Rockville Centre Herald 11-17-2022

Flags fly on ‘Field of Honor’

Watson Elementary School starts a new tradition

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

The students and staff at Floyd B. Watson Elementary School decided to honor local veterans by starting a new tradition, which will extend beyond Veterans Day for the entire month of November.

In an effort to raise money for the National Military Family Association, members of the school faculty and par ents purchased 89 American

flags, which are now on dis play in front of the building, at the corner of Lakeview and North Centre avenues. Par ents of faculty members who served in the military and other local veterans in the community were invited to the school on Monday morn ing for a ceremony to com memorate the “Field of Honor.”

Principal Jennifer Pas carella said that the idea was inspired by similar projects at

other Long Island schools, including the Bellmore-Mer rick High School District, which her children attend.

“I thought it was just beau tiful,” Pascarella said of the display at her children’s school. “I was driving by it every single day and it was just this amazing sight. It was something that I always knew that, when I had my own building to run, would be something that I would want

A race too close to call

A week later, Griffin and Curran waited on Assembly vote count

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Election night has come and gone, but the race for the 21st Assembly District seat still remains undecided.

Assemblywoman Judy Grif fin, the incumbent Democrat, and Brian Curran, her Republican chal lenger and predeces sor, remained neckand-neck as Nassau County election offi cials continued counting ballots this week, trying to determine who will represent the dis trict in Albany next year.

Curran continued to hold a slim lead as the Herald went to press on Tuesday, but that lead continued to shrink as absentee ballots were tallied.

Many voters said they were surprised and upset that a win ner had yet to be declared, over a week after the election.

“It leads to speculation that if you can’t accurately count bal lots in a small area within a few hours,” Steve Rakeman, of Rock ville Centre, said. “I would think that it leads to speculation that someone is playing games with

them.”

Others, however, said they felt that taking the necessary time to ensure that the vote was calcu lated correctly was a good thing.

“It looked like she had lost to him and now it looks like she’s doing OK,” Maryanne Pedersen, of Rockville Centre, said of Grif fin. “So there’s no bias in this process. It keeps swinging back and forth based on the votes.”

Representatives of the Nassau Coun ty Board of Elec tions confirmed on Tuesday that ballots were still being counted.

“I’m really excit ed, and I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to vote,” Curran said on Tuesday, one week after the polls officially closed. “I feel confident in the votes that are left, and hopefully we will receive an outcome shortly.”

Earlier this week, Griffin issued a statement acknowledg ing that she was behind by about 270 votes, out of more than 50,800 cast.

“This campaign has never

Daniel Offner/Herald

PRINCIPAl JENNIFER PASCAREllA, right, presented a check for $1,730 — the proceeds from the sale of 89 flags — to Stephanie Cassidy, of the National Military Family Association.

let no one doubt the power of a single vote.

JuDY GRIFFIN Assemblywoman

Frank’s Steaks celebrates 20 years in

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Frank’s Steaks is a Rockville Centre community staple that has been delight ing local palettes for lo these past 20 years. Located at 54 Lincoln Avenue, this family-owned and operated steak house is the full package, providing customers with incredible food, service, and ambi ance.

Chris Meyer, the owner, general man ager, and pastry chef at Frank’s Steaks, said that this year has been a momentous one for the restaurant. This year, the establishment has celebrated several firsts, such as the addition of a new onstaff sommelier, their first-ever Cabaret night, and the addition of a new outdoor patio.

It was also the first time that Frank’s Steaks won the 2021 Long Island Choice Award for Best Steak House, the first time that they participated in the St. Pat rick’s Day parade, and it is the first time in four years that they will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner.

“The reason why we’re doing so many new things is because of a couple of years of downtown with the pandemic,” Meyer said. “We felt like we were ready to have the good times back and celebrate.”

And this year is certainly a reason to celebrate. Frank Steaks official opened its doors back in 2002. Meyer was only

20-years-olld at the time, working at the restaurant as a waiter while he attended school at Hofstra University.

“I had a vision to be the owner one day, and the dream came true,” Meyer said.

“As much as I enjoyed the restaurant business, I had no idea what was in store

for me over the next two decades, and it has certainly been quite the ride, as I’ve experienced so much growth in what many consider to be the hardest business in the world.”

Meyer said that the past eight years he as spent as one of the owners and general

manager of the restaurant have been one of the greatest opportunities of his life.

“I really owe it all to this community and to my staff, and all the loyal custom ers that supported me,” Meyer said. “The 20th anniversary party is really just a way to thank everybody for all their sup port through the good times and the bad. Even when we were closed and we weren’t able to dine-in, during the heart of Covid, we stayed open for to-go orders and they supported us.”

In celebration of this major milestone, Frank’s Steaks will be inviting friends, family, and VIP customers to join them on Dec. 1, for a special dinner event fea turing live music and dancing. He also said that they plan on showing a special video montage celebrating the past two decades at their location in RVC.

In this industry you really have to stick to what customers enjoy, but also try new things to keep up with the times. It’s like I said, it’s probably one of the toughest businesses in the world and you have to be innovative and creative,” Meyer said. “That’s why luckily we’re busy. Thanksgiving is booked and people are calling everyday for holiday parties and private parties.” As for the future of Frank’s Steaks, Meyer said that they are currently discussing the possibility of creating a food truck, where they will serve their signature Romanian skirt steak sandwich to customers on the go.

Courtesy Chris Meyers

ThE FRANk’s sTEAks team will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special event for friends, family, and VIP customers on Dec. 1.

Honoring local veterans for their service

American Legion Post 303 hosts annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Rec Center

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Michael Lapkowski Sr., a US Army veteran and past commander of the American Legion Post No. 303 in Rock ville Centre, served as a pathfinder dur ing the Vietnam War.

Upon completing basic training at Fort Dix in Maryland and airborne train ing at Fort Benning in Georgia, he was deployed into service.

Lapkowski was stationed high up in the mountains, where he directed heli copters full of troops to the landing zone below.

“I got to know all the crews,” Lap kowski said. “So, during my last 30 days there, I became a crew chief and a door gunner on a helicopter.”

It is thanks to the service of brave men and women, like Lapkowski, and the sacrifices they’ve made, that we, as a nation, are able to embrace our freedom.

That is why each year we get together on Veterans Day to honor all those who fought overseas to protect our way of life back home.

“They come from every state and territory but are bound by one common goal — to defend America with their lives if called upon,” American Legion Post No. 303 Commander Frank Colón Jr. said.

In honor of our local veterans, Gold Star families, and first responders, members of Ameri can Legion Post No. 303 in Rock ville Centre invited the commu nity to show their support on Nov. 11, at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center on N. Oceans ide Road.

“People throughout the coun try gather together to recognize, to claim with gratitude, those who have served our country so that we can continue to live in freedom,” Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray said. “This day we honor all the men and women who served in the United States military during times of war, as well as times of being.”

Murray said that today there are about 19 million veterans all across the country, along with the millions we remember who served before them since the time of the American Revolu tion.

“This surge of American Vet erans never truly ends. Even when they hang up their military uni form for the last time, many still choose to serve us,” Murray said.

Joe Scarola, commander of the Nas sau County American Legion, continued the ceremony with the ringing of the bell.

This symbolic gesture is done every year in honor and celebration of the armistice treaty signed in 1918 signaling the end of World War I.

It was on the eleventh hour, of the 11th day of November when the fighting on the Western Front ended in a cease fire. It is because of this that we cele brate our Veterans each year on Nov. 11.

The ceremony drew to a close with the singing of “God Bless America,” after which the color guards presented by members of the Rockville Centre Police Department, the Rockville Centre Volun teer Fire Department, and Boy Scout Troop No. 40 retired the flag.

LOcAL vEtERANS WALtER Paruch, left, Steve Lapkowski Sr., and John Sutton honor all those who served in the armed forces during the Veterans Day ceremony at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center.

FRANk cOLÓN JR. shares a few words about Veterans Day, acknowledging those who served in the military, Gold Star families, and first responders.

Daniel Offner/Herald photos

BOy ScOut tROOp No. 40 in Rockville Centre honors local veterans during the ceremony at the Recreation Center on Friday.

A LOcAL vEtERAN holds his two children close as members of the American Legion perform “Taps” in honor of all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Watson students and staff honor veterans

to replicate.”

Watson, she said, has always celebrated Veterans Day with classroom activities that focused on the importance of the military and those who fought overseas to protect the country.

“But the day kind of comes and it goes,” Pascarella said. “I thought this was a really great reminder for the kids. Every day they should remember our freedom is not free.”

Instead of honoring veterans just one day of the year, the Field of Honor will remain in front of the school for the rest of November, as a reminder of their sacrifices. The flags will fly on the lawn through Dec. 3, when those who donated them will be able to take them home.

Thanks to the donations, the school was able to give the National Military Family Association a check for $1,730, a portion of which will help fund programs like Operation Purple Camp, a summer camp program for children of those serving in the military.

“I cannot tell you what this means to myself and fami lies like mine,” Stephanie Cassidy, a representative of the NMFA, told students, faculty, parents, veterans, and local elected officials at Monday’s ceremony. “We always thank our veterans for their service, but did you realize that the families serve, too?”

Cassidy said that when military parents are deployed elsewhere, the work of organizations such as hers ensures that their children are safe and cared for.

Thanks to the Field of Honor program, the NMFA can help fund Operation Purple Camp and treat the kids of those in all uniformed services to a free week of summer camp. Many military families move frequently, and their children often struggle to build lasting friendships. The camp program helps compensate for this by providing an opportunity for kids to connect with other military chil dren like them.

“I want to thank you all for your generous donation,”

Bill Cassidy, far right, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960 to 1964, was among a handful of veterans honored at the Field of Honor ceremony at Watson Elementary School.

Watson students designed their own hand-drawn flags, which they gave to military veterans to thank them for their service.

Cassidy said. “… These flags — they stand tall and true, just like our veterans and just like all of you today. Thank you so much. We’re very grateful.”

Since it was founded in 2004, Operation Purple Camp has grown to serve nearly 67,000 military children across the country. To learn more about the program, and the other ways in which the NMFA helps veterans and their families, go to MilitaryFamily.org.

Daniel Offner/Herald photos

Kindergartners at Watson Elementary lined up early Monday morning for a special presentation to veterans.

sports

Calhoun rallies past South Side Cyclones

By BRIAN KACHARABA sports@liherald.com

For a while, it looked like South Side would make quick work of Calhoun in the Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball title match Nov. 9 and justify its top seeding. But the resil ient Colts refused to go down quietly and escaped with the program’s first-ever county championship.

Julia Lawrence had 14 kills, five aces and a combined 52 digs with Ella Maldonado and Grace Miller added 10 kills as No. 3 Calhoun twice rallied to win sets en route to a 15-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 victory over the Cyclones in front of a raucous crowd at Farmingdale State College.

The Colts, a county finalist last season after beating South Side in the semis, swept Sayville for the Long Island Class A title last Friday to clinch a berth in the New York State tournament.

“It’s actually crazy, it’s so great,” Lawrence said while clutching the county championship plaque. “This year, we really, really wanted it. As a team, we really came together, and we knew that we weren’t giving up. We knew we wanted it so much.”

Ava Kelly had 12 kills and 16 digs and Sofia Vargas added six kills, 20 digs and four aces for South Side, which finished 15-3. But the pair were neutralized in the later sets by a tenacious Colt defense with Kelly attempting 54 kills on the night compared to Vargas’s 47.

“That hurt,” South Side coach Cheryl Scalice said. “They just keep every ball alive. We did some good things,

they did some good things and they prevailed.”

The Cyclones, who had yet to drop a set in the postsea son, looked like a well-oiled machine at the start by scor ing the first five points en route to a 16-5 lead in the first set. South Side pushed its lead to 21-8 before a late Colt rally fell short.

The Cyclones kept up the pressure and led 7-1 in the second set, but Lawrence and Victoria Zovich helped the Colts collect the next three points. South Side later led 18-12 before Calhoun began its epic run with four straight points highlighted by two Lawrence kills.

The teams split four points that put the Cyclones up 20-18, but the Colts finished the set with seven unanswered markers to tie the match. Lawrence had an ace and kill and Miller added three kills during the run, including the clincher that bounced off two Cyclone defenders.

“They love playing in deficits,” Colts coach Christina Strezenec said. “I guess it’s an adrenaline rush. Because of that, we developed pretty good stamina throughout the season and that’s why I think they’re able to turn it around and have short-term memory loss.”

South Side regrouped and took a 7-0 lead to start the third set and led by as much as 11-3 before Calhoun responded.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Scalice said about the two lost leads. “We played great in the first two sets in the begin ning of the games. We’ve seen Calhoun five times this year and we know they’re relentless, athletic, and an excellent team.

Anthony Hughes/Herald

SoutH SIde’S CAte Bradley, left, worked at the net with Calhoun’s Grace Miller’s resistance during the Nassau Class A title match.

CouNty PubliC Administrator

Brian Curran hoped to reclaim his Assembly seat from incumbent Judy Griffin.

GriffiN was hoPiNG that the absentee ballot count would boost her poll results and give her the edge over Curran.

continued from front page

been about me, but about listening to and delivering for the amazing communities I’ve been so fortunate to advocate for up in Albany — and I am not done yet,” she said. “I have never taken any vote for granted, and campaigned into the final hour on Election night for that reason. I am so deeply appreciative of the tireless volunteers and local leaders that helped our campaign outperform all expecta tions in a very difficult climate.”

Absentee ballots were still arriving early this week.

“I believe in American democracy and we all must ensure that every valid ballot is counted,” Griffin said. “Let no one doubt the power of a single vote.”

Since her post, her campaign manag er, Kevin Brady, told the Herald that the gap between her and Curran may be even smaller, dropping to 244, according to the county Board of Elections.

Brady referred to the outcome as a “to-be-determined game,” noting that

Assembly District 21 has typically been a close battleground, and that Griffin was faring much better than her Democratic counterparts who had already conceded other races across the county.

Griffin and her family have lived in Rockville Centre for 30 years, and her legislative offices are in the village. She previously served as director of commu nity outreach for former State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, and is a published author and an integrated health coach.

Curran was the mayor of Lynbrook from 2007 to 2010. He was elected to the Assembly in 2010, and held the seat for eight years, defeating Democratic chal lengers Dermond Thomas, Jeffrey Fried man, Adam Shapiro and Travis Bour geois.

Griffin defeated Curran in 2018, becoming the first Democrat to hold the seat in more than 40 years. She was reelected in 2020, beating Patricia Canzone ri-Fitzpatrick — who last week was elect ed to the State Senate.

Nassau

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Amy Schumer gives update on son’s health

Amy Schumer was all set to host Satur day Night Live on Nov. 5, but on the Thurs day before the show’s air, when they were scheduled to host rehearsals, a medical emergency caused her to forgo her plans and rush to the hospital.

The 41-year-old Rockville Centre-raised comedian went on Instagram to share why the rehearsals were cut short.

“This has been the hardest week of my life,” Schumer said in her social media post. “I missed Thursday rehearsals when my son was rushed to the ER and admit ted for RSV.”

Cases of the respiratory syncytial virus are on the rise across multiple regions around the country according to the Cen ters for Disease Control and Prevention. For most people it can come in the form of mild, cold-like symptoms, however, it can be serious in infants and older adults, causing bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

“Shoutout to all the parents going through this right now,” Schumer said on

Instagram. “I got to be with him the whole day at the hospital and the beautiful humans at SNL couldn’t have been more supportive. My son is home and better.”

Schumer hosted SNL for her second time on Saturday, Nov. 5, and the perfor mance went off without hiccups. The musical guest for the evening was Steve Lacy, guitarist of the alternative R&B group, The Internet.

“The reason this show is so fun to do isn’t actually the performance or the show itself. It’s getting to spend time with the people there. The cast and the writers of course but the people who are behind the scenes making it run smooth are my favorite,” she said. “The crew: Donna, Jerry, Jodi, Genna, Tom Wally, and on and on. Lorne has assembled the most talented people with the kindest hearts. Thank you everyone there and to the doctors and nurses who helped us.”

–Daniel Offner

St. Joseph’s funding helps student veterans

St. Joseph’s University-New York was awarded nearly $560,000 to help it better recruit military veterans as students, and lead them toward degrees.

The funds come from the U.S. Depart ment of Education’s Centers of Excel lence for Veteran Student Success Grant Program.

“We pride ourselves on the exceptional services we offer to all of our students, especially student veterans who have given so much of themselves before they arrive at St. Joseph’s,” said Donald Boomgaarden, the school’s president, in a release. “We are grateful to receive this funding that will allow us to continue the work we do with our student veterans, and expand our services to even more students in the years to come.”

Funds will be used primarily for the school’s Peer Health Educator Program, designating six veteran-specific peer

health educators trained in meeting the needs of student veterans. The grans also will expand career preparation and sup port for veterans, increasing participation with Student Veterans of America, pro vide graduate student completion grants, provide internship stipends, and launch a program specifically for female veterans.

“Our military and veteran students bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and diversity to our campuses,” said Erin D’Eletto, the school’s military and veter ans services director. “This funding will not only allow us to continue providing substantial services to our student veter ans, but also add programs and services to further support their personal, academic and professional success.”

St. Joseph’s University offers campuses on West Roe Boulevard tin Patchogue, as well as on Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. To learn more, visit SJNY.edu.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Members of the Sandel Senior Center in Rockville Centre were treated to a special Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 26. Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray received a warm welcome from seniors, who raised a glass in celebration.

Grillo sisters complete the NYC Marathon

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Two sisters from Rockville Centre completed the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6, after four grueling months of training.

Considered the largest of its kind in the entire world, the New York City Mara thon has become an annual tradition. Tens of thousands of people from all across the world gathered to run the 26.2mile course across the five boroughs.

The course begins on Staten Island, where runners then proceed across the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn, Queens, the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and the Bronx before returning back towards the finish line in Central Park.

“It was a crazy weekend in the best of ways,” Sophia Grillo, 25, said. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever accom plished in my life.”

Sophia and Isabelle Grillo were among the 47,745 runners who completed the course this year, placing in 23,620 and 34,183 respectively, according to the results posted by the New York Road Run ners.

Isabelle, 23, also ran as part of Fred’s Team, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Can cer Center’s running program, which helps runners raise money for cancer research.

She would take the lead on preparing their training regiment, which began in

July with shorter distances, between seven and 10 miles, and gradually they advanced to longer distances of 12 to 14 miles, which they said became easier than the shorter distances and time went on.

“We never stopped doing these long runs,” Isabelle said. “With all the people there cheering us on it made it that much easier.”

Despite some unexpected weather at the start of the race, the sisters were able to rely on their athleticism to power them through the course.

Individually, they participated in other similar events, and together they man aged to finish the New York City half-mar athon, which took place back in March.

“We were well prepared for it,” Sophia said. “My sister and I do pretty much everything together. I don’t believe we’d be able to do it without each other.”

For the Grillo sisters, finishing the race had even more meaning this year, after having recently lost their grandfa ther to Covid. As an avid runner himself, their grandfather had completed the New York City Marathon in previous years and inspired them to do it too.

“He would have loved to have seen us cross the finish line,” Sophia said. “But we know he was with us through the entire duration.”

Sophia said that they miss their grand father every day and that she wishes he could have seen them achieve their goal

of completing the marathon.

“Running in the New York City Mara thon was a dream come true. It has always been something we have wanted to accomplish,” she said. “Just the sense of community and the cheering of ran dom strangers. It was an unbelievable experience.”

Isabelle and Sophia were greeted at the

GRILLO, LEFt, and her sister Sophia Grillo receive a warm welcome from friends and family members at the finish line.

finish line by their parents, Emilio and Christine, and their brother, Lio, who traveled along the route carrying signs and posters to show their support.

Sophia and Isabelle said despite the intense level of training that was required and the difficulties that they encountered along the way, they would absolutely do it again.

IsABELLE

Courtesy Sophia and Isabelle Grillo

STEPPING OUT

Let’s talk about Bruno — and Anna and Elsa, too Step inside an enchanting adventure in Disney on Ice’s

YES: Close to the Edge Tour

By Karen Bloom

As the calendar moves through November, another ice extravaganza from the Disney folks is sure to find its way here. This season’s production brings together two of Disney’s blockbuster films as the beloved stories come to life on ice — “as never before,” according to the Disney folks.

The spectacle, which runs through Nov. 20 at UBS Arena in Elmont, transports audiences to the heart of the icy world in

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Sunday, Nov. 20. Times vary.

Tickets start at $20 (pricing may fluctuate based on demand); available at Ticketmaster.com

Arendelle and the Madrigal family’s casita in Columbia. And, of course, the action is guided by everyone’s favorite “hosts” — Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy — who keep the energetic show moving along

each segment.

control the weather with her emotions. Her husband, Felix. Their daughter Dolores, with her gift to hear. And, yes, the mysterious Bruno, the misunderstood Madrigal family member whose visions foretold the future.

Think of this production as a singalong on ice, accompanied by dramatic skating. From beginning to end, audiences are immediately drawn to their favorite tunes, highlighted, of course, by the power ballad “Let It Go” and the boppy “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

The pioneering rockers are back on stage in celebration of the 50th anniversary of their famed album, ‘Close to the Edge.’ With an ever growing fan base, YES continues to electrify audiences with daunting virtuosity, complex musical textures and powerful lead vocals. ‘Close to the Edge’ is widely considered one of their most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. It became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians. Experience an unforgettable evening of YES at its best, featuring its existential prog masterworks and instrumental pyrotechnics. The band — featuring core members Steve Howe on guitars along with keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison and bassist Billy Sherwood — will play the iconic album in its entirety plus a set of classic YES hits.

world of “Frozen,’ narrated by Olaf, the lovable snowman who likes warm hugs and all winter. and bring back summer.

“I’m extremely proud of this show,” says Artistic Director Adam Loosely. “Disney on Ice continues to combine athletics and skating to tell a really good story. This particular production is all about contrasts (from design and costume to storyline) from the cold blues of ‘Frozen’ to the warm South American culture and colors of ‘Encanto.’ It comes together in such a meaningful way.”

who charm everyone in We

family home alongside her sisters: Isabela — whose perfection radiates with her ability to make plants grow and flowers bloom with every step — and Luisa, with the gift of super strength that she

After the dramatic opening sequence, you’ll enter the all things summer. He’ll take everyone to Arendelle to help Anna find Elsa, whose icy powers unleashed an eternal winter. Kristoff and Sven will be there, too, as they race to bring back summer. Then it’s time to visit with the Madrigals, that extraordinary family who charm everyone in “Encanto.” We follow Mirabel’s quest to save the casita, her enchanted uses to help her village move buildings and reroute rivers. Meet Tia Pepa, who can

Stepping in to helm the production as firsttime artistic director, Loosely admits to feeling what he described as “a little anxiety initially during the process. “My nerves started to fade away when I realized the whole (creative) team had the same vision. ‘Frozen’ has resonated with people for years and years. It seems we can’t have an ice show without ‘Let It Go.’”

As for “Encanto,” audiences are seeing these characters on ice for the first time. “The response has been really rewarding for our cast,” Loosely says.

And for that cast, Loosely points out that the production is much more than a retelling of the two movies. The skaters’ athleticism shines in their displays of aerial acrobatics and skating technique, setting the tone with the opening number. “It truly highlights the talent of the cast, with solos, pairs and plenty of skating style changes.”

“It’s a beautiful, optimistic show, which we need after two plus years of the pandemic,” he adds. “Spend two hours and leave with a smile on your face. We all deserve that.”

Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m. NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. Tickets are available at TheTheatreAtWestbury. com, LiveNation.com or (516) 247-5200.

Kirk Whalum

A familiar presence on the Madison Theatre stage with his gospel concerts, Kirk Whalum returns with a performance that demonstrates his versatile command of his sax and devotion to jazz in all its forms. Soulful, passionate, stirring — these are the words most often used to describe Whalum’s music. Forged from his Memphis, Tennessee, gospel roots and his 1980s initiation into the thriving Houston nightclub scene, Whalum’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. An ordained minister, he is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgments for his musical excellence, including a Grammy (2011) for Best Gospel Song (‘It’s What I Do,’ featuring Lalah Hathaway). In a career spanning decades, Whalum has a sound that is uniquely his — a sound that leaves an indelible imprint.

Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m. $40-$95. Madison Theatre, Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

Photos courtesy Feld Entertainment

Photo: Two popular movies from the Disney canon become one in an ice skating spectacle that shares the message: You are the magic.

Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont through

THE SCENE

Fresh food at the farmers market

Visit the Rockville Centre Farmers Market each Sunday, through Dec. 18, from 7 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot across from Bigelow’s Clam Bar on Sunrise Highway and Long Beach Road. Operated by the Long Island Growers Market, vendors include Norman’s Best Pickles, Orwashers Baked Goods, Natural Hounds Wet Dog Food, and Lithology Brewing Co. For more information, call (631) 323-3653.

On stage

Plaza Theatrical continues its season with “Grumpy Old Men: The Musical,” Saturday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m.. Also continuing Nov. 26-Dec. 3. Based on the beloved 1993 film, which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret, this stage adaptation captures the lovably crotchety characters through twinkling humor, great songs, and the affectionate depiction of a small town that feels like home to everyone. It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $49, $45 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Family Fun Run

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell brings his “Songs and Stories” concert, to Tilles Center, Saturday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., performing classic standards and soaring showstoppers from his celebrated career. In this joyous and elegant evening of glorious songs and personal storytelling, on the LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, the star of “Ragtime,” “Man of La Mancha” and “Kiss, Me Kate,” among others, will serenade audiences with his powerful baritone, accompanied his long-time pianist and collaborator, Tedd Firth. Tickets are $62, available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Sing your heart out

It’s karaoke night in Rockville Centre. Show your stuff at the Taqueria and Tequila Bar, 19 N. Park Ave., every Wednesday, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. featuring Dave G.

Enjoy a morning of exercise, Saturday, Nov. 19. Sponsored by the Rockville Centre Recreation Department and the Chamber of Commerce, it starts at 8:30 a.m. with a 1-mile fun run, followed by a 5K race around the village, beginning at 9:30 a.m. For more information or to register online, visit RockvilleCentre.RecDesk.com.

Holiday fun

Visit the streets of 19th century London during the darkest days of the year, in this adaption of the classic “A Christmas Carol,” with the Experiential Theater Company, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25-26, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; also Wednesday, Nov. 30, 10:15 a.m. and noon, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. Meet the Cratchit family, Mr. Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show that weaves together music, humor, puppetry and collaboration. Celebrate the change of seasons through this beloved literary tale. Performances continue through December.

Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

‘Clue: On Stage’

South Side High School presents “Clue: On Stage,” Nov. 17-19, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. Showtime starts at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit the district website at RVCSchools.org.

Reading to dogs

Kids in first grade and up are invited to join Rockville Centre Public Library, at 221 N. Village Ave., on Thursday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. to read aloud to therapy dogs who are trained to be good, non-judgemental listeners.

Channel Your Inner Ninja

Test skills in an obstacle training class specifically designed to unleash kids’ inner Ninja, Fridays, beginning Nov. 18. The focus is on improving core strength, upper body strength, and agility, in a fun environment. Different skills and challenges explored weekly. The challenge is open to kids in Kindergarten, starting at 4 p.m., first graders at 5 p.m., and students in grades 2 to 3 at 6 p.m. at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center, 111 N.Oceanside Rd. For information, call (516) 678-9338.

Hewitt Harvest

Shop small this season at the Hewitt Harvest, 65 Andover Rd., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be plenty of holiday gift ideas including gifts for teachers, gifts for your home, winter decor, a bake sale, and 50/50 raffles. Rain date scheduled for November 20.

Having an event?

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

On exhibit

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium, opening Saturday, Nov. 19. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times. On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Oh Baby!

Mercy Hospital invites moms-to-be to a community baby shower, Saturday, Nov. 19, noon-2 p.m. Meet with physicians, lactation specialist, mother/baby nurses, and other hospital personnel with raffles, giveaways for mom and baby(s), games and more. The free event takes place in Mercy’s employee cafeteria, lower level, 1000 North Village Avenue, Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI. org or call (516) 626-3729.

Local car shop owner convicted of tax fraud

A Rockville Centre-based auto busi ness owner who has struggled with legal issues over the past decade was convicted by a federal jury last week of defrauding the IRS.

Lorraine Pilitz of Merrick — who prosecutors say was also known as “Lor raine Christie” and “Lorraine Storms” — was found guilty of obstructing the IRS, filing false tax returns, and structuring cash deposits to avoid revealing that money to the federal agency.

Prosecutors claim Pilitz, 64, routinely structured cash deposits at her various businesses between 2011 and 2013 to avoid filing what’s known as a “currency trans action report” — required for any type of financial transaction in excess of $10,000. Instead, Pilitz would deposit cash amounts just under $10,000, ultimately concealing what prosecutors said were hundreds of thousands of dollars from the IRS.

Pilitz diverted business checks into

bank accounts that belonged to her and her family, maintaining what investiga tors claimed as “off-the-books” payrolls. She failed to file personal and corporate tax returns, prosecutors said, and filed false tax returns that significantly under reported her income.

Pilitz was originally charged with insurance fraud through her Autotech Collision business in Rockville Centre back in 2010, but was found not guilty on those charges in 2012.

She also had been charged with crimi nal possession of a forged instrument at the time after law enforcement claimed she parked a car at Garden City’s Depart ment of Motor Vehicles location with forged plates.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York have not disclosed what kind of penalties or imprisonment Pilitz could face.

–Jordan Vallone

Crime watCh

Larceny

■ A resident of Windham Road reported that on Nov. 7, at approximately 7:30 a.m., someone had stolen his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway.

■ An employee at Pro Parts, located at 495 Merrick Road, reported on Nov. 7 that someone had stolen his catalytic convert er from his vehicle while it was parked in the nearby lot.

■ An employee at Mercy Medical Center, located at 1000 N. Village Ave., reported on Nov. 7 that someone had stolen her catalytic converter from her vehicle while it was parked in the lot.

■ A student attending classes at Mercy Medical Center, located at 1000 N. Village Ave., reported on Nov. 7 that someone had stolen her catalytic converter from her vehicle while parked in the lot.

Unusual Incident

■ A resident of Berkshire Road report ed on Nov. 9 that someone opened a cred it card account and requested a loan in his name.

■ A resident of Cleveland Avenue report ed on Nov. 9 that someone fraudulently altered a check he placed in the mail.

Harassment

■ A resident of Maple Avenue reported on Nov. 10 that she was involved in a dis pute with another resident in her apart ment building regarding a package that was delivered.

Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle

■ The manager of U-Haul reported on Nov. 9 that someone did not return a vehicle on its rental return date.

Madison Beer hosts concert and food drive

By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com

The holidays are filled with plenty of food — but not for everyone. That’s why Nassau County officials have teamed up with Long Island Cares and Island Harvest food banks to make sure everyone eats on Thanksgiving.

And they’re getting a little celebrity help along the way from singer-songwriter Madison Beer.

Born and raised in Jericho before mov ing out west to pursue her music career, the 23-year-old Beer returns to Long Island on Wednesday, Nov. 23, to host the “End Hunger Thanksgiving Celebration” at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

It doesn’t cost money to attend, but everyone who shows up beginning at 3:30 p.m., are asked to bring at least one nonperishable food item. The celebration will focus on Beer’s accomplishments — begin ning with her early days as a teenager on YouTube singing covers of her favorite songs. She shot into stardom after another young performer, Justin Bieber, linked to one of her videos.

Beer also will bring attention to hunger and the culture of giving, according to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blake man.

Beer “has become a very, very influen tial person, especially with the young peo ple throughout the world,” Blakeman said

outside of Nassau Coliseum earlier this week. “We are trying to create a culture here in Nassau County and throughout the country — and throughout the world — of giving: Giving to people who need a little bit more help.”

The county also will proclaim Nov. 23 “Madison Beer Day.”

“I always look forward to coming home for the holidays,” Beer said in a state ment. “But it’s that much sweeter coming home for an event like this one that will help so many.”

Beer has more than 30 million followers on Instagram and Twitter, Blakeman said.

“She’s somebody that — certainly peo

ple throughout the world, and especially young people — have recognized as some one that is very, very talented,” he said. “We’re so happy that she is coming back to Nassau County so we can honor her, but at the same time give back to the community and make sure that everybody gets the food that they require so that they can have a happy holiday.”

Randi Shubin Dresner, the president and chief executive of Island Harvest, told reporters it was “very kind,” of Blakeman to involve the two food banks in this pro gram.

Beer, she said, is someone who “knows about our community, and clearly she understands that there are so many people who are struggling here on Long Island. With the rising costs at the gas pump and the rising costs at the supermarket, people who were just making ends meet are now having to struggle and find additional dol lars to just feed their family and put food on the table.”

Donations are down right now, accord ing to Jessica Rosati, chief programs offi cer for Long Island Cares.

Yet between the two organizations, well over 20 million pounds of food is distribut ed across Long Island, Dresner said. And that number has increased “quite a bit” from pre-pandemic times.

Seating for the celebration is limited to 15,000, and requires advanced registration at NassauCountyNY.gov. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., with the show starting at 5.

Mallory Wilson/Herald

RANdI ShuBIN dReSNeR, the president and chief executive of Island Harvest, thanked Nassau County Executive Blakeman for including her organization and Long Island Cares in the ‘End Hunger Thanksgiving Celebration.’ The free event — set for Wednesday, Nov. 23 — will be hosted by Long Island-born singer-songwriter Madison Beer, and will double as a food collection drive.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION LAKEVIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK

TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE LAKEVIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with Chapter 403 of the Laws of the State of New York for 1977, an election will be held in the Lakeview Public Library District on December 6, 2022, the polls to be open between the hours of 4 p.m. o’clock p.m. and 10 o’clock p.m. standard time, at the Lakeview Public Library, 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, New York, in said District for the purpose of electing one (1) Library Trustee for a term of five (5) years to succeed Ka’re Akins which term expires on the 31st day of December 2022. The voting will be by paper ballot. The polls will be opened at 4:00 p.m. and remain opened until 10:00 p.m. and as much longer as may be necessary to enable the voters then present to cast their ballot.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Trustees of the Lakeview Public Library District held on the 19th day of October 2022, candidates for Library Trustee shall file their names with the District Clerk at the Lakeview Public Library, 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, New York, at least ten (10) days prior to the date of such election, subscribed by twenty-five (25) qualified electors (as defined below) of the District. A qualified elector is a person who is registered to vote and who has resided in the Library District at least 30 days prior to the Library District election. Only resident qualified electors are eligible to hold office of Library Trustee or to vote at a Library District election. Sample petition forms are available at the Library.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots for the Lakeview Public Library election may be made at the Lakeview Public Library at 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, New York 11570.

Completed applications must be received by the Lakeview Public Library at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or one (1) day before the election; if the ballot is to be personally delivered to the voter.

Absentee ballots must be received at the Lakeview Public Library no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 6, 2022. A list

of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection in the administrative office of the Lakeview Public Library between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election except Sundays, and between the hours of 10a.m. and 12 noon on the Saturday prior to the election, and such list will also be available for inspection at the polling place at the election of members of the Board of Trustees.

By Order of the Board of Trustees of the Lakeview Public Library District.

Dated: October 19th, 2022

Rockville Centre, New York District Clerk Lakeview Public Library 135266

LEGAL NOTICE AVISO DE ELECCIONES ANUALES DISTRITO DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE LAKEVIEW DE LA CIUDAD DE HEMPSTEAD CONDADO DE NASSAU, NUEVA YORK

A LOS ELECTORES HABILITADOS DEL DISTRITO DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE LAKEVIEW:

SE NOTIFICA que, de conformidad con el Capítulo 403 de las Leyes del Estado de Nueva York de 1977, se celebrará una elección en el Distrito de la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview el 6 de diciembre de 2022, con las urnas abiertas entre las 4 p.m. y las 10 p.m., hora estándar, en la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview, ubicada en 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, Nueva York, con el fin de elegir un (1) administrador de la biblioteca para un período de cinco (5) años para suceder a Ka’re Akins cuyo término caduca el 31 de diciembre de 2022. La votación se realizará con papeletas. Las urnas se abrirán a las 4:00 p.m. y permanecerán abiertas hasta las 10:00 p.m. y todo el tiempo que sea necesario para que los votantes presentes puedan emitir su voto.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que, de conformidad con una resolución adoptada en una reunión de los Fideicomisarios del Distrito de la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview celebrada el 19 de octubre de 2022, los candidatos a Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca deberán presentar sus nombres ante el Secretario del Distrito en la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview, 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, Nueva York, al menos diez (10) días antes de la fecha de dicha elección, suscritos por veinticinco (25) electores habilitados (según se define a continuación) del Distrito. Un elector habilitado es

una persona que está registrada para votar y que ha residido en el Distrito de la Biblioteca por lo menos 30 días antes de la elección del Distrito de la Biblioteca. Sólo los electores habilitados residentes reúnen los requisitos para ocupar el cargo de Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca o para votar en una elección del Distrito de la Biblioteca. Los formularios de petición de muestra están disponibles en la Biblioteca.

TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que las solicitudes de votos en ausencia para la elección de la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview pueden hacerse en la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview en 1120 Woodfield Road, Rockville Centre, Nueva York 11570. Las solicitudes completadas deben ser recibidas por la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview por lo menos siete (7) días antes de la elección si la papeleta se le debe enviar por correo al votante o un (1) día antes de la elección; si la papeleta debe ser entregada personalmente al votante.

Las papeletas para votos en ausencia deben ser recibidas en la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del 6 de diciembre de 2022. Una lista de todas las personas a las que se les han emitido las papeletas en ausencia, estará disponible para su inspección en la oficina administrativa de la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview entre las 10 a.m. y 5 p.m. en cada uno de los cinco (5) días anteriores al día de la elección, excepto los domingos, y entre las horas de 10 a.m. y 12 del mediodía del sábado anterior a la elección, y dicha lista también estará disponible para su inspección en el lugar de votación en la elección de los miembros del Consejo de Administración.

Por orden del Consejo de Administración del Distrito de la Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview.

Con fecha: 19 de octubre de 2022 Rockville Centre, Nueva York

Secretario de distrito Biblioteca Pública de Lakeview 135268

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on June 19, 2019.

I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 13th day of December, 2022 at 2:30 PM. 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, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 30 Fonda Road, Rockville Centre, New York 11570. (Section: 36, Block: 363, Lot: 202)

Approximate amount of lien $1,060,130.14 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 608735/2018.

Julianne Bonomo, Esq., Referee.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409

Dated: October 21, 2022

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

135219

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on December 13, 2022 at 2:30PM, premises known as 432 LOCUST COURT, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 38 Block: K Lot: 804. Approximate amount of judgment $459,893.03 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #008751/2013. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 103N Westbury, NY 11590 SPSNY225 73193 135229

and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Rockville Centre, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 38, Block 274 and Lot 329. Approximate amount of judgment is $342,559.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 6202/12. 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.

John K. Moss, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 193083-6 135314

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notice for Liquor License Notice is hereby given that a license, pending, has been applied for by Polkadot Pound Cake Company LLC to sell beer, cider, and wine at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 217 N Long Beach Rd Rockville Centre, NY 11570 for on premises consumption. 135499

LEGAL NOTICE

INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard and give input at the times and place aforesaid.

Dated:Hempstead, New York November 15, 2022

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK.

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor 135484

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX NO.: 613354/2020

DATE FILED: 11/18/2020

service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York), and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF HSI ASSET SECURITIZATION CORPORATION TRUST 2006-HE2, Plaintiffagainst - MATTHEW P. ROBERTI A/K/A MATTHEW PAUL ROBERTI, et al Defendant(s).

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-4, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-4, Plaintiff AGAINST SANDRA LUCAS A/K/A SANDRA GLOVER, AS EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ANTHONY LUCAS A/K/A ANTHONY J. LUCAS A/K/A ANTHONY JURRAY LUCAS; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 25, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court,

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR NRZ PASS-THROUGH TRUST VII, Plaintiff, vs. ALEXIS LIBEROVSKY, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 30, 2019, 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 on December 19, 2022 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 29 Seaman Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to N.Y. Election Law Article 17, Title 2, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, and N.Y. Public Officers Law Article 7, the Open Meetings Law, public hearings will be held by the Town of Hempstead Temporary Redistricting Commission in the Nathan L. H. Bennett Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Village and Town of Hempstead, New York, on both November 29, 2022 at 7:00pm, and December 13, 2022 at 10:30am, to receive input regarding the reapportionment and composition of the Town of Hempstead’s councilmanic districts to be used beginning with the Town election of 2023.

ALL PERSONS

SUMMONS L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Plaintiff, -againstJOAN H. RUGGIERI, if she be living, if she be dead, her respective heirs-atlaw, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors, and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, or through JOAN H. RUGGIERI, if she be dead, whether by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, including any right, title or interest in and to the real property described in the complaint herein, all of who and whose names and places of residence are unknown to plaintiff, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FNANCE; NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12”, the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. David P. Sullivan, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered October 26, 2022 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.

THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to foreclose a tax lien and to recover the amount of the tax lien and all of the interest, penalties, additions and expenses thereon to premises k/a Section 36, Block 187, Lot 271-274. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property.

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 tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action.

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

Dated: November 18, 2020

LEVY & LEVY

Attorneys for Plaintiff 12 Tulip Drive Great Neck, NY 11021 (516) 487-6655

BY:JOSHUA LEVY, ESQ. #99889 135142

516-569-4000

DRIVERS WANTED

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

Richner Communications is looking for a hands-on Human Resources professional to oversee all HR functions on a strategic and tactical level. Exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and expanding Garden City, Long Island media company. This position has a flexible schedule, part-time job share would be considered.

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@riverdalepress.com

Responsibilities: Talent acquisition: Source, screen, and interview potential candidates and manage new employee onboarding Benefits administration: Liaise with brokers, providers and facilitate enrollment and updating of coverage. Manage annual open enrollment and employee benefits review. Administration of 401(k) plan. Employee relations: Provide day- today support and problem resolution in regards to employee concerns, questions and policy issues. Performance management: Coach, counsel and recommend disciplinary actions Compliance: Maintain indepth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risk and ensuring regulatory compliance Payroll: Process biweekly payroll through payroll vendor for population of 150 employees Requirements: Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or HR, or equivalent experience Minimum 5 years HR generalist experience Knowledge of Federal, State & Local regulations governing employment Experience with payroll processing Self-motivated, ability to prioritize and work well under pressure Customer-focused attitude, with high level of professionalism and discretion Excellent oral and written communication and quantitative skills Proficiency with Microsoft Office Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to: careers@liherald.com.

Marketing Analyst (Lynbrook, NY) Promote company services and perform market analysis. Plan and implement marketing targets, identify appropriate markets to introduce new products and services Analyze marketing statistics to formulate policies. Resumes to Group ESI, Inc., 97 Horton Avenue, Lynbrook, NY 11563

RECEPTIONIST - FULL TIME Receptionist (full-time) needed for Publisher and Self-Storage Facility located in Garden City. The ideal candidate should have excellent communications and customer service skills, be professional, dependable and have reliable transportation. Candidate should have computer knowledge and working knowledge of MS Office. Candidate MUST be reliable, punctual and be able to work a CONSISTENT schedule: Monday and Wednesday 8am to 4pm Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 6pm Friday 8am to 5pm

Job Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Answering phones and greeting customers, assisting new customers by showing storage facility options and pricing, collecting payments from customers, contacting customers for late payments, applying payments and updating the customer files /data base and other general administrative responsibilities on an as needed basis. Hourly pay, plus eligible for Holiday Pay, PTO, Medical, Dental, 401k with company matching, plus other benefits. Qualified candidates should email their resume, cover letter and salary requirements. No phone calls please. Job Type: Full-time. Salary: $15.00 /hour

Email your resume to: careers@liherald.com

SENIOR SECURITY ENGINEER (Vandis, Inc.) (Albertson, NY): Research, Design, Development and Implementation of Cloud, Networking and Security Technologies for Medium and Large Enterprises using vendor solutions, such as FortiGate, Barracuda, Palo Alto, Cisco etc. Reqs. Bach. degree or for. equiv. in Information Technology, Network and Comp. Security, Comp. Science, Electrical Eng., or a rel. field plus 5 years’ experience in a Network and Security Engineer or related role. Exp. must include: Network and Internet Security Configuration, Design and Architecture. Cloud Security Architecture and Connectivity. Network and Internet Secure Connectivity and Security hacking prevention, including attack methodologies, firewalls (Next Generation Firewalls ex. Fortinet, Palo Alto, Juniper, Cisco; and Web Application Firewall including F5, and Barracuda), IDS, VPNs (IPSEC and SSLVPN), cryptography and wireless networking. Network and Infrastructure support, including use of TCP/IP OSI Model, Switching, IP routing, SSL/TLS, Authentication, Authorization and Accounting. $162,926$180,000. Send resumes to Vandis, Inc., Attn: S. Ratafia, CFO, 1 Albertson Avenue, Suite 1, Albertson, NY 11507 or by email to sratafia@vandis.com.

RECEPTIONIST MEDICAL OFFICE: 2pm- 7pm.

TEACHERS: SPANISH SPEAKING A+. BA/ Associate Degree In Early Childhood Education. Teacher's Salary $32K. EMAIL RESUME: kgreene@fivetownsmail.org 516-239-6244 Ext. 237

Health Care/Opportunities

HHA's, LPN's, Nurse's Aides Childcare. Housekeeping Day Workers No Fee To Employers Evon's Svces: 516-505-5510

Eldercare Offered

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The scary house down the block

Q. There is a house in my neighborhood, just a few doors away, that has never been taken care of. I know someone lives there, but they don’t seem to care about how their home looks, and I wonder: Is there a way to get the community together, tear the house down and turn it into a park? It would look a lot bet ter.

A. The house you’re referring to seems to be like one in almost every neighborhood, but I haven’t seen any single-lot parks popping up any where. Maybe the reason it doesn’t happen is because you can’t just seize someone’s property. If that were the case, what would stop your neigh bors from taking your property?

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

Every once in a while, when I’m sitting in a pub lic zoning hearing, someone appears and makes a statement at the microphone just like what you are suggesting. I think they, too, are expecting a light bulb to appear above everyone else’s head when they suddenly realize what a genuinely great idea that was. But instead of trying to condemn some one else’s property, it may be better to gain some idea about what is really going on. I have often had to do this in the course of exploring options for potential buyers.

1208 Broadway Hewlett, NY 11557 516.791.1313 vipropertiesny.com

In some cases, such as a shopping center that continued to lose and not replace businesses, the owner lived a thousand miles away, and was just using the property as a tax write-off while they waited for the market to change and just sell. The condition had already existed for over a decade before someone asked me to look into the condi tions and search the records. The property did improve after violations were issued that forced the owner to respond in court. The same may be the course of action for the property you are describ ing.

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Some people are only compelled by legal action, while others will respond to a warning. I have seen many instances in which the owner is just finan cially, physically or mentally incapable of respond ing in the way you want them to. I have even driven people in these circumstances to meetings with authorities, especially when New York Rising had funding available to help them. None of the individ uals, even with financial assistance, followed through, either from distrust of authorities or a realization that they might have to pay money they just did not have or they could not deal with the change in their lives.

If you are inclined to look further into the cir cumstances of the owner, you may learn the reason(s) for the conditions being what they are. In a free country (so far), you may not like how your neighbors live, but we still don’t have the control to just take their property. Your recourse is to try to understand why the property is this way, and help, if you can, report them to authorities and become the “squeaky wheel,” or take your own personal legal action. Good luck!

Apartments For Rent

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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Russia’s space program fades as China’s rises

By all accounts, Russia is losing its unprovoked war against Ukraine. It has lost thousands of troops, spent the equivalent of billions of dollars, and become an international pariah. As a result of the ruinous war, Russia is also losing some thing that has always been precious to its national pride — its position as a leader in the world’s space programs.

until 2024. The sharpest cuts will be in manufacturing technology and develop ment. Money for scientific research will be cut entirely.

into space, leading politicians and mili tary leaders to proclaim that we were failing in space.

flight and a space station, and it plans to explore the Moon, Mars and the wider solar system.

The decline of the Russian space pro gram is not new. It began after the col lapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. That kicked off a brain drain from Russian. The need to fund the Ukraine war only accelerat ed the degradation of Rus sian space efforts.

JAMES BERNSTEIN

The country that stunned the world — and shook up the Unit ed States — with the launch on Oct. 4, 1957, of the sat ellite Sputnik, is falling further and further behind in civil space explo ration, according to experts. Its mili tary space program, however, remains robust, those experts say.

“The Russian space industry is in an obvious state of crisis,” Asif Siddiqi, an authority on Russia’s space program who teaches history at Fordham Uni versity, told an industry publication.

Partly to help fund Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin recently said he planned to slash funding for space flight activities at least

Additionally, jailed Rus sian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has made allegations of widespread corruption across the coun try’s space industry, with money disappearing into the hands of oligarchs.

Russia does not have a rover on the far side of the moon. China does. It does not have orbiters circling Mars. China, Indi an and the United Arab Emirates do.

Russia does not have a fleet of space telescopes, as does the United States.

“We’ve fallen behind on the science program,” said Igor Marinin, head of the Russian industry publication Novosti Kosmonavtiki. “We’ve forgotten how to make and fly unmanned probes.”

Of course, it was not always this way. The United States and much of the world trembled when the Soviets put Sputnik

Concern deepened in 1961, when the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly to outer space, aboard the Vostok 1 capsule. He completed one orbit of Earth. Meanwhile, as the American novelist Tom Wolfe wrote in his highly acclaimed book, “The Right Stuff,” “our rockets kept exploding” on the launch pad.

But what does the cur rent demise of Russia’s space program mean for the United States? John Logsdon, who teaches at George Washington Univer sity and who is often called the “dean of space policy,” said in a phone interview last week that we can no longer count on the Russians as partners on the Interna tional Space Station, or on other space projects in the future. Russian cosmo nauts still fly aboard the space station, but Russia has said that it even plans to withdraw from that program.

For the United States, Logsdon said, the new competitor is China. The Chi nese program has overseen the develop ment and launch of ballistic missiles, thousands of satellites, manned space

In a display of its growing prowess, China launched a cargo mission to its newly completed space station last week end. The 35-foot-long cargo spacecraft docked Nov. 12 with the Tiangong station on Saturday, according to a Chinese news release. As is typical of the country’s news media, few details were released publicly. But according to space experts, the freighter was carrying propellant for the space station, as well as some scien tific experiments.

In recent months, China launched two modules to join its already orbiting space station, which is about 20 percent large than the U.S.- and European-built International Space Station. It is expect ed to be occupied and operational for at least 10 years.

Our approach to China in space has been entirely negative. In 2011, Congress banned NASA from hosting Chinese visi tors at U.S. space facilities. Two years later, Congress banned Chinese nationals from entering NASA facilities without a waiver from NASA.

Nevertheless, Logsdon said, “The Chi nese space program is advancing.”

James Bernstein is editor of the Long Beach Herald. Comments about this col umn? jbernstein@liherald.com.

Thankful, mindful and watchful this holiday

Thankful, mindful and watchful this holiday

The midterm elections proved that you can’t put lipstick on a pig. Well, maybe you can try, but eventu ally folks will see through the cover-up. That expression, “lipstick on a pig,” pops up from time to time during elec tions. In 2008, President Barack Obama said that a sup posedly new eco nomic plan pro posed by his oppo nents, John McCain and Sarah Palin, was nothing new, “just putting lipstick on a pig.” Repub licans went ballis tic, accusing Obama of slyly associating the pig patter with Palin. Obama said his comment was about policy, not people. Anyway, he wasn’t the first or the last to use the expression, which, you must admit, con jures a compelling visual.

fringe groups like QAnon, tried their best to put lipstick on these pigs, but they didn’t fly. Fortunately, most of the Republicans who were elected or reelected to office aren’t conspiracy theo rists or election deniers.

This seems like a low bar, but there it is. Don’t we all want a fair fight in the campaigns for office? And when someone clearly wins, don’t we all want to see the opponent concede defeat and move on? Thank goodness that’s what hap pened most often in the days after Nov. 8.

RANDI KREISS

This election season, the GOP sent forth dozens of MAGA election deniers to run for important and influential offices across the country. Republican influencers in and out of government, complemented by seriously delusional

I am relieved and thank ful, as we prepare to gather for Thanksgiving, that the worst-case predictions for a toxic MAGA wave did not happen. Some Trumpian candidates pre vailed, but more were defeated. Voters looked at extremist candidates, anointed by the former president, and they said no. Not all the votes are counted in all the contests, and in Georgia there will be a runoff for a Senate seat, but overall the process has been peaceful and civil — and consequential.

Are we finally reaching a point where Americans on all sides of the political landscape share a vision for a safe democracy? Are we there yet? Can we

count on folks to trust election results? Will candidates fight the good fight and retreat with grace if they lose? We don’t know yet if this midterm portends big changes for the better and a return to relative normal, but the indications are promising. It was not a rout. Rioters did not take to the streets.

The cooling of the politi cal fever gripping the nation allows us to gather at our respective Thanks giving tables and truly give thanks. I am so thankful for the greatest gift we can enjoy in this life: peace of mind. We all experience occasional setbacks and losses, but with peace of mind we can negotiate our difficult life passages.

This isn’t November 2020 or Novem ber 2021, when the pandemic was burn ing through our population. We still have about 40,000 new Covid cases a day, but we have vaccines and anti-virals, greater understanding of the disease and less panic. At the height of the pandemic surge, it was difficult to find peace.

On Thanksgiving 2020, my husband and I sat down to a chicken rather than a turkey. We were grateful for one another but terribly lonely for our kids, who live plane flights away and couldn’t risk trav

el during the fury of the pandemic.

The years of Covid restrictions and isolation offered random gifts as well: learning to find strength we didn’t know was there, finding ways to connect with loved ones through words and Zooms and eye to eye, six feet apart. I would never wish it for character-building, but living through a pandemic has height ened our zest for life and attuned us to the nourishing rhythms of nature.

I noticed recently that many people, rather than saying goodbye, now say “stay safe” when they come and go. That speaks to our relatively new belief that the ground can shift under our feet in an instant. Some threats can be mitigated and some blindside us, but we survivors of the pandemic and the political mael strom have been changed by these years. We say “stay safe” as a kind of hope and benediction for our friends and loved ones.

I hope you are blessed with friends and mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and children and grandchil dren and neighbors at your Thanksgiv ing table. Along with peace of mind, let there be delicious turkey and sweet pota toes and cranberries and pies, all the tra ditional foods that anchor us to this time and place, and to one another.

Copyright 2022 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

Much has changed since we sat down to a Thanksgiving chicken in 2020.

Yuri Gagarin is all but forgotten, and China has an orbiting space station.

Phone: (516) 569-4000

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The power of concession

You’ve likely never heard the name William Jennings Bryan, as he’s not among those regularly talked about in history books. But his contribution to democracy should be indelible, after a simple telegram sent he sent to William McKinley on Nov. 5, 1896, forever changed how we approached elec tions.

“Sen. Jones has just informed me that the returns indicate your election, and I hasten to extend my congratulations,” Bryan said in the telegram. “We have sub mitted the issue to the American people, and their will is law.”

Conceding an election isn’t required by law, which is why what Bryan — in his first of three runs for president — did was all the more unique at the time. He didn’t have to do it by statute, but he had to do it in the spirit of democracy.

Such concessions have become a staple of our election process at all levels. Candi dates battle it out over issues and who can best represent the people, and once the people have made their decision, they accept it. Even if that decision doesn’t favor you, all for a peaceful transfer of power.

Not that making a concession is easy. Far from it. Candidates invest so much of themselves into their campaigns that to suddenly make an about-face and watch someone else get awarded what they had fought for can be heartbreaking. Still, no matter how hot the debate was among the candidates, once the decision has been made, it’s time to return to the real job at hand: governing.

When we think of concessions, we’re likely to think of those in races for our country’s highest office first.

“Just moments ago, I spoke with George W. Bush and congratulated him on becom ing the 43rd president of the United States. And I promised him that I wouldn’t call him back this time,” then-Vice President

letters

‘I could write Randi weekly’

To the Editor:

Al Gore said in a Dec. 13, 2000, address, even joking about rescinding his first con cession on election night, when the race between them was still too close to call.

“Almost a century and a half ago, Sen. Stephen Douglas told Abraham Lincoln, who had just defeated him for the presi dency, ‘Partisan feeling must yield to patri otism. I’m with you, Mr. President, and God bless you,’” Gore added. “Well, in that same spirit, I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country.”

Sen. John McCain shared similar senti ments eight years later, when he took the stage in Phoenix to congratulate the man who would become the 44th president, Barack Obama.

“Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed,” McCain said. “No doubt many of those dif ferences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.”

Concessions are just as powerful on the local level. State Sen. Anna Kaplan described her service in Albany as an “honor of a lifetime” after losing her reelection bid to former senator Jack Mar tins.

“While our campaign has ended, my service to — and love for — our communi ty has not,” Kaplan said. “I will always fight for you, and am committed to con tinuing that spirit of service in my next chapter.”

Laura Gillen, who lost her bid for Con gress to Anthony D’Esposito last week, also put politics aside to honor the choice of voters.

“We ran a campaign to be proud of in a challenging political environment,” Gillen said. “Together we motivated thousands of Long Islanders to make their voices heard.

To stand up for common-sense leadership. And to vigorously defend fundamental rights from assault.”

After the 2020 presidential election, in which defeated President Donald Trump never conceded to his successor, Joe Biden, there were real fears that this act of patriotism — this cornerstone action of democracy — could become a relic of the past. That conceding somehow represent ed weakness rather than strength. And that it meant essentially giving up on fighting for the chance to represent your community, region, state or even country.

But nothing about concession means you have to give up the fight, or that you can’t explore every option available to you. Once those options are exhausted, howev er, it’s time to close that chapter and start the next one.

On election night last week, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin wasn’t ready to concede the gubernatorial race to Gov. Kathy Hochul. And that was his right — not all the votes had been counted, and while his chances of winning were remote, they still existed.

But when it became clear that he had no path to victory, Zeldin did his part to pro tect and defend democracy by exercising the power of concession.

“I would like to congratulate New York governor Kathy Hochul on her election to a full four-year term,” Zeldin said in a statement the day after the election.

But while this particular battle for the governor’s mansion might be over, Zeldin made it clear that his fight for those he had hoped to represent wouldn’t end — a senti ment every candidate on the short side of any election should share in their own quests.

“As they take office in January, Gov. Kathy Hochul and those controlling Alba ny must address the grave concerns voiced by the voters,” Zeldin said. “While this campaign has come to a close, the rescue mission to ‘save our state’ continues.”

Once again, Randi Kreiss’s amazing ability to convey her thoughts and blend them with history — and in this case, a bit of astronomy as well — moved me to tears! (“An election that will move heaven and earth,” Nov. 3-9.) These are such stressful times, and I know that while it isn’t reasonable to expect everyone to always agree, there needs to be some more honest, respectful dialogue to help move our country to a better place.

I could write to Randi weekly, because her columns are so important and meaningful. I am constantly sending copies to dear friends who don’t live in the area — even a longtime friend who has lived in Italy for decades, but who is still American at heart (whatever that means these days) and is so worried for us and the world. If the America we know and love goes, what then? But then Randi gives us the perspective of eons of time to encour

opinions

Time to throw out the political trash

Happily, the midterm elections are behind us. They were, at best, stressful, and overall they were ugly. Once again, the poll sters were more wrong than they were right, predicting all kinds of results that never happened. There were many les sons to be learned from the results, and any politician who ignores them does so at his or her peril.

Any candidate who calls for a ban on abortions in a red, blue or purple state is asking for trouble. There were five states in which abortion was on the ballot, and those that pro posed a ban in one form or another were shot down.

Women want to make their own choices, in consultation with their physicians, and attempts to take away that right will meet stiff resis tance. Defeated Pennsylvania senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz suggested that elected officials should have a voice on abortion, and that didn’t help his cam paign.

Most political observers thought the issue of gun control wouldn’t have an

impact on people’s thinking, but many voters who were questioned stated that their decisions factored in their con cerns about the need for much stronger gun laws. There is a constant fear that there will be more school shootings, and pro-gun legislators who are supported by the NRA may have to rethink their posi tion, even if that costs them a few gun-rights support ers. Guns are an issue that won’t go away, and will reresurface in the 2024 elec tions.

Any pollster who tells you that young people are uninterested in elections should be banned from polltaking. This election brought out a record num ber of so-called Gen-Z voters, millions of them college students. On Election Day there were reports all over the country of enormous lines of students waiting to vote, well after the polls were scheduled to close. The youth vote is now alive and well.

Crime was an issue that helped a num ber of candidates get elected, but the vast majority of voters had other concerns on their mind, including voting rights, pre serving the Constitution, saving Social Security and Medicare and stopping can

Letters

age and help us de-stress by literally look ing to the heavens. That was so needed!

Thank you, Randi, from a most grate ful reader, for continuing to share so much of your wonderful self with us.

GEORGENE WINICk Woodmere

Another delay for LIRR East Side access

To the Editor:

Did the MTA and the LIRR forget to consider obtaining necessary clearance from the Federal Railroad Administration before they adopted the schedule calling for East Side access to Grand Central Madison to begin by December 2022? The Federal Transit Administration Full Funding Grant Agreement, approved in 2006, called for service to begin in 2011, at a total project cost of $6.3 billion, with a federal share of $2.6 billion.

The current cost is $11.6 billion, which doesn’t include debt service payments for the cost of borrowing, which brings the cost to $12.7 billion. Debt service costs are

buried under a separate agency operating budget. There is also over $4 billion more in indirect costs for what are known as LIRR “readiness” projects to support ESA service to Grand Central Madison. Honest accounting would bring the real total project cost to $16.7 billion.

A mandatory FRA safety feature that would prevent trains from entering the wrong tunnel clearly fell behind schedule. It is now forecast to be installed and up and running by March 6, 2023. Why was the original implementation schedule for installation of this safety equipment not completed earlier this year? This new FRA safety requirement was implement ed as a result of the Metro North accident on the Hudson Line at Spuyten Duyvil in 2013.

The MTA now has to request a waiver from FRA to begin service in December without this safety feature being in place. This will offer little comfort for riders who are looking for safe and reli able service to the Grand Central Madi son Terminal.

LARRY PENNER

Retired former director, Federal Transit Administration Region 2 Office of Operations and Program Management

didates endorsed by former President Donald Trump from winning key elec tions. Plenty of MAGA candidates won their races, but their tenures may be very short when their new constituents catch on to their lack of substance.

wWe learned in the mid terms that election denial ism is not a winning strate gy. The Republican candi date for New York governor, Lee Zeldin, ran a spirited race, but his resistance to acknowledging that Presi dent Biden was fairly elect ed hurt him with swing vot ers. New Yorkers are pretty sophisticated people, and the majority of them weren’t ready to buy into a candidate who opposed the certification of election results in Penn sylvania and Arizona. There are still plenty of election deniers who won their contests, but once they’re in office, their positions won’t help them do the required work.

From the ads that flooded the air waves, we could all agree that the tone of this year’s races was more dishonest and mean-spirited than ever before. In a lust for power, many candidates — incum bents and challengers alike — made false claims about their opponents, accusing

them of criminal conduct and making other outrageous allegations. But the slanderers didn’t fool most of the voters, who rejected the partisan poison.

Year after year, we have been subjected to stories about suspect polling results, in contests ranging from dogcatcher to pres ident. Political columnists and reporters, in print and on the air, have spend count less hours delving into the polling results, dissecting the numbers and often trying to divine trends that don’t exist. Over the past 10 years, I have challenged numerous pollsters who have wrongly claimed that they have reached people whose only phones are cellphones (which pollsters must dial manually). It’s time to ignore them and the commentators.

Now that the big red wave never hap pened and the experts will be scratching their heads for months trying to figure out why, it’s time to do a reset and focus on 2024. Future candidates will have to prepare for major changes in the electoral terrain, and be aware that they will suffer if they ignore the 2022 warning signs.

Jerry Kremer was an Assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strat egy firm. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.

Framework by Tim Baker

St. Agnes Cathetral on a crisp fall day — Rockville Centre

e learned in the midterms that election denialism isn’t a winning strategy.

JerrY kremer