Oceanside/Island Park Herald 07-20-2023

Concerns aired over Equinor Wind project

Questions raised about noise as well as impact on wildlife and property values

By KEPHERD DANIEl kdaniel@liherald.com

Residents expressed their concerns about Equinor’s $3 billion Empire Wind Project at informational sessions held last week in Atlantic Beach and Island Park.

Empire Wind, is currently in the midst of a review by the state Public Service Commission, which assesses the need for and environmental impact of major utility transmission facilities in the state. The project will have two parts: Empire Wind 1, which will supply power to the Brooklyn area, and Empire Wind 2, which will power the Long Beach area and connect to the E.F. Barrett Power Station in Island Park.

Empire Wind 1 and 2 — stations housing the cables that transfer energy from the wind turbines to land — will be built 15 to 30 miles offshore, and 147 turbines, each standing 886 feet high, will be three to five miles farther out.

Residents who attended meetings on July 13, at Atlantic Beach Village Hall, and the following day, at Hegarty Elementary School in Island Park, asked a variety of questions and voiced a range of reservations.

“The entire board of trustees and I are vehemently opposed to this project,” Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty said at the Island Park session.

Long Beach resident ChrisContinued on page 11

S. Nassau water board finally holds first public meeting

By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com

The atmosphere was tense in the meeting room in the Lynbrook Public Library on July 11 as dozens of South Shore residents gathered for a public meeting of the South Nassau Water Authority — the first since its creation in November 2021.

“I don’t anticipate a very congenial meeting tonight,” said Seth Koslow, who is running for county legislator. “I think people are going to be upset and loud.”

Koslow was right. The meeting began with John Reinhardt,

the authority’s temporary president, offering an overview of the timeline for its acquisition of Liberty Water, which pro -

vides water to most of Nassau County and is proposing a rate hike of up to 42 percent in some areas.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin promised the authority $500,000 in funding more than a year ago so it could move forward with acquiring Liberty’s assets.

That May, the authority completed the first step in a fourstep process for the takeover outlined by the state Public Service Commission, sending an introductory letter to Liberty Water to make it aware of the authority’s intent to acquire those assets. Over the following weeks, Liberty provided

enough information to the authority to begin the valuation process.

Last week’s meeting continued with Bill DeWitt, an attorney representing the water authority, passing several resolutions, including the appointment of Robert York as the authority’s chairman and Michelle Bocci as its treasurer. Nearly in unison, many attend-

ees asked with frustration why York was not at the meeting. When Reinhardt explained that York was on vacation, there were expressions of outrage, and the next several minutes were full of heated cross-talk, which set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The board continued the meeting by announcing the hirContinued on page 17

Kepherd Daniel/Herald

Christina Kramer engaged the crowd as they listened, and criticized the empire Wind project during the informational session.

W e have an affordability crisis, and we really need to work expeditiously to ensure that we are saving the ratepayers money.

MICHAEllE Sol AGES Assemblywoman

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Zach Allen softball tourney raises $16,000

The Zachary Allen Classic Memorial softball tournament was a home run after raising $16,000 in its inaugural year.

The July 8 tournament in Oceanside Park was organized to memorialize Zachary Allen, the 23-year-old Oceanside resident who died in a car crash a year agp.

Two of Allen’s best friends — Alex Ducorsky and Jake Manyin — organized the tournament.

A dozen teams captained by those who were close friends and family of Allen participated in friendly competition in a fun day of softball. Proceeds go directly to the scholarship in memory of Allen, which will be given to select graduating Oceanside High School students. — Kepherd Daniel

Maureen Lennon/Herald photos

Two of many teams that played at Oceanside Park, approximately 150 players were on the fields playing ball in the hot summer humid weather. The Blue Team was called Provido (friends) and the White Team was Sernick (college friends).

Mackenzie Manyin, Suzy Ducorsky, Lydia Camileri, and Halley Manyin raffling off multiple sports baskets and framed puzzle.

Fun in the sun at the Zachary Allen Baseball Memorial. The Provido team after their 10-3 win.

Paul Randolfi hits the first home run of the game.

Fun in the sun at the Zachary Allen Baseball Memorial.

D’Esposito supports bill aimed at boating safety

U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who represents New York’s second congressional district — one of the four districts on Long Island — has introduced a bill to help ensure the safety of boaters on and around Long Island.

The legislation, called the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act of 2023, directs the United States Coast Guard to study and submit to Congress a report on recreational vessel operator education and training in order to improve boating safety and reduce the number of boating accidents that occur due to untrained boat operators.

The bill is named in honor of an 11-year-old girl — Brianna Lieneck — who was killed in a boating accident in 2005, when a boat driven by Steven Fleisher collided with Lieneck’s family’s boat in the Great South Bay. According to a news release from Garbarino’s office, Fleisher did not have a boating license when the event occurred. Brianna’s mother, Gina Lieneck, was injured in the accident and has since advocated for mandatory licenses for boaters.

“Many Long Islanders spend their summers enjoying boating and other water activities, but if we don’t proactively prioritize safety that’s when tragedies, like the one that befell the Lieneck family, happen,” Rep. Garbarino said in a statement. “According to a 2020 USCG report, boat operators who did not receive boating safety instruc-

tion were involved in 77% of fatal recreational boating accidents nationwide. The Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act of 2023 will help eliminate these incidents and keep boaters on Long Island and around the country safe through education and training programs.”

According to Coast Guard statistics, there have been over 6000 boating deaths between 2012 and 2021, averaging between 560 and 760 deaths per year.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a former

police officer and firefighter who represents New York’s fourth congressional district, has cosponsored the bill.

“Boating has long been a favorite pastime of Long Islanders as well as Americans across the country, and it is imperative that the federal government does more to ensure the safety of boaters,” Rep. D’Esposito said. “Regretfully, we have seen far too many preventable deaths caused by boaters operating vessels under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In light of this history of trage-

dies, I am proud to co-sponsor the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act of 2023, legislation that musters the capabilities of the federal government to review the current landscape of boater education programs which is an important step towards improving the programs and enhancing safety on the water.”

Rep. Nick LaLota, a Navy veteran who represents the first congressional district, also cosponsored the bill.

“As a Navy man, boater, and Long Islander, I understand that increasing boating education and safety training will go a long way to preventing injuries and fatalities like what happened to Brianna Lieneck,” Rep. LaLota said. “Our legislation will save lives and ensure that families can safely enjoy our waters. I am proud to join my Long Island colleagues in introducing this bill to keep more Americans safe.”

Elements of the bill would require the secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to study and report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding recreational vessel operator training.

The full text of Rep. Garbarino’s bill can be found at tinyurl.com/GarbarinoBoatingBill.

— Michael Malaszczyk

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Michael Malaszczyk/Herald file photo Rep. Andrew Garbarino, second from left, has introduced a bill — named for the young victim of a 2005 boating accident — aimed at boating safety education and training. His colleagues, Reps. Nick Lalota, far left, and Anthony D’Esposito, far right, have cosponsored the bill.

Cory Knopf | Hal Knopf Team Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker cory.knopf@compass.com M: 516.375.7727

Troop 230 receive ‘Stop the Bleed’ training

CPR is important, but what if you come across someone who is bleeding badly and needs help?

That’s something members of Oceanside Boy Scout Troop 230 and learned recently at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall through “Stop the Bleed” training from Mount Sinai South Nassau’s community education department.

Based on lessons learned by the U.S. Department of Defense during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last couple decades on how best to control severe bleeding, “Stop the Bleed” is a grassroots national awareness campaign to train and equip everyday people to use medically proven bleeding control practices to save the lives of those suffering a traumatic injury involving severe blood loss.

Through hands-on practice on simulated medical mannequin appendages and one-on-one instruction from Mount Sinai’s “Stop the Bleed” trainers, the Scouts learned three techniques that could help save a life:

• How to use your hands to apply pressure to a wound

• How to pack a wound to control bleeding

• How to correctly apply a tourniquet.

“Oftentimes, individuals at the scene of a serious accident will be the first to respond to a bleeding victim,” said Abby Fromm, the community education director at Mount Sinai South Nassau, in a release. “By learning how to stop the bleed, the Boy Scouts now have the ability to recognize lifethreatening bleeding, and to act quickly and effectively to control bleeding.”

For more information about the “Stop the Bleed” training or Mount Sinai South Nassau’s community education program, call (516) 377-5333.

— Kepherd Daniel

A pair of Scouts from Oceanside’s Troop 230 learn how to tie a tourniquet from Mount Sinai South Nassau registered nurse Abby Fromm during ‘Stop the Bleed’ training at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall.

Courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau

HERALD SPORTS

Ducks rally for first-half championship

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

It was an eventful first half of baseball for the Long Island Ducks, who became the Atlantic League’s all-time winningest franchise (1,581 as of June 17), captured the North Division’s first-half title, and had four player contracts purchased by Major League organizations.

Ninth-inning magic in two games July 7 allowed the Ducks to snag first place in their division via a tiebreaker with York. Both teams finished 37-26.

Long Island scored three times in the top of the ninth to defeat Southern Maryland, 4-1, while York allowed two runs to Lexington in the top of the ninth and suffered a 7-6 defeat.

“We had one eye on the scoreboard all night,” Ducks manager Wally Backman said. “While we were up in the ninth inning, Dickerson [Alex] informed me York lost. All the guys knew when we took the field in the bottom of the ninth what was at stake.”

The Ducks closed the first half on a four-game winning streak and allowed only nine runs in the process.

The departures of Brett Kennedy and Stephen Woods Jr. left the starting pitching staff in a state of flux but not thin on talent. Stephen Tarpley, Robert Stock and Matt Solter all produced quality starts under pressure in the final week of the first half, Backman noted. Former MLB reliever Al Alburquerque (0.78 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) has been dominant and picked up the win in the clincher after Tarpley fired six strong innings.

Kennedy was the first Ducks player to depart during the season after signing with the Cincinnati Reds. After a six-week stint at AAA Louisville, Kennedy picked up a W for the Reds July 4. “Congratulations to Brett on this well-deserved opportunity to pitch again in the Major Leagues,” Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff said of Kennedy, who tossed five solid innings to defeat the Washington Nationals. “We are thrilled to have helped him achieve this milestone in his career.”

On his way to becoming the 29th Ducks alumnus to be promoted to the majors, Kennedy made three quality starts for Long Island and struck out 16 batters in 11 2/3 innings of work with a 3.09 ERA.

Three others had their contracts purchased by Major League or foreign professional organizations this season: Former three-time MLB All-Star and former New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy (Angels, Triple-A Salt Lake), nine-year MLB infielder Adeiny Hechavarria (Kansas City Royals, Triple-A Omaha) and pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. (Fubon Guardians, China.) The latter was 7-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts.

“We’re going to roll with a six-man starting rotation and not push anyone too hard in the second half,” Backman said.

“That’s one of the luxuries of winning the first half.”

Murphy played in 37 games with the Ducks. He departed tied for fourth in the Atlantic League with 47 hits, sixth in batting average (.331) and 10th in on-base percentage (.410), all of which lead the Flock.

He also totaled two home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, 64 total bases, nine doubles, one triple, 14 walks and an .861 OPS. Murphy compiled a 16-game hitting streak from May 16-June 1, the longest hitting streak by a Duck this season, and a 19-game onbase streak from May 12-June 1. Hechavarria appeared in 38 games with the Ducks. At the time of his departure to the Royals system, he led all Ducks and was tied for fifth in the Atlantic League with 12 doubles as well as tied for sixth in the league with 34 RBIs. He was also tied for the team lead with seven home runs while totaling 29 runs, 43 hits, 78 total bases, a triple, 21 walks and a .920 OPS. The 34-year-old reached base safely in 24 of his past 26 games going back to May 12, earning at least one hit in 21 of them. In that span, he compiled a .295 batting average with a .911 OPS.

Long Island’s offense in the first half was sparked by first baseman Sam Travis, who played all 63 games and batted .288 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. He also scored a team-high 50 runs.

“Winning the first half was a lot of fun,” said Travis, who played three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. “We still want to go out and win every game we play. We have a lot of season left. It’s a great group of guys. If it’s not one guy getting it done on a given night, it’s another.”

Dickerson is raking at the plate with a .352 batting average, .637 slugging percentage, 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 49 games. Former highly touted Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has also been dynamic at the plate with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in only 28 games with a .317 batting average. Outfielder Brian Goodwin, with a dozen years of MLB experience under his belt, batted .300 with 8 homers and 9 steals.

Regardless of what happens in the second half, the four-time league champion Ducks will participate in the Atlantic League playoffs for the 16th time in franchise history starting around Sept. 20.

Photos courtesy Long Island Ducks

First baseman Sam Travis enjoyed a huge first half at the plate with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Al Alburquerque has pitched lights-out (0.78 ERA) and earned the first-half clinching victory in relief.

Living through hottest week in 125,000 years

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

The record for the highest global average temperature since at least 1979 was shattered a few weeks ago — and then that record was broken the next day. And then again two days later.

The Earth’s average temperature hovered around 62 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be a chilly day for the summer. Yet, on a global scale, it was a few degrees warmer than where it should be.

These record temperatures have been, in part, due to the forming a weather phenomenon called El Niño. It’s created when the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean enter a warming phase as part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle.

There have been at least 30 El Niño events since 1900, according to meterologists, but many observers believe each of the seasons are becoming warmer over the years. And they’re blaming that on global warming.

“The first week of July appears to have been the hottest week on record globally,” said Mark Lowery, a climate policy analyst for the state’s environmental conservation department. “During that week, we saw four consecutive days of new records for the Earth’s hottest days.”

What the Earth experienced at the beginning of July was the hottest the Earth has been in more than 125,000 years, Lowery said. This extreme heat is

projected to get even worse over much of the world in the next couple of weeks, and will almost certainly continue into 2024 as El Niño remains intact.

“Once the Earth moves into the El Niño phase, it lasts about two or three years,” Lowery said. “So, we would have every reason to believe that there will be continued release of heat that will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere through 2024.”

That heat will be felt everywhere, even on Long Island. Alison Branco, climate adaptation director for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, said that as the air warms, the ocean also warms. And when the ocean waters become warmer they expand. This, in turn, will cause the sea level to rise off the coast of Long Island.

“For a long and narrow, very flat island, sea level rise is a major impact of climate change that we need to be thinking about all the time,” Branco said. “Because it’s really going to change the face of Long Island.”

And it affects not only the South Shore, but the North Shore as well, according to reports. Rising tides will create higher waves, which in turn will erode bluffs, causing them to eventually slide into the ocean.

But warmer water and a fear of higher tides aren’t the only things people living and enjoying Long Island have to worry about. Charles Rothenberg, climate and energy attorney from the Connecticut-based advocacy group Save the Sound, says warmer waters are acting as fuel for tropical systems.

“We can anticipate some significant tropical storms and hurricanes in the months ahead,” he said, adding marine life also be affected by these warmer waters. “There’s been a lot of conversations about the decrease in lobster populations.”

Lobsters tend to like water at specific cooler temperatures — something that won’t be much abundance of if ocean waters continue to warm, scientists say. Some believe more than half the lobster population available for fishing could be decimated within the next three decades.

The climate is changing, and despite best efforts to slow it down, it might be too late to stop it. But there are ways people can adapt, Branco said. First and foremost, they will need to start thinking about ways to cool off. That could mean buying air-conditioning systems, fans, or having access to a pool or ocean they can swim in.

“Our government needs to be thinking about these hotter temperatures, too, and making sure that we have the resources to help people cool their homes,” Branco said.

Storms have been coming, and they’ll continue to come, she added. Because of that, following evacuation orders is essential. Families also need a “go” bag ready for if they need to evacuate, Branco added. Also, a plan for the family to meet at a certain location in case of a disaster is very important.

“Investing in energy appliances, which helps reduce the strain on our electric grid during these very hot sum-

Ways to cool off in a hotter planet

■ Invest in an air conditioning unit

■ Buy a fan for your room

■ Go swimming in a pool or the ocean

■ Take cool baths or showers

■ Have water handy at all times

■ Wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing

■ Limit outdoor activity

mers, are very critical,” Rothenberg added.

But in the end, if people really want to help, they should support policies that help curb the impact of climate change, Rothenberg said. It’s vital to address the root cause of global warming, and that can only happen through collective action.

Nassau County is part of the Climate Smart Communities Program, intended to reduce greenhouse gases said to cause global warming on a local scale. But this was an effort supported by former county executive Laura Curran. Her successor, Bruce Blakeman, is not known to have taken advantage of the program, or instituted any of its recommendations.

Ben Fiebert/Herald

The Earth set consecutive record-breaking temperatures during the first week of July, and it’s

not expected to get any better. El Niño is expected to affect weather through next

year, meaning more hot temperatures are on the way.

Oceanside entrepreneur makes waves

Wakes & Waves coastal Long Island lifestyle apparel and accessories continue its expansion since its inception in 2019 as the once “out there apparel. Wakes & Waves has moved from one bedroom and the family home garage of its founder, 24-year-old Anthony Capellupo of Oceanside, to a new full-scale production shop in East Rockaway.

Located on Ocean Avenue across from East Rockaway High School, the new shop serves as the production hub of Wakes & Waves apparel and accessories. The shop has allowed Wakes & Waves to build and maintain a robust inventory of apparel and accessories that is sufficient for stable and persistent sales.

“Each day, this is where the magic happens,” said Capellupo in a news release. “From first ideas to pattern building for new products to the first and last seams for our wristlet bags, totes, surf bags, and other locally built accessories, zippers, linings, corners, sides, and top stitches are sewn here each day – just beyond the horizon of the western shoreline of Long Island.”

Although the shop is exceeding its projected impact on productivity and sales growth, it is small but mighty as described by Capellupo, with its three industrial machines and a few other important tools and pieces of equipment that keep Wakes & Waves flowing with

every cut, fold, mark, and line done and scored by hand, all with much love along the way.

The shop is located in the historic

“Joe’s” Barber Shop and “Josie’s Boutique,” which was once owned by Italian Immigrants Joe and Josephine “Josie” Ragusa. Wakes & Waves occupies the

space where Josie ran her dressmaking operation for decades, handcrafting wedding gowns, prom dresses, and even costumes for the high school’s ‘Rock Rivalry’.

The Wakes & Waves new production shop and expanded inventory aren’t the only changes for the rising coastal staple. When the brand sets up shop at a streetside festival or near the Long Beach boardwalk, the brand is showcased in a pop-up shop featuring hand-crafted shelving and racks made of reclaimed driftwood, discarded wood pallets and other unfinished wood left for the trash bin he often finds somewhere on his travels up and down the beach. All in all, it’s a look that makes you feel somewhere else.

“The name and all the new locally made products speak to the ethos of the brand – it’s exactly who we are, a part of what W&W stands for – something that makes you feel uniquely connected to the roll of the waves and these shores you walk” Capellupo said.

“For me, it’s about this ‘‘local built’’ purpose as much as it is riding your own wave – bringing the good energy, chasing your own horizon, but most importantly living what we do, not just designing on or selling the place we call home, but more – building from the ground up, a grassroots, unique, style and feel stitched, sewn, and built on the Island that inspires much of what we do.”

— Kepherd Daniel

Meet new library trustee John Joseph Byrne

By JANET PRETE Correspondent

John Joseph Byrne, known as JJ, is a lifelong resident of Island Park, and now a newly installed Island Park Library Trustee.

Byrne was installed at the July 17 Board of Trustees meeting. The 23yearold graduated from St. John’s University in 2022 with a major in legal studies and philosophy.

He had planned to attend law school after college and did attend classes before deciding the career was not for him. He quickly pivoted to a job as an aide to U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito.

Prior to that, he worked for Island Park as a beach manager and mayor’s assistant, and still works for the village on a part-time basis.

He is deeply committed to his parish, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, in ministries too numerous to mention, according to Byrne. He is a lector and works to organize the church’s biggest fundraising event.

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed Mass attendance, he has been working for the parish to post recorded masses online.

Byrne says he loves Island Park and has great pride in his community. He views the library as a cornerstone of that community. He grew up going to the library, learning to read there, and study-

ing there on many occasions.

When he heard that longtime trustee Elen Levitt was retiring, he decided the time was right for him to run to fill the position she was vacating.

Byrne spoke of his admiration for Levitt, who was also a school board trustee. He won the position with 536 votes and was officially sworn in July 17.

Byrne attributes his win to his name recognition in the community, his responsiveness to neighbors’ needs, and the trust he’s fostered in his years of work in the village and in D’Esposito’s office.

“On behalf of the Island Park Library board, I’d like to welcome J.J. aboard as a new trustee,” said newly installed Island Park Library board president Joe Pontecorvo.

“He will be an asset to the library and the community, and I am looking forward to doing great things together.”

As a trustee, Byrne would like to ensure the library is responding to the needs of the community. With fiscal responsibility top of mind, a high priority is maintaining current library programs.

However, he feels that the library can reach more patrons by adding Spanishspeaking programs and ESL to its offerings.

He would like the library to work in conjunction with the village and various service organizations, such as Kiwanis, the American Legion, and Little League

to host programs that are beneficial to the community.

In fact, he has already worked with fellow trustees and American Legion Post 1029 to collect donations of POW flags, which are to be flown at the library daily.

Byrne sees the potential for the library

to be a hub for public safety programs such as Narcan training, CPR training, and fire safety programs in cooperation with the fire department.

For Byrne, the trustee position is a way for him to continue his life of service to the Island Park community.

Courtesy Damien Becker Anthony Capellupo is living out his dream with Wakes & Waves.

Courtesy John Joseph Byrne

Lifelong Island Park resident John Joseph Byrne was installed a Library trustee July 17.

Wind energy project receives some backlash

tina Kramer, who led the first session in Atlantic Beach, echoed several concerns raised by residents of Long Beach and Island Park.

“We’ve all purchased property here, raising our children here, because we love this peaceful environment,” Kramer said. “They’re going to be running three highvoltage cables right in front of my home.”

If the project is ultimate approved by the state, the high-voltage cables would come ashore in at Riverside Boulevard in Long Beach and be routed to a substation on Railroad Place in Island Park. From there the lines would run north, parallel to the Long Island Rail Road tracks, to the Barrett plant, and then connect to the power grid, officials said.

“We’re not entirely sure why Equinor thinks it’s appropriate to run the cables through our city,” Kramer said. “It’s about 350,000 volts of electric current running through our densely populated residential area.”

Opponents also expressed concerns over the expected noise from the estimated 60-foot-tall substation, which would be located next to Grand Nursing Home and other Island Park residences. It would be built at the site of the former Pops restaurant, while a second substation would be built in Oceanside, at the site of the old Liotta Recycling Center.

Attendees also voiced worries over their future energy bills, the length of the construction process, the project’s impact

on property values, and the wind farm’s ability to withstand anything stronger than a Category 2 hurricane. Assemblyman Ari Brown and State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who attended the July 13 session, supported residents who expressed their opposition.

“Assemblyman Brown and I have been working as a team on this because we believe very strongly that this is not what the community wants, and that this is not something that has been handled properly,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said.

“I have met with Equinor and have asked so many of the questions that have been posed about the effects on marine life,” she added. “Why are we having dead whales on our coast in both New York and New Jersey? We’ve asked about the (elec-

tromagnetic field). We’ve asked about alternative routes, and we’ve asked about studies that ‘prove’ that this isn’t going to affect the health of our residents and what is essentially the value decrease in our property, because who will want to buy a home that’s within 150 feet of buried lines?”

Atlantic Beach resident Kevin Kelley emphasized the environmental pros of the project, noting recent air quality issues in the metropolitan area as evidence for the need for alternative energy sources.

“We’re making it seem as though it’s some kind of nefarious plot to make Long Beach unhealthy,” Kelley said. “I’m not here to say this is a great project. We have to wean ourselves from fossil fuels, stop burning fuels that cause untold damage to the environment and human health. If you’re concerned about your children and the environment, you should also be rallying against the continued use of fossil fuels, including the Barrett plant in Island Park.”

The Empire Wind 2 project is expected to contribute over one-third of New York’s climate goal of 9 gigawatts of energy produced by offshore wind.

Kramer expressed concerns about the proximity of the planned turbines to the South Shore and how they might affect wildlife.

“When you’re this close to the shore, that’s where the marine life breeding grounds are,” Kramer said. “That’s where

fishing happens. The further out they are, I think they’re less environmentally impactful, but the large scale of this is just alarming.

“I’m wondering why they give the more affluent neighborhoods the courtesy of being further out in the ocean,” she continued, “not just because we don’t want to look at them or see them, because if it was so good for the earth, I could stomach the visual of it, but it’s not.”

Another project, Beacon Wind will be located more than 60 miles east of Montauk Point and 20 miles south of Nantucket.

Island Park resident Richard Schurin expressed similar concerns about the turbines’ environmental impact. “I believe that the principal damage to marine mammals is when they start pile-driving wind turbines,” he said. “I don’t believe, personally, that the air bubble ring that they’re proposing to us is going to protect the marine environment.”

A “bubble curtain” is underwater noise insulation that releases a stream of bubbles from a pipe on the seafloor. Bubble curtains, Equinor claims, would reduce noise and vibration, and thus not disrupt marine wildlife.

“There’s still time to force them to change how they’re going to install those wind turbines if it gets approved,” Schurin said, “so I encourage people to focus on that particular factor.”

Additional reporting by Caroline Kelly

Kepherd Daniel/Herald assemblyman ari Brown and state Sen. patricia Canzoneri-fitzpatrick addressed the crowd in atlantic Beach and echoed their skepticism about the wind project.

THEATRE

Piano maestros rock Island Park

CRIme wATCh

Oceanside Bagel House burglarized

Police reported a burglary at Bagel House, 2664 Long Beach Road, after an employee coming in for the morning noticed the rear door of the establishment was left open.

Police later found around $1,300 in cash missing. There is no description of the culprit, but detectives say the investi-

gation is ongoing.

Anyone with information should call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-8477, or call 911.

All calls, police say, remain anonymous.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

OBITUARY

Mary Jane Quigley, 87

Mary Jane Quigley died June 16, 2023. She was 87.

She was a wonderful mother to seven children: Meghan, Tim, Kevin, Tricia, Pam, Michael and Kerry. She was also a proud grandmother to seven grandchildren: Colin, Kendall, Amanda, Connor, Kelly, Sam and Emily.

She was always there when she was needed. She adored the beach, reading

and working with kindergarten students in the Oceanside schools for more than 50 years. She had many friends at Malibu Beach Club, ABC and the Rockville Centre Library.

She was a well-loved member of the Rockville Centre community.

Her memorial Mass will be held Friday, July 21 at 1 p.m., at St. Agnes Cathedral, 29 Quealy Place, in Rockville Centre.

— Kepherd Daniel

Courtesy Island Park Public Library

John Arden, left, and Kenny Hendricks bring their musical talents to Island Park Library as part of That ‘70s Band, entertaining audiences with a dueling piano concert last month.

STEPPING OUT

The Sixties Show

Environment as RT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

By Karen Bloom

n original and compelling voice in contemporary art, Courtney M. Leonard’s artistic perspective takes root in her heritage as a member of the Shinnecock Nation.

Her work amplifies Indigenous knowledge and expresses reverence for the earth and sea while advocating for their protection.

Trained as a ceramic artist, Leonard — who received an advanced degree from Rhode Island School of Design — has evolved her practice to reflect her many interests and pursuits, all in an effort to investigate narratives of cultural viability.

A sculptor, painter and filmmaker in addition to her calling as a ceramicist, Leonard is known for her immersive installations that immediately command attention.

Now her art comes into focus in the first retrospective of her work, “Courtney M. Leonard: Logbook 2004-2023” at the Heckscher Museum of Art, which also is her first solo museum exhibition in the New York metro region.

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Nov. 12

• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

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

project Breach, which she began in 2014. Conceived on the model of records kept by 18th century whaling ships, each “logbook” of Breach records — in ceramic, paint and video — one year of the artist’s experiences of “environmental fragility, shifting adaptations, and/or the ability to simply become anew.”

Pat McGann

That influential decade comes alive in the form of the Sixties Show. This dynamic night of nostalgia features all the sights and sounds of the decade, with a lively ensemble of accomplished musicians who know their way around the beloved hits of the ‘60s. You will be grooving along to note-for-note recreations of some of the greatest songs of that memorable era. Take a trip back to another time and place that was the 1960s, where an AM radio is blasting out the latest sounds from a convertible, on a warm summer starlit Saturday night on any street USA. The high-energy show is a largescale ambitious multimedia stage production, powerfully dramatized with a combination of special effects, narration, ‘60s archival audio, and newsreel footage and light show — a reminder of how uniquely inspirational, entertaining and historically significant the music and events of the ‘60s were and continue to be. It’s all meticulously recreated, combined with authentic period costumes and ‘60s-era staging and narration.

Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. $40-$55. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

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

• $5 suggested admission non-members; members and children under 13 free

• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington • (631) 380-3230 or Heckscher.org

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

“Her work is extremely beautiful and visually engaging,” says Heckscher Museum curator Karli Wurzelbacher. “It’s so well-made and deeply meaningful. So many important concepts are embedded within each piece.”

The two dozen pieces on view take over three of the museum’s galleries. Of particular note is the debut of her significant new work commissioned by the museum for its permanent collection. Titled “Contact 2,023…,” the approximately eight-foot-long wall hanging focuses on the moment of colonial contact on Long Island, by mapping the contours of the island with thousands of individual clay thumbprints resembling shells.

Sewn onto a cotton canvas with artificial sinew, each thumbprint becomes a “maker’s mark” indexing the artist’s contact with the earth.

A single installation contained in an entire gallery, Breach: Logbook 23|Alluvion takes its name from a legal term meaning the action of the sea or a river in forming new land by depositing sediment. Connecting the concepts of erosion and alluvion, Leonard explains:

“The purple and white of the quahog shell are formed by the water and minerals of a specific place. Alluvion speaks to the history of land, water, place, and to the displacement or disruption from loss of land due to erosion or imposed law. Yet it also speaks to the resiliency of our Shinnecock people and of our shoreline to heal itself.”

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

Concurrently with the Heckscher exhibit, Leonard created a site-specific outdoor installation for Planting Fields State Park in Oyster Bay, located in the Taxus Field, on display now through summer 2024.

“We’ve integrated the installation into the landscape,” says Planting Fields’ president and chief executive Gina Wouters. There, Leonard has expanded on her Breach: Logbook 23 concept, with full-sized shipping container integrated into the ground. The shape of the container structure itself is meant to evoke the body of a whale. As you enter through the jaws of a Northern Right Whale, you move through the whale’s body.

“It’s one amazing work with over 1,000 components,” Wurzelbacher notes.

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.

This monumental creation is a sister piece to two other artworks in Leonard’s Contact series. The two earlier works both map New York state. She created the first, “Contact 1,609… (2009),” on the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s “discovery” of Manhattan and what is now called the Hudson River. It is co-owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Autry Museum of The American West in Los Angeles. The second, “Contact 2,021… (2021),” was recently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will next be shown at the New York Historical Society beginning in August.

“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to discuss the collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart a pathway for national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and activism.”

“It’s essentially a root cellar, which was a natural refrigeration system and means of food sovereignty for indigenous people,” Wouters says. “She added to that the idea of a shipping container, bringing in the theme of whaling, so important to coastal Indigenous groups, yet abused by colonists. It’s an impressive, ambitious installation because of its scale. It’s wonderful to have this collaboration with the museum, and interpreted into our historic landscape.”

Brandi Carlile

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

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

The folk rocker is back on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Singer, songwriter, producer, activist, humanitarian, best-selling author — she’s done it all. Since the release of her breakthrough album ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’ in 2018, Carlile has won Grammy awards, earned Billboard’s Women in Music Trailblazer Award, and received several Americana Music Association accolades. She was honored with her seventh, eighth and ninth Grammys this year, winning for best Americana album with ‘In These Silent Days.’ Her song ‘Broken Horses’ won both best rock song and best rock performance. Don’t miss an evening of iconic songs such as ‘The Story,’ ‘That Wasn’t Me’ and ‘The Joke.’ Seemingly everywhere, Carlile has transitioned from an Americana powerhouse to a major headliner beloved by the industry and the public. Carlile’s career has been on a steep upward trajectory and her ‘Bramily’ — as her fans are known — is with her every step of the way.

Yarn/Wire

To that end, unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s permanent collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned the museum their selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing all media — from Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, For Freedoms, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia

Another important exhibit component extends Leonard’s ongoing

Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $51.50-$481.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with

Courtesy Heckscher Museum of Art

Top photo: Courtney Leonard’s large scale map of Long Island is made up of thousands of individual porcelain thumbprints resembling shells.

Courtesy David Almeida/Courtesy Planting Fields Foundation

Right photo: The artist’s first outdoor installation, at Planting Fields, intermingles her art with the landscape.

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

Courtney Leonard brings Long Island’s Indigenous tradition into focus

THE Your Neighborhood

July 28

Penn & Teller

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appear on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, July 28, 8 p.m. Penn & Teller’s brand of awe-inspiring illusions mixed with buddy-comedy shtick has kept the duo at the very top of the magic profession for the past 45 years. Their trademark is the updating of worn out or archaic routines, such as bullet catching or their recent adaptation of the classic bag escape trick (their version involved a trash bag and lots of helium). From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway to the longest running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues defy labels—and at times physics and good taste — by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy. Constantly evolving and refining their unique take on illusion, the pair’s slight of hand is always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old “trick” or something altogether new. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” opening at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, July 22. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

July 27

Life Science of Summer

Kids ages 6-9 can tour Old Westbury Gardens and examine how science is all around us in nature, Thursday, July 27, 2 p.m. Learn how plants grow and take home your own plant, as you participate in experiments of the water cycle and how we can use science to change the color of a flower both naturally and artificially. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

Aug. 13

Clam Eating Contest

Peter’s Clam Bar Annual Clam Eating Contest is back, Sunday Aug. 13. Firehouse challenge begins at 1 p.m. and public challenge begins at 2:30 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to Beyond the Badge. 600 Long Beach Road. Admission is free. Register to participate at PetersClamHouse.com.

Hot Diggity Dog

It’s barbecue season and Long Island Children’s Museum is feeling in the spirit, Kids can celebrate National Hot Dog Month by making a customized hot dog craft to bring home, at the drop-in program, Sunday, July 30, 1-3 p.m. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Aug. 17

Write on: College essay workshop

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering a virtual workshop to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The final workshop, Thursday, Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/portal/ virtual_admission_webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 7052434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Teen drop-in

Looking for a relaxing place to hang out and meet new people? Drop by the Oceanside Library Community Room, every Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m. to make new memories. Come alone or with friends. Craft supplies, games and snacks will be available. 56 Atlantic Ave. Visit OceansideLibrary.com for info.

Having an event?

9/11 Essay Contest

Oceanside Fire Department is looking to inspire local high school students to strengthen their appreciation of the historical importance of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and encourage Oceanside students to participate in the essay contest. First place will be awarded $500 and second place will earn $250. Awards will be presented to essay contest winners at the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the School House Green on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. The first-place essay will be read during the event, by the author if they so choose. Winners will be notified by Sept. 1, 2023. Applicants must be entering grades 9,10, 11 or 12 during the 2023-24 school year and attend the Oceanside School District. Submit an original essay on the topic: “Why We Should Never Forget 9/11.” Submission deadline is Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.; submit in Word or pdf format to: 9-11 essaycontest@oceansidefd. net.

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

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, July 21, noon; Sunday, July 23, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, July 24, noon; Wednesday and Thursday, July 26-27, noon.

Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

July 27

Mindful mornings

Practice the “art” of looking at art at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, July 27, 10-11 a.m., with NCMA Director of Education Laura Lynch. Mindful looking invites you to observe, question, and calmly reflect in a relaxed and supportive environment free of distraction. It’s an opportunity to experience and enjoy the art in the galleries or sculpture garden, together, making personal connection. $10. Space is limited and registration required. Also Aug. 3. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

On stage

Plaza Theatricals brings the iconic musical “Rent,” back to the stage, Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The acclaimed reimagining of “La Vie Boheme,” loosely based on Puccini’s opera and set on East Village streets, fire escapes, tenements, and cafes. This groundbreaking roller coaster ride depicting the joys and sorrows of an eclectic, diverse group of young artists and activists is always captivating. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $35, $30 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Newest defense against sharks? Drones

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK Special to the Herald

The water is getting warmed along the southern shorelines of Long Island — the kind of water that attracts all kinds of marine life, including sharks.

The aquatic creatures have made their presence known in recent years, and 2023 was no exception. In fact, state officials warned Long Island beaches in particular could see a lot more sharks — and the sharks delivered.

There already have been five sharkrelated incidents on Long Island beaches this year, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul — most of them occurring around July 4. And there is still plenty of summer left.

Last year, there were eight shark bites on Long Island — for the entire season.

“We went from having one shark encounter in 2012 to eight just a decade later,” Hochul shared at a news conference last week at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. “Sharks are coming closer, and this is good news because the water is pristine, it’s cleaner than it was 50 years ago. But it’s also something that we need to be on-guard about.”

Lifeguards have access to Yamaha WaveRunner jetskis to better patrol the waters, and there has been more training for police and lifeguards on how to deal with sharks. And technology will come into play as well, with Hochul announcing 60 new drones will be deployed to supplement the existing 18 keeping watch.

“We want to make sure that none of our communities ever appear on ‘Shark Week,’ which premieres at the end of the month,” Hochul said of the popular Discovery Channel series.

Various shark species can migrate to Long Island, according to the state’s environmental conservation department, including the feared great white shark featured in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” But the most common sharks on Long Island

How to avoid sharks

■ Stay close to shore in designated swimming areas

■ Avoid swimming in areas with schools of fish, diving birds, or seals

■ Do not swim at dawn, dusk, or nighttime

an integrated way of monitoring all the shark movements,” he said. “If you take proper precautions like swimming in a protected area, if you don’t go in the water where this schools of fish or seals, you’re going to be completely safe. But on top of that, we in Nassau County have our helicopters in the air, and all-terrain vehicles that are available.”

What’s driving the shark activity on Long Island in recent years? Hochul has two theories — not necessarily at odds with one another.

are sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, and sand tiger sharks.

Sand tiger sharks —the species featured at Riverhead’s Long Island Aquarium — are typically docile, but have been identified as reportedly responsible for a few of the bites this year.

These measures are important for keeping Long Island beaches safe, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We have a very unified group that has

“Over the last 50 years, extraordinary measures have been taken to clean up the water here to make sure that it’s safe for swimmers and deal with the pollutants,” the governor said. “As a result, the sea creatures that are consumed by sharks are moving in closer — the sharks are following their dinner. I don’t know if this is proven, but the fact that the waters are warmer due to climate change may also be a driver.”

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Flanked by Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages and state Sen. Kevin Thomas, Gov. Kathy Hochul shows off some of the drones that will be used to survey the waters on Long Island’s South Shore for sharks.

Few updates since board’s creation 17 months ago

ing of consultants, including Walden Environmental Engineering, and then adjourned to meet in executive session. This was met with another uproar.

“Why are we here?” one attendee asked.

“They don’t respect our time,” another said.

One man began making chicken noises as board members made their way out the back of the room. When they board was gone, David Denenberg, codirector of Long Island Clean Air Water & Soil and a former county legislator, joined by Michael Reid, of the Merrick Fire Department, stood and addressed the gathering.

“We don’t have water service, yet we pay taxes for a service we don’t get,” Denenberg said to the crowd, referring to those in Liberty’s service area who pay utility and other taxes to the county and town, but do not receive public water. Reinhardt said later that Denenberg’s statement was inaccurate, as those in Liberty’s service area do not have a water line on their tax bill, while those in public water districts do.

Denenberg introduced Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who sponsored a bill to provide the water authority with $1 million in funding for the acquisition. She was met with a round of applause.

“The intention was to make sure the

burden of financing is not on the citizen,” Solages said. “We’ve had many feasibility studies, even done by the state of New York, and we know this is possible. Let’s move forward and get it done.”

After 20 minutes, the board returned from its executive session, and the meeting was opened to public questions and comments. Denenberg asked why it had taken 17 months for the authority to hold a public meeting while the North Shore’s has had four.

“We are well ahead of the North Shore Water Authority,” Reinhardt said. “They’ve had four meetings so far where they’ve come forward and said, ‘We have nothing.’ Their website says everything is ‘to be determined.’ They’ve taken no action.”

Reinhardt later added that the South Nassau board didn’t want to hold a pub-

lic meeting without having information available to present because it could create an “angry situation.”

Responding to the questions about the time that had passed since the board’s creation with seemingly no action taken, Reinhardt said, “You don’t buy a house without having it inspected, without knowing the condition of the house. This is a half-a-billion-dollar house that we’re buying.”

“This is this board moving forward potentially with buying a utility company in the names of you and all the other ratepayers in the room,” he added. “We’re doing that after we do due diligence to make sure that there aren’t massive liabilities out there.”

Rabbi Howard Nacht, of Merrick, told the board, “I urge you to move forward expeditiously to accomplish” the

acquisition.

“Bring us in line with the other 97 percent of people who are paying for water in this state,” he added, referring to residents who receive public than private water service. Nacht’s comments were applauded by the crowd.

“Right now we’re paying these extreme prices for water, and the ratepayers are suffering,” Solages said, also suggesting that the board request emergency funding from Albany for the takeover. “We have an affordability crisis, and we really need to work expeditiously to ensure that we are saving the ratepayers money.”

Fred Harrison, a volunteer for the environmental group Food and Water Watch, commended the board’s previously unknown efforts in the acquisition process.

“We’ve waited an awful long time, and that’s why the frustrations are boiling out, even though you gave us good news,” Harrison said. “Because there is good news. I wish I knew that this commission had done that process. I had no idea that you had authorized any investigation.”

“I wish you well, but we’re going to be watching,” he added. “And I know we’re all going to be here at future meetings.”

Those meetings will be announced on the South Nassau Water Authority’s website, SouthNassauWater.org.

Nicole Formisano/Herald nassau County Legislature candidate Seth Koslow, center, was one of many members of the public who wanted answers from the South nassau Water authority.

Protecting Your Future

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Taxation of Trusts

Revocable living trusts, where the grantor (creator) and the trustee (manager) are the same person, use the grantor’s social security number and are not required to file an income tax return. All income and capital gains taxes are reported on the individual’s Form 1040.

Irrevocable living trusts come in two main varieties, “grantor” and “non-grantor” trusts. Non-grantor trusts are often used by the wealthy to give assets away during their lifetime and for all income and capital gains taxes to be paid either by the trust or the trust beneficiary but not by them. Gifts to non-grantor trusts are reported to the IRS but are rarely taxable. Currently, the annual exclusion is $17,000 per person per year to as many people as you wish. However, if you go over the $17,000 to any one person you must report the gift to Uncle Sam, but they merely subtract the excess gift from the $12,920,000 each person is allowed to give at death. Most of our clients are “comfortably under” as we like to say. These gifts then grow estate tax-free to the recipient.

Grantor trusts, such as the Medicaid Asset

Protection Trust (MAPT), are designed to get the assets out of your name for Medicaid purposes but keep them in your name for tax purposes. You continue to receive income from the MAPT and pay income tax the same as before. The MAPT files an “informational return” (Form 1041) telling the IRS that all the income is passing through to you.

Gifts to non-grantor trusts take the grantor’s “basis” for calculating capital gains taxes on sale, i.e. what the grantor originally paid and, if real estate, plus any capital improvements.

In the grantor trust, however, no gift is made on the transfer to the trust because the grantor reserves the right to change who they leave it to on death. The gift is therefore said to be “incomplete” until death and is therefore includible in the grantor’s estate. Assets in the grantor’s estate receive a “stepped-up basis”. Instead of the grantor’s original basis, the heirs get the date of death value as the basis, resulting in capital gains taxes being due only on gains arising from the date of death to the date of sale, if any.

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

Being Prepared !

Most of us plan for years when we no longer need to, or cannot work. It is a necessity we cannot afford to ignore. The federal and state governments have programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to which we all contribute while working. Being informed as to what we have is part of ‘‘Being Prepared.” There are other important aspects to being prepared, such as preparing a Will and making a Tradition & Trust Funeral Pre-Arrangement.

Guy Donza, Thomas Donza & Christine Donza Funeral

Public

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, PS FUNDING, INC., Plaintiff, vs. W HENRIETTA PROPERTIES LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 3, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 1, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 307 West Henrietta Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 43, Block 345 and Lot 43.

Approximate amount of judgment is $696,448.59 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 614017/2020. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Chartwell Law, One Battery Park Plaza, Suite 710, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140400

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, NJCC-NYS COMMUNITY RESTORATION FUND LLC, Plaintiff, vs. JAMES J. ABRAHAM, JR, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order

Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 21, 2020, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 9, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 3857 Carrel Boulevard, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 60, Block 74 and Lot 8. Approximate amount of judgment is $734,531.84 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed

Judgment Index # 2015-3743. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

George Esernio, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140457

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF10 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, -vsPlaintiff, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Index No. 601432/2023 PIOTR PRYSAK; RORY FEIGENBLATT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; R&R CONCRETE, INC.; BUILD TECH CONTRACTING CORP.;”JOHN DOE #1-5” and “JANE DOE #1-5” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants, tenants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants.

Mortgaged Premises:

228 QUEBEC ROAD ISLAND PARK, NY 11558

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): 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, unless the Defendant obtained a bankruptcy

discharge and such other or further relief as may be just and equitable.

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 an 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 your mortgage company will not stop this 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. NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises.

Dated: June 27, 2023

VICTOR SPINELLI, ESQ. FEIN, SUCH & CRANE, LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff

28 EAST MAIN ST., SUITE 1800 ROCHESTER, NY 14614

Telephone No.585/226-7310

NYFC@FEINSUCH.COM

AYSN417 140610

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 7/26/23 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 484/23. OCEANSIDEPeter Suchman, Variance, lot area occupied, maintain wood deck attached to dwelling., W/s Foxdale Ave., 88.2’ N/o Foxhurst Ave., a/k/a 2640 Foxdale Ave. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

This notice is only for new cases in Oceanside within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

140790

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Town Law Section 181-a (1) and pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 35, (2a) the fiscal affairs of the Oceanside Fire District in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, for the period beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022, have been examined by Independent Certified Public Accounting firm of Craig, Fitzsimmons & Meyer, LLP - Smithtown, NY. A copy of their independent audit report has been filed with the New York Office of the State Comptroller where it is available as a public record for inspection by all interested persons. In accordance with Town Law Section 181-a(4) the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Oceanside Fire District in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, has made this audit available for inspection by all interested persons at the Oceanside Fire District Office, 65 Foxhurst Road, Oceanside, New York, 11572.

Tricia Schields Secretary

For the Board of Fire Commissioners Oceanside Fire District 140792

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 197-5 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to

County finances are better than ever

Nassau County finished 2022 with more money than it expected — $435 million more, in fact.

And taxpayers can credit sound fiscal management as well as higher-thanexpected sales tax revenue, according to Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips. The county actually spent $40 million more than the $3.9 billion it brought in last year, but $475 million in other financing sources more than offset it.

At the same time, the county stopped deferring mandatory pension contributions, paying off $123 million in past deferrals, and another $30 million that remained. Because of that, Nassau is current on its pension obligations for the first time in more than a decade.

The county also settled its lawsuit with Long Island Power Authority/ National Grid last year over taxes on two of the utility’s properties. This ultimately reduced the county’s long-term viability from $707 million in 2021 to $383 million at the end of last year.

The news could mean the end is near for the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority, which was created in 2000 following the government economic issues of the county in the 1990s. The county’s

finances have improved so dramatically over the last several years, Phillips said, the county actually no longer meets the conditions that would require the oversight. Health care and social assistance makes up 23 percent of Nassau’s employment sector — more than 140,000 people — with retail trade and government the only other employers accounting for more than 10 percent of the workforce.

The median household income in Nassau County is just below $127,000, compared to $75,000 across the rest of the state, while unemployment is just above 3 percent. The rest of New York is just over 4.5 percent.

INCLUDE “ARTERIAL STOPS” at the following locations:

MERRICK FREDERICK AVENUE (TH 218/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling northbound on State Street shall come to a full stop.

FREDERICK AVENUE (TH 218/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling southbound on State Street shall come to a full stop.

OCEANSIDE FOXHURST ROAD (TH 252/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling southbound on Parkview Place shall come to a full stop.

(NR) VALLEY STREAM PARK LANE (TH 578/22)STOP -

All traffic traveling westbound on Park Court shall come to a full stop. PARK LANE (TH 578/22)STOP -All traffic traveling westbound on Sherwood Street shall come to a full stop.

WANTAGH DEMOTT AVENUE (TH 268/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling southbound on Temple Drive shall come to a full stop.

WILLOWOOD DRIVE (TH 271/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling northbound on Western Lane shall come to a full stop.

TEMPLE DRIVE (TH 281/23) - STOP -

All traffic traveling eastbound on Princeton Drive North shall come to

a full stop.

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: July 11, 2023

Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 140776

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 202-48 of the code of the Town of Hempstead entitled, “Handicapped Parking on Public Streets,” a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the adoption of a resolution 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 at the following locations:

ELMONT LANDAU AVENUE - west side starting at a point 28 feet south of the south

curbline of Madison Street, south for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-237/23)

AMERICAN AVENUEsouth side, starting at a point 191 feet east of the east curbline of Meacham Avenue, east for a distance of 14 feet.

(TH-248/23)

GOTHAM AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 25 feet south of the south curbline of Murray Hill Street, south for a distance of 18 feet.

(TH-263/23)

INWOOD DAVIS AVENUE - south side, starting at a point 52 feet east of the east curbline of Chestnut Road, east for for a distance of 16 feet.

(TH-254/23)

OCEANSIDE OCEANSIDE PARKWAYnorth side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the west curbline of Rugby Road, west for a distance of 19 feet.

(TH-276/23)

ROOSEVELT

DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 284 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 25 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23)

SEAFORD MARTIN COURT - south side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the driveway apron of house number 2839 Martin Court, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-236/23)

SOUTH HEMPSTEAD

MAUDE STREET - north side, starting at a point 204 feet east of the east curbline of Long Beach Road, east for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-186/23) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons:

OCEANSIDE WEST WINDSOR PARKWAY - north side, starting at a point 224 feet west of the west curbline of Messick Avenue, west for a distance of 17 feet.

(TH-169B/23 - 6/06/23) ROOSEVELT DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 310 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23 - 5/23/23)

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid. Dated:Hempstead, New York July

ELAINE PHILLIPS

Employment HERALD

75 Horton Avenue • Valley Stream, NY 11581

The Board of Education is seeking qualified applicants for the position of:

Positions Available for 2023/24 School Year:

SubStitute teAcherS: $125 - $135 per day

NYS Certification required

Per Diem regiStereD NurSeS: $195.00/day

NYS RN Licensing required

PArAProfeSSioNAlS f/t: $23,736 - $24,286

Salary Commensurate with School Related Experience

fooD Service helPer P/t SubStituteS: $15.58/hr.

cleANer SubStituteS: $18.00/hr.

buS Driver SubStituteS: $22.50/hr.

SecuritY AiDeS (DAYS & eveNiNgS): F/T (7 hours) $22.28/hr.

NYS Security Guard Licensing required, law enforcement background preferred mAiNtAiNer (7:00 A.m. – 4:00 P.m.)

Salary commensurate with experience

Send Cover Letter & Resume to: egomez@bmchsd.org or eric gómez

Assistant Superintendent – Personnel & Administration

1260 meadowbrook road, N. merrick, NY 11566

Additional information can be found on our website at: www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT TEACHERS: For Yeshiva

Of South Shore. Afternoon Hours. Competitive Pay. Please Send Resume To: monika@yoss.org

Bellmore-Merrick Child Care Program Is Looking For Qualified Staff We Are Looking For: After-School Staff (2:30pm-5:30pm)

Some Mornings Available Competitive Pay With Paid Time Off

Please Email Us office@bellmoremerrickchildcare.com

To Arrange For An Interview

Civil Project Engineer: Involve in document control, safety reports, billings, contracts, subcontract, award letters, bid tabulations, executive summaries. Understand construction process and MEP equipment. Assemble project turnover requirements submittals, O&M manuals, warranties/guarantees. Coordinate and involve in regular schedule and budget updates; monthly report preparation; and coordination of daily activities. Prepare safety reports. Track daily reporting; assist in monitoring LEED submissions. Prepare and coordinate presentations. Change order tracking; review monthly payment requisitions. Work loc: Port Washington, NY. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated locs throughout

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT

EAST ROCKAWAY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (2 POSITIONS)

12 Month Position

Starting Salary $48,044–$50,462; increase pending contract negotiations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER NASSAU COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

Training and Experience

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university, AND

Four years of satisfactory administrative staff experience, which must include participating in budget preparation, and/or personnel and/or procurement activities.

NOTE: 1. Experience, as outlined above, in excess of the four-year requirement, may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

2. A Master’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university may be substituted for one year of the experience as outlined above.

Anticipated Start Date: Upon Civil Service Approval Please submit letter of interest and resume to: Ms. Diane Drakopoulos Personnel Clerk 443 Ocean Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518 516-887-8300, x1-441 Email: ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

Manager On Duty

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Shifts. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For All Issues That May Occur During The Event, Seeing Each Through To Resolution. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For Emergency Personnel Hourly Rate $25-$30 To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

MEDICAL FRONT DESK Monday- Thursday 9am- 6:30pm. Computer Literate. Valley Stream. Fax Info to 516-295-0017

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Part Time, Various Shifts. Retirees Welcome. Duties include: \Patrols throughout the Village, issuance of code violation citations. Qualifications: HS graduate or equivalent. Valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record. Contact: Inc. Village of Atlantic Beach 516-371-4600 e-mail office@villageofatlanticbeach.com

Path Monitor

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Evening Shifts

DRIVING

Providing A Welcoming Atmosphere And Ensuring Guest Safety. Hourly Rate $20.

To Apply:

https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

PROFESSIONAL TAILOR For Dry Cleaners In Merrick. Flexible Days And Hours. Call 646-593-1357

RECEPTIONIST FULL TIME: Busy OBGYN Office Rockville Centre. Answering Phones, Filing, Checking Insurance. Maureen 516-764-1095

RECEPTIONIST P/T

Busy

DISTRICT CLERK

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Good Clerical and Computer Skills, including Microsoft WORD, and speed writing

• Part-time Position – Approximately 15 to 20 hours per week, plus two evenings per month

• Principal responsibility includes preparing all Agendas, taking Minutes at all Board meetings, copying of all documents for Board and maintaining Board of Education records.

• Responsible for all aspects of Annual School District Budget Vote and Election of Board members

Send cover letter and resume to: Board of Education Valley Stream School District 24 75 Horton Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11581

By August 4, 2023

C entral H ig H S CH ool D i S tri C t

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 1390 Broadway #102, NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths,HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC,Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr Doorman, Valet Pkg,Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$579,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BAY PARK BA .190 Meadowview Ave Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!..REDUCED

$2,999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-429 ba

HEWLETT HARBOR 7/23, 12-2:0, 1051 Channel Dr, FIRST TIME ON MARKET!

3/4 BR, 2.5 Bth Split on Beautiful Ω Acre Parklike Property. Updtd Gran/Wood EIK, Spac LR/DR with Vaulted Ceiling & Fpl, & Fam Rm. 2 Car Att Gar.Endless Possibilities! SD#14...$1,349,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

HEWLETT HARBOR BA 246 Adams Rd, NEW TO MARKET! Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd., FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime Location! Granite/Wood EIK Opens to Dining Room & Living Room. Lower Level Den. HW Flrs, Gas Heat, CAC. Oversized Property! SD#14.Near All!..$999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Apartments For Rent

CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For One Bedroom When Available. (516)860-6889/

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School District

Floral Park-Bellerose

Overlooking 1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2 Bths. 2 Car Att Gar. Low Taxes! SD#20..$2,299,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Teacher Aides

Teacher Aides

Security Guards, Part-Time The District is seeking part-time security guards (unarmed) for the 2023/24 school year. Prior law enforcement experience required. Great for retirees. $22.00/hr.

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

We have openings for teacher aides for the 2022/23 school year. 10-month positions available immediately, starting at $15.00/hr.

School Nurse, Part-Time

School Nurse, Part-Time

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

We have an opening for a P/T school nurse, 2 days/wk mostly Wed & Thurs. Pro-rated salary, approx. $240.00/day. RN cert. required.

School Nurse, Full-Time The District has an opening for a full-time school nurse. 10-month position. RN certification required. Starting salary $48,671.00

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

Please apply for positions via OLAS at www.OLASjobs.org

HomesHERALD

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

Long Beach

Experience Ultimate Luxury

The unobstructed ocean views in this top floor penthouse 2 bedroom and 2 full bath condominium are breathtaking! This home has been designed to exude beach ambiance with every detail: from the golden brown porcelain floor tile to the deep sea pearl backsplash and designer moldings. Originally built as a 3 bedroom, the current bedrooms are graciously sized with abundant closet space. The primary suite features stunning expansive built-ins in addition to a deep walk-in closet. Both bathrooms are designed with beach undertones. The living room is airy and features a fireplace. The amenities: 24-hr concierge, private gym, 2 dedicated parking spots, personal washer/dryer in all units and pet friendly! Only two blocks to the train, an ideal base to explore all of Long Beach! $1,599,000 26 W. Broadway, Long Beach, NY, 11561 Unit # 1005

Jennifer Bartko McConnell

Managing Partner 516-987-9688 jenbartko@gmail.com www.JenBartko.com

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services | Laffey International 860 W. Beech Street Long Beach, NY 11561 516-987-9688

Can I just start putting up walls?

Q. I’m doing a commercial space to expand my business, and I’m in a quandary about a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. First, the landlord is only giving me two months to build out the space, and I’m being told that’s not enough time to get plans and permits, which the landlord doesn’t seem to care about. If I just start putting up walls, is that acceptable? Will I get a violation if I get caught? Also, I was told I need a plumbing permit for a new sink and toilet — the ones that are there are disgusting. If I hire an expeditor to get the plans and permit, can they also get the plumbing permit so I can do the work myself? I was hoping this would go smoothly, but I can see there are going to be problems. What can I expect?

A. You didn’t say what the business was, and the first step is to confirm, with a search of records, whether the use is permitted. For example, some uses require special approvals, and each jurisdiction has limitations.

Tattoo parlors, animal sales and boarding, auto body work — these are a few of the many types of businesses that require special review, sometimes by a zoning board, a village, town or city board or both in the same municipality.

Just a heads-up: Your landlord only wants to rent the space. A landlord was put on the phone recently while I was going over a similar circumstance, and told me he expected the tenant would eventually get the permit, but it isn’t his problem. To answer your question, if you did get caught, the landlord or owner of the property is the responsible party, and can face violations in court, fines and, in extremely rare cases, conviction and jail for serious violations, especially calamities leading to death. Those are the ones we hear about in the news.

SD#14 $1,349,000

246 Adams Rd, BA, Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling Overlooking

1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin

Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2

Bths. 2 Car Att Gar. Low Taxes! SD#20

HEWLETT

REDUCED! $2,299,000

1390 Broadway #102, BA ,NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly

Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open

Layout. NEW State of the Art Kitchen & Bths, HW Flrs, Windows, HVAC, Recessed LED Lights, Doors, W/D. Community Pool. Full Service 24 Hr

Doorman, Valet Pkg, Elevator, Priv Storage. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship $579,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom (Originally

3 BR), 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit.

Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style

Living BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER! $579,000

WOO dMERE

504 Saddle Ridge Rd, BA, Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth

Split with Open Layout in

An expeditor generally won’t be your first choice, since expediting is the handling of paperwork and filing. You need professionally prepared and sealed plans showing the space, fully noted and dimensioned, with code references to specific safety issues for the use. A pharmacy will have different requirements and licensing than a beauty salon or a day care, for example. Usually, a ceiling plan showing locations of lighting, emergency equipment, sprinkler heads, emergency lights and exit signs is required, along with heating and air conditioning vents and diffusers.

Depending on the locality, you may not be allowed to do your own construction or plumbing work, and if you were to ask, local building departments expect the licensed plumber to get their own permit, showing proof of licensing to do work in that community. I know, and building officials are well aware, that work goes on all the time without the delay of the permit process. Just keep in mind that public safety is everyone’s responsibility. Verify that the work is safe and code-compliant. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

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

FINDS UNDER $100

Finds Under $100

32 X 32 Mirror beveled edge etchings in corners, hardware included for hanging.$70.00 (516)579-9089 excellent

CAST IRON GRILL PAN: with Top Press, $15. 516-292-0430

Finds Under $100

FENDER ELECTRIC/ ACOUSTIC Guitar. Black. Cd-140SCE. Sounds great. Needs strings. $99. 516-707-0357

FRAMES: ALL SIZES, colors, wood, metal, etc. all under $8 or bundle for less.

516-225-9191

GEORGE FORMAN GRILL: Medium size, $20. 516-292-0430

GOLDTONE LIGHTER BY Colibri, Brand new with butane refill, vintage $20,00 take all (516)579-9089

MEN'S COLE HAAN Black Leather Ankle Boots; Chelsea model, 7W. Excellent condition. $85, 516-320-1906

MULTI MEDIA OAK Storage Cabinet, "New in Box" Half Price at $50 Firm.

516-486-7941

POOL VACUUM. HAYWARD Aqua Critter for above ground pools. $65. Please call 516-270-4228.

Finds Under $100

RECLINER: CUSTOM MADE Designer Quality, New condition, Originally $685. Now Only $100 FIRM! 516-486-7941

UTILITY CART, GREEN wicker by Lexington, 2 shelves, strong, Mint $65. 516-225-9191

WALL SAFE: HEAVY Steel "New in Box," Mount Surface or in Wall. $50 Firm. 516-486-7941

SERVICES

Appliance Srvc./Repair

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

Washers, Dryers, Ranges, Ovens, Refrigerators, Freezers, Dishwashers, Microwaves. Prompt, Reasonable, and Reliable. All Repairs Guaranteed. Licensed/ Insured. Family Owned For 44 Years. $10 OFF Repairs - $12 OFF For Seniors. Appliance Doctor 516-764-7011

Brick/Block/Concrete/Masonry

*MICHAEL LO BAIDO CONSTRUCTION*

Cement Specialist, Brickwork, Interlock Bricks, Belgium Blocks, Stoops, Patios, Driveways, Sidewalks, Basement Entrances, Pavers, Waterproofing. Quality Work, Lic./ Ins. Owner Always Onsite Free Estimates 516-354-5578

Decks

DECKS DECKS Our Only Business COMPOSITES/WOOD Excellent References & Many Photos Lic./Ins. Free Estimates C & S DECKS 516-729-5859

Electricians

E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.

Handyman

HANDYMAN Repairs and Installations for the Household. Careful and Reliable and Vaccinated. Licensed and Insured. 30-Year Nassau County Resident. Friendly Frank Phone/Text 516-238-2112 E-mail-Frankcav@optonline.net

Home Improvement

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636

HANDY DANDY HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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

LITO CONSTRUCTION

Home Improvement/ Construction 10% OFF ANY JOB OVER $2,000 Driveways, Sidewalks, Steps, Designer Brick Work, Stone Decor, Pointing, Framing, Foundations, Extensions, Bathrooms, Basements, Installation Of Draining Systems. Licensed/ Insured. Free Estimates. 516-564-8315, 516-376-9365

ROOFING GREAT PRICES ! NEW ROOF SPECIALS SIDING- Best Prices RENOVATIONS & ALL REPAIRS SUPER COMPETITIVE PRICES!

Licensed / Insured. Free Estimates Nassau License. # H-0102710000 Call John - 516-852-9830

Miscellaneous

BEST SATELLITE TV with 2 Year Price Guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 888-508-5313

Pet Services

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At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display

Recently I attended the annual Patriot Award Dinner hosted by the Seaford High School 9/11 Memorial Committee. This event, and other 9/11 programs in Seaford, are administered by the Memorial Committee, which was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the commitment to “always remember.”

Communities across Long Island were devastated by 9/11. None, however, has been more consistent or wideranging in its dedication to preserving the memory and legacy of that day and its victims than Seaford.

In November 2002, a commemorative plaza was constructed at the entrance to Seaford High School, dedicated to the alumni who lost their lives: New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Haskell, FDNY Firefighter Tim Haskell, New York City Police Officer John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein.

Each year on Sept. 11, more than 1,000 people attend a memorial at the plaza — last year, undaunted by a driving rain. Since 2002, Patriot Award scholarships

totaling more than $235,000 have been given to 112 Seaford High seniors who reflect the values of the graduates who died on 9/11. Honorary Patriot Awards have been presented to 59 people who selflessly service the Seaford community.

District students make field trips to the 9/11 Memorial at ground zero.

This year’s dinner was held at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As always, there was a large turnout, more than 300 people. The mood in the room was a mix of energy and respect. There was the energy of people who have been working for two decades to ensure that the memories and legacy of that day are preserved, along with respect for those who died and their family members, who were at the dinner, as they have been at so many commemorations over the years.

Among those sitting at my table were Monsignor Steve Camp and members of the Haskell family. Camp, now the pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Huntington, was a priest at St. William the Abbot in Seaford in September 2001. He officiated at funerals for victims of the attacks, and with his compassion and concern that did so much to help not only the victims’ families, but the Seaford community as well.

Tom and Tim Haskell were heroic FDNY members, as was their brother, Ken, who survived that day, and has dedicated so much to the Memorial Committee as its president. With Ken at the table were his mother, Maureen; his wife, Genene; their sons Kenny and Ryan; Ken’s sister, Dawn; and Tom’s widow, Barbara. No family has endured more than the Haskells. Somehow their spirit remains as strong as ever — as does the spirit of the other 9/11 families.

Seeing so many neighbors, friends and other familiar faces, I was pleased and reassured by the number of young people who were there who weren’t yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. I also gave a special hello to my sister, Barbara, a Seaford High graduate who put so much effort into making the dinner a success.

The student scholarship winners were very impressive, as were the Honorary Patriot Award recipients. Longtime Seaford High officials Tom Condon and Ray Buckley, who played strong leadership roles in forming the Memorial Committee and have continued their efforts to this day, spoke movingly, and then led everyone in an emotional and spirited rendition of “God Bless America.”

All these good, hardworking people gathered to show their unfailing dedication and commitment to their community and country more than two decades after America’s darkest hour exemplify patriotism at its best.

As I left that night, I thought about how wonderful it would be if the spirit of selfless dedication and commitment that these Seaford residents still demonstrate could once again predominate in our divided country. If the sense of unity and respect that Americans had in the days, weeks and months after the attacks could somehow be re-established. If we could work together on issues where we agree, try to find common ground where we disagree and do so respectfully, always remembering that we are Americans.

The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 could not destroy us or break our spirit. Instead we emerged more united. We owe it to our nation, and all those who were murdered that day, not to divide against ourselves, but rather to do all we can to recapture the unity we had then, and never forget that we are still the greatest nation on earth. As the hundreds of Seaford residents proudly sang at the conclusion of the Patriot Award Dinner, let us all proudly proclaim, “God Bless America!”

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

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

W“hen you meet chimps, you meet individual personalities. When a baby chimp looks at you, it’s just like a human baby. We have a responsibility to them.”

–Jane Goodall, animal right activist Chimpanzee stories invite cheap shots, jokes and memories of J. Fredd Muggs (a regular on “The Today Show”), but the true story of these primates in modern times is both shameful and tragic. The continuing abuse of chimpanzees in research, and a New York state lawsuit arguing the “personhood” of chimps, demand our focused attention and action.

Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of our DNA. They are native to Africa and they are endangered, with only 180,000 to 300,000 remaining. Fifty years ago, there were probably a million chimpanzees roaming Africa. Deforestation, poaching and some people’s taste for bush meat have depleted the population.

Nearly 2,000 chimpanzees live in the

U.S. Some 850 live in laboratories. About 250 chimps are in accredited zoos, 600 in sanctuaries, and 250 in private hands, such as carnivals and low-end zoos.

Chimpanzees are one of the four great apes, along with gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. But chimps are closer to humans in their DNA than they are to any of their ape brethren. They know how to use tools, have opposable thumbs and can learn sign language. They pass the “mirror” test, recognizing themselves in reflective glass, and they are self-aware; express grief, depression and joy; and play jokes on one another.

Yet for decades, these animals have been used for research in the U.S., by the National Institutes of Health and by medical schools and pharmaceutical companies. This research rests on the presumption that as higher beings, we have the right to subject other living creatures to pain and suffering to improve our own health and longevity.

The awful irony is that in 2011, the National Academy of Sciences concluded, “Most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary.” In addition, a 2013 NIH report confirmed, “Research involving chimpanzees has

rarely accelerated new discoveries or the advancement of human health.”

The report added, “The majority of NIH-owned chimpanzees should be designated for retirement and transferred to the federal sanctuary system.”

We are the only developed country in the world that continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments. A number of countries, including Australia, the European Union, Japan and New Zealand, have banned the use of all great apes in experiments.

What got me thinking about the shameful legacy of abuse of chimpanzees was the news in April of a lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project seeking “personhood” status for two chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, now being held at Stony Brook University.

If the apes are freed, they will go to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for retired and rehabilitated chimpanzees in Florida. According to a spokesman, NhRP is not seeking personhood for apes so they can roam the streets. It is seeking only one specific right: the right to one’s bodily freedom, the freedom not to be taken and kept involuntarily for any purpose.

When I brought this subject up for dis-

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published June 11-17, 2015.

cussion at a dinner table this week, the reaction of my friends — all kind, wellinformed people — was complete lack of concern for or interest in chimpanzees, abused or otherwise. They trotted out the old argument about it being OK to experiment on animals so people can live better lives. They said they just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees. They asked where I would draw the line. OK to experiment on dogs? Rats? Fruit flies? I do draw a line. No experimentation on any higher-functioning animal that is sentient, but self-aware and capable of emoting feelings and socialization. I can be OK with experimenting on mice and rats and fruit flies and other lower life forms.

We don’t have the moral right to experiment on chimpanzees. The systematic torture of chimps, once considered “research” and now discredited by the NIH as inhumane and ineffectual, must stop. Please join me in supporting Jane Goodall’s work to save and rehabilitate chimpanzees. Go to janegoodall.org, where you can learn, donate or volunteer.

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

RANDI KREISS

The U.S. continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments.

We need to rekindle the sense of unity we had in the days after 9/11.

HERALD

Staying safe from shark close encounters

it won’t be long before the iconic film “Jaws” turns 50 — a fact that’s just difficult to imagine.

Yet this single movie, from a then unknown director named Steven Spielberg, singlehandedly created the summer blockbuster model many studios work to recreate every year, and proved the big screen could deliver big thrills.

But “Jaws” had another, more lasting effect on society. It made many people fearful — or, at least, more cautious — about going to the beach. And it turned sharks, like the great white featured in Spielberg’s film, from ocean predators to living, breathing and biting beasts of pure evil.

Humans are a land species. Put us in the water and we’re at a clear disadvantage against anything that might mean us harm living in that environment. Especially something that can weigh more than two tons while boasting more than 300 teeth. Vigilance when in the water is essential — but demonizing an animal for simply acting on its nature is not.

In the years following the release of “Jaws,” many fishermen set out to hunt the great white, deeming the slaughter that came with it — cutting the population nearly in half — a way to rid the world of a man-eating predator.

But sharks are sharks, and for us to enjoy the ocean, we have to find ways of sharing it with these creatures, and everything else living below the waves. No one wants to be bitten, and hopefully most of us would rather stay as far away from

letters

Randi’s tribute to journalists still rings true — even today

To the Editor:

Keep your distance from the sharks

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Florida where more than half of the country’s shark attacks happen each year says it’s always good to stay in groups, since sharks are more likely to bite someone swimming alone. Also, don’t wander too far from shore especially if it isolates you from other swimmers. It also takes you farther away from any help you could receive from land. Avoid the water at twilight or after dark. Those are the hours when sharks are most active. Even during the day, if the water is murky, be extra careful. And most important, stay in areas watched by lifeguards.

sharks as possible. Yet the cleaner, warmer waters splashing onto the beaches of Long Island will indeed attract all kinds of aquatic life, and sharks won’t be far behind.

Drones certainly make a difference, with the state tripling the number of the flying camera-equipped contraptions patrolling local beaches. They can cover more territory in a short time, rather than simply putting lifeguards on WaveRunners, and beachgoers are getting the added protection of both.

Long Island beaches attract a number of species of sharks, although few of them, other than dusky sharks and the great whites featured in “Jaws,” pose any immediate danger. But it’s still imperative to stay away, because if a shark did decide to turn on you, it’s a battle you likely wouldn’t win.

Sharks are the ocean’s dominant predator for sure — and humans should stay far away from them — but they aren’t evil. We shouldn’t be happy when a shark is killed, or wish for a world in which they don’t exist.

In the end, sharks are a key component to our very fragile marine ecosystem. And they are dying, with few people standing up to defend them because of the fear perpetuated by movies like “Jaws” and annual television events like Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.”

Even Spielberg regrets how the great white was portrayed in his 1975 film. When a British radio personality asked him last year how he’d feel if he lived on a desert island surrounded by sharks, the Oscar-winning director said it’s something he fears. “Not to get eaten by a shark,” he added, “but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975.”

Sharks may not actually hold grudges, but we can share the ocean with them, and keep ourselves safe, by steering clear of them. It’s the only way we can have the fun, relaxing summer we’ve always enjoyed on Long Island beaches.

Re Randi Kreiss’s column last week (reprised from Sept. 11-17, 2014), “Journalists become targets for jihadists”: We, in the field, doing the coverage and writing the story and taking the photographs, know the truth. The courage lies in the reporting of that truth.

Many of us are doing local, community news coverage, and our readers (and viewers) want our presentation of the facts and our intelligent analysis. We are in the same tradition of those who report the news from abroad. We must take chances to offer the public the facts.

I am one of an old breed. It is my personal and deep passion to (try to) make a difference. Whereas building a house, or representing others in court, or even serving as an elected official, can be meritorious, I take photographs. I offer them to news sources all over the world. I imagine when they are displayed in some newspaper, someone, somewhere, may say: “This is truth.”

However, this hopeful wish on my part may be completely false. As more and more photos are cre-

ated and offer images of terrible events in the world, the public may become numb, and people may say, “I can’t change anything in the world, and these terrible photos just make me feel really sad.”

Professor Lauren Walsh, of New York University, wrote about this common public reaction recently in an article in the global documentary magazine Zeke. “What is the value of a photojournalist?” Walsh wrote. In

You have no idea what teachers deal with

His name was David, and he killed himself in my second year of teaching.

The Long Island high school stopped functioning that day. David was an enormous personality. A terrific athlete with a giant grin. Some of his basketball friends read poems they wrote about him at his funeral.

David ended his life 11 years ago, and I still remember him now and then. The time I beat him in an impromptu rap battle between classes. He bounded down the hall, yelling, “Nolan is nice!”

The time I pranked him by pretending that a phone call from the main office directed him to pack his stuff and go to the principal’s office. (David was a habitual linecrosser.)

Or how I tried to teach him about selffulfilling prophecies, perhaps out of some intuition of the storm that surely raged within him.

I see his face, remember specific moments. David was a gifted athlete — not a great student, but what a personality. I spoke at his wake about how he brought people together. He knew every-

one, and everyone knew him. He was kind to other students.

His death remains the single worst experience I had as a teacher. I sought help for him, but I was a second-year teacher and didn’t realize how much danger he was in. No one did, not even his friends. I tried to put the pieces together afterward, to see how I missed any signs, but I only found more questions.

Two weeks ago, a former student of mine died in a dirt-bike crash. Last month, the murderer of a student I knew was sentenced. A year before his murder, two students I knew were attacked in the woods by a group wielding machetes, and left with scars on their necks and scalps.

When I started teaching, I quickly realized how many kids were suffering. Neighbors don’t always fully grasp the depth of hardship in their own communities. Students deal with abusive and drugand alcohol-dependent parents, incarcerated siblings, and violence in their neighborhoods — in addition to run-of-the-mill adolescent angst, which can be turbulent enough.

My wife teaches elementary school, and has come home crying because of the stress some of her students — some as young as 5 — have had to bear.

One time she asked a little girl why

Letters

the end, she stated that it is to offer visual evidence — evidence that offers proof when atrocities are committed by autocratic leaders, and that allows legal action to be taken to compensate the oppressed.

Thus, the photojournalist bears witness to the truth with visual evidence. I offer that critical truth, and I may actually change the world: I take photographs to protect the oppressed! And those overseas reporters, journalists and photojournalists — I believe, in my heart, they are in agreement.

If you want to do your own research on journalists abroad, look into the Committee to Project Journalists, at cpj.org.

JOe ABATe Writer/photographer Island Park

Two bills could expand recycling

To the editor:

New York has a chance to pass two bills that could significantly reduce the state’s plastic waste and improve its current recycling system: the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.5322/S.4246) and the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.6353/S.237A).

If passed, the Packaging Reduction

and Recycling Infrastructure Act would be the most progressive extended producer responsibility law in the country. The law would reduce packaging by 50 percent over 12 years, and remove 12 toxic chemicals from packaging — including PFAS, lead, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.

It would also prevent “chemical recycling” — or incineration — to count as recycling.

New York City spends $448 million to export its waste out of the state. Some of this waste ends up at the Covanta incinerator in Newark, where it pollutes an environmental justice community. By shifting the responsibility of recycling costs from taxpayers to packaging companies, the law would also ensure investments in reuse and refill systems and funding to improve recycling.

The Bigger, Better Bottle Bill would expand the current law, first passed in 1982. It would help reduce waste from common containers not currently under the law. To date, there are only nickel deposits on soda, beer and water. This bill would add non-carbonated containers like lemonade, iced tea, liquor and wine.

Moreover, the bottle bill would increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, which has proven to increase recycling rates and reduce bottle waste in states that have passed similar laws. It would also increase

she looked so tired. The answer? Her family had been huddled together all night in a corner of their basement, hiding from a gang that threatened to shoot up the house.

Another year, my wife taught a boy who, as a toddler, had been found by police sleeping on his murdered father’s chest. A group of teens had broken into the house and shot the dad.

This is part of education on Long Island. You can be certain that in just about every school there are students dealing with unimaginable grief and stress.

The mental, and at times physical, stress of helping children cope with grief can be overwhelming for a teacher. Knowing a child will go home — if he has a home — to an empty pantry, a house filled with trash or walls marked by bullet holes isn’t something you can just shelve at the end of the day.

A big part of 21st-century education is emotional learning. Mindfulness is a focus in classrooms, in the form of yoga and lessons on empathy and expressing emotions. Teachers benefit by learning these techniques, and being part of the conversation with their students.

During and after the pandemic, schools were, and still are, stretched to near the breaking point. Teachers have

endured ridiculous stress levels with pandemic-mandated changes, drops in highstakes test scores, being under fire by political groups for myriad illogical reasons, and more.

Yes, other professions are stressful. Highlighting the hardships of one job doesn’t exclude or diminish others. Law enforcement, first responders, social workers, landscapers, nurses, drivers — they all face stress and job-related hardship.

But there is a misconception that teachers are overpaid for four hours of work a day and summers off. How could that be stressful? Some people overlook the fact that teaching is more than time in a classroom, and involves more than helping a student learn the significance of Bastille Day.

Most teachers I know use the summer to decompress, and then plan and reimagine their classroom and teaching style. They take courses, read deeply, and contemplate better ways to motivate students.

As summer kicks into high gear, take a moment to thank a teacher and wish them a well-deserved break. It won’t be long before they’re helping a student with much more than long division.

Mark Nolan, the editor of the Lynbrook/ East Rockaway and Malverne/West Hempstead Heralds, taught high school English for 11 years. Comments? mnolan@liherald.com.

the handling fee from 3 cents to 5 cents per bottle — an increase that would vastly improve the livelihoods of thousands of recyclers known as “canners.”

Passing both bills is crucial, because they would work together to enhance

waste management in New York, leading to substantial waste reduction, improved recycling, and reduced landfill and incinerator use. MARíA GuILLéN

Framework by Tim Baker

Oohing and aahing at the fireworks show overhead — Rockville Centre

In virtually every school on Long Island, there are students suffering with grief and stress.