Rockville Centre Herald 02-25-2021

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Infections as of Feb. 21

2,176

Infections as of Feb. 14 2,096

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Couple wed after Covid delays

A fun season for SSHS basketball

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FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2021

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COMMUNITY UPDATE

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VOL. 32 NO. 9

School district set to reopen Secondary-level students could return full-time March 8 of Chang. “I think it’s phenomenal that so many parents came together to take action.” Last week, a petition began Parents and students have circulating on social media call- been asking for a plan to bring ing for a return to full-time in- students back to South Side midperson learning at dle and high schools the secondary level full time since the in the Rockville Censtart of the school tre School District. year. They are curOn Monday, Superrently operating on a intendent June hybrid model, and at Chang sent a letter the Feb. 9 Board of to district families, Education meeting, outlining a phased Chang and Trustee plan to bring stuLiz Dion, a member dents back as soon of the district’s as March 8 — over a Reopening Commitmonth earlier than tee, said that the earhad been previously liest they could condiscussed by school sider bringing stuadministrators. dents back was April “I’m thrilled that 12, a week after the superintendent spring break ends. sees the importance CAROLYN Schwartz and other of getting children parents felt that that back into the class- SCHWARTZ was too late. room full-time,” Car- Rockville Centre “T he numbers olyn Schwartz, who parent are going down and started the petition we’re still hybrid,” on Change.org on Schwartz said, referFeb. 17, said of the sudden ring to the declining Covid-19 change of position. The petition positivity rate on Long Island. attracted nearly 400 supporters “It’s unbearable to see students in a week. “The district should in neighboring districts go back be supporting our students, and and be successful, and not have it was surprising that he wasn’t pushing for this,” Schwartz said CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

By JILL NOSSA

jnossa@liherald.com

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Bridget Downes/Herald

Pickleball, anyone? A few dozen people turned out for Frank Milillo’s Pickleball Tournament at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center on Feb. 13, which raised funds for Bethany House of Nassau County, a nonprofit agency that assists homeless women and children. Story, more photos, Page 5.

Keeping seniors connected

Members make the most of the Sandel Center By JILL NOSSA jnossa@liherald.com

Almost a year into a pandemic that has turned people into homebodies, the social isolation experienced by many senior citizens has been particularly worrisome. But Rockville Centre’s Sandel Senior Center has continued to support local seniors in a variety of ways throughout the health crisis, and many are thriving with the help of its services.

The center itself was closed to members for over seven months, but the staff adapted in order to provide the necessary outreach to people, to ensure they were still receiving the services they needed and maintaining their connection to the facility, which was critical to both their physical and emotional health. Early on, Director Chris O’Leary and her staff created the “Sandel at Home” program, with the village’s help. Every week, O’Leary conducts inter-

views and incorporates exercise into the televised program, which airs daily on the village’s public access TV channels. The program features fitness, art, music and cooking classes, and guests have included owners of local businesses, including gift shops, restaurants and bakeries. In November, the center was finally ready to reopen to members, and while only a fraction of them have returned thus far, they have confirmed that having CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

t’s unbearable to see students in neighboring districts go back and be successful, and not have this option here.

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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After delays, couple celebrates ‘best day’ By JILL NOSSA jnossa@liherald.com

Ashley Kate Molloy had a picture perfect wedding planned: A small chapel in southern Ireland, surrounded by family and friends near, a place that has been a part of the groom’s family for generations. But, like most weddings planned for the spring and summer of 2020, the former Rockville Centre resident and her now husband, Brendan Keating, had to shift gears and come up with a new plan due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Everything had to be scrapped,” Keating said. “And it was so sad, because it was supposed to be the first time Ashley would meet that side of my family.” With traveling abroad out of the question, the couple, who live in Hoboken, New Jersey, and are both employed by New York City-based companies, thought perhaps a wedding on Long Island, closer to Molloy’s family, could be a viable alternative. They chose a church in Merrick, settling on a date in September. However, two weeks before the set date, they learned of a Covid-19 outbreak linked to a neighboring parish and they reconsidered. They did not want to risk getting anyone sick, especially Molloy’s elderly grandmother. At that point, Molloy, 36, said, they began to focus less on others and more on themselves. “We asked each other, ‘what are the things that we love, what do we enjoy, what’s important to us? And it ended up being the best thing,” she said. Each of them had grown up envisioning a traditional wedding. Due to the circumstances and having to switch course, they realized each of them would have had to make sacrifices in either of those scenarios, even without a pandemic, as many friends and family would not be able to travel internationally easily. Still, having a wedding in a church, surrounded by loved ones, and holding a celebration was important to them both. “It was something that was weighing on us,” Keating, 36, said of holding a wedding. “We were ready to go, and it felt like it was taken from us.” With the end of 2020 approaching, and a house booked in Key West, Florida, for the month of December, they considered the option getting married in Florida. Molloy made a phone call to a church, and the priest, she said, was completely accommodating. “It felt like everything that had been in our way was finally pushed aside, when the priest said we can make this work,” Keating said. “Circumstances kept getting in our way, but with perseverance, dedication and people around us who understood what we wanted, we were still able to do this, on our terms.” On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, Molloy and Keating were married at The Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea in Key West, five months after the original July 22 date, surrounded by immediate family. A private reception was held at the Casa Marina in Key West. With the ability to work

remotely, they stayed for a second month. “It was the happiest day of both of our lives,” Keating said. “The pandemic allowed us to forget about what everyone else expects and to focus on ourselves and each other.” Instead of the 75 or so guests they had planned for the Irish wedding, the Florida wedding had just six people in attendance. However, 317 people viewed the livestreamed event on YouTube. “We felt so much love,” Molloy said. “We were getting texts from people in different countries, and our friends said they didn’t feel like they missed out on anything.” Keating’s parents, Moya and Brendan Keating of Chatham, New Jersey, were hesitant to fly due to the increase of positive Covid-19 cases, and booked a fully refundable trip. At the last minute, they decided to be there to celebrate. “Finding a ‘pearl in the pandemic’ is a challenge, but Ashley and Brendan’s wedding will forever be that beautiful warm moment for me,” Moya Keating wrote in an email. “Flying to Florida from New Jersey during the pandemic wasn’t an easy decision, but we decided that if we were very careful, we wouldn’t have to miss one of life’s great milestones. We masked up and made the trip.” She said that all meals were served outside and they took all precautions to stay safe. Also, she said, heading to warmer weather was a nice treat. “But the greatest joy of all was being with Brendan and Ashley as they spoke their wedding vows,” she said. “It was a dream come true, for all of us.” Molloy, daughter of Evelyn and Sean Molloy, attended St. Agnes Cathedral School and graduated from South Side High School in 2003. She received a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., and is employed in client services at an alternative investment firm in New York City. Keating received his bachelor of arts degree from University of Colorado at Boulder and his master’s degree from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is employed as a human resources and labor relations professional. The couple met in the summer of 2017 through an online dating app, and soon began taking adventures involving beaches and “chasing sunsets.” The two have a history of taking road trips where they find themselves at “the end of the earth.” Keating said it stemmed from him saying he would follow Ashley “to the end of the earth” and the fact that they both love salt water. Beaches are nice, he said, but being at a place like Montauk point is different. “When the road stops and you get out, and there’s water all around you, it makes you feel spiritual, like there’s something bigger than you.” Therefore, it was appropriate that their wedding vows were exchanged in Key West. “I wouldn’t have changed anything,” Keating said.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

The pandemic caused two wedding venue changes for South Side HS graduate

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Photos courtesy Alyssa Morgan Photography

BRENDAN KEATING AND Ashley Kate Molloy, a former Rockville Centre resident, were married in Key West after the pandemic altered their plans for wedding in Ireland. IN THE END, Molloy and Keating said, Key West, made for the best option.

Multiple departments respond to rescue call At■11:05■a.m.■on■Thursday,■Feb.■ 18,■ Rockville■ Centre■ police■ received■ a■ call■ from■ State■ Park■ Police■to■investigate■the■possibility■ that■ a■ person■ had■ fallen■ into■ Smith■ Pond.■ Quickly,■ Park,■ RVC,■ and■ Nassau■ police,■ along■ with■ RVC■ and■ Lakeview■ firefighters■ were■ on■ scene,■ but■ there■ was■ nobody■ in■ sight■ when■ the■ responders■ thoroughly■ searched■ the■area.■“The■ice■was■suspected,■ but■everything■was■intact,”■Lieutenant■ Sal■ Mazza■ of ■ the■ RVC■ police■said.■

Public■ Information■ Officer■ Julie■ Grilli■ said■ there■ was■ a■ lack■ of ■footprints■in■the■fresh■snow■at■ the■ scene.■ She■ said■ there■ was■ a■ log■ in■ the■ water■ that■ may■ have■ been■ what■ the■ caller■ saw.■ “It■ was■ a■false■alarm,■but■they■are■highly■ trained■ and■ that■ is■ what■ they’re■ there■ for,”■ Grilli■ said.■ She■ also■ praised■ the■ officers■ for■ arriving■ within■minutes■and■enduring■the■ cold■and■snowy■weather. –Thomas Carrozza

Photos courtesy Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley

CREWS RESPONDED TO the scene, prepared for a water rescue.

OFFICERS AND FIRST responders were at Smith Pond within minutes of getting the call, only to determine it to be a false alarm.

CRIME WATCH

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■■ On■Feb.■8,■at■7:39■p.m.,■a■motorist■reported■ she■ was■ involved■ in■ an■ accident■ with■ another■ vehicle■ that■ left■ the■ scene■ while■ she■was■driving■on■Sunrise■Highway.■ ■■ On■Feb.■15,■at■6■p.m.,■a■motorist■reported■her■car■was■struck■by■a■vehicle■that■left■ the■scene■while■it■was■parked■in■a■lot■near■ South■Park■Avenue■during■the■afternoon.

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MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/rockvillecentre ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: rvceditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 205 E-mail: rvceditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460

■■ On■Feb.■19,■at■7■a.m.,■a■motorist■reported■her■car■was■struck■by■a■vehicle■that■left■ the■ scene■ while■ it■ was■ parked■ on■ North■ Centre■Avenue■overnight.

Larceny ■■ On■Feb.■22,■at■7■a.m.,■a■motorist■reported■her■vehicle■was■stolen■from■her■driveway■on■Marlboro■Court■overnight.

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

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Pickleball game raised funds for Bethany House

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

Rockville Centre resident Frank Milillo, one of the pickleball ambassadors for Nassau County, helped organize a pickleball tournament fundraiser to benefit Bethany House of Nassau County, a nonprofit agency that assists women and children who are experiencing homelessness. One of the Bethany House locations is in Baldwin. The fundraiser was held in the Rockville Centre Recreation Center on Feb. 13 and participants raised between $1,400 and $1,500, Milillo said. All of the proceeds will benefit Bethany House. It was a fun and active afternoon, with a round robin format tournament as well as cornhole and ping pong games. Pickleball is similar to tennis and badminton, but is less taxing on the body. About 45 people attended the event. “I was overwhelmed over the support that they gave to Bethany House and the way they contributed,” Milillo said of the participants. “I thought the pickleball players actually stepped up and really made a difference in their contributions and in the sport itself, and I couldn’t have been more pleased on the outcome and the support, really — the overall enthusiasm

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that the players had for playing and for playing for a charity.” Karen Polito, acting superintendent of recreation at the rec center, joined the tournament. Some members of Bethany Buddies, a club at South Side High School in Rockville Centre that assists the efforts of Bethany House, attended the fundraiser, too.

Photos by Bridget Downes/Herald

PARTICIPANTS TOSSED THE ball, above left. KAREN POLITO, ACTING superintendent of recreation at the Rockville Centre Recreation Center, above, swung for the ball. LOCAL RESIDENTS PLAYED pickleball at the fundraiser on Feb. 13 at the John An. Anderson Recreation Center in Rockville Centre.

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

COMMUNITY UPDATE Thursday, Feb. 25

Reopening Forum The Rockville Centre Board of Education will hold a forum in the South Side High School auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

Chef Rob: General Tso’s Meatballs Chef Rob demonstrates the steps in making General Tso’s Meatballs through the Rockville Centre Library, 10 a.m. The recipe and link will be provided upon registration.

Thursday, Mar. 4 Chef Rob: Irish Soda Bread Chef Rob demonstrates the steps in making Irish soda bread through the Rockville Centre Library, 10 a.m. The recipe and link will be provided upon registration.

Take & Make Home Science Children in kindergarten through fifth grade can make a simple bird thaumatrope science experiment through the Rockville Centre Library. Materials and online instructions will be provided by the library. Registration required to receive a kit. Call (516) 766-6257, ext. 6, to register or to schedule curbside pickup in the parking lot.

Yoga with Joe Certified yoga instructor Joe Cilmi leads the class. Registration required. At the Rockville Centre Library, 3 p.m.

Essential Oils with MaryClare

Friday, Mar. 5

Learn about the therapeutic properties of essential oils through the Rockville Centre Public Library at 7 p.m.

Poetry Workshop

Library Board Meeting The Rockville Centre Public Library Board of Trustees meets at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 26 Life Skills Children in third through fifth grades can learn something useful on social media through the Rockville Centre Library.

Sunday, Feb. 28 Blood Drive The St. Agnes Council Knights of Columbus will hold the Tom Toy Memorial Blood Drive in the Monsignor Melton Gym, next to St. Agnes Cathedral, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Virtual Performance Watch a performance of Bermuda Avenue Triangle with The Lantern Theater Company, a story of two women living in a Las Vegas retirement communitywho meet a handsome stranger. Register through the Rockville Centre Public Library for the 2 p.m. show.

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Thomas Carrozza/Herald

Enjoying the winter storm

Facilitator Mindy Mangot leads the interactive workshop over Zoom, through the Rockville Centre Library, 1 p.m.

A winter storm dropped snow on Rockville Centre on Feb. 18, and many children, who were home from school during winter recess, took advantage of the free time to play in the snow. Several were spotted sledding at Steven Tighe Memorial Park in the late afternoon.

Monday, Mar. 1

Tuesday, Mar. 2

Wednesday, Mar. 3

Mystery Book Discussion

Yoga with Joe

Current Events discussion

Join librarian Eileen McCarthy for a discussion of “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino, at 12 p.m. The discussion will take place over Zoom. Register through the Rockville Centre Library to get the link.

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

Meditation with MaryClare

What We’re Watching

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

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

Join moderator Michael Matuszewski and library staff member Rob Siegel in a discussion about what everyone is currently watching on television, through the Rockville Centre Public Library. The discussion will take place over Zoom and registration is required. The link will be emailed one hour prior to the 7:30 p.m. start time.

Village Board Meeting The Village of Rockville Centre Board of Trustees meets at 7 p.m. over Zoom.

Writers’ Workshop All aspiring novelists, poets, essayists, historians and journalists can join The Scribblers roundtable discussion group to practice creative writing in a friendly environment at 7 p.m. The discussion will take place over Zoom. Register through the Rockville Centre Library to get the link.

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

The Village of Rockville Centre will hold its next general election on June 15. The village Board of Trustees will hold a briefing meeting at 6 p.m on Feb. 25. Sandel TV airs daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Channel 18 (Optimum) and Channel 37 (Fios) Village residents can get emergency alerts by signing up for Swift 911 through the village website. Assemblywoman Judy Griffin is hosting a series of Coffee Chats; call (516) 561-8216.

Full-time high school could start next month pushing for reopening full-time, she said the quarantining has become a big probthis option here.” Schwartz has two children at Wilson lem. “My fifth-grader and high-schooler Elementary School, and she said they were refuse to go to school,” she said, “because doing well on the full-time in-person sched- they don’t want to be quarantined and miss out on swimming.” ule. She teaches middle school When she learned of Monin Baldwin, and said she sees day’s night decision, Canty how much harder it is to said she suspected that poliengage students and to suptics might be at play with the port them, both academically new plan, in light of the and emotionally, while teachupcoming trustee elections ing remotely. and budget vote, since only a Over the past week or so, week earlier, Chang had taken parents have ramped up their a hard stance on the April 12 calls and emails to Chang and date. Canty applauded the parthe board, seeking answers ents who have demanded not only on a plan, but also on answers. “It’s clear that the the reasoning behind waiting MARLEEN work of this group and presso long to allow a return to the MACCONE sure from parents is the cause school buildings. A new parof their change in position on Rockville Centre ent-child organization is also reopening,” she said. in the works as a way to advo- parent According to Chang, three cate for students and get more factors impacted the district’s information out to parents. decision-making: A survey had confirmed “A lot of us are feeling lost. Right now, parents have no outlet,” Marleen Maccone, that over 65 percent of the district staff who has two children at Hewitt Elementa- have been vaccinated; the district had ry School, said of the decision to create the formed a partnership with Mount Sinai new organization. “And we’re getting no South Nassau hospital to assist with the remaining staff vaccinations; and desk answers from the district.” Maccone was in the process of forming barriers had arrived much sooner than Rockville Centre Advocates for Children expected. He said the order was placed and Teens to “foster a collaborative relationship for concerned parents to work with administrators to create detailed strategies and plans that take into considBy eration the relevant data, current science MBA, CFP, EA, ATA and renewed commitment at the national and state levels to get back to full-time, REAL ESTATE facility-based education.” INCOME TAX Q&A “We have the power to change things,” Maccone said. “Right now we are failing PART I our kids. We are looking for positive solutions, and want to be a part of the proQ: I have a mortgage for land that I intend cess.” to build a home on. Can I take the home Maccone, Schwartz and others have mortgage interest deduction? said that one of their biggest frustrations A: No, you can’t deduct interest on land is not getting the answers they are seeking, that you keep and intend to build a home and many are also confused about the on. However, some interest may be methodology of contact tracing and the deductible once construction begins. rules of quarantining, which has been parYou can treat a home under construction as a qualified home for a period of up ticularly disruptive since the return from to 24 months, but only if it becomes your the winter break in January. qualified home at the time it’s ready for “There’s been no evidence of the virus occupancy. The 24-month period can spreading in schools,” Maccone said. “We start any time on or after the day construction begins. As a qualified home, want to see the data regarding the expothe interest paid may qualify as deductible sure in school versus community spread.” mortgage interest, with certain limitations. Elizabeth Murray-Arnott, who has a Q: Is interest on a home equity line of credit fourth-grader, an eighth-grader and a high deductible as a second mortgage? school freshman in the district, said the lack of communication from the school A: It depends. Interest paid on home equity loans and lines of credit is only deductible • board was her biggest concern. “Nobody’s when you use the proceeds to buy, build getting the data we’ve requested or the or substantially improve your home that information that we need,” she said. “It’s • secures the loan. been like this all year long.” • For example, interest on a home equity Murray-Arnott said that if the board loan used to build an addition to an existing could simply justify its reasoning for cerhome is . typically deductible, while interest tain decisions, she would be satisfied. “I on the same loan used to pay personal living • expenses, such as credit card debts, is not. feel so disheartened to see so many issues The loan must be secured by the taxpayer’s going on right now,” she said. • main home or second home (known as a Julie Canty also said that the lack of qualified residence), not to exceed the cost communication was her biggest frustraof the home and meet other requirements. • tion. “There is a complete disregard for • Presented as a service to the community by people in this community asking thoughtL.I. Tax Services Inc. ful, direct questions, and not getting the • Div. of Wolfsohn Financial answers they requested,” she said. 153 Broadway, Lynbrook NY • Canty has children at the elementary, 887-7380 middle and high school levels who particiwww.wolfsohn.biz pate in sports, and while she has been

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

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lot of us are feeling lost. Right now, parents have no outlet.

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Jonathan Wolfsohn

Christina Daly/Herald

STUDENTS COULD BEGIN a staggered return to the middle and high school beginning March 8, as long as infection rates do not increase. shortly after the Feb. 9 meeting and the barriers were already at the two schools. Chang said the decision was also influenced by the declining Covid positivity rate and the fact that the district has fewer cases than it did after the previous holiday break. The plan is to have eighth- and 12thgraders and high school special education students return March 8, sixth- and ninthgraders return March 15 and all remaining

students return March 22, though Chang said that could change if positivity rates increase. The plans were expected to be discussed further at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, and at a reopening forum scheduled for March 3, at 7:30 p.m., in the high school auditorium. Both meetings will also be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel.

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Alzheimer’s group funding NYU research The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, headed by former New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., of Merrick, has awarded a $250,000 grant to NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola to expand and accelerate research that it is conducting to uncover the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of developing new treatments and slowing the progression of the disease. This AFA award follows a $100,000 grant in 2019 that began the cutting-edge research project. The NYU Langone clinicians and scientists are seeking to approximate brain behavior by reprogramming human cells derived from Alzheimer’s patients. Based on genetic information collected through voluntary blood donations from many patients, the team can distinguish where Alzheimer’s neurons diverge from healthy neurons, and from there take corrective action. This allows the team to then non-invasively explore the potential development of new treatments. The study is led by Dr. Allison Reiss, head of the Inflammation Laboratory at the Biomedical Research Institute at NYU Langone Hospital and associate professor of Medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine. Reiss is also a member of AFA’s Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board. “This new funding allows us to quicken the pace of our work and include participants with only mild cognitive impairment, allowing us to study subtle changes in the composition and metabolism of neurons before advanced Alzheimer’s has taken hold,” Reiss said. “The brain is the body’s most inaccessible and complex organ, making it extraordinarily challenging for scientists to develop new treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s,” Fuschillo said. “This grant enables the NYU Langone Health team to

Courtesy Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

The Alzheimer’s FoundATion of American recently awarded NYU Langone in Mineola a $250,000 grant to conduct research into the causes of and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Above, Dr. Allison Reiss, head of the Inflammation Laboratory at the Biomedical Research Institute at NYU Langone Hospital. expand the number of participants, perform additional cutting-edge work and accelerate the pace of this very promising research study. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is very pleased to make this investment in hope.” “Having cared for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, I know the impact this disease has on families and how desperately new treatments are needed,” said AFA founder and Chairman Bert Brodsky. “We’re hopeful that NYU Langone’s research can make a game-changing scientific breakthrough that will improve the lives of families affected by this terrible disease.” Reiss and her team have been gathering blood samples from individuals liv-

ing with Alzheimer’s, as well as those without the disease. From each blood sample, the research team isolates exosomes that originated in the patient’s brain. Exosomes are small particles shed from every cell, including neurons in the brain. These extracellular pieces, or vesicles, derived from brain neurons carry key genetic information. Researchers are investigating the differences in this genetic information between healthy people and those with Alzheimer’s. The aim is to use the information gained to reprogram Alzheimer’s neurons to behave more like those in healthy people. The research team is also testing a number of drugs for possible repurposing and use in Alzheimer’s disease, as

well as seeking new gene-editing approaches to treatments. The new grant will allow the study to expand the participant pool to include those with mild cognitive impairment. By comparing this group to the original pool of participants who have already progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s, the earliest deviations from normal can be captured. The study is also being expanded to include first-degree relatives of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the grant will allow the team to accelerate the project by using more complex tools to analyze the effectiveness of novel treatments to restore cellular and mitochondrial function. Reiss is joined by Dr. Aaron Pinkhasov, chairman of psychiatry, and Dr. Irving Gomolin, chief of geriatrics, at NYU Langone on Long Island; Dr. Joshua De Leon, associate professor of clinical medicine at the NYU Long Island School of Medicine; and Dr. Lora Kasselman, assistant professor of foundations of medicine, and Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman professor of the NYU Alzheimer’s Disease Center. According to Reiss, in the last two decades, only a handful of medicines were approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease, while the vast majority of clinical trials were halted. Trials typically rely on research first conducted on mice or using spinal fluid, and those often fail to replicate the complex neurological activity in the human brain. That contrasts with research to find cures for cancers of the liver, lungs and other vital organs, where it is increasingly common for pieces of tissue to be extracted for biopsies—and for profiling of cancer cells—to develop with optimal treatment regimens. To give to AFA, go to alzfdn.org/ donate.

Inside LI to host Black History Month webinar By nicole Alcindor nalcindor@liherald.com

In honor of Black History Month, Herald Inside LI will host a webinar featuring Black leaders on Long Island on Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m. S p e a ke r s w i l l i n cl u d e P h i l Andrews, president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce Inc.; Regina Armstrong, superintendent of the Hempstead School District; Frederick Brewington, owner, principal, civil rights lawyer and community activist at the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington; Margo Cargill, CEO of Titanium Linx Consulting Inc.; and Daniel Lloyd, vice president of the of Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, and founder and president of Minority Millennials Inc. The speakers will by Zoom discuss their industries and the culture of

today’s workplaces. They will also discuss how communities have adapted to social justice and racial equity issues, as well as provide insight on how leaders can best harness their influence to impact Long Island. To register to watch the webinar on the scheduled date or receive a recording of the event, go to LIHerald.com/BlackHistoryMonth. To sponsor a webinar or for more information, contact Amy Amato at aamato@richnerlive.com or call (516) 569-4000, ext. 224.

herAld inside li will host a webinar featuring Black leaders on Long Island on Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.

Courtesy Herald Inside LI

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BRINGING LOCAL SPORTS HOME EVERY WEEK

FROM LEFT, DANA Allen, Sydney Rathjen and Bridget Basile are leading the way for South Side.

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

A season after winning 19 games and playing for the Nassau County Class A boys’ basketball championship, the theme for South Side in this condensed season is simple — have as much fun as possible. “We want the seniors to come away with some good memories and for everyone to have fun because that’s what it’s all about,” Cyclones interim head coach Kevin Kennedy said. “It was mad rush to pull everything together. We’re cramming four months of work into threeand-a-half weeks.” Kennedy, a 1987 SSHS graduate and former player, has worked under head coach Jerry D’Angelo for 13 seasons. He’s running the varsity team this season as D’Angelo, who battled Covid-19 last spring, continues to recover while working from home. “Jerry has been a tremendous support,” Kennedy said. “These are unchartered waters for everyone and we’re just taking it one day at a time. The kids are playing hard and there’s no lack of effort or intensity.” Nassau’s schedule consists of only eight games with no playoffs. South Side opened Feb. 12 with a loss to Manhasset and fell to Roslyn less than 18 hours later. “The kids did as well as they could given the circumstances,” Kennedy said. “We usually don’t even scrimmage until we have eight practices under our belts.” Leading the way for the Cyclones are senior captains Owen Mullen and Thomas Kelly. Mullen, a forward, was one of the first contributors off the bench last winter and averaged 7 points per game. He’s an inside/outside threat with a quick first step to the basket, Kennedy said. Mullen totaled 32 points against Manhasset and Roslyn. “He’s our top returning scorer and aggressive with the ball,” Kennedy said. Kelly serves as the team’s floor general. As the starting point guard, he settles the offense in the halfcourt and brings defensive energy. Senior shooting guard John Quinn is a real perimeter threat. Junior Chris Goldstein, up from JV, slashes well to the basket and also has good range, while senior Jack Schwartzberg gets the dirty work done in the paint. South Side’s girls’ basketball team defeated Roslyn in the opener behind 16 points from junior guard Bridget Basile, one of its three captains. “Every team is in the same boat,” head coach Dan Ferrick said. “You can’t put in all the sets you normally run and all the other things like seven different in-bounds plays. We’re just doing the best we can with the time we have and trying to add some things as we go

Photos courtesy SSHS Athletics

SENIOR CAPTAIN THOMAS Kelly serves as the Cyclones’ floor general. along.” Basile, a tireless worker always looking to improve her skills, Ferrick said, enjoyed a tremendous finish last season and was named Honorable Mention AllCounty. Senior captain Dana Allen, an All-Conference point guard, has played every game in each of the past two campaigns. Senior captain Sydney Rathjen is a fourth-year varsity performer who is playing at a high level, Ferrick noted, after missing most of last winter with an ankle injury.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

HERALD SPORTS Fun is theme for South Side basketball

February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Baby, it’s cold outside Embrace the season — indoors and out

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his winter season, like so much during the pandemic, is very different as Covid-19 is still very much a threat and we’re trying to do our part to stop the spread and stay healthy. The good news is that wintertime offers many opportunities to have some family fun — even during the pandemic. More good news? Masks to keep you safe from the virus keep your face warm in the winter too! Here is another piece of good news: with vaccinations now underway, the likelihood of a more normal winter next year is high. Keeping kids busy and focused during the pandemicinduced isolation has definitely taken its toll on all of us. It was burden enough when the weather was nice, but now that we’ve been thrust into our new normal of freezing temperatures, frequent snowstorms, etc., our quarantine life seems more challenging than ever. So while that family getaway most likely is cancelled this year, there are still plenty of ways to beat the winter blahs. Yes, family activities are a must right now — even getting outside. Go for a hike! Get your family — and doggo if applicable — and hit a trail or even the beach. Experience the unique appeal of the beach in wibter. Discover a new board game. Families can bond over the discovery and learning of board games. Newer-age games like The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Carrcasonne offer fresh strategy. But classics like Monopoly and Candy Land are always winners. Complete a puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are a great family/ team building exercise. Work as a team on one aspect of the puzzle, or assign a unique part of the puzzle to each family member. Reenact a favorite movie. With a quick search online, you should be able to find the script to a family favorite movie or favorite scene. Cast family members into their favorite roles and watch the movie magic unfold in your living room. Bake a new recipe. Find a new holiday recipe and bake it together. It is a great way to teach new skills, reinforce math skills, and start a family tradition. Also, since baking has elements of chemistry, there is an added academic component that is the proverbial — and literal — icing on the cake. Feed the birds. While plants sit dormant in winter, birds are still active, providing a great opportunity to aid our feathered friends. Kids can have fun making a simple birdfeeder, or buy one that sticks right to your window for up-close viewing. Put on a performance. Maybe you all learn the same dance, act out a short play, or have a family talent show. Distant relatives will be thrilled to tune in to a live steam and you’ll create a memory that will last a lifetime (especially if it is recorded!) Solve a (fictional) murder. For families with older children, you can spice up the traditional family game night with a murder mystery game. Get into the spirit of the whodunit with costumes and accessories, character backstories, and food or decorations to match the storyline. A quick online search will provide ideas to get you started. Make caring cards. Your family can create hand-made cards that you can mail or drop off to a local nursing home, senior center, hospital, police/fire station, schools, etc. People will appreciate the cards, especially during the pandemic. If you send the cards to schools, teachers will love the support, especially this year! Campout in the living room. This winter everyone could use a change-of-scene. Why not turn your living room into a bedroom and have a family campout? Create tents with sheets draped over furniture. Make sure to bring some books and read under the tents with flashlights! Make a list of new recipes to try. Designate one night of the week to test out each recipe. Each family could be in charge of one of the recipes.

Awesome STEM toys Facilitate learning and critical thinking and in a fun, approachable way

Do a room makeover. Or even just rearrange the furniture, in the kid's rooms or playroom so they can have a change of scenery without leaving home Research a new outdoor spot. Explore it and plan a day around it and enjoy the adventure! Go through clothes and toys and donate to those in need. It will feel good to clean out your closets and help others Host a virtual Bingo night via Zoom. Invite friends or family to join in. Offer prizes you can mail to the winners. Build a snow fort or a snowperson. Weather allowing of course! Add to the fun by having hot chocolate outside under the stars. Set out chairs at least six feet apart and invite the neighbors. Research places to volunteer. Helping others will help lift your spirits. Many non-profit organizations are open to having volunteers safely either remotely or inperson. Contact some of your favorite local organizations and ask them how your family can help. Host a neighborhood food drive. Food pantries now need pantry donations as demand has increased significantly during the pandemic. Post flyers around the neighborhood or put them in mailboxes. Set a goal — maybe one can for each day of winter? Contact your food pantry of choice to find out if they have specific needs and when you can drop off the donations. Art night! Choose one night (or day) each week to create something amazing together. It could be a large banner with an inspirational message, vision boards, placemats displaying the holiday cards you received this year, a magnificent centerpiece using items from nature — anything goes! Learn a new sport together. This might be cross country skiing, snowshoeing, skating, speed walking, weight lifting, gymnastics, running, or anything that your family is interested in exploring. Staying active this winter will be important for your physical and mental health. n

Above photo: Winter can be a tough time of the year, even under the best of circumstances. Thanks to the chilly temperatures and lack of sunlight, many people deal with the winter blues on an annual basis — and that was before we ever heard the phrase “social distancing.” With a little creativity (and even a few extra layers), you might even find new reasons to love the wintertime!

If it wasn’t for your grade school children, you may have never heard of the term STEM learning. Initiated by the National Science Foundation, STEM education stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. While the geezers in the back (ahem, that’s us!) played with Barbies and G.I. Joes, this emphasis on instilling an attitude of curiosity and inquiry for children of a young age is quite highly regarded. As parents, we should be introducing our children to the scientific method, a systematic and logical approach used to answer a question or solve a problem. This lets our children see the world from a different perspective and gives them the desire to learn how things in the world actually work, and why they are the way they are. STEM games for kids are a great way to have a kid or teen's mind practice different ways to solve problems, thinking through each step like a game of checkers. Here are some creative ideas. Galaxy Rocket Ship Recommended ages: 3 and older MagnaTiles has turned into a household brand, so its partnership with CreateOn just seems like a natural fit. With the Galaxy Rocket Ship, your child can unlock a world of learning about planets and the solar system. Side one builds a rocket ship, while side two includes all the planets of the solar system, two versions of the sun, the moon, and an astronaut. Botley 2.0 Recommended ages: 5 and older If you’re tired of having your kids sit in front of a screen (I’m talking to you, remote learning), then Botley 2.0 is a great choice. It lets kids enjoy educational, screen-free STEM fun with handson coding and critical thinking without the need for a phone or tablet. Children will code their way through obstacle courses with simple sequences and explore ways to code through colors and movements. Kodable Recommended ages: 5 and older Kodable is a STEM curriculum that allows kids as young as kindergarten to learn coding basics. The award-winning learnto-code program provides easy-to-follow lessons and games that can be done at home. With Kodable, kids through fifth grade have the opportunity to think like a programmer and grow to learn how to write JavaScript. Shashibo Recommended ages: 7 and older Tap into a child’s imagination with Shashibo, which is just as interesting as the name suggests. The shape-shifting box (that sort of resembles origami?) transforms into more than 70 shapes. If you have the opportunity to get more than one, your child will be able to combine several cubes to build even larger shapes, sculptures, and structions. n Above photo: STEM toys help your child dabble in critical scientific fields in a fun way, building mental bridges to move them ahead of the crowd faster.

Sandel Center keeps seniors connected They go out of their way to make us happy.” a place to socialize is invaluable for them. Before the pandemic, the center held Lilly Carroll, 84, goes to the center monthly birthday brunches for members every day, taking the 10:30 a.m. exercise celebrating birthdays. The honorees class, then staying to either play games or would be showered with cards from other enjoy the other offerings, which vary members, DePhillips said, daily and could include a and the dining room would guest speaker, a movie or a fill up with 10 people per group activity. table. Now, celebrations are “During the pandemic, on hold, but she has taken on they have been so good,” Carthe task of making sure all of roll said of the Sandel staff. “I the members are rememwas very happy when it bered on their special day. “I reopened, and they take great write up the cards and sign it precautions to keep us safe. from the Sandel Center memEveryone is so caring — they bers and staff,” she said. “It make sure we’re OK, safe and makes them feel good.” entertained. It’s been a lifeDePhillips also said she saver, really. After almost a has made a point of keeping year of staying home, friends in touch with other members dying, it keeps my mind occuthroughout the pandemic, pied and gives me a respite LILLY CARROLL calling those who still aren’t from everything else that’s Member, ready or able to return comgoing on.” fortably, and sending cards to While the center was Sandel Senior those who are ill or recoverclosed, Carroll, who has been Center ing from an illness. Keeping a member for nine years, said those connections is imporshe stayed home and relied on her daughter to bring her food. “I was tant, she said, and for her, interacting bored,” she said, though she did watch with others is a priority. DePhillips, who lives in Oceanside, “Sandel at Home” regularly. Marge DePhillips, 80, a member for said she heads to the center three times a three years, has been the corresponding week, and will be there from 10:30 a.m. to secretary for two years. “I enjoy it very 4 p.m. “It’s so good to see people and to be much,” she said. “The people are wonder- able to talk to people,” she said. “It really ful and the workers do everything for us. makes your day.”

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

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was very happy when it reopened, and they take great precautions to keep us safe.

Courtesy Sandel Senior Center

PHYLLIS MILLER, MARGE DePhillips and Pat McLaughlin enjoyed socializing at the Sandel Center. by how many members have adapted to the circumstances by learning new skills and embracing the technology that keeps people connected, such as Zoom and telehealth services. “Seniors have such resilience,” O’Leary said. “People are resolved to make the best of things. Even those at home are still looking on the bright side, which is very inspiring.”

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O’Leary said she has been pleased with how the facility has been operating. The 10:30 exercise classes feature rotating instructors. The center doesn’t serve lunch, but members are welcome to bring their own. “The members have been extremely cooperative about social distancing and masking,” O’Leary said. “They’re worried about their fellow members and respectful of each other’s health.” She said she has also been impressed

OBITUARIES

Raymond Esposito, Honorary RVCFD member Lawrence Fire Chief, dies at 93 McAteer Jr. dies at 79 By THOMAS CARROZZA tcarrozza@liherald.com

Raymond Esposito, 93, of Rockville Centre, died on Feb. 11, 2021. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving from Nov. 20, 1950, to Nov. 19, 1952. Esposito was bor n on Oct. 19, 1927 to Vittoria and Aniello Esposito. He was preceded in death by wives Joan and Eileen and was the last surviving of his three other brothers Frank, Arthur, and Carman. Affectionately known as “Uncle Ray” by those close t o h i m , R ay m o n d w a s Raymond invested in the Rockville Centre community, spending his whole life as a member of the congregation of St. Agnes Cathedral and his 72 years with the Rockville Centre Fire Department at Live Oak Engine Co. 1. During his time with the latter, he was an Ahrens Fox antique truck operator and an Honorary Chief. He was also a consistent patron of Front Street Bakery, where

he had a soft spot for their shoe soles. He was Rockville Centre bor n and raised and relished being a part of the community. Esposito is remembered fondly by his five nieces and nephews, 11 greatnieces and great-nephews, and 14 great-, great- nieces and nephews. He was also a loving stepfather and stepg randfather. His family would describe him as a generous man who was always willing to give his time and use his skills in carpentry and mechanics to help others. Those close to him said that words cannot fully express what Esposito Esposito meant to each and every one of his family members. Esposito was known to love family gatherings and bringing goodies from his beloved Front Street Bakery. “He was an uncle to everybody,” his niece Rose Esposito said. “Everybody that knew him loved him. He was very generous.”

Lawrence “Larry” McAteer Jr., age 79, formerly of Rockville Centre, died peacefully at Oakmont Center for Nursing, in Oakmont, PA, on Feb. 2, 2021. He is the son of the late Lawrence McAteer Sr. and the late Evelyn (Schlegelmilch) McAteer. Larry is survived by his “bride,” as he called her, Carol. They were married for 55 years. Their sons, Timothy and Michael (Jennifer) and his brother John Raymond (Donna) survive him. His sister and her husband, Eileen and Dale Tolbert, predeceased him. Kaitlyn McAteer and Emily McAteer adored their grandfather, who they referred to as “Pop.” He was a wonderful uncle to Jennifer Gottlieb, John McAteer (Liz), Thomas McAteer (Sarah), Roger Tolbert (Amanda), Julie Hollingshead (Jason), Chuck Benshoof and GayleAnn Behunin (Steve) and their children. During and after attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Larry was employed by Lawrence C. Gumbinner Advertising, in Manhattan. In spite of Larry’s many health issues over the years, he became successful in business. At Media Networks, Inc. in Stamford, CT, he started in the Prepress Department and became the Quality Control Manager responsible for over a mil-

lion dollars in billing each month. He followed the creative artwork from input to output and handled any corrections needed in ads that ran in most of the top magazines in the country. He oversaw an average of 1,200 to 1,500 ad pages a month totaling an average of 40 million ad impressions monthly. Larry retired in 2003 after nearly 20 years. In the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Larry and his dad owned Larry McAteer & Sons, on North Long Beach Road, Rockville Centre, operating an automotive service station. It was there that he learned customer service and how to treat customers, a skill that he carried forever. At 18, he joined the Rockville Centre Fire Department and served for nearly 20 years in Floodlight Rescue Company. His dad was a founding member and officer. His brother, Ray, also served and, years later, Larry’s sons followed in his footsteps. He volunteered in Scouting, in his church and in the community. He made it his mission in life to befriend people who needed a friend and was able to put a smile on people’s faces with his sense of humor. He always had a great attitude and was grateful for all he had in life, including the loving support of his wife and his family.

Spring onto the market with Kerry Flynn-Berry. Inventory is at an are all time high! is the Inventory is low lowand andinterest interestis rates at an all Spring time low! Spring is the perfect time to list. Give me a call if you are looking to buy or perfect time to list. Give me a call if you are looking to buysell or insell in the area area — to to getget youyou where youyou wantwant to be. the —I Iwill willdodoallallI can I can where to be.

Kerry Flynn-Berry Licensed as Kerry Flynn Licensed Real Estate Salesperson kerry.flynn@compass.com M: 914.772.6169 Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

Pre-SPring SPecialS

ANTON’S LAST WEDNESDAY, HEMPSTEAD Town Supervisor Donald Clavin, at lectern, announced that the town will allocate more than $340,000 of federal CARES Act funding to support several libraries within the township.

C a r C a r e C e N T e r, lT d.

345 Sunrise Hwy. • Rockville Centre • 678-2064

Town earmarks $340k in funds for local libraries By REINE BETHANY and ALYSSA SEIDMAN aseidman@liherald.com

Earlier this month, alongside local library directors, Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald Clavin announced that the town has approved more than $340,000 in grants to support several public libraries within the township (see box). The allocation was made possible by funding through the federal CARES Act, which was secured by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer last year. Each library will receive a more than $20,000 grant to help pay for unbudgeted expenses incurred during the pandemic. Clavin said the funding will also allow these institutions to continue to provide essential programs and services to their communities. “They might have lost some sort of benefit they’d given the community,” he explained. “No one in our town was spared from the impacts of this pandemic and the financial toll it has taken, [and] we are proud to be able to provide this funding to our neighborhood libraries so they can continue serving the residents of Hempstead Town.” Most libraries have continued to offer a full complement of services throughout the pandemic with Covid-19 safety measures in place. These include high-grade Plexiglas shields for circulation and reference desks, personal protective equipment for staff, daily sanitizing procedures, UVlighting to disinfect books and printed materials and reconfiguration of library spaces to maintain social distancing. The announcement came from outside the Levittown Public Library on Feb. 10. Levittown Library Trustee Steve Dalton commended town officials for their support. “There are two broad purposes for this money,” he said. “It’s one, to make inperson library use safer for our patrons and our staff, and two, to expand digital and virtual access to library materials.” Digital and virtual access includes lending hotspot devices and installing Wi-Fi routers and boosters so patrons can

Help for local libraries East Meadow Public Library Elmont Memorial Library Franklin Square Public Library Hempstead Public Library Island Park Public Library Island Trees Public Library Lakeview Public Library Levittown Public Library Merrick Library Peninsula Public Library Seaford Public Library Uniondale Public Library Wantagh Public Library West Hempstead Public Library Baldwin Public Library Rockville Centre Public Library North Bellmore Public Library access the library’s Wi-Fi during off hours. Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby pointed out that the libraries could also use the funds to keep developing virtual literacy programs, which are increasing children’s skills with computer programs like Zoom and strengthening their adjustment to remote learning. Town Councilman Christopher Carini recalled fond memories of leading civic association meetings at the Seaford Public Library, further proving their importance. Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito regarded the institutions as “a central location for meetings” that have the ability to bring community members together. “No one could have anticipated the impact that Covid-19 would have on libraries and so many other aspects of our daily lives,” he said, “and these relief funds will go a long way to helping them get back on their feet.”

ATM 10%

Senior Discounts (Excludes tires. Not to be combined.)

MOTOrCYCle aNd Trailer iNSPeCTiONS

COMPLETE LINE OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS FORGEIGN & DOMESTIC

Body Work

•

Detailing • Window Tinting • Auto Glass • Painted Pin Striping

Oil change

6395

Some vehicles may require add’l oil & cartridge filter at an add’l cost High End Cars Additional. Foreign Add $5.00. Exp. 3/28/21

4 wheel disc/drum brake special • Install Front Disc Pads • Install Rear Brake Shoes • Resurface Rotors • Resurface Drums

• Check Brake Lines • Check Master Cylinder • Add Brake Fluid

oNly!

$

• Up To 4 Quarts Mobil 1 Oil • Replace Oil Filter • Check All Fluids, Front End, Belts & Hoses

WITH COUPON

49

$

95 PER AXLE

All Cars Foreign and Domestic. Labor Only. Parts Additional. Excludes 4 Wheel Drive, Rear Discs and Hub Vehicles. Exp. 3/28/21

60,000 mile serVice special

• Rotate, Inspect and Balance all tires • Inspect 4 wheel brakes, master cylinder and brake lines, calipers & wheel cylinders • Inspect shocks & struts steering linkage & suspension • Change oil and oil filter “Super Synthetic Blend” PLUS perform 9-point car check • Inspect cooling system, all belts & hoses & thermostat flow, radiator system service • Check air conditioning performance • Service power steering system • Replace cabin air filter • Perform fuel injection service • Inspect exhaust and heat shields • Lubricate all points • Automatic transmission service

rOtate & balance 4 tires

$3000 SOME CARS ADDITIONAL

Exp. 3/28/21

nOrmallY $35995 + parts

sale price

$

22995

(Labor Only parts additional) super sYnthetic Oil change (included in price is a $60 value)

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Courtesy Town of Hempstead

H

harmS real eState, inC

2020 WAS ANOTHER STRONG YEAR FOR MY CLIENTS s

d ol

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so

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83 muirfield road • rVC $890,000

174 WindSor aVenue • rVC $979,000

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021 Courtesy Facebook Live Screenshot

NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATOR Debra Mulé hosted a virtual webinar Feb. 18 at which Jonathan Prevost, Bianca Boursiquot, Kyra Lewis, Jose Villatoro and Kiana Abbady discussed issues facing millennials.

Local millennials talk diversity businesses — but sometimes I see that they increase fast food, so that’s some change that I see in Baldwin that I’m not Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé too fond for.” hosted a discussion with millennial conShe said she would like to see healthier stituents last week as part of a virtual options, especially for students around panel called “Redesigning the District: A the high school, since students are Conversation with Millennials.” allowed to leave campus to buy lunch. During the Feb. 18 webinar, broadcast Boursiquot also recalled attending the via Facebook Live, area resiSt. Christopher’s Church Italdents discussed key issues ian feast when she was facing millennials, as well as young, and Villatoro rememopportunities for local civic bered the festival at the Nauinvolvement and changes tical Mile in Freeport. Bourthey have witnessed — and siquot said she would love to would like to make — in their see more festivals celebrating communities. a variety of cultures. “My children are millenni“If they could incorporate als who grew up in the 5th multicultural programs, like Legislative District, and I festivals for everyone,” Bourknow that the issues of milsiquot said, “I feel like that lennials are different from the would bring everyone togethissues of my generation,” er, honestly.” said Mulé, a Democrat from “Where I grew up in BaldFreeport. “And it’s very win — in my opinion, there’s important that we hear what only one Baldwin — but they they are. We need to get your KIANA ABBADY refer to it now as north Baldperspective, your energy, your Freeport win,” Prevost said. He fresh takes on things so we remembered that when he can make good decisions.” was young, there was a Mulé’s chief of staff, Jonathan Pre- Friendly’s restaurant where a KFC now vost, of Baldwin, led the discussion. Bian- stands. It was a local place that created a ca Boursiquot, owner of Sweets by B, a sense of community, he said, because it Baldwin-based baked goods business, was a popular spot for people who lived in joined the discussion along with Freeport the surrounding area. natives Kyra Lewis, Jose Villatoro and “As the years changed, it kind of Kiana Abbady. switched from more family restaurants to The panelists recalled fond childhood more like the McDonald’s and KFCs and memories and touted Baldwin’s and Free- Taco Bells,” Prevost said, “so I could defiport’s sense of community and diversity nitely see your point on that with the among residents, but also shared the increased fast-food restaurants in our dischanges they have seen while growing up trict and how it kind of changed the and those they would like to see. dynamic of local places to hang out and “The most change I’ve seen in Baldwin kind of interact with your community has to deal with businesses,” Boursiquot more.” said. “And I’m proud of how many busiVillatoro, who works in Mulé’s office, nesses that opened in Baldwin — I appre- echoed the sentiment, saying he would ciate that [there is] an increase of food like to see a greater diversity of local

By BRIDGET DOWNES bdownes@liherald.com

I

love that there are more people from different backgrounds coming to live in our community.

businesses. Abbady said that while Freeport is known to be “a third white, a third Black and a third Hispanic,” she has noticed an increase in diversity, with more Asian and South Asian people living in Freeport. “I love that there are more people from different backgrounds coming to live in our community,” she said. “It’s a beautiful thing, and we’ve already been a very culturally diverse village, and I’m looking forward to see those communities join us and enhance what’s already here in Freeport and make it even greater.” Prevost also asked the panelists about civic engagement and how community groups could better connect with their age group. Abbady, who formerly worked with Mulé, said local civic groups tend to focus their efforts more on problem solving

rather than engaging with the community. Lewis agreed, adding that it starts with building positive relationships and then working through the problem solving. She also said social media is “always the answer” when it comes to how to better connect with residents, and encouraged leaders to find innovative ways to speak to an audience. Mulé thanked the speakers, noting that she was surprised that housing didn’t come up, although that could be a topic for another conversation. “As members of a tremendously diverse and highly educated generation,” Mulé said in a statement, “millennials are already taking up the mantle of leadership and charting a course to a more innovative, inclusive and vibrant future for Nassau County and the United States.”

Public Notices

LROC1 0225

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Public Hearing Village of Rockville Centre Nassau County, New York Meeting Date: March 1, 2021 Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 330 Rockville Centre Village Code NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Exterior Design Review Board of the Village of Rockville Centre will have a Public Hearing via VIDEO CONFERENCING LEGAL NOTICE March 1, 2021 at 6:00 PM Case No. 16-2020 James Nicotra 28 Cedar Avenue

Rockville Centre, New York 11570 Description: Construct a new single family dwelling with attached garage. Premises known as: 11 Killarney Lane *Please see Rockville Centre Village website, RVCNY.GOV, calendar for videoconferencing information* The Exterior Design Review Board OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE Eugene Murray Village Hall, Rockville Centre, New York George Bella, Chairperson of the consultants to The Exterior Design Review Board

Thomas Domanico, Secretary to The Consultants Information and records for Exterior Design Review cases are available the Office of the Secretary, 110 Maple Avenue, RVC 124754

LEGAL NOTICE Enimrac LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/14/2020. Office: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 188 Pine St Rockville Ctr 11570. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 124419

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that an order granted by the Supreme Court, Nassau County, on the 4th day of February, 2021 bearing Index number 55/21, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY grants me the right to assume the name Mariyum Ali Shakir. The city and state of my present address are RockvilleCentre, NY; the month and years of my birth are May, 1980; the place of my birth is Nagpur, India; my present name is Mariyum Shakir 124757

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PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

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Apartments Wanted

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February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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Homes

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HOME OF THE WEEK

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Q. Last fall we had the walls removed between our living room, dining room and kitchen. We had a new kitchen installed with an island plus a wall of cabinets. Now the new flooring is rising at the seams, everywhere. We have a heated floor, and the flooring was specially chosen because it clicks together and “floats.” We were told that with the floor being able to move, it would be better with the heated floor. What caused this, and what can we do?

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E

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Ask The Architect

M

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Rent Your Apartment through the Herald and PrimeTime Classified section. Call us for our great *specials. 516-5694000, press 5 for Classified Dept. *(private party only)

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A. Your floor is expanding, and the ridges at the seams are rising, because the floor has nowhere else to expand to. This problem is common, and was caused by the floor being limited from expanding because the cabinets and island, along with heavy furniture placed over the finished floor, keep the floor from expanding when the heat onte eeper is on. Wetting the floor to clean it also causes expansion, and should be limited or not done with water at all. Solving this problem is easier said than done. Basically, anywhere the floor is unable to move defeats the purpose, and only by freeing up the floor will the problem work itself out. There’s a simple wall molding that our ancestors used that seems to be generally forgotten. Even though I include this detail in most of the drawings I prepare, I rarely see this last little strip of molding being installed. What the molding does is act like a gap cover, since properly installed flooring has a quarter- to halfinch gap at the edges of the floor, including around a fixed island and around the room’s perimeter. The whole perimeter will need to be cut so the trim molding will need to be added, unless the vertical trim board has been installed with a space, in which case the flooring has to be able to float (slide back and forth) under the vertical wallboard trim. Our ancestors were very observant of nature, and skilled finish carpenters passed along their knowledge of the way materials behave. I worked for a finish carpenter while in high school, and learned that molding and trim weren’t just a finishing touch, but also a necessity to hide the places where materials needed room to expand and contract, at ceilings, floors, stairs and doors. Miracle materials have come along since then that were supposed to change the industry, like plastic moldings that are more temperature stable, but nature never disappoints. Natural or not, materials all have to work together, whether it’s the way they react to moisture, sunlight, heat or cold. You’re going to need to get the contractor to organize the flooring installer and the finish carpenter to coordinate cutting the floor, and either install the shoe molding or space the vertical trim baseboard so the floor moves and adjusts underneath, even at the island and kitchen cabinet bases. Hopefully, the flooring was installed over a moisture-proof expansion membrane. Then enjoy your floor.

L

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

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

Our floor is expanding

17

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

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HERALD EDITORIAL

Rockville centRe

February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

HERALD

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A year later, lessons learned from the pandemic

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he coronavirus pandemic reached Long Island a year ago next week, at first bringing a handful of cases before it dug in and exploded, wreaking havoc. We failed to see it coming until it was too late. We failed to imagine its destructive power. Nassau County’s first reported case was a 42-year-old Uniondale man who worked at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre and was treated at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, now NYU Langone. His case was reported last March 3. Three days later, Uniondale Schools Superintendent Dr. William Lloyd said in a statement, “The district has been in close contact with Nassau County and New York state health officials, and we have been told that at the current time, there is no reason to take any additional precautionary or preventive measures than those we already have in place.” By mid-March, schools had shut down. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran gave the order to close them for two weeks. Students didn’t return to their school buildings until September, learning, as best as they could, virtually, using new and unfamiliar online platforms like Zoom and Google Classroom. Businesses shuttered, some never to return. Hospitals — and the brave women and men who staff them — were quickly overwhelmed by the coronavirus caseload. So were funeral homes. Death, it seemed, was everywhere. And so here we are, a year later, battered and bruised, many of us filled with

anxiety because of a job loss, economic issues or simply the uncertainty that the coronavirus has brought to all of our lives. “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” the saying goes. After a full year of coping with a relentless disease, watching too many family members and friends fall prey to it, we are tired, ready for this nightmare to be over. We need to feel normal again. We are wiser, however. Our children are learning, albeit at a slower pace than they did. We are more forgiving of students if they miss a homework assignment or fail an exam. We don’t require them, to the degree that we did, to take the seemingly unending battery of state tests they were subjected to for years. Even the SAT is no longer sacrosanct, with a growing number of colleges becoming SAT-optional. Maybe that’s how it should have been all along. Perhaps our expectations were unrealistic. Long before the pandemic, young people complained, like no generation before, of the anxiety they were feeling. Maybe we should have listened more closely, understood better. If we come out of the pandemic with more realistic expectations of our children — and the desire to let them be kids at least part of the time — then some good will have come from this hell that we have collectively experienced. Maybe — just maybe — we will have learned that children’s feelings matter more in the end than their grades. At the same time, the pandemic

LETTERS O’Connell was ‘right on the mark’ To the Editor: John O’Connell’s column in the Feb. 4-10 issue, “Agree with me or shut up,” was right on the mark. I have liberal relatives who still blame President Trump for all our woes, and it’s very difficult to have a reasonable conversation with them, on any subject, because they will always bring up the topic of politics. Many thanks to O’Connell for speaking up for many of us. PAT KING Merrick

It was worthy of framing To the Editor: Reading “Agree with me or shut up” was a profound breath of fresh air. Thank you, John O’Connell, for your thoughts. I’m going to frame this article as proof that there are still good people

exposed, like never before, the wide disparities in educational opportunities for children from different communities, based largely on race and socioeconomic forces beyond their control. We should commit, like never before, to closing these gaps so all children are given equal opportunity to learn. When you’ve had so much taken from you, you start to reassess all that you are. How much does owning the biggest house on the block or the shiniest car really matter? When you’re on a ventilator fighting for your life, not at all. We also learned that we’re highly adaptable creatures. Countless businesses have carried on virtually, leaving their owners wondering why they hadn’t tried going remote earlier. It saves time and effort. It also saves gasoline and, thus, money. And, as we have learned, it might be a way of saving the planet — less travel by car means less greenhouse gases sent into our atmosphere, which could help slow the climate crisis, the biggest of the crises facing humanity. We shouldn’t look back and beat ourselves up. We didn’t know better. We do now, though. The question is, when we are past the pandemic, who will we become? Will we revert to our old ways or adopt our newfound practices? We are likely to achieve herd immunity within the next year through a combination of inoculation and infection. Now is a good time to start planning for that day, and to decide how we will live in the years after these difficult days.

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OPINIONS

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applaud the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent guidance update recommending that people who are fully vaccinated not be confined to quarantine after exposure to a case of Covid-19. Becoming fully vaccinated provides many with a sense of liberation, but it also comes with a deep social responsibility. According to published research, full vaccination — defined as two weeks after the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine — virtually eliminates a person’s LAWRENCE E. chance of dying the strains of EISENSTEIN from the virus we are currently likely to encounter. The vaccines provide excellent protection for most people from even contracting it. Nonetheless, a small percentage of vaccinated people will still come down with Covid-19. And researchers continue to study whether someone who has been vaccinated can transmit the virus to others. While I think they will ultimately find at least some protection against transmission, we can’t yet quantify the risk. Until we have these answers, vaccinated people must assume the responsibility of ensur-

ing they don’t inadvertently spread the virus. Our knowledge of Covid-19 is expanding rapidly, and science should guide our policymaking. The new CDC guidance is important not because it’s a get-out-of-jail-free card — it isn’t — but because of the accompanying explanation. The agency didn’t just issue a blanket statement that vaccinated people don’t need to quarantine after exposure; rather, it gave an important medical explanation. It acknowledged that the risk/ benefit ratio, a cherished tenet in medical evaluation, shifts after people are vaccinated. They aren’t completely free of the possibility of contracting or transmitting disease, but the odds of doing so change. We should acknowledge and even celebrate the fact that vaccinated people are highly unlikely to die of the current predominant strains of Covid-19. But we don’t yet know how long the post-vaccination protection lasts, so the CDC set the quarantine-free policy at 90 days — a period supported by science — as long as people have no symptoms following their exposure. The other side of the equation is benefits. There are important psychological, economic, sociological and health-related benefits to keeping people active, produc-

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tive and out of quarantine, and there are profound impacts of keeping them in quarantine. The CDC concluded that although there is some risk of vaccinated people contracting and spreading the virus, the risks of forcing them to quarantine outweigh the benefits. I fully support this analysis. Quarantine, the taking away of someone’s freedom in the interest of protecting the public’s health, must be ordered responsibly. A careful evaluation of the risk/ benefit ratio is the correct way for public health policymakers to proceed. I believe the next step should be a lifting of the domestic travel quarantine for New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated. If we are no longer quarantining fully vaccinated people with a known exposure, why would we take away their freedom just because they’ve traveled — including those with no known exposures? Using good science, we might find that some locations have more dangerous variants. In those cases, quarantine might become necessary, even for fully vaccinated travelers. I get asked all the time when I think we will return to life as we knew it before the pandemic. We aren’t going to just flip a switch, and parts of our new normal might be here to stay. I for one will always

eep in mind that parts of our new normal — like masks — may be here to stay.

LETTERS that are willing to stand up and speak whole truths. ANTHONY CHRISOSTOMO East Meadow

Doesn’t O’Connell care about facts? To the Editor: My response to John O’Connell’s column is, wow! Just wow! O’Connell complains that “the individual’s right to freely express ideas . . . true or not . . . or [not] reliably sourced at all” should be allowed to flow freely. Really? And he dares call himself a journalist? The reason that “the percentage of those who don’t trust the media at all went up five points in one year” is because of the absolute outright lies the radical right has fomented on sites like Parler. Thank God big tech stopped that slander. The big lie that the election was “stolen” is exactly what led to the insurrection on Jan. 6. O’Connell says “half the country is vexed by the prospect of a Biden-Harris administration unchecked by the House and Senate.” Well, more than half the country was obviously vexed by a Trump-Pence administration whose lies were retold on far-right extremist outlets and went unchecked by the House and Senate. Thus,

wear a mask on a plane, because the benefit of not getting sick with Covid-19, influenza or any respiratory virus that could ruin my vacation far outweighs the tiny cost of wearing that mask. To get back to life as we knew it will require a stepwise series of policy decisions based on benefit outweighing risk, each getting us closer to that light at the end of the tunnel. We don’t have all the answers regarding Covid-19 transmission or variants yet. Until we do, County Executive Laura Curran and I continue to remind residents that it is vital for fully vaccinated people to strike a balance between the activities that become relatively safer following vaccination (reflected in the CDC’s new policy) and the necessary social responsibility for vaccinated people to continue taking protective measures. They should protect themselves and their communities by wearing masks, social distancing, and staying home and getting tested when they feel ill. Fully vaccinated people should be comforted, even liberated by the knowledge they will surely survive even if they catch Covid-19. They can enjoy that luxury while protecting their neighbors and loved ones until everyone experiences the exuberance of immunity. Dr. Lawrence E. Eisenstein is the Nassau County commissioner of health.

FRAMEWORK by Christina Fraser

more than half the country voted for truth over lies, and sane governing over the anarchy brought on by the MAGA rioters and the radically dangerous right. Elections do have consequences, and the people, individuals expressing their individualism, have spoken. So John, take your right-wing group think and weep into your pillow for the next four years as most of America has been forced to for the past four years. LEE PASTORE Seaford

Newspapers aren’t the enemy To the Editor: Now that our nation’s truest “enemy of the people” — Donald J. Trump — is no longer president, I would like to contrast his labeling newspapers and other modern media the “enemy of the people” with what a better, wiser president — Thomas Jefferson — said in 1787 about the press of his era: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” RICHARD SIEGELMAN Plainview

For a dog named Charlie, a playground coated in white — Bayville

ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — February 25, 2021

So now that you’re vaccinated . . .

February 25, 2021 — ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD

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OPINIONS

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How do you know I’m from Lawn Guyland?

was in Ryann’s Wines in East Meadow around the holidays, standing at the checkout, when a fellow customer, a man in his 70s, called out to a 20-something employee from across the store. “Where’s yuh bittuhz?” the man inquired loudly. Befuddled, the young man asked for clarification. “Excuse me?” I immediately knew what the gentleman was looking for, and probably where he could find it. But rather than clear up the situation, I NICK stood silent. “Yuh bittuhz … bitBUGLIONE tuhz,” the older man exclaimed, growing a bit frustrated. I should have told the kid what the guy was looking for, but I was enjoying the confusion. After another few moments, the light bulb finally went on in the clerk’s head. “Oh, bittERS,” he said, directing the man to the correct aisle. I walked out of the store with a halfsmile, because that brief interaction highlighted a notion that has been turning around in my mind for some time: Younger Long Islanders don’t “tawk” like we

I

older folks anymore. I don’t have anything beyond anecdotal evidence of this linguistic shift, but I’m positive it’s been happening for some time. Ten years ago, I married Jill and became stepdad to Nicolas and Jake. At the time the boys were 6 and 4, respectively. I remember how much it frustrated me that they said the word “orange” wrong. They pronounced it “OR-enge.” It sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me, and I’d correct them over and over, “It’s not ‘OR-enge,’ it’s ‘ARE-inge,’” I’d tell them. “Say it like ya from New Yawk.” I wondered where they picked up this mispronunciation. Had they spent time in Florida before coming into my life? No, that wasn’t it. Their dad grew up just a few minutes east of me, and he “tawked” just like I do. In a few years, Jill and I had Adriana and then Elia and, as soon as they were able to talk, they started saying stuff wrong. It was “wah-ter,” not “wah-tuh” and “hot dahg,” not “hot dawg.” My friends noticed the same thing with their kids, and you might have, too. If not, try this. Have your kids say talk, daughter, call and coffee, and see if you notice a difference.

A

My interest was piqued after the liquor store encounter, so I set out to find some answers. I contacted Hofstra University to see if they could hook me up with a linguistics professor who could shed some light on the subject. They put me in touch with Ilona Pierce, an associate professor in the Department of Drama and Dance. It seemed like a curious choice, but Pierce seemed to know her stuff when it came to the “Lawn Guyland” accent. It’s part of her job to teach budding Long Island actors how to ditch their accent for a more “neutral American” one. “I’m not a linguist, but I do spend most of my time listening to the speech of young actors — from Long Island, but also from all over the country and the world,” she said. First off, Pierce set me straight on a point of contention. Despite what some locals claim, there is absolutely no difference between the Long Island and the New York City accent. Ours has its roots in New York City, Pierce explained, and it spread out as New Yawk— sorry, New Yorkers moved out to the suburbs. Second, she confirmed that the Long Island accent is absolutely evolving. “I hear way fewer t-h sounds changed to t/d,” she said. “In the Long Island accent

s soon as our kids were able to talk, they started saying stuff wrong.

of the 20th century, you’d hear ‘wit’ for ‘with’ or ‘dis’ and ‘dat’ for ‘this’ and ‘that.’” She also said kids aren’t dropping r’s for a’s anymore (turning “ever” into “eva,” for instance) and they have adopted a more “general American” pronunciation of words like “Harry, Gary and marry.” Case in point: my daughter Adriana is currently reading the classic “Hairy” Potter series. So, what the heck is going on? Well, according to Pierce, accents just naturally evolve over time. Nowadays, people relocate more easily and frequently and, as they move, they bring their sounds with them, she said. That made sense to me. The more I thought about it, I realized that I didn’t speak exactly like Grandma and Grandpa Buglione did. They came from Brooklyn and didn’t boil water, they “berled” it. They used the “terlit,” not the toilet. And if they knew a guy named Earl, they probably would’ve called him “Oil.” But I never spoke that way. It wasn’t all bad news, though. Pierce said she still hears kids calling dogs “dawgs,” and some of them still drink “cawfee.” Maybe there’s hope for the Long Island accent after awl. Nick Buglione is a teacher, freelance journalist and former editor of the East Meadow Herald.

A governor bruised by a pandemic mistake

admired Gov. Mario Cuomo so much that I actually bought an old CD of his speeches some years ago, and I actually listened to them. So I am educated in the successes and rhetorical and political skills of the Cuomo boys. But what to say about Gov. Andrew Cuomo in light of recent headlines? As a longtime supporter who watched his rise through the razor wire of New York politics, I have to say, Governor, you let us down. According to The New York Times, the Cuomo RANDI administration KREISS did not fully disclose the staggering numbers of Covid-19 nursing home deaths in New York City last spring. The allegation is that the horrific death toll — 15,000 and counting — was, in part, the result of the governor’s order to move Covid patients who had been hospitalized back to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The nursing homes weren’t equipped to handle pandemic disease, and they didn’t have sufficient protective gear for their staff. A cascading series of flawed policy

and thinking led to increased infections and deaths. Remember: Last March 5, Cuomo announced that cases of Covid-19 had doubled overnight from 11 to 22 statewide. By April 1, there were 83,000 reported cases. By May 1, New York state was nearing 375,000 cases. By late spring, Covid patients were swamping New York hospitals. Refrigerator trucks converted to mobile morgues stood outside some medical centers. The search for more personal protective equipment and ventilators was desperate, and in that context, Cuomo made the decision to move Covid patients from hospitals back to nursing homes. There were many possible reasons for that decision, from suggested political advantage to the prospect of hospitals having to triage care for all the incoming patients, to conflicting advice from medical experts on how to move forward. The result was that many thousands of nursing home residents died, almost always alone, almost always without saying goodbye to their loved ones whose grief is now compounded by anger. The people who took care of them, from the

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nurses to the aides to the custodians who washed the floors, also died from the virus as it surged through the facilities. In recent statements, Cuomo has said that the policy was a mistake, and that there should have been more transparency when reporting the nursing home fatalities. He said the total of deaths reported was “delayed,” but he didn’t say that was intentional or self-protective. He said there was a “void.” There were many missteps in the early days of the pandemic. Supplies were scarce, and doctors and scientists who are usually in their comfort zone treating disease were shocked by the ferocity of the virus, even in the best hospitals in New York. There was no federal leadership. President Trump played the governors, had them begging for ventilators and masks that he dispensed grudgingly and for which he demanded obeisance. Cuomo’s nursing home policy was among the many mistakes that were made in those months. It follows that whenever Cuomo realized that the hospital-to-nursing-homepolicy was a mistake, he should have said so, fully and publicly. Waiting, delaying,

uomo rose to the occasion in those first months. He inspired us. He also let us down.

hiding the real numbers or whatever was done to avoid revealing the full truth was wrong. Attempting to cover up the tragedy, if that’s what was done, only compounded thousands of families’ pain. Cuomo is also the leader who sat before the cameras and the press every single morning for months and talked us through the wrenching changes in our lives brought about by the pandemic. He was steady and confident and told us we could get through it. He reminded us that we were “New York tough,” and we believed him. Governor, you rose to the occasion in those first months and provided steady leadership that helped us stay anchored in our lives. You did it while fighting a novel disease that was crushing the city, and you did it without significant support from the federal government. You inspired us, you kept the city going, you were a rock. I will never forget your 11 a.m. fireside chats. You also let us down. No thinking citizen of this state or country expects simple, black-and-white solutions to problems or leaders who are perfect. But we do expect you to tell us the truth, even when it hurts us. Even when it hurts you. Copyright 2021 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

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