Rockville Centre Herald 02-16-2023

Mercy Hospital is seeing double Page 3

Mayor speaks out against Hochul’s plan

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray delivered a statement at the village meeting on Monday criticizing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s New York Housing Compact.

The governor’s statewide strategy, announced last month, is intended to address the housing crisis, with the goal of building 800,000 new homes throughout the state. Part of the plan also requires municipalities with Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail stations to rezone to allow for higher-densi-

ty residential development.

“New York faces a housing crisis that requires bold actions and an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Hochul stated in her State of the State address last month. “Every community in New York must do their part to encourage housing growth to move our State forward and keep our economy strong. The New York Housing Compact is a comprehensive plan to spur the changes needed to create more housing, meet rising demand and make our state a more equitable, stable and affordable place to live.”

Continued on page 5

Feil foundation donates $5M for new patient care pavilion

By KARINA KoVAC kkovac@liherald.com

The Louis Feil Charitable Lead Annuity Trust has pledged the largest single gift in the history of Mount Sinai South Nassau — $5 million. And, in return, it will help usher in a new state-ofthe-art facility, with the Feil name on top.

The new four-story, 100,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open in another year. And when it does, it will be named the Feil Family Pavilion.

This new $130 million pavilion will double the size of the hospital’s current emergency department, increase the critical and

intensive care inpatient capacity to 40 beds, and add nine new operating rooms.

“Mount Sinai South Nassau is our local hospital, and we are grateful for the expert care it provides to our communities on the South Shore,” said Jeffrey Feil, chief executive of the Feil Organization — and a longtime Rockville Centre resident — in a release. “We are so fortunate to have an outstanding medical center right in our backyard. The Feil family is honored to support the growth of Mount Sinai South Nassau.”

The Feil Organization is a real estate investment, management and development firm based in

New York City with more than 70 years of expertise.

Feil’s portfolio commands millions of square feet in industrial, commercial and retail, as well as more than 5,000 residential properties and thousands of acres of undeveloped land across the United States.

Feil and his family — including his parents, the late Gertrude and Louis Feil — have been longtime supporters of the hospital.

With their latest gift, the family has donated a total of $17 million to benefit the hospital and the patients it serves.

The family previous gifted $2 million in 2019, and $1.5 million in 2018 to help centralize the hos-

pital’s cancer care services.

The family also donated $3 million in 2011 that supported the continued growth and expansion of the Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center.

“This generous gift by the Feil family will have a direct impact on improving patient care on the South Shore,” said Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai South

Nassau, in a release. “We are deeply thankful for their generosity and support. It will be the hospital’s distinct honor to name the new patient care tower in honor and recognition of the Feil family, and their longstanding commitment to Mount Sinai South Nassau.

“Their support and commit-

Continued on page 9

Daniel Offner/Herald

MAYoR FRANCIs MURRAY speaking at Monday’s village meeting, where he criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s New York Housing Compact.

Blakeman not yet ready to unfreeze assessments

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

It’s a vital component of the property tax system, yet for the third straight year, Nassau County won’t be conducting a tax assessment of homes and businesses.

Such a freeze first gained momentum under former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, but lifted by his successor, Laura Curran. However, the freeze was reimplemented during Covid-19, and now continues under Bruce Blakeman’s tenure.

The difference — at least according to the county legislatures Democratic minority — is that Blakeman campaigned against Curran, promising to roll back the tax increases caused by the reassessments done under her administration. Yet, they still remain frozen.

“As housing prices soared at an unprecedented rate during the worst of the pandemic, the minority supported a temporary freeze to protect property owners from dramatic swings in a remarkably turbulent market,” minority spokesman Daniel Schrafel said. “However, ‘temporary’ is key. History has demonstrated that freezing the tax rolls for extended periods distorts assessed values to such a degree that the only way for property owners to protect themselves from overpaying is to grieve. We must do everything in our power to break this unjust, exploitative cycle.”

The reassessments are supposed to happen annually to review property value and

tax property owners accordingly. When they don’t happen, properties that have risen in value become under-taxed, while those that may have dropped end up paying a higher tax than they would have otherwise.

The value of property impacts school taxes and other issues.

When in office, Curran called the reassessment process “corrupt” and “broken.”

The Democrat pledged to fix it in a 2018 opinion piece published in the Herald, only to freeze it once again during the pandemic.

Democrats now criticizes Blakeman for the continuing the freeze despite the economic pressures of the pandemic subsiding, particularly in light of Blakeman’s promise to do so.

“Mr. Blakeman vowed to rescind the

county’s increases that he blamed on the recent assessment,” Democratic county legislator Debra Mulé said. “That basically means that if you’re over-assessed, you’ll be stuck paying more than your fair share of taxes this year, unless you successfully grieve your assessment.”

State Sen. Kevin Thomas joined in the chorus against the freeze to highlight that grievance process.

“Every homeowner in Nassau has received solicitations from tax grievance workers, myself included,” Thomas said. “These grievance workers use deceitful tactics that lead many to believe filing a grievance is just too complicated for the average resident.

“That is not the case — homeowners can file grievances themselves. You are not required to use an attorney or a specialist, nor is there a fee to file. You can even file online from today until March 1 by yourself. It should be as simple as that.”

Thomas introduced a bill in Albany intending to bring more trust and transparency to the tax grievance process.

For his part, Blakeman called the phase-in plan of his predecessor a failure, and says it won’t expire until next year. He is extending the grievance deadline, however, from March 1 to April 3.

“My administration has reviewed the comptroller’s comprehensive audit that uncovered many inaccuracies in valuations,” Blakeman said in a statement, “and I felt it was important to give residents additional time to grieve.”

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

STATE SEN. KEVIN Thomas, second from left, was joined by Nassau County Legislators Carrié Solages, far left, Debra Mule, and Joshua Lafazan at a news conference to discuss the county’s freezing of property tax assessments for a third consecutive year. County Executive Bruce Blakeman is extending the grievance deadline to April 3.

Five sets of twin babies born at Mercy Hospital’s

director of neonatology says ‘It’s raining twin babies’

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Doctors and nurses with Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital are seeing double — having helped deliver and care for five sets of twin babies during a two-and-a-half week span between December 2022 and early January.

Since twins only account for about three percent of live births, according to the National Institutes of Health, having five in a row was unprecedented for the hospital’s Mother/Baby and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit teams who were excited to participate in what they are referring to as a “twindemic.”

“It’s raining twin babies,” Dr. Sawarna Devarajan, chair of pediatrics and director of neonatology at Mercy, said. “It’s just awesome. It lifted everyone’s morale. I can’t explain how happy it is. You just have to experience it.”

Throughout her 30 year career in medicine Devarajan had never seen or experienced anything quite like this.

“The birth of a baby is such a miracle, and having one after another it is so fascinating,” Devarajan said. “It’s a lot of excitement but it’s also a lot of responsibility.”

Devarajan has cared for more than 4,000 newborns in her 24-year tenure at Mercy. While the staff could not have possibly expected such a turn of events, Devarajan said they were more than familiar with multiples.

In 2022, there were a total of 14 sets of twins born at Mercy hospital, according to hospital records. And in 2021, there were 10, including a set of triplets — Gerardo, Thiago, and Axel — who spent about a month in the NICU and celebrated their first birthdays.

“We’re always prepared,” Devarajan said. “We know what we’re doing because all we do is babies.”

The five twins born at Mercy include two sets of identical twins and three sets of fraternal twins who were delivered at 32, 34, 35, 36, and 37 weeks.

The boys all spent time in the hospital’s Level III NICU where they received some extra love and care, while one pair of identical twin girls got to spend time with their parents before going home with their parents.

Maggie and Stephen Hernandez of Long Beach gave birth to two identical twin girls, Margo and Lucy, making them the third of five to have their twins delivered at Mercy Hospital.

“In the months leading up to it, it was scary,” Stephen Hernandez, said. “But when we got to Mercy they immediately quenched that fear. For something that caused months of worry, they made it so seamless.”

He said that the staff made them and their twin daughters feel like Mercy celebrities for four days before they could go home to meet their big sister, Jetty, who is just 14 months old.

“The staff there treated us with very personal care,” Hernandez said. “Anything you need they were there before you asked for it.”

Margo and Lucy had just celebrated one month since they were born when The Herald spoke with their parents.

“Twins don’t really run in the family,” Hernandez said. “We really didn’t know

until the fourth sonogram.”

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the twin birth rate has risen 70 percent since 1980. It has also risen for triplets and multiples, but this figure has started to slow since 1998.

Multiple pregnancy typically occurs when more than one egg is fertilized, as is the case with fraternal twins, but it can also happen when one fertilized egg splits in two creating identical twins.

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health suggests that the probability of having twins is based on several factors includ-

IDENtIcAL

ing heredity, older age, high parity — having one or more previous pregnancy — and race. They also identify that ovulation-stimulating medicines and assisted reproductive technologies can also be causes for multiple births.

Courtesy Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital

twINs MARgO and Lucy Hernandez were one of the five sets of twins born in a two-and-a-half week span at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

DR. sAwARNA DEvARAjAN, chair of pediatrics and director of neonatology at Mercy Hospital takes care of one set of twins in the NICU.

Courtesy Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital

cAthOLIc hEALth’s MERcy Hospital’s Mother/Baby and NICU doctors and nurses welcome four sets of twins in two weeks — three sets of boys and one set of girls.

Courtesy Joseph Lanzetta

Protecting Your Future

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Medicaid Asset Protection Trust Myths

Why don’t more people do the Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)? The answer is that clients often get the wrong advice from well meaning but ill informed professionals, family and friends. Here are some of the most common MAPT myths.

1. You Can’t Sell the House. The MAPT may sell the house at any time. The money is paid to the MAPT. You may invest the money and use the income for a rental or you may purchase another residence in the name of the MAPT. The five year clock does not start over.

2. You Lose Your Property Tax Exemptions. Properly drafted MAPT’s preserve your Senior, STAR and Veteran’s exemptions as well as the exemption from capital gains on the sale of the primary residence —$500,000 for a couple or $250,000 for a single person.

3. It Takes Five Years. While it takes five years to protect ALL of your assets from long-term care in a facility, the time “pro

rates”. For example, if you have to go into a nursing home four years after you set up the MAPT, you only have to pay for the one year that is left.

4. You Can’t Get Your Money. The trust pays you all of the income. Principal may be gifted from the trust in any amount to any of your heirs.

5. The MAPT Cannot Be Revoked. Strange as it may seem, in New York you may revoke an irrevocable trust. Here’s why. It’s irrevocable because you, the grantor, cannot revoke it alone. However, New York has another rule on the books that says that if every person named in the irrevocable trust agrees in writing that they no longer want the trust, then you may revoke it on consent of all the named parties. Since that is just you and your adult children, it is usually a simple matter to accomplish. If a child won’t sign, we simply amend the trust to remove them and then their signature is no longer needed.

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

CONSULTATION: 516-327-8880 x117 or email info@trustlaw.com

100 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre • 3000 Marcus Ave., Lake Success

Other offices in Huntington • Melville • Islandia

Tim Baker/Herald Following the ceremony, Mayor Francis Murray and Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley join the Chamber’s newly appointed directors Phil Hammond of PH Consulting and Media, left, Rhonda Glickman of Richner Communications, Donna Eineman of Douglas Elliman Realty, Jeff Novack of J. Novack design, Jillian Weston of Jillian’s Circus, Tom Bogue of Flushing Bank, Iyna Caruso of Sweet Lime Ink Communications, and Joshua Haan of Energy Fitness.

Chamber welcomes two new directors to its board

The Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce swore in two new directors — Phil Hammond of PH Consulting and Media and Joshua Haan of Energy Fitness — and welcomed new members at its annual installation meeting on Feb. 1 at MacArthur Park restaurant and bar.

Mayor Francis Murray officiated the ceremony, after which he shared a few words with the local business community, which he referred to as the “backbone” of the village.

“Unless you own a business, you know how hard it can be. You don’t know how much money is coming in the door. Sometimes you don’t know if you’re going to make payroll. You really don’t know and it’s so hard,” Murray said. “I can’t thank you enough for choosing Rockville Centre to have your businesses and care about the people who live in this village and the people in the surrounding areas who come into your stores and businesses.”

Rockville Centre schools Superintendent Matt Gaven and South Side High School Principal Patrick Walsh also attended the event in the hopes of interacting with some of the local businesses to encourage them to hire local interns from the high school’s IB Business program.

“We think this could be mutually beneficial,” Gaven said. “The kids are super

passionate and enthralled with ideas of future business.”

According to Gaven, the program has seen an active interest among students, growing from only 25 members to more than 140 in just a few years. As part of the program, the school offers seven different courses including marketing, accounting, business law, career and financial management and more. This also includes the school’s new Virtual Enterprise course, which provides students with all of the functions and demands of a real business.

Membership in the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce continues to grow. In the past year, it has added more than 17 new businesses and organizations into its ranks, including Aflac, Bigelow’s New England Fried Clams, Bagelry RVC, Buoy 4, Flora Beauty, Floor Decor, Intuitive Integration, House of Health, Hot Yoga 4 You, SIBSPlace, Mojo RVC, Touch of Silver Jewelery, Trident Phsyical Therapy, Balance Podiatry, Personal Training Institute, Dime Community Bank, and the Rockville Centre Education Foundation.

For more info about the Chamber of Commerce, upcoming meetings, events, or access to its member directory, visit RockvilleCentreChamberofCommerce.com.

–Daniel Offner

HOW

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000

State plan could mean high-density housing

continued from front page

Murray said that under the Transit Oriented Development Act of 2023, the state would give communities within a half-mile of any Long Island Rail Road station three years to adopt land-use regulations to allow for more high-density development.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this would destroy life on Long Island as we know it,” the mayor said. “It would destroy suburbia. It dismantles our zoning codes.”

If a city, village or town does not meet the three-year target, a fast-track approval process could amend its municipal zoning law, creating a new zoning code intended to foster the development of residential housing.

Murray, who is president of the New York Conference of Mayors, representing more than 550 local governments across the state, said he recently went to Albany to speak with over 400 elected officials.

“I pointed out why this is a horrific idea for our state,” he said. “I told them we are still part of the United States of America. We are a democracy, not a dictatorship.”

He referred to the housing compact as a “mandate without representation,” suggesting that such a measure would undermine the state Constitution, which allows home rule zoning to be amended by villages, cities, townships and counties — but not the state.

“This is an outrage,” Murray said. “The New York state Governor was not elected to rule the people. She was supposed to

serve the people.”

While in Albany, he said, he spoke with Hochul’s representatives, and told them how the compact would negatively impact many of the already overcrowded communities on Long Island.

“This mandate is wrong on all levels,” Murray said he told Hochul’s staffers. “You cannot paint New York state with a broad brush.”

Murray said that Hochul devised the policy without seeking the opinions of municipal leaders who are requesting a seat at the table.

In Nassau County, he said, the sewers are already at capacity, schools are overflowing, roads and railways are overcrowded, emergency services are overtaxed, and police are responding to more calls than ever.

Murray met with Senators Andrea Stewart Cousins, Kevin Thomas and Jack Martin and Assemblymen Carl Heastie and Brian Curran, none of whom, he said, think the compact is a good idea.

“This is about us on Long Island,” Murray said. “We need to push back. We need to fight this for the survival of all of us who live on Long Island, our children and our grandchildren. So we need your help.”

Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley echoed Murray’s concerns, noting how the housing compact was a major topic of discus-

sion during a recent Nassau County Village Officials Association meeting. Based on the group’s talks, Baxley said, the village board planned to invite Rockville Centre community leaders to a special meeting, at which trustees will urge attendees to send emails to state representatives, urging that the housing compact be removed from the executive budget.

“We want to have an email campaign sent to every single representative,” Baxley said. “If it’s not taken out of the budget, at least they will know in numbers that we are against this.”

Village Trustee Katie Conlon said that the impact on roads, parking and schools would cripple the community, and could overload the existing infrastructure.

“Rockville Centre is bustling and thriving,” Conlon said. “But it was extremely congested. And to think of what could happen if this were to go through — it would be detrimental to our village. We simply do not have the space to grow.”

She said that while this proposal may have great success in communities upstate, it cannot be uniformly applied statewide. “Communities across Long Island, specifically Nassau County, must heed this call to action to preserve our suburban towns and villages that we chose to call home,” Conlon said.

Trustee Michael Sepe said that a few months back, the board commissioned a study of the village’s population density, sewage capacity, power grid, parking restrictions and school district populations. Board members also welcomed local input from those who wanted more apartments for people who commute into New York City and those who opposed the concept, in order to come to an informed consensus.

“Based upon local concerns we did not feel it was a good fit for Rockville Centre,” Sepe said, “there was a general consensus that one-size-fits-all, top-down dictates from Albany were a bad idea.”

Sepe said the state’s plan calls for 25 housing units per acre in each transit-oriented zone, and that communities that don’t meet those requirements will be punished with decisions that are “equally horrible,” like allowing accessory dwelling units. He also said that there is still hope that the plan can be stopped, if people can put aside their political affiliations and realize it’s not a left-versus-right issue.

“It’s literally those who believe in total government control versus those that believe in any local rights and who want to have a say in the character of their neighborhood and where they choose to live,” Sepe said, “irrespective of what Albany dictates.”

Village officials anticipate continuing the discussion of the New York Housing Compact at a special meeting on March 1.

We need to push back.

Francis Murray Mayor

spotlight athlete

Bohan, McGrath lead South Side

By toNY BellissiMo tbellissimo@liherald.com

A winning performance in the 3000m race highlighted South Side’s effort in a challenging Nassau County Class B girls’ track and field championship meet Feb. 7 at St. Anthony’s High School in Huntington.

JURRel hall

West Hempstead Senior Track

hall stole the show at the Nassau Class C Track and Field championships Feb. 8 to help the Rams to a secondplace finish. He captured the triple jump (school record 44-feet, 11-inches), high jump and long jump titles, matching a feat he accomplished last spring.

BasKetBall plaYoFFs

Friday, Feb. 17

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class AA quarterfinals

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A ffirst round

saturday, Feb. 18

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class A first round

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA quarterfinals

tuesday, Feb. 21

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A quarterfinals

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class B semifinals

Friday, Feb. 24

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class AA semifinals

saturday, Feb. 25

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA semifinals

Monday, Feb. 27

Girls Basketball: Nassau Class A semifinals

tuesday, Feb. 28

Boys Basketball: Nassau Class A semifinals

Wednesday, March 1

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class B finals

saturday, March 4

Girls & Boys Basketball: Nassau Class AA and A finals

Junior Claire Bohan captured the county title in the 3000m in impressive fashion, beating the nearest competitor by more than 11 seconds. Bohan finished in 10 minutes, 39.81 seconds, with Valley Stream North’s Melissa Innocent (10:50.83) runner-up by 22 seconds over third-place finisher Vallerya Rojas of New Hyde Park.

“It was an exciting race because the top three girls ran close almost the entire way,” South Side coach Chris Webster said. “With about three laps to go, Claire decided to get more aggressive. I thought she might be the second girl to make a move, but she’s become a more assertive runner. She ran a strong race and set a personal best at the distance.”

Bohan, who enjoyed a big cross country campaign in the fall to help the Cyclones capture a county title, was expected to compete in the 3000m at the state qualifier Tuesday night, after Herald press time, also at St. Anthony’s.

South Side had two additional AllCounty performances in the Class B event, won by Calhoun by a solid margin over Valley Stream North.

“The meet went basically the way we anticipated,” Webster said. “Girls Class B was a very deep field. We had some events covered well and others not as well as some of the teams that finished on top. All that great competition drove our girls to do their best.”

Junior Lily McGrath continued a dynamic throwing season and etched herself into the program record book in the shot put and weight throw. She topped 35 feet in the shot put during the regular season to set a new South Side standard and followed with a solid showing at the county meet to take third place at just under 33 feet.

“Lily has spent a lot of time developing

her skills and strength,” Webster said. “She’s ranked 21st in the state in the shot put and was the conference champion as well. She’s also become a role model for the younger throwers on the team.”

Senior Cameron Coletti, a cross country star and year-round standout, added to her high school trophy case with an All-County performance in the 1500m. She finished third in 5:17.25. “Cameron has had an outstanding career and has racked up many awards over the years,” Webster said.

Other scorers for the Cyclones were senior Cailin O’Toole, who tied for fourth in Class B in pole vault after winning the Conference 4 title in the event, junior Hannah Porter (fifth in long jump, sixth in 55-meter dash), and sophomores Victoria Daniel (fifth in 55m) and Lana Jewett (3000m.)

On the boys’ side, the Cyclones were led by junior John Frazier, who produced an All-County finish (runner-up) in the triple jump with a top try covering 41-feet, 3-¼ inches.

Eric Dunetz/Herald lilY McgRath, alReadY South Side’s record holder in the shot put, finished All-County in the Class B championships Feb. 7.

Former workers protest eatery for backpay

At least $15 billion. That’s what some economists tell The Center for Public Integrity — a nonprofit investigative journalism organization — is taken from workers each year by employers not paying them all the hours they’ve worked.

Yet, wage theft lives under the radar, likely because the population it appears to hit most are immigrants — more often than not, illegal ones.

In 2019, at least, more than 8,500 employers were cited by the U.S. Department of Labor across the country, owing some $287 million in back wages.

Closer to home, a group gathered in Rockville Centre to protest Nick’s Pizza, a Sunrise Highway business that courts ruled owes eight former employees more than $400,000 — money it hasn’t paid.

The amount, according to court records obtained from by Hofstra University student reporter Fatima Moien, came from unpaid overtime racked up between 2003 and 2011. On top of that, Nick’s Pizza owes another $300,000 in state penalties.

The judgments against the company came to light last fall through joint reporting by Hofstra’s Long Island Advocate online publication, as well as WABC-TV’s “Eyewitness News.”

“I want to be paid 100 percent,” Saul Ascensio — who worked at Nick’s Pizza beginning in 1996 — told Moien. “The boss has a lot of money.”

Ascensio says he earned $450 per week, despite working as much as 72 hours. State law requires employers to pay hourly employees overtime equivalent to 150 percent of their salary — “time and a half.”

That law is enforced even if workers are undocumented — like Ascensio was at the time.

Javier Guzman, an organizer with the advocacy group

Make the Road New York, joined the small group of protesters, calling on not only Nick’s Pizza to pay up, but for the federal government to stop threatening TPS workers — or temporary protected status workers. These men and women generally come from countries that are experiencing some political or weather-generated turmoil, according to the Advocate, but provide billions to Ameri-

ca’s gross domestic product each year.

Yet, TPS workers are commonly threatened with deportation, Guzman said — especially if they choose to speak up about potential wage theft.

“This is very common here on Long Island,” he told Moien. “It happens all over the place. Employers don’t pay minimum wage or overtime.”

Nicholas Angelis, who owns Nick’s Pizza, did not return calls from Moien or other news outlets to comment. Angelis, however, was caught up in additional lawsuits for a Manhattan eatery he’s part owner of near Wall Street called Adrienne’s Pizzabar.

Officially known as Pizza on Stone LLC, Angelis partners in this venture with Peter Poulakakos, who owns a small chain of restaurants in Lower Manhattan, according to Hofstra professor Scott Brinton.

Poulakakos has been the subject of dozen lawsuits himself claiming wage theft, with most of them settled for just under $2 million. Those settlements came despite Poulakakos — through his attorney — admitted no wrongdoing, and “sharply” and “vigorously” contested the claims, according to the Advocate.

Poulakakos, otherwise, did not return repeated requests from media outlets for comment.

The Adrienne’s suit was settled a decade ago for $136,000. Yet, only $10,000 went to affected workers, according to Brinton. More than $100,000 was split between a charitable donation to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts and the lawyers representing the workers, while another $18,000 went to a firm tasked with administering the settlement.

In a statement to WABC-TV, New York’s labor department still encourages anyone who believes they’re a victim of wage theft to file a complaint. They can call (833) 910-4378, or file a labor standards complaint form online at tinyurl.com/LaborComplaint.

Courtesy Scott Brinton/Long Island Advocate

FORmER EmPlOyEES OF Nick’s Pizza in Rockville Centre protest outside the establishment on Feb. 8 over allegations that the owner owes hundreds of thousands in back wages according to the New York state Department of Labor in 2011.

Town urged to reject ‘discriminatory’ maps

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

“Change the boundary, redraw the lines” was the message dozens of community members tried to articulate to the Hempstead Town Board last week. But in the end, many felt their pleas were completely ignored

Don Clavin faced some heat from the crowd after the town supervisor decided to cut the microphone feed for each speaker off exactly at the required three minutes they were allotted to speak. When Deputy Town Supervisor Dorothy Goosby — who notably challenged Hempstead’s discriminatory at-large voting system in 1988 — was asked if she had anything to say about the redistricting process, she declined to comment.

The Hempstead redistricting saga is nearing its end, and opponents of the proposed maps are not giving up without a fight. A group of angry voters rallied outside of Hempstead Town Hall minutes before the Feb. 7 meeting to air out their frustrations.

Former county legislator Dave Denenberg, who organized the rally, said there is an ulterior motive behind the elected officials drawing the district lines they way they’re doing it.

“Whenever there’s redistricting, you see a political machine do exactly what they always do: They are going to draw districts in a way that tries to maintain their majority,” Denenberg said. “But that’s voter suppression.”

Mimi Pierre-Johnson, founder of the Elmont Cultural Center, said she saw a “glimmer of hope” at the redistricting commission’s last work session. The three commission members seemed they would finally recommend one of the six map proposals to the Hempstead Town Board. These options included the town’s preliminary “Skyline” map, as well as five alternative proposals from civic groups and local attorneys they say would help provide a

more equal voice for minority groups.

But that optimism was quickly extinguished when the commission failed to put forward a map, and instead agreed to officially recommend the town board produce a final map that keeps communities of interest intact.

Since the first day of the redistricting process, the concerns raised by opponents to the initial town-drawn maps circle back to a single theme: District lines should be redrawn to have a more balanced demographic represen-

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES WITH CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS

tation. That means creating three “minority-majority” districts, that would allow minority communities a chance to elect someone who would be more likely to represent them on the town board.

For example, 90 percent of Elmont’s population are people of color. However, the current map proposal places Elmont in a district with Garden City, which has an 88 percent white population.

Placing Elmont in a district with neighborhoods they have nothing in common with dilutes the votes of its residents and impairs the outcome of elections, claimed Claudia Borecky, president of the Bellmore Merrick Democratic Club, in a letter to the Hempstead Town Board.

“People told heart-wrenching stories of how hard they and their ancestors fought for the right to have a vote that counted,” Borecky said. “Yet, the motion made by the redistricting commission for the Town Board to only consider keeping communities whole is totally deaf to what your constituents plead.”

Under the guidance of the Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders law firm and redistricting expert Sean Trende, the Town Board released a redistricting map proposal last month, which they say takes into account public comments as well as the views of the redistricting commission.

However, some doubted these intentions.

“If (the town) passes this map, I’m going to Garden City because that’s my district,” Pierre-Johnson said. “I’m going to show up with my friends to (Garden City) town meetings, to the zoning board, because I want what they have for Elmont.”

Critics also questioned the map’s compliance with federal and state voting rights protections — specifically the Voting Rights Act and New York’s John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. If Hempstead finalizes the current map as it stands, it could expose the town to costly litigation at the taxpayers’ expense.

LIJ Medical Center is in the top 10% of hospitals nationally for oncology, according to U.S.News&WorldReport.

Our doctors are raising health by pioneering innovative approaches to cancer from novel chemotherapy techniques to first-in- the-nation robotic mastectomies with minimal scarring. Because when it comes to cancer, there’s no status quo. There’s only “how far can we go?”

Northwell.edu/NoLimits

Ana Borruto/Herald

FORMER NASSAU COUNTY legislator Dave Denenberg leads a rally outside of Hempstead Town Hall just before a town board meeting discussing redistricting. As the mapping process nears its end, voters are getting louder about their demands for three minority-majority districts.

Pavilion will double size of emergency department

continued from front page

ment has been vital to the growth of our emergency services and cancer care program as well as the hospital’s tradition of excellence in the delivery of advanced care services.”

The Feil gift is the second major contribution made to the new four-story patient building currently under construction.

Last year, the hospital’s immediate past board chair, Joseph Fennessy, made an undisclosed gift to the hospital that earned his family’s name on top of the pedestrian entrance to the new emergency department.

Additional naming opportunities remain within the new pavilion, officials said, including nursing stations, lobby areas and surgical suites.

It’s part of an overall $400 million capital building fundraising campaign Mount Sinai has undertaken in recent years.

Currently, South Nassau’s emergency department treats 65,000 people each year, but is designed to handle half that.

When construction is complete, the emergency department will be nearly double the size of a football field, increasing its annual capacity to 80,000.

In addition, the department will feature centralized nursing stations that will allow for direct oversight of patient rooms. There also will be bedside triage, expanded pediatric trauma treatment areas with an adjoining radiology area, a decontamination room, dedicated areas for geriatrics and behavioral health, and a spacious waiting and reception area with free Wi-Fi, and charging stations for phones, computer tablets and laptops.

The operating room and its surgical suites will be configured and designed to accommodate the nonstop advancements

in surgical technologies and equipment. The combined impact of the redesigned and larger operating rooms will allow Mount Sinai South Nassau and its staff of surgeons to increase its surgical scheduling capacity to accommodate projected volumes in same-day, elective, and emergency surgeries.

The new surgical suites also could pave the way for an open-heart program at the Oceanside campus, pending state health department approval.

“The ultimate beneficiary of the Feil family’s generosity is our South Shore community that turns to Mount Sinai South Nassau for compassionate, quality health care,” said Tony Cancellieri, cochair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s board of directors, in a release.

“On behalf of the hospital’s board of directors, we are grateful to our dear friends Jeffrey and Lee Feil and their entire family, and are honored to name the pavilion as a permanent expression of gratitude for this gift and the ongoing support of the Feil family.”

Photos courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau

The Feil Family Pavilion will feature an expanded emergency department at Mount Sinai South Nassau, along with 40 critical and intensive care beds, and nine new operating rooms. Feil’s foundation donated $5 million to the hospital.

Tony CanCellieri, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s board of directors, left, joined Feil Organization chief executive Jeffrey Feil, center, and Andrew Triolo, vice president of facilities, design and construction at Mount Sinai South Nassau in front of what will become the Feil Family Pavilion at the Oceanside hospital. Feil’s foundation donated $5 million to the hospital.

ANTIQUE STORE:

SHOPPING

Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island! Check back each week for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023. Did your favorites make it to the top? Visit www.LiChoiceAwards.com!

*Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

Garden City Antiques & Fine Arts, Ltd

Long Island Antiques Center

Remember Yesteryears

APPLIANCE/HOME

ELECTRONIC STORE:

ACS Camera & Pro Video

AHC Appliances

P.C. Richard & Son

BOUTIQUE:

Artisan Jules Gifts and Goodness

Jolie Fleur

Love and Honey Boutique

BRIDAL STORE:

Blossom Brides

The Bridal World

David’s Bridal Westbury NY

CARPET STORE:

Anthony’s World of Floors

Carpet Depot

Harry Katz Carpet One Floor & Home

COIN STORE:

Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Eastern Numismatics Inc

COLLECTIBLES STORE:

Bullseye Collectibles

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

LuxeSwap

CONSIGNMENT/THRIFT STORE:

Lucky Finds Boutique

LuxeSwap

National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop

EYEWEAR STORE:

Cohen’s Fashion Optical

Eyes On Broadway

FrameBar.co

FARMERS MARKET:

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s

Deep Roots Farmers Market

Youngs Farm

FLORIST:

Central Florist

Feldis Florist & Flower Delivery

Olive It Boutique

FUR STORE:

Barbatsuly Furs

Tres Chic Furs

Tsontos Furs

FURNITURE STORE:

Furniture Gallery of Long Island

Raymour & Flanigan

The Rustic Loft

GIFT SHOP:

Dolce Confections by Trubee Hill

What A Girl Wants

GOURMET MARKET:

Gemelli Gourmet Market North

Iavarone Bros

Sorrento’s Italian Specialties

GROCERY/SUPERMARKET:

Cross Island Fruits

Holiday Farms

Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace

LOCAL CHILDREN’S CLOTHING:

Cathy’s Touch

Denny’s Fashion, Style, For All

Morton’s Official Camp Outfitters

LOCAL HARDWARE STORE:

Ace Hardware Hewlett

Atlantic Hardware

Costello’s Ace Hardware

LOCAL MATTRESS STORE:

Furniture Gallery of Long Island

Mattress Firm

Sleepworks Mattress & Futon Superstore

LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING:

Karako Suits of Lynbrook

LuxeSwap

Mur-Lees Men’s & Boy’s Shop

LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING: A.J. & MOS

STOOSH BOUTIQUE

Trois Jours Boutique Etc

NURSERY & GARDEN CENTER:

Abby’s Parkside Nursery & Florist, Inc.

Dees Nursery And Florist Inc.

Hicks Nurseries

PAWN SHOP:

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Empire Pawn of Nassau

Matthew James Jewelers

WINDOW TREATMENT STORE:

Blinds To Go

The Blind Spot

The Shade Store

STEPPING OUT

Dinodaze to life Dinosaurs of all kinds

By Karen Bloom

he herd is back. Kids of all ages

Quest — the traveling dinosaur “experience” — returns to Nassau Coliseum for four days of prehistoric adventuring. Jurassic Quest takes families back to the days when these prehistoric creatures ruled the lands, Friday through Monday, Feb. 17-20.

• Feb. 17-20; times vary

• Tickets start at $22; available at MonsterQuest.com or NassauColiseum.com

• Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

This immersive spectacle features a bevy of lifelike dinosaurs — of all shapes and sizes — that are an impressive lot. They transform the arena environment to a time 165 million years ago during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods where visitors can get up-close and personal with the creatures.

“They are all life-size and authentic,” Park Ranger Marty (aka Marty Hoffman) says. “You get to see what dinosaurs are really like, hearing the different sounds they made.”

Described by Park Ranger Marty and the Jurassic Quest folks as North America’s largest and most realistic event, the creative team collaborates with leading paleontologists to ensure each dinosaur is painstakingly replicated, from coloration to teeth size, to textured skin, fur or feathers — drawing on the latest research about how we understand dinosaurs and these ancient creatures looked and moved. Plant settings, sound effects, lighting and electronics add to the authenticity of the setting.

But perhaps what makes the experience more than just a spectacle is the way it pulls on the heartstrings. As Park Ranger Marty — who proclaims himself a “dinosaur nerd” — put it: “It’s a great time for everyone. Especially the kids, but also the adults. We’ve all had that time in our lives when we loved dinosaurs. Then we get away from it. When we take the time to see them through the kids’ eyes, we reconnect with that love of dinosaurs we all had.”

It’s all self-guided, so visitors proceed at their own pace. That means you can approach the mighty T. rex, check out the 50-foot-long Spinosaurus, largest known carnivorous dinosaur, even longer and heavier than the T. rex, also the enormous Apatosaurus with its whip-tail, along with sea creatures, and many others.

“One hundred sixty million years worth of dinosaurs are here,” Park Ranger Marty enthuses.

And there are those baby dinos, “hatched” specifically for Jurassic Quest: Cammie the Camarasaurus, Tyson the T. rex, and Trixie the Triceratops.

“People really love them,” Park Ranger Marty says. “Kids want to hang out and pet them. It’s an amazing thing to see. The interaction between the babies and the kids is really fun.”

While the dinosaurs are the main draw, of course, the event includes a fossil dig, where budding paleontologists can dig up bones, along with an excavation site, with actual fossils and themed rides, among other activities.

“There really is something for everyone,” Park Ranger Marty says. Plus an education component is worked in — and the kids won’t even realize it.

“We like to think of dinosaurs as the ‘gateway science,” he explains. “Kids are learning about biology and geology, and more, when they explore dinosaurs. Also other sciences like astronomy and engineering. It all relates back to dinosaurs andancient plants. And this all comes out of the kids thinking dinosaurs are cool.”

Park Ranger Marty and Dino Trainer Dustin hanging out, at left, with a Tylosaurus skull. Open wide! An enthusiastic young visitor, at right, finds his way into an Allosaur head

Alan Doyle

The prolific Canadian singersongwriter has boundless appeal. The moment he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with his band Great Big Sea, Canadians fell in love with the pride of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, whose effusive charisma and sense of humour was eclipsed only by his magnetic stage presence. His influence is now being heard in a new generation of artists as his solo work continues to endear him to roots music fans everywhere. That’s clearly evident on Doyle’s latest EP ‘Rough Side Out,’ which finds him collaborating with Canadian country music superstars Dean Brody and Jess Moskaluke, while at the same time offering his own distinctive interpretation of contemporary country. His songs all have a strong personal meaning, according to Doyle, who believes ‘the best songwriters in any genre are the ones who can look in their own backyard and find something they want to sing about.’

Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. $41, $37, $29. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Dublin Irish Dance

The acclaimed Dublin Irish Dance ensemble visits Long Island with their new production, ‘Wings: A Celtic Dance Celebration.’ Wings features exquisite Irish and World champion dancers alongside Ireland’s musical and vocal virtuosos. Complete with original music and choreography, this groundbreaking production, infused with world dance and musical influences, will thrill audiences with its transformative emotional energy and imaginative design. The vivid and illuminating production portraying rich Irish heritage themes, in spectacular dance and musical performances by this superb cast that will thrill audiences of all ages. Everyone will be entranced by these world champion Irish dancers as they defy gravity in this captivating spectacle.

Friday, March 17, 8 p.m. $60, $45, $35. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

THE SCENE

Nature Week

The Center for Science, Teaching, and Learning, at 1450 Tanglewood Rd. in Rockville Centre, hosts Nature Week at during February school break, Saturday through Tuesday,Feb. 18-21, and Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 23-26. The event is open from $15 for kids and adults ages 14 and up, $12 ages 2 to 13 and seniors over 65. Each ticket includes entry to the exhibit and participation for nature crafts. For more information visit CSTL.org.

Absolute Adele

Feb.

Art talk

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m. She’ll discuss the current exhibition, “The Big Picture: Photography Now.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Register at least 24 hours in advance to receive the program Zoom link. Also Feb. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Open and Close: Real estate sales and marketing strategies

The Hot Sardines

Sisterhood Game Night

Play mah jongg and canasta with the Sisterhood of Congregation B’nai SholomBeth David at their weekly game night,Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7:309:30 p.m., in the synagogue lobby, 100 Hempstead Ave.,

Real estate pros Stephan Mahabir and Chris Reimers host this two-hour session, Thursday, Feb. 16, 6-8 p.m., at Molloy’s Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave. in Rockville Centre.Tickets are $65 to $99 and are available via the Charter Real Estate School on Eventbrite.com.

March 3 February 16, 2023 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD 12 1205022

On stage

Mo Willems’ popular character

The Pigeon comes alive on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Saturday, Feb. 18, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, Feb. 20-23, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Pigeon is eager to try anything, with the audience part of the action. $9 with museum admission ($7 members), $12 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

RVC Homemakers

Learn crafts, cooking, canasta and so much more while doing community service for local hospitals, veterans, women, and children, with RVC Homemakers. These

Voyage

The Journey tribute band visits The Paramount, Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. The popular band takes everyone back to the ‘80’s when Journey’s timeless music ruled the airwaves. Hailed by fans and critics alike as the world’s top Journey tribute band, this group performs their music with chilling accuracy. Fronted by Hugo — a dead ringer for Steve Perry, both visually and vocally — he continues to delight fans with his miraculous resemblance, exact mannerisms and identical voice to Perry. Fans agree that Voyage delivers an experience to the original Steve Perryfronted lineup. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Bowling for Kitties

The Long Beach Humane Society and Kitty Cove hold their biggest fundraiser of the year, Sunday, Feb. 26, 5:308:30 p.m., at Maple Lanes RVC, 100 Maple Ave. With bowling, 50/50 and raffle baskets, and silent auction. Proceeds enefit Kitty Cove, a volunteerbased nonprofit that rescues abandoned kittens, cats, and dogs each year. Purchase tickets online, by mail or Venmo. For more information, visit LongBeachHumaneSociety.net.

President’s Day

The Village of Rockville Centre municipal offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20 in observance of President’s Day.

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

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format

color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Family theater

The beloved fairy tale springs to life in a delightful musical romp, presented Plaza Theatrical Productions, Monday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m.; Friday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m.; Sunday, Feb. 26, noon. All the ingredients that have made this story a perennial favorite are here, including Cinderella, a zany Godmother, a trip to the royal ball, and a glass slipper. Tickets are $16. Visit the Plaza stage at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. For information/tickets, go to PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.

Full LIRR service to East Side finally coming

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

Commuters are riding the high of never-before-seen rail service aimed at connecting the Long Island Rail Road to the bedrock of Midtown Manhattan at Grand Central Madison.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority celebrated a turning point with the long-anticipated opening of its 750,000-square-foot East Side Manhattan transit hub with the first shuttle train from Jamaica station on Jan. 25. Now the terminal is set for a full rollout of regular train service beginning Feb. 27.

The East Side Access Project, as it was known, has already drawn a daily rush of commuters — albeit under a limited format with shuttle service from the Queens station to Grand Central Madison.

Rather than plunging straightaway with full service, MTA officials said the station is in a soft-launch phase, enabling riders to slowly acclimate themselves to the additional shuttle service from Jamaica, find their way around the facility and test out commuting options.

Once Midtown’s terminal comes fully online, it will no doubt reorder the MTA’s transit system and send ripples through its 11 Long Island train branches, each offering direct or transfer service to Penn Station on the West Side, and Grand Central Madison.

For LIRR commuters, this change will

be felt most acutely in adapting to an overhauled train schedule that divvies up Manhattan-bound train service between the two sister terminals.

Some commuters may feel more taken to the change than others with the promise of greater accessibility and efficiency to their commutes. Still, others can’t help but groan over the foreseeable loss, and longing for their preferred service lines and connections.

But at least for MTA chair and chief

executive Janno Lieber, the change is a net-gain for most commuters — and a sign of economic renewal for the metro Long Island area, with a 41 percent increase in service.

Grand Central Madison provides “faster, more convenient travel that brings Long Island closer to the heart of the City,” Leiber said, in a release. “The new schedules are going to be a major shot in the arm for the local economy and the effort to get people back to offic-

es, theaters and shopping.”

But critics are quick to point out that the often-touted 41 percent service increase — raising the number of daily trains from 665 to 936 — is relative to current service which has experienced a major cutback of its own compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Weekday ridership continues to hover at about 65 percent of what it was before any of us had ever heard of Covid-19.

And while MTA officials expect nearly 45 percent of riders to shift over to Grand Central Madison, there are nagging concerns about the potential travel headaches brought by the decline in available morning rush-hour train service to Penn.

Take, for example, the fact that the Long Beach branch which will get 10 additional rush hour trains from its current 13 at Penn Station. Yet, it will have two fewer rush hour trains at Penn Station with shared service lines to Grand Central Madison.

“The new schedules are designed to have more evenly spaced trains and fewer large gaps in service,” MTA spokesman Dave Steckel said. “There will also be more frequent service to Queens and on the Ronkonkoma and West Hempstead branches. New service promises decrease travel times from Long Island to Manhattan, and reduce crowding at Penn Station.

“We will continue to monitor and adjust service based on ridership trends and other factors.”

Courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority

PASSENGER TRAIN service from the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Madison is set to begin Feb. 27 according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Limited shuttle service opened up late last month, bringing in some of the first LIRR

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

MEET THE 2023 HONOREES*

RichnerLIVE’s second annual R.E.A.L. Awards will spotlight entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries in Long Island’s real estate industry who have achieved success in their respective roles while also involved in community contributions and advocacy.

RESIDENTIAL

SPECIAL PROJECT

THE RESIDENCES AT GLEN HARBOR

Michael W. Stanco

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker

Stanco Misiti Team at Compass BROKERS (Individual)

Gina Marie Bettenhauser

Associate Real Estate Broker

Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes

President, Long Island Board of REALTORS®

Hilary Becker

Licensed Broker

Becker Realty Services, Inc.

Molly Deegan

Owner & Licensed Broker

Branch Real Estate Group

Kevin Leatherman

Owner & Licensed Broker

Leatherman Homes

Donna O’Reilly Einemann

Branch Manager | Rockville Centre Office

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Luciane Serifovic

CEO & Founder

Luxian International Realty

Shawn Steinmuller

Owner & Licensed Broker

Shawn Michael Realty

Mark Stempel & Jennie Katz

Team

Blue Island Homes

Helena Veloso

Senior Executive Manager of Sales

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

LICENSED SALESPERSON

Malka Asch

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Coach Realtors

John C. Gandolfo

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Coldwell Banker American Homes

Miriam Hagendorn

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

SERHANT.

Ricki Noto

Team Leader,

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Coldwell Banker American Homes

Scott Wallace

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

TRAILBLAZER DEIRDRE O’CONNELL CEO

DANIEL GALE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

MESSAGE FROM RYAN SERHANT CEO & FOUNDER SERHANT.

OFFICE MANAGER

David Kasner

Branch Manager

Coldwell Banker American Homes COMMERCIAL

BROKERS

Thomas DeLuca

Senior Director & Real Estate Broker

Cushman & Wakefield of Long Island Inc.

DEVELOPERS

Anthony Bartone

Managing Partner

Terwilliger & Bartone Properties, LLC

Kenneth Breslin, Esq.

President

Breslin Realty Development Corp.

Rob Gitto

Vice President

The Gitto Group

Mark Meisner

President & Founder

The Birch Group

SPECIAL AWARDS

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT/ DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR

Michael Maturo

President

RXR Realty

REAL ESTATE SERVICES/ PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Martin Lomazow

Senior Vice President

CBRE

ATTORNEYS

Michael S. Ackerman

Founder & Managing Partner

Ackerman Law, PLLC

John D. Chillemi

Partner

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.

Bryan P. McCrossen

Partner

Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran, LLP

Christopher H. Palmer

Managing Partner

Cullen and Dykman, LLP

Ellen N. Savino

Partner

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

COMMUNITY CHAMPION

- TRADE GROUP

Commercial Industrial Broker

Society of Long Island (CIBS)

David Pennetta SIOR, LEED GA

Co-President

ENGINEERING

Stephen A. Hayduk, P.E.

Principal & Chief Engineer

Hayduk Engineering LLC

FATHER/DAUGHTER TEAM

Gilbert Balanoff

Owner

The Law Offices of Gilbert Balanoff, P.C.

Tiffany Balanoff

Licensed Real Estate Agent

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

LENDER

Nicholas Ceccarini

Owner & Broker

Weatherstone Mortgage Corp.

Christine Curiale

Mortgage Branch Manager

Valley Bank

Melissa Curtis

Sales Manager and Senior Loan Originator

Contour Mortgage

PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS

Michael Steinberg

CEO and Founder

Hedgestone Business Advisors

RISING STAR

Alex Lipsky

Owner

Lipsky Construction

TAX CERTIORARI

Sean M. Cronin, Esq.

Partner

Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, PLLC

TECH AWARD

Ryan J. Coyne

Chief Technology Officer

SERHANT.

TECH PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

VincePropertyShark

MAJOR SPONSORS:

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS

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Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NEW YORK

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that on February 13, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Rockville Centre, in the County of Nassau, New York, adopted a bond resolution entitled “Bond Resolution of the Village of Rockville Centre, New York, adopted February 13, 2023, authorizing the construction of drainage improvements, stating the estimated maximum cost thereof is $1,500,000, appropriating said amount for such purpose, and authorizing the issuance of bonds of the Village in the principal amount of not to exceed $1,500,000 to finance said appropriation,” an abstract of such bond resolution, concisely stating the purpose and effect thereof, being as follows:

FIRST: AUTHORIZING said Village to construct drainage improvements; STATING the estimated maximum cost thereof, including preliminary costs, and costs incidental thereto and the financing thereof, is $1,500,000;

APPROPRIATING said amount for such purpose; and STATING the plan of financing includes the issuance of bonds of the Village in the principal amount of not to exceed $1,500,000 to finance said appropriation and the levy and collection of taxes on all the taxable real property in the Village to pay the principal of said bonds and the interest thereon as the same shall become due and payable;

SECOND: AUTHORIZING the issuance of not to exceed $1,500,000 bonds of the Village pursuant to the Local Finance Law of the State of New York (the “Law”) to finance said appropriation;

THIRD: DETERMINING and STATING the period of probable usefulness applicable to the purpose for which said bonds are authorized to be issued is forty (40) years; the proceeds of said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation thereof may be applied to reimburse the Village for expenditures made after the effective date of this bond resolution for the purpose for which said bonds are authorized; and the proposed maturity of said bonds will exceed five (5) years;

FOURTH: DETERMINING that said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds and the renewals of said bond anticipation notes shall be general obligations of the Village; and PLEDGING to their payment the faith and credit of the Village;

FIFTH: DELEGATING to the Village Treasurer the

powers and duties as to the issuance of said bonds, and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds, or the renewals thereof; and

SIXTH: DETERMINING that the bond resolution is subject to a permissive referendum.

DATED: February 13, 2023

Nancy Howard Village Clerk 137343

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE

The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on February 13, 2023, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Rockville Centre, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this Notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the publication of this Notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution.

Nancy Howard Village Clerk BOND RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NEW YORK, ADOPTED FEBRUARY 13, 2023, AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION OF COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE, STATING THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST THEREOF IS $500,000, APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS OF THE VILLAGE IN THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOT TO EXCEED $500,000 TO FINANCE SAID APPROPRIATION

The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is to acquire and install computer hardware and software at the estimated maximum cost of $500,000. The periods of probable usefulness applicable to the object or purpose for which said bonds are authorized is five (5) years. The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $500,000.

A complete copy of the Bond Resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village Clerk, Village of Rockville Centre, Village Hall, 1

College Place, Rockville Centre, New York. 137350

LEGAL NOTICE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NEW YORK

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that on February 13, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Rockville Centre, in the County of Nassau, New York, adopted a bond resolution entitled:

“Bond Resolution of the Village of Rockville Centre, New York, adopted February 13, 2023, authorizing the construction of water system improvements, stating the estimated maximum cost thereof is $5,000,000, appropriating said amount for such purpose, and authorizing the issuance of bonds of the Village in the principal amount of not to exceed $5,000,000 to finance said appropriation,” an abstract of such bond resolution, concisely stating the purpose and effect thereof, being as follows:

FIRST: AUTHORIZING said Village to construct water system improvements; STATING the estimated maximum cost thereof, including preliminary costs, and costs incidental thereto and the financing thereof, is $5,000,000;

APPROPRIATING said amount for such purpose;

STATING the plan of financing includes the issuance of bonds of the Village in the principal amount of not to exceed $5,000,000 to finance said appropriation, and the levy and collection of taxes on all the taxable real property in the Village to pay the principal of said bonds and the interest thereon as the same shall become due and payable;

SECOND: AUTHORIZING the issuance of not to exceed $5,000,000 bonds of the Village pursuant to the Local Finance Law of the State of New York (the “Law”) to finance said appropriation;

THIRD: DETERMINING and STATING the period of probable usefulness applicable to the objects or purpose for which said bonds are authorized to be issued is forty (40) years; the proceeds of said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation thereof may be applied to reimburse the Village for expenditures made after the effective date of this bond resolution for the purpose for which said bonds are authorized; and the proposed maturity of said bonds will exceed five (5) years;

FOURTH: DETERMINING that said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds and the renewals of said bond anticipation notes shall be general obligations of the Village; and

PLEDGING to their payment the faith and credit of the Village;

FIFTH: DELEGATING to the Village Treasurer the powers and duties as to the issuance of said bonds, and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds, or the renewals thereof; and

SIXTH: DETERMINING that the bond resolution is subject to a permissive referendum.

DATED: February 13, 2023

Nancy Howard Village Clerk 137353

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ELECTION

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that at the general village election to be held in the Village of Rockville Centre on June 20, 2023, the following offices are to be filled for the terms indicated:

One (1) Mayor, for a term of four (4) years

Two (2) Trustees, for a term of four (4) years

One (1) Justice, for a term of four (4) years

Eligible persons wishing to vote in the said election must be registered with the Nassau County Board of Elections at least ten days prior to the said election.

Nancy Howard, Village Administrator/Village Clerk

Anuncio de Elección

Favor de tomar nota que la elección general de la Villa de Rockville Centre se efectuará el día 20 de Junio del 2023, y el siguiente cargo debe de ser cubierto por el término indicado: Un Alcalde (1), por un término de cuatro (4) años Dos miembros del consejo de administración, por el término de (4) años Un Juez, por el término de (4) años

Las personas elegibles que deseen votar en estas elecciónes deben de estar registrados con la Junta Electoral del Condado de Nassau por lo menos diez (10) días antes de esta elección.

Nancy Howard Administradora de la Villa/Oficinista de la Villa 137341

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 16 of the Town Law of the State of New York, as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, Hempstead, New York, on the 28th day of February, 2023 at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day, to consider the proposed amendment of Article XXXIV of the Building Zone Ordinance, in relation to flood hazard zones. The proposed amendment is on file in the office of the Town

Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, Hempstead, New York, and available at hempsteadny.gov, where it may be inspected during office hours.

ALL PERSONS

INTERESTED in the subject matter will be given an opportunity to be heard with reference thereto at the time and place abovedesignated.

Dated:

Hempstead, New York February 7, 2023 BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

KATE MURRAY

Town Clerk

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor 137313

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU FIRST WESTERN FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK, Plaintiffagainst- JOSEPH MATTHEWS, et al Defendant(s) Index No. 14-004310. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 22, 2016 and entered on February 17, 2016, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on February 28th, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at Lakeview, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersection of the southerly side of Pinebrook Avenue with the westerly side of Woodfield Road; being a plot 104.25 feet by 90.53 feet by 73.10 feet by 90 feet.

All bidders must wear a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction.

Said premises known as 1078 WOODFIELD ROAD, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY; Section 38, Block K-00 and Lot 702

Approximate amount of lien $197,968.69 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 14004310

PAMELA SHARPE, ESQ., Referee Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Suite 1010, Uniondale, New York 11553 {* ROCK CEN H*} 136698

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 601445/2022 COUNTY OF NASSAU

BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST

COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST

Plaintiff, vs. LIONEL O. LIVINGSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL; LEON O. LIVINGSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL; LEON LIVINGSTON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL; KOREY OTIS MITCHELL, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL; KARYN MITCHELL A/K/A KAREN BRUNSON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL; BHUPINDER SRICHAWLA, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHELL, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ESTELLA L. MITCHEL, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving

interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; SYNCHRONY BANK; CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A.; CROWN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, JANE DOE AS “JOHN DOE #1”; JANE DOE AS “JOHN DOE #1”; JANE DOE AS “JOHN DOE #2”; “JOHN DOE #3” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last ten names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 65 LAKESIDE DRIVE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570

Section: 35, Block: 88, Lot: 22 & 23

Servicer: PHH Mortgage Corporation

Servicer Telephone: (866) 799-7724 Defendants.

To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to

appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $937,500.00 and interest, recorded on June 01, 2011, in Liber M 36081 at Page 368, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York., covering premises known as 65 LAKESIDE DRIVE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570.

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

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

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

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

Dated:January 18, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Nadine D. Smith, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 136918

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Realtors are encouraged to send briefs and photographs to: Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd.., Garden City, NY 11530.

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SEE THIS!

Now we need a ResCheck?

Q. We are in a quandary about insulation. Our house was built in 1948, and isn’t insulated well. We decided to add a master bedroom and kitchen extension and insulate as much as we can. Our building plans examiner wants something call a ResCheck from our architect, and wants to know how much of the house we’re going to do. We only want to tell them about the additions, even though we want to do our attic and the whole exterior from the outside, if we can. We understand that if we tell the plans examiner about the rest of the house, they can make us do a more expensive energy analysis, which we don’t think is necessary. Also, our contractor wants to only insulate the attic floor, but the architect said that the latest energy code requires us to insulate the roof and not the attic floor. Can you advise?

A. It’s frustrating that if you were not in the permit process, you would just insulate, but the moment government learns that you are doing everything the right way, with permits, they make things more involved.

A ResCheck is the name given to a 10-page energy-analysis document, complete with areas of windows and doors, walls, floors and ceilings along with calculated heat loss and energy coefficients. It’s like taking an exam and the way it is done, to be registered with the state online, we don’t get to know if the numbers provided will pass until we get to the end of the document. If it’s failing the requirements, we aren’t shown why, so we have to start over, trying to guess what needs to be beefed up.

I like to do these in the presence of clients so they understand that it’s serious business, not just some form to fill out. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do these analyses in front of the contractors who often contradict the ResCheck by substituting lesser fiberglass batting for the higher-rated foam material, to save money and labor, since they usually need to get a subcontractor to install foam instead of using their own cheaper laborers.

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In general, when your project constitutes more than 50 percent of home building area or dollar value compared with the home value, then the examiner wants a more expensive and involved Home Energy Rating System engineer to provide a much more detailed report. This includes a test at the end of the construction in which the home is pressurized using air fans, then gauges are applied, usually at a front door opening, to determine how quickly the house loses pressure, thereby gauging the amount of gaps where air can leak to the atmosphere. This gives an accurate idea of how much cold or heated air can get into the house, which you’re trying to avoid by insulating.

Since this is a big question, tune in to my next column for the rest of the answer. Stay warm and good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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Two isn’t always a winning number

There are all types of numbers associated with politicians. Pollsters are constantly bombarding us with numbers. Defeated candidates keep complaining that they won, and say they have the numbers to prove it. But the bottom line in this discussion is that the number 2 is by far the worst number to be attached to any political figure.

As living proof of the value of being second, I cite Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. There is no question that either of them would become No. 1 if anything happened to her/his boss. But looking at their scope of responsibilities shows that they have very little to do. Harris is rarely in the news, primarily because she hasn’t been given that much to do on a daily basis. She’s called upon to attend important funerals, but the press rarely says much about her.

With the 2024 presidential election coming up, there is speculation about whether President Biden will make Harris his running mate if he decides to run again. Most political observers think she would be a drag on the 2024 ticket, because she hasn’t been associated with any winning issues. Shortly after she took on her official duties, the president assigned her the responsibility of helping solve the border crisis, which is proving more difficult than curing cancer. There was an opportunity for Harris to make some serious recommendations on how to solve the crisis, but she felt the issue was too toxic and declined to actively take on the role. She has been lobbying for the passage of the George Floyd Act, which would better clarify what the role of the police should be, but she wouldn’t be able to make any waves without Biden doing the heavy lifting. There’s also a possibility that the president has chosen not to boost her credentials because of the 2020

debates, when she went out of her way to attack Biden on school segregation. No matter how you try to define the role of the vice president, it’s very hard to write out a list of specifications. The president decides what the V.P.’s job will be, and there are many examples of presidents giving their vice presidents serious duties. President George W. Bush delegated most of his high-level duties to Dick Cheney, and many claimed that Cheney became the real president. But the late Vice President James Nance Garner, who served under Franklin Roosevelt, is said to have had the best definition of the job, describing the vice president’s job as not being worth “a bucket of warm spit.”

Delgado’s situation is an interesting one. He’s a graduate of Colgate University and Harvard Law School. He was a very effective member of Congress who was willing to resign to take on the No. 2 position in Albany. Gov. Kathy Hochul spent every waking hour of her time as lieutenant governor traveling to every

corner of the state. She got to know every local chamber of commerce, and elected officials marveled at her nonstop visits. There is no doubt that her tenacity helped her get elected governor.

Currently, however, the only job Delgado has is to preside over the State Senate, which isn’t the most exciting work. No doubt after April 1, when the state budget is out of the way, Hochul will decide what role he will play. Delgado is personable and articulate, and was well received during his campaign swings. He could be a great advocate for the governor’s programs. She is badly in need of someone who can reach out to the Assembly and Senate members and make some friends. Delgado could help her a great deal in that role.

But either way, being No. 2 in government is hardly the best job in the business.

Jerry Kremer was an 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.

Minx or madman: the George Santos story

Don’t mess with puppies, George. From what I’ve read and what I’ve heard in statements coming out of your very own mouth, you seem estranged from most commonly held beliefs of what is true and what is false, what is a factual statement and what is a lie. What happened and what didn’t happen.

RANDI KREISS

Assiduously, I have ignored the media high jinks and political circus surrounding your behavior, but last week’s revelation of the alleged puppy caper in Pennsylvania’s Amish country in 2017 unleashes my inner Cujo.

Oh yes, the temptation to joke is overwhelming due to the ridiculousness of many of your quasi-legal escapades and the seemingly endless stream of revelations concerning your grandiose claims, self-promotion and transgressions.

Last week we read in The Washington Post that a farmer in Pennsylvania had come forward with a story about you “buying” golden retriever puppies from him with rubber checks. Other

farmers have come forward with similar claims. Related to these charges is the story about the “charity” you claim to have established, Friends of Pets United, but the Post reported that no IRS records of the group could be found. It also reported that you stole money that had been raised to help a disabled veteran care for a dying dog. A disabled veteran?? A dying dog?? What’s wrong with you, George?

I am very disappointed in you. If I were your mother — but oh, wait, your mother died tragically in the 9/11 attacks, unless she didn’t. Can’t be sure. Well, if I were your mother, I would get you some help. The impulse among us in the media is to point at you, since you have become something of a one-man sideshow. But dude, you need serious therapeutic intervention.

New York City, or worked for a bank, or owned various houses, or knew people in the Pulse nightclub shooting, or graduated from NYU or played high-stakes volleyball.

Some say your name isn’t even George Santos. Pinning down the truth as torrents of lies pour from your mouth is like pinning down Jell-O. You are inventive and indefatigable in your stream of wishful thinking out loud, Walter Mitty on a bad trip.

How long will the Republicans allow the public evisceration to continue?

What we can be sure of is that you aren’t Jewish, or Jew-ish, despite your repeated claims to the contrary. According to The Forward, even though you said that your grandparents escaped the Holocaust, they actually were safe and sound in Brazil at the time. There’s no proof you were really mugged on your way to pay a delinquent rent check in

Mostly this is terribly sad. You need help, but you won’t find it in Congress or any public office, for now. Why not step down and save yourself further humiliation?

You can’t expect assistance from your mates in Congress, George. As long as you have a pulse and can vote the party line, they will let the public evisceration continue. You won’t find solace in Congress or real collegiality or decency. You are a GOP vote. Full stop.

Readers, from my perch in the press, the buffoonery of George Santos and his enablers fits perfectly into this time and space. Congress and the Senate have always had their share of nudniks, but Santos is part of a wave of new-age

liars. The toxic lies spewing from people like Marjorie Taylor Green, Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Lauren Boebert and Ron Johnson are poisoning the processes of government. They are all using Santos in what has become a spectacle and a shame.

Last, a shout-out to our neighbors in the 3rd Congressional District, the people of Mineola, Great Neck, North Hills, Port Washington and Oyster Bay. Assuming all of you are literate and somewhat paying attention, how did George Santos sweep by you and right into office? Was holding a Republican seat really a wise trade-off for allowing a candidate with not even a passing appreciation for the truth represent your interests in the People’s House?

As we approach the birthday of another George, the George of American history, who could not tell a lie, I wonder what the people of that era would do with someone like Mr. Santos? Hopefully summon some empathy and not put him on public display. During the reign of another George, King George the First of England, someone like our George might have officially played the part of the fool.

Now we don’t quite know what to do with him.

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

Who’s got less to do, the vice president or the lieutenant governor?

JERRY KREMER

HERALD

Gambling addiction is no game

the Kansas City Chiefs edged the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL’s biggest game Sunday night, watched by more than 100 million people around the world.

But more than 50 million sports fans here at home in the United States had more invested in the game than pride in their favorite team. They wagered as much as $16 billion on Super Bowl LVII, according to the American Gaming Association. And just like football, someone’s going to win, which means someone has to lose. The thing is, being on the wrong side of a good bet is more common than not.

The money bet on the Chiefs and the Eagles was said to be more than double the total spent last year, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals. And these days that betting involves more than just choosing which team will win.

Take prop bets, more formally known as proposition bets. They aren’t tied to the outcome of the game — like traditional spreads, moneylines and totals. Instead, they focus on more non-traditional occurrences like the length of the national anthem, or what color Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach.

Prop bets are currently the biggest driver of revenue for many sports gambling sites, according to news reports. That is, except in New York, where the law requires that all bets be tied to the game itself.

letters

Lafazan should rethink his GEORGE Package

To the Editor:

Nassau Legislator Josh Lafazan’s recommendations last week to prevent future egregious candidate misrepresentations a la George Santos (“A useful way to enshrine a name we’d sooner forget”) are unnecessary and provide for a cure worse that the disease. Lafazan’s recommendations are to enshrine in law at all levels the following:

1. Mandatory background checks for all candidates “just like any employee.” There are significant legal restrictions on the nature and scope of employee background checks, and this is unnecessary, as the most rudimentary opposition research would have exposed Santos.

2. Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding office. Lafazan couldn’t possibly have thought this through. So, any foreign country simply has to issue an arrest warrant to remove our public officials? Talk about foreign interference in elections.

Even with those restrictions, New York-based gamblers placed more than $472 million in legal sports bets during the Super Bowl between the Rams and Bengals — part of a larger $16 billion wagered in the first year of legalized online betting in New York. So far, based on the weekly figures from the state gaming commission, this year’s figure is predicted to be even larger. All from a practice that didn’t even exist here a couple years ago.

There are currently nine different mobile applications legally recognized by the state, with FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesar’s Sportsbook among the bigger ones. FanDuel and DraftKings began a decade or so ago, focused on fantasy sports, in which fans build their own teams and compete against each other using real-life game statistics.

But as sports gambling has gained more widespread legal acceptance, the influence of those two companies has grown, and they have shifted gears and focused most of their attention on this new, much-more-lucrative market.

There are strong opinions on both sides on whether gambling should be legal, or if it’s even moral. But something many agree on is that if you’re going to gamble, do it responsibly. Wager only what you can afford to lose. Don’t stretch — or even break — those limits.

And no different than a casino, mobile and online sports betting can also lead to problem gambling.

Like many addictions, gambling can be attributed to the release of dopamine brought on by the thrill of risk-taking and the potential rewards. Gambling, for the most part, is perfectly legal. But then again, so are cigarettes and alcohol.

But gambling is sometimes considered a “hidden addiction,” because it’s not something that might be as obvious as drugs or alcohol, manifesting physical symptoms, although some gamblers have problems with sleep, anxiety, depression and guilt.

For the working-class poor, gambling can also create a perpetual loop in which addicts throw away much-needed and typically hard-earned cash that would otherwise be spent on necessities like housing and food.

The good thing, however, is that there are services in place to help. The Long Island Problem Gambling Resource Center, for example, offers several services for individuals and families impacted by gambling.

These issues shouldn’t necessarily disqualify any talk of bringing a new casino to Uniondale, but they certainly should be part of the conversation — a big part of it. Every resource should be available to keep wagering responsible, and to avoid the destruction of families — both functionally and economically.

As always, if you or a loved one are dealing with problem gambling, you can get help by calling (516) 266-8342, or visiting NYProblemGambling.org.

How political extremism became the norm

Viewing the American political scene today, I can’t help thinking about what Yeats wrote more than a century ago: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

I’m not suggesting anarchy is imminent, or that our governmental structures are collapsing, but there are warning signs that should be heeded for our nation to cope with the enormous challenges facing America at home — and throughout the world — effectively. Not only is there bitter partisanship between the parties, there are also bitter divisions within them.

There can be honest debate as to when this severe fracturing began. Politics is always a combat sport. The days of peace, love and harmony — the “good old days” — never existed. Certainly not during the 28 years I was in Congress. But no matter how bitter the debate and severe the divisions were, certain lines weren’t crossed. Richard Nixon had reason to contest the 1960 election results, but gracefully conceded the race to John F. Kennedy. Al

Gore challenged George W. Bush’s razorthin electoral vote margin in 2000, but conceded with class after losing a similarly razor-thin 5-4 decision in the U.S. Supreme Court.

I believe the major turning point in the rules of political combat was the 2016 TrumpClinton race and its aftermath. It wasn’t just the heated charges and countercharges of the campaign, but the refusal of some Democrats to accept Trump’s victory, and much of the mainstream media’s defense of their erroneous predictions.

Nor was it just the refusal of prominent Democrats such as Rep. John Lewis to attend President Trump’s inauguration, but the allegations made by Democratic leaders, the intelligence community and major segments of the mainstream media that Trump’s election resulted from his campaign colluding with Russia.

This led to the Mueller investigation, which went on for almost two years, tying up the Trump administration and — with media support — giving credibility to the unprecedented belief that an American president was elected by colluding with a foreign enemy.

Being on the House Intelligence Committee and sitting through endless hearings, listening to countless witnesses and

studying reports and analyses, I was convinced there was no collusion whatever. Stripped of defensive rhetoric, the Mueller report reached the same conclusion. But the damage had been done, and the political well was further poisoned.

Then there were the riots in the summer of 2020, which raged throughout the country following the police killing of George Floyd. At least six people were killed. Cities like Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, were under siege. New York streets became nightly war zones. Police stations were attacked and set on fire. Churches were vandalized. The White House itself was threatened.

Yet Democratic leaders offered only perfunctory disapproval of the violence, emphasizing that most demonstrations were “peaceful.” Following a night of violence in Brooklyn — in which bottles and other objects were thrown at cops — then Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, “I stand with the protesters.”

In Manhattan, the Democratic district attorney refused to prosecute hundreds arrested for looting and rioting, including a getaway driver aiding those caught on video vandalizing St. Patrick’s Cathedral. All further poisoning the well.

Then, beginning on election night in 2020, Trump — citing no credible evi-

dence — charged that the election was “rigged” and “stolen.” Never explaining why, in a rigged election, Republicans would pick up 12 House seats while he lost the popular vote to Joe Biden by more than 7 million, Trump continued to attack the results.

The culmination of this constant onslaught — whether intended or not — was the disgraceful and violent assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. No rational American — certainly no Republican claiming to be a patriot — can defend that outrage in any way.

Shockingly, however, too many Republicans are willing to minimize the violence as just a protest out of control, and still deny the election results.

What the nation saw last month, when it took 15 ballots over five days for Republicans to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House, was a further rejection of tradition and civility. It is an ominous sign that this was the most protracted election for speaker since the decade preceding the Civil War.

It’s time for the sane forces on both sides to step forward. The United States has come too far as a nation, and faces too many challenges, to allow the voices of anarchy to prevail over our traditions and values.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. A version of this essay originally appeared in The Hill.

Framework by Tim Baker

3. Make it a misdemeanor (i.e. a crime) for a candidate to lie about his or her background. Just what we need: candidates routinely trading criminal charges. (“You only graduated cum laude, not magna cum laude!”) Again, basic opposition research is all that’s needed, not competing police reports.

This is an example of a politician giving the appearance of “doing something” about a problem that may very well make it worse.

TeRRANCe J. NOLAN Lynbrook

Who will stand up to the extremists?

To the editor:

As a student of history, I am distressed each day as I read and listen to the news, and I wonder:

When did it become appropriate to ignore a congressional subpoena and then be rewarded with the speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives, the thirdmost important position in the nation?

Why is it OK for Supreme Court nominees to lie at their confirmation hearings and then, after being appointed, overturn decades of court precedent?

When was it determined that politicians

should be permitted to ignore experts in curriculum, history scholars, trained teachers and trained librarians to ban books, whitewash American history and ban topics that are contrary to their ideas? Isn’t the purpose of education to expose students to diverse ideas?

When did it become fashionable to elect people to Congress who lie, yell, curse and bully — people who have no ability to legislate, and no understanding of the word “compromise”?

When did we turn our backs on the hardfought-for rights of all people and return to the days when voting rights were restricted?

In the end, the real question is, when will the moderates in government, and the many moderates in the country, stand up to the extremists on both ends of the political spectrum? Left alone, they will destroy our democracy. We would be wise to remember the words of the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, about the Nazis.

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

An ’80s Glow Party and a father-daughter dance — Valley Stream

ReNA BOLOGNA Bayville

the turning point in the rules of political combat was the 2016 TrumpClinton race.