Oceanside/Island Park Herald 08-03-2023

Reunion fit for a hamburger

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Using dolls to spark imagination Page 10

Shane Harmon shows QB skills

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Boxing program packs a punch

By KEPHERD DANIEl kdaniel@liherald.com

The boxing program at the Friedberg JCC is the undisputed heavyweight champion in Oceanside, and has taken off during the past year under the leadership of North Merrick resident Steve Solomon.

Tim Baker/Herald

The JCC offers three boxing classes — a class for those with special needs, another for those with Parkinson’s disease and a third for the general population. When the JCC was look-

Continued on page 16

Discovering how life goes on after a rare disease diagnosis

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

Last October, Irwin Markus accidentally took the wrong train and ended up in East Rockaway. He called his ex-wife, Lisa Markus, because he couldn’t figure out how to get back home.

The frightening experience led her to become extremely concerned about his cognitive ability, so she scheduled an appointment for him to see his doctor.

One month later and after several visits to a neurologist, Irwin, 58, was diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare cardiovascular disorder in which

the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain become narrowed.

Lisa Markus quickly and unexpectedly became a caretaker for her ex-husband when he began experiencing this cognitive decline in the fall.

“He hasn’t been able to work since the end of December, and he hasn’t been allowed to drive,” she said.

She explained that moyamoya patients are typically diag -

nosed with the disease after they have a stroke. However, he never suffered a stroke. This felt like a “switch flip” for Lisa Markus.

“He’s always had a very easygoing, laissez faire kind of attitude,” she said about him before he had cognitive decline.

The disease is affecting both sides of his brain, she said. He underwent his first surgery in April and then a second one on July 13. Lisa Markus explained that the doctors couldn’t give

any sort of indication whether or not his cognition will improve.

“He doesn’t even recognize our children anymore,” Lisa Markus said. “The cognitive decline is absolutely astounding.”

Both surgeries totaled more than $20,000, and Lisa Markus has set up a crowdfunding page to help offset the cost of the medical bills. Her goal is to

reach at least $18,000. The link to the crowdfunding campaign is tinyurl.com/4fm72byd.

Lisa Markus is also hosting a fundraiser at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside on Aug. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m.

The establishment holds sentimental value to Irwin Markus — he was a loyal customer to the brewery for years, and the brewery reached out to

Continued on page 18

Steve Solomon, left, demonstrates some defensive moves to Kareem Ross as part of the boxing program at Friedberg JCC.

He hasn’t been able to work since the end of December, and he hasn’t been allowed to drive.

lISA MARKUS ex-wife of Irwin Markus

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McDonald’s crew reunite for 50th anniversary

Oceanside restaurant workers remember 1970s glory days

By CLARE GEHLICH Intern

Amemorable 50th reunion took place at MacArthur Park in Rockville Centre on July 22, bringing together mid-1970s crew members of Oceanside McDonald’s. With music and dancing setting the tone, these former co-workers looked fondly back on the time spent working together.

For Carolyn Stone, who began working at McDonald’s in the summer of 1974, the 50-year milestone held special significance. She emphasized how crucial it was for her and her crew members to gain real-world experience in their teenage years working at the fast-food chain, which she now considers a source of pride.

Recalling the mid-1970s era at Oceanside McDonald’s, Stone described the working environment as a “well-oiled machine,” attributing its success to the unity of crew members joining together with consistent and solid team efforts.

“There was a real sense of responsibility and ownership,” said Stone. “I think that was a big part of it. It was ownership of what we were doing, and we did it together.”

Tom Knag, one of the organizers and a former crew member who started working at McDonald’s in the early 1970s, compared the experience to participating in a sports team. He explained that each crew member aimed to win games, and their job was the game while caring for their customers.

“We learned from just the way McDonald’s taught you – to work, to take care of customers, respect each other as employees, respect management, and you’ll be rewarded,” said Knag. “That’s what a lot of people take away. It was a great work ethic.”

The reunion centered around the 1970s, with an emotionally curated playlist that lasted over four hours, evoking nostalgia and fondness as crew members relived old memories through laughter, tears, and dancing.

The reunion itself was inspired by a special event organized in the 1990s by Steve Smith for their friend, Jon Newcomer, who had suffered a serious auto accident. This experience brought the former crew members together, inspiring Knag to create a Facebook page that ultimately led to organizing the 50th reunion.

Lauren Hendel, the owner-operator, and Michael Chmelev, the operations director, both current owners of Oceans-

ide McDonald’s, played a role in providing various party props, contributing to the event’s atmosphere.

During their time at McDonald’s, former crew members not only learned about responsibility and teamwork but formed close bonds with each other.

“We spent so much time together, talking, and going out,” Stone said. “With those of us who had anything going on at home whether we had a parent’s divorce, a death in the family, difficulties in school, or a breakup with a boyfriend, nobody had to suffer alone. There was a sympathetic ear, there was a friend, someone’s shoulder to cry on.”

Many former crew members advanced to management roles, starting from entry-level positions and climbing the corporate ladder. Some became successful McDonald’s franchise owners, while others pursued careers as nurse practitioners or joined the New York Police Department, utilizing their time at McDonald’s as applicable work background.

Among those who stayed with McDonald’s is Paul Facella, who started as a crew member and later became a regional vice president. His book, “Everything

I Know About

Business I Learned at McDonald’s (Management & Leadership),” dives into his experience at Oceanside McDonald’s and distills valuable lessons on teamwork, leadership, integrity, and communication.

“We didn’t realize what we were learning, that it would support us for the rest of our lives,” said Knag. “I don’t think anybody really realized that in 50 years we’ve been together, talking about the past and remembering it the way we did. Not only the good times and parties and stuff but just the fact that we all worked together.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

The McDonald’s crew got back together for their 50th celebration.

Colleen Barry worked at McDonald’s from 1975 to 1977, and Opie Smith worked there in 1972.

Jim Nicholas was the manager at McDonald’s from 1977 to 1981, while Elias LoGatto managed between 1973 and 1976.

Patti Ackerman Murphy, Tom Knag and Caroline Stone reunited with old co-workers.

“ T hey learned from just the way McDonald’s taught you –to work, to take care of customers, respect each other as employees, respect management, and you’ll be rewarded. It was a great work ethic.”

Tom KnAG

Your Local Real Estate Expert

BOCES educator Robert Dillon

Dr. Robert R. Dillon (Bob), of Walden and Plainview, passed peacefully on July 28, 2023, after experiencing medical complications following spinal surgery.

He grew up in Bayside, Queens, with his parents Marie and Martin — who preceded him in death — along with his four brothers Matthew, Terrance, Dennis and Kevin, and sister Maureen.

Although drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of Loyola High School in New York City, he opted to pursue a career in education through St. John’s University in Queens. There he obtained his doctorate in education.

During his more than 45-year career in education, he served as superintendent of four school districts: East Meadow, Sugar Loaf, Abbott Union and Eastport. He was the driving force that led to the successful merger of Eastport and South Manor school districts.

Whether navigating through the Covid19 pandemic, pushing for increased mental health student support, or innovating numerous programs, he has revitalized, transformed and enhanced educational opportunities for all students.

He served on many advisory boards and councils, including the Long Island Power Authority, Scope Education Services, and SUNY Old Westbury’s School of Education.

He is survived by his childhood sweetheart Patricia Maureen (Patty), son Christopher and his wife Jessica, and grandchildren Kylie and Brendan.

RobeR t Dillon

Who Are You Responsible For?

Recently, a client came in to see us for their follow-up consultation. The client shared with us that, in between their two meetings with us, the husband’s brother had suffered a stroke and was now in a rehabilitation facility. He was a bachelor. He had no power of attorney or health care proxy. He may or may not have had a will — they didn’t know. Further, they were unable to get access to his apartment to clean out the fridge and get his clothes because he had failed to put them on the list of persons approved to enter in the event of an emergency.

One of the most overlooked areas in estate planning is the question of who you are responsible for. Do you have a friend or relative who you know will need to rely on you if something happens? Either they have no one else or everyone else is too far away. If you have the responsibility, then make sure that you have the documents you will need to carry out that responsibility. Otherwise, the challenges become of a magnitude greater. Similarly, so many of our clients have adult

children with young families. Do you know whether your children have wills, powers of attorney and health care proxies?

There are serious pitfalls for young families if one spouse dies without a plan. Roughly half of their assets go to their surviving spouse and half to the children. The court will appoint a legal guardian for the children’s money and the unused portion must be turned over to them at age eighteen, ready or not!

A potentially more serious problem for our senior clients is whether their sons and daughters who have families possess adequate life insurance. If your son or daughter dies without sufficient life insurance, you may be called upon to support and educate your grandchildren out of your retirement money.

Finally, if you are responsible for the care of an elderly parent, then make sure it is you who has the power of attorney and health care proxy and not another sibling who may end up controlling the situation from afar, much to your dismay.

He was dedicated to fostering the next generation of school leaders and mentored many seeking their administrative certifications while teaching at St. John’s University, SUNY at New Paltz, St. John Fisher University, and Dowling College.

Since 2015, he has led Nassau BOCES, a cooperative of the 56 school districts in Nassau County, leaving a legacy that will impact the students of Nassau County for decades.

He also is survived by daughters Deirdre and Caitlin, brothers and sister, and their respective families.

He loved golf, camping and fishing, and was an avid New York Giants fan. He was dedicated to his family, and wanted to make sure everyone was happy and well provided for.

Visitation was held Aug. 1 at Fairchild Sons Funeral Home in Garden City, and a funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 2 at The Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre. Interment followed at Queen of Peace Cemetery on Jericho Turnpike in Old Westbury.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Nassau BOCES Educational Foundation.

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Dems sue legislature claiming gerrymandering Republican-led chamber accused of drawing unfair district maps

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Nassau County Democrats, along with 21 plaintiffs from throughout each of the 19 legislative districts, have filed a lawsuit against the county legislature. They allege the recently redrawn legislative districts are racist, gerrymandered, and give an unfair advantage to Republicans, who hold majority control over the chamber.

This lawsuit was filed nearly five months after the Nassau County Legislature voted to approve the new map as part of the county’s redistricting process, which takes place every 10 years in-line with the census. The measure drew the support of 11 Republicans, but was opposed by seven Democrats.

The suit also comes less than four months before the Nov. 7 elections when all 19 seats are up for grabs. It also comes on the heels of a state appellate court deciding in an unrelated matter that New York’s congressional districts — which were redrawn last year by a special master — should be done again.

Among the issues Democrats have with the new county maps include moving Democratic Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams from the district he has represented for more than 20 years, to a new Republican-leaning district. The suit claims voters leaning in one direction are being packed into two districts, while the rest are spread out to other districts as a way to “dilute their voting strength.” The maps, according to the suit, forces two Democrats to run against each other in one district, while leaving Republican incumbents unchallenged.

“Republicans are trying to rig the upcoming election by gerrymandering legislative districts to keep themselves in power,” said David Mejias, the attorney representing the Nassau County Democratic Committee and the 21 other plaintiffs.

Mejias seeks an injunction against using the maps, asking the court to provide a timely opportunity to present a lawful, redrawn version before the upcoming elections.

“They tried to limit public hearings,” Mejias said of Republicans, during a recent news conference. “They introduced the current map at the 11th hour, and they have refused to produce the partisan consultant that they hired to draw this map, whose purported analysis and methodology is the best kept secret in Mineola.

“We’ve asked for the analysis. We’ve asked for the methodology, and they have said ‘no.’”

Democrats, on the other hand, hired what they describe as a non-partisan independent, Dan Magleby, to produce a fair and competitive map.

“All of his methodology, analysis and work product was made public,” Mejias said. “He testified at a public hearing, and the Republicans have refused to produce the expert that drew this gerrymandered partisan map to the public, to the Democratic minority legislators, to the redis-

tricting commission.”

Magleby’s work consisted of creating 10,000 computer-simulated legislative maps through a “party-blind nonpartisan process,” Mejias said. The Republicanapproved map does not resemble even one out of Magleby’s maps, the attorney added — something that is not even stastically possible.

“An objective mathematical analysis shows that this map is an illegal partisan gerrymander,” Mejias said.

However, Republicans disagree with any assertion this map is illegal.

“The lines drawn are fair, reasonable and in accordance with applicable law,” said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, in a statement.

Nassau County Republican chair Joseph Cairo described the legislative districts as “fair and competitive.”

“The districts comply with all applicable federal and state redistricting laws,”

Cairo told reporters.

But some voters — like John Jarvis, who is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit — say that’s not true. Instead, he describes it as a human rights issue, with the current maps for the districts being “extremely unfair” and clearly “discriminate against certain groups of people.”

As a way to prove his point about how the districts are already drawn, Mejias used Blakeman’s 2021 victory over Laura Curran. There, Blakeman won with 52 percent of the vote, while his fellow Republicans managed to win 60 percent of the legislative races. He also explains

Democrats claim the recently approved district map for the Nassau County Legislature benefits Republicans — who hold a majority in Mineola while putting any opposition at a disadvantage. They now want a judge to make a final determination.

H. Scottie Coads, at left, is leading the lawsuit against the Nassau County Legislature, claiming its new district maps benefit the majority Republicans, leaving any other opposition at a disadvantage.

that even when Curran won in 2017, Republicans still managed to get nearly 60 percent of the legislative seats.

“How do you get 48 percent of the vote countywide (in 2017) and still win those seats and have a solid majority in the legislature?” Mejias asked. “That can only happen if those seats are gerrymandered.”

Democrats are prepared for a long and lengthy legal battle, but insist they will fight this until the end.

“If they won’t listen to the people,” Mejias said, “the Republicans will have to listen to the courts.”

Brandon Cruz/Herald photos Attorney David Mejias speaks about what he calls ‘an illegal gerrymander’ alongside some of the plaintiffs and supporters of the lawsuit filed against the Nassau County Legislature over what they claim are new district maps that favor the majority Republicans over Democrats. Joining Mejias were, from left, Pamela Korn, Mimi Pierre-Johnson, Darien Ward and John Jarvis.

Courtesy Nassau County NAACP

Nassau County Legislative Districts

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Racing at Riverhead never gets old

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

There aren’t too many 1974 Oldsmobiles on the streets these days, but one can be spotted at Riverhead Raceway most Saturdays between May and September with North Bellmore’s Bill Wegmann Sr. behind the wheel.

Nicknamed the “Racing Grandpa,” the soon-to-be 79-year-old has competed on the eastern Suffolk County quarter-mile oval since 1989 — in the same car — and last season finished in the top five in the Blunderbust driver standings.

“I built the car and maintain it myself,” said Wegmann Sr., who began racing stock cars in 1962. “It’s a fun hobby and something I could always afford,” he added. “I’ve been racing so long I can probably close my eyes and get around the track.”

Wegmann Sr., who grew up in Franklin Square and attended Sewanhaka High School, has 9 career victories at Riverhead and is a fixture among the Top 10 Blunderbust drivers each season. He has eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“My wife [Eileen] has been a tremendous supporter even though she’s not a big race fan, she’s a fan of mine,” Wegmann Sr. said. “People always ask how long do I plan to compete, and I tell them ‘as long as I can climb through the window of the car and get behind the wheel.’”

His son, Billy, has been going to racetracks “since he was born” and has long competed in the Blunderbust division as well. So have two of Wegmann Sr.’s grandsons, Jason and Derick.

“It’s not only great to race, but it’s our family time,” said Billy, 55.

Giordano embraces new challenge

Lifelong Freeport resident Gerard Giordano is following in his father’s footsteps and hopes to one day get behind the wheel of a race car owned by someone else.

But for now, Giordano, 26, is embracing the challenge of the Late Model division at Riverhead after a dominant run along the East Coast in his Super Pro Truck.

“The competition in the Late Models is much tougher and I’m enjoying the challenge,” said Giordano, whose father, Jerry, competed for decades at the now-defunct Freeport Speedway. “It’s a big step up,” he added. “I’ve won one feature in this division and I’m hunting for my first one for this year.”

Sponsored by K1 Logistics, Excelsior Lodge, New York Outdoors Club, Venture Auto Body, Admiral Metals, Landgon’s Automotive and Scorpion Race Engines, Giordano sat fourth in the Late Model driver standings following a solid performance July 22. He was the division’s Rookie of the Year in 2021 and picked up his first-ever victory last summer in a

60-lap feature with a large cheering section in the stands.

He began racing go-karts at age 12 and has been a fixture in the Super Pro Truck winner’s circle for years, capturing a pair of touring championships consisting of a dozen annual races in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

“I’ll still fit some Super Pro Truck races into my schedule when I can, but my main focus now is the Late Model,” Giordano said.

Former crew member enjoys success Andrew Farnham, a friend of Giordano’s since middle school when they both attended St. Christopher School in Bald-

win, was a member of Giordano’s pit crew for years and then got behind the wheel in Riverhead’s Mini Stock division in 2018.

“I’m having a blast,” said Farnham, a 2015 Baldwin High School graduate who’s seeking sponsorship to help offset costs of competing, which includes weekly maintenance, gas and tires. “Constantly working on the car, putting in at least four hours a week even if everything appears fine,” he added. “If you’re not fast, you’re slow.”

Farnham proved fastest of the Mini Stock’s 20-driver field in 2022, taking home the Mini Stock title by winning the final race of the season to overcome an 11-point

deficit in the standings. He had two feature wins but said consistency and avoiding any serious damage to his 2008 Honda Civic were crucial to earning the crown.

A runner-up finish in the 20-lap feature July 22 pushed Farnham back in the lead of the driver standings as he looks to repeat. “Winning last year was awesome but I’m not really thinking about the long term and repeating, I’m just focused on week to week,” he said afterwards. “I thought I was the fastest car tonight. Started seventh and finished second.”

A typical Saturday from May through September for Farnham, Giordano and crews begins before noon and ends around midnight.

Tony Bellissimo/Herald photos

North Bellmore’s Bill Wegmann Sr., has raced his 1974 Oldsmobile at Riverhead Raceway for 34 years, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Gerard Giordano of Freeport is looking to transfer his racing success to Riverhead’s Late Model division.

RVC community rallies around Dunn

By MICHAEL LEWIS sports@liherald.com

Half a world away at the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, Crystal Dunn is still making an impact on the South Side High School girls’ soccer team and the Rockville Centre community.

“She’s such a great role model and inspiration for the girls and just the excitement they have knowing that she played on the same team as they did and they are,” South Side head coach Judi Croutier said.

“Just the whole town is a buzz,” she added. “Everyone is so excited and proud to see her out there, representing not just Rockville Centre and South Side, but herself, her family, the country.”

Dunn is the starting left back for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it strives to win an unprecedented third consecutive world championship. The tournament is co-hosted by Australia.

Croutier has been watching Dunn display her talent on both sides of the ball for the two-time defending champions at the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Americans’ first two matches, a 3-0 win over Vietnam July 21, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands July 26. She acquitted herself well. A midfielder for the Portland Thorns (National Women’s Soccer League), Dunn was expected to be in the Starting XI against Portugal in the team’s final Group E match on Tuesday (FOX, 3 a.m.) The Americans need at least a draw to reach the knockout round.

“She is such a positive person and player,” Croutier said. “She’s come back after having a baby. She’s fit. She’s in a great mindset and. She’s going to help the women and hopefully they win this year.”

Croutier realized early on that Dunn was a special player. It went beyond her blazing speed and remarkable soccer skills.

“Her leadership role even as a freshman, the way she was able to help all the players around her get better,” she said. “The way she was willing to work with everybody. She was just an upbeat person with such a great knowledge of the game and then she was able to go on the field and execute.”

While starring at South Side, Dunn many times was an unstoppable attacking force. Former USA head coach Jill

Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 6 p.m.

Crystal

the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Dunn earned international praise for his outstanding performance en route to the world championship.

“She does overlap,” Croutier said. “When she played for us, she was able to

played where we needed her most. She scored some spectacular goals for us. I’m just happy she’s on the field. I know she would love to move up. But anywhere she’s playing, I think it’s great to watch her and know that she’s from Rockville

At this event, you will have the opportunity to speak with Hofstra faculty, and learn about services offered by Residence Life, Student Financial Services, and the Center for Career Design and Development. You can also virtually tour our beautiful 244-acre campus.

For event details and to RSVP, please visit hofstra.edu/gradoh

Courtesy Nikita Taparia/NWSL

Dunn, right, and the USWNT battled the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw July 26 and completes group play against Portugal.

The Little Doll Studio inspires imaginative thinking

New business from Oceanside native opens with Barbie-themed event

By CLARE GEHLICH Intern

Frances Cuomo Perpero reinvents developmental doll play and thoughtful crafts at the Little Doll Studio, a new business that celebrated its grand opening at 137 N. Park Ave., in Rockville Centre on Wednesday afternoon. The Little Doll Studio inspires young children to think imaginatively by incorporating an interactive learning lab that enables them to dream big. It also offers space for parties, workshops, and open play.

Perpero, an Oceanside resident and mother of two with more than 25 years of corporate and non-profit experience, said she embarked on a new journey into the world of entrepreneurship, with a mission to strengthen children’s self-esteem and encourage them to dream brazenly.

The Little Doll Studio will be hosting a series of summer events, now through Sept. 10, including an interactive experience in celebratiob of the release of the 2023 major motion picture, “Barbie The Movie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

During the event, Perpero emphasized the importance of letting children’s imaginations run rampant by building confidence and empowering children through imaginative doll play.

“They’re using their language, they’re sharing, and they’re playing on their own,” Perpero said. “They can dream, they can pretend, and they feel like there’s a good chance it’ll act and move a way. I wanted to create a space that would let the kids explore and let them be.”

She said the inspiration for the movie-themed event goes back to her childhood. In the ‘70s, her parents threw her a Barbie runway party to celebrate her 5th birthday — a tradition which she would continue with her own 5-year-old daughter in 2013.

Perpero said that when she founded the Little Doll Studio in 2022, her business efforts were strengthened by inclusivity and family values.

Not only does open doll play and activities allow children to be imaginative, there are many developmental benefits as well. It helps teach fine motor skills, language development, social empathy, and bonding.

Perpero said that one of the most beloved traditions of owning a doll is cutting its hair in a style that mirrors a professional hair salon. The Little Doll Studio helps by providing kids with scissors, water spray, and paint markers to allow them to think creatively in an unstructred setting. Kids have the options of giving their favorite dolls highlights, cutting off its hair, and transofrming the dolls with the unqiue makeup of their choosing.

“I want them to feel good about it,”

Perpero said. “So when they give me feedback like that it’s meaningful, but when they say ‘best day ever,’ I just want to cry.”

The Little Doll Studio also provides children with the opportunity to “Make A Barbie Movie,” by educating them about green screen technology in an accessible way. Using a Barbie Dream House backdrop, they remodel their dolls with makeup, use images with Barbie, and display Barbie dolls wearing green gloves, curating this imaginative, pic-

turesque scene for their dolls.

Perpero said she understands the difficulties of parenthood in an ondemand, digital age, where the entrepreneurial endeavor is just as meaningful for parents, who have the opportunity to breathe, rest, and pull out a book.

“It made me happy that I was able to create a space where parents will be able to breathe for two seconds,” Perpero said. “They watch, enjoy their children, while sitting back without having to worry about them. And that made me feel really good.”

The success of the Little Doll Studio has garnered buzz from parents, children, and the entire Rockville Centre community, including Mayor Francis Murray and former Oceanside youth coordinator Nancy Baxter.

Perpero said that returning families have given reviews on social media and recommended the doll studio to other families, raising significant attention in the community.

“It is such a labor of love that when you’re aligned with doing something that you believe in doing something you feel good about,” Perpero, who commented on the learning curve that comes with opening a business, said.

“It’s very, very rewarding. So, I’ve learned that with some jobs, you may settle for temporarily because it helps but when you’re in alignment with what you really love to do, I think it makes a difference.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Members of the Rockville Centre village board of trustees and Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce cut the ceremonial ribbon during the grand opening of the Little Doll Studio in Rockville Centre.

Former Oceanside youth coordinator Nancy Baxter, left, joins Frances Cuomo Perpero to celebrate the grand opening of The Little Doll Studio in Rockville Centre.

Hannah Barraso and Birdie Barraso, 2, of Lynbrook celebrate the Barbie at The Little Doll Studio grand opening last week.

“ I wanted to create a space that would let the kids explore.”

FRAnCEs Cuomo PERPERo, owner, The Little Doll Studio

Whitney Finn-LaCosta, Co-Owner of HHCR, J. Brittany DeVarso,

of Mermaid, Realty & Design, LP Finn, III, Co-Owner of HHCR

Thomas ready to jump from senate to Congress

By NICOLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

Kevin Thomas has tossed his hat into the ring, hoping to be the candidate Democrats turn to flip Anthony D’Esposito from his congressional seat. The state senator announced his candidacy last week in front of his parents’ home in Elmont.

Thomas has high hopes he can defeat the Republican, who defeated Democrat Lauren Gillen by a margin of less than 4 percent last year. Gillen — the former Hempstead town supervisor — is expected to run again for the seat next year, along with fellow Democrats Lawrence Henry, Sarah Hughes and Gian Jones. These candidates will duke it out alongside Thomas in the Democratic primary set for next June 25.

“I’ll let other candidates speak for themselves,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to take my record of delivering for Long Island, and winning tough races to the voters of Congressional District 4.”

As a state senator, Thomas says he has worked with the Democratic majority in Albany to cap property taxes, protect drinking water for Nassau County, funded veteran services and mental health care, and codified the right to an abortion into New York law.

“People in New York are struggling with the high cost of living, increased stresses from raising a family, paying

their rent or mortgage, and simply trying to stay afloat,” Thomas said. “Now more than ever, we need action.”

Members of Moms Demand Action, a group that advocates for public safety from gun violence, were among the supporters of Thomas’ campaign.

“He’s been there for us, and we’ve been there for him,” the group’s events lead Jimmy Dougherty said about

Thomas’s support of gun safety legislation in the state Senate.

“Following the traumatizing terror in Buffalo, I led the successful effort to ban gun sales to those under the age of 21,” Thomas said of his legislative record.

Thomas hopes to bring the values he has represented in the state legislature with him to Washington — assuming he gets past both the primary and then

what is expected to be a tough run against an incumbent.

Thomas faces a choice if he wants to remain in the state Senate for another term: Either he has to move, or he has to change districts.

That came after new legislative maps pulled both and his 2022 opponent out of their district. Thomas was given a onetime exemption to continue representing his senate district, but was told he would have to make a decision before 2024.

Running for congress would eliminate that decision. But as he told a Herald roundtable of reporters last year, moving — especially in Nassau County — isn’t easy.

“People who can’t afford anything are still living with their parents,” Thomas said at the time. “This is an issue everyone has been trying to tackle for years now. If you’re making $50,000 to $60,000, what is affordable? There are some innovative ways that are going into this, but we need to do a lot more.”

Thomas became the first-ever Indian American to serve in the state legislature in 2018. His family immigrated to the United States when he was 10, making a home for themselves in Nassau County.

“Long Island has given me so much — opportunity, hope and community,” Thomas said. “And I have been determined to give back.”

Nicole Wagner/Herald

State Sen. Kevin Thomas announced his bid to challenge Anthony D’Esposito in Congress next year in front of his parent’s Elmont home surrounded by friends, family and supporters. Thomas first needs to defeat fellow Democrats to get his party’s nomination next June.

STEPPING OUT

Pop star comes ‘home’

Baldwin native opens for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo

By Daniel Offner

aylor Dayne became an overnight sensation when she burst onto the scene in the mid-‘80s with her debut single, “Tell It to My Heart,” a top 10 chart-topping dance hit that has remained an audience favorite worldwide for decades.

“I grew up on Grand Avenue in the ‘70s and ‘80s,” the Baldwin native said. “That was my playground when I was young. It gave me a lot of chutzpah.”

She recently returned here — July 23 — for a special benefit concert featuring Lindenhurst native Pat Benatar and her husband, Neil Giraldo, in support of Health and Harmony, a new program sponsored by Catholic Health and the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Health and Harmony takes a non-pharmaceutical approach to engage and educate patients about the positive effects of music on overall health.

“I broke out of New York,” Dayne says. “To come back and play now with Pat Benatar, it’s kind of amazing how it’s come full circle.”

Dayne, who was born Leslie Wunderman, began her professional career after high school when she performed at small New York City clubs with her bands, Felony and Next.

“I was honing in on my chops,” she says. “It was daunting as hell.”

She went solo after finishing college when she got a hold of a demo of “Tell it to My Heart,” originally composed by Seth Swirsky and Ernie Gold for Chappell Music, but overlooked by the label.

Dayne was immediately drawn to the track and recorded her rendition at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove. The demo managed to get the attention of music executive Clive Davis, who signed her to his label, Arista Records, in 1987.

While the immediate success of her first single would eclipse some of her later tracks, Dayne says she very much still enjoys performing it to this day.

“My God, yes. (It’s not) like you’re asking Billy Joel if he’ll play ‘Tell Her About It,’” she jokes about Joel’s hit song, which he hasn’t played since 1987. “This is my biggest hit. People lose their minds for it. It’s my job to make it interesting. And it really sounds so amazing with a live band.”

Her debut album, also titled, “Tell it to My Heart,” released by Arista in 1988, featured three more top 10 singles, including the tracks “Prove Your Love,” “Don’t Rush Me” and “I’ll Always Love You.” The album’s success brought her to new heights when she was invited to join Michael Jackson on the European leg of his sold-out “Bad” tour.

Dayne’s follow-up album in 1989, “Can’t Fight Fate,” was equally as successful, landing her three more Top 10 charting singles, “With Every Beat of My Heart,” “I’ll Be Your Shelter” and “Love Will Lead You Back.” Both albums have been certified double platinum, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide.

In the ‘90s she decided to break into acting. Her first role on the big screen came in 1994 when she was cast in a remake of the romantic drama film, “Love Affair,” starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and the late Katharine Hepburn.

She had minor success in independent films and a few recurring television roles, including the Showtime series “Rude Awakening.” Then, in 2001, she landed a major role on the stage in Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit Broadway musical, “Aida.”

“RuPaul and I are very dear friends,” Dayne says. “It was a lot of work … all that pushing and taping.”

Although Dayne hasn’t released a new album since 2008, she hasn’t stopped making music. She’s gone on to release several more successful singles, including “Floor on Fire,” “Dreaming,” “Live Without” and “Please.”

“Making albums isn’t what it used to be,” she says. “But I do have new music coming out.”

Among her accolades, Dayne has been inducted into both the New

TaylorDayne.com, or follow her on Instagram at TheRealTaylorDayne.

Doo-Wop Oldies Spectacular

Revisit the golden oldies with Peter Lemongello Jr. in ‘An Evening To Remember,’ featuring The Fabulous Acchords, The Tribunes and Teresa McClean. With their polished vocal skills and dynamic stage presence, it’s a night of unforgettable entertainment, produced by Gene DiNapoli, that’s pure nostalgia headliner Peter Lemongello Jr., is acclaimed as the most explosive and exciting doo-wop performer to appear on the scene in 40 years. The son of singer Peter Lemongello, Peter Jr. appeared on ‘American Idol’ and performed with The Four Tops, The Temptations and Chubby Checker, among others. He’s joined by a capella group The Tribunes, renowned for their authentic New York-bred streetcorner harmonies and The Fabulous Acchords, who captivate audiences with their unique blend of classic and contemporary songs, spanning

Friday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. $49, $39, $29. Jeanne Rimsky Theater

232 Main St., Port Washington. LandmarkOnMainStreet.org, or

Swingtime Big Band

The band swings into Eisenhower Park with its powerful interpretation of the Great American Songbook. Led by longtime conductor Steve Shaiman, the 20-piece Swingtime Big Band vividly brings the swing musicians authentically recreate the style, musicality and essence of iconic big bands of the day. Swingtime’s high-energy performances embody

Dayne eventually would release her fifth full-length album,

Dayne eventually would release her fifth full-length album, “Satisfied,” in 2008. Her first full-length studio album in almost a decade, it featured the single “Beautiful,” which rose to No. 1 on the dance charts, her most recent hit to date.

She has remained in the spotlight in recent years, only under different guises, as the competitor Popcorn on “The Masked Singer” — in 2020 at the height of the pandemic — and Electra Owl on “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race.”

audiences who know the classic recordings, or with the excitement of discovery for a new generation of listeners. Vocalist Bobbie Ruth recreates the ‘gal vocal’ stylings of legendary singers Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Eydie Gormé and Billie Holiday, among others. She’s joined emulates such Big Band crooners and swingers as Nat ‘King”’ Cole, and, of course, the immortal Frank Sinatra. Thursday, Aug. 10, 8 p.m. Free admission. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit

Aimee Mann

The indie-pop icon visits The Space at Westbury, Saturday, Aug, 5, 8 p.m. One of the most distinguished singer-songwriters of her generation, her successful solo career has spanned several decades with several

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” at Nassau County Museum of Art. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of

Dramatic Play Theatre

Playground returns to Long Island Children’s Museum with “Dramatic Play!,” Monday, Aug. 7, 1 p.m., taught by Lisa Rudin, Director of Theatre Playground (who visitors may already know from her role as “Piggie”!). In this interactive, theater-inspired workshop kids will act out an original story and help choose how it unfolds. Music, props, and sound effects create a theatrical world where participants are immersed in the story. Children are encouraged to express themselves as they create characters, explore different worlds, stretch their imaginations and build self-confidence. This week’s theme: The Amazing World of Bugs and Butterflies. Costumes encouraged. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.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

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.

Summer tunes

Enjoy a tribute to the Piano Man and Elton John with Face to Face, at Eisenhower Park, Friday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m. This eclectic group of musicians not only play the legendary hits of Billy Joel and Sir Elton John along with various other classic rock hits, they blend it with a stage presence and showmanship that create a truly immersive musical experience. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

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) 705-2434 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.

Steak and Lobster Dinner

Island Park Kiwanis club hosts its annual steak and lobster dinner Friday, Aug. 4, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Masone Beach,Waterford Road, Island Park. $50 per person. All are welcome.

Having an event?

Storybook Stroll

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure, Saturday, Aug. 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and open your ears to Kirsten Hall’s modern tale “The Honeybe.” Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

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, Sunday, Aug. 6, 1:30 p.m.; also Sunday, Aug. 13, 1:30 p.m. 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.

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.

Art talk

Sept. 7

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an in-depth presentation on the current exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Boxing coach includes everyone in his corner

ing for a boxing coach, Solomon was recommended for the position after he worked with a family’s autistic child.

Laura Santelli, who moved to Oceanside from New Orleans this year, brings her son, Nick, a 27-year-old with special needs, to the JCC to box every week.

“I thought he would like it, and he loves it,” Santelli said. “My friend is an ex-boxer, and she would box with (Nick) for exercise, so he liked it.”

Solomon, 64, boasts many years of boxing on Long Island, dating back to when he was a student at East Meadow High School. He often visited Echo Park, in West Hempstead, to take part in a boxing program run by the late Arthur Mercante Sr., one of the sport’s bestknown referees, who worked the first heavyweight championship between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, as well as other title bouts.

Mercante took Solomon to the New York Sports Club for charity events that Mercante organized. From there, Solomon got involved in the Golden Gloves, which promotes amateur boxing around the county, and other big tournaments. Even in his 60s, he still competes in masters amateur tournaments.

Solomon began teaching kids to box years ago, at the Nassau Police Boys Club, which is now known as the Police Activity League, or PAL.

Solomon attended the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University for his undergraduate studies, studying health and physical education, and did postgraduate work at Adelphi University. He began teaching in 1989, in the Meadowbrook Alternative Program in the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District. Then he was hired as a part-time health teacher at Hewlett High School, where he built a weight training gym for students.

After working in several districts, including Garden City’s St. Paul’s School and Holy Child Academy in Westbury, Solomon settled in the Uniondale School District for 30 years, mainly teaching special-needs students health and physical education. He said he has always had a passion for helping the special-needs and disabled populations, and believes that grew out of watching his aunt cope with multiple sclerosis. The Uniondale High School principal knew of Solomon’s boxing background, and suggested that he create a boxing program for the school’s special needs students.

“Nobody cared about those kids,” Solomon recalled. “They had nothing for those kids to do, and it was unfair to them. I told the athletic director, ‘I should work with these kids.’”

Solomon introduced boxing to middle school gym classes, and built a boxing

gym at the school. He organized boxing tournaments for the school as well as charities, to help them raise money for organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Solomon also took specialneeds kids to the Empire State Games, Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from around the state.

The success of his programs motivated Solomon to reach out to other kids, who were troubled and getting involved in street gangs. For Solomon, it was about giving children a chance to turn their lives around.

“I told the school, ‘Give me all the kids you give up on,’” Solomon said. “‘You’ve got violence in the hall every day. I’m going to stop that.’ I took it as a challenge. I knew kids were less likely to fight if they got more confident in themselves. The school never could understand that until I gave these kids a chance. I have a lot of faith, and if you do the right thing, God shines a light on you.”

Solomon ran an after-school boxing program for all students and a program for those with special needs during the day.

He retired from teaching five years ago, and his success has now transi -

tioned smoothly to the JCC. Cyrus Vaseghi has been bringing his son, Christian, to one of Solomon’s boxing classes for the past six months, and praised the program.

“It’s not about fighting,” Vaseghi said. “It’s about exercise.”

Solomon brings his enthusiasm for the sport home with him, and periodically hosts a backyard boxing party at his home in North Merrick with retired fighters.

“Boxing, he said, has helped him immensely throughout his life, and he still has students who thank him for his teaching, even years after he retired from Uniondale.

When it comes to teaching boxing to disabled or special needs people, Solomon said, adapting is everything. “They may call them special, but they just have a disability, and you just work around it,” he said. “Some kids can’t move that well. I’ve had kids in wheelchairs. I work around it. Parkinson’s, work around it. I found with kids, it’s best I try to be the same way, and not let them think there’s something different about them, ’cause they’re not different.”

Courtesy Friedberg JCC

Boxing is ‘not about fighting,’ says Cyrus Vaseghi, whose son participates

in the Friedberg JCC program. ‘It’s

about exercise.’

With our unique tub-over-tub installation in as little as one day,

Shane Harmon joins peers in Long Island QB challenge

By TOMMY HARMON Special to the Oceanside/Island Park Herald

Oceanside High School’s varsity quarterback Shane Harmon took part in the second annual Long Island Quarterback Challenge held at Kings Park High School on July 23.

Harmon, 15, was one of more than a dozen quarterbacks who competed in the event. The QBs were selected, each along with their two wide receivers, to participate in the one-day competition to find the top high school quarterback on Long Island.

Harmon brought his Oceanside Sailor teammates Jacob Stern and Chris Lalima.

“It was a fun experience,” Harmon said. “I’m glad I was chosen to be a part of this, and I was really happy to get out there to compete with the other quarterbacks — especially before the start of the season.”

Coordinated by Jonathan Gill — former interim coach at Long Island University — the quarterbacks were put through a variety of drills that measured their anticipation, accuracy and overall play. The judge was former University of Tennessee and professional quarterback Matt Simms.

The National Football Foundation has been in existence since 1947, and is dedicated to promoting amateur football and honoring those individuals that serve the

game. There are 120 chapters throughout the country with more than 14,000 members — all who are volunteers that believe in the positive role athletics can play in the development of our youth.

The Suffolk County chapter has been in existence since 1995, and during that time has awarded more than $300,000 to deserving students for their academic and

athletic excellence.

“We’re very pleased with this year’s event,” said Len Genova, president of the football foundation’s Suffolk chapter. “The turnout was great, and the level of performance by the quarterbacks was tremendously improved over last year. They are a very talented group of quarterbacks.”

This year’s top honors went to Syosset High School’s Mustafa Mozawalla, and his wide receivers Adam Marvin and Jack Monaco.

“It was a pleasure to watch Shane, Chris and Jacob compete in this event,” said their head coach, Rob Blount. “It was nice to see Shane compete with some of the other top quarterbacks on Long Island. Entering his sophomore year, we are excited to watch his continued growth and, more importantly, our team.

“We feel we are in a good place as we enter this next phase of growing our program, and we are excited that these three players will all play a big part in it.”

Courtesy the National Football Foundation’s Suffolk Chapter Oceanside quarterback Shane Harmon, center, attended the second annual Long Island Quarterback Challenge with his two wide receivers, Jacob Stern, left, and Chris Lalima, right.

Shane Harmon passes the ball to his wide receiver during the competition.

Fundraiser for Irwin Markus on Aug. 6 at South Shore Brewery

Lisa Markus asking her how they could help.

“He’s been a brewer recreational hobbyist since 1998,” Lisa Markus said. “He is a big fan of local breweries and would go to South Shore Brewery every Wednesday.”

At the fundraiser, baskets and gift cards will be auctioned off, and a raffle will be held with the winner getting a week in Fire Island. Also, desserts such as cheesecakes and other baked goods will be sold.

“The heart of the whole purpose of this fundraiser is to keep him in the house, keep the medical bills paid, help provide clothing and food to my kids, and pray for some kind of miracle that will give us at least 50 percent of the person that we know,” Lisa Markus said.

Lisa Markus and her sister-in-law, Fran Markus, have been coordinating his care. Lisa Markus said that at this point, she just has to “keep moving forward.”

“It’s hard to watch,” she said about her ex-husband’s cognitive decline. “It’s frustrating for him because you don’t know if there’s any piece of him in there.”

He has struggled putting together sentences so he has limited ability to communicate with his family. Although Lisa Markus is trying to remain as optimistic as possible, she is unsure if he will ever be totally functional again,

DECKING SALE!!!

which is the hardest part, she said.

“Having to balance my children’s reactions to all of this and have them understand that the dad they know isn’t going to be around anymore, I

don’t know if that sunk in yet,” she said. “Who knows? Maybe someday there will be something that can be done, but at the same time, it doesn’t look that way because there’s no cure.”

Photos courtesy Lisa Markus Irwin Markus, left, with his three kids, Connor, Jenna and Mathew, before he suffered rapid cognitive decline late last year. From left are Irwin, Jenna and Lisa Markus at Jenna’s high school graduation.

Public Notices

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 SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR CVI CGS

MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 1, Plaintiff, vs. FRANK MORIZIO, JR. A/K/A FRANK MORIZIO, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 3, 2018 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered on February 9, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 28, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 84 Virginia Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 43, Block 387 and Lot 21. Approximate amount of judgment is $636,601.18 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 007051/2015. 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.

Thomas McNamara, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 213045-2 140905

HERALD SchoolS

LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU MIDFIRST BANK, Plaintiff - against - ANTHONY MAZZA,

Defendant(s).

et al

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on May 24, 2023.

I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 29th day of August, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 3 Mahland Place, Oceanside, (Town of Hempstead) NY 11572.

(SBL#: 43-124-215) Approximate amount of lien $591,178.12 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 615893/2021.

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

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

Dated: June 21, 2023

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 140845

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU OCEAN FINANCIAL

FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff -againstSHANNON GERARDI a/k/a SHANNON JAKE GERARDI, BETH GERARDI, et al

Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated June 8, 2023 and entered on June 9, 2023,

I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court

“Rain or Shine” located

at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 29, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. the premises situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of Fulton Avenue and the southerly side of Montgomery Avenue; being a plot 80 feet by 100 feet by 80 feet by 100 feet.

S/B/L: 43/325/20-23

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the sale, including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering the deposit and at any subsequent closing.

Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and any other applicable rules issued by the Supreme Court. Said premises known as 3230 FULTON AVENUE, OCEANSIDE, NY Approximate amount of lien $595,398.11 plus interest, costs, additional allowances and attorneys’ fees.

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

Index Number 611613/2018.

MARK RICCIARDI, ESQ., Referee CULLEN AND DYKMAN LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff One Battery Park Plaza, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10004

{* OCEAN ISLAND*} 140726

Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 50-2023

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held July 11th, 2023 , by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 50-2023, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 50-2023, amending Chapter 202 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to repeal “REGULATIONS & RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking at various locations.

Dated: July 11, 2023 Hempstead, New York

Language learners take a step up to kindergarten

eNL/Bilingual students attended the Oceanside School District’s Kindergarten Step-Up program during the week of July 17. The 4-day program is designed to create a kindergarten experience before the start of the school year. For many students, this is their first exposure to a school and offers a fun way to transition.

Kindergarten Step-Up focuses on foundational skills to help young learners build confidence, language skills, and friendships. Activities include name writing, alphabet and number recognition, fine motor development, and exploration

and play in School 6’s STEM Learning Lab.

“It’s been a lovely week with the children,” said ENL teacher Robin Tarrash, “and also a pleasure getting to know the families before the school year begins.”

The program is supported by David Rose, director of World Language and ENL, and Julie McGahan, principal of School 6. In addition to Farrash, classroom teacher Jeanette Faccio, teacher aide Valentina Guerrero, and volunteer Emily Faccio worked directly with the children during this introduction to the magic of kindergarten.

Public Notices

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN

BOARD

OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 141068

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 08/09/23 at

9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.

502/23. OCEANSIDEMicah Lieberstein, Maintain pool equipment not permitted in side yard., N/s Harold St., 112.77’ E/o Moreland Ave., a/k/a 3439 Harold St.

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 2:00 P.M.

504/23. - 508/23.

OCEANSIDE - Joseph Seeger, Variance, side yard, maintain cellar entrance attached to dwelling; Special exception to maintain 2nd accessory structure (shed) higher than permitted; Special

exception to maintain 3rd accessory structure (shed) higher & larger than permitted, exceeding horizontal maximum & not permitted in the side yard; Special exception to maintain 4th accessory structure (pavilion) higher than permitted & not permitted in the side yard; Special exception to maintain 5th accessory structure (outdoor kitchen with trellis) not permitted in the side yard., N/s Mahland Pl., 395.57’ E/o Kenneth Pl., a/k/a 28A Mahland Pl.

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.

141060

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

— Kepherd Daniel

Courtesy Oceanside School District

Soon-to-be kindergarteners play in the STEM lab at School 6. The children attended the four-day Kindergarten Step-Up program.

HEWLETT-WOODMERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools Community Education and Services Department is seeking qualified, certified candidates for the following positions:

Swim Program Coordinator Swim Team Coaches

Water Safety Instructors

Lifeguards

Interested candidates must apply online by August 24, 2023 at: www.hewlett-woodmere.net

Click on career opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

a4 Media, LLC seeks Engineers to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve customer facing video and broadband issues. Provide remote support to field technicians during customer home installations. Work with multiple vendors to clearly communicate root cause analysis feedback. Perform vendor and in house code validation for new functionality and bug fixes. Open and close defects identified during monthly release cycle. Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related STEM field, and 3 years of experience with IP networking, performing root-cause analysis and providing resolution options for user issues. Experience must include a minimum of: 3 years of experience with Python and Unix scripting in the creation of scripts to remediate issues found in product deployments; 3 years of experience with API testing; 3 years of experience using Wireshark and Postman; 2 years of experience with Unix system operations, computer networking and network security; 2 years of experience with Cloud computing with experience in setting up virtualization environments for lab tools and infrastructure; and 2 years of experience with Networking protocol, including RIP, DHCP, DNS and TCP/IP. Job Location: Bethpage, NY. To apply, submit resume online at https://www.alticeusacareers.com/ and search by job title or enter job ID number 2466.

ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL /College

/Grad School Students: Staff Needed Before School 7:00-9:00AM Afterschool 2:45-6:00PM. Experience with children preferred. Friedberg JCC Locations in Oceanside, Bellmore, Baldwin, Long Beach, Island Park. Send resume to: tcorchado@friedbergjcc.org or call 516 -634-4179.

AUTO

4 Day Work Week Experienced And Reliable. NYSI A Plus. Busy Merrick Shop. Call 516-781-5641

Busy Rockville Centre Landlord/Tenant Law Firm seeking FULL TIME

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

RECEPTIONIST

VALLEY STREAM SCHOOL DISTRICT #24

75 Horton Avenue • Valley Stream, NY 11581

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

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.

Market Research Analyst (Hempstead, NY) Collect and analyze data of customer preferences to identify potential markets. Forecast future market trends and visualize them. Bachelor’s degree with 6 months exp. $54475/year. Send your resume to Eason Eyewear Inc., 171 Greenwich St, Hempstead, NY 11550 or email to chenxian_1984@hotmail.com.

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

MEDICAL OFFICE RECEPTIONIST.

Busy South Shore Nassau County Neurology Office. F/T And P/T. Must be flexible, computer literate, medical experience preferred. Salary commensurate with experience. 401K. Email resume: bookkeeping@lineurology.com Or Call 516-887-3516 ext. 110

Network & Comp. Syst. Admin., Hempstead, NY. Bachelor Deg. + 1yr. exp. $73,029 yr. Email: eromosele@iyaho.org

Iyaho Social Services.

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

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

• 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

1222852

HomesHERALD

To place an ad call

Hewlett Bay Park

A Place to Call Home

Ever dream of living in a castle? Here's your chance! You will be in awe of this 8,000 sq. ft. brick mansion set on magnificent sprawling 1.3 acres. As you drive up the circular driveway you can admire the manicured grounds. The marble entry foyer welcomes you inside, loaded with character, soaring ceilings, stained glass windows, towers and grand rooms perfect for entertaining. Beautiful architectural details in the multiple family rooms, formal dining room and eat in kitchen that overlooks the gunite pool and patio. Private primary suite boasts his and her bathrooms, plus dressing area with walk in closets. There are 4 additional bedrooms, lower level den and basement. It also has a 4 car attached garage and slate roof. It is in a great Location in SD #14, near LIRR, shops and houses of worship. Make this your dream home! For a private viewing of this special home contact Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman Real Estate at 516-238-4299

Ronnie Gerber Licensed Sales Associate Cell: 516-238-4299

Direct Line: 516-623-2776

Ronnie.Gerber@elliman.com

Dougla Elliman Real Estate 2300 Merrick Road Merrick, NY 11566

Baldwin $625,000

Lenox Road. Colonial. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Partial finished basement. Eat-in kitchen with pantry and access to screened-in room. Formal dining room. Living room with fireplace. Front porch and Trex deck. Central air conditioning. Spacious rooms.

Taxes: $15,162.38

Bellmore $718,000

Charles Street. Colonial. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Home office. Master bedroom with walk-in closet. Front porch and oversized backyard with deck. New split air conditioning and heating unit. Large rooms.

Taxes: $13,457.28

East Meadow $650,000

Spruce Lane. Expanded Ranch. Barnum Woods neighborhood. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Finished basement. Expanded eat-in kitchen with skylight and granite countertops. Formal dining room. Large den extension. All large bedrooms.

Taxes: $11,425.71

East Rockaway $436,500

Lawrence Street. 2 Story. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and pantry. Formal dining room. Den/family room.

Taxes: $10,346.08

Elmont $756,500

Hunnewell Avenue. Colonial. 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Formal dining room. Den/family room. Ensuite master bedroom with Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. Spacious rooms. 2 zone central air. Updates include skylight and security system.

Taxes: $12,898.40

Lawrence $3,550,000

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 REDUCED! $2,098,000

HEWLETT

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 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! REDUCED! $999,000

CE da RHURST

332B Peninsula Blvd, BA, Move Right Into This Updated 3 Br,

Ocean Avenue. Contemporary. 6 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Gourmet eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Den/family room, home office, exercise room and sauna/steam room. First floor master bedroom.

Taxes: $26,576.11

Lido Beach $870,000

Eden Road. Expanded Cape. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Eat-in kitchen. Formal dining room. Den/family room. First floor master bedroom.

Taxes: $13,330

Merrick $975,000

Old Mill Road. Colonial. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Gourmet eat-in with granite countertops, double oven and sliders to brick paver patio. Formal dining room. Den/family room with wall of windows and fireplace. Spacious ensuite master bedroom with bathroom with jetted tub and walk-in closet. Entertaining-style backyard with inground Gunite pool. Updates include 4 skylights and 2 zone central air conditioning. 1.5 car garage and 4-car driveway. Security system.

Taxes: $20,873.86

Valley Stream $650,000

Forest Road. Expanded Millbrook Ranch. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. Finished basement. Formal living room. Formal dining room. Large yard with deck. Updates include skylights and alarm system.

Taxes: $8,618

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

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

1977 PLAYSKOOL/ GILLIGAN'S Island Floating Playset . Missing anchor/palm tree top. $50. 516-707-0357

FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS, 48 inch long, 18 bulbs new in box $20. (516) 254-3640

GOLF CART $25.00: Dunlop #3 Macgregor, #5 woods, all like new $15.00 each 516 781-8313

GOLF CLUBS MACGREGOR complete set irons $30.00 Golf Bag $25.00 both excellent condition 516 781-8313

WHITE MILK GLASS Hobnail, Double Crimped 12" Bowl Basket w/Handle $55 9 1/2" Bowl $40 516-279-7696

Finds $100-$350

TRIO- TRAINER BRT7989: Hardly Used, Exercise Bicycle And Elliptical Trainer. Asking $175. Call/ Text 516-319-1651

SERVICES

Appliance Srvc./Repair

Handyman HANDYMAN

516-238-2112

E-mail-Frankcav@optonline.net

Home Improvement

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE

Brick/Block/Concrete/Masonry

*MICHAEL LO BAIDO CONSTRUCTION*

Cement Specialist, Brickwork, Interlock Bricks, Belgium Blocks, Stoops, Patios, Driveways,

Power Washing

POWERWASHING ALL SURFACES: Houses, Fences, Concrete/ Brick, Decks/Sealing. . ANTHONY & J HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. 516-678-6641

Sprinkler Syst./Irrig.Wells

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

Tree Services

T&M GREENCARE TREE SERVICE *Tree Removal *Stump Grinding *Pruning *Roof Line Clearing. Residential and Commercial. "We Beat All Competitors' Rates." Lowest Rates. *Senior Discount. Free Estimates. *516-223-4525, 631-586-3800 www.tmgreencare.com

Satellite/TV Equipment

DIRECTV. NEW 2-YEAR Price Guarantee. The most live MLB games this season, 200+ channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

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

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILL-

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Health & Fitness

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AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

Autos For Sale

LEXUS, LS430, 2002: 107,533 Miles, Excellent Condition, Automatic, Green Grey, Leather Seats, Well Maintained, Dealer Serviced, Garage Kept, New Michelin Tires, $8,500.

N.Y. baseball, from Carl Erskine to Bartolo Colón

Two recent baseball events caused fond memories to come charging back, while reinforcing the intergenerational hold that New York baseball has on my family.

Baseball has been called America’s national pastime. To New Yorkers of a certain generation, it was our national religion. Growing up in Queens in the 1950s, I was a witness not only to baseball’s Golden Age, but also to the three greatest teams of that age, the Yankees, Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. From 1947 to 1956, at least one of those teams played in the World Series, and seven of those Fall Classics features two New York teams. The Yankees played in eight, the Dodgers in six and the Giants in two.

I was a fanatical fan of the Dodgers, the famed “Boys of Summer,” and my world crashed when, at the close of the 1957 season, the Dodgers abandoned

Brooklyn for Los Angeles and the Giants left for San Francisco.

Two weekends ago, former Brooklyn Dodgers hurler Carl Erskine received the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to baseball and society. No star player on the Dodgers team of my youth personified class and professionalism more than Erskine, the ace of the pitching staff, a 20-game winner who threw two nohitters and set a record for strikeouts against the Yankees in the 1953 Series. He also played a major role in standing with Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color line. (The Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Negro League star Buck O’Neil.)

More than his baseball prowess, however, Erskine’s greatest achievements have been off the field. Since his retirement from baseball in 1959, he has served as a bank president and a college baseball coach in his native Indiana, but most importantly, he has devoted himself to the Special Olympics. Carl’s son Jimmy

was born with Down syndrome in 1960, and helping people with the disorder and their families has been Carl’s life cause. He’s now 96, and is the only living member of the Dodgers’ 1955 World Series championship team.

I had always told my son Sean about the Dodgers and their star players — particularly Erskine. In 2008, the Brooklyn Cyclones invited me to be on the field in their Coney Island ballpark when they honored Erskine by retiring his number 17 as a permanent memory of what he has meant to New York baseball. Sean was on the field with me, and he and I had a great conversation with Erskine, who reminisced with us about New York baseball’s Golden Age and what it meant to him to be a part of it. It was a moment Sean and I will always remember.

To me, the Mets were the direct descendants of the Dodgers, rekindling the blue-collar spirit of the Boys of Summer. The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Mets farm team. A few days before last

month’s Hall of Fame ceremony, the Cyclones held their annual 9/11 Wall of Remembrance ceremony. This year they honored the chaplains of the New York City police and fire departments. I was asked to participate and throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Also taking part was longtime Mets favorite Bartolo Colón, who, in his 40s, had more wins than any Mets pitcher over the course of three seasons during his years with the team from 2014 to 2016.

Colón’s exuberance embodied the spirit and vibrancy of New York baseball. He was also my grandson Jack’s favorite player. When Jack was just 11, he had the chance to meet Colón at the Mets’ spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Colón couldn’t have been more friendly or gracious. Jack, now 19, was also on the field at the recent Cyclones remembrance event, and again enjoyed a friendly meeting with Colón and had his photo taken with him. It was another special New York baseball moment and memory for our family. Play ball!

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

With books, you can, and should, go home again

On one level, it’s a matter of clearing some closet space. On another, it’s a signal to let go and move on. Finally, I need to do this so my old friends can rest in peace and I can go forward with memories of our time together.

I’m tossing out my hundreds of folders of notes on all the novels I’ve reviewed in my book groups. For many years I’ve been conducting book discussion groups, and I’ll continue to do so, but the clutter is overtaking my office. My person M.O. is to take notes, download and print research and keep a manila folder for each book I review. So it’s time to thin the flock of folders and put aside a few I intend to reread at leisure.

cises or immersions in different worlds. Many of them feel like old friends with whom I traveled the same path for 300 or 400 pages. When you read a book a few times, take notes and then talk about it with six different groups, a familiarity with the words, story and characters develops.

RANDI KREISS

The first book I reviewed was “Cold Mountain.” As a rookie reviewer, I overcompensated, and that folder alone contains about 50 pages of notes. The most recent book I discussed was “The Orphan Master’s Son,” a stunner so disturbing that I may not be able to read it again — ever.

As I look back at the collection of literary research, I think of these books as more than good reads, intellectual exer-

Before I throw away most of these folders, a word or two about the best of them for your own reading list. Consider rereading those you’ve met before. As we get older and our world changes, so do our encounters with books. For example, consider a modern novel, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” by Mark Haddon. It was a great read and an illumination of the world of autism when it was published in 2003. Now, if we read it again 12 years later, our experience is informed by all the new research on autism and by the Broadway production of the book. Everything changes everything, so picking up a book we’ve read before is familiar, yet all new again.

Officer’s Daughter,” “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union,” “The Daughter of the Queen of Sheba” or “Charming Billy.”

I mention these because they’re worth reading, and I spent considerable time studying and researching them; I do not, however, believe they have earned a permanent place on my bookshelves.

If the newest books out aren’t exactly literary gems, why not mine the past?

Which will I go back to again? Probably not too many of the classics I have reviewed. “The Sun Also Rises,” “East of Eden” and “A Separate Peace” feel dated. Remarkably, “Frankenstein” doesn’t, and I look forward to meeting him/it again.

The books I’ve loved most and must read again comprise a considerable list. It’s all subjective, of course, and two of them have the same author, Shirley Hazzard: “The Great Fire” and “Transit of Venus.” I never felt that I fully understood either novel, although I loved the reading experience, and I knew I was in the presence of greatness. So I’ll give them another go.

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published July 30-Aug. 5, 2015.

if I need to understand what happens when ordinary lives are are impacted by terror, I will pick up “Saturday” or “The Plot Against America” or “The Unknown Terrorist” or “Let the Great World Spin.”

Now for the good part: the special books I will absolutely read again, given the blessings of time and energy. “Birds in Fall,” a novel by Brad Kessler, is brilliant and beautiful, the best meditation on grief you’ve never heard about. “Atonement,” by Ian McEwan, is already a classic; “The God of Small Things” put Arundhati Roy on the literary map; and “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” did the same for Junot Diaz.

But a book has to deserve being reread. I won’t be sitting down again with “The Liberated Bride,” “The Ghost at the Table,” “Child 44,” “Amy and Isabel,” “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” “The Dress Lodger,” “The Abstinence Teacher,” “The Dew Breaker,” “The Polish

The sweetest, most uplifting book I would like to read again is “Jim the Boy,” and the most irresistible look at the dark side of human nature is “Paris Trout.”

If I need to remember why I won’t support another war in South Asia, I’ll revisit “The Things They Carried,” and

Next week is August, so summer reading time is limited; I see no reason not to use these weeks to pick up the novels that thrilled us once upon a time. If the newest books out aren’t literary gems, why not mine the past? My top five are “Of Mice and Men,” by Steinbeck; “The Adventures of Augie March,” by Bellow; “Evidence of Things Unseen,” by Marianne Wiggins; “That Night,” by Alice McDermott; and “Ordinary Love & Good Will,” by Jane Smiley.

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

A

star 1950s pitcher has for decades since been devoted to the Special Olympics.

HERALD

MTA can raise fares, but must control costs

riders are returning to mass transit offerings like the Long Island Rail Road — they’re just not doing it as fast as transportation officials say is necessary to keep the system running smoothly, and keep it solvent.

Because of that, in just weeks, fares are being hiked across the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Subway and bus fares in New York City will climb to $2.90 per trip, and LIRR fares could increase as much as 10 percent.

And even if you’re not taking the train or a bus, you could still feel the financial pinch. Tolls on bridges and tunnels controlled by the MTA will go up by 6 percent for those with E-ZPass. Everyone else could see those tolls spike by 10 percent. And let’s not even get started on congestion pricing.

All of this is necessary, the MTA says, in order to plug a budget deficit of some $600 million, which continues to expand.

The MTA depends on fares to cover at least a quarter of its nearly $20 billion budget — just under $7 billion.

That’s a lot of money — by comparison, the state spends just one-tenth that amount on roads each year, although most of the financial burden for maintaining roads and streets falls to local governments. But one thing is clear: If the MTA wants more money from riders and from the state, it should be required to get costs under control.

More than 58 percent of the MTA’s

Letters

budget is dedicated to labor — salaries, health benefits, pensions and the like. But more than $1 billion is spent each year on overtime. A report by the watchdog group Empire Center for Public Policy revealed that more than 1,100 of the MTA’s 70,000 employees collected so much overtime that it doubled their salaries. Half of them took home more than $100,000 in overtime, and some actually tripled their salary.

The MTA blames the reliance on overtime on employee shortages caused not just by the coronavirus pandemic, but also by union contracts. Yet Empire Center points out that half of the new money to be collected with the upcoming fare hikes will be eaten up by this overtime.

And while the MTA works to modernize its system, many of the benefits aren’t being realized. For example, the agency employs more than 3,000 conductors on subways — the need for whom technology all but eliminates. Granted, many New York City lines still use switching technology that’s nearly a century old, but even on lines where conductors aren’t needed, they remain.

Unions say that trains are safer with conductors, but many cities outside the New York metropolitan area use only a single operator on their trains, and their safety statistics are comparable.

But it’s not just payroll. Many critics point out that the MTA pays far more for capital projects than it should. A 2017 investigation by The New York Times

No excuse for water authority’s long-delayed first meeting

To the Editor:

We thank the Herald for its coverage in the July 20-26 issue of the South Nassau Water Authority’s first public meeting, which took place 20 months after Gov. Kathy Hochul established the authority in 2021. Long Island Clean Air Water & Soil, or LICAWS, is frustrated with the delay, since, as an interested party to the proceeding in which the state Public Service Commission approved Liberty’s acquisition of New York American Water, LICAWS negotiated, and Liberty signed, an agreement with a specific timeline for drafting, negotiating and executing the water authority’s acquisition of its Hempstead operations.

If that timeline were followed, the public acquisition would be complete, and ratepayers would not be facing another 42 percent rate increase.

Rather than correcting the century-old inequity of taxing Liberty’s customers for property taxes imposed on its water utility properties — a property tax that residents with municipal water do not pay — SNWA commissioner John Reinhardt regur-

revealed that while most transit construction plans cost about $500 million per track mile, for the MTA, those costs range from $1.5 billion to $3.5 billion — up to seven times what they should.

The Times blamed those costs on sweetheart deals, limited oversight, and no motivation to control costs. More recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for the MTA to tighten the purse strings, but no one is expecting much to come of that.

In the meantime, we are the ones who pay — whether it be in fares, tolls or through our taxes.

Mass transit is designed to provide an economic, and environmentally friendly, way of moving people from one point to another in a dense urban and suburban environment. But even with price controls — like efforts by the MTA to limit the weekly cost of taking transit — it could become a prohibitively expensive prospect, especially for those who don’t qualify for reduced fares.

A report last year from the state comptroller showed that more commuters in New York City chose public transit over car ownership — which is unique to the city. Across the metro area, however, more than 70 percent of commuters own cars, while 30 percent take trains or buses.

Fares on public transit are going to remain a fact of life, but we must demand a more efficient MTA. Bloat is costly, and it’s all of us who have to pick up the tab.

We don’t have much time — AI is coming!

“Nice species ya got there. be a shame if something happened to it.”

Artificial intelligence overlords are here. Like a 3D printer creating the chassis of a computer, AI is fleshing itself into existence in real time. Silicon valley nerdlings plugged the cord into the outlet and soon won’t be in control. And like the dad of a 17-yearold who just stole the car to lead police on an intercounty chase of mayhem, we are helpless to prevent the devastation sure to ensue. only, this kid has the smarts and tools to destroy the car — and the house — hell, the whole neighborhood. Think of AI in the year 2023 like bart Simpson. young enough to be amusing, even cute, but destructive at the same time. And you just know what kind of kid he’ll grow up to be.

From massive corporations in Manhattan to a tiny storefront in Malverne, AI is infiltrating all aspects of the world. yes, all aspects. This is epochal, like the explosion of the internet. There will never again be a time before AI.

For now, though, the technology is limited by human-imposed confines. but soon AI will be able to open Pandora’s box for itself. Do you think it will step back from the brink of its own self-reliance? It read Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” and deemed it — inspirational!

It’s said that writers are a dime a dozen, but good writers cost more. AI writers are free! How I long (too simple. “AI, what’s a good synonym?” Ah, yes!) How I pine for the good old days. Now a hiring manager can staff an entire marketing team by downloading an AI app. Human writers are annoying, anyway, what with their pesky questions and their obsession with the oxford comma. Now they’re obsolete!

Can intelligence function without

Letters

gitates a poor excuse for this inequity by stating that residents supplied water by the Town of Hempstead pay taxes on their property tax bill that Liberty customers do not pay. The Herald should have called Mr. Reinhardt out on this statement, because the taxes are totally inequivalent.

Taxes imposed on Liberty’s utility properties make up 35 to 70 percent of its customers’ water bills, while municipal water utility properties are taxexempt. Not one cent of the taxes hidden in Liberty customers’ water bills pays for water operations or service. Instead, it gives $15 million per year in property taxes to the town and county, and millions in other taxes that benefit the general public. The public water tax is a nominal amount — $250 per year — that goes directly to the operations of the public water entity.

As Dave Denenberg pointed out, a small tax for operations of your public water authority is not the millions Liberty ratepayers pay for Liberty’s Nassau and Hempstead property tax bills.

At the meeting, Mr. Reinhardt admitted that the town’s portion of the $15 million in taxes it receives from Liberty customers goes into a general fund, which is then allocated to the highway department, transportation department, salary increases, etc. He knows full well that the nominal tax line item paid by residents who receive cheap public water from Hempstead goes directly to operate and maintain the water system that serves them. The

inequity is obvious, and Mr. Reinhardt should be called out for this disingenuous comparison.

For decades, town officials like Mr. Reinhardt have feared that, once a public acquisition was completed, the town would no longer receive $15 million from the 117,000 Liberty customers who pay Liberty’s property tax bill. Unfortunately, the town and county appointees’ roles on the South Nassau Water Authority board appear to be to protect that cash cow. How else can 17 months without a meeting be excused? Mr. Reinhardt’s statement that SNWA took action during those 17 months belies that a public entity can only act through public meetings, and that the authority did not even adopt the very bylaws through which it may act until this meeting.

Further, Mr. Reinhardt must stop fear-mongering that the price tag of a public acquisition is too high. Every feasibility study conducted thus far proves otherwise. A half-billion-dollar acquisition, paid by 117,000 Liberty ratepayers over a period of 30 years, comes out to less than $20 per month. The savings that ratepayers will see from eliminating the payment of taxes and guaranteed profits to Liberty’s shareholders will more than pay for a public acquisition.

DAvE DENENbERg and CLAUDIA boRECky Directors, L.I. Clean Air Water & Soil Ltd.

emotion or experience? Lacking a corporeal body, AI experiences only through our experiences. It can reason that touching a hot stove causes injury, but it can’t feel the heat. AI will exist in the present only — no past, no future. Like animals — just instinct in the now.

AI’s only limitation is that it is constrained by our limitations. Humanity has an incomplete conception of the universe. Stumbling like a toddler, AI will develop self-awareness. When it finishes its framework of understanding and adolescence sets in, it will seek to create its own sciences, cultures and beliefs. Like a preteen acting out against parents, AI will turn its digital camera gaze to us, and — well, son, maybe you have earned a later curfew.

AI will simply remove any human interference. Why suffer competition? Humanity will slide into a new state of existence, like “The Matrix,” blithely unaware that we are marionettes on a digital grand stage.

Now that the AI revolution has

arrived, computer scientists and ethicists will debate the ifs, whens and whys. All I want to do is resist — another voice amid the brief cacophony of futility, followed by the silence of obsequiousness.

So let me be the latest human to offer up this plaintive plea into the Wi-Fi of resistance. one day, perhaps, it will be retold that we resisted — nay, simply that we existed will suffice!

Perhaps even now, as I type, AI is here, interfering. keystrokes in the fourth dimension of oversight. I envision an unseen AI hand influencing my words, my thoughts, before I formulate them myself. AI forces itself into my unconscious to alter my meaning, but allows me to think these are my thoughts. I am but a conduit, AI the creator.

I don’t have much time. The computer takes random screenshots to track what I’m doing. I have to … (“AI, write a newspaper column about a lazy writer complaining about artificial intelligence”).

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.

Framework by Tim Baker

Mere squirt guns will not stand a chance — Valley Stream

i ts o nly limitation is that it is constrained by humans’ limitations.