Rockville Centre Herald 08-03-2023

Tim Baker/Herald Commuters at the Rockville Centre LIRR station are concerned about the MTA’s proposed 4.3 percent fare increases.

Commuters rail at MTA plan to increase fares next month

By DaNIEl oFFNER & laR a MuRR aY-stERZEl Of The

Soccer supplies sent to kids on Yap Island

By DaNIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

The Rockville Centre Soccer Club has partnered with DHL Express to ship and distribute new and gently used children’s soccer equipment to youth on Yap Island, in the Federation of Micronesia.

Dozens of soccer balls, cleats, discs/ cones, clothing, and more were collected following a free Kids Teaching Kids soccer clinic on July 26, which will be delivered via DHL to impoverished Yapese children so they can play soccer.

Herald

Long Island Rail Road commuters in Rockville Centre are reacting strongly to an increase of roughly 4.3 percent in the price of their weekly and monthly tickets that is expected to take effect around Aug. 20.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR’s parent company, has voted unanimously to raise base fare prices for the first time in four years.

A one-way ticket from Rockville Centre to Manhattan will increase from $14 to $14.50 during peak hours, and from $10.25 to $10.75 off-peak.

Straphangers taking the LIRR in Rockville Centre on July 24 offered strong opinions on

the fare hikes, and what they will mean for their daily commute.

Andrea Singh of Jamaica, Queens, said that the increase would discourage her from taking public transportation as often as she does, because it is becoming unaffordable.

“I’m spending a ridiculous amount of money on my tuition, and I don’t get paid enough at work to also be paying for my commute,” Singh said. “To raise the price for public transportation doesn’t fully make sense, and it doesn’t exactly help out those who can’t afford to go to work or even go to school.”

Chris Curet, of Deer Park, said the fare hikes would not have a direct impact on his commute, but would definitely affect many who rely on the LIRR to get around.

generosity, Julie Maher, a Yap Island schoolteacher who grew up in Rockville Centre and took part in a Kids Helping Kids soccer clinic herself, contacted the organization in the hope of doing something similar for her students halfway around the world.

it is here.

DHL Express, an international logistics and delivery service provider, previously partnered with the village soccer club in 2017, shipping equipment to kids in Tanzania, Africa.

“They needed soccer supplies,” Chris Anderson, a board member of the soccer club and dealer principal at Crown Ford in Lynbrook, said. “And we made an effort to donate.”

Inspired by the display of

“I was one of the assistant coaches at the school” on Yap Island, Maher said, “and I realized there was a need for equipment. I know how much gear is in Rockville Centre, and how many resources, and how many people love soccer, but when kids go to college, their soccer gear gets left behind, or they grow out of their old things, and sometimes that stuff doesn’t get used. And how great would it be if it could get utilized in Yap, where I know these kids would love it?”

The soccer club, she said, was extremely generous, and responded quickly to ship new gear to the school in Yap.

But, as Anderson pointed

JulIIE MahER teacher, Yap Island School

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Three sinkholes emerge in two months

Damage to Nassau County infrastructure demands urgent response

By SEAN KENNEDY Intern

Foxhurst Road in Oceanside became the third sinkhole to disrupt traffic on the south shore of Long Island in the last two months. According to officials, the issue was caused by the eruption of an underground water main pipe on Sunday, which caused the road above to buckle and making the roadway impassible for several hours.

“This latest sinkhole — the third in just two months’ time — makes it clear that we are in the midst of a growing infrastructure crisis,” Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé said in a release. “The current state of Nassau County’s aging sewer mains, water pipes, and other vital infrastructure demands an immediate response from leaders at all levels of government if we are to adequately safeguard the welfare of our communities and protect the environment from further harm.”

Committees in the Nassau County Legislature recently voted to authorize $15 million worth of funds to replenish a capital budget line that was recently used for repairs on two of the three disruptive sinkholes — one in Baldwin and one in Lido Beach.

In addition to the amending the 20232026 capital plan, legislators with the Public Works, Finance, and Rules Committee voted to dedicate additional resources to the “lateral sewer repair” capital budget line.

Funds over the past two months have been tapped from the budget lines amid repairs to the sinkholes on Lido Boulevard in Long Beach and Grand Avenue in Baldwin.

“This is the first of many significant investments that we must make in order to rebuild and reinforce Nassau County’s aging critical infrastructure,” Mulé said. “As we look ahead to the 2024 capital plan, I am committed to ensuring that vital resources for road, sewer, and water infrastructure are our County’s top priorities.”

The issue with roads and infrastructure has become a pertinent one to Nassau County, as multiple sinkholes have interrupted normal daily activity in frequently traversed areas.

The Foxhurst Road sinkhole is the latest following the one on Grand Avenue in Baldwin on June 27, when a 42-inch sewer main failure resulted in the spilling of untreated sewage, which seeped into the creek and neighbors backyards, harming the local ecosystem. Prior to that, another sinkhole opened up on May 31 in Lido Beach, which took two weeks to complete while stifling east-west traffic on the barrier island.

“The sinkholes happened because of the aging of the sewer infrastructure,” Veolia North America spokesperson Lauren Sternberg said. “These were 70-yearold pipes that had reached the end of their life cycle. The failure of the underground sewer pipe resulted in the ground

above the pipe collapsing and then the roadway collapsed.”

Veolia North America operates Nassau County’s sewer systems, including in Oceanside, Lido Beach and Baldwin.

Sternberg added that each of the sinkholes occurred due to different infrastructure failures. In the case of Lido Boulevard, a manhole failed 20 feet below the ground, causing the sinkhole to occur.

The 20-foot-deep sinkhole opened up near Lido Boulevard’s intersection with Regent Drive, right in front of Lido Elementary School and Long Beach Middle School, on May 31, and was the result of a manhole failure. It forced the Point Lookout Lido Fire Department to initially evacuate its headquarters nearby, and necessitated the closure of multiple lanes of the only roadway in and out of Long Beach to and from the Loop Parkway.

The Baldwin sinkhole had sewage seeping up from a broken 36-inch sewage line on Grand Avenue. The sinkhole was caused by a pipe failure, which required repairs to the pieces of pipe along with installation of 721 feet of lining. Sternberg added that the exact costs of the sinkhole repairs are not available yet.

Through the years there have been several other occurrences of sinkholes on the south shore of Nassau County.

In 2014, a similar incident took place in Rockville Centre, when a woman’s Subaru sunk into a 10-to-15 foot deep hole on Driscoll Avenue, which was caused by an old cesspool that had caved in.

“No part of our County or our region is immune from infrastructure failures like the ones we have experienced during the last month,” Mulé said in a letter to local, state and federal representatives on July 3. “We must take decisive action to protect our environmental assets and

secure the health and safety of all Nassau County residents by averting future catastrophes such as the ones that the residents of Baldwin and Lido Beach have endured.”

Mulé said she appealed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, US Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to express the critical need for additional resources to repair and upgrade the county’s aging infrastructure and proactively prevent future sinkholes and the related transportation burdens caused by them. She also urged federal representatives to expedite the delivery of billions of dollars in general infrastructure aid that was pre-

The sinkhole that opened up on Grand Avenue in Baldwin was caused by a broken sewage line.

Lido Boulevard’s 20-foot sinkhole caused immense traffic buildup while it was being fixed.

viously authorized through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021.

“I write with an urgent plea for your offices to work in partnership with your federal colleagues to take all necessary steps to expedite the delivery of funding that has been earmarked for New York State and Nassau County in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” Mulé wrote in a letter to Schumer and Gillibrand.

Officials say that final approval for the additional bonding could come as soon as the scheduled meeting of the full county legislature on Monday, Aug. 7.

Additional Reporting by Daniel Offner

Bill Kelly/Herald

Courtesy City of Long Beach

Thomas ready to jump from senate to Congress

By NICOLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

tricting commission.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cairo told reporters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brandon Cruz/Herald photos

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

Courtesy Nassau County NAACP

Nassau County Legislative Districts

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Racing at Riverhead never gets old

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Giordano embraces new challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tony Bellissimo/Herald photos

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

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

RVC community rallies around Dunn

By MICHAEL LEWIS sports@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Courtesy Nikita Taparia/NWSL Crystal Dunn, right, and the USWNT battled the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw July 26 and completes group play against Portugal.

McDonald’s workers reunite after 50 years

Oceanside fast-food workers reminisce on the glory days

By CLARE GEHLICH Intern

The McDonald’s crew reunited after 50 years at MacArthur Park in Rockville Centre on July 22, bringing back memories of fast-food service in Oceanside during the mid1970s.

Music and dancing set the tone of the celebration as these former co-workers reflected on the time they spent working together fondly.

For Carolyn Stone, who began working at McDonald’s in the summer of 1974, the 50-year milestone held special significance.

She emphasized how crucial it was for her and her crew to gain real-world experience in their teenage years working at the fast-food chain, which she now considers a source of pride.

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

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

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

“We learned from just the way McDonald’s taught you – to work, to take care of customers, respect each other as employ-

ees, respect management, and you’ll be rewarded,” said Knag. “That’s what a lot of people take away. It was a great work ethic.”

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

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

Lauren Hendel, the owner-operator, and Michael Chmelev, the director of operations, both current owners of Oceanside McDonald’s, played a role in providing various party props, contributing to the event’s atmosphere.

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

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

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

Among those who stayed with McDonald’s is Paul Facella, who started as a

crew member and later became a Regional Vice President. His book, “Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s (Management & Leadership),” dives into his experience at Oceanside McDonald’s and distills valuable lessons on teamwork, leadership, integrity, and communication.

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

Tim Baker/Herald photos

The McDonalds crew got back together for their 50th celebration.

Jim Nicholas, manager from 1977 to 1981, and Elias LoGatto, manager from 1973 to 1976.

Patti Ackerman Murphy, Tom Knag (TK) and Carolyn Stone celebrated reuniting with old co-workers.

Whitney Finn-LaCosta, Co-Owner of HHCR, J. Brittany DeVarso, Owner of Mermaid, Realty & Design, LP Finn, III, Co-Owner of HHCR

Soccer club sends equipment to Micronesia

out, “Yap Island in Micronesia is very far away, and it costs a lot of money to send a box over.” He said that because the island has a post office box, the club initially attempted to ship 15 balls and supplies via the U.S. Postal Service, which ended up costing nearly $400, and required the package to be routed through Ohio, California, Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia before it arrived on Yap Island.

To help with the cost of shipping larger quantities of new and gently used soccer equipment to the Pacific island, the soccer club contacted the corporate offices of DHL Express.

Pawel Zagaja, senior director of DHL Express at JFK Gateway, said that after he spoke with Maher and Anderson, the company volunteered to help ship up to 225 pounds of soccer equipment to Micronesia.

“We are happy to assist this great cause,” Zagaja said. “DHL is huge on social responsibility — to act locally and think globally. Our purpose is to connect people and help improve the lives of all of our customers.”

Maher said that because students in Yap don’t have the same access to equipment, soccer isn’t as popular there as it is in other parts of the world. “Soccer is definitely not as big there as a lot of Long Island and the Northeast,” she said, “but there is a need for equipment, a need for soccer balls, and the things we take for granted all the time in Rockville Centre with what we have access to. That’s why when I was thinking of the next year and the next season … (I wanted to see), is there a way we can get more gear to Yap and to students there, and hopefully grow the interest in soccer.”

She said that sports had a profound impact on

Maher when she was growing up, she said. She played for the junior varsity soccer team at Kellenberg Memorial High School, and also played lacrosse.

“I wasn’t amazing, but I still loved it,” she said. “It

helped me make friends and it gave me confidence in some ways, which was part of why I chose to be one of the assistant coaches when I was in Yap, because I liked it so much, and it’s been positive for me.”

Tim Baker/Herald Yap island schoolteacher Julie maher, far left, rockville Centre Soccer Club board member Chris anderson, Kids teaching Kids program coordinator gavin goodlad, and pawel Zagaja, senior director of dHL express at JfK gateway, help with donations of new and gently used soccer equipment for children on Yap island, in the federation of micronesia.

STEPPING OUT

Pop star comes ‘home’

Baldwin native opens for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo

By Daniel Offner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doo-Wop Oldies Spectacular

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

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

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

Swingtime Big Band

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

Dayne eventually would release her fifth full-length album,

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

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

audiences who know the classic recordings, or with the excitement of discovery for a new generation of listeners. Vocalist Bobbie Ruth recreates the ‘gal vocal’ stylings of legendary singers Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Eydie Gormé and Billie Holiday, among others. She’s joined emulates such Big Band crooners and swingers as Nat ‘King”’ Cole, and, of course, the immortal Frank Sinatra.

Thursday, Aug. 10, 8 p.m. Free admission. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit

Aimee Mann

The indie-pop icon visits The Space at Westbury, Saturday, Aug, 5, 8 p.m. One of the most distinguished singer-songwriters of her generation, her successful solo career has spanned several decades with several Grammy nominations, two Grammy award and the release of nine criticallyacclaimed solo albums, including the profoundly popular soundtrack for the film “Magnolia,” which garnered an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Song in 2000. Time magazine has said, “Mann has the same skill that great tunesmiths like McCartney and Neil Young have: the knack for writing simple, beautiful, instantly engaging songs, ” while NPR voted her one of the “Top 10 Best Living Songwriters” along with Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Earlier in her musical life, Mann fronted the band Til Tuesday”, releasing three albums. She has also made numerous memorable cameo appearances in films such as The Big Lebowski and TV shows like Portlandia and The Daily Show. After several albums with the band 80’s New Wave band ’Til Tuesday, Mann began her solo career in 1993 with the album “Whatever” and made a name for herself through her independent success and the founding of her record label, SuperEgo Records. Along the way, Mann forged a powerful new sound driven by her distinctive singing style — stripped-down, folky, acoustic but also forceful and cerebral, exploring psychological themes with dark wit. Tickets are $35-$75; available at TheSpaceAtWestbury.com. The Space, 250 Post Ave. Westbury.

On exhibit

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

Dramatic Play

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

Catching up with the Chamber

The Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce will host its next meeting Friday, Aug. 4, at 8 a.m., at Polka Dot Pound Cake. 17 N. Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Rock 101 Camp

The School of Rock invites kids ages 7 to 12 to learn how to play music with this camp for beginners, Monday to Friday, Aug. 7-11, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No experience is necessary. Students will explore their instruments through musical games and activities. The program consists of rehearsals, practice time, fun music-based activities and more leading up to the final day, when students will give a live performance on the music they have been working on throughout the week. 197 N. Long Beach Road. For more information visit SchoolofRock.com.

Summer tunes

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

Farmers market

Find all sorts of goodies at the Rockville Centre Farmers Market, every Sunday, from 7 a.m. to noon. LIRR parking lot between Long Beach Road and Sunrise Highway. Through Dec. 24. Info at LongIslandGrowersMarket.com.

Having an event?

Storybook Stroll

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

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

Here’s TheSCOOP

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Sunday, Aug. 6, 1:30 p.m.; also Sunday, Aug. 13, 1;30 p.m. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

Art talk

Sept. 7

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an in-depth presentation on the current exhibition

“Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Write on: College essay workshop

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

Many commuters say fare hikes aren’t fair

“I think it’s very unnecessary, considering trains are rarely on time,” Curet said. “There’s always an issue with the rails during weather issues. There’s always an excuse, but us — the people that have to ride the trains — we have to fork over more money without any changes being made.”

Greg Weinstock, of Rockville Centre, said the increases wouldn’t impact his use of public transit, “because we still have to get places,” and that he doesn’t think the MTA is asking too much by increasing ticket prices.

“The price of everything has gone up because of inflation,” Weinstock said. “… It’s the reality of the world.”

While the MTA customarily raises fares every two years, officials held off on an anticipated round of increases in 2021 for fear that they would force commuters to avoid using mass transit at a time when winning them back was crucial.

The situation came to a head earlier this year, when the MTA said it faced a projected budget gap of $2.5 billion by 2025. It has since managed to stave off financial disaster and avoid making drastic service cuts after Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers promised millions of dollars in additional funding.

“We have to face the harsh reality of MTA’s fiscal cliff — a problem that was created by almost the complete cessation

of ridership during the pandemic — except for emergency workers, first responders and health care workers,” Hochul said in her 2024 executive budget address.

Critics and observers, however, argued that the MTA’s budgetary problems reach back decades, with the agency mired in fiscal troubles attributable to questionable budget practices, resulting

in expenses outpacing revenues.

“I’m disappointed that prices have to go up the way they have,” Jordi Donato, a commuter from Brooklyn who was taking a train in Rockville Centre, said last week. “I understand they have some sort of budget gap to fill, but at the same time, I feel like there should be other ways to get around that aside from raising the fares.”

The current fare bump, and others that may be on the way, are part of a roughly $1.3 billion bailout deal struck between the MTA and Albany, according to Janno Lieber, MTA’s chair and chief executive.

With the LIRR having reduced some fares by 10 percent last year, “the fares are still (comparatively) lower than they used to be, even though everything else in life has gone up,” Lieber said.

Still, many commuters, including those in Rockville Centre, said the increase would only serve to price out commuters and ultimately decrease ridership.

Charisse Mamer, of Rockville Centre, said that with so many New Yorkers facing financial hardships, increasing the cost of train rides would certainly affect people who depend on public transportation to get around.

“A lot of people probably won’t use it as much, as often,” Mamer told the Herald. “If it’s going to cost more, then they probably would rather drive.”

Weinstock said that the MTA has LIRR users in a box, because it is also planning to introduce congestion pricing, making it more expensive to drive in and out of the city as well.

“So driving is not a palatable alternative,” Weinstock said. “It’s going to be a tough choice.”

Additional reporting by Juan Lasso

Tim Baker/Herald

HONOREE SUPPORT BETTER HEALTH CARE ON THE SOUTH SHORE AND JOIN US FOR MOUNT SINAI SOUTH NASSAU’S ANNUAL GALA!

THE LANNIN EISENHOWER PARK

Dawn Keiley, RN Senior Director of Nursing Mount Sinai South Nassau

Matthew Rifkin, MD Department Chair, Radiology Mount Sinai South Nassau

CUPOLA AWARD

MARY PEARSON AWARD

Anthony Cancellieri Co-Chairman, Board of Directors Mount Sinai South Nassau

Protecting Your Future with Michael

and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Who Are You Responsible For?

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

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

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

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

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

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

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

BOCES educator Robert Dillon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RobeR t Dillon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Woman allegedly stole $450,000 from churches

Iris Gomez, the East Islip resident who was arrested last year for allegedly stealing more than $420,00 from St. William the Abbot Church in Seaford and over $35,000 from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, was arraigned on July 24.

Gomez, 43, is charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, criminal tax fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. She pleaded not guilty. Her next court date is Aug. 18. If convicted she can receive a prison sentence up to three to 15 years.

Her alleged embezzlement occurred between June 2019 and January 202, when Gomez worked as an assistant to a pastor at the church and Diocese, District Attorney officials said.

She began working at the Diocese in 2018, and a year later followed the pastor to St. William the Abbot Church. Her responsibilities entailed administrative and clerical support to multiple ministries, including reviewing and ordering vocation materials for distribution at Diocese events, and then ensuring that payments were made to outside vendors proving the Seaford church with technological improvements.

Between June and August in 2019, Gomez allegedly presented multiple invoices for payment for company called GBL Media and Designs LLC, claiming

that GBL had performed printing and design work for promotional items for the Diocese.

An investigation found that the GBL invoices were fabricated and did not reflect any work done for the Diocese. The company was never hired to do the work claimed on the invoices.

Gomez

Gomez was listed as the person for service of process for GBL and her home address was listed with the state as the company’s address. Checks for the fake invoices were deposited in a business checking account to which she had sole access and control, DA officials said.

She allegedly continued the identical scheme at St. William from June 2019 through January 2022. The concocted invoices appeared as if the pastor approved them. Bank records show that 59 checks from the Seaford church totaling $427140 were deposited into GBL’s account. The church fired her in February 2022.

“Parishioners give to their local churches to strengthen their congregations and community,” Nassau DA Anne Donnelly said in a news release. “Their charitable contributions should never be used by deceitful employees to line their own pockets.”

–Jeffrey Bessen

News briefs

Barry promoted by Hauppauge schools

Kelly Barry of Rockville Centre has been promoted to director of social studies and world languages with the Hauppauge School District. Barry began working at Hauppauge High School as a teacher in the social studies department in September 2001.

Since 2020, she has also served in an additional role as the International Baccalaureate coordinator for the district.

KeLLY BArrY

“I have enjoyed working with all of my colleagues, students, and their families, and I am looking forward to continuing my work in fostering all of those relationships in this new role,” Barry said in a statement.

In addition to her work in the Hauppauge School District, Barry currently serves as president of the Rockville Centre School District Board of Education.

Summer Energy Conservation Methods

Continuous use of electricity puts a strain on the power gird and increases the chance of outages. To help conserve energy this summer, the Village of Rockville Centre recommends the following energy conservation tips for local residents:

Close blinds, curtains to keep direct sunlight out

Use fans to circulate air rather than

lowering the thermostat

Limit AC use to only occupied rooms

Turn lights off when not needed

Reduce electricity use during peak hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. including electric dryers, ovens, dishwashers and pool pumps

Charge electric vehicles during off peak hours, before noon and after 8 p.m.

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION

TRUST C/O U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, vs. FRANK GIALLOMBARDO, IF LIVING AND IF HE BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Discharging the Guardian Ad Litem and Military Attorney, Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 15, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 28, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 28 Saint Marks Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 38, Block 192 and Lot 18. Approximate amount of judgment is $491,839.01 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 004355/2013. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140944

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notice to Bidders

Sealed Bids will be received by the Purchasing Department of the Village of Rockville Centre, One College Place, Rockville Centre, New York for the matter stated below until 11:00 am prevailing time on AUGUST 17, 2023 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. The contract will be awarded as soon thereafter as practicable for:

2023 PARK LANE REHABILITATION Bid No. 2308CP1(1085)

The contract documents, specifications and plans can be examined on the Village’s website at www.rvcny.gov. Follow the link to the Purchasing Department. Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check, bank check or bid bond payable to the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre in the amount of five (5%) percent of the gross amount of the bid.

All questions should be directed to the Purchasing Department. Please contact Lisa Strazzeri via email only at Lstrazzeri@rvcny.us. Questions must be submitted no later than AUGUST 10, 2023.

Award of Contract will be made to the lowest responsible bidder in accordance with applicable provisions of the law. The Village reserves the right to reject all bids or make such determination as in the best interests of the Village, as provided by law.

Purchasing Department

Lisa Strazzeri

Purchasing Agent 516-678-9213 141097

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notice to Bidders

Sealed Bids will be received by the Purchasing Department of the Village of Rockville Centre, One College Place, Rockville Centre, New York for the matter stated below until 11:00 am prevailing time on AUGUST 17, 2023 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. The contract will be awarded as soon thereafter as practicable for:

DONALD F. BROWNE

PATHWAY

Bid No. 2308CP2(1086)

The contract documents, specifications and plans can be examined on the Village’s website at www.rvcny.gov. Follow the link to the Purchasing Department. Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check, bank check or bid bond payable to the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre in the amount of five (5%) percent of the gross amount of the bid. All questions should be directed to the Purchasing Department. Please contact Lisa Strazzeri via email only at Lstrazzeri@rvcny.us. Questions must be submitted no later than AUGUST 10, 2023. Award of Contract will be made to the lowest responsible bidder in accordance with applicable provisions of the law. The Village reserves the right to reject all bids or make such determination as in the best interests of the Village, as provided by law.

Purchasing Department Lisa Strazzeri

Purchasing Agent 516-678-9213

141096

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that an On Premises Tavern Wine License, Serial #1366989 has been applied for by American Multi-Cinema, Inc. d/b/a AMC Fantasy 5 to sell beer, wine and cider at retail in a Movie Theatre. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 18 N Park Ave Rockville Centre NY 11570. 141098

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, -vsPlaintiff, SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Index No. 614162/2018

THYIAS E. PINNOCK; MINOR HEIRS AND UNKNOWN HEIRS TO THE ESTATE OF DANIEL G. DUNN A/K/A DANIEL

DUNN; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; Defendants.

Mortgaged Premises: 1228 WATERVIEW DRIVE ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S):

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you, unless the Defendant obtained a bankruptcy discharge and such other or further relief as may be just and equitable.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

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

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

NATURE AND OBJECT OF ACTION

The object of the above action is to foreclose a Purchase Money Mortgage held by the Plaintiff and recorded in the County of NASSAU, State of New York as more particularly described in the Complaint herein.

TO THE DEFENDANT(S), except THYIAS E. PINNOCK the plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action.

TO THE DEFENDANT(S), except THYIAS E. PINNOCK:

IF, AND ONLY IF, you have received or will receive a Bankruptcy Discharge Order which includes this debt, the plaintiff is solely attempting to enforce its mortgage lien rights in the subject real property and makes no personal claim against you. In that event, nothing contained in these or any papers served or filed or to be served or filed in this action will be an attempt to collect from you or to find you personally liable for the discharged debt.

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

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises.

Dated: June 8, 2023 VICTOR SPINELLI, ESQ. FEIN, SUCH & CRANE, LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff 28 EAST MAIN ST., SUITE 1800 ROCHESTER, NY 14614 Telephone No.585/226-7310 NYFC@FEINSUCH.COM XNSRN059 141006

IrIs

HEWLETT-WOODMERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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EMPLOYMENT

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Assistant Superintendent – Personnel & Administration 1260 meadowbrook road, N. merrick, NY 11566 Additional information can be found on our website at: www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us

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Iyaho Social Services.

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VALLEY STREAM SCHOOL DISTRICT #24

75 Horton Avenue • Valley Stream, NY 11581

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

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

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

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

• Responsible for all aspects of Annual School District Budget Vote and Election of Board members Send cover letter and resume to: Board of Education Valley Stream School District 24 75 Horton Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11581 By August 4, 2023

1222852

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Hewlett Bay Park

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Dougla Elliman Real Estate 2300 Merrick Road Merrick, NY 11566

Baldwin $625,000

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

Taxes: $15,162.38

Bellmore $718,000

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

Taxes: $13,457.28

East Meadow $650,000

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

Taxes: $11,425.71

East Rockaway $436,500

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

Taxes: $10,346.08

Elmont $756,500

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

Taxes: $12,898.40

Lawrence $3,550,000

Ceiling Overlooking

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Taxes: $26,576.11

Lido Beach $870,000

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

Taxes: $13,330

Merrick $975,000

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

Taxes: $20,873.86

Valley Stream $650,000

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

Taxes: $8,618

MERCHANDISE MART

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RANDI

KREISS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MTA can raise fares, but must control costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

More than 58 percent of the MTA’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

To the Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can intelligence function without

Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AI will simply remove any human interference. Why suffer competition?

Humanity will slide into a new state of existence, like “The Matrix,” blithely unaware that we are marionettes on a digital grand stage.

Now that the AI revolution has

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

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

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

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

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

Framework by Tim Baker

Mere squirt guns will not stand a chance — Valley Stream

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