Seaford Herald 02-09-2023

HERALD

When students become teachers

Page 3

library joins wildlife group

Page 9

FEBRUARY 9-15, 2023

Ellen Allard performs at Temple B’Nai Torah

Temple B’Nai Torah welcomed Ellen Allard, center, a well-known musician in the Jewish music industry, last Saturday. With Allard were fellow performers, from left, Sean Cotty, Temple Cantor Rica Timman, Kevin Kelly and, second from right, Dave Mackie and Stacy Kelly. Third from right was the temple’s rabbi, Daniel Bar-Nahum.

2023 Honorary Patriots named Page 14

$1.00

Blazing a scholarly trail all his own

By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Evan Thole arrives at Wantagh High School every day eager to learn — and said he wouldn’t have it any other way. The senior has declined to take lunch periods or study halls, and has a burning desire to gain even more knowledge, making him a viable candidate for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Thole, a lifelong Wantagh resident, started out at Mandalay Elementary School, before attending Wantagh Middle School and eventually the high school.

But Thole never saw himself

as just another grade in a book. And while his grades are high, he has always been determined to get more out of school than that.

“To me, you get only so much time in high school,” Thole said. “And I wouldn’t really be happy with myself if I didn’t really take advantage of it, and took four study halls instead of classes. There’s only so much time in the day.”

He’s passed on the lunch periods, too, to take as many classes as possible. His academic record speaks for itself — he has taken 14 Advanced Placement classes. He enrolled in three his sophomore year, three his junior year, Continued on page 2

Ashley Diaz notches a frst at state wrestling tournament

By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Some years from now, you could be mentioning Ashley Diaz in the same breath as Ronda Rousey — or perhaps, more accurately, Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Helen Maroulis, Diaz’s hero.

Diaz, a junior at Seaford High School, is one of the first three girls to win a state championship in wrestling in New York — in her case, the 120-pound division.

Diaz is a lifelong Seaford resident, having gone to Harbor Elementary School, Seaford Middle School, and now the high school. She is also a lifelong fighter, who

began officially wrestling at school in seventh grade. She had trained in sixth grade at Wantagh Youth Wrestling, and before that she had trained in Brazilian jiu jitsu for as long as she can remember.

“I originally was a swimmer, and our school didn’t have a swim team,” Diaz said. “I knew I wanted to participate in a sport, so I tried wrestling and it stuck. And I liked it more than swimming.”

Diaz trained under coach Ray Hanley at Wantagh Youth Wrestling, and recalls winning a match against a boy of similar size.

“I felt bad,” Diaz said. “But

high school, and it welcomes both female and male wrestlers. Under the tutelage of Seaford wrestling coach David Takseraas, Diaz has developed a high-powered offense that keeps her in every match, no matter how well her opponent is doing.

“She shoots for the legs often,” Takseraas said. “She’s definitely an offensive wrestler. We have

Coach Hanley told my dad, ‘She’s gonna do this on the team.’”

Diaz fought through the youth season in the program before starting seventh grade. There is only one wrestling team in the

some wrestlers that are more defensive, but Ashley is aggressive. So she always puts points on the board, and that’s why she’s in every match — because she can score.”

Wrestling can be won either by pins or on points — through takedowns, escapes, and reversals at the end of three periods.

Continued on page 4

Keith Rossein/Herald

T wenty years from now, we’ll look back and see how girls’ wrestling is so much bigger than it is now.

DAVE TAKSERAAS

Seaford wrestling coach

and six in now his senior year, with two other AP independent study courses. The independent study courses take place outside of class, since Thole completes the work on his own time, under the guidance of science teachers.

During his junior year, he positioned himself to be a Presidential Scholar, earning a perfect SAT score of 1600 in December 2021.

Thole’s primary academic interests lie in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, field, and he has taken AP courses under the guidance of teachers Valarie Sebastiano, Samantha Gordon, Richard Colavita and Lori Houde. Initially, Thole preferred biology and chemistry, but fell in love with physics due to Gordon’s hands-on teaching approach.

“I figured that I would just kind of be like the ‘Biochem Kid,’ so to speak,” Thole said. “But taking physics with Mrs. Gordon and doing all the hands on activities really made me love the subject. And honestly, it’s one of my absolute favorites now.”

But Thole is not just a STEM scholar. He has also taken AP music theory and is an accomplished musician as well, playing euphonium and tuba in school bands. Though his college career will likely be focused on a science, Thole said he intends to continue playing music as well.

Thole has looked at a number of colleges, but has not yet made a decision on one.

“I’m not really looking for the most competitive place,” he said. “I’m looking for a place that has a community where

people are just really interested in learning. I’m not looking for a place where everyone wants to be number one and be at the top of everything but, more so, for a place where everyone is really interested in what they’re studying and how to

support one another.”

Thole said he is greatly appreciative of his teachers in Wantagh, and specifically singled out Sebastiano, Colavita, Houde and Gordon as those who have inspired him to be great. Marie Malafis, a guidance counselor at the high school, has helped him through it all.

“I’m lucky to know him,” Malafis said of Thole.

“There’s no fluff to Evan, everything is deep, deep appreciation, deep intellect, deep kindness. He doesn’t speak without thought. You know, he’s just a unique individual. His complete disregard for numbers makes him special, because here’s a kid with a 1600 on the SAT and a 107 average. But he has no real attachment to those numbers — he just wants to learn everything. I could go on all day about him. We are sad to see him go this year, but excited to see what he does.”

Thole’s achievements have not gone unnoticed by administration either.

“What strikes me most about Evan is how humble he is,” Paul Guzzone, principal of Wantagh High, said. “He has every reason not to be humble, with a perfect 1600 on his SAT. If it wasn’t for us talking about him, you would never know, because of his modesty. He’s just such a fantastic young individual with a bright future. He’s a great representation of what our building, our district, and our community has to offer.”

Courtesy Wantagh Public Schools

Wantagh high School Principal Paul Guzzone and guidance counselor Marie Malafis congratulate Evan Thole on his selection to an invitation-only program, based on his perfect SAT score.

Herald ScHoolS

Students become the teachers on Shadow Day

Whether they were preparing for a future career or just looking to take a trip down memory lane, it was a successful day for Wantagh High School students who participated in Shadow Day on Feb. 2.

The Groundhogs Day tradition pairs high school students with teachers at Forest Lake, Mandalay and Wantagh elementary schools. They assist with lessons and other tasks, and gain experience working with children.

More than 40 students took part in Shadow Day this year, assigned to classes from pre-K through fifth grade, as well as special subject areas such as art, music, physical education, reading and STEAM.

Business teacher Christine Compagnino, the district’s work-based learning coordinator, said it is a great opportunity for students who want to enter professions in which they could be working with children, such as day care, education or medicine. They experience the day in the life of a teacher.

In Jen Jencius and Jennifer Florio’s kindergarten class at Wantagh Elementary School, they welcomed three high school students, Julia Avena, Jessica Gutfleisch and Sadie Reich. They helped run centers, which featured small-group literacy and math activities.

Florio described Julia, Jessica and Sadie as very nurturing and caring, which are essential traits for anyone who wants to work with children.

Jessica, a senior, aspires to be a pediatric nurse and enjoyed taking part in Shadow Day.

“I love interacting with kids,” she said. “I want to work with them in the future.”

Sophomore Damien Crowley signed up

for Shadow Day to return to his fifth grade classroom and help out one of his favorite elementary teachers, Traci Weiss. He spent part of the day helping students with math problems. Ms. Weiss even had a surprise for Damien when she showed him his picture on her wall of photos from years past.

Junior Joe Robbins was paired with his track coach, James Punzone, who is also a fourth grade teacher at Wantagh Elementary School.

He assisted students during a handson activity in which they had to use a toothpick to “unearth” all of the chocolate chips from a cookie to simulate a fossil dig.

“This is fun,” Robbins, who wants to be teacher, said. “Everyone is having fun, so that’s cool to see.”

Junior Joe robbinS helped out with a fossil digging simulation in a fourth grade class.

Julia avena Worked with kindergartners Everett Pierce and Christina Pisani in their small-group learning centers.

FiFth grade teacher Traci Weiss’ shadow was her former student, Damien Crowley, whose face could still be found on her classroom photo wall.

Photos courtesy Wantagh Schools

Wantagh high School senior Jessica Balkunas was a guest physical education teacher at Wantagh Elementary School on Shadow Day on Feb. 2.

Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Spousal Refusal - Just Say No

Spousal refusal is a legally valid Medicaid planning option in New York. By way of background, certain income and assets are exempt from Medicaid if there is a spouse. Generally, the spouse at home, known as the “community spouse” may keep about $3,700 per month of the couple’s combined income and up to about $150,000 of the assets or “resources”. Not included in those figures are any other exempt assets, such as a home (up to about $1,000,000 of the equity only) and one automobile. The spouse who is being cared for in a facility is known as the “institutionalized spouse”.

Many a spouse has advised us that they simply cannot afford to live on the allowances that Medicaid provides. This is where spousal refusal comes in. We start by shifting excess assets into the name of the “community spouse”. He or she then signs a document which the elder law attorney prepares and files with the county indicating that they refuse to contribute their income and assets to the care of the ill spouse since they need those income and assets for their own care and well-being. Note that you may not refuse your spouse’s own income over the $3,700 per month exemption as it is not coming to you.

Ashley Diaz is already a trailblazer for girls’ wrestling

continued from front page

Pins are like a win by knockout in boxing — once the pin is successful, the match is over, regardless of how much time is left.

“I do have a favorite move,” Diaz said. “But I don’t want it published, although anyone who watches my matches could probably tell what it is.”

The state competition took place in Syracuse on Jan. 27. Diaz was the twoseed in a division of 16 wrestlers, and had four matches. She won all four of them by pin in a dominant display.

“They do seeding based on credentials,” Takseraas said. “In the final, she faced the one seed. It was a good match. Ashley scored first, then her opponent tied up the score, before Ashley got the pin in the third period.”

Diaz’s season is still not over. Counties are coming up, with the competition being officially set for Feb. 11. And, since she’s a junior, Diaz’s varsity career is still far from over — although she does have her sights on collegiate wrestling.

Once the “community spouse” invokes their right to refuse, and all of the other myriad requirements of the Medicaid application are met, the state Medicaid program must pay for the care of the institutionalized spouse.

After Medicaid has been granted, the county may institute a lawsuit seeking to recover the cost of care from the refusing spouse. Nevertheless, there are a few reasons why spousal refusal makes sense, even in light of this risk. First, in many instances, the county never invokes this right. Secondly, these lawsuits are often settled for significantly less than the cost of care provided. Thirdly, the payment to the county can sometimes be deferred until the community spouse dies. As one county attorney told us when agreeing to such an arrangement, “the county is going to be around for a long time”. Finally, even though the county may seek recovery, it is only for the Medicaid reimbursement rate and not the private pay rate. For example, if the private pay rate is $18,000 per month, which is what you would have to pay, the amount Medicaid has to pay is generally a quarter to a third less. The county may only pursue you for the amount they actually paid.

“In the offseason, I’m going to be wrestling at a bunch of national competitions outside of school,” Diaz said. “Hopefully I’ll get officially ranked by USA Wrestling. That’s the next step.”

Diaz has kept her eye on girls’ wrestling at several colleges, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Northeastern University, both of which could offer promising futures for female wrestlers.

“Ashley is a credit to Seaford,” Kevin Witt, Seaford’s athletic director, said.

“She’s a credit to the coaches and all the kids they embrace. It makes the whole process for other kids in every sport so much easier knowing that Ashley had so much success.”

According to Takseraas and Witt, Diaz is already made history for women’s wrestling. But with another competition and one more year in varsity, as well as wrestling in college, the best may be yet to come for her career.

“Sometime down the road, maybe 20 years from now we’ll look back and see how girls’ wrestling is so much bigger than it is now,” Takseraas said. “Ashley was a trailblazer in that she was the first one to win states.”

Courtesy Seaford Public Schools

Ashley DiAz, A junior at Seaford High School, is among the first female wrestlers in New York to win at states.

spotlight athlete

aMaNDa MoRRis

East Meadow Sophomore Bowling

a FoURth-YeaR vaRsitY bowler, Morris has earned a third All-County award and on Feb. 11 will try to repeat as Nassau’s individual champion. Last winter, she averaged 197 and earned AllState honors. So far this season, Morris has bowled 19 games over 200 and leads the county with a 210.4 average over 36 games. She rolled 18 consecutive strikes in a match Jan. 5, closing one game with 11 straight and starting the next with 7 in a row.

gaMes to WatCh

MacArthur seeks big fnish

By aNDReW CoeN sports@liherald.com

The MacArthur wrestling team has high hopes for a strong showing on the county championship stage and beyond.

MacArthur qualified 13 for the upcoming Nassau County Division 1 individual county championships at Hofstra this weekend and is positioned to produce multiple champions who can then compete for state titles. The Generals finished with the most points of the eight teams that competed in the Division I qualifier last Saturday at Bellmore JFK with 404 points.

counties last year at 145 and is favored to finish on top of the podium this season.

Lichter’s young brother, Matt Lichter, won the 118 -pound qualifiers by pinning Vasilios Katranis of Bellmore-JFK.

“He has been wrestling great,” said fourteenth-year MacArthur coach Rob Paletta of Matt Lichter. “We are hoping to get him All-County honors at least.”

solation finals win against JJ Pizzirusso of Bellmore-JFK. Also earning trips to the counties with fifth place finishes were Jack Healy (145) and Aidan Vargas-Colon (172). William Cardone at (110), Trevor Rizzo (145), Mathew Powers (172) and Allan Fernande (189) just missed out on reaching qualifiers by placing sixth.

11:45 a.m.

Boys Basketball: Baldwin at East Meadow 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Farmingdale at Freeport 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Wheatley at Seaford 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Locust Valley at West Hemp 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: East Meadow at Baldwin 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Plainview at Oceanside 2 p.m.

Wrestling: Nassau Division 2 Finals at C.S. Harbor 6 p.m.

sunday, Feb. 12

Wrestling: Nassau Division 1 Finals at Hofstra 4:30 p.m.

Senior Benjamin Velasquez highlighted MacArthur’s big day at qualifiers by defeating four ranked opponents en route to a first place showing at 215 pounds. Velasquez, who is one ranked at 215 in Nassau County, was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler after knocking off Baldwin’s Rodney Mills in the finals, 5-2.

Paul Lichter (152) also won his weight class with a pin of Baldwin’s John Wornian. The senior took second place in the

Freshman Vincent Orandello finished as the qualifying 102 champion with his Generals’ teammate Charles Bergonzi placing second. The two had squared off a couple times already this season, but with both banged up Bergonzi opted to forfeit Saturday’s qualifying finals bout.

“I think both are going to be All-County at 102 and I think they both have a chance to be in the semifinals and finals,” said Paletta of Orandello and Bergonzi.

Sophomore Thomas Bennett has made strides of late and exceeded expectations with a second place showing at counties falling to Joseph Mattei of Herricks) in the 160-pound finals. Jonathan Fox (126) and James Jennison (138) also placed second.

Luke Burke placed third with a 5-4 con-

The county championships are scheduled to begin Saturday with the finals slated for late afternoon on Super Bowl Sunday at Hofstra’s Mack Sports Complex. The New York State Championships for those who qualify will take place on Feb. 24-25 at MVP Arena in Albany.

“We’re looking to get three county champions and hopefully another three or four make All-County,” said Paletta, who finished second in the counties in 1991 while wrestling for MacArthur. “We’re in a good position and we feel good with how the season has been going.”

The Generals competing at counties can qualify for states with a top three finish. Those who place in the top six will reach the podium with All-County accolades.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald MaCaRthUR seNioR paUl Lichter, top, is a leading contender to bring home a county championship after finishing runner-up last winter.

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

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

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Nassau rolls dice on Coliseum casino plans

Las Vegas developer with

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

It could be one of the largest private endeavors in Nassau County’s history — and already one of its most controversial.

The Las Vegas Sands resort company wants to develop the 80 acres of vacant land surrounding the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum — an investment that could well exceed $1 billion. While some have championed a new commercial center complete with a hotel, celebrity chef restaurants, a convention center and a live performance venue, it’s the casino element some aren’t sure is worth the gamble.

Like Hofstra University president Susan Poser.

“So many people in our community are expressing the idea that this is already a done deal, and therefore not understanding that we are at the beginning of a competitive and quite lengthy process,” Poser told the hundreds of people who packed her school’s Monroe Lecture Hall on Saturday.

Poser has made her opposition to the casino project no secret, writing in one published opinion piece that it was a “very bad idea.”

The New York Gaming Facility Location Board opened the window last month for the bidding of three downstate casino licenses. Four licenses are already available upstate. To be successful, a bidder must win approval from a local community advisory committee made up of appointees by Gov. Kathy Hochul, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, state Sen. Kevin Thomas, Assemblyman Edward Ra and Hempstead town supervisor Don Clavin.

Joe Harrison, for one, hopes a casino project at the Hub moves forward.

“For economic growth, it’s going to be a great thing for the area,” said Harrison, vice president for Local One Elevator Constructors. “We’re looking for families to stay and earn living wages.”

The gaming location board explained to those attending the forum how the application process would work. Las Vegas Sands, for example, would have to demonstrate positives in several categories that include local impact, workforce enhancement, and how it will ensure diversity.

Most of the attention, however, will be on economic activity and development. Anyone developing through one of these licenses must work to provide as much tax revenue for state and local governments as possible, and must prove the benefits of the specific site they want to develop. They must also already have expertise in developing and operating a quality gaming facility, as well

international reach looks to beat odds

as be able to have the project come to fruition in years, not decades.

Founded by the late Sheldon Adelson in the late 1980s, Las Vegas Sands is considered one of the largest casino companies in the world, although much of its holdings are now in Asia rather than the United States. It reports assets of well over $20 billion.

Local impact examines how such a development will help — or hurt — businesses immediately surrounding the project, as well as those nearby. Workforce enhancement examines how a developer would utilize the existing labor force in Nassau County, providing an estimated number of construction jobs and developing training programs that serve the unemployed.

One of those training projects is expected to be based at Nassau Community College, with Las Vegas Sands providing, in turn, internships and potential jobs.

That, Sands officials have said, could also help develop its diversity framework, which requires the company in its application to examine workforce demographics of unemployed minorities, woman and service-disabled veterans.

But it’s not neighbors Las Vegas Sands would have to convince, but Nassau’s community advisory committee. Without a thumbs up from them, it will be a hard no from the gaming location board. Approval requires a two-thirds majority.

John Kaman, Suffolk County’s deputy executive, said residents and institutions within the town and surrounding areas should understand one another’s needs, and the impact they have on one another.

“We need to make sure that everybody’s listening, everybody’s participating,” Kaman said. “If something like this was going to go forward or not depends upon what the larger community wants to see in their county, in their town, and their neighborhood.”

Geraldine Hart, who leads public safety efforts at Hofstra, worried about the potential increase in crime.

“There’s a number of criminal activities that are associated with human trafficking,” she said. “They include illegal drug sales, kidnapping, extortion, money

GERALDINE HART, WHO leads public safety efforts at Hofstra University, shared with a community forum over the weekend what she says are risks communities face when casinos — like the one planned for the Nassau Hub — are built. Hart gave an overview of many instances of human trafficking and auto accidents — including some she personally witnessed — she says have direct ties with casinos.

laundering, prostitution, racketeering and gang related crime.”

Hart also cautioned that the Hempstead Turnpike — one of the most popular roadways traveled in Nassau — was also designated the fourth-most dangerous road in the state last year based on average number of fatalities. Hart cited a Journal of Health Economics study claiming a link between casino expansion and alcohol-related fatal traffic accidents.

Neyrely Munoz, a sophomore majoring in television and film at Hofstra, says she’s also concerned about safety, but much closer to home.

“Near a campus with college students, it doesn’t sound like the best idea,” she said. “I feel as though that the women on campus will feel a lot less safe.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

HUNDREDS ATTENDED A community forum at Hofstra University to discuss the fate of the Nassau Hub, and the potential for a casino to become part of the community there. It’s a plan that has garnered mixed reactions from neighbors, including from Hofstra and nearby Nassau Community College.

W e need to make sure that everybody’s listening, everybody’s participating ... the larger community wants to see in their county, in their town, and their neighborhood.”

JOHN KAMAN Suffolk County deputy executive

Summit Lane students learn safety tips

Second graders at Summit Lane Elementary School in the Levittown Public School District were ecstatic to receive a surprise visit from members of the MTA Police Department’s Canine Unit on Jan. 31.

Second grade classes gathered in the gymnasium and listened to safety tips from MTA officers who are stationed at busy subway and train stations. They learned to always stay with an adult, how to navigate the platform safely and who to look for if they need help.

As the Canine Unit entered the room, the children could hardly contain their excitement, but they respectfully stayed in their seats. They learned about the role of the Canine Unit in keeping public transportation safe. At the conclusion of the presentation, students were able to approach and pet the unit’s dog one by one.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald file

The Seaford Public Library announced last week that they are now affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Seaford Library partners with conservation group

Seaford Library cardholders can now enjoy discounted trips to various zoos, as the library has announced that it has been selected as Wildlife Conservation Society Affiliate Partner.

The discount offered to cardholders is 20 percent, and applies to the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, the New York Aquarium, the Queens Zoo, and the Prospect Park Zoo.

“The Library’s affiliation with the Wildlife Conservation Society for discounted admissions to New York City’s four zoos and Coney Island aquarium is a perfect fit for Seaford families,” Peter J. Ruffner, a trustee on the library’s board, said. “It is another wonderful example of the Library’s outstanding service and continuous commitment to Seaford residents.”

The tickets can be found on the library’s website, seafordlibrary.org. Click on “Borrow a Museum Pass” and enter the code “SPL” when purchasing.

–Michael Malaszczyk

Courtesy Levittown Schools

SummiT lane’S Second grade classes had a great time during the visit with the MTA Police Department’s Canine Unit.

CAMP & SCHOOL – A guide to programs and activities

Extra help

Help your student achieve tutoring success

It’s a whirlwind for your family after school: Your kids need to have a snack, keep up with their activities, complete their homework on and on it goes. All the while academics are the priority. So how do you fit tutoring into a busy household without distracting your struggling student, or making them feel left out of all the fun?

Even when tutoring is necessary, learning sessions can be a tall order for kids who are already over-programmed and overtired. Here are some tips for how you can help your tutor make sessions more effective even if your household is as busy as ever.

Building Skills

One of the biggest benefits of at-home tutoring is giving your student a chance to interact one-on-one with a certified educator. Even young children who need more practice developing basic skills, like problem-solving, vocabulary, and working with numbers, may benefit from working with a tutor.

Of course, hiring a tutor isn’t always about helping your child get ahead. Tutoring also provides students with the extra help they need to complete schoolwork, address a learning disorder, or master content they struggle with. Depending on your child’s learning style, your tutor might use visual aids, audio clips, or art projects. They’ll need enough room and enough supplies to teach effectively.

During the hiring process, talk with your tutor about their plans for your child’s tutoring sessions. What kind of space do they need? Together, pick a quiet area in your home that you can dedicate solely to tutoring sessions. This could be the kitchen table, a study desk, or an out-of-theway corner wherever there’s enough room with limited distractions.

When your child and their tutor have a place that’s all their own to sit down and get to work, it provides the structure and stability for good learning. This routine carries over to every session and makes it easier for your tutor to develop a rapport with your student, so they can accomplish even more together.

Institute Quiet Hours

Have other children? Make sure they understand that the tutor and your student need time and space to work on their own. Establish this boundary early, so your kids all understand that tutoring time is important work time.

Tutoring time can also be good “quiet time” for the rest of your household.

Encourage your other kids to take up quiet activities, like reading, homework, or imaginative play. Turn off devices like TV, phones, or loud games and take a break from constant noise and simulation.

If true “quiet time” is a no-go at your house, try sending your other children outside or to a different part of the

Afternoon rush

Kids nowadays are certainly busier than ever before. The increasingly competitive nature of scholastic life combined with the increase of outside of classroom options available to kids means that kids today are much busier than their school-aged counterparts of yesteryear.

house to play. Most kids don’t get enough exercise or imaginative downtime as it is, and this will help them burn off energy and encourage creativity while keeping indoors relatively quiet for tutoring.

Coordinate Breaks And Boundaries

Most young children can only study for 20 to 30 minutes at a time before they need to move on to another activity or take a break. Teens and tweens can likely study for longer periods of time, from 30 to 40 minutes, before they need to get up and stretch or rest their eyes.

Remember: You’re paying a certified educator for their expertise in subject matter, as well as their knowledge about what makes a successful learning environment. Work collaboratively with your tutor to establish boundaries and rewards that feel appropriate for your student’s needs, your comfort level as a parent, and the tutor’s needs as an educator.

For most tutors and students it’s also best if parents make themselves scarce during tutoring sessions. If you hang around during a session, it could make it more difficult for your student to focus even if they’re on break. Establish with your tutor ahead of time where you’ll be hanging out or working during the session. Encourage your student to follow the rules and have a good time then make your exit!

Emphasize Family Time

Even though tutoring can be fun and engaging, it’s still extra work for your young student. That can make kids feel left out, especially when their brothers and sisters get to spend the time playing, attending after-school clubs, or hanging out with friends.

In order to make your tutored child feel included, make sure to emphasize family time after the tutoring session is over. Whether you all sit down to dinner together, watch a movie, or take a walk around the block before it gets dark, family time helps your student transition from a long workday back into being a kid.

According to a recent study from the Journal of Marriage and Family, the amount of time spent together matters less to a child’s development than the quality of the time. That’s good news for parents struggling to juggle after-school activities and tutoring sessions to boot.

Every family member has individual responsibilities, interests, hobbies, and activities they do on their own.

Helping your child see that tutoring is just one of the things they do makes it less isolating and more independent and confidence-building. Making sure that it’s balanced with quality family time benefits everyone.

Can after-school programs give your children an academic boost? According to a recent study of after-school programs serving low-income elementary and middle school students, the answer is yes. Students who regularly participated in after-school programs surpassed their peers in academic performance. They also exhibited notable improvements in work habits and behavior.

“These findings underscore the importance of high quality afterschool programs and activities for both elementary and middle school youth,” explains Deborah Lowe Vandell, PhD, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita, University of California at Irvine’s Department of Education, and the study’s lead author.

It’s no surprise that after-school programs can do much more than keep your children occupied during the afternoon. In fact, afterschool activities can help them in a variety of ways. Children develop time-management skills, build self-esteem, and practice goal-setting. While it may be tough to squeeze in after-school activities for your children, the benefits are well worth the extra effort.

Time management and prioritizing. Extracurricular activities teach children how to manage their time and prioritize various tasks and commitments.

Exploring diverse interests. The school band, drama club, or any sport may be an activity your children are interested in joining. By allowing your children the opportunity to explore diverse interests, you give them the opportunity to discover what they are passionate about. Once your children find an activity that they enjoy, succeeding in the activity could ultimately build their confidence and selfesteem.

Making a contribution. Extracurricular activities allow your children to make a contribution to their school or community, which is an important step in preparing them for life outside of academics.

Building self-esteem. Mastering new skills can help create confident kids. By participating in after-school activities, they can build their self-esteem in a relaxed setting as their activities provide the opportunity to be successful in something that they are passionate about.

Setting goals. Participation in extracurricular activities and programs present opportunities for your children to develop their goalsetting skills. Most involve reaching or achieving a goal, whether it be the lead actor in the school play, winning the state championship or coming in first place in the science fair. As a result, these activities help encourage students to work toward achieving those goals, while having fun at the same time.

Teamwork. Sports teams, clubs and activities, like dancing and music, all require children to work together toward a common goal. By participating in these activities, your children develop the skills they need in order to successfully work with others. In addition, extracurricular activities let children to build relationships and socialize with peers who share their interests.

College applications. And, of course, after-school activities look great on college applications. In addition to academic performance, colleges want a well-rounded student and look at what activities students are involved in outside of school as a way to fully understand each student.

The day’s far from over once the school bell rings

Photo: Children can benefit from having someone focused on them who can support their learning and help them to understand and accept their own learning styles.

Photo: Recent studies show a correlation between improved grades, behavior and work habits as a result of students’ involvement in after-school activities.

guide to programs and activities

Summer adventures

Being away from home builds self-esteem, independence

One of the many joys of parenthood is helping children navigate new waters. And, while often these situations are met with hesitation, slight anxiety or in the case of some first-time campers, homesickness it is these moments that develop the 21st century skills needed in adulthood. New situations, such as going away to camp, serve as teachers in life’s classroom developing leadership, self-esteem, teamwork, independence, and problem-solving.

It’s important, even critical, for parents to help children overcome any feelings of hesitation in order to help them grow. Take camp, for example. From a child’s perspective, camp is fun, fun, fun! Parents know that camp provides immeasurable growth opportunities, and is a vital part of childhood. As the day approaches, even the most excited campers sometimes get nervous about being away from home.

“Homesickness is completely normal,” says psychologist Michael Thompson.“If a child loves his or her parents and has a good home, why wouldn’t he or she feel some longing for mom, for dad, for the dog, or for home cooking?”

It is up to parents, then, to help ease the transition to camp, and help their children grow from the experience. Help alleviate anxiety and get a jumpstart on life’s lessons with some advice from camp professionals.

√ Encourage independence throughout the year. Practice separations, such as sleepovers at a friend’s house, can simulate the camp environment.

√ Involve children in the process of preparing for camp. The more they own the decision, the more comfortable they will feel being at camp.

√ Make sure to understand the camp’s philosophy on how issues, such as homesickness, are addressed. Talk candidly with the camp director to understand his/her perspective on the adjustment to camp life.

√ Discuss what to expect at camp before leaving for camp. Consider role-playing anticipated situations, such as using a flashlight to find the bathroom.

For a child who’s going to be away for a while, send a note or care package. Acknowledge missing the child, in a positive way. For example, saying “I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a good time at camp,” lets the camper know that families are thinking about them, but confident in their ability to adapt to camp.

Above all, avoid bribing behaviors. Families send the wrong message when they link a successful stay at camp to a material object. Families should focus on the real rewards like newfound confidence and independence. And don’t plan an exit strategy. If a “rescue call” comes from the child, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective.

While most incidents of homesickness pass quickly, parents know their child best. If parents have concerns (for example, the child is not eating or sleeping, or appears overly anxious), they should immediately talk to their camp director. Camp staff are trained to identify and ease homesickness, and are a valuable resource for parents as well as campers.

For many families, the morning rush isn’t the most chaotic time of the day. Instead, the sanity-buster is that long stretch from the time school lets out until the final activity ends and everyone is home.

Surviving the afternoon activities juggle is all about planning and time management and it’s also an opportune time to teach kids some valuable skills.

“The opportunity with activities is it’s a great time for kids to learn time management,” says Carolyn Dalgliesh, a professional organizer who specializes in helping kids who are anxious or distracted. “It’s a skill that will help them throughout their lives.”

Without preparation, the activities crunch can get kids and parents on a quick path to burnout and exhaustion.

Consider these tips from the experts for making your child’s after-school activities a fun and rewarding part of childhood and for teaching your child the skill of time management.

Choose the right activities. There is no need for everyone to run ragged getting to volleyball practice if your child no longer enjoys it. “We talk about mindful choices,” Dalgliesh says. “You want your child to get value out of any activity, whether it’s a great social outlet or a chance to run off a lot of energy.”

Consider timing. If you’re lucky enough to have choices in times, choose wisely. “Think about how well your child does with transi-

tions,” Dalgliesh says. “For some kids, coming home triggers wind-down time, [so] parents may want to go to the library after school to do homework instead of stopping by the house.”

Honor the family meeting. There is a central principle when it comes to family time management: Everyone must get together once a week, with calendars in hand, to plan out the next week. Figure out how each kid will get to and from each activity, and make plans for meals and snacks. When doing the planning, try to carve out at least one night when the family can have dinner together. Make your weekly meeting fun by following it with a family movie or game night. Or, suggests Grey, dole out allowance and lunch money at the end of the meeting.

Maintain a family calendar. Each family member needs his or her own week-at-a-glance calendar, and you also need a family calendar. Yes, that’s a lot of calendars, but it will help ensure all activities are well-planned.

Get the activity bags ready. Get your kids in the habit of packing their activity bags on Sunday night. Designate a place for them to hang or store their bags. For activities requiring a lot of gear, use a checklist to make sure nothing gets left behind.

Embrace meal planning. It’s important to plan simple, consistent meals, especially if you’re a busy family with a lot of activities. For example, kids love theme dinners such as “Taco Tuesday,” and can help with preparation and

assembly. Also plan snacks, making sure to have high-protein nibbles available for kids before they embark on a strenuous activity. Make it portable. Keep healthy drinks and snacks in a car cooler. After all, “we’re a portable society,” Dalgliesh says. In addition to food, keep an “activities bin” for kids to rummage through while hanging out at big brother’s karate practice but only then. “Those activities are special, and they only get pulled out when kids are waiting,” Dalgliesh explains.

Make car time special. If you spend a lot of time driving to and from activities, make that time count. Try an audiobook, choosing a story everyone in the family can enjoy. Dalgliesh plays a conversation game with her children. She has a set of cards with prompts such as, “What is the worst meal you ever had in a restaurant?” or “What is your favorite vacation memory?” She passes the deck to her kids has them pick one. “It’s about finding those moments to connect,” she says.

Have a picnic. If you have to race from your daughter’s after-school soccer practice to

your son’s evening hockey game, pack a cooler and enjoy a picnic supper in the bleachers, at a park, or anywhere else you can find.

Be flexible. Even the most carefully made plans can be rendered useless by a thunderstorm that cancels soccer practice, a sick child, or an unexpected work disaster.

Empower your kids. Give your kids as much control over their own planning and scheduling as they can handle. Different kids need different tools. Especially as kids get older, they need to own their organization system. Some kids like to do everything electronically, others like pretty paper notebooks and calendars. Some kids like to use the latest apps and color-coded pens to stay organized, and others take a minimalist approach, scribbling basic information only.

Electronics and computers. Our devices became our lifelines during the pandemic , and for many it’s a hard habit to break. It’s easy to rely on electronic games and social media during the activities crunch, especially for siblings who are waiting or when you arrive at an activity early. But set limits and use electronic toys as a reward for good behavior, with exceptions to those limits when the tech tool is needed for a school project.

By teaching your kids the skills they need to manage their life inside and outside of school, you’ll equip them for grade school, college, and beyond. You’ll also create a family life that allows all members the opportunity to reach their potential.

Photo: Keeping kids busy after school is a good thing, but participating in many activities without advance planning is inviting miscommunication, forgotten homework, and cranky families. Instead, enlist your kids’ efforts each week in planning their time.

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

WHERE WHEN

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

“When We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines the collective power of the arts in society.

Curated by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and collection — the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence.

“It highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that promise equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” Giordano says. “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be ignored. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making of art with public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their communities and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to stand with them.”

This exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s 13th presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April.

“We were interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says museum director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by an Obama Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, where more than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to discuss the collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart a pathway for national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and activism.”

To that end, unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s permanent collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned the museum their selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing all media — from Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, For Freedoms, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia Victor.

“The way our climate is now, this exhibit could not be more timely than at this moment,” Albert adds.

Among the highlights, she points to the series of prints from the collective For Freedoms. Their four large scale photos are based on Norman Rockwell’s 1943 oil paintings inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address that outlined what he considered the essential four democratic values freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. For Freedoms has interpreted these iconic works for our era.

“It’s the same composition,” Albert says. “From 1940s America, these (works) show what America is today, our diversity and what we look like now.”

As always the museum offers additional programming to enhance the exhibit experience. Upcoming events include an artist panel on Feb. 23, which examines the role of the artist as activist, and a gallery tour with Alexandra Giordano, March 16.

Pat McGann

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Yarn/Wire

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions and performances that have made a significant contribution to the canon of experimental works. The quartet features founding member Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer on piano and Russell Greenberg, also a founding member, and Sae Hashimoto playing percussion. Barger is a frequent guest with many top American contemporary ensembles. French-American Den Boer performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Greenberg is in demand with varied ensembles. Hashimoto, the newest member, contributes a unique approach to performance cultivated by her intensive classical training .

Friday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. $30 with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

Can art change the world? It’s a question that’s been at the focus of our collective culture for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, art as a path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.

Courtesy Hofstra Universally Museum of Art

Photos: Norman Rockwell’s celebrated ‘Four Freedoms’ are reinterpreted as photos by Hank Willis Thomas and Emily Shur in collaboration with Eric Gottesman and the Wyatt Gallery.

Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Sculpture: Hank Willis Thomas, ‘Lives of Others,’ 2014, made from black urethane resin and standing 57 inches tall

THE SCENE

Feb. 23

Art talk

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

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Alan Doyle

The prolifc Canadian singer-songwriter visits the Landmark stage, Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. From the moment he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with his band Great Big Sea, Canadians fell in love with the pride of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, whose boundless charisma and sense of humor was eclipsed only by his magnetic stage presence. His infuence is now being heard in a new generation of artists as his solo work continues to endear him to roots music fans everywhere. That’s clearly evident on Alan’s latest EP “Rough Side Out, “which fnds him collaborating with Canadian country music superstars Dean Brody and Jess Moskaluke, while at the same time offering his own distinctive interpretation of contemporary country. $41, $37, $29. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Weekly Mah Jongg

The JULIETS are back playing Mah Jongg and cards at Congregation Beth Tikvah, at 3710 Woodbine Ave., in Wantagh, every Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks are optional, but proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required for newcomers, as well as a contribution of $5 per person. For more information email mahjonggCBT@yahoo.com or call (516) 785-2445.

Mike Dunphy, owner of the Wantagh Inn, will lead the third annual Wantagh Chamber of Commerce St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade on Long Island, on March 19. For more information visit tinyurl.com/ wanstpaddy.

Winter seal walk

Have you thought of going to the beach during the winter? Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center hosts frequent seal walks throughout winter. Dress warmly and learn about the seal population, which are abundant on Jones Beach in the winter. For more information visit tinyurl. com/jbencprograms.

Author talk

Emmy award-winning journalist and WCBS-TV anchor Mary Calvi visits Molloy University to discuss her book, “If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt’s First Love,” Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7-8:30 p.m. Her novel is an indelible portrait of the authenticity of first love, the heartache of loss, and how overcoming the worst of life’s obstacles can push one to greatness never imagined. $35, includes signed copy of the book. 1000 Hempstead Ave., Larini Room, 2nd Floor of Public Square Building, Rockville Centre. For tickets and information visit MadisonTheatreny.org or call (516) 323-4444.

An evening with Shira

Psychic and medium Shira returns to Seaford, Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the Seaford American Legion., 2301 Penatiquit Ave. With catered buffet dinner. For more information visit tinyurl. com/seafordpsychic.

$5 Skate Night

United Skates of America in Seaford wants to make skating year round activity. Every Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m., enjoy a skate night with only $5 admission; skate rental is available for an extra $6. For more information visit tinyurl. com/thursdayskate.

On stage

Mo Willems’ popular Pigeon comes alive on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Saturday, Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb.12, 2 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 15-17, noon. Pigeon is eager to try anything, with the audience part of the action. LICM, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM. org.

Winter book reading

Book clubs aren’t just for the summer. The Seaford Public Library hosts “Walking in a Reading Wonderland” adult reading program through Feb. 25. Prizes will be offered at the end. For more information email adultprograms@ seafordlibrary.org.

Having an event?

Tackapausha Museum

Bring the family to Tackapausha Museum and Preserve, 2225 Washington Avenue in Seaford. The county museum is home to 100 different live animals. The museum’s many acitivities include birthday parties, community service projects, Boy and Girl Scout programs to earn badges, educational programs, and more. For more information contact (516) 571-7443.

Seaford Board of Education meeting

The Seaford Board of education holds their monthly meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Seaford Manor Elementary School’s allpurpose room, located at 1590 Washington Avenue. For more information call (516) 592-4000.

Donation opportunity

Support the communirty. St Frances de Chantal in Wantagh is always seeking donations for its pantry as well as its thrift shop. For more information, call (516) 785-2333.

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.

Platanos Y Collard Greens

See the romantic comedy about what happens when an African American and a Latina college student fall in love, presented by Nassau Community College Theater and Dance Department and the Africana Studies Department, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 9-11, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m. Also Feb. 16-19, with talkback session with playwright David Lamb, immediately following final performance. Threaded by the culture of hip-hop, the lovers defend their relationship, as friends and family learn that this “food fight” calls for fusion instead of feud. Nassau Community College’s Mainstage Theatre, Garden City. Tickets $10; NCC students free with valid ID; $8 veterans, alumni, seniors 60+, students and NCC employees. For tickets/information, visit NCC.edu or call (516) 572-7676.

Family theater

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

Public Notices

legal noTIce

pUBlIc noTIce of coUnTY TReasUReR’s sale of TaX lIens on Real esTaTe

Notice is hereby given that I shall, commencing on February 21, 2023, sell at public on-line auction the tax liens on real estate herein-after described, unless the owner, mortgagee, occupant of or any other party-ininterest in such real estate shall pay to the County Treasurer by February 16, 2023 the total amount of such unpaid taxes or assessments with the interest, penalties and other expenses and charges, against the property. Such tax liens will be sold at the lowest rate of interest, not exceeding 10 per cent per six month’s period, for which any person or persons shall offer to take the total amount of such unpaid taxes as defined in section 5-37.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code. Effective with the February 21, 2023 lien sale, Ordinance No. 175-2015 requires a $175.00 per day registration fee for each person who intends to bid at the tax lien sale. Ordinance No. 175-2015 also requires that upon the issuance of the Lien Certificate there is due from the lien buyer a Tax Certificate Issue Fee of $20.00 per lien purchased.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Nassau County Administrative Code at the discretion of the Nassau County Treasurer the auction will be conducted online. Further information concerning the procedures for the auction is available at the website of the Nassau County Treasurer at:

https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/526/County-Treasurer

Should the Treasurer determine that an in-person auction shall be held, same will commence on the 21st day of February, 2023 at the Office of The County Treasurer 1 West Street, Mineola or at some other location to be determined by the Treasurer.

The liens are for arrears of School District taxes for the year 2021 - 2022 and/or County, Town, and Special District taxes for the year 2022. The following is a partial listing of the real estate located in school district number(s) 8, 10 in the Town of Hempstead only, upon which tax liens are to be sold, with a brief description of the same by reference to the County Land and Tax Map, the name of the owner or occupant as the same appears on the 2022/2023 tentative assessment roll, and the total amount of such unpaid taxes.

ImpoRTanT

THE NAMES OF OWNERS SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT. SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE 2022/2023 TENTATIVE ASSESSMENT ROLLS AND MAY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SUCH OWNERS ARE NOMINAL ONLY AND ANOTHER PERSON IS ACTUALLY THE BENEFICIAL OWNER. Town

scHool:6

TERMS OF

Such tax liens shall be sold subject to any and all superior tax liens of sovereignties and other municipalities and to all claims of record which the County may have thereon and subject to the provisions of the Federal and State Soldier’s and Sailors’ Civil Relief Acts. However, such tax liens shall have priority over the County’s Differential Interest Lien, representing the excess, if any, of the interest and penalty borne at the maximum rate over the interest and penalty borne at the rate at which the lien is purchased.

The Purchaser acknowledges that the tax lien(s) sold pursuant to these Terms of Sale may be subject to pending bankruptcy proceedings and/or may become subject to such proceedings which may be commenced during the period in which a lien is held by a successful

Public Notices

Continued from previous page

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

ROSLYN NEWS

ROSLYN TIMES

Dist 3306

FARMINGDALE OBSERVER

MASSAPEQUA POST

MASSAPEQUAN OBSERVER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

City of Glen Cove

Dist 4005

GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

LOCUST VALLEY LEADER

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

City of lonG BeaCh

Money for a good cause

COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

Dist 3022

Dist 3023

Dist 3024

Dist 3203

LEGAL NOTICE

FARMINGDALE OBSERVER

MASSAPEQUA POST

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

MASSAPEQUA POST

MASSAPEQUAN OBSERVER

MID-ISLAND TIMES

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

GLEN COVE HERALD GAZETTE

GLEN COVE RECORD PILOT

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE

NEWSDAY

LONG ISLAND PRESS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Offcers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 2/15/23 at 9:30 A.M. consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 107/23. - 108/23.

SEAFORD - Thomas Humphrey, Variances, side yard, side yards aggregate, maintain garage & 3rd story balcony both attached to dwelling; Maintain accessory structure (shed) with less than required side yard setback; Special exception to maintain 2nd accessory structure (shed) with less than required side yard setback; Variance, side yard, maintain a/c unit attached to dwelling., E/s Ocean Ave., 1687’ S/o Bayview St., a/k/a 2699 Ocean Ave.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET,

Dist 5028

LONG BEACH HERALD

LONG BEACH TRIBUNE

NASSAU COUNTY WEBSITE NEWSDAY

Nassau County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs, or activities.

Upon request, accommodations such as those required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in all services, programs, activities and public hearings and events conducted by the Treasurer’s Office. Upon request, information can be made available in braille, large print, audio tape or other alternative formats. For additional information, please call (516) 571-2090 ext. 13715.

Dated: February 08, 2023

THE NASSAU COUNTY TREASURER MINEOLA, NEW YORK 1204476

HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Seaford within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

137201

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE AUCTION OF

ASSETS

SURPLUS

The Board of Education, Levittown Public Schools, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, is conducting an online auction of surplus assets in partnership with Auctions International, Inc. These assets which include a number of schools buses that have been declared surplus and approved by the Board of Education in accordance with State Laws. Items will be auctioned over a 14 day time period

beginning Friday, February 3, 2022. Bidders may view items up for auction on the auction website: www.auctionsinternation al.com. Additional details, terms and conditions, and instructions for registering to place bids can be obtained on the auction website. Levittown Public Schools reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or parts of bids, to waive any and all technicalities, and to accept any bid, or part of bid which it deems advantageous to itself.

Bonnie Pampinella Purchasing Agent 137209

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE UNDER THE INDENTURE RELATING TO IMH ASSETS CORP., COLLATERALIZED ASSETBACKED BONDS, SERIES 2007-A, V. KEVIN M. CLARKIN, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated November 2, 2018, and entered in the Offce of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE UNDER THE INDENTURE RELATING TO IMH

ASSETS CORP., COLLATERALIZED ASSETBACKED BONDS, SERIES

2007-A is the Plaintiff and KEVIN M. CLARKIN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 21, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 525 ARLINGTON DRIVE, SEAFORD, NY 11783: Section 52, Block 451, Lot 0010: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT PLAINEDGE-WANTAGH, IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index # 004844/2015. George P. Esernio, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

136728

Tim Baker/Herald

The EAC Network — a Garden City-based social service agency that empowers, assists and cares for people in need — receives a $2,000 donation from RichnerLive. The money was from a portion of ticket sales from last year’s Herald Excellence in Healthcare Awards Gala, which honored heroes and leaders within the health care industry. Neela Mukeriee Lockel, EAC’s president and chief executive, along with Robert Stricoff — the group’s chief development officer — accepted the donation from Herald Community Newspapers publisher Stuart Richner and RichnerLive executive director Amy Amato. From left, Herald Community Newspapers deputy editor Jeffrey Bessen, Stricoff, Richner, Amato, executive editor Michael Hinman, and Lockel. To find out more about EAC — and how to donate — visit EAC-Network.org.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMTP TRUST, SERIES 2019-C, Plaintiff - against - DAVID HOSKIN A/K/A DAVID A. HOSKIN, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on April 22, 2020. 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 28th day of February, 2023 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Seaford, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 1967 Russell Court, Seaford, NY 11783.

(Section: 57 Block: 06001

Lots: 63 and 64)

Approximate amount of lien $606,487.45 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 614367/2018.

Rita Solomon, 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: January 4, 2023

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.

136828

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of formation of JFG Data Management LLC. Articles of Organization fled with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 9/22/2022. Offce located in Nassau Co. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 3559 Kenora Pl, Seaford, NY 11783.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

136612

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU, INDEX 613607/2021, FABUCHI GROUP INC., Plaintiff -against- CALI HAPPY REALTY CORP, Defendants. Pursuant to a Interlocutory Judgment in this partition action, which Interlocutory Judgment was dated December 5, 2022, the undersigned Referee will sell at a public auction on the steps of the courthouse of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, New York 11501 on February 22, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., the premises known as 3955 South Avenue, Seaford, New York, more particularly described as follows: ALL that certain plot, place or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situated, lying and being in Seaford, The Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at a point on the northerly side of South Street, district 161 feet easterly as measured along, same, from the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of South Street with the easterly side of Jackson Avenue and; BEGINNING at a point on the northerly side of South Street, district 161 feet easterly as measured along, same,

from the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of South Street with the easterly side of Jackson Avenue and; RUNNING THENCE North 15 degrees 37 minutes East, 114 fee to Dutchmans Creek; THENCE South 56 degrees 40 minutes 10 seconds East along Dutchmans Creek; 20.5 feet; THENCE South 18 degrees 11 minutes West, 107 feet to the northerly side of South Street; THENCE North 78 degrees 07 minutes West along the northerly side of South Street, 15 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING, Section 65 Block B Lot 0077 on the tax map of Nassau County. Premises will be sold subject to the provisions of the fled Interlocutory Judgment bearing Index Number 613607/2021 and the terms of sale which shall be posted at the time of the auction.

DATED: January 12, 2023

Court appointed Referee: Evan Van Leer-Greenberg, Esq., 11 Broadway - Suite 1051, New York, New York 10004, 212-962-1596

Plaintiff’s Counsel: Law Offces of John Riconda, P.C., 753 West Merrick Road, Valley Stream, New York 11580, 516-285-8867 136716

ROCKVILLE CENTRE

Real estate IN BRIEF

V.I.Properties Welcomes Corrine Hachmon!

We are happy to welcome Corrine Hachmon to team Rozana and Sara at V.I.Properties.

FULL TIME LIBRARY AIDE Are you customer-service focused? Do you love libraries? Apply for a FT Library Aide position at the Baldwin Public Library. This is a rare opportunity that does not require a Civil Service exam. Job is 35 hours per week with at least one night per week and rotating on Saturdays. $30,000-40,000 depending on qualifications and experience. Possibility of Sunday hrs. Send resume and cover letter to dkelly@baldwinpl.org.

MEDICAL SECRETARY/ ASSISTANT PT/ FT: Garden City. Responsible, Reliable. Good Salary. Computer Experience Helpful, Will Train. Call 516-739-0333: Fax 516-739-0344

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FT: RVC. Administrative Work, Answering Phones, Computer Skills – Microsoft, Excel, Outlook, Financial background helpful. Ask For Fran 516-763-9700 frances.difede@lpl.com

ASSISTANT BOOKKEEPER Valley Stream, NY

We are a small real estate management firm looking for support to our Accounting Department. Must have previous Accounts Payable and Receivable experience. This full-time position will require knowledge of Microsoft Excel. Will also include light clerical work.

To apply, please email Alyson at alyson@dewseven.com with a brief intro letter and resume

AUTO TECHNICIAN FT

Experienced And Reliable. NYSI A Plus. Busy Merrick Shop. Call 516-781-5641

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS Assist General Contractor Drivers License. Knowledge Of Construction. Call Mike. 516-887-8877.

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR Company Car, Bonuses For Good Work. Must Have Clean Driving Record, Will Train. Eastern Queens & Nassau County. Retirees Welcome! Please call Bell Auto School At 516-365-5778 10am- 6pm Or Email: info@bellautoschool.com

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WANTED

Will Certify And Train HS Diploma NYS License Clean 3 Years Call 516-731-3000

NAIL TECHNICIAN FT MASSAGE THERAPIST FT For Beautiful Nail/ Med Spa In Garden City. Must Be Licensed. Call 516-739-1111 Email melobeautybarinc@gmail.com

PART TIME ASSISTANTS Garden City Childcare Center Monday through Friday $15 per hour HS Diploma Required Call 516-572-7614

RECEPTIONIST & CLERICAL Positions P/T. Seasonal. Franklin Square. Call: 516-358-9455. Fax Resume 516-358-9483 E Mail: ed@loturco.com.

RECEPTIONIST/ P/T: SEASONAL, Warm, Friendly, Excellent People Skills, Office Work/ Customer Service, Beach Club. 516-239-2150

SECRETARY CHURCH OFFICE P/T $17/p.h. Tues, Weds, Thurs 9am-12pm. Clerical & Computer Skillls Required. Immed.. 516-547-7828. Email Resume vjl1030@yahoo.com UP TO $20.70 NYC, $20.00 L.I., $16.20 Upstate NY! If you need care from your relative, friend/ neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA Program. No Certificates needed. 347-713-3553 wait staff THE CHEF'S TABLE LYNBROOK

Corinne has always had a passion for sales and fashion. She was born and raised in Israel, and has been living in the Five Towns for the last 7 years. For the last 5 years she's been working as a real estate agent. Corinne is devoted to her family. She's a wife and mother of 3 beautiful children. She also enjoys giving back to her community, and is involved with local Chabad organizations. When it comes to real estate, Corinne is an expert listing agent and a strong buyers agent. She loves helping people relocate to the area, buy their first house, upsize or downsize. She prides herself on being able to provide top-notch customer service that exceeds her clients' expectations. Contact Corrine at 857.800.1533 or by email ch@rozana-sara.com

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

REAL ESTATE

Att Gar Plus 1 Pkg Spot incl in Maintenance. W/D in Unit.Pull Down Attic.SD#15. Convenient to Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$449,00 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA, 257 WILLARD Dr REDUCED!! Spacious 5 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch With Open Layout.Main Floor Mstr Ste Plus Potential Mstr Ste on 2nd Flr.LR/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sundrenched Family Rm w/ Doors to Deck. Fin

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HEWLETT

Ronnie

Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

Open Houses

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Rockville Centre

Beautiful High Ranch

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Nailing down the permits

Q. We completely rebuilt in 1996, and are ready to retire and sell. Our real estate agent told us they checked our permit records and it was never signed off. Although it’s a long story, our first contractor went to jail and destroyed our original permit papers. The second contractor never got a plumbing permit or electrical sign-offs, even though they had people do the work. Is this going to be a big problem to get everything signed off, because we want to sell within the year to take advantage of the market right now? What can you advise?

A. Sounds like you went through a lot. Most people tell me they could write a book about their experience. You need to see your building department records and get copies of the signed and sealed plans. Many municipalities keep records either in paper form, which you may have to pay for copies of, or microfilm or computer files.

Nanci-sue Rosenthal CBR C: 516.316.1030 Nrosenthal@bhhslaffey.com

Stacey Simens CBR C: 516.455.8152 Ssimens@bhhslaffey.com

Then speak with your inspector to find out what they think needs to be done. Most will be very helpful, and allow for the process to continue, asking you to hire a plumber to get a permit, which involves your notarized signature so you know it’s being done. In way too many cases, the plumber or contractor says it was done when it really wasn’t, so most municipalities require the owner’s signature on permit applications so the building department and owner are aware that the process is being done and is not false.

The plumber needs to see your bathrooms, kitchen, heating equipment and any other plumbing to be sure it meets the plumbing code (and building code). The same process must be done with an electrician, but most building departments ask for a certification from a private agency, not your electrician, since most building departments don’t have an electrical inspector. The reason for this is that one of the two leading causes of fire is electrical (the other being use of the kitchen) so your local government wants nothing to do with the liability for fire safety.

FDR, EIK & Sundrenched Family Rm w/ Doors to Deck. Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. Loads of Updates!! SD#20 (Lynbrook)No Flood Insurance Req. MUST SEE THIS! REDUCED!!$1,025,000 1608 Ridgeway Dr, BA, Move Right Into This Completely Gut Renovated

4 BR, 3.5 Bth Col on 1/4 Acre Prop. New Kosher EIK, FDR, LR w/ Fpl, Den & Enclosed Porch.Radiant Heated Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!!

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1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom (Originally

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CE da RHURST

332B Peninsula Blvd, BA, Move Right Into This Updated

You’ll find that almost everyone in this process wants to avoid responsibility as much as possible. You may have to either call for an inspection agency yourself or, if you suspect that there could be questionable electrical work, hire a licensed electrician to inspect and correct before hiring an agency to detect, if you elect. The private agency charges a few hundred dollars, usually, depending on the number of rooms and outdoor items, like air conditioning condensers, pool equipment and landscape lights, which must also be inspected. After all this is done, you may be able to get a final inspection and a sign-off and certificate from your building department, unless … your building department makes you get plans and a new survey redrawn and updated to the most recent code, which is complicated, time-consuming and expensive — in the thousands of dollars — before you can get a final inspection. Allow plenty of time.

© 2022 Monte Leeper Readers

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.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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THANK YOU ST. JUDE For Answering

My Prayers Regarding My Procedures.

P.A.R.

MERCHANDISE MART

Antiques/Collectibles

We Buy Antiques, Fine Art & Jewelry Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 45 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464

FINDS UNDER $100

Finds Under $100

COLE HAAN MEN'S Chelsea Boots Black Leather, 7W. Excellent $90 516-320-1906

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NEW HYUNDAI SUV adjustable cross roof rails. cost $319. $99 firm (516)524-3617

ONE RECTANGULAR GLASS coffee table and two glass/brass octagon end tables, good cond. $99.99. 516-623-5696

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Finds $100-$350

Handyman

Miscellaneous

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Plumbing

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Home Improvement

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HANDY DANDY HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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Satellite/TV Equipment

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Education

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 844-947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

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AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

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WHEELS

Those horrifc videos, and what they show

“Icouldn’t bear the thought of people being horrified by the sight of my son,” Mamie Bradley, the mother of 14-year-old Emmett Till, a Black kid from Chicago who was tortured and murdered by white racists in Mississippi in 1955, told the press at the time.

“But on the other hand, I felt the alternative was even worse,”

Bradley continued. “After all, we had averted our eyes for far too long, running away from the ugly reality facing us as a nation. Let the world see what I’ve seen.” Bradley had refused to close the lid of her son’s coffin.

What Bradley had to say then has echoed through the decades, and helped inspire America’s civil rights movement.

Her words are still relevant today.

I’ve heard many people say they “can’t look” at the televised footage of the Memphis police beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old who died a few

days after he was brutally assaulted by five police officers, who have been charged in his death. The footage has been shown and re-shown. And you could say that seeing it once is enough.

And I agree. But I know of others who refuse to look at all.

Many are the same people who refused to look at the images of the police as they suffocated George Floyd in 2020. They also didn’t want to look at the flag-draped coffins of American service members who had been killed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

The first Bush administration banned photos or video of the caskets of dead returning veterans. That decree wasn’t overturned until the Obama administration.

Some ask why we should look at any of it. What good does it do? To some, it’s similar to the almost unavoidable glances at an auto accident that attracts rubberneckers. Common decency should overcome the morbid desire to slow down to a crawl.

But it’s unacceptable to refuse to look at the images of Floyd as he lay gasping for breath, or of Eric Garner, who died in a prohibited police choke-

hold in 2014, or of Nichols as he was beaten.

In 1955, what Bradley saw was the horribly battered body and the crushed face of her son, who had traveled to the small town of Money, Mississippi, to spend a summer with his sharecropper great-uncle Moses Wright.

WAfter work one night, young Emmett and some friends stopped at a grocery store. Accounts vary, but some say that Till whistled at the store’s white cashier, Carolyn Bryant. In the early-morning hours of Aug. 28, Roy Bryant, Carolyn’s husband, and J.W. Milam, Bryant’s half-brother, broke into Wright’s home and dragged Till out.

He was severely beaten. One of his eyes was gouged out. His nose was so bent out of shape, his mother said, that it resembled an S. Then he was taken to the Tallahatchie River, where he was shot in the head. His body was dumped into the river.

Wright reported the kidnapping to the police the following day, and Bryant and Milam were arrested. The only way police were able to identify Till was by

a monogrammed ring he wore that had belonged to his father.

At the funeral, relatives asked Bradley to close the casket, but she refused. Photos of her son’s body appeared in Jet magazine and the Chicago Defender, two of the most important Black publications in the United States.

Bryant and Milam were acquitted by an all-white jury that deliberated for only four hours. Years later, the FBI extracted a deathbed confession from Milam’s brother, Leslie, who admitted his own involvement. By that time, however, Bryant and J.W. Milam were long dead.

Till’s mother’s decision to let the public see what had been done to her son still resonates today.

Those who ask why we should look at any of these disturbing images say, what good does it do? The footage of Floyd, Garner and, now, Nichols, is more than painful to watch, I agree. But the cameras don’t lie. They force us to see things we don’t want to see, but must see. When we turn away, we are lying to ourselves about the reality of what happens so often to members of minorities in this, our America.

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

Hot love, cold love, new love, old love

These days, when my husband and I share affairs of the heart, there is usually anesthesia and a sameday procedure involved. For us, Valentine’s Day, the fire sale of romantic love, doesn’t speak to a 55-year relationship. Heart-shaped cakes, red roses, pink balloons and chocolates have become cheap (although not inexpensive) symbols of love. We subscribe to a more expansive view of love that includes authentic moments, nourishing memories and new experiences in the world. We learned during the pandemic that a brilliant TV movie or a sighting of a comet in a dark sky can trigger the same endorphins as “love.” It all counts. One of the unintended consequences of living in the time of Covid-19 is an impatience with posturing and a desire for genuine emotion. Let’s sift through the dross of recent weeks for the gold nuggets. Think for a moment of the intense super-joys that give value to your days — the gifts that Hallmark and

Godiva cannot confer.

These past few weeks, I have been leading a book discussion group. I do this all the time, but suddenly this year the group is intensely wonderful. The people in our circle jelled. The talk is fast, funny and wicked smart. Maybe it seems odd to think of this meet-up in terms of love, but we need all the love we can gather, and we each get to define our own experiences.

Other random love bombs:

Last week I caught a glimpse of the green-hued comet that last visited earth in prehistoric times. It was a momentary sighting, but I thought to myself, “Be still my heart” when I spotted the ball of dust and ice that won’t swing by this way again for 55,000 years. What a show.

Two weeks ago, I saw “Shades of Spring,” a new ballet choreographed by Jessica Lang. During a fairly dull week of subpar weather, a week I would give a C+, the evening of dance was a breakout moment. The performance captivated every sense and held our attention until the last bow. It was love.

Then there is Rachel Maddow. She

makes my Mondays, which are the only days she’s on the air at MSNBC with commentary about the dreaded news. An investigative pit bull with a smile on her face and a crisp sense of humor, Maddow helps mitigate the despair I feel after an intemperate eruption from Marjorie Taylor Greene. Maddow’s wit is dead on, and she is rigorous in her craft. I would not want to be in her sights, but I love being in her audience.

My life would be different, and less joyful, without Lillybee, our 5-year-old Coton. I don’t need to explain this to dog lovers. And I can’t explain it to non-dog-lovers. We celebrated her birthday Feb. 1 with a heavy spoonful of shredded pork in her kibble. I heard her whisper, “Be still my heart.”

I love our expanding daylight, which translates to elevated moods, for me and everyone else. There is just no boogying to the 4:30 p.m. Sunset Blues. The happy dance must wait for the sun to travel closer, and it is, by the minute, and I love it.

Another love bomb in my life is pasta al dente, still the most delicious, cheap-

est meal in America. When I’m ready to take on some carbs, a half-box of pasta with olive oil, parsley and garlic is sublime. Anytime we lust for linguine, we have this, right here in all our lives, and it is an affair of the heart as much as the belly.

Great books are the red roses that never fade. Consider the books I talked about this month: “The All of It,” by Jeannette Haien; “The Glass Hotel,” by Emily St. John Mandel; “Lila,” by Marilynne Robinson; and “Drag your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead,” by Olga Tokarczuk. The joy of disappearing into a book, giving up one’s grounding in time and space, is a gift. Then to talk about it with like-minded readers? Enchanting.

Wordle and Spelling Bee, my twin obsessions, have the best words. For the uninitiated, these are New York Times daily word games. And they’re like crack. You can’t stop. When you figure out the puzzle, the rush is unmistakable and familiar: love.

From the ridiculous to the sublime: I embrace my friends on Valentine’s Day and every day, don’t you? They can love anybody, and they choose you, and me. Hold them close, every precious one.

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

RANDI KREISS

Even a comet in a dark sky can trigger the same magical endorphins.

e don’t want to see the images of Floyd, Garner and, now, Nichols. But we must.

JAMES BERNSTEIN

HERALD

Getting what you pay for in the classroom

When we think of the most influential people in our lives growing up, we’re likely to point out our parents, some members of our extended family, maybe even a religious leader or two.

But no list is complete without teachers. It’s a role so important in our development that we spend nearly 13,000 hours of our childhood in front of teachers — whether we’re learning long division, the Civil War, natural selection, Newton’s laws of motion, or even where, exactly, New York is on the planet.

Education is vital, and we depend on teachers more than anyone else to deliver it. Yet when it comes time for us to show our gratitude for their extraordinary contribution to our lives, we instead focus on debates on whether teachers are overpaid, underworked and demanding just too much.

It’s not that exploring whether teachers are appropriately compensated isn’t important — in the public sphere, at least, it’s taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars that pay their salaries. However, such discussions must be done in a way that not only provides an accurate and complete look at educator salaries, but also still respects the essential role teachers fill.

A recent analysis conducted by Newsday found that more than half of all teachers on Long Island — 31,000 of them — are making at least $100,000 a year. A handful of them earned even more — upward of $300,000 and even $400,000. Numbers, we assume, we should be outraged about.

letters

Why ‘Santos, for better or worse’?

To the Editor:

Assemblyman Chuck LaVine’s letter, “It’s Santos, for better or worse,” which appeared in last week’s issue, has me perplexed. The black cloud that U.S. Rep. George Santos finds himself under is clearly his doing, and his alone. If I were a constituent of his, I would welcome a call or email from another representative who understands our Long island issues.

While Lavine said he appreciated Rep. Andrew Garbarino reaching out, the tone in his reply was less than respectful. It seems that Lavine is up to his old tricks by attempting to cast shade on an otherwise respected member of Long Island’s congressional delegation, as well as the Nassau Republican Party. Here’s a concept you might not be familiar with, Chuck: Instead of bickering, try working together, for the people

But those specific large amounts were anomalies, not the norm. Three teachers — two with more than four decades in the classroom — retired from the Central Islip school district with a mountain of sick days for which they were due compensation. These are teachers who were in the classroom nearly every day, providing consistency for their students and saving their district the need to hire substitutes.

Making this more atypical is that Central Islip has a rather unique — and far more generous — benefits package compared with other districts on Long Island.

On average, however, teachers on Long Island made a little more than $110,000 per year. That’s what the Empire Center for Public Policy told Newsweek, pointing out that that average is higher than any other region in the state, and higher than average salaries in other states. Three of the 11 school districts with the highest wage earners were in Nassau County — Jericho, Great Neck and Syosset.

Teachers have built-in holiday breaks —including the entire summer. They are done teaching by early afternoon. Their jobs aren’t physical. Who hasn’t heard these cries about teachers whenever discussions about compensation crop up?

But we also cannot forget that teachers take work home with them. They are there after school, many times giving an extra hand to our kids, helping them get the most out of their educational experience through sports or other extracurricular activities.

And while some might argue that

teachers make up for lower pay than their private-sector counterparts with better benefits, even that can be a tricky mound to stand on. A 2021 report from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concluded that while teachers might earn the same as those with similar educational backgrounds in the private sector, ongoing across-the-board benefits cuts through pension reform means that new teachers have a far bleaker economic outlook than their more experienced colleagues.

That’s bad. “Uncompetitive compensation may make it harder to recruit highquality individuals into the teaching profession,” the report stated. Low-quality teachers — or worse, simply not enough teachers — means potentially low-quality education.

For a country struggling to keep up with many of our international competitors, an educational system in decline will only make the situation worse.

The United States already falls below the global average in math test scores, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That put us well behind Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. And while our children’s science scores are higher than the global average, the United States remains behind Singapore, Macao, Estonia, Japan and Finland.

We must keep our public schools costs under control — absolutely. But just like anything else, we get what we pay for. And if we pay for high-quality teachers here on Long Island, we’ll continue to get them.

A useful way to enshrine a name we’d sooner forget

“make lemonade out of lemons” is a saying ingrained from an early age in students across the country to teach perseverance in the face of adversity. In essence, when we’re faced with a bad situation, we navigate the circumstances to imagine a positive outcome.

When it comes to U.S. Rep. George Santos, it’s far easier to imagine a steady stream of lemon juice squirted directly into our eyes than successfully following this elementary maxim. Each new day seems to bring a new Santos lie with it, one more outrageous than the next. From a fake resume to a fake address to a fake religion and more, Santos remains as defiant as ever in the midst of his fictional masterpiece: the most sophisticated web of lies ever created in the history of American politics.

My grandparents never talked about the Holocaust

To the Editor:

Great op-ed by Daniel Offner, “We must remember — and teach — the Holocaust (Jan. 26-Feb. 1), about his childhood memories of his grandmother, her history and what she went through.

I can really relate to it, but on my side, my grandparents would never, ever talk about what they lived through in Europe, while they raised their five children (my mom and her four siblings). The only piece of information I know is that all five of them were born in different countries while the family kept running from country to country to try and avoid Hitler. I know my grandparents were in camps, because they both had numbers on their arms, but they never, ever talked about it.

MICHAEL GILLER West Hempstead

Honor Damar Hamlin by learning CPR

To the Editor:

Last month on “Monday Night Football,” we all witnessed a horrific event when Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac

The good news is that people of good conscience all across New York state’s 3rd Congressional District, regardless of political affiliation, are exasperated by the Talented Mr. Santos, and have had enough. Calls for him to resign ring out from the headquarters of both the Nassau Republicans and county Democrats. But being outraged isn’t a solution to our Santos problem.

Santos is an issue for the nation, but let’s not forget that he is a problem of our local creation. Therefore, the burden lies with us here in the 3rd District not just to destroy Frankenstein’s monster, but also to ensure that the next George Santos is barred from ever getting his, or her, name on the ballot.

In the meantime, what Santos — the long-lost brother of fake German heiress Anna Delvey? — has shown us is that guardrails to prevent charlatans and liars from running for office simply don’t exist in the 21st century.

That’s why I’ve proposed the

arrest on the field. Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the world. Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. Almost three out of four of them happen at home.

If you’re called on to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, you will likely be saving the life of someone you love. The members of our community need us. Our children need us. Our neighbors need us. Our co-workers need us.

The American Heart Association recognizes this need, and has a plan to help. You can be the difference, by learning CPR to save a life. The American Heart Association is committed to being the leader in resuscitation science, education and training.

This month — American Heart Month — the American Heart Association is specifically focused on helping people learn the life-saving skill of CPR, and we want every family and home to have someone who knows it. With the help of local supporters, we can help more of our community be prepared when called on in an emergency.

I encourage you to Be the Beat by learning CPR to be the difference and save a life. To find a class near you, visit cpr.heart.org.

DR. LAWRENCE KANNER Chief of cardiology, and director of electrophysiology/arrhythmia Services Mount Sinai South Nassau

GEORGE Package here in Nassau County, a series of laws named for Mr. Santos: Get Egregious Officials Removed from Government Elections. It features several proposals to keep people like Santos from ever getting elected in the first place. They include:

■ Mandatory background checks for all candidates, just like any employee of any company is subjected to.

■ Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding office.

■ Making it a misdemeanor for a candidate to lie about his or her education, employment history, address or income sources.

The GEORGE Package would not be a guarantor against politicians lying to get elected. It would, however, offer voters more peace of mind that they have an honest choice between two candidates, and assurance for those voters that if candidates don’t play by the rules, they, like us, will be held

accountable.

When James Madison created the framework for the Constitution, never in the wildest dreams of our founders did they envision needing laws like the GEORGE Package on the books. But just as the Constitution is a living document, our governments also must continue to evolve with the times.

And in the age of George Santos, when many politicians take an ends-justify-the-means approach to elevate lies over the truth and perpetrate fraud against the voters in order to win elections, these safeguards are needed now more than ever to protect our democracy.

My hope is that versions of the GEORGE Package pass in Mineola, in Albany and in Washington. If they do, voters across the state will be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief that no matter which candidate wins, no one who is as morally reprehensible as George Santos will be representing them.

Santos may be the lemons, but the GEORGE Package would be our lemonade. Let’s drink up.

Framework by Tim Baker

Josh Lafazan is a Nassau County legislator representing the 18th District.

we must ensure that the next George Santos is barred from getting his, or her, name on the ballot.

JosH LaFaZan

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