Rockville Centre Herald 01-21-2021

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COMMUNITY UPDATE Infections as of Jan. 17

1,621

Infections as of Jan. 10 1,430

ROCKVILLE CENTRE

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DEADLINE APPROACH

Village mourns Coach Ed Farrell

Vaccines come to Maple Pointe

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JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

VOL. 32 NO. 4

‘I love being on campus’ Students return to Molloy as dorms reopen for spring semester

By JILL NOSSA jnossa@liherald.com

Nakeem Grant/Herald

NYPD SGT. CONOR McDonald, center, and his mother, Patti Ann, were the first to see new signage for McDonald Pond, which was unveiled by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky last Friday.

A place of ‘solace and peace’ New signage erected at McDonald Pond

By NAKEEM GRANT ngrant@liherald.com

Just five days after the anniversary of New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald’s death in 2017, state and local elected officials honored him at Hempstead Lake State Park in Rockville Centre last Friday. Two commemorative signs on opposite ends of McDonald Pond, near the intersection of Peninsula Boulevard and Lake Drive, were officially unveiled.

McDonald Pond is among

several places in Nassau County that honor the life, service, sacrifice and family of McDonald, who was shot in 1986 in Central Park and left paralyzed until his death nearly 31 years later, at age 59.

His widow, Patti Ann McDonald, Malverne’s former mayor, said that he would regularly sit by the pond and pray the Holy Rosary, a set of prayers used in the Catholic Church.

“This place brought Steven a lot of solace, peace and happiness,” McDonald said, “and I’m sure that, going forward, people going by who see this

sign will also have peace and love.”

McDonald said the pond was named for her husband, a Rockville Centre native, shortly after he came home from the hospital after the shooting, as a surprise from then Rockville Centre Mayor Eugene Murray. Murray’s son, Rockville Centre’s current mayor, Francis Murray, noted that the two were close friends for many years.

“It’s my hope that people who come here will be reminded of a life filled with CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Despite restrictions that remain in place as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise, students at Molloy College in Rockville Centre are striving for some normalcy in their campus life. On Sunday and Monday, nearly 200 students returned to school and moved into its three residence halls for the spring semester — about 35 more students than lived on campus last fall. To ensure social distancing, they moved in by scheduled appointment, avoiding crowded elevators and hallways as they hauled in suitcases and supplies.

Marcella Dimino, a sophomore nursing major and a resident assistant in Bogner Hall,

was helping students with the move-in process on Monday morning. She said that 193 beds would be occupied this semester, and she was looking forward to seeing more people out and about.

“Seeing people at the cafeteria, saying hi to people, that’s the best part,” Dimino said. “Last semester, although we did have residents, you could tell it was a little quieter. With the increase in the number of students, it’s going to be livelier.”

Her freshman year, she said, was a “normal college experience” for her at the beginning of the year, but many changes have been put in place this year. In addition to wearing masks and socially distancing, students CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

MACKENZIE WAGNER, A senior at Molloy, moved back into her dorm room in Maria Regina Hall on Monday.

Jill Nossa/Herald

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January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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OBITUARY

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

A premier coach and athlete Ed Farrell, mentor who taught at Molloy College, dies at 81

By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com

He learned to love sports from a grandparent, he learned to love a spouse after recovering from a car accident, and he spread his love of sports by coaching and constantly teaching players how to shoot a basketball or hit a baseball or softball, no matter their age.

Edward Aloysius Farrell, who grew up in Brooklyn and Far Rockaway, went to college in Washington, D.C., and lived in Virginia, Valley Stream, Malverne and San Antonio, Texas, died on Jan. 2. He was 81.

Born March 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, Edward was the eldest son of Edward and Marian Farrell and one of 14 children. When he was a youngster, his maternal grandfather, Jacob Haugh, took him to many baseball games that nurtured his love for the sport, said Susan Farrell, née Burney, who was married to Farrell for 55 years. He never lost his love for baseball, and became a well-known softball player on the South Shore known as “the Ledge,” short for legend.

When Farrell’s family moved to Far Rockaway, he found that basketball was the dominant sport, and played with enough skill to earn a scholarship to George Washington University after graduating from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn.

At GWU, Farrell was hospitalized after a vehicular accident. “I went with a friend to visit him in the hospital,” Susan recalled, “and we started dating after he got better.” The couple were married on Aug. 28, 1965, in Arlington, Va. They moved north in 1969, when Farrell secured a job teaching phys. ed. and health and coaching at Lawrence Junior High School, which he did for 30 years. He coached other sports, but he was best known for his leadership of the boys’ basketball team: He amassing a career record of 318-63 that included a 57-game winning streak. Farrell became known not only for the victories, but also for his affection for uplifting quips that kept his players thinking positively.

Robert Webb met Farrell in the 1980s, playing in the Valley Stream-based Claude Charles Memorial Softball League. “I’ll always remember his willingness to help people, teach people — he volunteered his time with younger players to make them better basketball players,” Webb said, adding that Farrell was “one of the league’s premier players for many, many years,” playing third base and hitting with power and for average akin to Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams.

Webb said he still has the batting tip sheet that Farrell gave his softball players many years ago. Webb last played softball with Farrell at Bay Park in 2015.

“He was a very fine individual, very competitive, very kind to other people,” said Darius “Big Daddy” Burton, who played softball with Farrell and was a fellow gym teacher and coach at Lawrence Junior High. Burton earned his nickname with his power hitting on the softball field.

Farrell retired from Lawrence in 2000, and moved from Valley Stream to Malverne. But didn’t stop working, teaching phys. ed. classes at Molloy College. “I love teaching at Molloy College because it is a caring community,” he wrote on the school’s website. “Everyone around you shows respect to each other.” There’s a video of him making a backward half-court shot at age 72 on the site.

“He would take kids and bring them into the Molloy summer program and work with them,” recounted Bob Houlihan, a former athletic director and vice president of student affairs at Molloy who knew Farrell for more than 20 years. “He would take kids at Valley Stream Park behind the swimming pool and work with them every

Courtesy Molloy College

ED “THE LEDGE” Farrell was considered a caring coach who taught his players of all ages how to play well and do it with respect. morning on shooting. He would help out anybody. He was just a wonderful man, and honestly made you a better person by knowing him.”

Farrell was also remembered for working with senior softball players as if they were still kids, teaching and coaching them on a regular basis. He encouraged all senior softball travel players to join him on Sunday mornings at Malverne High School to practice. Farrell would stand in the center of the diamond shouting instructions to the group, but softballer Richie Titone said that he was kindhearted at the same time.

“He was really the nicest guy, always there for you and was really knowledgeable on hitting,” Titone said. “He’d put barrels out in the field and tell you to hit them and always showing you to hit to right field.”

In addition to his wife, Farrell is survived by his siblings John, Mike, Joan, Fran, Joe, Jim, Stephen, Monica and Marian; his daughters and sons-in-law, Beth, Jay, Kim, Alex, Tricia and Ken; 11 grandchildren, Jake, Kim, Susannah, Caroline, Jack, Luke, Emily, Lily, SanSan, Sophie and Sam; and 36 nieces and nephews.

“He was a very loving person — we had a nice life,” Susan said. “He was a great friend and a great father for my kids.”

A few of Ed Farrell’s famous quotations It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.

Always be polite to the umpire because you might need a call late in the game.

The guy playing right field will be wearing blue jeans and sneakers.

When you are on the edge, don’t hedge, call the ledge.

Who’s better than you, nobody.

Positive attitude, positive results.

Sources: Robert Webb, Facebook

Residents, staff get vaccinated at Maple Pointe moving in the right direction.”

Executive Director Tammy Marshall was the first staff member to receive the After about a month of trying to vaccine. “I’m very comfortable with getsecure a date for the Covid-19 vaccina- ting the shot,” Marshall said. “I think tion, residents and staff at Maple Pointe technology is so far advanced. I’m not Assisted Living in nervous at all— Rockville Centre I’ve seen a lot of were finally inocubuzz and people lated on Monday. A saying, ‘no, not clinic was set up at me,’ but I feel so the facility by CVS comfortable with Pharmacy, which science.” administered the She explained vaccine. that, as a nurse “I’m overjoyed who has studied for our residents and “believes in” and staff,” Shari science, she has Stein, director of confidence the health services for vaccine can help Maple Pointe, said overcome the on Monday mornC ov i d - 1 9 v i r u s, ing. “It’s been a and was glad to long couple of have the CVS clinmonths here. We ic at the facility. lost a lot of resi- pharMacists froM cvs entered data “I’m so happy and dents and it’s been honored that before giving the Covid-19 vaccines. really hard on all they’re here,” Marof us. It’s good just shall said. “I’m so knowing that they can get the vaccine excited that it feels like we might get and be able to eventually see their fami- back to a sense of normalcy very soon. lies again…hopefully, this means we’re It’s early in the year, and we’re off to a wonderful start.”

Marshall had been trying to set a date for the clinic soon after the vaccine became available last month. While she By was on vacation over the holidays, she MBA, CFP, EA, ATA spent a lot of time on the phone trying to work out the logistics for bringing the rentAL InCoMe clinic to Maple Pointe. She said she saw AnD eXPenses — other assisted living facilities posting reAL estAte tAX tIPs about the vaccine clinics on social part ii media, while Maple Pointe did not yet security Deposits have one scheduled. “Then I started Do not include a security making phone calls to different authorideposit in your income when you receive it if you plan to return it to your tenant at the ties – Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office, Sen. end of the lease. But if you keep part or all Todd Kaminsky’s office, Assemblywomof the security deposit during any year an Judy Griffin, Nassau County Execubecause your tenant does not live up to the terms of the lease, include the amount you tive Laura Curran – and reached out to keep in your income in that year. all of them to try to make this happen.”

If an amount called a security deposit is to Getting the government officials and be used as a final payment of rent, it is the county health department involved advance rent. Include it in your income seemed key to getting it done, and when you receive it.

Kaminsky said his office worked hard to expenses Paid by tenant help make it happen.

If your tenant pays any of your expenses, “We had to coordinate with CVS to the payments are rental income. You must

By Jill Nossa

jnossa@liherald.com

It’s Your MoneY

Jonathan Wolfsohn

Photos by Jill Nossa/Herald

Maple poiNte executive Director Tammy Marshall received the Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, administered by pharmacy intern Haseeb Shah. make sure Maple Pointe was on their radar and it was something that was scheduled,” Kaminsky said. “Vaccine rollout has really been difficult –- and that’s putting it mildly. But getting it right in assisted living facilities and nursing homes is an absolute must.

That can’t get messed up. We worked with the assemblywoman’s office day and night until we got that scheduled.”

Finally, on Thursday Jan. 14, Maple Pointe was confirmed for a clinic on Monday, Jan. 18. Pharmacists and pharmacy interns set up a clinic for staff in a room on the main floor of the facility, while others went directly to the residents’ doors to administer the inoculation.

Haseeb Shah gave the shot to Marshall on Monday morning. Shah, a pharmacy intern with CVS who is in his fifth year at Long Island University’s College of Pharmacy in Brooklyn, said this was the seventh clinic he had been a part of over the past month. The clinics he has been a part of have gone to nursing homes or long-ter m care facilities around New York City and Long Island.

“We spend a lot of time making sure we have the sites ready to go, and then once we come on,” Shah said, “we can just give the vaccines.”

Getting the shot itself is quick — it’s the paperwork involved that takes most of the time. The clinicians spend a couple of hours going over the paperwork before giving the shots. “Typically, about a week ahead of time, someone from our end reaches out,” Shah said.

“We need names and consent forms before we come.”

Prior to administering the vaccine, Shah said, students in the LIU pharmacy program attended two separate continuing education workshops to learn more about the vaccine and how to answer questions from patients.

“A lot of people are concer ned because it is something new and it got expedited approval, which is not a common,” Shah said. “We want to make sure the patients feel comfortable. Having the knowledge about how the vaccine operates helps ease some of the stress that patients have.”

include them in your income. You can deduct the expenses if they are deductible rental expenses. See Rental Expenses in Publication 527, for more information.

Example One: Your tenant pays the water and sewage bill for your rental property and deducts it from the normal rent payment. Under the terms of the lease, your tenant does not have to pay this bill.

Example Two: While you are out of town, the furnace in your rental property stops working. Your tenant pays for the necessary repairs and deducts the repair bill from the rent payment. Based on the facts in each example, include in your rental income both the net amount of the rent payment and the amount the tenant paid for the utility bills and the repairs. You can deduct the cost of the utility bills and repairs as a rental expense.

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Molloy College holds virtual Day of Service As part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service held annually at Molloy College, students, faculty and staff participated in a contactless collection drive on Monday, with donations going to Island Harvest food bank.

Michelle Martin, one of the campus ministers who works in the office of campus ministries, said normally the college Jill Nossa/Herald would have more than 100 people working on various service Michelle MartiN aNd Mike Malinowski, campus projects throughout the cam- ministers at Molloy, helped with collection drive. pus, but this year, everything is donation drives since the start of the panrun virtually and contactless.

“Basically, what today is all about is that demic and have collected hundreds of we’re taking a day off and turning it into a pounds of food over the course of the past several months. day on, and really honoring the legacy of Mike Malinowski, another campus Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by doing serminister, said that during quarantine in vice in the local community.”

Martin said the Collection Drive sought the spring, he left the ministry vans donations of non-perishable food as well as parked in the lot with the doors open so toiletries for Island Harvest and other people could drop off donations safely. charitable organizations, and they were “The first time, we collected a hundred also collecting letters written to seniors liv- pounds of food,” Malinowski said, “The ing at local nursing homes and assisted liv- next time we had 250 pounds, which was a great success.” ing facilities.

On Monday, the donations filled up two “We’ve had a steady stream of people since we started this morning,” Martin vans, which were expected to be delivered said, adding that they have held several to Island Harvest on Tuesday.

Neighbors iN the News New manager at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the nation’s leading realtors, has announced that Monica C. Murray, Esq. has been named sales manager of its Rockville Centre and Long Beach sales offices. Between the two offices, Murray will support the sales of 50 real estate advisors. Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell made the announcement.

“We are delighted to welcome Monica to Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and to our management team,” O’Connell said. “Her extensive experience includes Monica a broad background in residential real estate and real estate law. She is sure to be invaluable to the real estate advisors under her purview, as well as to others in the organization. ” Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s Rockville Centre office, which opened in 2016, quickly established a strong presence in the village and its surrounding areas, including Long Beach, Long Island’s booming “City by the Sea.” Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s prominence on Long Island’s south coast has grown at such a rate that in late 2020, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty opened a Long Beach office.

Murray, who has practiced law since 1997, and became a partner in the Brooklyn-based firm of Coffey & Coffey (where she remains as counsel) in 1999, brings the varied experience of a general practitioner with a particular concentration in real estate law, representing buyers and sellers in transactions from sales and contracts to mortgages, title and closings. Murray also prepared tort cases for trial for the New York City Transit Authority and conducted depositions and prepared and argued motions in the New York State Court System. c. Murray Raised in a family of realtors, Murray has long had an interest in all aspects of real estate. She also was the principal and owner of Monica Murray Home, which developed interior design concepts and prepared interior systems including furniture, lighting and accessories.

Active in her profession and her home community of Malverne, Murray served as school board president for Our Lady of Lourdes for seven years and on the board for 10 and moderated the school’s mock trial program. She earned her law degree from Seton Hall University and a bachelor of arts from Fordham University.

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MID-WINTER

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

By Jill Nossa

5

St. Agnes Knights expand outreach

By THOMAS CARROZZA tacarrozza@liherald.com

Even in normal times, the Knights of Columbus St. Agnes Council No. 2548 strives to support the community through numerous programs and fundraisers to help contribute financially to local organizations like the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), youth basketball, St. Vincent DePaul’s, Camp Anchor, and many more.

But these are not normal times. When members of the men’s Catholic fraternity saw long lines leading up to The Experience Vineyard Church on Merrick Road, they saw another challenge to take on: local families struggling to put food on the table.

The St. Agnes Knights of Columbus made their way to Costco early last Thursday morning to purchase goods for The Experience Vineyard Church. Grand Knight Phil Paoli and Deputy Grand Knight Joe Daleo said the goods, which consisted of varying cereals and canned foods, came straight out of their charity funds. The church’s outreach director, Julie Longwood, said the food pantry sees between 100 and 175 families line up each week to receive supplies such as cereal and produce that they otherwise struggle to afford.

“It’s been challenging, but it’s been really rewarding,” Longwood said, “because it’s been amazing to see the surrounding community really just jump in in a way we

Thomas Carrozza/Herald

PHIL PAOLI, GRAND Knight of Knights of Columbus St. Agnes Council No. 2548; Julie Longwood, outreach director for The Experience Vineyard Church; and Joe Daleo, Deputy Grand Knight of the St. Agnes Knights of Columbus. hadn’t expected.”

As described in a video from the St. Agnes chapter, the Knights of Columbus are a worldwide men’s Catholic fraternity organization whose primary purpose is charity. The organization has two million members around the world and donates approximately $185,000,000 each year to a wide variety of causes. Paoli’s St. Agnes

Knights have donated in excess of $20,000 a year over the past few years. Even during the pandemic, the fraternity is finding ways to hold events to fund their charity work.

“The pandemic has curtailed our fundraising activities,” Paoli said, noting that the organization is continuing to find ways to adapt to the situation. “Recently, we had

a virtual raffle in support of Mercy Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit.”

Longwood and her outreach team at the Experience Vineyard Church’s pantry spend Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays bringing all the donated items into the church’s basement where they can organize and bag the items to fit the needs of the families seeking help. Prior to the pandemic, the members of the outreach group could organize the pantry into a market style, but now the produce bags, dry goods, and non-perishables are handed out while families wait in line six feet apart.

Longwood strives to make the experience a welcoming one for those in need of the pantry’s services. Longwood said one of the goals, aside from the food, is that “when they come here for food, they experience respect and hope and dignity and love regardless of their situations, regardless of what they look like, and regardless of who they are.”

The community they serve has shown their appreciation for the church’s members by sending in cards and letters thanking them for their efforts, Longwood said.

The St. Agnes Knights of Columbus have found a new outreach organization that they can help with their charity. In times like these, there’s always work to be done for those in need. Paoli urges members of the community to reach out if they are interested in donating by calling him at 516-507-7793.

CRIME WATCH Leaving the Scene

Criminal Mischief

■ On Jan. 14, at 10:44 a.m., a motorist reported his vehicle was struck by a car that left the scene while he was parked on Sunrise Highway.

■ On Jan. 11, at 11:06 a.m., a motorist reported his vehicle was damaged while it was parked on Banks Avenue during the morning.

■ On Jan.15, at 6:07 p.m., a motorist reported her car was struck by a vehicle that left the scene while she was driving on Sunrise Highway.

■ On Jan. 17, at 11:58 a.m., a homeowner on Plymouth Road reported his fence was damaged.

■ On Jan. 17, at 11:02 p.m., a motorist reported her car was struck by a vehicle that left the scene while she was driving on Lincoln Avenue.

■ On Jan. 17, at 2:45 p.m., a homeowner on Forestdale Road reported a front window on her house was damaged.

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events and activities

community update Thursday, Jan. 21 Chef Rob: Brooklyn-style Pretzels Chef Rob demonstrates how to make Brooklyn-style pretzels with a dion dipping sauce, through the Rockville Centre Library, 10 a.m. The recipe, shopping list and link will be provided upon registration.

Short Story Discussion Join facilitator Mindy Mangot in discussing “War” by Luigi Pirandello and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, at 1 p.m. Register for the Zoom program through the Rockville Centre Public Library.

currently watching on television, through the Rockville Centre Public Library. The discussion will take place over Zoom and registration is required.

The link will be emailed one hour prior to the 7:30 p.m. start time.

Achieving mindfulness Learn how to become more aware of your thoughts, feelings and body sensations to manage stress and anxiety through this class at the Rockville Centre Library on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. Sign up for the virtual program through the library’s website, www.rvclibrary.org.

Wednesday, Jan. 27 Current Events discussion Stay up-to-date with current affairs and discuss what’s on your mind with facilitator Richard Skolnik, through the Rockville Centre Public Library. The discussion will take place over Zoom and registration is required. The link will be emailed one hour prior to the 10:30 a.m. start time.

Animal Crossing Meetup Tweens and teens, in grades five through nine, can show off their designs or learn new tricks by joining in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons meetup.

Through the Rockville Centre Public Library, 7 p.m. on Zoom.

The Betty White Story Lecturer Sal St. George takes a look at the long television career of Betty White, through the Rockville Centre Library, 2 p.m. Registration required.

Board of Ed meeting

Board of Trustees meeting

The Rockville Centre Board of Education will hold a public work session at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons Room at South Side High School, 128 Shepherd St.

The Rockville Centre Library Board of Trustees will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the library.

Friday, Jan. 22 The life of Luciano Pavarotti Join soprano and Metropolitan Opera Library curator Tanisha Mitchell for a look at the life and music of tenor Luciano Pavarotti. The program, via Zoom, includes an aria by Mitchell. At 1 p.m.

Visit the Rockville Centre Public Library’s website to register.

Saturday, Jan. 23 Winter Food Festival with Chef Rob Cook live with Chef Rob as he prepares Italian Breadstick Salad with fresh basil and vegetables, Grandma-style spaghetti pie and crustless apple crumb pie, through the Rockville Centre Library, 3 p.m. The and link will be provided upon registration.

l l l l l

Sunday, Jan. 24

Monday, Jan. 25

Sunday Science

Meditation with MaryClare

Children ages 8 to 12 can delve into the world of zoology at the Center for Science Teaching and Learning, 1450 Tanglewood Rd. in Rockville Centre, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Children will be assigned a live animal in the exhibit and learn how to keep them happy and healthy. Cost is $16/child. Drop-off only. Visit cstl.org to register.

MaryClare Chiofalo leads a meditation class through the Rockville Centre Public Library that is designed to help participants destress, relax and focus. Registration required. 7 p.m.

Live author event Author Jennifer Robson, whose titles include “The Gown” and her newest novel, “Our Darkest Night: A Novel of Italy and the Second World War,” will participate in a live discussion, via Zoom, at 7 p.m. Visit the Rockville Centre Public Library’s website to register.

Tuesday, Jan. 26 Yoga with Joe Certified yoga instructor Joe Cilmi leads the class designed to accommodate the needs of people who may have difficulty with more traditional approaches. Registration required. At the Rockville Centre Library, 12:15 p.m.

Take & Make Crafts Children ages 3 to 6 can make a simple dinosaur puppet craft through the Rockville Centre Library. Materials and online instructions will be provided by the library. Registration required to receive a kit. Call (516) 766-6257, ext.

6, to register or to schedule curbside pickup in the parking lot.

Book Discussion The Rockville Centre Library hosts a book discussion about The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, who will visit the library at 7:30 p.m. The discussion will take place over Zoom at 7 p.m. Register through the library to get the link.

Geek TV Join moderator Michael Matuszewski and library staff member Rob Siegel in a discussion about what everyone is

HAVinG An EVEnT? Items on the Community Update pages are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest.

All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to rvceditor@liherald.com

The Village Board of Trustees will meet on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

The village’s e-cycling program has been rescheduled until Saturday, Feb. 6.

Sandel TV airs daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Channel 18 (Optimum) and Channel 37 (Fios) The Town of Hempstead will hold a virtual basketball clinic on Jan. 30 for ages 6 to 13.

Assemblywoman Judy Griffin is hosting a series of Coffee Chats; call (516) 561-8216.

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

10

Sharing a message of ‘courage and forgiveness’ CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE service and forgiveness,” Murray said.

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblywoman Judy Griffin lobbied for the commemorative signs. Kaminsky said that a constituent had emailed him about the idea, explaining that not many people know how the pond got its name. He added that Chip Gorman, the regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic PreserPATTI ANN vation, was McDONALD instrumental in Former Malverne completing this project. mayor “Detective Steven McDonald’s message of strength, courage and forgiveness has touched people across the globe, and it will continue to resonate,” Kaminsky said. “These signs will give this pond so much more importance, and what we do today will last for generations.”

“I hope this serves as a comfort to the McDonald family and all that visits this beautiful park,” Griffin said. “May his

T

his place brought Steven a lot of solace, peace and happiness.

Nakeem Grant/Herald

THE McDONALD FAMILY was joined by state and local elected officials. memory be a blessing for all of us and an example to all of us.”

Malverne Mayor Keith Corbett, who also lobbied for the signs at the pond, wasn’t aware that there were none until he and his family took a walk through the park a few weeks ago.

“He just had that ability to unite peo-

ple,” Corbett said of McDonald, “and over the past few weeks, that’s something we’ve missed deeply on this earth right now. Steven just knew how to bring the best out of all of us, and to find that common ground.”

McDonald’s son, NYPD Sgt. Conor McDonald, recalled spending much of

his childhood at the pond with his father.

“He loved coming by here and telling me that this was named after him,” he recounted. “He was so proud of that. So for all of you to rededicate it so no one forgets his legacy is extremely important to my mother and I.”

Students move back in to Molloy College dorms CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE must complete a Covid questionnaire each morning and have their temperatures taken twice a day. Those who live on campus are also required to be tested each week.

Last semester, Dimino said, Molloy administered PCR, or nasal swab, tests, but this semester the college is using saliva tests, which will help identify those who are asymptomatic. Those who test positive with a saliva test will be required to take a PCR test, she said.

Other changes include limiting residence halls to single- and double-occupancy rooms, and using automated temperature kiosks, installed at the entrances to residence halls and other campus buildings, which take forehead temperatures. Those who fail a temperature check are given instructions on the kiosk on how to get medical attention. Residence halls have also been equipped with air-purification systems that kill airborne virus particles using ionization technology.

Spring semester classes began on Tuesday, and while Molloy offers a combination of hybrid and online classes, in-person class sizes are being increased to approximately 30 percent of operating capacity, from 25 percent in the fall.

“There are a lot of benefits to living on campus,” Dimino said, noting one, the amount of time students save by not commuting. “We’re trying to get back a sense of normalcy as much as possible.”

She added that she feels safe living on campus.

“When I’ve spoken to friends at other schools, it makes me realize how grateful I am to be here,” she said. “I’ve never felt uncomfortable.”

Last semester, there were fewer than 25 positive Covid-19 cases recorded among Molloy’s students and employees.

Jackie Simpson, a sophomore nursing major who

Jill Nossa/Herald

SIGNAGE IS POSTED across the campus reminding everyone of coronavirus protocols. returned on Monday to Fitzgerald Hall, also said she felt safe with the protocols in place. “It’s OK,” Simpson said of campus life during a pandemic. “We still get to go out and have some freedom.”

Mackenzie Wagner, a senior majoring in childhood education, moved back to her dorm room in Maria Regina Hall on Monday. She said felt “a little nervous,” but enjoys living on campus, even though there are notable differences, such as not being allowed to have visitors

or visit other rooms.

Though her hometown of Syosset is just 20 miles away, Wagner said that commuting was never really an option for her. “I love being on campus — I want to be at campus events, I want to do my work on campus,” she said, “ and I want to avoid commuting.

“Honestly, my experience is basically the same,” she added. “I still love being here.”

11

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

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January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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MSSN doctors offer Covid-19 vaccine updates

By Mike SMollinS msmollins@liherald.com

Though it could take many months for the Covid-19 vaccine to reach the majority of people, a number of physicians remain optimistic about the progress made so far.

“We hope we will have enough vaccine for everybody in the next few months — that’s months plural,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, the Department of Medicine chairman and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside. “Until then, people have to make sure they’re practicing how to stay safe and healthy.”

Wearing a mask, Glatt appeared alongside MSSN Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adhi Sharma in a MSSN triage tent for a Jan. 14 Facebook Live session, at which the doctors updated the public about the vaccine and the latest on the coronavirus, as well as fielded viewers’ questions. They stressed that those seeking a vaccine should not call the hospital or show up and wait in line, but should check the state Department of Health’s website to set up appointments and get the latest news.

The doctors urged patience for those who are eager to get a Covid-19 vaccine, but have been unable to so far, noting that New York state only gets 300,000 doses per week, and nearly 20 million people need to be inoculated. They added that those who get a certain vaccine for their first dose (either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) should receive the same type for their second, and they should be inoculated at the same facility each time.

Glatt cautioned that the vaccine takes 10 days to take effect, and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people who cannot be vaccinated again in two weeks to get it as soon as they can, but should not restart the series if more than two weeks pass.

The doctors also urged people not to act as though they are immune to the virus because they have been vaccinated,

Peter Belfiore/Herald

Dr. ADhi ShArMA, left, Mount Sinai South Nassau’s chief medical officer, and Dr. Aaron Glatt, the hospital’s Department of Medicine chair and chief of infectious diseases, gave an update on the coronavirus pandemic and the Covid-19 vaccine during a Jan. 13 Facebook Live session. Above, the doctors at an event before the pandemic started. even though the two vaccines have been shown to be more than 90 percent effective in clinical trials. Glatt said the science is not there yet to determine whether someone can be vaccinated and still be a Covid-19 carrier, so people should continue to wear masks after they have been inoculated. Research will determine the vaccines’ efficacy in time.

As of Jan. 14, MSSN had more than 100 Covid-19 patients in the hospital and was offering rapid testing, vaccinating those who were qualified and treating non-Covid patients who were in separate units of the hospital.

“We are certainly seeing a second surge relative to the holiday period from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s,” Glatt said. “It looks like there were a lot of events and people were exposed.” He added that doctors believed

key points Dr. Aaron Glatt and Dr. Adhi Sharma offered the following answers to frequently asked questions about the Covid-19 vaccine: ■ Those who are looking to get a Covid-19 vaccination at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital should not call or show up to the hospital; they should visit the state Department of Health’s website to see availability.

■ Those who receive a certain vaccine for their first dose (either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) should get the same type for their second, and they should be inoculated at the same facility each time.

■ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people

receive both doses within 14 days, but people who cannot should get their doses as soon as they can after the twoweek period. If two weeks pass, they should not restart the series by getting the first dose again.

■ There have been no issues found in pregnant women, those on blood thinners or anyone with allergies, though those with a history of allergic reactions to vaccines should exercise caution and inform the staff.

■ Tests are under way to see if the vaccine causes any issues for teenagers and children under 16.

■ Those who are vaccinated should wear masks and practice social distancing because they could still be carriers.

the number of cases would decline in the coming weeks as more people return to avoiding mass gatherings and continue to mask and social distance.

Sharma said many Covid-19 patients were in critical care, and he lauded the hospital staff for its hard work. “Whatever we can do to stem this tide, we’re doing it,” he said.

With many pregnant women hesitant to receive a vaccine, Glatt said it was more dangerous for them to risk getting

Covid-19 than to be inoculated, and there was no evidence of the vaccines being dangerous to pregnant women or causing infertility. He added that even though pregnant women were not included in the clinical trials to develop the vaccines, 12 people involved in them did become pregnant after and have shown no issues so far.

The doctors also noted that the vaccines could be taken with blood thinners, and those with allergies can, for the most part, receive either of the two vaccines; however, people with a history of allergic reactions to vaccines should exercise caution. Studies are also underway to determine the vaccines’ effect on children and teenagers under 16 years old, they said.

The vaccines have also been effective against the new strain of Covid-19, Glatt said, adding that even those who have had the virus should be vaccinated after waiting 90 days after recovering from the illness. Additionally, Glatt said, a person can get a Covid-19 vaccine and receive another inoculation, such as the shingles vaccine, but should separate the shots by two weeks.

Glatt said that while the slow distribution of the coronavirus vaccine is frustrating, people should be patient and work together to end the virus.

“We don’t control the flow of the vaccine,” he said. “It’s all federal and flows through the state, and each state has a different distribution plan. Everyone is working really hard. There’s no bad guy here. We’ve cleared out every dose of vaccine that we have. We’d love to have more, we’d love to give out more, but it’s coming.”

Representative Rice calls for Capitol metal detectors Following the recent deadly domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City, and Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat from California, sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others, calling on congressional leaders to install magnetometers, or metal detectors, at the Capitol permanently.

The letter, co-signed by 25 of Rice and Huffman’s colleagues, came after reports that congressional members were allegedly armed on the House floor on the day of the attack in what would be a violation of existing House rules. It also reiterated Huffman’s request to ban members from carrying firearms on Capitol grounds.

“I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for installing magnetometers outside the House floor after [the recent] insurrection and for her announcement that members of Congress who refuse to use them could face hefty fines,” Rice said. “While there are already existing rules preventing firearms on the House

floor, it is apparent that several of my colleagues have no intention of respecting them. Requiring members to pass through magnetometers is a necessary security measure, and I believe this change must be made permanent to ensure the safety of all who work on the House floor.”

“Threats of political violence are on the rise, even from within our own ranks. There is a long-standing rule preventing members from bringing guns to the House chambers, but it is becoming more and more clear that some of my colleagues choose to flout the rules,” Huffman said. “Requiring members to go through magnetometers before entering the House floor is a necessary change, and I believe this baseline, commonsense security measure should be made permanent. Members of Congress are not above the rules, and we should be held to the same standards as every other person that enters the Capitol.”

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January 21, 2021

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Catholic Schools We e k

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Photo courtesy Greg Shemitz

Catholic education:

The freedom to choose

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Select the school that best suits your student’s needs at a Catholic elementary school

Visit Visit our our Website Website to to schedule: schedule: ●● ●● ●●

Virtual Virtual Open Open Houses Houses (week (week of of February February 1st) 1st) Individual Individual In-Person In-Person Tours Tours Video Video Conference Conference with with Principal/Teacher Principal/Teacher

Highlights: Highlights:

●●

Nursery Nursery through through 8th 8th Grade Grade In-Person In-Person and and Remote Remote learning learning offered offered Nominated Nominated Best Best Catholic Catholic School, School, Best Best Nursery Nursery School, School, Best Best Private Private School School for for consecutive consecutive years. years.

AA learning learning environment environment focused focused on on faith, faith, service, service, and and excellence excellence

Maria Maria Regina Regina School School

4045 4045 Jerusalem Jerusalem Avenue, Avenue, Seaford Seaford NY NY 11783 11783 (516)-541-1229 www.mariareginaschool.org (516)-541-1229 www.mariareginaschool.org

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●● ●● ●●

By Gary Layton Freedom of choice has been a defining characteristic of the American experience since the country’s founding. Very little in life is as empowering as the ability to evaluate a number of possible choices, and to select the one that is uniquely suited for you.

That includes education. Parents have the ability to select from a growing number of alternatives to public schools, including private, charter, and religious schools.

Parents choose these schools to provide their children specialized religious instruction, to deliver more individual academic attention, and to help reinforce the value they live at home. Catholic schools succeed today because they are uniquely qualified to deliver all of these things, and parents get to select the Catholic school that best matches their needs.

One of the highlights of Catholic education on Long Island is the variety of highquality Catholic elementary schools that fall within the busing limits that our taxpayerprovided buses support. Because even though you elect to enroll your children in a Catholic school, your public district is obligated to provide busing for your student(s) at no charge. The availability of busing plus the Diocese of Rockville Centre policy that gives all practicing Catholics on Long Island the ‘inparish’ discounted tuition price for whatever school they choose means that regardless of where you live, and regardless of which parish you belong to, a Catholic elementary education is an affordable option.

For parishes with schools associated with them, the choice is often evident.

Many choose to educate their children in the company of their ‘second family’, their faith family, right in their neighborhood parish. Others, particularly those who worship in parishes not associated with a school, make their choice by the combination of academic, social and spiritual support offered in the school community they choose. While each school in the Diocese of Rockville Centre shares a common State academic curriculum, and shares a religious curriculum determined by the Diocese, each school has a unique personality that is determined by a combination of its history, its staff, and to a greater extent, to the families that make up the school community.

Catholic education is a journey in both education and faith, and like most journeys, the destination is important, but it is the

journey itself that needs to be memorable.

Because it encompasses a block of time that is eight to ten years of your and your student’s life, and because the trajectory of a student’s life is partially determined by the company they keep, be mindful of who your fellow travelers are. I assure you that both you and your children will come away from the elementary school experience with friends who will be yours forever.

During the journey they will provide academic and social support. The other parents will similarly sit across the kitchen table and be confused by ‘new math’, and they’ll be up late some nights helping to finish three-panel poster board projects.

Their, and their children’s values will be shared with your children, you will serve on committees together, and you will get to experience the joys of First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and ultimately graduation together. Much of the strength of Catholic education, and the success you children will have will be the result of this supportive extended family.

Finding families with shared values and similar high expectations for their children won’t be difficult because they are who make up the communities at every Catholic Elementary School. Ultimately, most parents make their decision based on their confidence in the principal who sets the tone and selects the staff, and in their confidence in the teachers who will spend more waking hours with your children than even you at times, but ultimately, most make the specific choice based on a ‘gut instinct’. The most common answers parents give when asked ‘Why this school?’ is that “It just felt right.” Or “The school felt like a warm hug from the first moment I walked in.” or similar intuitive feelings they had. Keep it in mind that the ‘feeling’ – the feeling of warmth and welcoming, is why your student will love their school, and why your student will grow to love learning. It is a love of learning that shapes a young person’s attitude towards school and towards life.

A Catholic elementary education offers many advantages for the student, and for their families. Catholic Schools Week is a great time to explore whether a Catholic Elementary School is the right choice for your children. n Above photo: The value of learning blends with the learning of values.

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Attend a

CATHOLIC EDUCATION: THE DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE

Elementary 9Catholic High Schools 39 Catholic Schools 6 co-educational / 2 girls / 1 boys

Acceptance rate to Catholic high school

100% (from most elementary schools)

Catholic school students SUCCEED

99.7% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE RATE

PUBLIC NATIONAL: 84.1%

99%

CATHOLIC NATIONAL: 86.5% PUBLIC NATIONAL: 46%

74.1%

RECEIVE DISTRICTPROVIDED TRANSPORTATION including virtually all elementary students.

ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT

52% 48% 12:1 13:1 girls

boys

STUDENT:TEACHER RATIO

secondary

A Catholic Schools Week like none before Because Long Island’s Catholic schools make the safety of their current students and families the first priority, most schools have moved away from the large group celebration of Catholic education that has defined previous Open Houses.

So how does a family looking for something better find a school this year?

This year Long Island’s Catholic Elementary Schools are supporting the interests of aspiring families through a combination of virtual and in-person visiting opportunities. licatholicelementaryschools.org website: A visit to the central website for Long Island’s Catholic Elementary Schools provides general insight into the advantages of a Catholic education, identifies some of the key differences, and identifies how the schools are organized to serve students from Nursery School through Eighth Grade. There are maps and descriptions showing the locations and summary information on each school, and information on how to register and the financial aid available to support you.

You’ll find links to each school’s website and directions to locate each school.

School websites: Catholic Elementary Schools have websites that offer exceptional insights into each school community. On the school website you’ll read about the mission and vision of the school, ‘meet’ the Principal through letters and regular communications with parents, learn about how the school is organized to address the needs of Early Childhood, Elementary and Middle School students and learn about the various sports, clubs and extracurricular activities available. Class pages describe the

DoE General Infographic REV070920:Layout 1 7/9/20 4:00 PM Page 1

elementary

atholic elementary schools will be offering online open houses for Catholic Schools Week this year.

The global pandemic identified the strengths and weaknesses of schools and school systems in a way that had been previously unimaginable. Only a handful of schools were prepared to immediately move to remote learning, and fewer still were able to both execute a great remote program and then return their full compliment of students back into safe classrooms in the fall.

All of Long Island’s Catholic Elementary Schools were among this exclusive group.

Now, almost a year from the onset of the pandemic, Catholic schools are celebrating Catholic Schools Week, the part of the school year where most families who were considering the advantage of a Catholic education get to visit and select which school is right for their children.

A Diverse Population:

24+%

ethnic or racial minorities

14% latino 10% africanamerican A PLACE FOR EVERYONE

LAY TEACHING STAFF

NON-CATHOLIC ENROLLMENT

RELIGIOUS 3.4%

12% 96.6%

EXTENDED DAY PROGRAMS:

88%

of elementary schools

An Investment in the Future:

Average tuition: elementary, $5400; high school, $11,000

TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED INSTRUCTION

100% of schools have Internet access • 100% of schools utilize mobile devices (iPads or Chromebooks) • 100% of students have access to Google’s G-Suite applications for education

educational focus at various levels and communicate the assignments and dayto-day activities. The school website will also provide insight into how parents can participate and support their child’s education. Look for the ‘I’m New’ tab on the school’s website.

Virtual Video Tours: Many schools have worked to facilitate your needs during the pandemic by putting together virtual video tours to give you a look inside their facilities, to allow you to meet some of their key staff members, and to give you a sense of the esprit-de-corps of their community.

Live Virtual Tours: During Catholic Schools Week, many schools will stage live online events to give you a chance to both see the facility and learn the academic, social and spiritual advantages the school offers. These sessions, lasting approximately 45 minutes will allow you to meet the principal, key staff members, and often parents from each community.

The school will post the schedule of these events and allow you to select the time that works best for you.

One-On-One Virtual Visits with the Principal: Your student(s) needs are unique, and some of the advantages of Catholic school are individualized attention and differentiated instruction to meet each child’s needs. You can schedule a one-on-one meeting with the principal of the school you select and be confident that your child(ren) will thrive in the environment.

Individual Family or Small Group Tours: Some schools will offer visiting times when small group tours will be accommodated. These require an appointment. Tours will take place during scheduled windows when the school and the classrooms will be open, and when teachers and staff will be available to answer your questions. Often these are afternoons or weekends when the school is scheduled be deep cleaned prior to the students’ return. Faculty and staff place the continued safety and health of our current students and families above all else.

While the way prospective families will review and interact with the schools has changed, the Catholic school difference of addressing the ‘whole child’, academically, socially and spiritually remains.

Visit the school’s web site to schedule to visit virtually or in-person to see why a Catholic elementary education will help your student succeed in high school, in college, and in life. A Catholic education is an advantage that lasts a lifetime. Plan to learn more about the advantages of a Catholic elementary education this Catholic Schools Week. n

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

C

virtual open house

‘Never missed a beat’ — Catholic schools shine during uncertain time Seamless move to remote learning in the spring supported students’ academic and spiritual journeys

By Tina Dennelly “Is anyone fearful about the future of Catholic schools?” a parent pondered on the Parents of Long Island Catholic School Students Facebook page in spring 2020 shortly after the pandemic hit and the lockdown began.

With some parents out of work or furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic and Sunday contributions to parishes down because churches were closed, many wondered how the events would impact Catholic schools. But the agile response of Long Island Catholic schools to the pandemic and shift to remote learning has impressed current school families and caused new families to consider enrolling.

While a few responded to the Facebook question that they were concerned, the more than 75 other commenters were wholeheartedly optimistic.

“Not at all! [Our school] never missed a beat,” said one. “More pleased than ever with our investment in Catholic schools,” said another. And a third: “I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with what Catholic schools are doing during this.”

Parents in the group whose children attend schools in the Diocese of Rockville Centre — from St. Martin of Tours in Amityville, Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, and St. Dominic’s in Oyster Bay, to

name just some — said they were amazed at how quickly and how well the schools responded to the pandemic.

“St. Aidan’s [in Williston Park] has done an impeccable job in implementing distance learning,” said parent Violeta Gromulska in a comment. “The teachers’ dedication is impressive. All my emails get answered, even [at] late hours of the night.

The communication is phenomenal.

Especially [Principal Julie] O’Connell’s weekly messages. All subjects have been addressed — gym, art, music, Spanish, religion, etc. The structure, planning and implementation has exceeded my expectations. “ Other parents in the group — several

of whom said they are public school teachers — noted that some Long Island public school districts took weeks to begin remote learning and struggled to keep students engaged in virtual classrooms.

Long Island’s Catholic elementary schools worked to maintain the continuity of instruction and the normal social and spiritual structure of the students’ day with prayer, and other community activities.

There’s that sense of family. I think that’s what is making parents realize the connection between faith and learning.

Morning Star Initiative continues In January 2020, the Diocese of

Rockville Centre announced a long-term plan to strengthen, expand, support and revitalize its Catholic elementary schools (see morningstarinitiative.org). The Morning Star team in February began inperson visits to each of the 39 diocesan elementary schools to assess each school’s culture, identity and contributions.

Despite the New York on PAUSE order that closed school buildings, the team remained busy — it helped launch the Curriculum Leads program, which allows teachers to pool resources and share expertise with other grade-level and subjectarea teachers from Catholic schools around the diocese, soon after remote instruction began in mid-March.

“The pandemic may have changed the Morning Star Initiative’s trajectory and the landscape in which we were working,” said Brother Thomas Cleary, S.M., chief revitalization officer for the Morning Star Initiative, “but it has not dampened our commitment to strengthen the Catholic elementary school system one bit!” n

Above photo: Schools in the Diocese of Rockville Centre found a unique way to support and strengthen remote learning when schools were required to close last year.

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January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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LI Catholic 1-2 pg CSW ad 2021:Layout 1 1/14/21 9:19 AM Page 1

Students put moral values to work in their lives every day Strong spiritual guidance is an essential part of daily activities at Long Island’s Catholic elementary schools, creating a special sense of community among children, families, teachers, and the local parish, which reinforces moral values and an abiding respect for others. Resourceful instructors use powerful spiritual teachings and real-world experiences to bring these values to life for children, while our smaller classes allow for more personalized and productive interaction between students and teachers.

Applying strong values in many selfless ways Catholic school students apply the moral and spiritual lessons they learn in the real world by participating in charitable community initiatives throughout the year and by responding every day to others in a respectful and helpful manner. This spirit of caring and community in our students helps to

give them the enduring moral foundation to become active, contributing members of society.

Through faith we grow A strong Catholic identity as taught in Long Island’s Catholic schools matters.

These schools are uniquely empowered to help children in some very important ways. Catholic schools: √ Help socialize children in a positive way. √ Reinforce the positive values that you live in your family. √ Reassure children that they are safe and loved. √ Teach children that their value is not based on how others see them. √ Lead the way with teachers who are models of the faith.

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Our Lady of L ourdes Sc hool provides Early Childhood (2yr & 3yr), Pre-Kand K-8 education.

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"Our Lady of Lourdes School provides a nurturing learning environment focused on academic and spiritual development."

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Catholic Schools Week Virtual Open Houses • Jan. 31-Feb. 6

Faith-based education

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January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Reopening the schools

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Photo courtesy Greg Shemitz

most cases, students stayed in a single location and teachers rotated between classes to minimize contacts. Halls and stairways were identified as single direction routes within the building; and classrooms, auditoriums, cafeterias and even bathrooms were reimagined to maintain the appropriate social distance. In the classroom, desks were sepa-

rated, and clear Lexan dividers were placed on desks and tables where appropriate.

Principals worked to establish a range of new procedures at each school that helped to assure student safety. Masks of course were mandatory, and students had planned ‘mask breaks’ built into their day in safe, distanced, outdoor spaces. Some schools

staggered start and end times. Many schools utilized different doors for different grades, and all schools test everyone entering the building to assure that they don’t have a fever. The range of activities in gym changed, and food began to be served in single-serving boxes or containers.

As the new school year started, parents were given the option of having their children attend in-person or attend school virtually. While the overwhelming majority of families chose to send their children back to school, virtual students participate daily at every school.

By utilizing a combination of physical changes to their facilities, and new policies and procedures to guide daily life, Long Island’s Catholic Elementary Schools opened in early September on schedule and have been operating as planned the entire academic year. The continuity of the children’s education has been maintained.

The sanity and structure of students’ lives has been returned. Student-teacher relationships burn bright again, friends have been reunited and the children’s spiritual journeys continue. n

Above photo: Students returning to the classroom meet their classmates who remained at home to continue remote learning.

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In the mist of the conflicting information and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic that was prevalent during this past summer, the leadership team from the Morning Star Initiative and the Department of Education had to make some serious decisions. Catholic Elementary School students from across the island had been learning remotely since mid-March, and even though the schools were well prepared to take learning online again in the fall, the leadership team understood the educational and social ‘costs’ associated with isolating children for extended periods of time.

Following a parent survey that indicated that a vast majority of the families of students across the diocese would support a return to classes, the team got to work. First, a consulting firm that specialized in risk mitigation and emergency operations planning was retained to help draw up a master re-opening plan. This plan, which is available at the DRVCSchools website, provided the master plan that each school would follow.

Representatives from the emergency operations consulting firm subsequently visited each school to help each modify the elements of the plan to best suit each specific building layout and student population. One of the elements each plan included was the creation of cohorts of students who would learn together. In

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Long Island’s Catholic schools put students and families first

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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School is a Cognia accredited Catholic School providing academic excellence since 1992. We provide a faith-filled environment of prayer and sacramental preparation alongside a rigorous academic curriculum including art, technology, physical education, music, band and foreign language.

Contact Leeann Graziose, Principal, to schedule a private or virtual tour.

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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional Catholic School

January 21, 2021

strategies for success

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

your HEALTH body / mind / fitness

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January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Marie L Taylor, AAMS®, CRPC® 365 Hempstead Avenue West Hempstead, NY 11552-2042 516-538-4338

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Member SIPC

www.edwardjones.com

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Make your New Year’s resolutions stick By making goals realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check.

Drink less alcohol? Check.

It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday decorations are packed up and stored away, the frustration of an unused Fitbit or other reminders of failed resolutions can make the later winter months feel hopeless.

However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past year’s behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes.

“Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelming goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is you strive for,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. “Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time.”

By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life.

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Financial Advisor

Start small Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week for your workout instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

Change one behavior at a time Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

Talk about it Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as an exercise class, whether virtual or in-person, or connect with others to achieve a common goal. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped your run for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help.

Psychologists and therapists fully understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.

Courtesy American Psychological Association

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Take charge of your life one step at a time

our health matters — now more than ever.

We’ve struggled through an unprecedented time, which for many of us had a significant impact on our healthy lifestyle goals. We’ve sat in front of our computers on Zoom meetings, on the couch binge-watching TV and have turned to comfort foods for sustenance (often in front of the TV).

After these many months of living in our bubbles, however, we’ve reached the point where it’s clearly time to get back to the habits that kept us healthy before these endless months of being at home.

With the coronavirus pandemic still looming large, keep health and wellness at the forefront of 2021.

Break Bad Pandemic Habits Although important in preventing the spread of Covid-19, the stay-at-home orders and social distancing didn’t do many favors for some of our healthy habits. In fact, it was common that many people reduced their physical activity and ordered take-out food for meals. While there’s no need to feel guilty about that, especially if those habits helped to get you through those challenging months, it’s time to reconsider those unhealthy habits that the pandemic created.

Take a look at the habits you picked up during the pandemic. Decide if they’re hurting or helping your health. If unhealthy, focus on habits that reverse their impact for the new year.

Move, Move, Move If you’ve dropped exercising, it’s time to get back to it. While you don’t necessarily need to go back to the gym yet, with Covid-19 still raging around us, find ways to get yourself moving and motivated. Follow online workout classes at home, and exercise outside while safely distancing yourself from others.

Don’t overlook the benefits of merely walking.

Brisk walking, even for just 10 minutes a day, can improve your circulation, boost your mood and improve your sleep. If you want to start walking more in 2021, try doing it in 10 minute chunks to make it less daunting.

Remember, you can tell if you’re walking briskly enough if you’re able to talk, but you’re breathing faster than usual.

Spend Less Time Sitting Down Many health/fitness professionals consider sitting to be the new smoking — the body wasn’t built for spending hours at a desk or in front of the TV. It increases your risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and breast, colon and colorectal cancer.

Try the Pomodoro method to break up desk time: Set a timer to break each hour into two 25-minute blocks separated by two five-minute breaks. Work intently during the work periods and move about during the breaks. Use your breaks to stand up, do a quarter squat, do some rotations, or just go for a walk round the office. This technique can also boost your focus when you’re working.

Keep Up Cleanliness Habits As we continue battling coronavirus, personal hygiene and cleanliness are more important than ever. Thankfully, these habits will still have health benefits even after the pandemic is behind us. Certain practices such as washing your hands after visiting a store or wearing a mask in public when sick or in crowded places will slow the spread of other diseases and germs, such as the common cold or stomach bugs.

Re-commit To Nutritious Meals Break that comfort food habit. Or at least eat less of it. Don’t t approach healthy eating as an upleasant chore. Make food more fun by challenging yourself to cook and eat something new every week. As well as vitamins and minerals, there are hundreds of micronutrients known as phytochemicals in food. Eating a wide variety of food is an easy way of ensuring we get a good nutritional mix.

Also planning meals is an essential step in your healthy meal strategy. A focused food shopping list cuts calories and waste, and saves money, as you only buy what you need (and throw nothing away). Take the time to plan your meals, and write out a list before you goto the store.

Focus On Your Mental Health 2020 had a lot of negative news. Pairing that with social distancing and the inability to visit loved ones: it’s impacted the mental health of people everywhere.

Identifying mental health stressors and learning new ways to manage and deal with this stress is a great way to start the new year.

Need actionable next steps? Consider these tips: Consider journaling. Writing down what you feel grateful for or items troubling you can help organize your thoughts and create a greater sense of control.

Reach out to a professional. With many virtual options available, seeking advice from a therapist or psychologist is more accessible now than ever. If you’re struggling with your mental health, seeking professional help is often the best first step you can take.

Make “de-stressing” part of your routine. The highs and lows of life are unavoidable. That’s why working stress management into your routine is one of the best mental health habits you can develop.

Some options to consider include: prioritizing seven to eight hours of sleep each night (yes, that’s a stress management tool!), limiting screen-time, scheduling daily walks, planning regular conversations with loved ones, reading a book, or even making time for activities like puzzling or crafting that can take your mind off the worries of the day.

Above photo: Although the pandemic rages on, with the availability of the vaccine a better year is in sight. Commit to some essential health resolutions this year.

Life in balance

Fortify mind and spirit for the coming year We’ve been through a lot this year.

Whether you’re working from home for the foreseeable future or still have to go into the office, take a deep breath, take some time out, and get back to self-care principles.

There’s no better self-care than focusing on your mental health. When you have control of your mind and the way you think, it helps the way you process the world and will bring wholeness to your life. Resolve to build strong mental health into the year 2021 and far beyond.

Vow To Take Breaks and Time Off From Work You have to find balance in your life if you hope to have mental health.

Sometimes you might overwork yourself and this makes stress build-up that usually leads to an unhealthy climax. Simply taking breaks and time off from the job can work wonders for your mental health.

Aside from taking additional time off, just reclaiming your weekends can improve your mental health by leaps and bounds. Too many of us work stressful hours at work during the week, often carrying over into the weekend, or filling the weekend with loads of personal projects or errands that don’t give any time at all to decompress.

Make sure that you actually allow yourself time to rest and recharge during the weekend, or your stresses will only keep compounding.

Use your vacation time every year so that you can recharge your batteries.

Even taking a small vacation to unwind can help you find a balance that is healthy and fortifying.

Create A Daily Meditation Habit News of Covid-19 dominated headlines throughout 2020. The stresses of life and society will pile up and hurt you if you don’t take the time to decompress.

Meditation is one of the best steps you can take to decompress and sharpen your focus. People who meditate are literally training their brains with each session. Meditation works your brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS), which is responsible for your ability to notice patterns and trends.

By accessing this part of your brain, it becomes easier to sort things out in your life rather than getting lost in the jumble and clutter that your brain naturally creates.

The beauty is that the more you meditate, the more comfortable you with

the chaos that your brain naturally thrives in. This can help your decision making and feeling of safety and security.

Having a meditation practice can help build your feeling of spiritual connectedness to something bigger than yourself. It’s great for the brain and can help stress melt away.

Exercise A Little Bit At Least Every Day Scientists like Willem Boone have left groundbreaking research about the inherent connection between the mind and the body. What this means is that a healthy body creates a healthy mind just as much as a healthy mind can create a healthy body.

Exercising on a regular basis can help you decrease stress in your life and soothe your body.

You can take your mental health in hands simply by exercising several times per week. No matter what form of workout you prefer, elevating your heart rate and working up a serious sweat on a regular basis is therapeutic and nature’s medicine for your mind. Your brain produces feel good endorphins that act as mental medicine every single time you exercise.

This allows you to be formidable against the many different changes that happened on a day today so weak bases.

Your mind will work better when you’re constantly pumping up a sweat, you’ll feel better and have more energy.

Learn To Let It Go There’s so much of life that we can’t control. Because of this, you need to have mastery over the things within your control.

So where does that leave the things you can’t control? Let them go. Seriously.

If you admittedly have no control over that potential outcome you’re stressing out over, submit to this fact, and vow now to worry about it. Trust yourself to be resilient no matter what life throws your way, as opposed to needlessly stressing yourself out over things that may never happen.

Learning to let go is a way of life and something that you will have to revisit on a moment by moment basis. When you give yourself the grace and freedom to not stress over these sorts of matters, you’ll learn to appreciate the little things and live lighter.

Above photo: Your quality of life will improve when you learn to master your mind.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Welcoming a healthy 2021

Get good sleep Rest up for a healthy body and mind If 2020 gave you sleepless nights, let 2021 be the year you take back control of your health and sleep patterns.

Being sleep deprived can negatively affect your mental and physical health. It can even make you prone to major illnesses, from obesity to depression. Reducing screen time before bed, sleeping in a cool room, and going to bed at the same time each evening all help with a good night’s rest. Apps can also help you pinpoint any issues and help you to improve your sleep.

On average, most adults need around seen to eight hours of sleep per night, but as we get older, our sleep patterns change and we tend to get less and less. On the other hand, if you have a history of sleeping too much, try to limit your time in bed to seven to nine hours a night. Too much of a good thing can be bad, even when it comes to sleep.

It could be easy to find yourself slipping into a bad sleeping routine if you are among the many now working from home, but making simple changes could have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep.

Try to keep a regular sleeping schedule Wherever possible, aim to go to bed and get up at the same time every day (even on your weekends or days off). The consistency will help to program your internal body clock and get it used to a routine.

An irregular schedule can cause drowsiness and mood swings, as well as concentration and memory problems. There is also evidence that suggests those who have a disjointed sleeping pattern are more susceptible to weight gain.

If you are constantly changing the time you go to bed and wake up, your body is unable to adjust to a set schedule.

Minimize stress and worry before sleep Feeling worried or stressed can often be a key reason for getting a bad night’s sleep.

Relaxation techniques such as meditation can also help you feel calm before you settle down for the night.

Take some time out to wind down before you go to bed. Activities, like reading or taking a warm bath, can help you separate your sleeptime from what’s been going on during the day.

Relaxation music is also a great way to minimize stress before bed and there are also a number of apps designed to help with sleep, however it is important to consider that it is recommended that use of smartphones and tablets is minimized an hour before bed.

Break your screen habit We know it’s not easy to break your pre-bed Netflix or social media habit, but health professionals highly recommend making it one of your 2021 resolutions. The blue light emitted from your device interferes with melatonin production, which your body needs to prepare for sleep.

Optimize your sleeping environment Ensure your bedroom is the perfect place to get a good night’s sleep! First, make sure your room isn’t too hot or too cold. The perfect temperature for sleep is 65° F. Avoid bedding and sleepwear that don’t allow your skin to breathe.

Some people find that bathing or showering

before bed is also helpful.

The room should be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep — if this is not possible consider purchasing some earplugs to block out any potentially disruptive sounds. Finally, your room should also be free from light — blackout curtains or eye masks may be able to help if your room is too light.

According to sleep experts, you should be getting yourself a new mattress every seven years or so. That means you’ll be spending around 20,000 hours lying on it — so it’s well worth making sure you buy one that suits you. Research indicates that sleeping in a bad bed is the equivalent of getting an hour’s less sleep every night.

Stop snoozing Hitting the snooze button may feel good in the moment, but the adverse effects it can have don’t. If you wake up and then snooze for 15 minutes, you start a new sleep cycle and then wake up without completing it. If you wake up

feeling tired each morning, but you have a habit of snoozing, this could be the reason why.

It will take you longer to feel awake even if your eyes are open when you wake up midsleep cycle. Try to make it a habit in 2021 to get up when your first alarm goes off. If this is difficult, put your alarm on the other side of the room, so you need to get up to switch it off.

Avoid eating big meals or sugary snacks before bed If you have a big meal right before you go to bed it can take your body a while to digest it, meaning it may be difficult to get to sleep. A general rule to follow is to finish eating at least two to three hours before you intend to go to bed, particularly if you are eating heavy or sugary foods which may keep you awake longer.

Above photo: Is improving the quality of your sleep on your New Year’s resolutions list? If not, add it to your top five. Sleep is a pillar of health and wellbeing. It’s as essential as breathing,

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At Comprehensive Audiology, our goal is to provide our patients with personalized care to experience better hearing and better communication. By utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and the latest hearing aid technology, we’re

Terry Biener, CCH

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Comprehensive Audiology | 261 Broadway, Lynbrook, NY 11563 | find us on:   P 516.387.4000 E info@comprehensiveaudiology.com W comprehensiveaudiology.com

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Shake up your wake up Be smart about breakfast to kickstart the new year minutes or look for options that are easy to eat on the go, such as this Triple Sorghum Granola, which can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container to maintain its crunchy texture.

Triple Sorghum Granola 1 cup cooked sorghum (cooked according to package directions) 1/2 cup dry whole oats 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 1 cup slivered almonds 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips 1/2 cup popped sorghum (popped according to whole grain package directions) Heat oven to 200 F. Spread sorghum on jelly roll pan. Place in oven 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to large mixing bowl. Stir in oats, pepitas and almonds.

Raise oven temperature to 300 F. In 1-quart sauce pan, heat sorghum syrup and coconut oil until oil melts. Blend well. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients; stir to blend well. Spread evenly on jelly roll pan. Bake 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in cranberries, coconut chips and popped sorghum. Allow to cool. Break apart. Store in airtight container.

Above photo: Sorghum is a gluten-free whole grain that is adaptable for use in a variety of recipes.

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As you look to the new year with plans for healthier habits, there’s no better place to start than the beginning — the beginning of each day, that is. Countless studies have shown the benefits of a nutritious breakfast as part of a healthy eating plan, and there are plenty of options to make a good-for-you breakfast that tastes great, too.

Experts agree that there are numerous health benefits to breakfast. For example, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics credits breakfast with helping brain function and memory as well as preventing tiredness and overeating as the day wears on. Mayo Clinic staff adds that adults who eat breakfast are likely to consume more vitamins and minerals, and less fats and cholesterol.

Wake up your morning routine with these tips for a healthier start to each day: Plan a well-rounded meal. Incorporate whole grains, like sorghum, lean protein, low-fat dairy and fruits and vegetables, for a nutrientrich meal that will keep you fueled and feeling full until lunch time.

Experiment with new flavors.. Avoid burnout and boredom by trying new foods. For example, substitute your typical grain with sorghum. In addition to its delicious flavor, sorghum is a highly versatile ingredient that is naturally high in fiber, iron and protein and can be used in a wide range of preparations.

Eliminate obstacles. If hectic mornings are preventing you from getting a healthy breakfast, find solutions that work for you and your family.

Prepare make-ahead foods that you can heat in

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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HEALTH MEMO

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What you should know about neurostimulation to treat chronic pain What are the treatments for chronic pain?

There are many treatments for chronic pain, including, but not limited to: Physical therapy and lifestyle modification, TENS, topical therapies, over the counter and prescription medication, and injections and nerve ablations.

s many as 50 million Americans have chronic pain. It interferes with their work, their activities of daily living, and almost every facet of their lives. Brian J. Snyder, M.D., is a partner and attending neurosurgeon with Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery), Rockville Centre, and a fellowship-trained, board certified expert in using neurostimulation to treat chronic pain, surgery for epilepsy, movement disorders, and refractory pain.

What options exist when nothing else works?

Neuromodulation, or neurostimulation, is a group of procedures that involve placement of electrodes temporarily (an if successful), What causes chronic pain? permanently in the nervous system. These Chronic pain can have many causes. It can be treatment procedures interfere with the message Brian J. Snyder, M.D. caused by prior injury, medical disease, or prior for pain being sent to the brain. surgery. Some patients may have chronic pain These procedures include: spinal cord with no apparent cause. stimulation (SCS), dorsal roots ganglion stimulation (DRG), peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), occipital nerve stimulation What are some of the types of chronic pain?

(ONS), motor cortex stimulation (MCS), and deep brain stimulation • Low back pain (caused by arthritis, injury, etc.) – Some (DBS). patients with chronic low back pain may have had prior surgery and persist with that pain.

If a patient had an unsuccessful trial or implant for • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS – formerly known as neurostimulation in the past, or has a device implanted that RSD) – Caused by nerve or tissue damage, sometimes very doesn’t work very well, are they a candidate for one of these benign in nature resulting in a severe pain syndrome. procedures?

• Migraine and other headache/occipital neuralgia.

Yes. The technology has advanced substantially in the last • Shingles (post-herpetic neuropathy). several years and there are new devices and new procedures that are allowing us to treat many new patients and to better treat

patients that have older systems.

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

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

To schedule an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Snyder, please call 516- 255-9031.

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

HEALTH MEMO

HEALTH MEMO

Can winter weather affect your hearing?

Winter can be hard on your ears and your hearing aids, but with preventive measures, it doesn’t have to be.

Protect Your Hearing More than 31 million Americans ages 6 to 69 have noise-related hearing loss. Whether hunting or snowblowing, wear well-fitting earplugs, headphones, or even earmuffs.

Stay Warm and Dry A hat, scarf, or set of earmuffs keeps the severe cold, wind, or moisture from causing problems such as exostosis, which can lead to ear blockage, infections, and hearing loss.

Beware of Ear Infections A flu or cold increases chance of getting an ear infection, so get a flu vaccine and wash your hands regularly.

Protect Your Hearing Aids A hat, scarf, or set of earmuffs protects your devices from cold and moisture, too.

Also, remove your batteries at night and leave the battery door open to curb moisture and maintain battery life.

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

T

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

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

Steps to successful retirement

oday’s retirees are looking for purpose. In fact, 55 percent of them said retirement is the time for a “a new chapter in life,” according to the 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. But to afford this new chapter, retirees need to be financially prepared.

If you’re approaching retirement, how can you achieve this financial preparation?

For one thing, you may need to prioritize your goals. You might want to travel the world, collect rare wines or fix up old houses, but time and money may force you to make some choices.

You might also want to calculate if you can still afford to retire when you had initially planned. If you need to work longer, you can benefit by adding more money to your 401 (k) and IRA.

Finally, if giving back to your community is a key element of your purpose-driven life, you’ll need to budget how much you can give to charitable groups each year.

It can be extremely rewarding to live your retirement purposefully but you’ll find it a lot easier to do when you make the right financial moves.

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

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

27

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED NSPC is proud to announce that all of our world-class physicians are now in-network, participating providers with the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). We’re available for expert treatment of all brain and spine conditions.

Scan with your mobile device to schedule an appointment

In-Network with The Empire Plan (NYSHIP)

1118159

nspc.com | (844) NSPC-DOC

Our commitment of caring for Long Island is well-established, so we decided to shorten our name.

We’re now Catholic Health Services of Long Island.

No matter your health need, you can count on our highly-awarded, compassionate network of care.

HOSPITALS:

CONTINUING CARE:

MEDICAL GROUP:

• St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®

• Catholic Health Home Care • Good Shepherd Hospice

• Catholic Health Physician Partners

• Good Samaritan Hospital

• Good Samaritan Nursing & Rehabilitation

• St. Charles Hospital • St. Catherine of Siena Hospital • Mercy Hospital • St. Joseph Hospital

• Our Lady of Consolation Nursing & Rehabilitation • St. Catherine of Siena Nursing & Rehabilitation

Learn more at chsli.org/catholichealth

Catholic Health Services of Long Island is now Catholic Health 1118058

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

28

The vaccine is here, but there’s a big wait agarcia@liherald.com

The public distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in New York state has begun, but the supply in Nassau County has not kept up with the high demand, according to officials.

More than 55,000 doses of vaccines have been administered in Nassau, according to Executive Laura Curran, but as more people are vaccinated, the supply dwindles. Officials have relied on the steady influx of doses from the federal government, which sends roughly 250,000 vaccine doses a week to the state.

Under state guidance, all doses must be administered to eligible residents within the week that they are received.

In New York, a select group is currently eligible to receive the vaccine: those 65 and over, doctors, nurses and health care workers, first responders, teachers, and public transit, grocery store or public safety workers.

All appointments should be made through the state-run website, www.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov. There, residents can check if they are eligible, and appointments for both doses of the vaccine can be made.

In Nassau, a state-run vaccination site has opened at Jones Beach, while Northwell Health has established sites at the Nassau University Medical Center and Belmont Park. Sites run by the county’s Department of Health have also been established at Nassau Community College and the Yes We Can Community Center in

Andrew Garcia/Herald

SEvERAl CovID-19 vACCINAtIoN sites have opened throughout Nassau County, Executive Laura Curran announced at a press conference. Last year, she held more than 100 press conferences on coronavirus updates alongside Department of Health Commissioner Lawrence Eisenstein, left.

Westbury.

Information from the county can be found at www.nassaucountyny.gov/vaccine.

Appointments for nearly all the available sites are booked. “We do not have enough vaccine supply to meet the demand,” Curran said in an interview.

“Anyone over 65 is eligible, health care workers, teachers, first responders, law enforcement, grocery store workers, transit workers — all of those people are eligi-

ble, and that’s a lot of folks.”

“We are begging for more,” Curran added. “I’m hoping the supply chain right up to our federal government gets fixed, and we can get what we need down here.”

Officials have been working on such a tight schedule that vaccines are often administered the day they arrive. When vaccination sites opened last Tuesday, for example, the doses administered that day had only arrived earlier that morning.

“That’s how tightly we’re moving it out

as quickly as we can,” Health Commissioner Lawrence Eisenstein said at a news conference.

“It’s a rolling process, so daily we are making our decisions and determinations,” Eisenstein noted. “When we have vaccines, we schedule out as far as we can.”

Those receiving the vaccines must make sure their second dose is of the same vaccine they were given for the first dose. The county DOH will reach out to residents who should be getting their second dose at a county-run site.

Through the state-run website, the second appointment should be made for the same site automatically. The website has run into problems, however, as the high traffic has caused the page to be inundated and sometimes crash.

Ralph Esposito, director of the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency, expressed concern for home-bound veterans and elderly residents who may not have the technical know-how to navigate a website. “My main concern are the veterans,” he said. “We have to start with the weakest first.”

Outreach programs for seniors are in the works, according to Curran. Officials are working to establish more sites at senior centers or houses of worship, and transport services are available through the VA. The Nassau County Office for the Aging will also assist seniors.

“We are ready to vaccinate the rest of the community as long as the supply chain is there,” said Dr. Anthony Boutin, president and CEO of NuHealth.

Experts discuss Covid-19 relief for businesses FRom lEFt, top row: moderator Skye Ostreicher; Grassi CPAs Lou Pizzileo and Robert Tobey; Jessica Dennehy, business and legal strategist for Pivot & Slay; and Robert Piechota, Long Island branch office manager for the SBA New York District Office for U.S. Business Administration.

By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com

Looking to relieve the economic burden felt by your business because of the Covid-19 pandemic? The latest episode of Herald Inside LI is here to help.

Four panelists gathered for the latest webinar, which focused on avenues of financial relief for small businesses. They included attorney Jessica Dennehy, business and legal strategist for Pivot & Slay; Robert Piechota, Long Island branch office manager for the SBA New York District Office for U.S. Business Administration; and Lou Pizzileo and Robert Tobey, CPAs and partners with Grassi Advisors and Accountants.

Skye Ostreicher, of Herald Community Newspapers and RichnerLive, moderated the discussion.

The episode premiered Dec. 8, as applications for a second round of paycheck protection program loans were soon approaching.

“This is really the hallmark of government response — it is in itself unprecedented,” Piechota said.

There have been roughly 65,000 PPP loans offered on Long Island, Piechota said. PPP loans are designed to help business owners maintain payroll to employees or themselves, Piechota explained. Sixty percent of the loan must go to payroll, while 40 percent can go toward expenses.

Piechota also explained that economic injury disaster loans, or EIDLs, are available directly through the SBA. Application information about them can be found at sba. gov.

The employee retention program is also a “flexible” option, Tobey said, that could help some businesses stay

Herald Inside LI Photo

afloat. A home health care agency was forced to lay off trainers, for example, he said, but it qualified and recouped some losses.

“It puts real money in your pocket today,” Tobey said.

“It’s a quick way to recover some cash that you can use to run your business.”

Grassi advisers can help business owners navigate the “interplay” between the employee retention and payroll protection programs to maximize the credit received, Tobey said. “It’s a really cool program,” he said. “This is something that a lot of folks really haven’t focused on. We picked up on this, and we think a lot of clients and businesses will be able to benefit in 2021.”

“This is the biggest stimulus package since the New Deal,” Pizzileo said. “For all its drama in the roll out, it’s been a great program that’s saved many, many businesses and many jobs.”

What about businesses that did not apply for the first round of PPP assistance, but qualified? For them, the program is reopening in 2021, Pizzileo said, and it will be available in an expanded fashion.

Businesses that are temporarily shut down, but still plan to open, can also qualify for PPP loans, Tobey said.

The application period for the second round of PPP loans opened the week of Jan. 11.

Business owners planning to apply should gather records showing a 25 percent reduction in revenue, which is one criterion to qualify for the loan, Pizzileo said.

This webinar was sponsored by Grassi. Questions can be directed to the Grassi Crisis Response and Recovery hotline at (212) 223-6216 or response@grassicpas.com.

Herald Inside LI is a weekly webinar series. To view this full recording or attend future webinars, visit liherald.com/insideli.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

By ANDREW GARCIA

29

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

30

Town acquisition of NYAW is ‘feasible’ NEW YORK AMERICAN Water’s corporate offices in Merrick.

By ALYSSA SEIDMAN aseidman@liherald.com

A study conducted by Walden Environmental Engineering has determined that New York American Water ratepayers in the Town of Hempstead would save between $70 and $383 a year if the town acquired a portion of the private utility’s Nassau operation, which was seen as “feasible,” according to Newsday.

The Herald requested a copy of the study from the town, but had not received it as of press time on Monday.

Walden’s findings contradict a Dec. 31 letter from the town’s water commissioner to the state Public Service Commission, NYAW’s regulatory arm. In it, Commissioner John Reinhardt wrote that such savings would be “diminutive” compared to the almost $500 million cost of acquiring the system. The study concluded that the acquisition would cost closer to $465 million.

NYAW services roughly 113,000 households in the Town of Hempstead.

Reinhardt explained to the Herald that Walden used three different methodologies to conduct its study, which determined a range of valuations of NYAW’s Nassau operation based on comparative sale ($420.4 million), asset cost ($540 million) and income methods ($598.1 million). “The $465 million is the weighted valuation of those three,” he said, “which falls far short . . . of the actual selling price of the company at this point in the Liberty transaction.”

The town hired Walden to conduct the study last August after advocates called on the PSC to consider alternatives to American Water Works’ proposed sale of its New York operations to Liberty Utilities, another private entity. The $608 million deal, announced in November 2019, stipulates a statewide acquisition of the company’s assets by the Canada-based utility.

Although Walden’s study has been filed with the PSC, it is not on the state agency’s publicly facing filings for the case, Newsday reported. Claudia Borecky, the co-director of Long Island Clean Air Water and Soil, a Merrick-based advocacy group, said she requested a copy of the study from the town back in October, when it was set to be completed, but has yet to receive it.

“Our research showed that there would definitely be a savings” for customers under a public takeover, Borecky said. “That’s why we wanted to see what Hempstead came up with, but they don’t want to admit that it will save us money.”

CAWS Co-Director Dave Denenberg was able to assess the Walden study, but declined to disclose his source. He said that even if the acquisition required a 30-year payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement, based on Walden’s numbers, “every ratepayer would save.”

But Reinhardt’s letter tells a different story. “While a municipal takeover without . . . PILOTS would reduce water bills,” he wrote, “it would not result in a net cost reduction to customers as they would absorb these costs in their own property tax bills.”

NYAW President Lynda DiMenna said that while the company is still evaluating the results of Walden’s study, it believed the Liberty deal is still the best option for local ratepayers. “The fastest way to achieving more affordable water service . . . is to address the special franchise tax that is unfairly levied on our customers, which makes up a significant portion of our customers’ bills,” DiMenna said in statement.

Legislation to eliminate those franchise taxes was introduced in the State Senate last year by Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach, and co-sponsored by Sen. John Brooks, a Democrat from Seaford.

Although Brooks has yet to see Walden’s study, he questioned the veracity of the findings. “One of the unknowns is who owns the assets of New York American Water,” he said. “If we, the ratepayers, own it, that changes the cost study dramatically.”

Brooks said he would write to the PSC this week, requesting that it determine ownership of NYAW’s assets, which he believes is the utility’s ratepayers. Referring to the company, he said, “They can never say they paid for anything — they made a profit on everything.”

Reinhardt said that a public acquisition of NYAW’s Hempstead operation would require a much larger entity. In his letter, he demanded “state involvement.”

“The big issue is the difference between feasibility and prudency,” he told the Herald. “Dollar for dollar, [the acquisition] may show a cash wash, but based on residents’ complaints through the years, there is obviously a need to continue to create improvements to the system. Even with local control, the town would have to use cash savings to drive improvements, which don’t come for free.”

Alyssa Seidman/Herald

Study: Public water would be cheaper on the North Shore Results of a study commissioned by the Village of Sea Cliff to examine switching from private to public water are in, and the study concluded that municipal water would be less expensive for Sea Cliff Water District residents than sticking with the current private provider, New York American Water.

Ratepayers would save $430 to $492 a year if water were provided by a public entity.

Sea Cliff hired Walden Environmental Engineering last April to conduct the study, which was funded by State Senate grants.

After Walden valued the district’s infrastructure based on the market, resident income and district assets, Village Administrator Bruce Kennedy said the purchase of all assets should not exceed $20 million. He added that ratepayers could pay for the purchase by floating a 30-year bond, which, he said, could help them save more money.

The district’s elected representatives, including State Sen. Jim Gaughran and Assemblymen Charles

Lavine and Michael Montesano, have been vocal supporters of public water. On July 23, a bill establishing the public North Shore Water District, authored by Gaughran, passed the State Senate.

A companion bill was presented to the Assembly

by Lavine around the same time, but did not pass by the end of the year. New bills will be presented to the Senate and Assembly this year, and if they were to pass and then be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an authority could be established by April, Kennedy said.

Additionally, Cuomo announced legislation on Oct. 28 calling on the state to examine the feasibility of a public takeover of NYAW’s infrastructure across Nassau County. If passed, the bill would require a study by the state Public Service Commission to be conducted by April 1.

–Mike Conn

History repeats itself In 2016, after more than five years of deliberations and a $90,000 feasibility study, the board of directors of the Water Authority of Southeast Nassau County voted against a local public takeover of New York American Water, effectively dissolving WASENC. The authority was charged in 2010 with investigating whether the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay could — and should — assume control of American Water. The body was impaneled by the towns after a number of residents complained that the private company was charging significantly higher rates for the same water that the towns provide to residents in surrounding communities such as East Meadow.

WASENC retained George E. Sansoucy, P.E., LLC, to study the feasibility of a public acquisition. The draft study was completed in November 2013, according to WASENC’s secretary at the time, John Reinhardt, Hempstead’s water commissioner, but the public had yet to see those findings for more than six months, prompting a protest in July 2014.

The Sansoucy study found that a takeover of

American Water’s assets in local communities by eminent domain could cost as much as $80 million, which would have to be bonded. Reinhardt said the board voted against a public takeover in 2016 because there was no evidence to suggest that it would save ratepayers money, and noted that it would likely cost them $73, or 11.6 percent, more per year over the first three decades of the takeover.

The State Legislature created WASENC in 1991 to determine whether a public takeover of New York Water Service Corporation, the private company that provided water to the region at the time, made economic sense. Aqua America took over New York Water Service Corporation, and then American Water Works Company took over Aqua New York, the Aqua subsidiary responsible for the area. American Water Works now provides water to communities such as Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford and Massapequa Park through NYAW. Previously reported in the Herald

31

OBITUARIES

Lifelong RVC resident Joan Gibbons Boyle dies at 88

ed in the Red and Blue events. She attended Westbrook College in Maine, graduating in 1948, and worked as a medical secBarbara Dixon lived most of her life in retary for Dr. Jonas Salk.

Rockville Centre, and during that time, She and her husband of 67 years, she made sure to embrace many aspects James Dixon, were married in October of of the village. From working as a cross- 1953 at the Church of the Ascension in ing guard to serving as trustee of the Rockville Centre. She was a member of Phillips House Museum, Dixon was an St. Mark’s United Methodist Church for active part of the community until she 34 years, served as president of the Unitmoved to North Carolina upon retire- ed Methodist Women, and was involved ment in 1993. She died on Dec. 28, 2020, in in the handbell choir and the church Burlington, NC, at the age of bazaar. Barbara was also a 92.

4-H Leader and marched in For 15 years, Dixon was all the RVC Memorial Day committed to the safety of parades representing 4-H, Rockville Centre children, which both of her children serving as a crossing guard were also involved in. Accordfor students at Wilson Eleing to her son, his mother mentary School from 1978 exposed him and his sister, until 1993. She stood at the Suzanne, to the arts locally corner of Buckingham and and in New York City, and DeMott Avenue, a busy corwill be remembered by them ner that required guidance, for her cooking and baking Barbara Dixon according to her son, David skills – especially her meatDixon. loaf, Easter Bunny salad, car“My mom was dedicated to that job rot cake and holiday cookies. and protecting the children,” David When Barbara and James moved to Dixon said. “She was so well liked and Fearrington Village, NC, in 1993, she conrespected that Wilson School gradu- tinued to stay active. She volunteered for ates would come back years later to show Habitat for Humanity and sung soprano them their own families and newborn with the “Harmony Grits” choir. She children.” spent 50 family summers at Silver She made such an impact that on her Bay YMCA in Lake George. last day on the job, the entire student Barbara is predeceased by her parents, body, teachers and the principal marched Alfred and Mabel Fox, and her brother from Wilson School to the corner to wish Alfred. In addition to her husband and her well, and gave her a round of children, she is survived by her grandapplause and a bouquet of flowers. The children Patrick and Jessica; and act of appreciation was covered in The many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and News & Owl (now incorporated by the cousins.

Rockville Centre Herald), which reported T h e f a m i ly e x p re s s e d i t s s i n that 376 children from the school cere thanks to the staff at Twin Lakes for marched out to say good-bye and thank their years of care. A memorial service/ her for “a job well done.” celebration of life will be planned at a Barbara Dixon was born on Aug. 6, future date.

1928 in Brooklyn and lived in Baldwin Donations in Barbara’s memory can and Rockville Centre as a child. She be sent to: attended Riverside Elementary School Silver Bay YMCA, 87 Silver Bay and graduated from South Side High Rd., Silver Bay NY 12874 or University School in 1946, where she also participat- UMC, PO Box 728 Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Joan Dolores Gibbons Boyle (nee Buschmann) of Rockville Centre and Hutchinson Island, FL, passed away peacefully the morning of Jan. 10, 2021.

Joan was born on July 27, 1932 in Belle Harbor, Queens, to Arthur and Helen Buschmann (nee Thoma). In 1944, the Buschmanns moved to Rockville Centre, where Joan spent the rest of her years.

She was a 1950 graduate from St. Agnes High School. In September of 1952, Joan married her high school sweetheart John (Jay) Gibbons and together had six children. Her husband Jay predeceased her in 1987 when he passed away suddenly. Several years later she met and married her second husband, Edward Boyle, of Oceanside, and they were married for 17 years until he passed away in 2017. She was also predeceased by her younger sister Sandra (Sandy) Casey of Fort Pierce, FL in 2010.

Joan was a devoted mother, wife and Catholic. She loved the beach, to read and

By JILL NOSSA

jnossa@liherald.com

NEWS BRIEF Restaurants can apply for New York state grants for up to $5,000 from the state economic development agency for help to survive through the coronavirus pandemic.

Full-service restaurants — including eating and drinking establishments, as well as eateries that transitioned to takeout-only during Covid — are eligible to apply for the grant funding. Eligible restaurants must have been in operation on or before March 1, 2019, certify that they have experienced financial hardship due

Obituary notices Obituary notices, with or without photographs, can be submitted by individuals as well as local funeral establishments. They should be typed and double-spaced. The name of the individual or funeral establishment submitting the obituary should be included. A contact phone number must be included.

There is no charge for obituaries.

Send to: jnossa@liherald.com or 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530

Public Notices

LROC1 0121

LEGAL NOTICE Enimrac LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/14/2020.

Office: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 188 Pine St Rockville Ctr 11570. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

124419 Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

Restaurants can apply for NY state grants to the pandemic, and agree to comply with the state’s public health policies.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unique challenges to the restaurant industry and we must ensure these small businesses have the support they need to survive,” State Sen. Todd Kaminsky stated in a news release. “I am hopeful that this grant will help defray expenses for our local restaurants and encourage them to apply.”

–Jeffrey Bessen

to golf. She was a talented athlete and in her younger years played basketball for both St. Agnes CYO and St. Agnes High School. She is survived by her six children: Joni (David) Weeks, Jane (Dennis) Helfman, Jean (Paul) Conroy, June (Paul) Molloy, John (Christine) Gibbons, Jill Rathjen; and 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. In addition to her siblings: Judith (Judie) Haggerty, Susan (Suzie) Wallace, Arthur (Budd) Buschmann, Robert (Robbie) Buschmann and Helen Buschmann. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2021, at 10:45 a.m. at St. Agnes Cathedral, in Rockville Centre.

Burial will be immediately following the funeral services at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury. If anyone wishes to make a donation, please make it to either Peggy’s House at the Center for Hope Hospice, www.cfhh.org or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research, www.michaeljfox. org in the name of Joan Gibbons Boyle.

LEGAL NOTICE Village of Rockville Centre Nassau County, New York Notice of Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing Date: January 27, 2021 Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 340 Rockville Centre Village Code NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Appeals of the Village of Rockville Centre will hold a Zoning Appeals Hearing via videoconferencing and will be recorded LEGAL NOTICE January 27th, 2021 at 7:00 PM

Case # 30-2020 – Michael & Jamie Quinn – continued from January 6th, 2021 To maintain a detached garage with a proposed side yard setback of 1.5 feet, a rear yard setback of 2.6 feet where 4.0 feet is minimum required for each, and a height of 24 feet where 15 feet is the maximum allowable within a Residence A district.

Premises known as 23 Windermere Place Public work session Case #43-2019 – Chris Acerno Extension of time request.

Premises known as 47 Varick Court Dated: January 15, 2021 BOARD OF APPEALS OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, Rockville Centre, New York J. Robert Schenone, Chairman Patrick D. O’Brien, Secretary Information and records for appeals cases are available at the Office of the Secretary of the Board of Appeals, 110 Maple Avenue, RVC, NY 124434

LEGAL NOTICE MALVERNE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT MALVERNE, NEW YORK -- LEGAL NOTICE -CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES The Malverne Union Free School District, 301 Wicks Lane, Malverne, New York, 11565, invites sealed proposals for p r o v i d i n g CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES within the Malverne Union Free School District.

Notice is hereby given that proposals, submitted in sealed envelopes for CONSTRUCTION M A N A G E M E N T SERVICES, will be received and publicly read: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 9:00 a.m.

301 Wicks Lane Malverne Administration Building Malverne, NY 11565 Sealed proposals are to be addressed to the attention of: Daniel Balzan, Assistant Administrator for Business, Malverne Union Free School District, 301

Wicks Lane, Malverne, New York 11565.

All proposals must be submitted to the Assistant Administrator for Business, on or before the date and time of opening in sealed envelopes, bearing on the outside the name and address of the bidder and the title of the bid in the lower left-hand corner.

Specifications may be obtained by e-mail: dbalzan@malverne.k12.n y.us or dfecht@malverne.k12.ny. us Contact Daniel Balzan at dbalzan@malverne.k12.n y.us with any questions regarding this proposal.

The Board of Education reserves the right to award all or a part of this proposal or to reject all proposals or to make awards which are in the best interest of the school district.

By Order of the Board of Education Malverne Union Free School District Dated: January 21, 2021 Malverne Herald Newsday 124427

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Barbara Dixon, former crossing guard, dies at 92

HERALD

Employment

CLASSIFIED

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

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

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

(We said it was simple. We didn’t say it was easy.) to join our outside sales team, contact Rhonda glickman. send your resume today. rglickman@liherald.com, 516-569-4000 x250.

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OFFICE HELP WANTED: MANY POSITIONS AVAILABLE

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1118287

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Q. I wanted to add on to the den on the side of my house. The den has been there since 1930. The problem I’m having is that if I want to make the addition so that it’s in alignment with the current den, the side distance to my property line is too close, by 12 inches, according to my building department. They say that I have to match the code requirement that was adopted in 1938, so instead of having a straight wall going all the way back, I either need to make a jog in the wall or go for a zoning variance. It just doesn’t make sense. I’m not adding a monster-sized addition, just 10 feet by 10 feet on the side of my house, behind tall hedges. My neighbor doesn’t mind, so what can I do about this?

Oceanside

Colonial Style Home

T

otally renovated from the ground up! This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom Colonial features all new eat in kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and island. This home has a stunning formal dining room and huge living room, master suite with private bathroom, walk in closet, second floor laundry and pull down attic. There is a full basement with high ceilings and spray foam insulation. This home boasts a detached one car garage, all new heating, central air conditioning, electric, insulation plumbing, white oak hardwood floors, windows, siding, roof, black gutters, downspouts and more Out of the flood zone. Offered at $749,000

A. Not much, except decide whether you want a ridiculous-looking room with a jog in the wall or want to spend the money and time to go through the zoning variance process. When I see cases like this, I understand the intent of the law, but not the “spirit” of the law.

The intent is to prevent the construction of buildonte eeper ings too close to a property line, based on historical catastrophes such as the London fire and the Chicago fire, both of which saw hundreds of lives lost and tens of thousands of buildings destroyed, mainly because of their closeness to one another and their ability to burn easily.

We live in a modern age in which materials have been tested, analyzed, certified and regulated to limit flame spread, and communities have been set up with strict guidelines to leave spaces between buildings for safety and appearance. But knowing, or not remembering, this, communities may invoke the strictness of the law like a stern punishment, or look at the separate conditions and merits of each case, deciding that your straight wall versus a jogged wall isn’t going to hurt anyone and, being located on the side or behind your house, isn’t going to detract from the character of the community.

Some building departments have been given the flexibility to make these decisions, to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and have the authority to give approval for minor issues. Some municipalities have even gone so far as to pass ordinances allowing the discretion of building departments to allow for the alignment of built structures, previously approved, on the first story. It makes sense not to put homeowners through an unnecessary hearing process, sometimes costing thousands of dollars and many months of delay, just so they can have a straight wall.

Allowing alignment with a previously approved part of a building isn’t the same as having a flammable wall too close to a property line or another building. In the long run, a variance will be worth it. Otherwise the weird wall shift won’t be understood or be beneficial to you. Good luck!

Ask The Architect

M

516-644-8097 & 516-779-8423 www.thegandolfoteam.com Century 21 American Homes Direct: 516-779-8423 Email: johngandolfosells@gmail.com

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© 2021 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

A zoning variance for a bigger den?

33

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

HERALD

35

36

HERALD EDITORIAL

Rockville centRe

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

HERALD

Established 1990 Incorporating The News & Owl of Rockville Centre 1928-2001 Jill Nossa Editor BRiaNa BoNFiGlio Reporter MaRTY GolDENBERG Advertising Account Executive oFFicE 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: rvceditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ cliFFoRD RicHNER sTUaRT RicHNER Publishers MicHaEl BoloGNa Vice President - Operations ■ scoTT BRiNToN Executive Edtitor JiM HaRMoN

Copy Editor cHRisTiNa DalY Photo Editor ToNY BEllissiMo Sports Editor KaREN BlooM Calendar Editor ■ RHoNDa GlicKMaN Vice President - Sales EllEN REYNolDs Classified Manager loRi BERGER Digital Sales Manager ■

President Biden has his work cut out for him

W

e will need years, if not decades, to unravel and repair the damage that President Trump has done to the nation with his politics and policies.

Beyond his ineffectual, incoherent, even reckless approach to addressing the coronavirus pandemic, which has left the country in tatters, he worked continually to reverse sound policies and regulations developed over decades. Here are the Long Island-specific issues that we are hoping to see President Joe Biden address:

1. Climate change. There is no doubt that, long-term, global warming is among the most urgent issues facing Long Island.

We are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, which is expected to rise in the coming decades as the Earth heats and the massive ice shelves of Greenland and the Antarctic melt away into the oceans as a result. It is unclear precisely how high the oceans will rise, but the range could be anywhere from one foot, if we were to act aggressively to limit carbon emissions, to as much as eight feet by the year 2100, if we were to continue on our current course, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

We could live with a one-foot rise. Eight feet would be a disaster, with significant inland flooding. Whole swaths of the Island could be lost to the sea. Think about that: Eight decades from now (one human lifetime), much of our home island could be underwater if we don’t curb our greenhouse gas emissions — now, not later.

Biden signaled weeks before he took

office that he would re-enter the 2015-16 Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gases, which Trump pulled out of in 2017. Doing so would be an excellent start, but there is so much else to do — in particular, supporting our nascent green-energy industries, including solar and wind. Long Island is located in a region of the world known as the “Saudi Arabia of wind.” Under Trump, however, the federal government has done all it can to stall the development of major oceanic wind farms off our coast. It’s high time that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management fast-track these projects.

2. Wetlands protection. Almost from the start of his presidency, Trump vowed to do away with an Obama-era rule that protected our streams, bays and wetlands from chemical contamination. The rule, known as the Waters of the United States regulation, covered roughly 60 percent of the nation’s waterways, according to The New York Times.

Last January, Trump did away with the rule, but went further, allowing land owners and developers, for the first time in decades, “to dump pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers directly into hundreds of thousands of waterways, and to destroy or fill in wetlands for construction projects,” The Times noted.

Many citizens might not have noticed the loosening of a key environmental regulation, because Trump was six days into his first Senate impeachment trial at the time.

Wetlands are critical to buffering Long Island against hurricanes and tropical

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LETTERS ‘Long Way Up’ is satisfying indeed To the Editor: Re Scott Brinton’s column “‘Long Way Up,’ a deeply satisfying travelogue” (Dec. 24-30): As someone who has lived and worked extensively in Latin America, I read with great interest Brinton’s opinions on “Long Way Up.” I have now watched all 11 episodes, and found them absolutely fascinating.

Thank you. I would not have known about the series had it not been for Brinton’s highly descriptive piece.

Americans are notoriously insular when it comes to geography. “Long Way Up” gives us an intriguing look into the warmth and character of the Indigenous people living along the diverse roadways of Latin America, but it also awes us with spectacular glimpses of rugged, snow-capped mountains; colorful, varying waterways; and vast, stark deserts, together with captivating views of renowned historical sites such as Machu Picchu, which I have visited three times.

The series reflects a lesser-known, yet highly admirable, humanitarian side of the famous actor Ewan McGregor and his pal Charley Boorman.

storms, absorbing storm surge and thus protecting our mainland. Any effort to deregulate wetlands protection is a threat to the Island. The regulation must be restored.

3. SALT deduction: For many Long Islanders, there has been no single policy as economically consequential as Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which limited the itemized deduction for state and local taxes.

Beginning in 2018, married couples filing joint federal tax returns could deduct only $10,000 for combined state, local and property taxes, or $5,000 for those filing separate returns.

Average homeowners on Long Island lost tens of thousands of dollars in deductions as a result of the act. Where once area families might have had a combined $35,000 or $45,000 in deductions, suddenly they were forced to take the new standard deduction of $24,000. Effective tax rates were lowered, yes, but not enough to make up for the deductions loss, so many Long Islanders saw their federal taxes increase.

We should also note that the tax rate reductions for individuals are set to expire in 2025, whereas Trump’s corporate tax reductions are permanent. Talk about socking it to the little guy!

The loss of SALT deductions is fundamentally unfair, in part, because it forces people to pay federal taxes on top of state and local taxes that they have already paid.

Clearly, this legislation needs reform, and with a new administration and a Democratically controlled Congress, we hope to see it overhauled.

37

OPINIONS

O

n March 4, 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln stood on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol to take the oath of office and deliver his first inaugural address.

Seven southern states had already split from the Union. Others would soon follow, and the day felt gloomy and worrisome.

There are so many similarities between the America of the early 1860s and the America of today.

The Capitol, then as now, was heavily guarded by armed troops. Lincoln had to be spirJIM ited into Washingin the dark of BERNSTEIN ton night, so terrified were his guards and aides that mobs would descend on his train and assassinate him.

Yet on that March afternoon, Lincoln delivered a message that he hoped would be healing. “We are not enemies, but friends,” he said in a deep but gentle

voice. “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

Unfortunately, the president’s words did not stop the southern states from forming the Confederacy and attacking Fort Sumter, outside Charleston, S.C. Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederacy two weeks after Lincoln’s inauguration.

Four years of war changed the face of America forever.

Yet once the Confederates surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Lincoln remained compassionate to the vanquished South and reached out with a healing hand. Confederate troops were allowed to return home unharmed, and Lincoln began the process of Reconstruction and bringing the rebel states back into the Union.

This week, Donald Trump, one of the most polarizing presidents in American history, was scheduled to leave the White House after four tumultuous years. The

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situation sadly reminiscent of the scene at the Capitol nearly 160 years ago.

LETTERS Again, many thanks to Brinton for sharing his views on “Long Way Up.” CHRIS CARRINGTON Glen Head

Comparing Trump to Goebbels was out of line To the Editor: I get that the Herald has a point of view, and that it appears to despise Donald Trump. That said, it was disappointing that in last week’s editorial, “It’s high time truth prevails once again,” the Herald compared Trump’s assertion that he won the election to the propaganda of Joseph Goebbels, a person who committed unspeakable crimes against humanity.

Nazi comparisons are overused, dishonest, and most of all disrespectful, as many millions of people died because of Goebbels’s lies.

The editorial did not address that, as opposed to the criminal behavior of Goebbels, the election audit proposed by Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley was entirely legal, and would not have delayed the inauguration of President Joe Biden. But it would have assured tens of millions of Americans that the election results had an acceptable level of integrity, and it should have been done.

It was also disappointing that columnist Randi Kreiss wrote that we should do “more than take away [Trump’s] Twitter account.” What further action would she suggest, and where are we going with this?

Further, when Twitter continues to allow such tweets as “Every day that ends in y

nation is badly in need of healing, and that enormous task is now in the hands of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The question that we face — and that Lincoln faced — is simple, yet extraordinarily complex: How do we heal this country, tortured by a pandemic, unemployment, racism and division not seen for decades?

Lincoln’s plan was to readmit the rebel states and extend to the country paths out of poverty. Nearly 160 years later, our American society is far more complex.

Millions of people believe the 2020 election was “stolen,” and that a “deep state” exists, and is preparing to overthrow America and spread communism, socialism, Satanism, take your pick.

But somehow, we must begin the process of healing. A good place to start would be in the schools, from elementary to college. Education programs as simple as how a democracy works would be a big help. Courses in how to read a newspaper would be helpful, too. I have met a num-

ber of people who do not know the difference between an opinion column and a news story.

Public libraries could establish discussion groups on the meaning of the last election, and the underlying cause of the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Speakers — Republicans, Democrats, liberals and conservatives — could be called on to present their views, and the audience could question them and discuss their opinions.

Perhaps most important, people who have not spoken to one another during most of Trump’s presidency could find ways to get together, even in small groups.

They might begin by talking about their kids, the Buffalo Bills or the baseball season that’s just around the corner. They might just find out how much they have in common, as opposed to what has divided them.

Once people see one another as human beings, and not as caricatures out of a comic book, it becomes harder to scream oaths and obscenities across a room.

If we can do just this much, the healing process will have begun.

Jim Bernstein is the editor of the Long Beach Herald.

FRAMEWORK by Christina Daly

should be Punch at Trumper Day,” and one that calls for the president to be assassinated, it is plain that only some people who say some things will be censored by this social media platform.

Applying standards fairly matters, even when Trump is involved. Making Nazi comparisons and deciding who to censor on social media platforms are not solutions that are healthy for society when the underlying issues are more complex. In my opinion, you underestimate the intelligence of your readers.

MICHELLE GRAHAM Oceanside

Democrats had a chance to heal To the Editor: The days and weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol could have been a time for healing, since both parties were on the same page about the events of that day. This could have been a 9/11 moment when both sides agreed that the attack was on all of us. If Joe Biden were truthful about wanting to heal the nation, he would have used the opportunity to pull the country together. Instead, he is exploiting this tragic event for the advancement of the liberal Democratic cause. Not allowing President Trump to ride out his final days in office by attempting a second impeachment is the most divisive, vengeful political act that I have witnessed.

Trump was the first person in U.S. history with no political experience or military background to win the presidency. His

At the flea market — Bellmore

voice was heard by the working class and the forgotten Americans who have been taken for granted by Washington. His election was a protest vote against the establishment.

It took a non-politician not to get us into a war for the first time in over 50 years, to bring jobs back to the U.S., to lower unemployment, to put money in the working person’s 401(k) and pocket, to support our troops and veterans, to support our law enforcement and first responders, to renegotiate bad trade deals, to stop North Korea from lobbing missiles over Japan, to stand up to China, to build more border wall, to open opportunity zones in minori-

ty neighborhoods, to negotiate two peace deals in the Middle East, to respect our flag, to put Operation Warp Speed into action, and I could go on. He did all this while the entrenched politicians from both parties, big tech, the media and Hollywood all fought against him.

The Democrats set out for revenge after the 2016 election because Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. Confucius said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” The 2022 midterm election will be interesting.

TOM O’CONNOR North Bellmore

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

Let the healing begin

January 21, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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OPINIONS

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What we do right now will echo in history

merica is in a state of shock in the wake of the assault on the U.S. Capitol, a second impeachment of President Trump and months of denial of the validity of November’s election. We have a new president who got the same number of electoral votes in 2020 as Trump did in 2016. The losing side can scream, holler and moan and the winning side can make grandiose plans for a new era, restricted only by how much our federal budget can absorb.

JERRY But we need an armistice.

The KREMER real question is, are the combatants ready to move on, or do we spend another four years arguing over Georgia, mail-in voting and Twitter’s right to ban people from its feed? In case you haven’t noticed, roughly 4,000 people a day are dying of Covid-19, and the numbers are going up. The country is paying a heavy price for those who ignored warnings about holiday gatherings and the stupid

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people who still refuse to wear a mask because they consider it a political statement.

If you’re looking for help from some of the members of Congress, you’re seeking the wrong direction. It is shocking to see some of them refusing to stop for a metal detector in the Capitol, a week after a howling mob broke into the House of Representatives with the chanted intent to “Hang Mike Pence!” and kill Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The debate over Trump’s second impeachment revealed that there are still over 100 members of Congress who out of fear or stupidity are denying that an insurrection took place.

If Washington were a movie, we would be about to see the second run of what President Barack Obama faced when he was elected. The nation has been crippled economically by a virus that knows no political distinctions. It steals the last breaths from the young and the old, the healthy and the infirm, and is still very much not under control. Millions of people are out of work.

You may be one of the lucky ones who

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have incomes and steady jobs, but it’s more than likely that some of your neighbors need the help of the local food pantry, and line up for free groceries.

It doesn’t take much vision to figure out how bad things really are in our beloved country.

Many thousands of businesses in New York state have closed for good in the pandemic. Whether it’s a nail salon, a small restaurant, a children’s clothing store or some other place that you’ve patronized for years, they are slowly disappearing, never to return again. Landlords are entitled to collect rent, and if local businesses can’t afford that rent, it’s only a matter of time before the financial stresses cause more closings.

We have a new president and the opportunity to revive an ailing nation, but it will require a new dose of unity to make things happen. If you travel to places like Richmond, Va., or Nashville, Tenn., you can buy Civil War booklets, battle maps and even knockoffs of Civil War attire. Most of it is just for the tourists, but there are still plenty of

n ailing nation needs not only a new president, but a new dose of unity.

people who believe the South won the war and they were “cheated” by the North. After World War I, many Germans believed they had won the war even though they signed a treaty of surrender.

Recovering from our current state of distress will not be easy. There are millions of true Trump believers who will stick to the lie that the election was rigged, and will resist any efforts to expand benefits into rural America and help their starving neighbors. There are lots of nut jobs out there with guns and loads of ammunition who are prepared to kill people who don’t follow their demented thinking.

The country is at a turning point. We can continue to look at everything through a political lens, or we can begin the job of healing. We have to set aside our political grievances and be open to the need to be a more united nation. If America fails going forward, it will be our failure.

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

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

Fear hovers over Biden inauguration week

s I write this, after the mob attack on the Capitol and before this week’s Presidential Inauguration, like many of you, I don’t know what to believe. From one corner, I hear credible threats that violent groups are planning to attack state capitols, and Washington, D.C., at any time. From another corner, I read that every agency responsible for national security is on high alert and that thousands of National Guard troops have been called into action RANDI to keep us safe.

KREISS Some people are echoing FDR: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” But times have changed. Most Americans stood together with FDR in the World War II fight. Now we apparently have to fear the enemies within.

The media is running with the big story, and that story is the possibility of further anarchy.

Much of the original inauguration plan has been scrapped to offer better security to incoming President Joe Biden and his team. Usually, as many as

200,000 people attend the ceremony; this year only 1,000 invited guests will be there. The outgoing president will not attend. Tens of thousands of National Guard troops will be on site.

The inaugural parade will be “virtual” across America. High fences have been erected around public buildings in the nation’s capital. One commentator said last night that Washington looks like the Green Zone, the heavily fortified area in the middle of Baghdad.

Are you feeling, as I do, that so much has already been lost? In the same way that Islamic terrorists won once we started disrobing at airport check-ins, the domestic terrorists have also gained ground. Their violence has necessitated that we live our lives differently.

Twelve years ago, when Barack and Michelle Obama walked down Pennsylvania Avenue after his inauguration, what a promising moment it was. In a column dedicated to my granddaughter, I wrote: “Sabrina, when you vote for president for the first time in 2024, my guess is it won’t matter much if the candidate is a woman or a man, gay or straight, white, Black, Hispanic or Asian. And it won’t matter because of

I

this election in 2008. As President-elect Barack Obama said in his victory speech, ‘Change has come to America.’”

We have come apart at the seams since then. Change has come, but not the change Obama envisioned.

We have become a country where delusional thinking takes hold among millions of people who act out their rage and frustration on elected officials and cherished landmark buildings, the iconic symbols of our democracy. We have become the place where, through incompetence, ignorance and even intentionality, a ferocious pandemic is raging across the country, as our leaders have failed to take appropriate steps to keep us safe.

Last Friday, the FBI was publicly warning of violent attacks on state institutions in the days leading up to and including the inauguration. But the same agency failed to sound the alarm before Jan. 6, when it reportedly had intelligence indicating an imminent attack on the Capitol. How do we reconcile that?

As the alarms sounded last week, a relative of mine sent out a letter to the entire family. He said he knew he was

can’t help thinking back to 12 years ago, and what a promising moment it was.

probably over-reacting, but he wanted to share a family plan for all of us to meet up in a worst-case scenario. In his mind, worst-case would be some kind of catastrophic attack in which phones and the internet would go down, leaving us with no means to communicate with one another. His proposed plan included a “regional” meeting place for the next month. It also detailed meeting places in other states and other countries in years going forward, with specific places for years ending in 0 and years ending in 5.

He used the dates of our parents’ birthdays for the particular meet-up days.

I assure you that this individual is solid and sober and believing that although a doomsday scenario is extremely unlikely, it has become more possible considering recent events.

When the unthinkable happens right before your eyes, like the assault on the Capitol, you are moved to consider other unthinkable scenarios.

I was momentarily tempted to respond to him with a joke to ease the pressing anxiety. But I’m thinking, instead, it doesn’t hurt to have a plan. I wrote back to him: “Thank you. This reminds us of what makes life worth living: one another.”

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

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — January 21, 2021

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