Seaford Herald 04-20-2023

HERALD

Copperman found liable

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A bill of rights for police

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Mass seizure of fentanyl

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New bill would repeal SALT cap

D’Esposito, Garbarino, LaLota focus on state, local tax deduction

By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

A congressman from Seaford and two of his Long Island colleagues are pressing for legislation to eliminate the cap on the deduction for state and local taxes on income tax forms, which would allow homeowners to deduct all of their state and property taxes.

U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino, Anthony D’Esposito and Nick LaLota are introducing a bill that would repeal the $10,000 cap, bringing some relief to their constituents.

Though Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, they said they believe that the SALT Deductibility Act of 2023 would receive bipartisan support.

Garbarino, whose district is mostly in Suffolk County but covers a portion of Seaford, is a co-chair of the House’s SALT Caucus, a committee created to provide SALT relief to constituents. The caucus comprises 32 representatives, with a delegate from Washington, D.C.’s atlarge district as its 33rd member. Including the District of Continued on page 2

Turning up the heat on recruitment efforts on Long Island

By JoRDAN VAlloNE, MAlloRY WIlSoN & MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK of the Seaford Herald

Volunteer fire departments are constantly faced with the challenge of recruiting new firefighters and emergency medical technicians — as call volume increases and the number of active members decreases.

This weekend, fire departments in the Sixth Battalion — which includes Bellmore, East Meadow, Levittown, Massapequa, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Massapequa, North Merrick, Seaford and Wantagh — will open their doors for the 14th annual RecruitNY campaign.

At open houses scattered throughout the area on April 22 and 23, those interested in joining departments will have the opportunity to speak with active volunteers, ask questions and learn about the benefits of becoming a firefighter or EMT.

The Firefighters Association of New York estimates that there are 20,000 fewer volunteer firefighters now than there were 20 years ago. Calls are becoming increasingly more varied, as volunteers are called for medical emergencies, flooded basements, downed power lines, car accidents, as well as fires, the association said.

Members of the Sixth Battal-

ion are close-knit, according to chairman Peter Cheswick, who is the immediate past chief of the East Meadow Fire Department. They meet monthly to discuss business, which also includes ways to recruit new members to their respective fire departments.

“We’re all seeing the same problems,” Cheswick said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s East Meadow, Wantagh, Seaford — we’re all suffering the same problems of low numbers of people wanting to volunteer.”

Cheswick, who started with the East Meadow Fire Department in its junior program when he was 15, and then officially when he turned 18, said that he

began seeing the decline in new volunteers about 10 years ago.

Bellmore Fire Chief Timothy Carroll said he started witnessing a decline in membership in his fire department around five to six years ago.

“It’s all relative,” Carroll said. “If you ask a guy from 50 years ago, he says, ‘Back in the day, people were dying to get in here.’

What’s low to me is almost nonexistent to them.”

“We try to explain as best as possible about how much time it will be once they join,” Cheswick said. “But then people actually sit down and realize how much time is actually taken up, and they can’t do it, so they wind up leaving only after a short amount of

Continued on page 4

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

JoININg U.S. REP. Anthony D’Esposito, far right, were Reps. Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino, as well as Franklin Square resident Ellen Andrasick, to introduce the SALT Deductibility Act of 2023.

L.I. congressmen propose repealing SALT cap

Columbia delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the caucus counts 23 Democrats and 10 Republicans, two of whom are D’Esposito and LaLota.

“This topic is especially timely with texting next week, marking another year that Long Islanders are getting the short end of the stick,” Garbarino said during an April 14 news conference held in front of the home of a Franklin Square resident. “This legislation, named the SALT Deductibility Act of 2023, will amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitation on state and local tax deductions.

“Long Islanders pay some of the highest property taxes in the country,” Garbarino added. “And for the hard working families in my district and all over Long Island, the $10,000 cap means they are only able to deduct a portion of their real property taxes and income taxes.”

According to Garbarino, the current SALT cap adds to the idea of New York being a “donor state.” He said that the constituents residing within the districts of the three congressmen pay property taxes far exceeding the $10,000 cap.

LaLota’s district is entirely in Suffolk County, but he stood by his colleagues, as well as Franklin Square resident Ellen Andrasick — during the conference outside of her house — to support the bill. LaLota claimed that New York leads the nation in two categories — out-of-state migration and the highest tax burden at 12.47 percent.

Even though LaLota’s out-of-state migration claim is in dispute since numerous sources put California ahead of New York in that category, LaLota said he hopes the bill would bring relief to New York on both fronts.

Rep. George Santos, who has been under fire for his alleged fabrications and has been publicly denounced by D’Esposito and LaLota for them, has introduced his own bill, the SALT Relief Act, which can be viewed at tinyurl.com/SantosSALT.

“Overtaxed New Yorkers deserve better policymak-

s ALt Deductibility Act of 2023

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, whose district represents a portion of Seaford, and co-sponsored by 45 other representatives, this bill aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the limitation on deduction for state and local taxes. It can be viewed at tinyurl.com/SALTDed2023.

ing decisions from their federal leaders,” D’Esposito, who represents the Fourth Congressional District, said. “Congress can enact positive change by passing the SALT Deductibility Act. Those of us behind this podium will fight hard to ensure the SALT cap is repealed and New York neighbors are once again treated fairly by the federal government.”

Andrasick, who moved to Franklin Square in 1968, said she could recall a time when property taxes only amounted to $600, as opposed to the $13,000 she spends today.

“The little salaries that we’re making are being taxed,” Andrasick said. “The government is getting better, but we’re getting poorer. We’ve got to get that tax rate back (down) so that people can stay here on Long Island.”

According to Garbarino, the bill was introduced last week, and it could take some time before it is enacted. But the congressman said he hopes it goes through before the current SALT cap expires in 2025.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald Rep. Anthony D’esposito says the current SALT cap has devastated his constituents in the 4th Congressional District.

‘The shame was overwhelming’

Former doctor Stuart Copperman found liable in civil lawsuit

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

For over 60 years, women who claimed they were sexually abused by Stuart Copperman, a former pediatrician who owned and operated a Merrick practice, have waited for answers, and now, some form of justice may be on the horizon. Copperman was recently found liable in a civil lawsuit against him, a case made possible by the New York State Child Victims Act (see box, Page 4), signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in February 2019.

Copperman lost his medical license in 2000, after six women testified to the state Board of Professional Medical Conduct that he had molested them while they were patients of the medical practice he ran out of the basement of his Hewlett Avenue home. The lawsuit states that he abused his first victim in 1961, during his internship and residency, before he opened his practice in 1965.

Victims who spoke with the Herald estimate that over the course of 40 years, Copperman abused thousands of young girls from Merrick, Bellmore and the surrounding area.

As previously reported by the Herald, in 2000 Copperman told another publication, “I am not a pervert or a child molester. I’ve always lived my life so that someone could never say something bad about it.”

Copperman now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, in the private country club Boca West, and may also still own a home on Long Island.

According to court documents filed with the Nassau County clerk’s office on Jan. 6, Copperman did not submit any opposition papers in the case against him. On document reads, “Plaintiffs have submitted proof that the defaulting defendants were properly served. Defaulting defendants have failed to timely answer the complaint within the statutory period or otherwise appear and no request for an extension of time has been made.”

The Herald’s attempt to reach Copperman’s last known attorney was unsuccessful.

A case search on New York’s Unified Court System’s website, NYCourts.gov, showed Copperman was unrepresented.

Because Copperman did not defend himself in the case, a legal inquest is now required to determine the damages.

“Particularly in sexual abuse cases, one of the things the court has to consider, or the jury or whoever the fact-finder is, is how to make the plaintiff whole again,” Kristin Gibbons Feden, an attorney with Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky, one of the firms representing the victims, said. “An inquest is nothing more than a fact-finder, in this particular case it will be the judge, to assess the amount of harm.”

Their stories

Kathy Burg, 53, one of Copperman’s victims, said she was first under his care in 1976, around the time her family moved to Merrick. She remembers giving her mother permission to leave the room, after being manipulated into thinking that it

Understanding the Child Victims Act

The Child Victims Act extended the period in which criminal charges can be brought against alleged abusers, from when the victim turns 23 to when he or she turns 28. The law also allows victims to pursue civil lawsuits any time before they turn 55. Lastly, it established a “revival” period, beginning in August 2019, that allowed vic-

was OK.

“I remember being on that table, naked,” Burg recounted. “I could feel his breath. He said I was not clean. Every time that I went to the doctor, whether it be a scrape on my knee or something like a skin rash, he had a vaginal exam where he told me I was dirty.

“I was a little girl,” she said. “I was dead. He killed me. I used to walk around, just empty in my brain — I was devastated.”

Burg said that what happened to her was traumatizing. She turned to alcohol in high school, developed an eating disorder, and was prescribed Valium at age 15.

“I thought this was normal — he was a very respected and well-known doctor, and I wanted him to like me,” she said through tears. “I didn’t understand. I was so sad. The shame was overwhelming.”

Beth Maffei, 54, grew up in Seaford, and was under Copperman’s care for her entire adolescence. She testified against Copperman in 2000, when his license was revoked. When she was around age 21, she was working at a summer camp and needed to get a physical. It was then that Maffei realized that the doctor’s “normal” exams — where he’d cup her breasts, among other acts of abuse — were in fact not normal.

“I never knew anything was wrong,” she said, “until I was old enough to realize that what he was doing was wrong.”

Amy Goldberg Dietz, 57, and her sister, Cheryl Murray, 54, lived in Merrick, were patients of Copperman, and grew up just

tims to file civil lawsuits that would have been barred under the prior statute of limitations. That window closed in August 2021.

During that time, 105 women who claimed they were abused by Stuart Copperman filed lawsuits against him and his medical practice, Stuart Copperman, M.D.

blocks from his house. Murray said she was friends with Copperman’s daughter and would visit to his family’s home throughout her childhood.

Goldberg Dietz remembers voicing concerns about his exams, but being told, “Oh, you’re crazy — that’s not happening. He’s not like that.”

What is especially difficult for many of the plaintiffs in the case is knowing that for the past 20 years, Copperman has faced no form of punishment, aside from losing his license.

Goldberg Dietz said she wants it known that Copperman is an abuser. “This is who he is,” she said. “He should not be able to live the lifestyle that he’s living.”

“You think about it, and you’re like ‘Oh my god,’” Murray said of her experiences. “The whole thing is disgusting.”

Lynn Barnett Siegerman, 55, another victim, said there has been a lot of media attention on other sex abuse cases, but not so much on theirs. “It’s about getting the story out there,” she said, “so people become more aware of what kind of abuse goes on, so they can protect themselves and protect their children, and to make sure that he’s not still harming people — because we don’t know, we have no guarantee. In my eyes, he’s given up the right to live a peaceful life.”

The Rev. Debbi Geller Rhodes, 61, a victim who is now a transitional deacon in the Episcopal Church in the Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer in Michi-

STUART COppERmAN, ThE disgraced former pediatrician from Merrick, has been found liable in a civil lawsuit against him, in which 105 victims alleged years of sexual abuse.

COppERmAN’S pEDiATRiC pRACTiCE, above, was in the basement of his home on Hewlett Avenue, in Merrick, from 1965 to 2000, when his medical license was revoked.

gan City, Indiana, said that a form of justice would be helping victims of abuse know their stories are being heard.

“For people that were abused or are currently being abused and were too afraid to say anything, or if they weren’t taken seriously, know there are people who are going to listen to you,” Geller Rhodes said. “Don’t stop telling your truth.”

Legal proceedings

Mike Della, an attorney with Gruenberg Kelly Della, another firm representing the victims, said the inquest will take place in front of a judge and not a jury, because Copperman failed to appear in the case.

Gibbons Feden and Della said the inquest may take place as early as this summer in a Nassau County court, but the date is still being determined. At a trial, the legal team will present evidence as to what transpired. Plaintiffs will then testify before the judge.

“They will testify how it affected them, and how it changed their life forever,” Della said. “And then at that point, the judge will make an assessment on damages.”

As of now, it is still unclear if the testimonies will all have to be live, or if they can be in the form of affidavits, confirmed written statements used as evidence in court. Because it is a civil suit, Copperman cannot be sentenced to any prison time.

“He’s left scars on many women,” Maffei said. “He deserves anything he gets. He’s got to live his life — he should be in jail.”

“I’ve never lived a day that I was able to breathe,” Burg said. “I just want to be able to relax and live. Hopefully, one day, things like this will never happen again.”

Herald file photos

A growing need for firefighters and EMTs

time.”

The decline also could be attributed to how much more time they need to put into supporting their families. Cheswick said he himself works two jobs, in addition to his work with the fire department.

“You have your family, you have obligations with jobs, maybe two jobs, so it’s harder to keep those members,” Cheswick said. “We’re trying everything we can to lessen the load for people, but it’s hard because you need to train, you need to go to calls, you need to come to meetings and know what’s going on.”

Carroll said, “As the years have gone, the average of the firemen has gotten older. Kids, meaning 18, 19-year-olds, are going away to college, and they’re not coming back.

“It’s so expensive to live here,” he added, “Why would you stay if you can get out of here? People are working two, three jobs, and they don’t have the time anymore.”

Phil Schaaf, a captain in the Wantagh Fire Department’s third station, said the issue is not a decline in numbers, but rather an aging fire department and a lack of younger members.

“Our members are starting to get a little older,” Schaaf said. “So let’s bring in some new — not just younger, but just new — folks to really start to supplement some of those that are not able to be as active due to age and health.”

George Kern, a former chief of the Sea-

ford Fire Department, holds similar views about a department of aging firefighters.

Fire departments are receiving more calls now due to modern smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that automatically alert local departments. So even though the threat in a home may not be serious enough for a response, firefighters are still summoned anyway.

Each department in the Sixth Battalion renders mutual aid whenever one of its independent fire departments needs assistance. In the past, only certain calls required mutual aid, but now more help is needed since there are fewer volunteers answering calls.

Each fire department covers the cost to train new volunteers — and it takes about four to five months to complete training.

“If I swore you in today,” Carroll said, “I could get you into academy classes in May, and you’d be through the fire academy by August, September maybe. But if you join in September, I can’t get you into the fire academy until (next) May, because they can’t run outdoor classes in the winter.”

New members are required to respond to 25 percent of all calls their first year, and must attend 50 percent of all training sessions and 50 percent of all meetings. After the first year, they only need to attend 20 percent of calls, meetings and events, which Carroll estimates is roughly four hours a week.

Fire department volunteers receive benefits, such as college tuition assistance, tax deductions and pension. A volunteer force,

as compared to an all-career firefighting force, saves residents $273 million in annual taxes.

Starting ’em young

Seaford’s fire department only has one firehouse, but former chief George Kern said its doors are open to young people who want to make a difference in the community.

“We’re a big family,” Kern said. “We’re community-oriented. We’re looking for firefighters, paramedics, and we’re even recruiting for our junior firefighter program, which is for middle school and high school students. They can also be very helpful in getting the word out about us.”

From volunteer to career

For college-aged kids, free tuition at Nassau Community College is available for those who volunteer at their local fire departments. All that is needed is a signed letter from the chief showing involvement within the fire district.

Two of Cheswick’s children, Kasey, 21, and Connor, 19, took advantage of this program. Connor is currently studying emergency management at NCC, and Kasey turned her EMT training from the fire department into a full time EMT gig for New York State at Jones Beach.

The free training received at the local fire department can be taken with members if they want to move on to a paid career in the New York City EMS, NYPD, FDNY or EMT.

Wantagh and Seaford F.D. recruitment

Five of Wantagh’s firehouses will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 23, while Seaford’s one firehouse will be open from noon to 2 p.m. that same day. For inquiries about Wantagh, Capt. Phil Schaaf can be reached at (631) 463-3476. For inquiries about Seaford, former chief George Kern can be reached at (516) 852-4160.

Lifelong friendship and brotherhood State Sen. Steve Rhoads, who counts three decades of service in the Wantagh Fire Department, said, “The 30 years I’ve spent in the volunteer fire service has been among the most rewarding experiences in my life. The ability to answer the call of a neighbor in their time of need builds a sense of community that can’t be duplicated in any other way. We are all called upon to serve and use our gifts and talents to benefit others, and whether you join as a firefighter or fire medic, it’s a great way to make a difference in people’s lives in a direct and personal way.”

IfYou Don’t Understand the Plan, You Don’t Have a Plan

So many people who come in to see us do not understand the estate plan they have or do not know what is in their current plan. Some of the reasons for this are (1) time has inevitably blurred their memories, (2) the plan may be written in legalese and was never properly explained to them, (3) they may have misconceptions and misunderstandings of what their plan is; and (4) their lawyer may have lacked the knowledge required to find the right solution for their family in the event of death and disability. To this we say, “if you don’t understand the plan, you don’t have a plan.”

Ettinger Law Firm developed a process, in use for over thirty years, to avoid these problems. First, we offer a free initial consultation to go over the pros and cons of having a will or a trust and the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts. So many people have misconceptions about trusts based on what friends have said or what they have read on the internet. For example, many clients are afraid to create an irrevocable trust because they think they will lose control. We explain why that is incorrect and how you can still

change the trustee, change who you leave it to, take money out and even how you can revoke an irrevocable trust!

After the overview provided in the initial consultation, we give you a copy of our plain English book, “Elder Law Estate Planning”, and advise which chapters apply to your situation -maybe an hour or so of reading. We also invite you to watch the thirty minute estate planning video at trustlaw.com.

We arrange for you to come in about two weeks later for a second free consultation to have any remaining questions answered, draft an estate plan together with the new “knowledgeable” you and give you a written proposal. Once you accept, we arrange for the signing and completion of your estate plan two or three weeks later. From start to finish the process usually takes about eight weeks.

Finally, we call you in for a free review every three years to review your plan, refresh your recollection and update where necessary so your estate plan works when you need it.

spotlight athlete

Seaford continues perfect start

By BRiaN kachaRaBa sports@liherald.com

The Seaford baseball team has made the playoffs in each of the last 19 seasons. It appears well on the way to making it 20.

The senior-laden Vikings are off to a torrid 6-0 start, during which they have outscored their opponents 67-12, including a 14-3 drubbing of Carle Place on April 12 that began a two-game series. It marked the fourth time the offense scored in double digits.

peteR thoMaNN

Calhoun Senior Lacrosse

a loNg stick midfielder who helped the Colts reach the Nassau Class B championship game last spring, Thomann leads Calhoun’s defensive effort and was Honorable Mention AllAmerican in 2022. The two-time AllCounty selection is headed to play at the University of North Carolina. “Peter is the heart and soul of the squad,” coach Jim Femminella said. “He has size, skill, speed and strength, and plays with an edge.”

gaMes to watch

thursday, april 20

Baseball: Island Trees at Wantagh 4:45 p.m.

Baseball: Oceanside at Baldwin 5 p.m.

Baseball: V.S. South at Malverne 5 p.m.

Baseball: Long Beach at Mepham 5 p.m.

Baseball: South Side at Sewanhaka 5 p.m.

Girls Flag Football: Roslyn at Bellmore-Merrick 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Hicksville at Freeport 5 p.m.

Softball: Kennedy at Oceanside 5 p.m.

Softball: Calhoun at East Meadow 5 p.m.

Boys Tennis: Wantagh at Oceanside 5 p.m.

Girls Flag Football: Valley Stream at MacArthur 7 p.m.

Friday, april 21

Girls Flag Football: Westbury at Freeport 4:30 p.m.

Baseball: Floral Park at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Baseball: V.S. Central at West Hempstead 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Garden City at Calhoun 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Baldwin at East Meadow 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Oceanside at Mepham 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Seaford at Carey 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Elmont at Clarke 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: South Side at Wantagh 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Bethpage at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Boys Tennis: Massapequa at South Side 5 p.m.

Seaford is in Conference B1 this season after spending all of coach Mike Milano’s 19-year tenure in A, but Milano is indifferent to the switch as long as the wins keep piling up.

“With a roster of only 14, to have 10 seniors on the team that have been playing together for such a long time, that experience is invaluable,” he said. “It’s a wonderful advantage to have.”

The biggest win of the six was a 7-2 victory at Garden City on April 8, which remains the Trojans’ only loss of the season at press time. Catcher Stephen Ierides homered and doubled and drove in two runs and fellow senior Justin Jaskolski added two doubles and four RBIs.

“We just went in there and we hit the ball pretty well,” Milano said. “We made some plays and we were happy with the performance.”

Ierides has been arguably the team’s hottest hitter thus far. He hit a grand slam in the season opener at East Rockaway and had two hits the next day against the Rocks before collecting three more hits versus Carle Place.

“He is as professional a hitter as you can ask for as a high school coach,” Milano said. “He understands pitching [and] he understands counts. His swing is a repetitive motion. He gives you what you give him. If a pitcher’s going to pitch him away, he hits away. If a pitcher’s going to pitch him in, he drives the ball to the left side.”

Jaskolski has two four-RBI games this spring and has also produced on the mound, yielding just one hit over four shutout innings to earn the win against Carle Place.

Billy Kind, who dominated Oyster Bay

April 11, and Nick Apollo lead the staff with two wins apiece, while Sean Costello set the tone with a two-hit shutout in the opener. Costello helped himself that day by going 3-for-4 with two triples and two RBIs.

“Costello’s like a Swiss Army knife,” Milano said. “He plays infield, he plays outfield, he pitches on Mondays. He just gives us everything.”

T.J. Harrington also homered in the opener and has played “high-level” defense in his varsity debut at shortstop, according

to Milano. Junior second baseman A.J. Cantore has been a steady presence at the bottom of the order and sophomore third baseman Jason Berthel is one of the team’s top baserunners.

Jaskolski is the center fielder when he’s not pitching and flanked by hard-working seniors Kevin Knox (left) and Chris Viggiano (right.)

The Vikings and division-foe Wheatley (7-0) are both undefeated at press time and the schools begin May with a three-game series.

Karen Millindorf/Herald photo pitcheR Billy kiNd has won each of his first two starts for the Vikings, who after 19 years in Nassau Class A moved to Class B for 2023.

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Sam DeMase publishes book ‘Power Mood’

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

After spending a few years in the corporate world, Wantagh native Sam DeMase — using the experiences she had gained — circled back to her childhood love of writing to publish her book “Power Mood.”

DeMase grew up in north Wantagh, and attended Jonas E. Salk Middle School before attending General Douglas MacArthur High School. DeMase had a love of writing in high school, which propelled her to winning the Excellence in English Award in her senior year there.

“I remember in elementary school winning some essay contests,” DeMase recalled. “I was always into writing from elementary school all the way through high school, and then took a little break in college.”

DeMase attended college at New York University, and made her own curriculum through the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

She studied business primarily, with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship, knowing that’s what she wanted to go into.

After graduating, DeMase worked in various corporate capacities.

“I had been working in corporate for 11 plus years,” DeMase said. “Mostly in human resources, recruiting, and leadership development. Mostly people management roles.”

But what led to this book was what originally began as DeMase’s Covid-era passion project. In November 2020, she created the “A Power Mood” brand.

As per DeMase’s Instagram handle, “apowermood,” this aims to help people land jobs, make more money, and teach them “gate kept career secrets.” Her social media accounts include videos with work advice that aims to empower women — particularly millennial and Generation Z women.

“Power Mood,” the book, is the written version of these efforts.

“I have read a lot of career inspiration books,” DeMase said. “And I noticed a lot of them were written by men. They’re great, but I saw a lack of books written by and for millennial and Gen Z women in particular.”

DeMase wanted to empower these women with both the tools they need to

advocate for themselves in the workplace and the history of why it is harder for women to advance.

DeMase points to higher levels of imposter syndrome in women in the workplace as opposed to men, for example, and claims this is due to more men in leadership roles.

In the book, DeMase points to several statistics to back this up.

For example, according to her, women only hold 38 percent of manager-level positions in the corporate world.

“There’s a lot of stats in the book about that,” she said. “It’s adding color and context to why this is, and shining a light on all of it. That’s why I think it’s great for men to read this book as well, people of all genders need to read the book.”

The book was published on April 18, by Quarto Publishing. According to DeMase, the pre-publishing reception was warm — with one reviewer from the Library Journal saying that “DeMase is the career mentor that many corporate women have needed, but never had.”

For DeMase, this is a culmination of all of her interests — she has come through the business world and returned to the kind of nonfiction writing she won awards for at MacArthur High School.

Courtesy Sam DeMase SAM DEMASE, MACArtHur class of 2006, has published a book called ‘Power Mood.’ Her book aims to inspire women.

naled the ingly the lar projects admissions. events over best so lenge.

be focused Consider strategies success. home by assignments, for that study haphazard ners books up don’t space a set tines. regular breaks). play, and what’s end-of-school be ners

Spring Open House

Saturday, April 29th OR Thursday, May

10am-12pm 6pm-8pm

Academically Rigorous: College

Preparatory

All-Girls: A Lifetime of Sisterhood

Catholic High School Matters

360-Degree Support: In and Out of the Classroom

Leadership and Confidence Grow Here

6th, 7th and 8th Grade Girls and their parents choose from 15-minute workshops on topics such as:

Why Catholic HS Makes a Difference College Prep Starts Now

5 Reasons All-Girls Schools Lead Choosing an Academically-Rigorous Path

D’Esposito introduces cops ‘bill of rights’

By KARINA KOVAC kkovac@liherald.com

He’s calling it the Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, a direct jab at what he calls the “defund the police” movement. And as a former cop himself, U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito says his new legislation introduced on Capitol Hill last week is exactly what police departments need to move forward in a new world.

The Republican lawmaker surrounded himself with officials from the local Police Benevolent Association union at their Mineola headquarters to share details of H.R. 285, which has already attracted a dozen GOP cosponsors — including U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino.

The bill, if passed, is intended to give privileges and securities to officers not offered before, D’Esposito says, such as the right to self-defense against physical threats and legal recourse if a civilian attempts to assault them. The congressman hopes other lawmakers will follow suit on the state level to create similar bills.

“It condemns calls to defund, disband, dismantle or abolish any police agency,” D’Esposito said. “It encourages dialogue between law enforcement and their communities to improve public safety, and engage all of the society’s stakeholders. And lastly, it respects the rights of police officers to carry out their duties, to protect our communities with integrity, and have essential protections during investigations.”

D’Esposito quoted a statistic from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund that found 224 law enforcement officers died in 2022. He also claimed many more are at risk of being hurt because of the “defund the police movement” in minority communities, where officers keep seeing “body bag after body bag removed.”

The most recent significant calls for police reform emerged following the death of George Floyd while being arrested by Minneapolis police officers in May

2020. One of the police officers was later found guilty of murder and manslaughter, and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.

The number of officer fatalities in 2022 has remained slightly above levels in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s save the early 2020s, which included a large number of deaths related to Covid-19.

Thomas Shevlin, president of the Nassau County PBA, said it’s time to “get back to common sense.” He also called on politicians from both sides of the political aisle to support the bill.

Brian Sullivan, the president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said that for years he and other law enforcement and court officers have been sounding the alarm about the harm of bail reform, discovery reform, and the implications of the reforms endangering not only officers, but society. He said the issue shouldn’t be seen as law enforcement against liberals, and that what matters is helping the general public

who is suffering because of previous litigation.

“We have a very low headcount,” Sullivan told the crowd that gathered for the news conference about the population behind bars. “What does that tell you? You see it in that the proof is in the pudding, the criminals are in the streets. We need to mobilize the base of the citizenry to support their law enforcement and realize what’s going on behind the scenes here.”

Sullivan cited the “insanity” of bail reform by offering an example he saw in the news recently where a Bronx judge, Naita Semaj, let the accused killer of a teenaged boy go free on his own recognizance without bail.

“The judge in the Bronx, because of what’s going on in this state, disregarded the cries and the pleas of not only the prosecutors,” Sullivan said, “but of the boy’s mother to hold this guy in jail.”

The bill was officially introduced April 10, and was immediately referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Karina Kovac/Herald

U.S. Rep. ANthONy D’Esposito introduces his Law Enforcement Bill of Rights legislation alongside local police and correction officer benevolent associations at the Police Benevolent Association headquarters in Mineola last week.

STEPPING OUT

home of

As seen through the artists’ eyes

By Karen Bloom

Our spaces have taken on a new importance in recent years. “Home,” in all its variations, has inspired us — and renewed us. Heckscher Museum of Art explores the spaces we inhabit in its latest offering, “Raise the Roof: The Home in Art,” on view through March 2024.

Asbury Short Film Concert

The latest edition of the short film showcase has made its way back to Long Island. With a lineup of classic shorts from Asbury’s past combined with film festival winners currently on the circuit — and in many cases, featuring up-and-coming filmmakers — audiences can get a peek at these “smaller” films that don’t often get a big-screen showing. The eclectic mix of films offers a look at the best in short film comedy, drama and animation, highlighting emerging filmmakers along with seasoned directors. The fast-paced evening includes such stand-outs as ‘The Waiting Room,’ produced, directed and written by former Nassau County film commissioner Debra Markowitz. The multiple festival award-winning 12- minute dramatic comedy reunites a woman and her exhusband in heaven.

Friday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. $15. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

STEPPING OUT

Home.

personalities and the values of the people who lived there.

Creative advocacy

“It’s a life-size piece that takes up an entire wall,” Bennett says. “It makes you feel immediately at home. “Everyone responds to it. They recognize the scenes and tell us it reminds them of their own house.”

The exhibit — featuring more than 50 works — reflects the many meanings of home, as it delves into how artists creatively define life at home.

“This exhibit came out of the pandemic,” says Justyce Bennett, the museum’s curatorial assistant. “The idea of home really shifted. It became our office space, our leisure place, our everything. The same thing happened with artists, it became their studios. Over the past four years, we’ve deepened our understanding of what home looks like.”

From that shift in how we live, an exhibit evolved.

“The majority of the artworks on view were created before the pandemic, demonstrating the central role that our homes have always played in our lives and in art,” says curator Karli Wurzelbacher. “In light of the recent pandemic, home continues to evolve. And we connect to this artwork with new eyes.”

The exhibit includes what Bennett describes as “old favorites” with never-before-seen works. “This show combines the tried-and-true with new art — the classics and recent additions to our collections”

Raise the Roof debuts significant works by contemporary artists such as Courtney M. Leonard, Kenji Nakahashi and Stella Waitzkin. Never-beforeexhibited photographs by Larry Fink, prints by Robert Dash, along with works by Romare Bearden, Salvador Dali, Olafur Eliasson, Miriam Schapiro, and Esphyr Slobodkina are also featured.

“She also remembered the artwork her grandparents had in that house, so it represents art in art — in a really cool way.”

Englishtown Project

By Karen Bloom

Centerport-based Pat Ralph, an artist with a longtime connection to the museum as a trustee collections committee member, is represented with “The Visit Home.” Bennett describes the piece, which shows a man reclining in his childhood home, as”bright and dreamy.”

Also of note is Robert Carter’s mixed media painting “Mama Taught Me Piano and Much More.” It’s a powerful maternal work that pays tribute to the role of mothers.

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.

“Robert also has a long history with the museum and this is only the second time it’s been on view,” Bennett says.

“We’re so happy to show his piece. It’s my personal favorite in the show.”

WHERE WHEN

• Now through March 2024

• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

• 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

• $5 suggested admission non-members; members and children under 13 free

• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington (631) 380-3230, or Heckscher.org

“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.

Visitors are immediately drawn to the exhibit’s anchor, Becky Suss’s large-scale painting “Living Room,” a recent acquisition (actually six paintings) that is based on Suss’s memories of her grandparents’ house in Great Neck. The array of artwork and objects she depicts captures the

Englishtown Project visits the Landmark stage with their dynamic tribute to a classic unforgettable concert. This all-star jam band commemorates one special concert. The group — featuring members of New Riders of the Purple Sage, Zen Tricksters, and Max Creek, recreates the legendary Sept. 3, 1977, show in Englishtown, New Jersey, which was headlined by the Grateful Dead, who had just completed its legendary Spring/Summer 1977 tour featuring a batch of new material from ‘Terrapin Station.’ They were joined by the Dead family’s New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the good-time, southern rock Marshall Tucker Band. This tribute extravaganza includes healthy ‘doses’ of selections from each band’s sets that day in a relaxed, festival-style program.

•

•

“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

Saturday, April 22, 8 p.m. $35, $30. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444, or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Courtesy Heckscher Museum of Art

• Top left: Becky Suss, Living Room from the Collection of Ninah and Michael Lynne.

Top right: Pat Ralph, The Visit Home, 1983.

Bottom right: Robert Carter, Mama Taught Me Piano and Much More, 2007.

It’s where the heart is, where our lives unfold — and where imagination takes flight.

THE SCENE

Itzhak Perlman

The reigning virtuoso of the violin makes his long-awaited return, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Sunday, May 7, 4 p.m. Experience his impeccable musicianship as never before. The intimate performance gives Perlman fans a deeply personal glimpse into his boyhood in Tel Aviv and New York, and the earliest years of his long and celebrated career. Enjoy an afternoon of music and storytelling as Perlman presents rarely seen archival photos and videos and shares memories, stories, and musical selections that you won’t hear anywhere else. On stage and performing with Perlman for this unforgettable afternoon is his longtime collaborator, pianist Rohan DeSilva, who’s been a constant presence by his side over the years. Tickets are $150, $100, $75: available at TillesCenter. org or (516) 299-3100. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville.

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Eye And Mind: The Shin Collection,” highlights the extraordinary collection masterworks assembled by 31-year-old connoisseur Hong Gyu Shin, an internationally recognized figure in the global art world. He shares his treasures, including works by Whistler, Lautrec, Boucher, Daumier, Delacroix, Klimt, Schiele, Balthus, Warhol, de Kooning, Gorky and many other important names from art history provocatively juxtaposed with the painting and sculpture of our own time from both Asia and the West. On view through July 9. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.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.

Merrick Homemakers Fashion Show

Merrick Homemakers hosts a fashion show, Thursday, April 27, 11 a.m., at the Seaford American Legion. 2301 Penatiquit Ave., Seaford. $25 admission, includes raffles, a buffet, and dessert. For more information call (516) 546-8970.

Breastfeeding Support Group

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

Mobile office hours with Steve Rhoads

State Sen. Steve Rhoads will host mobile office hours at East Meadow Library, Saturday, April 29, 11-1 p.m. Visit EMPL at 1886 Front St., in East Meadow. Call (516) 882-0630 for additional info.

Mental health summit

Mandalay Elementary School hosts a session for elementary level parents, Wednesday, April 29, 6:15 p.m.With keynote speaker, information tables, and additional session. 2667 Bayview Ave., Wantagh. To register, visit mes.wantaghschools.org/.

May 23

Art talk

Join Nassau County Museum Director Charles A. Riley II, for a Director’s Seminar, Tuesday, May 23, 4 p.m. He’ll discuss ‘Balthus and Neo-Classicism,” in a session that is keyed to Balthus, along with Derain and such figures as Nijinsky and Prokofiev, who were experimenting with the reinvention of classical forms and motifs, notably those of the Renaissance. A decadent in the manner of Wilde, an Old Master painter among the Cubists (Picasso considered him a great talent), Balthus also became associated with the fiction of Nabokov, a literary connection that will also be considered. Participation is limited; registration required. $40, $20 members. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org or call (516) 484-9337.

Having an event?

Brookhaven Lab celebrates Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center with Brookhaven Lab, Saturday, April 22. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/jbencearthday.

Passion for Pride

Support PFY, a division of Long Island Crisis Center, at a 30th Anniversary Benefit celebration, Tuesday, June 13, 6-10 p.m. With drag bingo and performances; also special guest honoree actorauthor-activist Maulik Pancholy. The event, honoring PFY’s 30 years serving Long Island/Queens’ LGBTQ+ communities, is at Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury. For more information and tickets, go to tinyurl.com/pfyevent2023.

Donation opportunity

Support the community. St Frances de Chantal in Wantagh is always seeking donations for

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

On stage

Back by popular demand, families will enjoy a musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, F Friday, April 21, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Sunday, April 23, 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, April 26-27, 10:15 a.m. and noon. Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense perfect for young audiences. Cautious Gerald and playful Piggie share a day where anything is possible in an imaginative exploration of of friendship. Together with nutty backup singers, The Squirrelles, the comedic duo even gets the audience involved in the action. $9 with museum admission ($7 members), $12 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Dancing into spring

Adelphi Department of Dance students present their semi-annual dance showcase on Adelphi University Performing Arts Center stage, Wednesday through Friday, April 26-27, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 29, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 30, 2 p.m. Dancers are working with guest artist Alberto “Tito” del Saz, artistic director of The Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance, to present “Four Brubeck Pieces,” featuring music from Dave Brubeck’s classic album “Time Out.” The performance also features choreography by dance faculty members Frank Augustyn, Orion Duckstein, Adelheid B. Strelick, and adjunct faculty Bivi Kimura. The show will be also livestreamed during the Saturday matinee and evening performances. Tickets are $30, with discounts available to seniors, students, Adelphi alumni and employees. Livestream access is $20. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

April 26-27

It was enough fentanyl to kill 2 million people

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Three kilograms of pure fentanyl might not seem like a lot. But as a powerful synthetic opioid that is at least 50 times more potent than morphine — that much fentanyl can kill. A lot.

That’s likely why the Nassau County Police Department and county officials are calling the arrest of Juan Cruz, who they say was holding all three kilos, a “historic seizure of pure fentanyl.”

“This is a story about triumph and tragedy,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. Tragedy that young people are unwitting victims to peddled pills. Triumph in the form of stopping those pills from hitting the street.

The 50-year-old Cruz lives in the Bronx, but is said to be a citizen of the Dominican Republic. Police reportedly stopped him after Second Squad detectives received a tip that he was bringing the drug into the county last week, police commissioner Patrick Ryder said.

A single kilo of fentanyl has the potential to kill up to 500,000 people, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Three times that could kill the entire population of Nassau County, with

enough fentanyl left over to kill 100,000 more.

“Fentanyl is cheap,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “It’s plentiful. And it’s coming into the county in droves.”

Cruz pleaded not guilty to felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a narcotic drug, as well as a traffic infraction for operating an unregistered vehicle. He is being held behind bars without bail.

Cruz was not known to Nassau detectives before his arrest Wednesday, Ryder said, but they now believe he is a “major dealer” operating in the county.

The drugs reportedly come from Mexico and South America — something Blakeman says supports his position of stopping immigration.

“It’s going to be a continuing problem unless we close our borders,” Blakeman said. “We have crime rings that are operating here from south of the border. They’re stealing cars. They are stealing catalytic converters. They’re doing organized burglaries. And of course, they are dealing in very, very, very dangerous drugs.”

Cruz reportedly made it harder for

police to identify him because he had burned his fingertips, they said, mutilating his fingerprints. Doing that was a way Cruz had hoped not to be deported again something officials last did in 2012. Because it’s an active investigation,

Donnelly said she was “extremely limited” on what she could comment on.

“What I will tell you is this,” she said. “Defendants like Juan Cruz are peddling this poison in our neighborhoods to our children.”

Roksana Amid/Herald NASSAu COuNty ExECutIvE Bruce Blakeman, far left, joined Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Nassau County Legislator Tom McKevitt, Nassau County Police Department commissioner Patrick Ryder, and county legislator Rose Walker to share news of what they described as a historic seizure of fentanyl.

Juan Cruz

PRESENTED

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY

SANTANDER BANK, N.A., Plaintiff against WAYNE FADER, et al

Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s)

McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC, 7 Wells Street, Suite 205B, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered December 22, 2016, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 4, 2023 at 2:00 PM. Premises known as 2581 Harvard Lane, Seaford, New York 11783. Sec 65. Block 257 Lot 0014.0. 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. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $678,433.41 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 000244/2014 a/k/a 14-000244. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Ralph Madalena, Esq., Referee 21-001018

138292

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURT -

COUNTY OF NASSAU

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

AS TRUSTEE FOR

STRUCTURED ADJUSTABLE RATE

MORTGAGE LOAN

TRUST, MORTGAGE

PASS-THROUGH

CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2007-7, Plaintiff - against - JAMES D. KRULDER, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on March 15, 2019. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 2nd day of May, 2023 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate,

and being at Massapequa, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 4029 Dermont Road, Seaford, New York 11783.

(Section: 52, Block: 477, Lot: 17)

Approximate amount of lien $664,358.72 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 005191/2016.

Heather D. Crosley, Esq., Referee. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

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

For sale information, please visit Xome.com

Dated: March 6, 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.

138260

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MORGAN STANLEY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-13, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-13, V. JANICE HERCHINGER, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated December 23, 2019, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MORGAN STANLEY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-13, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-13 is the Plaintiff and JANICE HERCHINGER, 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 May 16, 2023 at 2:30PM,

premises known as 2572 RIVERSIDE AVE, SEAFORD, NY 11783: Section 65, Block 72, Lot 328, 1329, 1330:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 014663/2012. Lisa Segal Poczik, 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.

138731

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff AGAINST JAMES DILLON, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 30, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 15, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 3549 WADENA STREET, SEAFORD, NY 11783. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Seaford, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 63., Block 20, Lot 694. Approximate amount of judgment $399,728.60 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #007076/2015. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Malachy

Lyons Jr., Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221

18-001721 75222

138673

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC, Plaintiff - againstSTEVEN KALISCHER A/K/A STEVE KALISCHER, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on February 23, 2023. 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 23rd day of May, 2023 at 3:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being on the northerly side of Wanser Avenue, at Seaford, Nassau County, New York.

Premises known as 3885 Wansers a/k/a Wanzers Lane, Seaford, (Town of Hempstead) NY 11783.

(SBL#: 65-A-41) Approximate amount of lien $456,228.59 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 615845/2019.

Peter L. Kramer Esq., Referee. (516-510-4020) Davidson Fink LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618 Tel. 585/760-8218 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

Dated: March 8, 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

Supreme Court

Courtesy Family & Children’s Association

Family & Children’s Association hosted its second annual Long Island Women in Philanthropy breakfast and fashion show during Women’s History Month. More than $60,000 was raised at the event, which was led by FCA president and chief executive Jeffrey Reynolds, left, and attended by former New York governor David Paterson.

More than 200 people showed up recently to not only celebrate Women’s History Month, but to support a charity as well, raising more than $60,000 for Family & Children’s Association.

It was all part of FCA’s second annual Long Island Women in Philanthropy breakfast and fashion show that honored present-day philanthropist and social activist Leah Fisher. She is senior vice president of special projects at the Uniondale-based Arbor Realty Trust Inc.

Fisher is a heroine and champion of women in her own right as a founding member of “Conversations For Change,” a podcast exploring social activism through challenging conversations. Topics are selected based on overt areas of strife and inequity, current events, and what women experience in everyday life.

“FCA was founded on the ideas and ideals of philanthropic-minded women nearly 140 years ago,” said Jeffrey Reynolds, FCA’s president and chief executive, told attendees, which included former New York governor David Paterson. “Today, women continue to play an important role in FCA’s leadership, staff, volun-

teers and donors. Together they work to help and strengthen individuals, communities and each other to fulfill their potential, and give back.”

FCA’s original orphanage, the Temporary Home for Friendless Children, was spearheaded in 1984 by Louisa Lee Schuyler — a great-granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton — and a group of like-minded women committed to the welfare of vulnerable children.

Today, FCA has six predominantly women-led divisions ranging from addition prevention and recovery, to children’s mental health and wellness, to family support. Each of the divisions were represented in the fashion show by client and volunteer models whose lives were positively impacted by FCA programs.

Altar’d State, which operates out of Roosevelt Field Mall, provided the fashion, while Sewanhaka High School’s cosmetology department provided hair and makeup.

For more information on how to support FCA programs, reach out to Paige O’Brien at (516) 746-0350, Ext. 4320, or at pobrien@fcali.org.

Registration is now open for Camp Helen Keller, a five-week summer day camp for children between 7 and 14 who are blind, or have low vision.

Hosted by Brooklyn-based Helen Keller Services, the camp takes place between July 10 and Aug. 11 at Long Island University CW Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., in Greenvale.

Camp Helen Keller was created more than 60 years ago with the goal of improv-

ing self-esteem, self-confidence and socialization skills for you people from Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties, who receive free door-to-door transportation. They participate in traditional activities like swimming, arts and crafts, music and dance classes, as well as field trips and technology — all of which has been adapted for visually impaired people.

For more information, or to register, visit tinyurl.com/CampHelenKeller.

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com 16 News briefs

Fashion show raises $60,000 for FCA

Camp Helen Keller returns this summer

Help Wanted

RECEPTIONIST - FULL TIME

Receptionist (full-time) needed for Publisher and Self-Storage Facility located in Garden City. The ideal candidate should have excellent communications and customer service skills, be professional, dependable and have reliable transportation. Candidate should have computer knowledge and working knowledge of MS Office. Candidate MUST be reliable, punctual and be able to work a CON-

SISTENT schedule:

Monday and Wednesday 8am to 4pm

Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 6pm Friday 8am to 5pm

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

Salary: $15.00 /hour Email your resume to: careers@liherald.com

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LOVING PERSON TO Care For Your Loved One. Own Car. Live-out. References. Novelette 347-285-5053 Or Antoinette 347-653-3980

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

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Various Office Duties

Must Be Proficient In Word And Outlook

Monday, Wednesday 12-6

Tuesday,Thursday, Friday 9:30-3:30 Will Train Right Candidate

Email Resume To: jwpersonal@ wilsoncollegeconsulting.com

No Phone Calls Or In-Person Inquiries

AUTO TECHNICIAN FT

4 Day Work Week

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

CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE

Full Time/Part Time Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.

STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines.

For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com

DRIVERS WANTED

LIBRARY CIRCULATION CLERK P/T,

Up to 17 hours per week at the Baldwin Public Library, depending on Library’s needs. May include mornings, afternoons; includes at least 1 evening per week, rotating Saturdays. This is a non-competitive Civil Service position. $15.50 / hour.

Please send resume to: dkelly@baldwinpl.org, by August 5.

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EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team!

This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

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

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com

Call 516-569-4000 X286

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off.

Will Consider Part Time.

Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

Open Houses

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

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

Open Houses

HEWLETT BA, 1599 Lakeview Dr, NEW! 4 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch on Tree Lined St in SD#14. Spacious LR, DR & Family Rm, EIK & Fin Bsmt. Att Garage. HW Flrs. Near Park, Trans, Shops & Houses of Worship...$829,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

HEWLETT BA 257 WILLARD Spacious 5 BR, 3, 4/2, 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 Bsmt. Att Gar. Loads of Updates!!

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HEWLETTE 1608 RIDGEWAY Dr, BA, Drastic Reduction! Motivated Seller!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 Htd Flrs. Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Att Gar. MUST SEE!!

SD#20...$1,399,000 ALSO AVAILABLE FOR RENT $6,500 per month Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

LYNBROOK 4/23, 12-1:30, 125 Sherman St, FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Immaculate, Well Maintained 3 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Cape in the Heart of Lynbrook.Spacious Entry Foyer Leads to LR w/ Fpl, Formal DR & Updtd Gran/Wood Kit w/ Stainless Steel Appl. 2 Main Flr BR & Upper Level Primary Ste/Full Bth/WIC.Full Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Det Gar. Manicured Yard w/ Brick Patio.

SD#20 (Lynbrook)...$629,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman RE 516-238-429

ROCKVILLE CENTRE 4/23, 2-3:30, 55 Lenox Rd, # 2J, FIRST SHOW! Spacious 2 Bedroom Coop in Prestigious Bldg in the Heart of RVC. Corner Unit Features Large Entry Foyer, Living Rm/Dining Rm & EIK. Loads of Closet Space. HW Flrs. Assigned Pkg. New Elevator.. Close to Shops, Restaurants, LIRR.RVC School District. Won't Last!...$359,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-

House For Sale

POINT LOOKOUT: WATERFRONTLargest Selection of Beach Homes, Sale/ Rent. Our Home Listings Sell FA$T! VIDEOS. HUG R.E. 516-431-8000 www.hugrealestate.com

Houses For Rent

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To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

Hewlett Bay Park

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New and fully renovated 8,919 square foot home, including basement, beautiful amenities, and convenience. This home is located on a large .78 acre lot. You couldn’t ask for more! A stunning seven bedroom, seven and a half bath modern Colonial that features many upgrades and luxury finishes; creating the perfect combination of opulence and livability. Top-quality porcelain radiant flooring flows from one impressive room to another, highlighted by the abundance of natural light pouring in through the high end windows. The quiet cul-de-sac neighborhood is located minutes from top-performing schools and shopping, The Seawane Club, Atlantic Beach clubs, and area businesses allow entertainment and work to be convenient but far enough away to enjoy your privacy.

Sara Abikzer

Signature Premier Properties

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Cell-516-984-6798

Office-516-741-4333 info@saraabikzer.com @SaraSellsLI

Are windowstriple-pane worth it?

Q. We’re planning to replace our old windows, and are doing research online to make sure we make the right decision. I saw that there’s an option for “triple pane” windows instead of double panes. It appears to be much more money, but the writer of one article says it’s well worth it. Are you familiar with triple panes, do we need permits to change our windows and is it worth the expense? We’ve lived in our current home for five years and plan to be here for the rest of our lives, hopefully a long time, while we raise our family. What do you think?

A. I could simply say that you get what you pay for, but I’m certain you need more of an explanation, since you’ve taken the time to investigate and educate yourself. In your investigation, I’m sure you saw engineering data, lots of comparative numbers and U-values, the rating acronym for glass unit values. The lower the U-value, the better the insulating value of the glass.

Because the majority of heat or cool transmission or loss of energy is through the windows, while the walls, floor and roof are more insulated, it’s most important to do something to prevent losing all that energy you’re paying to create. Whether it’s your air conditioning or your heat, the outside of your house, referred to simply as the “envelope,” is of critical importance to insulate, especially with ever-rising energy prices. While most building departments don’t require a permit for changing out the windows “in kind,” meaning in the same size and location, some will require a permit for any little thing, like sanding your floors or adding closets, and I’m not kidding, so it’s best to check their rules online, or call your local building department directly.

Another thing to be aware of is that changing windows can trigger fire safety escape rules, referred to as egress windows, and most up-anddown, or double-hung colonial windows don’t meet the requirement if you don’t have at least one window in every habitable room with a size of 5.7 square feet. The window must have a clear escape opening of 20 inches in width and a minimum height of clear opening of 24 inches. Remember that a large fire rescuer must be able to save you.

Triple pane is a great value, because you’re always losing costly energy, so the return on investment, especially if this is your long-term home, makes it well worth it. Windows lose the most energy at the edges, so the type of gasket joining the windows to the frame is critical. The most effective frames have insulation blocking, not just a thermal break in the frame. A thermal break is usually a thin gasket between the outside and inside frames. Adding insulation, instead of leaving open air spaces in the frame, saves more energy, so it’s important to look for.

with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Monte Leeper

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‘The Things They Carried,’ and the lessons they taught

I’m known as a surly crank. I’m blunt but honest, satirical yet sympathetic. I can be both acerbic and considerate.

In my 20s, I was called “curt and condescending” in an employee evaluation. My parents laughed. I wore it like a medal.

Time hasn’t tempered my temper.

So when Vietnam War veteran Carl Johnson of West Hempstead told me that an Army lieutenant — a “real schmuck” — was the reason why it has been hard for him, as a civilian, to go along to get along, I knew I had met a fellow crank.

Johnson said the lieutenant’s ineptitude resulted in the deaths of Johnson’s three best friends in combat one day in 1970. “That lieutenant really screwed me up mentally,” Johnson recalled, “with the ability to tell the difference immediately whether somebody was really sharp, and someone I wanted to work for, or not.”

On April 27, 1970, while Johnson was on jungle patrol, one of the soldiers near him was shot. Johnson was the

radio operator, and he asked the lieutenant for orders to radio the captain. “He’s frozen,” Johnson said of the lieutenant. “We’re laying on the ground and he can’t talk because he’s so shaken.”

When Johnson had time to reflect on the battle, he realized his platoon shouldn’t have been on point that day. But because the lieutenant was what the soldiers called “shake ’n bake” — a noncommissioned officer who wore his lieutenant bar visibly despite the danger of being identified by snipers — he put the platoon in danger.

“He was a jerk, to put it mildly,” Johnson said. “He’s the reason my three buddies got killed.”

When he came home, there were no parades or bands greeting him at the airport. Johnson earned a degree from Adelphi University, and shifted jobs over the years. “Sometimes I would get in trouble,” he said. “My wife says it’s hard for me to take orders.”

Johnson got married, raised children, and learned how to cope with his grief. He became active in veterans organizations, and continues to help his fellow veterans — even those he meets by chance. He has spent decades volunteering with veterans groups. He initiat-

ed and researched a Vietnam War Memorial at Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, his alma mater, to honor nine of its graduates who were killed in Vietnam.

He talks about his war experience as a cathartic and therapeutic way of coping.

A few years ago, Johnson was asked by a Sewanhaka student to speak to her AP literature class. The class was reading the Vietnam War novel “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien — a book about the possessions soldiers kept with them and the emotions they grappled with.

Johnson agreed, of course, to help teach the students about the meaning of service to country.

Johnson prayed in Vietnam, and carried a Bible he passed on to his grandson, who is now enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He said the war made him a flag-waver. He tears up when he sees the flag.

As I sat in the dining room of the Johnsons’ home, I heard earnest concern in Carl’s voice as he talked about the country he defended with literal blood, sweat and tears. He spoke of fractured friendships because of his political beliefs. One friend got up and walked

away after Johnson made a political comment.

Carl and I talked about how the Pledge of Allegiance isn’t required in school, and how kids don’t salute the flag. We agreed on the meaning of the quote often attributed to Voltaire — “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” — even though we realized we aren’t cut from the same political cloth.

We agreed that the pervasive divisiveness in the country is dangerous, though we likely disagree on the causes of that divisiveness.

Carl and I share an inability to suffer fools and a love of country. We agreed that if there is a way to repair the deep divide between Americans, it begins with being able to find things that we have in common.

At a time when every comment is scrutinized through a political prism, it was refreshing to be able to have an honest and respectful conversation with someone with different views.

Carl defended my right to disagree with him. I do so with profound respect, and an inability to ever repay his debt of service.

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

Living the life between alone and lonely

Last week, a woman described as an “extreme athlete” emerged from a cave in Spain after 500 days in total isolation. A human being — in this case, Beatriz Flamini, a 50-year-old woman — had voluntarily descended into a 70-meter-deep cave when she was 48 and popped out a year and a half later.

RANDI KREISS

She had spoken to no one, had no showers, heard no other human voices (aside from auditory hallucinations), and spent her time reading, knitting and exercising. She said she lost track of time after two months. That was 16 months ago!

According to the BBC, she was monitored by researchers, but no one made contact.

What if everyone on earth had been wiped out by a virus or an asteroid while she was underground? But that’s a different movie, I guess.

Was this purely an endurance challenge, pushing the boundaries of experience to an extreme? Or did it also suit her on some level to disappear and be alone,

buried away from the world?

We’ve heard cave survival stories before. In 2010, 33 miners spent 69 days trapped underground before being rescued from a copper and gold mine in Chile. In 2018 the whole world witnessed the rescue of an entire team of teenage Thai soccer players trapped in a flooded mine. The thing is: These people all wanted to get out. Their entrapment was horrific. The Spanish spelunker shut the door on the world.

Some of us want to turn down the noise and enjoy being alone. But 500 days in a cave?

What would make a person choose this challenge? I can only recall the time my kids were 6 and 4, and they were both heaving with a nasty stomach virus and my husband was on a business trip and it was snowing and the dog came back from the groomer with fleas. No question, I would have dived into the cave thing. In a heartbeat I would have been underground, knitting sweet little nothings and reading books.

Sometimes I want to escape a large gathering where there’s just too much noise and chatter signifying nothing. But a cave? For 500 days? One hopes this extraordinary feat may yield good data. When it comes to isolation, I see people

divided into camps, determined most probably by genetics. My husband, for example, does not like being alone. As soon as he finds himself in a room with no possibility of immediate plans, he turns on the TV, cranks up the iPhone and flips open the computer, preferably all at once. Lots of noise. Chatter to the level of chaos.

My hunch is that people who need people all the time and in big numbers often partner up with people who get easily overwhelmed by too much talk and socializing. I don’t know why. But caves are a unique challenge.

Fifteen years ago, we were on a driving trip in the Lascaux area of France. I persuaded my husband, who is awfully good-natured about these things, to join me on a tour of one of the caves that have prehistoric drawings. One problem was that the tour was in German, but I thought, how difficult can that be? Lots of German words are similar to English. I told my husband I thought I could translate.

We were a group of about 20 (18 Germans, two Americans). We descended 40 steps into a dark, narrow passage. I heard

the sound of the massive wooden doors slamming shut at the top of the stairs.

“I’m out of here,” I said to my husband.

“You can’t leave,” he said. “I can’t speak German.”

But I was on automatic pilot, in the grip of a panic attack. I ran up the stairs and banged on the door until someone opened the vault. My husband was stuck on the tour, and got to see the petroglyphs, but the spiel? Nein!

The cave woman in Spain said her experience was “excellent” as she stepped into the light. I want to hear more of her story, to know what it was like without having to do it myself.

Apparently, some of us just want to mix it up, go out to a bar, invite 20 people for dinner, and some of us want to turn down the noise and enjoy being alone.

But a cave for 500 days? Nein.

Much has been written about loneliness and isolation, and its effects on teenagers and older people locked down by the pandemic. Perhaps the significant factor is choice. What feels like loneliness to many is the peace of aloneness to others.

Thoreau had his cabin in the woods, and he said that nothing was as companionable as solitude.

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

Carl Johnson prayed in Vietnam, and carried a Bible he passed on to his grandson.

HERALD

Appreciating — and preserving — what we have

it is often said grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, meaning that what exists outside of our lives is typically more appealing than what exists inside.

When it comes to Long Island residents and nature, this saying is especially true.

Simply ask them where they would like to go for a nature getaway. The odds are, they will name somewhere like Lake George, the Berkshires, the Poconos, or maybe somewhere in the South.

Why is this? Probably because stunning mountains, large lakes, babbling streams, and generally quiet natural areas are not anything we have on Long Island. For those of us who live in the concrete jungle that the American suburb is becoming — sleeping to the sound of trains and cars, nightmarish traffic on the drive to work, and very little open green space — these destinations far from Long Island, and away from all of that, can be a much-needed escape.

But this attitude overlooks what we have here. To residents of the Adirondacks, for example, those mountains are nothing special — they’re just home.

Just like Jones Beach is, for all of us, just home.

Jones Beach is the magnum opus of Long Island nature. It offers a unique experience, with bays, barrier islands, dunes, tons of animals and plants to see, and more. There is no shortage of swimming, fishing and hiking available — all

letters

Randi goes to Mars!

To the Editor:

What a cruel joke Randi Kreiss played on me (I cannot speak for others) as I read her op-ed, “It’s a go for the voyage of a lifetime” in the March 30-April 5 issue.

I was filled with glee as she announced that her chances of going to Mars were excellent. I was almost weightless as I read that she made it through psychological and psychiatric screenings at the space center last spring. I grabbed a table to hold myself down and read on.

Food allergies? Gastrointestinal disorders? I knew Randi would soar over those obstacles. Have you read any of her recipes?

I smiled as I read that she’d received permission to go public with the information about her trip to outer space. I wondered how many hundreds, or thousands, of Herald readers would have highly recommended that she be taken on this Mars mission. Or to the moon.

I thought of Randi putting together green salads as she discovered lichens on the Martian surface, and mixing them in

within nature, as opposed to some artificial, man-made environment.

But in line with the “grass is always greener” view, Jones Beach is unremarkable in many of our minds. You go there, get some sun or see a concert, and go home. And that’s that. Yet we should not take such an amazing attraction for granted.

More than 8.5 million people visited Jones Beach State Park last year, according to the governor’s office. While it might seem no different to us than any other attraction, Jones Beach is a highly popular travel destination. Think of the number of businesses in Wantagh and Seaford that benefit from this tourism.

Businesses like the Wantagh Inn. Mike Dunphy, its owner, suggested last January that proximity to Jones Beach is partly what has allowed his business to thrive since he opened in 1984. One can imagine that nearby businesses in Wantagh-Seaford benefit in similar ways from Jones Beach.

In addition to preservation of the beautiful nature we have right here at home, we benefit financially from Jones Beach State Park being in pristine shape.

Keeping it this way is of utmost importance.

Think for a second about why so many people come to Jones Beach. We live on an island, so you can go in any direction and end up on a beach. Perhaps you say it’s the waves — but then, why don’t the South

Shore beaches out east attract as many visitors as Jones Beach?

Unique among beaches on Long Island, Jones Beach is immersive. It has many fields. It has the bay. It has the ocean. And to top it all off, the drive to the park alone takes one away from the suburban sprawl very quickly and into something that resembles Long Island’s pre-industrial natural past.

Whether you’re going to see a concert or to get a tan, this immersive experience is universal.

Maybe it’s not the waves or the amenities of Jones Beach themselves, but rather the beautiful, scenic, and above all, natural environment they are set in. Consciously or not, we ultimately love Jones Beach because it offers a bit of escapism without having to go far.

You may see dolphins out in the water. You may see turtles, foxes, piping plovers, and a wide array of other animals that call Jones Beach home. These alone may not be what moves people to go to Jones Beach, but they speak to the pristine environment that is the park.

So, this summer, as you keep off the dunes, and bring your sandwiches and drinks to hear music or lie in the sun, don’t forget how truly special Jones Beach is. It’s the heart and soul of Wantagh-Seaford. And in the summer, especially, it is a boon for local businesses.

Jones Beach is a gem of Long Island nature, and the pride of Wantagh-Seaford.

Time to give the Five Towns some respect

Long Island is made up of hundreds of communities that proudly proclaim their famous past and any special historical facts that would attract new homeowners. The Five Towns has always stood out as an affluent and well-respected region in southwestern Nassau County. But its political status has been overlooked.

According to Wikipedia, the informal grouping of Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Inwood, Lawrence and Woodmere has been called the Five Towns since 1931. The name was born when Community Chest groups, organized for charitable giving, banded together to form the Five Towns Community Chest. Over the years, all manner of organizations have embraced the Five Towns designation. Many other local communities have, too, including Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck and Woodsburgh. Ask any residents of North Woodmere what geographic conglomerate they’re part of, and they’ll

claim the name Five Towns as well.

There is lots of fascinating history associated with the area. Many buildings there date their origins to the early 1920s, when developers built summer homes in Hewlett. Alexander Cartwright, a Woodsburgh resident, published the first rules of baseball in 1845 for the New York Knickerbockers. Mobster Arnold Rothstein opened a casino in Hewlett Harbor in 1916. Between 1937 and 1941, the Five Towns hosted the professional Negro league baseball teams the Black Yankees and the Brooklyn Royal Giants.

Some real estate brokers eager to associate themselves with the Five Towns named their enclave West Lawrence, as distinct from Far Rockaway. Over the past 20-plus years, a large number of Orthodox families have been attracted to the Five Towns, which has caused a major jump in real estate values. Anyone who has followed the history of the area can attest to the fact that “Back Lawrence,” as it was once called, has been home to many wealthy bankers and developers.

Every decade, based on the latest U.S.

Letters

white plastic trays filled with NASAgreen pasty spacecraft foods as her fellow astronauts looked like they’d just bitten into lemons. Remember guys: In space, no one can hear you scream.

Other pleasurable visions came to mind, but they all crashed to earth when I read, “Happy April Fools’ Day.” Randi, you had me over the moon for you. I have to thank you for that.

JOHN SCHULTz Oceanside

Every vehicular mistake, caught on camera

To the Editor:

I thought now would be a good time to update you on the latest and greatest in regard to Nassau County’s ongoing venture into dystopia. A few years back, I was advocating against red-light and speed cameras. Let’s repeat upfront: Nobody is advocating for lawlessness. That’s why we have police officers. I said good luck regaining a right you’ve given up, so let’s fight for it.

The silence was deafening.

So what do you say we update where our local surveillance state is today? I do so hope you’re enjoying those $150 redlight tickets. The actual fine is $50, but ya gotta love those added fees. It seems that in 2015 and 2016 (the only years I

could find numbers for; I didn’t do a deep dive), Nassau pulled in, get ready for it, $82.2 million of our money. Were you then surprised to see that that time you didn’t make a complete stop on red before turning at 3 a.m. on a completely empty road got you another $150 bill? Fun stuff.

We’re getting our pockets picked for millions. But did you really think that was going to be the end of it once the powers that be saw the money they were raking in? You’re better off trying to take blood away from a vampire.

So, to update, have you checked out a school bus lately? That’s right, they now have cameras on the sides, and should you pass one with its stop signs deployed, wait by your mailbox for the $288 bill.

But wait, there’s more. Now there are proposals for not only speed cameras, but license plate-reading cameras on the Southern State Parkway as well. And you wonder why our children can’t move away from here fast enough?

Heck, the absolute least they could do would be to install countdowns clocks underneath every traffic light where there’s a camera, to give us half a chance of avoiding a ticket — and getting rear-ended!

I don’t want to be an I-told-you-so, but who are we kidding? I told you so.

FRED GEFEN Woodmere

census figures, the legislative district lines of the Five Towns have been redrawn, and elections for the Assembly, State Senate and Nassau County Legislature have been dramatically impacted. Once upon a time, the Five Towns was treated with the greatest respect by government mapmakers. Sadly, however, it has been carved into many pieces, and it no longer has the political clout that it once claimed.

I recall many political names that were connected to the Five Towns. Presiding Supervisor Palmer D. Farrington, along with U.S. Rep. Herbert Tenzer, Town Councilman Eugene Weisbein, State Sen. Karen Burstein and Assemblyman Eli Wager were among its prominent elected officials. In the mid-1960s, Barbara Boxer deserted the Five Towns for California and eventually became a U.S. senator.

From 1972 to 1989, I had the honor of representing the Five Towns in the State Assembly. I knocked on hundreds of doors as a candidate, and attended dozens of events sponsored by the Community Chest and other worthy charities. I viewed the Five Towns as an important

power base. The Herald Community Newspapers, now read across Nassau County and beyond, were born in the Five Towns.

The reason for this walk down memory lane is to lodge an informal protest that no current local elected official has ever aggressively fought to keep the Five Towns as one political unit. The Assembly and Senate district lines, as well as the County Legislature, have been crafted with no respect for the historical identity of these very closely knit communities. This isn’t some form of snobbism; just a commentary on why people who want your vote don’t speak out at the time when new voting districts are created.

We should hope that in 2030, when the next federal census takes place, some dynamic local official will take up the cause of once again making the Five Towns into one united political region. Its great history deserves some extra respect.

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

Framework by Tim Baker

A momentary pose in Arthur J. Hendrickson Park — Valley Stream

County and state district lines have divided these closely knit communities.

JerrY kremer

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