181,393,876 for the purposes stated, be and same is approved, and said total amount, exclusive of public monies and other lawful income shall be raised by the levy on the taxable property within the school district and collected during the ensuing year as provided by law.

b) to elect one Board member to fill the vacancy due to expiration of the term of Seth Blau for a new term commencing July 1, 2024 and expiring June 30, 2027; c) to elect one Board member to fill the vacancy due to expiration of the term of Stuart Kaplan for a new term commencing July 1, 2024 and expiring June 30, 2027; d) to vote upon the following propositions:

electorales por ausencia disponible en la oficina de la Secretaría del Distrito durante los cinco días previos al día de la elección, excepto el domingo, y únicamente con cita entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 12:00 del mediodía del sábado anterior a la elección. TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que, de conformidad con la sección 2018-d de la Ley de Educación, cualquier persona que preste servicio en el Ejército, incluidos los cónyuges y dependientes, puede registrarse para votar en la próxima elección del distrito escolar. Los votantes militares que califican como votantes del distrito escolar pueden obtener un formulario de registro comunicándose con la Secretaría del Distrito por teléfono (516-678-1226), fax (516-678-2145), correo electrónico (jkraemer@oceansidescho ols.org,), correo postal (145 Merle Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572) o en persona entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m. Los votantes militares que estén debidamente registrados pueden solicitar la boleta electoral militar mediante un formulario de solicitud proporcionado por la Secretaría del Distrito. Las solicitudes completadas se deben entregar en persona o por correo postal a la Secretaría del Distrito, y se deben recibir antes de las 5:00 p. m. del 25 de abril de 2024. Las boletas electorales militares completadas se deben recibir antes de las 5:00 p. m. del 21 de mayo de 2024 si están firmadas y fechadas por el votante militar y un testigo con una fecha que no sea posterior al día anterior a la elección o no más tarde del cierre de las urnas el 21 de mayo de 2024 si muestran una marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o si muestran un endoso fechado de recepción por otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Los votantes militares pueden decidir si prefieren recibir un formulario de registro para votantes militares, una solicitud de boleta electoral militar o una boleta electoral militar por correo, fax o correo electrónico en su solicitud para dicho registro, solicitud de boleta electoral o boleta electoral. TENGA EN CUENTA QUE TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que la Junta convocará a una reunión especial en un plazo de veinticuatro horas después de la presentación de un informe por escrito en la Secretaría del Distrito de los resultados de la elección a fin de analizar y clasificar los informes y declarar el resultado de la elección; que la Junta, por el presente, se designa fiscal para emitir y escrutar los votos conforme a la Ley de Educación, 2019-a(2b), en esta reunión especial de la Junta. Fecha: 15 de marzo de 2024 POR ORDEN DE LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN Oceanside, Nueva York DISTRITO ESCOLAR OCEANSIDE UNION FREE, PUEBLO DE HEMPSTEAD, CONDADO DE NASSAU, NUEVA YORK Justan Kraemer Secretaría del Distrito 145902

Public Notices

PROPOSITION 2SCHOOL DISTRICT CAPITAL RESERVE PROJECT

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Oceanside Union Free School District (“District”), is hereby authorized to appropriate and expend from the Capital Reserve Fund, approved by the voters and established on May 15, 2018, an amount not to exceed $11,379,700 for the purpose of undertaking a District Capital Improvement Project at Oceanside High School, School #3, and School #6 (“Project”) to commence during the 2024-2025 school year and to consist of the construction of improvements and alterations to Oceanside High School, School #3, and School #6 property as follows: Oceanside High School: 1) Renovate the High School varsity baseball field. Work to include synthetic turf infield and outfield, new backstop, new dugouts, 200 seat raised bleachers behind home plate, new perimeter fencing, home run fencing, miscellaneous baseball equipment, and concrete walks; 2) Renovate the High School varsity softball field. Work to include synthetic turf infield and outfield, new backstop, new dugouts, 200 seat raised bleachers behind home plate, new perimeter fencing, home run fencing, miscellaneous baseball equipment, and concrete walks; 3) Renovate existing tennis courts, remove and replace existing asphalt, tennis nets and posts. Color coat and stripe all courts, one court to also be striped for pickleball using tennis court netting; 4) Add air conditioning to the existing band room.

Oceanside School #3: 1) Remove a portion of the existing asphalt play area and install new synthetic turf play areas with a kickball court; 2) Remove all landscaping against the existing building and install new concrete walks. Restripe walking track to accommodate new turf. Install drainage as required; 3) Remove and replace underground electrical primary feeder and glass blocks in two locations of school.

Oceanside School #6: Install striping on the existing handball court for pickleball. Install footings, nets and net posts for pickleball, all of the foregoing to include site improvements, furnishings, equipment, apparatus, machinery, demolition and other incidental work or improvements required in connection therewith as well as preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto and to the financing thereof; provided that the detailed costs of the components

of the Project as set forth in the Report may be reallocated among such components if the Board of Education shall determine that such reallocation is in the best interests of the District and no material change shall be made in the scope of the Project.

PROPOSITION 3CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AMENDMENT

RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the Oceanside Union Free School District’s (“District”) existing Capital Reserve Fund, heretofore established by voter authorization on May 15, 2018; IS HEREBY AMENDED by increasing the Fund’s deposit funding threshold by an amount not to exceed Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000), plus any accrued interest. There will be no change or alteration to the fund’s purpose, or sources of funding, which shall remain as previously authorized by District voters.

PROPOSITION 4OCEANSIDE LIBRARY

PROPOSITION 2024-2025

The annual appropriation for Library services of $7,358,030 heretofore authorized by the voters is hereby increased by the amount of $249,113 for a total annual appropriation of $7,607,143 for each year commencing July 1, 2024, together with the Library’s designated share of any payments by LIPA pursuant to a settlement under case index #403754/2016, representing the amount necessary for Library services pursuant to the written contract between the Board of Education of the Oceanside Union Free School District and the Oceanside Library.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that the voting shall be on voting machines and the polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The election shall be held in accordance with the Rules for the Conduct of Elections adopted by the Board of Education.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER

NOTICE that the Budget Hearing will be held in the auditorium of Oceanside School #6, Merle Avenue, Oceanside, NY, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 7:30 p.m., for the transaction of such business as is authorized by the Education Law. This meeting will be held in public and livestreamed. The condensed form of the budget proposition and the text of all other propositions to appear on the voting machine and a detailed statement in writing of the amount of money which will be required for the 2024-2025 school year for school purposes, specifying the purposes and the amount for each, will be prepared and

copies will be made available, upon request, to any District resident at each school in the District in which school is maintained from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the fourteen days preceding said May 21, 2024 election, excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays, at such budget hearing and annual election, and on the District website.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law, the District is required to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value on the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by the statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that nominations for the office of Board of Education member, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be made by petition subscribed by at least 39 qualified voters of the District, shall state the name and residence of the candidate and the name and residence of each signer, must describe the specific vacancy for which the candidate is nominated, including length of term of office and name of last incumbent, and must be filed in the District Clerk’s Office, Administration Building, 145 Merle Avenue, Oceanside, NY, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. not later than the 30th day preceding the election, this year, April 22, 2024, and on April 22, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A nomination may be rejected by the Board of Education if the candidate is ineligible for the office or declares his/her unwillingness to serve.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any proposition to be placed upon the voting machines shall be submitted in writing by petition subscribed by at least 97 qualified voters of the District and filed in the District Clerk’s Office from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., not later than the 30th day preceding the election at which such question or proposition is to be voted upon, this year, April 22, 2024, and on April 22, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except that this rule shall not apply to those propositions which are required to be published or to those propositions or questions which the

Board of Education has authority by law to present at any annual or special District election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that registration of the qualified voters of this District for said annual District election is permitted in the District Clerk’s Office, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, up to and including Thursday, May 16, 2024. A register will be prepared and will be filed in the District Clerk’s office, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on each of the five days before the election, except Sunday, and by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday; and at the polling place on Election Day.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the register shall include: all qualified voters of the District who shall personally present themselves for registration; all previously qualified voters of the District who have registered for any annual or special District election and who have voted at any annual or special District election held within the four calendar years (2020-2023) prior to preparation of the said register; and voters permanently registered with the Board of Elections of Nassau County.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for early mail ballots must be completed on a form prescribed by the State board of elections. Such applications are available on the State Education Department website, https://www.counsel.nyse d.gov/miscellaneous, on the District’s website https://www.oceansidesc hools.org, and at the District Clerk’s office, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on days when school is in session.

Completed applications for early mail ballots must be received at least seven (7) days before the election if the early mail ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or to his or her designated agent. Early mail ballot applications will not be accepted before April 22, 2024. Early mail voter’s ballots must be received in the District Clerk’s office not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election to be canvassed. A list of all persons to whom early mail ballots have been issued will be available for inspection in the District Clerk’s office on each of the five days prior to the election during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except Sunday, and by appointment only from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon on the Saturday prior to the

election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for absentee ballots be completed on a form prescribed by the State board of elections and may be obtained by visiting the State Education Department’s website, https://www.counsel.nyse d.gov/miscellaneous, by contacting the District Clerk by email jkraemer@oceansidescho ols.org, or phone (516-678-1226).

Completed applications must be received at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the applicant, or the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the applicant or to his or her designated agent. Absentee ballot applications will not be accepted by the District Clerk before April 22, 2024. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the District Clerk’s office on each of the five days prior to the election except Sunday, and by appointment only between the hours 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on the Saturday prior to the election.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to Education Law §2018-d, any person serving in the military, including spouses and dependents, may register to vote in the upcoming school district election. A military voter who is a qualified voter of the school district may obtain a registration form by contacting the District Clerk by telephone (516-678-1226), facsimile (516-678-2145), email jkraemer@oceansidescho ols.org, mail (145 Merle Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572), or in person between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A military voter who is duly registered may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application form from the District Clerk. Completed applications must be personally delivered or mailed to the District Clerk and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 25, 2024. Completed military ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 21, 2024 if signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto with a date which is not later than the day before the election, or not later than the close of the polls on May 21, 2024 if showing a cancellation mark of the United States Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government. A military voter may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration

form, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile or electronic mail in the request for such registration, ballot application, or ballot. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Board will convene a special meeting thereof within twenty-four hours after the filing with the District Clerk of a written report of the results of the election for the purpose of examining and tabulating said reports and declaring the result of the election; that the Board hereby designates itself to be a set of poll clerks to cast and canvass ballots pursuant to Education Law, §2019-a(2b) at said special meeting of the Board. Dated: March 15, 2024 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION Oceanside, New York OCEANSIDE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, NEW YORK Justan Kraemer District Clerk 145900

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

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on May 18, 2017, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR ARGENT SECURITIES INC., ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-W4 is the Plaintiff and NOREEN M. MCCABE, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on May 16, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 2863 CALVIN RD, OCEANSIDE, NY 11572; and the following tax map identification: Section 0054, Block 00506-00, Lot 00058 & 00138.

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

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 007501/2015. Janine T. Lynam, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 146077

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 16-003694 COUNTY OF NASSAU

BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. NANCY J KAPLAN

FITZGERALD AS EXECUTRIX, BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; KEITH KAPLAN AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; HILLARY DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; HANNA DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; JENNIFER LEDDY AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE

ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; EMMA DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE

ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008; STEPHEN DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE

ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE

ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, BY VIRTUE OF POTENTIAL UNPAID TAXES FROM THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH, THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, BY VIRTUE OF POTENTIAL UNPAID TAXES OR LIENS BY STEPHEN DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BY VIRTUE OF POTENTIAL UNPAID TAXES FROM THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH AND BY VIRTUE OF POTENTIAL UNPAID TAXES OR LIENS BY STEPHEN DELEON AS BENEFICIARY, HEIR, AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF JUNE ZATOVICH BY AND THROUGH THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JUNE ZATOVICH DATED MARCH 26, 2008, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 71 MARINA ROAD, ISLAND PARK, NY 11558 Section: 43, Block: 3, Lot: 143 Defendants.

Public Notices

To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State.

The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $489,000.00 and interest, recorded on February 08, 2006, in Liber M00030077 at Page 565 , of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York., covering premises known as 71 MARINA ROAD, ISLAND PARK, NY 11558.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated: April 2nd, 2024 ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ,

SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

By: Veronica M. Rundle, Esq.

Attorneys for Plaintiff

900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 Tel: 516-280-7675

Fax: 516-280-7674

146073

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS TRUST COMPANY, A/K/A M&T BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER WITH HUDSON CITY SAVINGS BANK, Plaintiff - againstFREDDY ORMENO, et al

Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on March 22, 2023. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 9th day of May, 2024 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of Land with the Buildings and Improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 78 Concord Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572.

(Section: 43, Block: 385, Lot: 7)

Approximate amount of lien $1,010,540.33 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 003398/2017. Louis B. Imbroto, Esq., Referee.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409

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

Dated: March 13, 2024

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 146056

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for Residential Asset Securitization Trust Series 2006-A9CB Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Series 2006-I, Plaintiff AGAINST Robert Napolitano, Jr, a/k/a Robert Napolitano; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 7, 2024 I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 30, 2024 at 3:00PM, premises known as 22 Quebec Road, Island Park, NY 11558. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Island Park, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 43 Block 041 Lot 117. Approximate amount of judgment $587,494.67 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 617922/2022. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Ronald J. Ferraro, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: April 12, 2024 146313

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS-SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NASSAU- WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2018-HB1, Plaintiff, -against- DAVID ROSARIO, SR., AS HEIR, DEVISEE, DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF MANUEL ROSARIO, if he be living and if he be dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in

the complaint; WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORPORATION; BAYPORT FUNDING LLC; OFFICE OF THE NASSAU COUNTY CLERK; ANY AND ALL KNOWN OR UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING AN INTEREST BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF MANUEL ROSARIO; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ACTING ON BEHALF OF DEPARTMENT OF TREASURYINTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; SHAAKER THOMAS, AS JOHN DOE #1; ANDREA ROSARIO, AS JOHN DOE #2, Defendants - Index No. 603220/2019 Plaintiff Designates Nassau County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Nassau County. To the above named Defendants-YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated February 28, 2024.

NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME - If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES ACQUISITION TRUST 2018-HB1) AND FILING

THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Thomas Radimaker, J.S.C. Dated: February 28, 2024 Filed: March 5, 2024. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 80 Suffolk Road, Island Park, NY 11558. Dated: December 4, 2023 Filed: April 16, 2024 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Angelo A. Regina, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-5050 No Service by fax) Service purposes only: Trade Centre South 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: (888) 491-1120 F: (954) 343-6982 146311

LEGAL NOTICE

CASE NO.21527 RESOLUTION NO.362-2024

Adopted: April 9, 2024 Councilmember Muscarella offered the following resolution and moved its adoption: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS. WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 351-2024, adopted March 12th, 2024, a public hearing was duly held on the 9th day of April, 2024, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of

Nassau to physically handicapped persons; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons:

ELMONT

237TH STREET - east side, starting at a point 350 feet south of the south curbline of 116th Avenue, south for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-71/24)

OCEANSIDE

OCEANSIDE PARKWAYsouth side, starting at a point 70 feet east of the east curbline of St. Johns Road, east for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-74/24)

WANTAGH

MAPLE STREET - west side, starting at a point 116 feet north of the north curbline of Merrick Road, north for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-68/24) And on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: SEAFORD MARTIN COURT - south side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the driveway apron of house 2839 Martin Court, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-236/23 - 08/1/23)

(TH-236C/23) : and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Ryder and adopted upon roll call as follows:

AYES: SEVEN (7) NOES: NONE (0) 146467

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR LEHMAN XS TRUST MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-2N Plaintiff, Against TIMOTHY MCNAMARA, ET AL Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/11/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 6/4/2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 3295 Harold Street, Oceanside, New York 11572, And Described As Follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in Oceanside, In The Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York. Section 54 Block 448 Lot 14

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $457,695.72 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 611369/2018

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573

Dated: 4/3/2024 File Number: 18-300215 CA 146478

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY SAMUEL HAMPTON LLC, Plaintiff against NEVADA VILLAS INC., et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Hersko & Ehrenreich P.C., 555 Willow Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516, Ph: 516-942-4216. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 18, 2023, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on June 4, 2024 at 2:30 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being, and identified on the land and tax map of the County of Nassau in the State of New York; Premises known as (no street number) Nevada Avenue, Island Park, New York 11558. Sec 43 Block 70 Lots 485, 486, and 494. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $192,932.19 plus interest, fees, costs, and attorney fees. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 608680/2021. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee File # 11-7175 146480

Cablevision Lightpath, LLC seeks a Sr. System QA & Test Analyst to be responsible for testing tasks for complex or business-critical applications. Write test cases, create test plans, execute cases, and analyze results in accordance with established standards. Participate in design, planning, retrospective, and estimating exercises, and provide guidance to peers. Develop test scripts and test frameworks using the tools and technologies. Analyze multiple techniques and use-case scenarios and select appropriate approach. Identify defects, document critical application issues, and track them until resolution. #LI-DNI. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Technology or related discipline, and 5 years of experience with business requirement analysis or testing for software development. Experience must include a minimum of: 5 years of experience with generating/executing test scenarios that confirm business needs fulfilled in full stack applications and integrations; 5 years of experience with API technologies to test and verify services, such as Rest, SOAP, or RMI; 5 years of experience with functional and non-functional software product testing standards methodologies; 5 years of experience with full software development lifecycle, including all stages of design and implementation of custom applications and COTS solutions; 5 years of experience leading and facilitating business scenario discussions; 5 years of experience responding to internal client inquiries, categorizing and communicating risks, and resolving defects with peers and management; 5 years of experience with Agile methodologies for software development, particularly Scrum; 5 years of experience with Selenium, LoadRunner, TestNg, Cucumber, JAVA, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, J2EE, Eclipse, AccelQ, Jenkins, JSP, Unix, Oracle, GITLab, C, objectoriented analysis and design, SQL, SOAP, and Web Services. Full-time remote work permitted. Job location: Bethpage, NY. Rate of Pay: $143,021.00 – $150,000.00 per year. To apply, please visit https://careers.lightpathfiber.com/jobs/, and enter Job Requisition ID 5242. Alternatively, please send your résumé, cover letter, and a copy of the ad to: Cablevision Lightpath, LLC, Attn: Karen U. Miles, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY, USA 11714.

Construction Project Manager: Full-time, Ronkonkoma, NY. Manage all phases of construction projects incl. schedules, potential road blocks & mitigate/avoid roadblock impact on construction project schedule; Manage site activties w/ Engrs & Supervisors, resolve on-site issues & ontime project schedule; Work w/ & update Project Planner on progress of each project; Manage all procured materials and ensure on-time delivery; Work with Commercial Team on bidding potential new construction projects. Reqts:Bachelor’s degree in Engineering & 6 mnths exp.Salary: $82,014 per year 40 hrs work per week.Mail resume to Sharooz Rostami, President, R Brothers Inc., 702 Celis Street, San Fernando, CA 91340.

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time

Positions Available!

Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR Company Car/ Bonuses. Clean Driving Record Required, Will Train. Retirees Welcome!

$20 - $25/ Hour Bell Auto School 516-365-5778 Email: info@bellautoschool.com

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WANTED Will Certify And Train HS Diploma NYS License Clean 3 Years

$20 - $25/ Hour Call 516-731-3000

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours

Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS

FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

PROJECT ENGNEER (BELLPORT, NY): Anlyze & coordnte blueprnts & drawngs of steel manufactrer & heavy constrction contractr & prvide engneerng advce for desgn, constrction & structre. Reqs: Bach in Civil Engneerng or rel & 3 yrs exp as Project Engneer, Civl Engneer or rel pstion. Salary: $120,000/yr. Mail resume to: HR, Integrated Structures Corp, 4 Pinehurst Dr, Bellport, NY 11713.

EDITOR/REPORTER

Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

HANDYPERSON WANTED

Immediate Opening at our Garden City Location DESIRED SKILLS:

Electrical * Welding * Carpentry Mechanical * Plumbing Part Time/Fulltime (benefits available with full time) $18-$30 per hour based on experience Richner Communications, Inc 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, NY 11530 Send resume to careers@lixtherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 ext 211

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

MULTI MEDIA

ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $33,280 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER: Fulltime, Ronkonkoma, NY. Understand client needs/requirements & communicate quality standards with production teams in accordance w/ AISC standards; devise, improve & review new product specs & procedures and train staff in accordance w/ AISC standards; set raw materials reqts & monitor compliance per AISC standards; supervise inspectors, technicians & operate per AISC standards; oversee product dev’t procedures for any quality deviation per AISC standards; inspect & approve final output; keep accurate documentation & do statistical analysis; document client feedback, prep reports & assist ext’l auditors/ inspectors. Reqts: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering & one year exp. Salary: $95,160 per year 40 hrs work per week. Mail resume to Lucky Damiao, President, SCE Detailing Group Inc.., 2165 5th Avenue, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779.

RECEPTIONIST/ P/T: SEASONAL, Warm, Friendly, Excellent People Skills, Office Work/ Customer Service, Beach Club. 516-239-2150

Structural Engineer: Full-time, Valley Stream, NY. Investigate/study sites for current/upcoming procurements; Design calculations for pipe flows, bridges, & other structures; Review/comment on construction docs, incl. shop drwngs, for constructability & other issues; Prepare quantity takeoffs & construction cost estimates; Verify compliance w/ project specs/contract docs; Develop engineering solutions for constrctn plans/dsgns. Reqts: Bachelor’s degree in Civ/Strctrl Engineering. Salary: $65,853 per year 40 hrs work per week. Mail resume to Muhammad Amray, President, ZOFS Engineering PC, 2 Columbine Lane, Valley Stream, NY 11581.

HomesHERALD

We’re not sure about my cousin’s advice

Elegant Old Canterbury

BQ. We are planning an addition and some interior changes, and read your column about taking out walls around our kitchen and dining room. My cousin is a contractor, and he has been making suggestions, some that are really good and some that I’m a little concerned about. At first he told me we could save a lot of money, and he knew many ways to do that. We are getting plans from his architect, who we’ve never met, and the cost is doubling. We’re wondering how to tell my cousin that we really need to back off or get other competitive prices. Have you any suggestions about what we should do? We don’t want to alienate or insult him, but we’ve tried to be honest about it, and are getting an uneasy feeling about where this is leading.

A. Over the 50-plus years I have been in the construction business, I have seen the result of this kind of relationship. Many were very successful, but mostly because clients were the controlling deciders, willing to take advice but able to recognize that it was their money that was making the project happen.

This is the same advice once given to me that in construction, the customer should play by the golden rule. You may know the biblical golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but there is also the other golden rule — that he, or she, with the gold rules. In other words, as long as you haven’t paid, until satisfied, you still have some control over the project. Once you pay for something or let something continue that should have been addressed, you accept the conditions.

I have also seen, many times, where a relative or friend took advantage of the relationship and either took money without doing the work, did inferior work to keep an unrealistic budget, or never did the work at all. One young man called me at the suggestion of his cousin to do a restaurant. I initially sat with the cousin contractor and future restaurateur to discuss details. Subsequently, the contractor stopped showing up for meetings, but we worked through the project, trusting the cousin to follow plans and decisions despite his absence.

You should always be meeting with the architect to discuss the design. After obtaining permits and getting started, there was no communication for several months. I called to confirm that building inspections were made, and the restaurant was open, only to learn the unreachable cousin started but then ran off with the first $30,000. The restaurant did finally open a year later, with another contractor.

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Blakeman enthusiastically follows Trump’s lead

The political similarities between former President Donald Trump and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman are now impossible to miss. Which is probably just what Blakeman intends.

In his efforts to become Long Island’s leading MAGA man, Blakeman has adopted Trump’s combative and divisive style of leadership. Neither politician tries to find common ground on which to build effective policies.

Both have acted as though they have strong mandates for right-wing programs, even though Trump got 3 million fewer votes in 2016 than did Hillary Clinton, and despite Blakeman having bested Laura Curran in 2021 by about 2,000 votes out of more than a quartermillion ballots cast.

Instead of governing consensually, Blakeman and Trump strive to intensify a culture war that threatens to erupt into physical violence.

Like the head of the national Republican Party, the Nassau County executive manipulates and exaggerates voters’ legitimate concerns in order to create an us-vs.-them dynamic. They both use inflammatory language to depict adver-

Iam an avid reader. For as long as I can remember, I’ve chased the feeling of escape I find in a book I enjoy. Good books make you smile. But great books? They make you think. And I like to think.

As a junior in high school, I read “The Great Gatsby” for the first time, and was instantly enthralled. I decided at 16 it was the best thing I’d ever read, and I’ve yet to be persuaded otherwise. Why it took me as long as it did to pick up another one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works is beyond me. And it’s honestly a shame. I find, in the midst of my young adult years, that I finally understand why his words left an impression on me — but thanks to an entirely different book. Let’s talk about “This Side of Paradise.”

It was Fitzgerald’s first novel, released in 1920, examining the life and morality of Amory Blaine, an attractive middleclass student. The story mostly details

saries as not merely misguided, but mentally ill.

Who, for example, refers to the migrant crisis as “insanity”? And who denounces “crazy” progressive policies? Both the former president and the current county leader.

There have been other echoes of extreme rhetoric. Trump in 2019 urged progressive female members of Congress to “go back” to countries “they originally came from.” Blakeman in January warned Kathy Hochul, New York’s first female governor, to “stay out of Long Island.”

Both strive to intensify a culture war that threatens to erupt into violence.

It’s easier, of course, to turn disagreements into confrontations than it is to work collegially toward compromises.

Blakeman has blamed “Albany Democrats” for an upsurge in crime in New York City and its suburbs. While horrifying assaults in the five boroughs have rightly stoked objections to bail reforms adopted by the State Legislature, it is misleading and irresponsible to suggest, as Blakeman has, that Nassau County had been experiencing a “crime epidemic” unleashed by Democratic-sponsored legislation. While rates of some crimes have indeed increased in the past three years, others have shown a decrease despite the easing of bail requirements. Rather than allaying unwarranted fears, Blakeman is heightening an

unfounded sense of public menace by forming a militia to be mobilized in cases of “emergency.” His move in March to recruit “provisional special deputy sheriffs” has drawn criticism from gun-control groups that say Nassau County should not be encouraging more of its residents to take up arms. This unrequested action also implies that Blakeman does not trust the county Police Department to protect the citizenry — despite his boast in a mass mailing earlier this year of having put 200 more cops on the streets.

Scapegoating is another tactic employed by demagogues such as Trump and Blakeman. It’s entirely reasonable to demand that the U.S. border be much more strictly enforced, but it’s not acceptable to refer to migrants as “animals,” a la Trump, or to denounce Hochul’s proposed spending of $2.4 billion for “illegal immigrants,” as Blakeman recently did in another of his countywide mailings. That money is intended to help house and feed the tens of thousands of migrants who have made their way mainly to New York City — not Nassau County — through no initiative on Hochul’s part.

Transgender Americans comprise another group susceptible to being stigmatized by pandering politicians. Blake-

Finding our side of paradise

Amory’s experiences in college at Princeton University and thereafter, exploring his relationships with friends, a Catholic priest, and several young women, who could only be thought of today as flappers — you know, fashionable ladies who flouted convention.

Amory is arrogant, and certainly hard to like. Yet for some reason, I found myself enjoying his whimsical naivete when it comes to life.

The novel was an instant hit, becoming particularly popular among college students. Fitzgerald was just 23 at the time of its publication, the new face of “youth in revolt.”

romantic relationships that ended as quickly and poetically as they had begun.

It makes sense why some may not like “This Side of Paradise.” But I feel as though I completely understand Amory’s experiences. He loved to write. He loved to think. He wanted the best for himself, and he imagined a life that he felt was obtainable.

A s a member of Gen Z, I know as well as anyone how the world views people my age.

It attracted criticism from so-called “social conservatives” because of the attention he brought to young people. Seen as immoral, undisciplined and self-indulgent, Fitzgerald’s generation sparked a wave of change — not only for young men, but certainly for young women.

While reveling in the wonders of his youth, Amory Blaine faced setbacks that changed the trajectory of his life. His parents died. His closest confidant, a monsignor, also died. And he had a handful of

man issued an executive order in February forbidding transgender females from taking part in competitive women’s or girls’ sports in county-owned athletic facilities. Again, there’s a reasonable basis for complaining that some former males have unfair physical advantages over many females. But when asked by a reporter how many transgender athletes have competed in his county, Blakeman said he didn’t know. The absence of any compelling reason to target a sexual minority has led opponents of this grandstanding stunt to call it “a solution in search of a problem.”

Blakeman, once more like Trump, aggravates grievances held by many voters as a way of diverting attention from his failure to fulfill promises on more substantive matters. In his 2021 campaign, Blakeman pledged to cut taxes “immediately” by $120 million. He did no such thing. Nor has he made good on a pledge to fix a “broken” assessment system.

Rather than plastering his name and face on taxpayer-financed mass mailings, Blakeman should help break the political fever that’s preventing Nassau County from becoming great again.

Kevin J. Kelley was a congressional staff member in the 1980s, and is a retired journalist and journalism professor who worked for newspapers in New York, Vermont and Kenya and taught at St. Michael’s College in Vermont. He lives in Atlantic Beach.

“Everything was hallowed by the haze of his own youth,” Fitzgerald writes of Amory, a simple yet powerful statement that affectively summarizes young adulthood.

Amory’s plight — and his enduring yearn to become someone that matters — is really what being young is all about, isn’t it?

As a 22-year-old — and a member of the infamous Gen Z — I know as well as anyone how the rest of the world views people my age.

We’re seen questionably — frowned upon, even. We think differently. Act differently. And want the best not only for ourselves, but also for the world around us. And when we watch things that we care about get stripped away, it’s hard not to feel angry.

We may swim against tides, but we

don’t act wiser than we are, because we can’t possibly know of things we’ve yet to experience.

In many ways, we’re just like Amory Blaine. You may not like what we have to say. You may question our morals and our actions, but I believe we live our lives with great intention.

“This Side of Paradise” isn’t Fitzgerald’s best work. It’s a great read, but as he got older and wiser, he produced better. He is regarded today as a great American novelist, but his debut was just a taste of what was to come.

“I know myself,” Amory cries at the end of the novel. “But that is all.”

Could there be any truer words?

People like me, people in my generation, are at the same point in our lives as Amory, or even perhaps Fitzgerald. We, too, are hallowed by the haze of our youth.

We aren’t asking you to agree with us, but rather to view us as you once viewed yourself.

We will become who we are meant to be, in time. And one day, we will find our side of paradise.

Jordan Vallone is a senior editor who writes for the Bellmore, East Meadow and Merrick Heralds. Comments? jvallone@ liherald.com.

KEVIn J. KELLEY

JoRDAn VALLonE

HeraLd editoriaL

Celebrating N.Y.’s

Last month marked a pivotal moment for New York state — a moment that extended far beyond the numbers and legislative details of a state budget.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature delivered a beacon of hope for our communities by including in the state budget a groundbreaking initiative to support local news organizations in the form of a tax credit, modeled on the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

At the heart of this legislation lies a profound acknowledgment: Local journalism is not just about reporting news; it’s about safeguarding the health of both our democracy and our communities.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the bill’s sponsor in the upper chamber, aptly captured the essence of this endeavor, emphasizing that “a thriving local news industry is vital to the health of our democracy.” With bipartisan cooperation and a shared commitment to our communities, the initiative underscores the fundamental role that local journalists play in keeping our

Letters

D’Esposito gets his marching orders from you know who

To the Editor:

investment in local journalism

democracy vibrant and informed.

What does this legislation mean for our neighborhoods and towns? It means that we, as a society, are recognizing the value of — and investing in — the storytellers who bring our communities together: the journalists who uncover local stories, amplify diverse voices, and hold leaders accountable.

The Empire State Local News Coalition, founded earlier this year, spearheaded this legislative achievement by organizing more than 200 local newspapers across the state. The coalition’s tireless efforts moved the Local Journalism Sustainability Act to the forefront of legislative priorities.

“It is really an astounding legislative accomplishment,” Hoylman-Sigal told members of the New York Press Association last weekend in a Zoom appearance. “After stalling for years, our Local Journalism Sustainability Act really didn’t catapult into a top legislative priority” until “the founding of the Empire State Local News Coalition. That coalition … mobilized hundreds of newspapers and a broad range of stakeholders from around the country.”

Congressman Anthony D’Esposito disingenuously claims in his latest column, “Migrants get more government support than veterans” (April 18-24), that the Senate Democrats’ proposed border bill merely codified the existing “open border” policies, despite the Associated Press reporting on Feb. 15 that “The Senate’s border proposal was one of the toughest bipartisan bills to emerge on the issue in decades.”

Significantly, the lead negotiator for the Senate Republicans was James Langford, of Oklahoma, who is known to be one of the most conservative members of the Senate.

The bill collapsed, however, when former President Donald Trump called for the Republicans in Congress to kill it, because he feared it would enhance President Biden’s chances of being re-elected.

It’s long past time for Congressman D’Esposito, and the rest of the Republicans, to stop following the marching orders of Donald Trump and do what’s best for their constituents instead of what’s best for Donald Trump.

ROBERT TOLLE Cedarhurst

Trump selectively honors police

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column “The heartbreaking death of an NYPD hero” (April 11-17): How mature of Don-

Zach Richner, founder of the Empire State Local News Coalition — and a director of Richner Communications, the parent company of Herald Community Newspapers — expressed profound gratitude to the legislators who championed this cause. In addition to Hoylman-Sigal’s unwavering leadership, Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly sponsor Carrie Woerner all played pivotal roles in turning this vision into reality.

New York’s leadership on this issue sets a powerful example for the nation. Other states — blue, red or purple — now have a template to follow, as does the federal government, where the Community News and Small Business Support Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. While there is still work to be done in crafting the final regulations governing this tax credit, let’s celebrate this milestone. And let’s continue to champion the indispensable role of local journalism in shaping the future of our communities — and our nation.

ald Trump to demonstrate great “dignity and respect” to Detective Jonathan Diller’s family, who my

goes out to. But the question begs to be asked why Trump never showed an ounce of compassion to the families of the Capitol and Washington, D.C., police officers who died after Jan. 6? Not to mention the sur-

for who he is: a self-serving narcissist.

heart

viving Capitol police, who still suffer due to the trauma they experienced that day. Please wake up, people, and see Trump

JOSIE MARINO Lynbrook

We must secure our borders and reform immigration now

the United States must secure our borders and reform our broken immigration system. This demands immediate action, not delay tactics for political convenience. American citizens are owed this much. Our immigration system’s shortcomings have been a longstanding issue, with decades of inaction due to a lack of political will on both sides.

The U.S. Constitution explicitly assigns Congress the responsibility and power to fix this problem, yet the 118th Congress has been notably ineffective, the least productive Congress since the Great Depression. This stagnation is largely attributed to the prevailing hyper-partisanship and an inclination toward political theatrics over substantive legislative work.

The behavior exhibited within the halls of Congress — ranging from per-

How about a street naming?

To the Editor:

sonal attacks and physical altercations among members, to successive attempts to oust the speaker of the House, to catcalls at the State of the Union Address — underscores a departure from the principles of civility in government. Sadly, many of our representatives have embraced chaos and dysfunction as a substitute for governance. And in the wake of this chaos, the effort to solve the migrant crisis and its unprecedented impact on New York has been sidelined.

the Senate’s promising bipartisan border deal was dismissed as ‘disastrous.’

Fixing our complex immigration system requires a balanced approach that secures our borders while extending compassion to law-abiding immigrants. Although challenging, a solution is within reach through diligent effort and bipartisan collaboration.

The Senate’s bipartisan border security deal was a promising development, which laid the groundwork for meaningful reform. The bill proposed new measures to secure the border, streamline the asylum process, and end the broad

Letters

The financial outpouring for Detective Diller was outstanding. But I hope Peter King, with his relationship with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, will support renaming Detective Diller’s street in Massapequa in his honor. This would be a lasting tribute to him and his family.

RICH MORICCO East Meadow

Antisemitism, not Netanyahu, is the problem

To the Editor:

Re Jerry Kremer’s column “Netanyahu is a supporter of one party: himself”: Kremer supports Sen. Chuck Schumer’s view that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is more concerned about himself than about Israel. What Schumer has said has nothing to do with “Bibi’s” alleged corruption. What Schumer was really doing was attempting to placate the virulent antisemitism that has take root in the Democratic Party among radical Islamists. What is Netanyahu to do about Gaza?

Before the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis, Israel took a hands-off

release of migrants into communities. This initiative was crafted by Democrats and Republicans, and garnered support across the political spectrum. It was supported by the National Border Patrol Council — the union representing the men and women who protect our border. Despite some imperfections, the deal represented a significant step forward, embodying the essence of compromise and cooperation that is foundational to American democracy. However, opposition from figures like Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who immediately criticized the bill as “disastrous” and who has held fast to a hyper-partisan position on immigration, exemplifies the obstacles to progress.

D’Esposito’s refusal to engage in any real attempt to move border solutions forward, coupled with his shocking recent praise of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending nearly 40,000 migrants to our state, highlight a disturbing trend of prioritizing partisan loyalty over constructive problem-solving.

The empty rhetoric and finger-pointing of elected officials like D’Esposito, characterized by a lack of commitment to real solutions, fail to serve the interests of Americans. In contrast, my approach in Congress will be to collaborate with all parties to achieve comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform. This includes enhancing border security by hiring more border patrolagents, deploying additional advanced “smart” technology and building strategic physical barriers. It also includes reforming the system to expedite the asylum and deportation processes and to provide clear paths to citizenship for hard-working, eligible people in search of better lives.

Performative politics and a refusal to engage with bipartisan solutions not only impede progress, but also betray the trust of the American people. The time for action is now, and it requires leaders willing to prioritize effective governance over partisan fealty and gamesmanship. Long Island, New York state and the entire nation deserve better.

Laura Gillen, a former Hempstead town supervisor, is a Democratic candidate in the 4th Congressional District.

Framework by Michael Ostrow

approach to Gaza. What did the people of Gaza do? They elected the terrorist group Hamas, which then used the aid that should have been used for the people of Gaza to build a huge underground system of tunnels — which some say is larger than the New York City transit system, in some places under hospitals (with human shields) — to acquire and store munitions and to use that system to launch attacks on Israel.

The massacre on Oct. 7 was the equivalent of 35,000 Americans being killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Do you think we would tolerate a foreign entity telling us what our response should be? Netanyahu is not the villain here. Hamas is. It has killed a number of hostages, and is holding others, including Americans. Israel’s rightful negotiating stance should be: the unconditional release of all hostages and the return of all bodies of the dead, or face total destruction. Israel has already demonstrated surgical restraint in dealing with the civilian population. Hamas was gutless because it targeted civilians and not the Israeli military.

Growing up in the late 1950s and early ’60s, we knew from our fathers of Hitler’s Holocaust. We knew what “Never again” meant. Yet here we are, 80 years later, and antisemitism has raised its ugly head, this time on American soil. For the radical Islamists there is no two-state solution. It has been offered time and again and refused. The first time was when Israel was created in 1947.

Former President Donald Trump is a strong supporter of Israel. He brokered the Abraham Accords. But for the radical Islamists, there is only one solution, the same as Hitler’s. They hate the Abraham Accords, because they don’t want peace. They can’t even tolerate a small Jewish state the size of New Jersey. As former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said many years ago, there

will be peace only when the radicals love their children more than they hate the children of Jews.

Netanyahu does not threaten the existence of Israel; it is the mealymouthed apologists for Hamas in this country who are the threat to Israel.

At the Great Pyramid of Giza — Egypt

LaUra GiLLen

JOSEPH V. SCIFO Valley Stream