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Seaford

HERALD Citizen

Locals gather for cleanup

Marine blaze draws local FDs

Local readers talk books

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VOL. 68 NO. 36

SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020

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County panel postpones H.S. fall sports to ’21 By TONY BELLISSIMO and J.D. FREDA tbellissimo@liherald.com, jfreda@liherald.com

Christina Daly/Herald-Citizen

The summer that almost was Between sharks and the coronavirus, Jones Beach had a tough summer, including this day last month when, because of social distancing, the beach was “full.”

Nassau County high school student athletes will have to wait until the new year to compete in sports. At an emergency meeting on Aug. 26, county school superintendents voted to postpone high school sports until Jan. 4, becoming the first of the state’s 11 sections to delay its fall season. “I believe other sections will follow and pull the plug, but I can’t speak for anyone else,” said Pat Pizzarelli, executive director of athletics in the county, otherwise known as New York state’s

Section VIII. “We felt strong enough to make this decision now,” he added. “We took the cautious route, but we believe it’s in everyone’s best interests.” “It’s just not time to allow kids to play sports,” Pizzarelli continued. “And my first and foremost concern is the safety of our student athletes.” Kevin Witt, the Seaford School District’s director of athletics, physical education and health, said last Friday that he wasn’t surprised by the decision. “The state and federal guidelines require social distancing,” Witt said. “. . . At the end of day, we would be worried allowing teens CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

‘Safe Harbor’ still leaves some homeowners vulnerable By TIMOTHY DENTON tdenton@liherald.com

New York state continues to post an average of more than 4,000 new cases of Covid-19 each week, more than 220,000 Long Islanders are unemployed, and Nassau County finances are projected to swing from a surplus of more than $120 million this year to a deficit in excess of $320 million over the next year. Underlying these crises, residents of Seaford and Wantagh are sitting on the same time bomb of deferred mortgage and rent payments as many other New Yorkers. When it became apparent in

early March that the coronavirus would not be confined to countries across the oceans, both the federal government and the state moved to pass legislation protecting citizens from mass foreclosures and evictions. New York’s initial measure, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 7, shielded residents during what was then projected to be a shortterm crisis. By June, it was clear that the situation would extend well beyond the moratorium’s original June 30 expiration. So the State Legislature passing the socalled Safe Harbor Act, giving Cuomo unlimited authority to extend or end the moratorium at

viction protections will continue until I declare them no longer in effect.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO his discretion. He signed the bill on June 27, and it took effect immediately. “The eviction protections will continue until I declare them no longer in effect,” Cuomo said at the time. Even the blanket Safe Harbor moratorium, however, does not protect against some evictions or

foreclosures that were filed before the emergency was declared. Some protections in those cases expired at the end of August; others expire on Sept. 4 (see box, Page 20). With the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment at $1,850 in Seaford and $2,250 in Wantagh, housing prices in the two hamlets are roughly equal,

according to the Zillow Group, a service that provides real estate data and analysis. The median price of a home is $520,000, with total median monthly mortgage payments, including taxes and fees, amounting to about $2,900, according to Smart Assets. Before the crisis, evictions and foreclosures were rare in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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September 3, 2020 â€” SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

WHAT’S UP NEXT DOOR AND AROUND THE CORNER

Photos courtesy Whats Happening Seaford

SEAFORD RESIDENTS AMANDA Jean, Ken Jacobsen and Maggie Horan-Ortiz, along with Donna Jebaily, organized a community cleanup on Aug. 27.

Residents organize community cleanup An intimate group of Seaford residents congregated near the Seaford Long Island Rail Road Station on Aug. 27 to clean and beautify a public square. Seafordites Amanda Jean, Ken Jacobsen, Donna Jebaily and Maggie Horan-Ortiz brought out the rakes, shovels and garbage bags to rip up weeds and pick up any litter or debris. Although ON Town of Hempstead property, the small group took it upon themselves to maintain the upkeep of the soil and shrubbery in the square.

“Thank you, Town of Hempstead, for coming out yesterday to weed whack the area. It was a tremendous help,” wrote Donna Jebaily from the “Whats Happening in Seaford” Facebook group page. The recent act of town pride spawned a multitude of residents to respond to the post and offer their services at the next planned community cleanup. Jebaily said that the group is planning another cleanup soon and will be asking for more volunteers next time around.

SEAFORDITES OFFERED THEIR services for the next community cleanup.

THE GROUP PULLED weeds, raked, picked up trash and helped provide upkeep to a public square near the Seaford LIRR train stop.

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

HERALD NEIGHBORS

After postponement, shorter seasons CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE to practice and be grouped together, which is the nature of these sports.” The decision came two days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that lower-risk high school fall sports — soccer, tennis, swimming, field hockey and cross-country — could begin practice and play on Sept. 21, while football and volleyball could begin practice, but not competition. Superintendents did not consider the current conditions safe enough to conduct any fall sports. The seven-person committee, representing the county Superintendents Board, voted unanimously to postpone them. “It was never a consideration to try playing even the lower-risk sports,” Pizzarelli said. “Transportation is a big issue. There are a lot of issues.” Another issue that Witt focused on was the athletes’ physical readiness. With many of them forced out of competition in recent months, he would want to ensure that they were in the best shape possible to avoid injuries, especially in full-contact sports. Last week, County Legislator Steve Rhoads and Hempstead Town Councilman Christopher Carini held a news conference in support of keeping to the Sept. 21 date. “Sports are more than just an extra-curricular activity,” Rhoads wrote in a social media post. “For many, they are a vehicle for growth and development; for teamwork and, for some, they represent the best

chance at scholarships which will provide them access to better academic opportunities than their families might otherwise be able to provide.” Many parents echoed those sentiments. “Let them play,” said Faith Ziskin, of Seaford, whose daughter, a Seaford High School senior, plays on the varsity soccer team. “These kids worked so hard for years and years to get these scholarships, and now maybe their only chance to go to college could disappear.” Pizzarelli said last Friday that the county was considering reassessing the situation before Sept. 21. But the plan now is to fit all three sports seasons in between January and June, when, it is hoped, the threat of Covid-19 will have declined. Pizzarelli said that Section VIII would aim to limit season overlaps to one week at the most. Each season will be condensed to about nine weeks, starting with winter sports. The fall sports will be played in the second season, and spring sports will end the school year, as usual. The 2020 spring season ended on March 16, after just one week of practice, as the coronavirus pandemic deepened. “All summer, I’ve seen groups of kids at the beach, walking around town, at stores, socializing like regular teens, and our [Covid-19 infection] numbers are still low,” said 26-year Seaford resident Tobie McGovern, 51. “As long as the overall numbers are [low], I can’t understand why we’re deny-

ing these kids a chance to play now. Involvement in sports is not mandatory. If a child or parent doesn’t think it’s safe, they don’t have to participate. These students are getting ‘protected’ out of a normal high school athletic experience.” Some Wantagh parents also expressed their concern on various Facebook group posts, citing worries that athletics postponements might affect students’ mental health and ability to earn scholarships. “Because everything would be shrunk

to an eight-week season, recruiters are going every which way to scout,” Witt said. “Getting the exposure is going to be a challenge. That is definitely a legitimate concern.” He added that, if given the go-ahead, he believes his staff can keep student athletes safe and prevent the spread of Covid-19. “We are going to take the advice of the governing bodies, who are the experts,” he said. “But we are eager to start on our end.”

Anthony Hughes/Herald 1100943

Seaford

DUE TO THE coronavirus pandemic, Seaford’s football team will have to wait for retribution after losing in last year’s Long Island championship game against Shoreham.

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A boat was found ablaze near the Loop Parkway drawbridge on Aug. 30 at approximately 3:30 a.m., according to the Wantagh Fire Department. Wantagh FD aided Point Lookout-Lido FD and Freeport FD in the handling of the boat fire. The fire was extinguished without any injury, according to the departments. Third Assistant Chief Bill Stevens coordinated Wantagh’s response to the offshore fire. The department’s aquatic vessel, Marine One, responded to the call and was operated by a team of Wantagh

firefighters including ex-Chief Joe Gross III, Captain Alex Errico, ex-Captains Paul Krussman and Bill Van Leer and firefighter Al Conforti. Marine One worked alongside Freeport FD’s Marine Two. The early morning effort followed a “boater in distress” call responded to by the Wantagh department just after midnight. During that incident, a boat was reported stuck on a sandbar. Occupants of the boat were removed and transported by the Nassau County Police Marine Bureau. No injuries were reported.

NCPD: Crack, heroin and fentanyl bust in Wantagh By J.D. FREDA jfreda@liherald.com

Nassau County Narcotics and Vice Squad detectives arrested two individuals and seized undisclosed amounts of crack, heroin and fentanMichael Merlo yl after carrying out a search warrant at 1375 Wantagh Avenue in Wantagh on Sunday, Aug. 28. Detectives carried out the warrant with information gathered as a part of Operation Natalie, Nassau County’s War Against Opioids. Along with the drugs found at the Wantagh home, officials reported that “drug paraphernalia” was recovered as well. Defendants Michael Merlo, 29 and Frank Merlo, 33, were both at the scene and arrested without incident, according to police. Michael and Frank Merlo are both charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of fourth-degree crimi-

nal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. They were arraigned the following day, on Aug. 29, in Mineola. Frank Merlo “Drugs and drug dealers are the scourge of our society,” said Town Councilman Christopher Carini of the arrest. “Drugs are a constant concern and affect all of our communities. This was a great arrest by the Nassau County Police Department and hopefully they continue to rid the community of drug dealers in our neighborhoods.” The NCPD reminds the public that, as part of Operation Natalie and its multiprong approach of education, awareness, enforcement, treatment, diversion and after-care visits, it will be continuing with its zero-tolerance response to “any and all illegal drug activity within the county.”

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Rice proposes bill to combat impaired driving If signed into law, bill would establish annual $5M federal grant program U.S. Reps. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City, and T roy Balderson, a Republican from Ohio, i n t ro d u c e d t h e b i p a r t i s a n D r u g Impaired Driving Education Act of 2020, which would establish an annual $5 million federal grant program for states to educate the public on the dangers of drug-impaired driving. The latest available data from 2018 indicates that impaired driving was a factor in roughly 11,000 traffic deaths nationwide, all of which were preventable, the Congress members said. Rice, who has fought drunken driving since her days as Nassau County’s district attor ney, introduced three pieces of legislation in 2019 to help end impaired driving. “Despite common misconceptions, drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, and that’s why this bill to expand public education and awareness is so important,” Rice said. “I’ve been working on these issues for my entire career, and I have seen the immense pain and tragedy that they can cause far too many times. I thank Re presentative Balderson and the many advocacy groups who are supporting this legislation. We must keep working together until we can end i m p a i re d a n d d i s t r a c t e d d r iv i n g once and for all.” “When someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, entire communities are put at risk,” Balderson said. “Sadly, this is a fact we know

“Too many Americans do not realall too well in the state of Ohio, where the opioid epidemic runs rampant. ize that driving under the influence of cannabis or prescripThis legislation takes critition medication impairs cal ste ps to educate our their ability to operate a communities about the vehicle safely, so efforts to risks associated with drugbolster information, educaimpaired driving, includtion and enforcement is ing those driving under the something we can all celeinfluence of opioids and brate,” said Michelle Kormarijuana.” smo, president and CEO of The Drug-Impaired Wine and Spirits WholesalDriving Education Act has ers of America. “WSWA been endorsed by Responremains steadfast in fightsibility.org, Wine & Spirits ing impaired driving in all Wholesalers of America, forms and commends Reps. the National Safety CounR i c e a n d B a l d e r s o n fo r cil, the National Organizatheir leadership and comtion for the Reform of Marmitment to the public on i j u a n a L aw s a n d t h e the health and safety of all National District AttorAmericans.” neys Association. “Impairment is a persisD a r r i n G ro n d e l , v i c e tent roadway safety issue, president of traffic safety and we know drugand government relations impaired driving is a growfor Responsibility.org, said, ing concer n,” said Lor“In Washington state, 44 raine Mar tin, president percent of drivers involved and CEO of the National in fatal crashes between Safety Council. “We need 2008 to 2016 tested positive public awareness and outfor two or more substancrage to move the needle to es, with alcohol and tetralives, and this bill hyd ro c a n n ab i n o l ( T H C ) KathLeen RiCe save [ wo u l d p r ov i d e ] i n i t i a l being the most common funding to this end. We combination. This legisla- U.S. representative appreciate Congresswomtion is a giant step forward an Rice’s ongoing leaderin helping the public to u n d e r s t a n d t h e d a n g e r s d r u g - ship and relentless commitment to impaired driving and multi-substance this important issue.” “Keeping our communities safe and impaired driving pose on our roadreducing fatalities on our nation’s ways.”

espite common misconceptions, drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Nassau sees lowest infection rate since March Thursday, Aug. 27, marked the highest number of Covid-19 tests conducted in Nassau County since the beginning of the pandemic, with 9,814 test results reported by the New York State Department of Health, and 0.5 percent of tests were positive for the coronavirus. “Robust testing is key to successfully navigating the challenges we are set to face this fall,” County Executive Laura Curran said. “Nassau is still waiting for the federal Lauran government to provide the emergency aid required to prevent further economic catastrophe and gutting of essential services – including continued robust Covid-19 testing. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for

his leadership, including making sure New York continues to ramp up Covid-19 testing instead of slowing it down. We need more testing with quicker results – not less testing altogether. Nassau has the line on the coronavirus, with a 1 percent positivity rate, throughout the summer. “But,” Curran said, “September will be a new challenge. None of this is easy, but we have no choice bu t t o re m a i n v i g i l a n t against a virus that has Curran claimed the lives of 2,197 residents and now more than 180,000 fellow Americans. Let’s keep doing what has saved countless lives and allowed Long Island to reopen safely: wearing a mask and social distancing.”

roads remains a top priority for prosecutors throughout the country,” said Nancy Parr, NDAA president and the commonwealth’s attorney for the City of Chesapeake, VA. “NDAA supports and endorses the Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act of 2020, which [would] provide vital federal funding to state and local governments, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving and protect our citizens across the nation.” “With the majority of U.S. states now regulating marijuana sales for either medical purposes or for adult use, it’s important that traffic safety laws and practices comport with this new reality,” said Paul Ar mentano, NORML deputy director. “Both lawmakers and the general public can benefit from evidence-based messaging and strate gies reinforcing and strengthening responsible behavior.” Congress previously funded efforts to train authorities to better detect and deter dr ug-impaired driving, but there remains a need for public education and awareness of this g rowing problem, according to Rice. The new federal grant program established by the Drug-Impaired Driving Education Act would provide funding to states to address this specific need. The legislation is yet to be voted on by the House of Representatives, and must be approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the president to become law.

Town teams with Northwell on testing The Town of Hempstead and Northwell Health are launching three Covid19 mobile testing locations. The initiative, town and Northwell officials said, will provide increased testing to highrisk and minority communities within the town, which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Each week, three to four testing sites will be available, free of charge, at different locations throughout the town. The testing facilities will be open Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. To find the nearest testing location, residents are asked to call (516) 821-2500. Town Supervisor Donald Clavin thanked U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer for helping to secure the federal funding needed for the testing sites. “This collaboration with Northwell Health is

one that the town is extremely proud of and will continue our region’s ability to keep driving the numbers of Covid19 cases down to the lowest we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic,” Clavin said. “We’re proud to partner with the Town of Hempstead to provide antibody and diagnostic Covid-19 testing and share prevention information at 16 sites within Hempstead town,” said Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez, senior vice president of community and population health at Northwell Health. “Education and testing are the keys to fostering healthy communities and limiting the spread of Covid-19.” Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are encouraged by calling 8212500. For more information, visit hempsteadny.gov/.

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

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Councilman represents at GOP convention were there.” President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke with the delegates on the mornTown of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blake- ing of Aug. 24. “Vice President Pence came to thank man, a Republican covering the 3rd District, got to us for our vote and thank us for coming down,” be a part of what he described as the most unusual Blakeman said. “Around 11 a.m., President Trump convention he has ever attended. came down to speak in an informal disHe was one of six New York state delcussion on his accomplishments and his egates at the 2020 Republican National vision for the next four years. EveryConvention, which took place in Charbody was energized by that, and the fact lotte, N.C., and the White House from that he detoured his plans to thank the Aug. 24 to 27. Originally there were to be delegates in Charlotte was a very nice 94 state delegates, but the number was thing.” pared down to six because of the coroThe convention moved to Washingnavirus pandemic. ton, D.C. on Aug. 27 as Trump concluded “There are two types of ways to the festivities with a speech on the become a delegate: You can run for it in White House’s South Lawn, which your congressional district, and then Blakeman attended. “The crowd was there are a number of delegates the energized and excited and were moved state chairman can appoint,” Blakeman by the stories we heard from some of said. “I was one of the elected delegates the speakers,” Blakeman said. “I from the state’s 4th Congressional Disthought the president was really good in trict. When it was restricted from 94 to his speech, and he touched on everysix, I lobbied to [Nassau County Repubthing he needed to.” lican Chairman] Joe Cairo that I wanted Coming out of the convention, Blaketo go, and the squeaky wheel wound up man said he is “cautiously optimistic” BRucE getting the oil.” about the presidential election. “I feel New York GOP Chairman Nick Lang- BlAkEMAn that a successful candidate always has worthy said he was pleased to have run as if they were 10 points behind Town of Hempstead to Blakeman as a state delegate. “Although so we can’t take anything for granted,” I wish we could’ve been celebrating the councilman he said. “There has been movement in president’s nomination with all of our the past two weeks for the president in 94 delegates, I was proud to have Counswing states, and I feel good about the cilman Blakeman as one of the six state delegates,” numbers moving in the right direction for him.” Langworthy said. When looking back on the convention, Blakeman The process for the delegates to enter the conven- said he would remember the relationships he tion began a week before the pandemic, when Blake- formed with fellow delegates from across the counman said he was sent daily health questionnaires try. “We spent our time talking about what life was and a Covid-19 test. “I got to Charlotte on Sunday like in our own communities and the election,” he night, [Aug. 23], and it was pretty closed down,” he said. “The convention was very different but great. said. “Everything was consolidated around the con- The fact that it was historic because it was so vention center, as the Westin Hotel was like an restricted made it special for me to be one of about armed camp since the president and vice president 350 delegates there.”

By MATTHEW FERREMI mferremi@liherald.com

he fact that it was historic because it was so restricted made it special for me to be one of about 350 delegates there.

Courtesy Bruce Blakeman

ToWn oF HEMpsTEAd Councilman Bruce Blakeman was one of six New York state delegates at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

County executive serves as DNC delegate By BRIdgET doWnEs bdownes@liherald.com

Over four days, elected officials and delegates from around the country attended the Democratic National Convention — including Nassau County Executive Laura Curran — but this time, virtually. Many people streamed footage of the convention, which took place Aug. 17 through 20. Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, and Kamala Harris, for vice president. “I think it would’ve been a lot more fun to do it the oldfashioned way, in a convention center with balloons and the crazy hats and everything,” Curran, of Baldwin, said. “It would’ve been a good experience; however, like everything else these days, we’re doing things a bit differently, so we did it over Zoom, virtually.” It was the county executive’s first time attending the convention as a delegate. She had attended in 1992, before she was involved in politics and government, when Bill Clinton accepted the party’s nomination for president. Curran said she attended some Zoom meetings throughout the four days in addition to delegate meetings, and watched parts of the convention via YouTube like other viewers. “There were some meetings that I would go to, organized by the State Democratic Committee,” she explained, adding that she and other delegates voted by filling out a form and e-mailing it in. “So it was easy in

that I didn’t have to go anywhere or really take time off. That was one plus.” It’s a strange election this year, Curran said, between Covid-19 changing the rules and the uncertainties around voting. “I would just encourage anyone who’s listening that no matter who you’re voting for — I’m not going to tell you who to vote for — just make sure that you don’t get turned off by the differences in this election and get out and vote, whether it’s absentee ballot or however you’re doing it,” she said, adding that it’s “so important for everyone to make their voices heard.” “Being able to participate in the convention, even remotely, really reminded me of that,” Curran continued, “how important it is to vote, because that’s the thing that keeps our democracy alive. It’s the thing that keeps elected officials accountable to the people.” She also urged voters to cast their votes in local races as well. “It’s so important that we participate in this democracy because in the course of human history, it is a rare and beautiful thing, and we should not take it for granted,” Curran said, noting that voting helps hold policymakers accountable. “The best and easiest way to do that is to vote.” “Whatever is going on in the world, whether we can be there in person or not, democracy is still happening,” she said. “It’s just happening in a new way. Democracy persists.”

Courtesy Alex Hanel DNCC

dEMocRATIc nATIonAl coMMITTEE Chair Tom Perez spoke at the Democratic National Convention — streamed to viewers remotely — on Aug. 19.

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hen the pandemic broke out, I knew I wanted to do some sort of service project for people affected by Covid-19. Health care workers had been getting a lot of attention, as they completely should be, but I started to wonder what was happening with our veterans. I came upon a hospital for veterans, and after some research, I learned that they were in need of Uber gift cards. Veterans there use Uber to travel to appointments or wherever they need to go, but many have been stuck there. So, I decided to start a fundraiser to raise money to buy the gift cards, which I will distribute to veterans at the hospital. In total, I’ve raised roughly $5,200, and I’ll keep the GoFundMe fundraiser open for another week or two. I got attention for it by posting on my Instagram story, which is my only social media page. Many friends sent it to their families, and my cousins were a big help to get the word out to extended family. I was also able to post on the bulletins at St. Barnabas Church, Sacred Heart Church and the North Merrick Library, where I hung a few fliers as part of my “marketing” efforts. I have 77 contributors on the GoFundMe page, which was opened on Aug. 3. GoFundMe itself generously donated $500 as part of its “Give Back” program, which sees donations go to funds that “touch the community.”

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HELP US FUND LOCAL COVID-19 REPORTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

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here are so many different factors that go into opening up again. Our committee developed with a goal to help all businesses come up with a plan so that people can come in and feel comfortable. We’re here to help them discuss what they may need to do. One of the things we did is create reopening kits for business owners so they have all the necessary supplies to keep employees and patrons safe and healthy, like facemasks, gloves and hand sanitizer and other [personal protective equipment]. Our reopening festival had a great turnout. We had 30 cars participate in a car parade and 150 at a drive-in showing of the most recent “Lion King” movie. Business owners were set up at villages to greet the community and show that they’re back in business. Some businesses are still closed and some gyms are waiting to reopen. It’s been very difficult for them. Some have been going to parks or parking lots, but there are not a lot of alternatives. Hopefully they’ll be back on their feet soon too. We’re available to answer any questions business owners may have about the reopening process. You could reach us at reopening@eastmeadowchamber.com. Someone will be there to help you and get you ready to reopen.

HOMeTOWN HerO Today we are asking for your help to sustain local reporting in your community. These are unprecedented times and we are working around-the-clock to provide the best possible coverage, sometimes taking risks to keep you informed. In the meantime, we’ve had massive cuts to our revenue stream as we, like other local businesses, are at a critical moment. This important work is sustained by your financial support, through donations and subscriptions. As we continue our coverage we are calling on individuals, businesses, and community foundations to help fund COVID-19 coverage and deliver life-saving news and information. Even $25 can help. Please make a tax-deductible donation today.

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September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

Their fronT-line sTories in Their own words PhilliP Franco Kevin WiTT SeaFord MerricK direcTor oF aThleTicS, healTh and PhySical educaTion, SeaFord School diSTricT

chairMan, cedar creeK overSighT coMMiTTee SeaFord

ne of the things our committee monitors is the Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. We’ve had problems with odors a couple of times in the last year. The people at Suez [North America, the company that manages the plant] have done a pretty good job at addressing some of our concerns. I was impressed last year when the odors were blowing onshore. If you lived anywhere within a couple of miles of the plant, you could really smell it. It got bad enough a couple of times that the [Seaford Harbor Elementary School] had to be closed. We understood the technical issues, and Suez addressed them pretty effectively. This new project, the Bay Park Conveyance, is supposed to help with the nitrogen buildup from dumping effluent into the Western Bays. The nitrogen damages the marsh islands that are supposed to protect us from flooding during storms like Sandy. The bay doesn’t flush it out, so the project managers want to send it over here to Cedar Creek through a pipeline and pump it a mile out into the ocean. The project managers say the system has the capacity to handle the effluent from Bay Park, but right now, even under normal conditions, pumps are breaking down. This will probably be positive for the Western Bays, but I don’t think it’s a permanent solution — or even the most cost-effective. And it could take anywhere from five to 10 years to finish.

eing an athletics-focused person, I understand the value of physical activity to student-athletes and people from all walks of life. It is paramount; it's very important. But dealing with this virus, it's a very fluid situation. It is changing constantly. As far as understanding the health concerns and safety of the kids, we are letting professionals like the [State] Department of Health and [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] dive into that. That is their expertise. We are going to take advice from the county and state levels. Right now, we are just playing the waiting game. But we need to know we have the right safety measures in place. Moving forward, when we are cleared, then we can put the right practices into place. I highly doubt that there will be a low turnout for sports, even starting in January. These kids are chomping at the bit to get out there. We will have a huge turnout, like every year. I know that they are in contact with their coaches often and are excited to get started. We are all about the students here, and we want to see them safe, happy and healthy, and we understand the big picture. We are going to take the advice of the governing bodies who are the experts, but we are eager to start on our end.

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Safe Harbor Act: What comes afterward? CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE area. Fewer than 3 percent of homeowners were considered “under water” at the beginning of the crisis, according to Zillow. “That’s a really low number,” said Laura Dupkin Memisha, of Wantagh’s Realty Advisors. “When people call looking for foreclosures, I usually have to tell them we don’t have any.” But with u n e m p l oy m e n t at its highest r at e s i n c e t h e recession of 2008-09, that c o u l d c h a n g e. “This is all new,” Dupkin Memis h a s a i d . “ We Gov. Andrew Cuomo just don’t have the data to be able to predict what’s going to happen” beyond the current market, which she said still r e m a i n s extremely active for both purchases and rentals.

State Sen. Kevin Thomas

Rent or own

Renters, who have no equity in their homes, are especially vulnerable in the current recession. Ultimately, as many as 40 percent could be in danger of eviction, according to an Aug. 7 analysis in Forbes magazine. And while the majority of residential properties in the Seaford and Wantagh are classed as “owner-occupied,” homes may still be sublet to family members or rented in other ways, according to Dupkin Memisha. “The big question is: What will happen when the moratorium expires?” Levittown Democratic State Sen. Kevin Thomas asked. At that point, renters could be subject to eviction proceedings — a cumbersome legal process that can take months to resolve, according to guidelines issued by the Nassau and Suffolk Law services. Owners are in a substantially better position, Dupkin Memisha said. For example, “banks may add the arrears to the back end” of the mortgage — an attractive option, with current mortgage rates at a low of around 4 percent. Not all states have imposed such generous moratoriums as New York, and the interdependent nature of the markets makes it doubtful that even New York landlords or lenders will be willing to forgo mortgage or rental income indefinitely. Housing blog biggerpockets.com suggests that arrears may be negotiated. With some landlords or property managers experiencing income shortages, the offer of something now, versus everything later, may be attractive, the blog suggests.

Courtesy MLSLI

AN AVERAGE HOUSE in Seaford is currently listed at $510,000.

What if I can’t pay my rent? What if I can’t pay my rent? Rent is still due during the pandemic. However, federal and state moratoriums provide guidelines on starting or completing an eviction. Can my landlord charge late fees? New York state law, passed last year, prohibits landlords from seeking late fees during eviction proceedings.

Courtesy Realty Advisors

REAL ESTATE AGENT Laura Dupkin Memisha, of Realty Advisors, said the real estate market remained firm, even in the midst of uncertainty around Covid-19.

My landlord served me with an eviction petition. What should I expect? Whether you received papers starting an eviction proceeding prior to the shutdown of the courts in March or more recently, all court deadlines in eviction cases were suspended until at least Sept. 4. However, conferences can take place in cases filed before March 17. My eviction proceeding began before

the courts suspended them. What’s happening with those cases? All eviction cases pending when the suspension order was issued were adjourned until the end of August. These cases may now proceed. What if I am able to pay the rent now, but can’t get caught up on payments that I missed earlier in the pandemic? According to the Safe Harbor Act, tenants who prove they were unable to pay rent during the pandemic because of financial hardship face a money judgment for rent owed, but should not be evicted. For more information, go to Nassau Suffolk Law Services, at https://www. nslawservices.org/covid19-evictions Source: Nassau Suffolk Law Services

FOCUS ON FAMILY WELLNESS

September 3, 2020

Adjusting to the ‘new normal’

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

your HEALTH body / mind / fitness

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.

Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.

DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.

To find a physician please call: 516-632-3936 or use our physician search tool at mountsinai.org/southnassau

Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Photo top left courtesy o

, Newsday.

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September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

Healthy habits make the grade

Is my child okay?

Be on the lookout for signs that your child is stressed about Covid-19

he Covid-19 health crisis has brought about many changes to daily life, and kids know that things are different. Like adults, kids and teens experience stress too. While small amounts of stress are a normal part of life, some young people may have worrisome responses to disrupted routines, social distancing, event cancellations, missed milestones, and especially the affect of the pandemic on schooling. Reacting negatively to current events, school stress or other common stressors can lead to decreased academic performance, social isolation and even declines in mental health. Parents, family members and mentors are often the first to recognize signs of stress in children and help them learn coping skills to navigate challenging times. Signs and symptoms Kids and teens may show physical, emotional and/ or behavioral signs of stress. These signs are relatively consistent throughout children of all ages; however, some indicators are less obvious than others. Pay special attention to any sudden shifts in behavior or unusual complaints your child brings up to you.

Physical indicators include: √ Headaches √ Upset stomach √ Chest pain √ Heart palpitations or increased heart rate √ Insomnia √ Nightmares √ Bedwetting √ Decreased appetite, comfort-eating, or bingeing √ Pretending to be sick to avoid activities Emotional indicators can include: √ Anxiety √ Mood swings √ Restlessness √ Clinginess √ New or recurring fears √ Increased crying, anger, stubbornness, or aggression √ Decreased concentration or motivation √ Emotional overreactions to minor incidents √ Regressing toward comforting behaviors from early childhood (i.e. thumb-sucking, nail-biting, sleeping with a stuffed animal) √ Social isolation, withdrawal, or unwillingness to participate in formerly enjoyed activities

What affects children and teens If you notice any of the physical, behavioral or emotional symptoms of stress, take a minute to consider what may be causing these reactions. Stress in children is commonly caused by significant life changes, both positive, like starting a new grade, and negative, like family turmoil or classroom bullying. Remember that all kids are unique in what they find stressful. Younger children, preteens and teens react differently to triggers in their environment. So, an incident causing stress to an 8-year-old boy may not trouble his 15-year-old sister. Potential stressors for kids of all ages: √ Conflict with friends, bullying, and peer pressure √ Changing schools √ Struggling in school (i.e. curriculum, grades, homework, socializing) √ Balancing responsibilities (i.e. school and extracurricular activities) √ Disappointing their parents √ Parental divorce or separation √ Financial difficulties within the family √ Unsafe or precarious living situation Potential stressors for children: √ New experiences and places √ Being away from home √ Performing in front of others (i.e. sports, speeches, recitals) √ Perceived dangers (i.e. kidnapping, fires, burglars, natural disasters, the dark) Potential stressors for preteens and teens: √ Going through puberty and bodily changes √ Poor self-esteem and negative thoughts about themselves √ Fear of the future (i.e. going off to college, getting a job) √ Cyberbullying √ Romantic relationships and dating √ Pressure to try drugs and alcohol with friends Strategies to alleviate childhood stress Ensure that your child feels safe. It’s important to Continued to Is my child ok? Above photo: Kids, like adults, can struggle with emotional impact of the pandemic, especially now that they are headed back to school.

Now more than ever focus on health as your child heads off to class School is many things — a place where kids learn and grow cognitively, develop social skills, and become independent individuals. It can also be a place where they pick up germs and illnesses and bring them home. Especially, in our Covid-19 world, germs have taken on a new focus with terrifying intensity. Now more than than ever, reinforcing essential health practices is imperative for a positive outcome — both at school and at home. Teach your child proper hand washing We all know that hand washing is one of the most important ways we can prevent the spread of illness in the classroom and elsewhere — even prior to the coronavirus pandemic it mattered. Now it’s even more vital. Remind your children that when they come in contact with germs, they can easily spread those germs — especially if they rub their eyes or scratch their nose. Then, it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the family is sick as well. But frequent hand washing can help slow this spread of germs. By teaching your kids how to wash their hands properly — and to especially wash after blowing their nose, using the bathroom, and before eating — you can help them reduce the risk of getting sick, and keep them from infecting others if they catch an infection or illness. Boost the immune system Clearly, keeping your child’s immune system strong is an important way to stay healthy and ward off illness during the school year. Getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, managing stress, exercising, making time to laugh, and the all-important hand washing can help reduce your child’s risk of getting colds, flu, and other infections._ But even with preventative measures, most kids will get between six and eight colds per year as their immune systems continues to develop. And with Covid-19, the need to prevent illnesses during the 2020–2021 school year is more important than ever. Of course the most effective way to prevent disease is through vaccination.

But there is growing interest among parents in giving kids supplements like vitamin C and elderberry. However, you should always consult with your child’s doctor before giving them supplements. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend multivitamins for healthy children who eat a varied diet. It’s best that they get their vitamins from foods. Maintain healthy habits Does your child know the importance of healthy habits to prevent colds, flu, and other infections? Try to keep our “new normal” from becoming even more complicated by taking preventative measures to avoid getting sick. Healthy habits include remembering not to touch eyes or to refrain from sharing cups and utensils with friends. Kids may even need to learn not to share their face masks or to play with them while they are in school. Whether your school district will resume fully inperson or operate under a hybrid model, it’s still important that kids get a refresher on healthy habits like covering their cough and avoiding touching their face. Some other things kids need to be reminded of is remembering to use a tissue instead of an arm sleeve, letting mom and dad know when they don’t feel well, and avoiding close contact with their friends at school. Establish good sleep hygiene Making sure your children get enough sleep is a crucial part of keeping them healthy. In fact, studies show that missing sleep can impact kids in a number of ways. For instance, lack of sleep can lead to poor concentration, obesity, depression, suicide ideation, and injuries. Not only is sleep an important part of a child’s physical and emotional health but it also can play a role role in how well they do in school, too. And to make matters worse, research suggests that kids Continued to Healthy habits Above photo: With the start of a new school year, take a proactive approach to your family’s well-being so everyone can learn and thrive without raising the risk of spreading Covid-19.

September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

Is my child okay? praise, hugs, and affection to boost their feelings of self-worth. Having family routines, like weekday dinners together or Sunday movie nights, can also bring stability and comfort to a child’s week. Manage your own stress. Children often follow the emotional cues of the adults in their lives. If you’ve been going through a stressful time and you’re feeling the negative effects of stress, anxiety or depression, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Parents and caregivers need to prioritize their own happiness too, so they’re able to serve as loving, attentive presences in their children’s lives. Finally, don’t pressure your child into immediately telling you what’s wrong. If they are feeling scared or anxious, they may take longer to confide in you. Remember to always be loving and patient, and allow your kid to talk openly when they’re ready. With younger children, they may truly not know or understand why they’re feeling stressed. In these cases, consider speaking to their teacher or after-school youth mentor if you’re unable to pinpoint a stressor in your child’s home life. When to seek professional help Despite the best efforts of parents and loved ones, some children may still be unable to open up. If your child or teen won’t disclose the source of their stress or you observe their symptoms worsening, it’s time to seek out professional help. Don’t hesitate to contact your family doctor or get in touch with a trained therapist who specializes in treating children and adolescents. A child in crisis deserves your immediate help and support so they can return to enjoying their childhood to the fullest.

To keep the community connected,Lynbrook Restorative oﬀers Zoom classes featuring games, entertainment and exercise. For more information contact Community liaison Denise Walsh 516-316-2977

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Continued from Is my child ok? reassure the child that you will keep them safe and loved, and then take the necessary steps to ensure you can uphold your promises. Talk to your child. Communicate in an open, supportive manner. Ask your child directly how they’re feeling and really listen to their answers. No matter what they tell you, remember to stay calm and avoid making them feel judged or selfconscious. Also, don’t get upset if your child can’t or won’t open up. Some kids need more time and encouragement than others. Younger children typically don’t have the vocabulary necessary to say “I feel stressed,” so they will use other words like “scared,”“sad,”“confused,” or “mad.” Meanwhile, preteens and teens may say dismissive things about themselves like “I can’t do anything right,”“no one likes me,” or “I have no friends.” Gently prompt the child to keep talking and try to pinpoint the driving force behind these statements. Emotional check-ins can be fun and easy too. Develop healthy coping methods. Kids often aren’t equipped with the tools needed to lower their stress levels. Teaching mindfulness techniques or breathing exercises can be very beneficial in promoting relaxation. Additionally, you can explain how physical exercise can help combat the feeling of stress. Promoting a healthy lifestyle with balanced meals, time outdoors, and limits on their screen usage, including TV, cellphone, and laptops, is also recommended — especially when distance learning places more demands on screen time. Spend quality time together. If your child is going through stressful changes in their life, show them that you’ll always be their pillar of support. Try to reduce their anxiety by planning fun activities together and regularly offering

Eye on wellness One test every child needs before going back to school

hether the classroom is in-person, virtual or a combination of both, however your child attends school this fall, eye exams remain essential for success with their academics. While Covid-19 remains at the forefront of our health concerns, it’s still important to prioritize a visit to the eye doctor. “An annual comprehensive eye exam is essential for optimal wellness, as well as ensuring your child reaches his or her full academic potential,” says opthalmolgist Dr. Jennifer Wademan. The incidence of visual impairment in preschool children is expected to increase 26 percent over the next 45 years, affecting almost 220,000 children, according to a recent study by the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute. What’s more, kids have more demand on their eyes and vision than ever before due to the increased use of digital devices. Not only will an eye exam help provide the clear vision necessary for a child to see the blackboard and work on digital devices without straining, but this essential visit can also detect a broad range of issues related to eye health and overall wellness. Kids — and adults for that matter — don’t always know they are experiencing a vision problem. As a result, they may be compensating for vision issues by turning their head to the side, squinting or holding reading material up close or far away.

Get a comprehensive eye exam While 76 percent of parents said sight is the most important sense, only 50 percent take their kids for an annual eye exam, according to a recent survey conducted by YouGov and VSP Vision Care. It seems that many parents are under the incorrect impression that the vision screening conducted by the school nurse or at the pediatrician’s office is sufficient. Although many schools offer abbreviated vision screenings throughout the year, they can miss up to 80 percent of vision problems, including serious conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye), which can lead to vision loss if not treated. An annual comprehensive eye exam is the best way to detect vision problems, as well as other conditions related to the eyes that can affect overall health and wellness. “How a child’s brain processes visual information is complex, and a screening alone isn’t a substitute for a comprehensive exam, nor is it the most reliable way to track a child’s eye health,” says Dr. Wademan. “A comprehensive eye exam with an eye doctor however, evaluates multiple aspects of vision, including the closeup skills essential for reading, tracking and focusing.” Don’t wait for complaints Among those parents who do not bring their children to the eye doctor annually, 72 percent of moms and 48 percent of dads said they would be motivated to do so if their child complains of discomfort or changes in vision.

Don’t wait for that first complaint! Certain changes to eyesight can happen gradually, and children may not realize that their vision is impaired. Dr. Wademan points out that catching problems early is important. “When a child’s visual system is not given a clear and focused image, and if his or her eyes are not working together, the child could fail to

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

ever achieve normal visual acuity,” she says. “These patients end up struggling to see well in adulthood, even with contacts or glasses.” Above photo: Vision and learning are directly connected, as approximately 80 percent of what a child learns is presented visually. For success in the classroom, the sports field and more, start the school year right with a comprehensive eye exam.

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HEALTH MEMO

September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

Covid-19 restrictions can’t stop Maple Pointe residents from looking fabulous!

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f all the restrictions put in place due to this global pandemic, the ladies of Maple Pointe are missing the hair salon the most! Maple Pointe has a beauty parlor on premises, but the state order for no outside visitors has prevented beauticians from coming in and dolling up the residents. Lucky for Maple Pointe, one of their very own Home Health Aides, Erika Schillingford, has a background in cosmetology! Erika’s warm heart and desire to care for others led her to rise to the challenge and fulfill her resident’s beauty needs — free of charge! She even goes in to work on her days off to make sure that she can get to everyone. Schillingford says, “I do it because I love the see the residents smile, and they feel the best when they look good. It’s the least I can do!” Erica is one of the many rock stars on the Maple Pointe team. Erica has been a Maple Pointe employ-

ee for 18 years, and counting. She was recently named Noble Caregiver of the Year in 2019 by the New York State Center for Assisted Living. Her kindness, smile and sense of humor bring joy to Maple Pointe residents daily. Other Maple Pointe rock stars include Kara Constantine who was named Assisted Living Nurse of Year for 2020. The annual ceremony that honors this remarkable title was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic, but Maple Pointe was sure to have their own in-house celebration!

260 Maple Ave., Rockville Centre • 516-764-4848 Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

HEALTH MEMO

taying active when you live with a chronic lung disease is both important and challenging. When it’s difficult to breathe, exercising, even in its gentle forms, can seem nearly impossible. However, staying active can increase exercise tolerance and improve lung capacity. There are many benefits of Tai Chi for people with lung disease. Adam Schwartz, Director of the Pulmonary Program at Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing, teaches Tai Chi to patients who have pulmonary issues. “Tai Chi is an effective training program for patients who suffer from COPD. Tai Chi can be a dynamic or free flowing form of moving meditation which helps bring about calm and peace of mind enhancing the flow of vital energy within the body”. For people with chronic lung problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis, practicing Tai Chi has been shown to improve overall quality of life and decrease feelings of breathlessness. Because Tai Chi is low impact and puts minimal stress on the body, it’s generally safe for people of all ages and fitness levels, including people with chronic conditions. This is good news for people with COPD because it gives them more fitness choices. While Tai Chi was developed for self-defense, it has evolved into a gentle form of exercise,

Stay active with Tai Chi which promotes relaxation and calm through flowing movements. Tai Chi involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and is accompanied by deep breathing. These meditative movements employ balance and weight shifting, breathing techniques, and cognitive tools such as visualization and focused internal awareness. Numerous studies have shown that Tai Chi can improve balance, strength, relaxation, lower blood pressure and promote deeper breathing, among other benefits. That is why it is beneficial to patients at Lynbrook Restorative. Tai Chi encourages and promotes a quicker healing process for our patients who come to us for many different reasons. If you are interested in trying Tai Chi, you can look for Adam’s Tai Chi video on the Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing Facebook page, under videos. Adam demonstrates both standing and sitting Tai Chi skits.

243 Atlantic Ave., Lynbrook • 516-316-2977

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

WE’RE ALL IN!

THE EMPIRE PLAN NETWORK

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NSPC is proud to announce that all of our world-class physicians are now in-network, participating providers with the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). We’re available for expert treatment of all brain and spine conditions.

Public Notices Public Notices

September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

LSEA1 0903

LEGAL NOTICE SEAFORD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT UNAUDITED ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020 GENERAL FUND Fund Balance July 1, 2019 Nonspendable Restricted Assigned Unassigned Appropriated Total Fund Balance ADD: Revenues and Interfund Transfers: Real Property Taxes, Interest and STAR Other Local Revenues Revenue from State and Federal Sources Interfund Transfers Total Revenues LESS: Expenditures and Interfund Transfers: General Support Instruction Pupil Transportation Community Services Employee Benefits Debt Service + Interest Interfund Transfers Total Expenditures Fund Balance June 30, 2020 Nonspendable Restricted Assigned Unassigned Appropriated Total Fund Balance SCHOOL LUNCH FUND Fund Balance July 1, 2019 ADD: Revenue from Sales All Other Revenues Total Revenues LESS: ManagementCompany Direct Expenses All Other Expenses Total Expenditures Fund Balance June 30, 2020 Nonspendable Assigned Total Fund Balance DEBT SERVICE FUND Fund Balance July 1, 2019 ADD: Revenue from Interest/ Interfund Transfers LESS: Principal and Interest Expenditures Fund Balance June 30, 2020 CAPITAL FUND Fund Balance July 1, 2019 ADD: Revenue and Other Sources LESS: Expenditures and Other Uses Fund Balance June 30, 2020 SPECIAL AID FUND Fund Balance July 1, 2019 ADD: Revenue and Other Sources LESS: Expenditures and Other Uses Fund Balance June 30, 2020 TRUST AND AGENCY FUND Balance July 1, 2019 ADD: Total Assets LESS: Total Liabilities Balance June 30, 2020 STATEMENT OF LONG TERM DEBT

Bonds Payable Energy Performance Contract Total Liabilities 1100272

14,059,080 247,357 2,826,278 650,000

17,782,715

53,902,662 2,087,233 13,322,683 70,500

5,794,537 39,865,799 2,058,430 15,112 14,791,855 1,843,019 1,819,728

17,120,631 286,457 2,920,225 650,000

69,383,078

(66,188,480)

20,977,313 172,147

340,067 148,914 488,981

386,967 140,310

133,851

488,981

(527,277)

133,851 404,946 1,692,430 (1,691,993) 405,383 (55,975) 1,971,005 (1,372,364) 542,666 806,899 (806,899) 319,018 (319,018) -

LEGAL NOTICE RESOLUTION SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT OFFICE RENOVATION AT HEADQUARTERS BUILDNG WHEREAS, the SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT has, by appropriate resolution, established a certain capital reserve fund designated as the Capital Reserve Fund, established pursuant to Section 6(g) of the General Municipal Law, in an account for deposit of said Capital Reserve Fund entitled, “The Seaford Fire District, Section 6(g) General Municipal Law BUILDING AND GROUNDS CAPITAL RESERVE FUND” in local banks, and WHEREAS, a project to purchase a Renovation of Offices at the Headquarters Building and associated work and expenses is deemed necessary to meet the emergency services needs of the residents of the SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT, and WHEREAS, the maximum cost of such project and for incidental work and expenses, advertising, architectural, engineering, and attorney fees is estimated to be one hundred twenty five thousand ($125,000.00) dollars. IT IS RESOLVED that pursuant to the laws and regulations applicable and in particular to Section 6(g) of the General Municipal Law, that such purchase of a Renovation of Offices at the Headquarters Building and associated work, advertising, incidental expenses, architectural, engineering, and attorney fees shall be expended from the Building and Grounds Capital Reserve Fund upon authorization of the Board of Fire Commissioners, at the maximum estimated cost of one hundred twenty five thousand ($125,000.00) dollars, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution is subject to a permissive referendum as provided for in Section 6(g) of the General Municipal Law. The adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote and upon roll call, the vote was as follows: Chairman Silvio Bellissimo ) Commissioner Robert T. Powell ) AYES Commissioner Peter Mangiolino ) Commissioner George Von Glahn ) thereupon duly adopted. Dated:August 24, 2020 Seaford, New York LEGAL NOTICE

13,825,000 1,077,694

TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT, Town of Hempstead,

14,902,694

County of Nassau, State of New York, on the 24th day of August, 2020, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the General Municipal Law. An extract of the resolution is as follows:

THE SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT SHALL EXPEND A SUM NOT TO EXCEED ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND ($125,000.00) DOLLARS FROM THE SECTION 6(G) GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW BUILDING AND GROUNDS CAPITAL RESERVE FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF A RENOVATION OF OFFICES AT THE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING, ASSOCIATED WORK, AND RELATED EXPENSES.

This resolution shall not take effect until thirty (30) days unless, in the meanwhile, a permissive referendum as provided by the General Municipal Law is required to be held. Dated: August 24, 2020 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD ATTEST: GEORGE KERN Secretary 122948

NEIGHBORS IN THE NEWS

Courtesy Levittown Schools

STUDENTS FROM JONAS E. Salk Middle School and Wisdom Lane Middle School participated in lively book discussions via Zoom during the Levittown Public Schools Summer Reading Extravaganza.

Schools finish virtual reading club Levittown Public Schools hosted its annual summer reading program, called Summer Reading Extravaganza, this past month. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the program continued virtually this summer to promote literacy in the community and give students and faculty a shared reading experience. Students entering fifth grade read “The Kid Who Ran for President” by Dan Gutman, as part of a community-wide summer reading project. Students were also encouraged to visit the Levittown elementary summer reading program website. There, families could use supplemental online activities that parents could complete with their children, interactive games for students and some information on the quadrennial election process.

Middle school students entering grades 6-8 read “Pay It Forward,” by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and had the opportunity to register for one of three summer reading discussion days through the Levittown Public Library’s website. Over Zoom, students interacted with their peers, librarians, Director of English Language Arts Kerin Slattery and teachers from Jonas E. Salk Middle School and Wisdom Lane Middle School. They also had virtual discussions about “Pay It Forward” and participated in games while also having a chance to enter a virtual raffle. “The students seemed to love the Zoom events,” said Slattery. “It was heartwarming to have so many kids join us. Even virtual, summer reading is a success!”

Have a great story? Call our editors today 516-569-4000 or email tdenton@liherald.com www.liherald.com

Employment

CLASSIFIED

Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail you ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify and ad.

VALLEY STREAM UFSD #13 Substitute Cleaners 2020-2021 School Year The Valley Stream School District is Currently Seeking Hourly Substitute Cleaners.

1099003

Help Wanted

F/T and P/T Special Education Aides Substitute Teachers

Substitute LPN/RN Nurses P/T and Substitute Monitors Substitute Cleaners

Make A Difference with Elderly Person. 4 Hours, 5-7 Days A Week. Driver a Plus Call AGENCY 516-328-7126

DAYCARE TEACHERS AND ASSISTANT TEACHERS F/T In 5 Towns, No Experience Necessary, Bilingual English/ Spanish A Must. 516-812-9000

1099098

Handyman/ Maintenance Full-Time Call 516-238-3611

CLEANER P/T NEEDED For The West Hempstead Public Library. Hours Include Some Daytime, Evenings, Saturdays And Sundays. Duties Include The Cleaning And Maintenance Of The Library. Must Be Nassau County Resident. Salary $18.17 Per Hour. Contact Dorothy 516-481-6591, ext. 25, 9:00am– 2:00pm

CDL Class A, B or C

jcentrella@franklinsquare.k12.ny.us COUNTER PERSON F/T-P/T. Answer Phones, Take/Pack Orders, Service Customers. Good Pay For Right Person. 516-524-0506

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS: Certified For Five Towns Yeshiva. After noon Hours. Competitive Pay. Send Resume To: atmdayw@yahoo.com

Candidates should address letter of interest and resume to: Deputy Superintendent Please apply online via OLAS

516-481-4100 ext. 3630

DRYWALL INSTALLATION PERSON: Experienced, Capable of Taping and Spackle, Painting, Neat and Professional, Drivers License, Part Time could lead to full time. Call 516-341-1622.

Permanent & Per Diem Appropriate NYS Certification Required

Beth L. Friedman

if interested, please contact our Personnel office at

HANDYMAN WANTED

Must have clean driver's license. Must be able to do light plumbing and carpentry. 4-day work week. $700 per week. 100% Medical & Dental, 401K, Uniforms, Paid Vacations, Sick and Holidays. Apply in person: MondayFriday between 9am & 7pm At: CALL-A-HEAD CORP. 304 Crossbay Blvd., Queens, NY 11693 I N S U R A N C E S A L E S / C U S TO M E R SERVICE: Full Time Position/ Oceanside Office- Various Office Duties, Internal Sales, Answering Phones - Insurance licensed and Computer Skills Required. Call Jon at 516-766-4025 JOB OPPORTUNITY $18.50 P/H NYC $16 P/H LI Up to $13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate! Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

1100451

1100711

8 Hour Day, As Needed

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Guaranteed Hours Comprehensive Benefits Package. Free CDLTraining For Class B Permit Holders Guardian Bus 516-723-3287 Ext. 4107 employment@guardianbus.com

3.125x 3" Richner Communications

SubSTiTuTe CleanerS

UNioN Free School DiStrict

COMPANION/PCA Immediate Hire

1098770

4 Hours/Day, 5 Days/Week

North Merrick

Enhanced Referral Bonus

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Help Wanted

OFFICE ASSISTANT P/T

Small College Finance Office Seeking P/T Office Assistant For Answering Phones, Filing, Scanning, Data Entry, etc. Quick Books Exp. Required NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE E mail Resume To:

reception@ wilsoncollegeconsulting.com

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Digital, Events, Sponsorships and Print Media Products. 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 ereynolds@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X286

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: PT, Various Shifts, Retiree's Welcome. Duties Include: Patrols Throughout The Village, Issuance Code Violations Citations. Qualifications: HS Graduate Or Equivalent, Valid Driver's License With A Satisfactory Driving Record. Willing To Work Evenings, Weekends, Holidays & Inclement Weather. Contact: Incorporated Village Of Atlantic Beach 516-371-4600

RECEPTIONIST P/T

Afternoons & Saturday Mornings Phones, Filing, Cashiering, And Data Entry. $13.00 Per Hour Gregoris Nissan Subaru Service Center In Valley Stream Call Robert 516-872-9755 Email gregmotor@optonline.net Fax Resume 516-872-2457 ROUTES AVAILABLE AT CALLAHEAD Corp.

NO CDL required, 4 DAY WORK WEEK, (enjoy 3 days off). Run your own route. Year round No lay offs! 100% medical, dental, uniforms, 2 weeks paid vacation. 401K. Plus commission. Will train! 4am-2:30pm. . Route driver $800.00 per week, includes $100.00 weekly bonus program. Plus 10-12 hours overtime. Apply in person Monday- Friday 9am-7pm at 304 Crossbay Blvd, Queens NY 11693

SALES F/T $ PHONE SALES REPS $

120 YR CO. F/T PD TRAIN/$45k+COMM-9/14 CLASS VP@MARQUISWW.COM 516-833-8440 ext. 4001 TRUCK DRIVERS NEEDED - F/T P/T 5 Yrs. Exp. Clean License. Delivering Office Furniture. 516-599-0633.

1080712

585 North Corona Avenue Valley Stream, New York 11580-2099

Sign-on Bonus up to $2500

Malverne Union Free School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

$18.50 P/H NYC • $16 P/H LI CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate! Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid The Franklin Square School District has the following positions available: program you can hire your family or ParT Time Cleaner friends for your care. 4 Hours/Day, 5 Days/Week Phone: 347-713-3553 SChool moniTorS 5th_floor • Clients • m-Clients • Malverne • 41756 Malverne Richner Communic

by September 24, 2020

Competitive Salary

Malverne UFSD Office of Human Resources 301 Wicks Lane, Malverne, NY 11565 or Call 516-887-6419

Part-Time *NYSED Fingerprint Clearance Required For All Positions

www.oLASjobs.org

BUS DRIVERS WANTED

Applications may be picked up at:

MONITORS & SUBS

Contact Human Resources at: 295-7036 and 295-7037 For Further Information.

School Monitors Part Time $13.00/Hour. 17 ½ to 25 Hours/Week. Starting Immediately!

Part-Time (HS Diploma Required)

Interested Candidates Should Apply online to OLAS at

Help Wanted

CLEANERS

TEACHER AIDES & SUBS

poSiTion REqUiRES nASSAU CoUnTY CiViL SERViCE CoMMiSSion AppRoVAL.

EMPLOYMENT

LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS POSITIONS AVAILABLE Part-Time - 5.75 Hours Various Locations

Job REqUiRES boTh inDooR CLEAning AnD oUTDooR gRoUnDS KEEping.

We are n equal opportunity employer and will hire without regard to religion, creed, race, color, gender, martial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Malverne UFSD Long Island, New York

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

HERALD

VETERINARY RECEPTIONIST FT Must Have Good Phone Skills And Love Working With Animals. Saturdays A Must. Willing To Train. One Weekday and Sundays Off. Weekdays 8:30am5pm, Saturday 8am- 3:30pm. Send Resume To: terryah@optonline.net

WAREHOUSE HELP

Dependable, Reliable Individuals Needed For Pick, Pack, And Ship. Duties Include: Organize Goods, Receive/ Count Inventory And Maintain Safe Clean Work Environment. Start $15/Hr. Oceanside Location Email: info@srcomponents.com

Health Care/Opportunities

WE HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED!!!

HHA's, LPN's, Nurse's Aides Childcare. Housekeeping Day Workers No Fee To Employers

Evon's Svces: 516-505-5510 Eldercare Offered COMPANION-AIDE AVAILABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT. Experienced In Meal Prep., Light Housekeeping, Grocery Shopping/ Errands. Available Full-Time Or PartT i m e. C u r r e n t Ly n b r o o k R e fe r e n c e Available. Own Transportation. Call Althea 917-318-7558

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country. Call the USA Classified Network today!

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Homes

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

HOME OF THE WEEK

• To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 e s t. 1 9 1 1

Hewlett Neck

French Chateau On The Water

his is a one of a kind custom built French Chateau nestled in Hewlett Neck. The mansion sits on over an acre of property and the back of the property is all waterfront with endless views of natural beauty. This custom built home was designed and built to the highest standards possible. The amount of thought and planning that went into its design is unrivaled by any other home. The soaring ceilings greet you with a multi level entry and a custom designed Swarovski crystal chandelier. The marble flooring as you step into the home conveys an elegance long lost in today’s construction. From the inlaid gold in the powder room and the custom Italian iron railings to the free flowing stairway the list is truly endless. I can continue for hours describing the magnificence of this home, the pictures give you an idea but viewing the home in person will change your perspective on what makes a home spectacular.

Gil Shemtov Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Tripodi | Shemtov Team Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516.835.3333 Gil.Shemtov@Elliman.com

NYS Licensed Real Estate Salespersons

BestLiHomes.com • 516-418-3333

Contact one of our hardworking professionals today for all of your real estate needs!

1097214

1099323

2119 Bedford Ave. John Lawlor, CBR, SFR Bellmore, NY 11710 Michele Librett-Lawlor, CBR, SFR

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING?

1101200

*If your property is currently listed with another brokerage, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the listings of other brokerages.

1094137

“Going Above & Beyond to find your Dream Home”

JUAN JARA Licensed RE Broker Associate Cell: 516-318-0142 Juan@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

Rhonda Healy

CAMILLE GIARDINA Licensed RE Broker/Owner Cell: 516-318-1392 Camille@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

BELLMORE: SIMPLY AMAZING

Real Estate Salesperson, abR, SRS

Open Houses

Real Estate EAST ROCKAWAY 101 Emmet Ave, NEW WATERFRONT! Rebuilt in 2010, 4 BR 3.5 Bth Split w/ Pool, Outdoor Kit & Deck. Open Layout. Private Mstr Ste, 2 Car Gar, SD#20..$1,250,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-429

OneKey Multiple Listing Service

1099943

E: Rhonda@rhondahealy.com Verdeschi & Walsh Realty 1025 W. Beech St. | Long Beach, NY

BELLMORE: SIMPLY AMAZING! Multi-Generational, Customized, 3200 Sq-Ft, High-End, 1/4+ Acre, Park-Like Grounds. Chef's Kitchen, Master Ensuite, So Much More! $950,000 Martin Sorrentino, Signature Premier Properties 516-551-0082 EAST ROCKAWAY CHARMING Colonial 3 Bds, 2 Baths, Water Filtration System, 2 Car Garage. $505K. Call Persephone 516-809-1000 Coldwell Banker Real Estate

M: (516) 236-7269

We’re Keeping the American Dream Alive.

L U X U RY H O M E F O R S a l e S c r a n ton/Dunmore PA Dunmore Tax Based 1% Wage Tax Description and Pictures at: https://1520madison.wordpress.com Contact for details: 570-840-4000 1520madison@woodstaff.com

House For Sale

Multi-Generational, Customized, 3200 Sq-Ft, High-End, 1/4+ Acre, Park-Like Grounds. Chef's Kitchen, Master Ensuite, So Much More! $950,000 Martin Sorrentino, Signature Premier Properties 516-551-0082

We look forward to providing home buyers and sellers with the highest level of personalized service and support.

REAL ESTATE

OPEN HOUSES BY APPT SUNdAY, 9/5/2020 WOOdMERE 78 Burton Ave, BA, NEW TO MARKET! 5 BR, 4.5 Bth Col in Great Old Woodmere Location. Large EIK, FDR, LR/Fpl, Den & Office. Full Bsmt, 2 Car Gar. Near All. SD#14........................................................................................................................ $939,000 960 Greenfield Rd, BA, 4 BR, 3 Bth CH Col in Academy Area. Spac LR w/ Fpl, FDR, EIK & Fam Rm. Main Flr Br w/ Bth. Mstr Ste/Bth/ Off. Walk up Full Attic for Poss Expansion. Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Gar. SD#14. Near All ............................................ HUGE REDUCTION! $889,000 HEWLETT HARBOR 236 Richards Lane, BA, 5 BR, 5.5 Bth Contemporary Home on an Acre Of Resortlike Prop with IG Pool. Open Floor Plan. Full Fin Bsmt. Main Flr Master. SD14 .................................................................................................... REDUCED! $1,599,000 3 Payne Circle, BA, 5 BR, 3.5 Bth Spacious Split on Beautiful Street in Cul de Sac. State of the Art EIK, 2 Dens, Bsmt, & 2 Car Gar. SD#20 ................................................. $1,190,000 1290 Seawane Dr, BA, WATERFRONT PROPERTY on MACY CHANNEL! Build Your Dream Home on this 1.25 Acre Property in Prime Location .............................................$1,799,000 HEWLETT BAY PARK 159 Meadowview Ave, BA, Stately 5200 Sq Ft Colonial Featuring 6 BR, 6.55 Bths on Acre Of Resortlike Prop with IG Pool, Tennis Ct, & Outdoor Kit. Fin Bsmt, 2 Car Gar, Fabulous Location in SD#14.................................................................................................. $2,899,000 30 Heron Dr, BA, NEW! Magnificent 8500 Sq Ft Waterfront Home on 2 Acre Resortlike Prop w/ Pool, Tennis/Sport Ct, New Landscaping w/ Waterfall & 3 BR Guest House w/ Kit, LR, Den. 300 Ft New Bulkhead. 4 Car Htd Gar. SD#14 ......................REDUCED! $4,850,000 90 Anchorage Rd, BA, Over an Acre of PRIME WATERFRONT Prop on Macy Channel, 135' Bulkhead, Open Layout, Main Flr Mstr Ste, Potential for Expansion ....................$1,999,000 70 Heron Dr, BA, 6 BR Contemporary with Open Layout on an Acre of Parklike Prop! Move Right in! SD#14.................................................................... PRICE REDUCTION! $1,699,000 HEWLETT 397 Daub Ave, Spacious 6 BR, 4 Bth CH Colonial Built in 2004.Huge Gran/Wood EIK/St Steel Appl. 5 BR on Upper Level. Main Flr BR. Full Fin Bsmt. Att Gar. SD#14. Near LIRR & Houses of Worship .....................................................REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $1,100,000 WOOdSBURGH 891 Keene Lane, BA, Magnificently Renovated While Retaining Charm, Stone Cottage. 3 BR, 2.5 Bth with Tremendous Potential for Expansion.Brand New Mstr Bth. Over 1/2 Acre Property! Near All ........................................................ REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! $999,000 EAST ROCKAWAY 1 Thompson Dr, BA, NEW! 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch w/Open Layout in Waverly Park Area. Updtd EIK. O/S Prop w/Deck. Att Gar. SD#20 ......................................................... $599,000 62 Bulaire Rd, BA, NEW! Renovated 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch with Open Floor Plan on Oversized Prop. Gran/Wood EIK, LR/Fpl, FDR, Vaulted Ceiling in Den. SD#20 ........ $725,000 101 Emmet Ave, BA, WATERFRONT! Rebuilt in 2010, 4 BR 3.5 Bth Split w/ Pool, Outdoor Kit & Deck. Open Layout. Private Mstr Ste, 2 Car Gar, SD#20..............................$1,250,000

LATE APPLICATIONS NOT CONSIDERED PUBLIC LOTTERY BROADCAST WWW.CGMRCOMPLIANCE.COM SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 11AM

75 SEAMAN AVENUE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE o: 516.766.7900 | signaturepremier.com

2949 Long Beach Road, Suite 8 • Oceanside, NY, 11572 Phone 516.766.8200

Ronnie Gerber 516-238-4299

NEW AFFORDABLE RENTAL COMMUNITY STUDIO, 1 & 2 BEDROOMS RENTS $1,095 - $2,500 INCOME LIMITS & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS APPLY MINIMUM INCOME $36,900 - $86,040 MAXIMUM INCOME $53,220 - $164,580 Subject to unit size, household size & set-aside requirements MAIL: Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: CGMR Compliance Partners PO Box 440, Wading River, NY 11792 CALL: (631) 910-6200 EMAIL: info@cgmrcompliance.com WEBSITE: www.cgmrcompliance.com Duplicate applications may be disqualified

Where Dreams Come Home

www.AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

1100565

HERALD

1099237

September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

Open Houses

WOODMERE BA, 960 GREENFIELD Rd, BA,4 BR,3 Bth CH Col in Academy Area. Spac LR w/ Fpl, FDR , EIK & Fam Rm. Main Flr Br w/ Bth.Mstr Ste/Bth/ Off. Walk up Full Attic for Poss Expansion. Fin Bsmt. 2 Car Gar. SD#14. Near All. .REDUCED $889,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman RE 516-238-4299

WOODSBURGH 891 KEENE Lane, BA, REDUCED & MOTIVATED!! Magnificently Renovated While Retaining Charm, Stone Cottage. 3 BR, 2.5 Bth with Tremendous Potential for Expansion.Brand New Mstr B t h . O ve r 1 / 2 A c r e P r o p e r t y ! N e a r All...999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Apartments For Rent CEDARHURST NO FEE Pr ivate Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For O n e B e d r o o m W h e n Ava i l a bl e. (516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/ (516)582-9978

Professional Space/Rent RO C K V I L L E C E N T R E 1 1 9 N O RT H PARK AVE. Professional Office Building. 24/7 Access. Suites For Rent. Close To LIRR, Pkwys, And JFK. Reserved Parking. 516-825-5155

Vacation Rentals/Prop. OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of full/partial week rentals. Call for FREE color brochure. Holiday Real Estate, Inc: 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com. $50 discount - new rentals. Code: "WelcomeBack" (Expires 2020-09-01)

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country. Call the USA Classified Network today!

1-800-231-6152

Market Place •

1100337

Q. My home has been under construction for a few years because we bought it as a flood-damaged property for a very low price. It’s our only chance at owning a home. It came with a permit from the previous owners, but we had the names changed and started work ourselves. There are two bathrooms, but the old plumbing permit is only for one of them, which is done except for painting. Can I do the rest of Ask The the plumbing myself, or do I Architect need to get a new plumbing permit, and do I need a plumber to do it? I know what needs to be done, and could save a lot by doing it myself. What do you think?

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

947101

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

TREE SERVICE fREE ESTImaTE

OWA_LessIsMore_BW_Bold

A. Like so many other

Sunday, August 02, 2020 11:27:28 AM

First Responders & Armed Forces

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& lANdSCApINg • Tree Removal • Stumps • Fertilization • Planting • Land Clearing • Topping

• Oil to Gas Conversions • Hot Water Heaters • Boilers All Plumbing & Heating Work For House Lifts • Licensed and Insured!

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Any Service Call For New Customer Exp. 12/31/20

1099696

• Tree removal Jobs Under • land Clearing $1,000 $500 Minimum • STump grinding USE COUPON CODE HER2020 USE COUPON CODE HER2020 Cannot be combined with other coupon Cannot be combined with other coupon • pruning We Care More Than The ResT for Less Jobs Under $1,000

1082007

ALFREDO’S CONSTRUCTION Specializing

Se Habla Espanol

Licensed & insured

*Power washing sPecialist*

Residential and Commercial - All Surfaces Call Anthony Romeo “The Local Guy” “Anthony & J Home Improvement, Inc.” Also specializes in ★ Deck Renovation ★ Driveways ★ Siding ★ Masonry ★ Fences ★ Roofing ★ Interior/Exterior Painting. (516) 678-6641 - Licensed & Insured

driving you

Email your Ad to the Herald and PrimeTime Classiﬁed Department at

sales@liherald.com to run a FREE "Finds Under $100"

BLACKTOP

BeSt priceS in town

senior Citizen Discounts

Call For Summer SpecialS

• ConCrete • BriCk Patios • stooPs • stuCCo • Belgium BloCks • sidewalks • drainage ProBlems • Cellar entranCe • waterProofing • driveway sealing demolition • dumPster serviCe • Powerwashing • handyman rePairs

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the

1099889

Sell your merchandise in no time! © 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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1096452

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projects, your home project is going slowly in order for you to afford it. onte eeper What I read into this situation is economics versus compassion — in other words, your need to be able to get this project to a livable, affordable home versus government regulations that may penalize you for taking too long or not using licensed professionals. The current generation of homebuyers earns 20 percent less than their parents did, in comparative economic rates, and homes cost at least 100 to 400 percent more. Unfortunately, with all those very real statistics, the rules of local government generally work against you. As an architect, I find myself, daily, caught in the middle as a sounding board, like a therapist, for people who have nowhere to turn to figure out how to keep costs lower. The truth is that your permit time allowance to complete the job has probably either already run out, or it will cost you more money to keep the permit active or start all over again. Jurisdictions want projects to run like clockwork and be finished in anywhere from six months to a year. That isn’t always possible if finances run out, or the workers stop showing up, or we have a pandemic, or worse. You can understand that having a construction project going in the middle of a neighborhood can be a physical disruption to the surrounding neighbors and present an unsightly mess. You just want the job done without having to absorb the extra cost and penalties, and it’s frustrating when you’re told you have to shell out more. You must speak to the building department that granted your permit, and ask if they have a process by which you can qualify to do your own plumbing. In some jurisdictions you can qualify by taking a test and, of course, paying a fee. If the plumber who did the other bathroom will allow you to do the “grunt work” and review and test the job, that may save some money. It all comes down to asking the different parties what they will and won’t accept. Your request isn’t unusual, and may yield affordable results. It’s always best to communicate. Good luck!

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

‘It’s our only chance at owning a home’ HERALD

September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

HERALD

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Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

OPINIONS

alf hidden by shrubs and tree branches, there’s a bench in my backyard’s southeast corner, short and stout, its thin pine planks grayed by the elements and mottled with mint-green lichen. Weakened by age, it is a delicate little thing, which no one has sat on for years, but there it remains, my wife and I stubbornly refusing to part with it. We love that bench, survivor that it is. Superstorm Sandy sloshed through our Merrick neighborhood in 2012, flooding our yard with saltwater, liftSCOTT ing all manner of BRINTON lawn furniture from people’s yards and depositing it who knew where. That little bench — just large enough to fit two preschoolers — never budged. My wife bought it 15 years ago to give our daughter and son — then 5 and 3, respectively — a place to sit under the shade of an old flowering dogwood tree. I was marching to and fro on a recent balmy Friday evening, mowing the backyard lawn, when I was suddenly struck by how special that bench is, what it represents to my wife and me — years of happy memories wrapped up in an inanimate object. I

stopped and stared at it as the remembrances coursed through my mind. I’m feeling more emotional than usual these days. Covering the coronavirus pandemic for the Heralds has, at times over the past six months, shaken me to my core. Covid-19 devastated New York state, particularly the greater metropolitan area. Writing and editing stories about the deaths of so many good people takes its toll on your psyche. At the same time, my son, Andrew, graduated from Kennedy High School in Bellmore in June, and three weeks he later turned 18, officially becoming an adult. He began his studies at Hofstra University last week. My daughter, Alexandra, 20, started her junior year at NYU this week. I am no longer the parent of children; I am the parent of two adults, capable of driving, voting and earning their keep. It’s a strange thought that takes some getting used to. That’s why, I believe, my thoughts have more often turned to those long summer days spent in the backyard, lost in play with the kids when they were young, their giddy chatter echoing through the neighborhood as they bounced through the sprinkler, bobbed in the inflatable pool, played hideand-seek or badminton, or kicked the soccer ball around until their legs gave out from

fatigue. Always, the bench was there. I hadn’t noticed how it had aged until that recent Friday. Only the brown metal centerpiece across its backrest, depicting an African savanna with a lion, a monkey, a gazelle, an elephant and a giraffe, is seemingly untouched by time. Around the time our kids were in preschool, my wife and I planted 10 peegee hydrangeas, three dwarf cherry trees and two apple trees around our backyard, and later added two white pines in oversized pots beside the patio. Each set of flora was imbued with meaning. When we moved in 18 years ago, a line of forsythia bushes separated our yard from our neighbor behind us. Each spring it exploded in yellow for two weeks. Then the neighbor, who has since moved away, cut down the bushes, and there was no longer any vegetation, any color. So we ordered 10 one-foot-tall hydrangea seedlings for $3.50 each from the Arbor Day Foundation. They came packaged in clear plastic tubes, their fragile roots wrapped in wet paper towels to preserve them. These specimens weren’t much to look at at first; you hardly knew they were there. Each year they grew, though, and now they tower eight feet above our backyard, forming a tunnellike canopy along our rear fence line, burst-

or my wife and me, years of happy memories wrapped up in an inanimate object.

ing with puffy white flowers in mid-August. We planted the cherries in honor of my wife’s parents, who kept a cherry orchard in their home village of Rajdavitsa, in southwestern Bulgaria. The white pines we planted for my parents, who maintained a pine forest in the front and back yards of my childhood home in Yaphank, in Suffolk County. And the apples we planted for our kids, so we could watch the trees grow with them. They’re now 30 feet tall. The bench sits between the apples and the hydrangeas, their lush vegetation covering it in shade. The old dogwood died five years ago, and I cut off its branches then and chain-sawed its trunk down this summer. These days, my backyard is quieter than it was — the giddy chatter is gone. Often I sit on a much larger bench on the opposite side of this space, between the hydrangeas and a massive holly bush. It’s a sturdy bench, made of teak, the kind that feels like it might last a century. There I sit and find peace in the early morning or late evening, before or after a long day’s work, reflecting on all that was and all I hope will be. My backyard has long been my sanctum to escape the sound and fury of the world beyond its borders. Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@liherald.com.

Our free press shines a light in dark times

hat if Sam Adams, John Hancock and the other colonists living in and around Lexington and Concord had thought that Paul Revere was spreading fake news on the 18th of April in ’75? That was the night Revere rode through the countryside, shouting that the British were coming, as indeed, 700 British regulars advanced toward the rebels. What happened next was different from the richly RANDI imagined version KREISS of history in Longfellow’s poem, but Revere did spread the news. And the citizens of Massachusetts believed him. And they believed the coverage of subsequent battles in the Boston Gazette. What if Americans, fixed to their radios, hadn’t believed FDR’s shocking announcement on Dec. 7, 1941, that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor? He said, “It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many

days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.” Roosevelt declared war, thereby telling Americans that they would soon be sending their sons and daughters overseas to fight and to support the war effort. A few days later, Nazi Germany declared war on the United States, and the great ship of state moved into battle mode. People learned about FDR’s proclamations through the press and followed the progress of the war through our newspapers and the president’s radio addresses. What if a majority of Americans had suspected the news was unreliable? What if people had suspected that FDR might be leading the country into war for self-serving reasons, to get re-elected or to enrich himself and his family? I think, too, of the immense sacrifice that was asked of the British people by Winston Churchill during the Blitz. He fixed their courage to a sticking point with the sheer power of his moral authority and his magnificent words. What if they hadn’t

trusted or believed in him? What if a group within England had refused to abide by the draconian wartime rationing and restrictions because Churchill had been proven a liar or a fool? The citizens of London followed him through hell because they trusted him with their lives. We are not similarly blessed. There are two parts to this problem of veracity and authenticity in the public arena. One is that our president is not worthy of our trust. He suggested from his first day in office that his version of the truth, although it might be verifiably false (like the number of spectators at his inauguration), was the truth. That makes it impossible for thinking people to follow his directives or believe in his leadership. The second part is that the president uses the term “fake news” to delegitimize reporters and news outlets that challenge him. A society needs both a president who tells the truth and a free press that holds pubic officials to account. We have a fair and free press that, from right to left and left to right, reports the news and expresses a broad spectrum of views. Viewers and readers can read and

hat if Americans had suspected the news about Pearl Harbor was unreliable?

tune in, inform themselves and process the different points of view. The blight that has infected journalism is the president’s accusation of “fake news” for any reporting that questions him or his policies. The idea that the reliable news outlets are disseminating “fake” information undermines the basic constitutional guarantee of a free press. I know, because since Trump came into office, a fair number of readers have slung the “fake news” epithet my way when they don’t agree with something I write. Yet it is the press that has exposed the ongoing chaos in the Trump administration, the self-serving mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing tragedy of a man ill fit and ill equipped to be president. If Donald Trump shouted that the British were coming, if he asked us to endure a blitz, if he declared war on another country, there would be a crisis of faith in his leadership. At the end of the day, I suspect we would need our free press to help us decide how to move forward as a country. And how would that go if millions of Americans had been encouraged by the president to perceive widely respected news sources as “fake”? Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

The little bench in my backyard

26 Seaford

HERALD EDITORIAL

Seaford

HERALD HERALD September 3, 2020 — SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN

Citizen

Established 1953 Tim DenTon Senior Editor J.D. FReDA Reporter

RhonDA GlickmAn Advertising Account Executive oFFice 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: seafordeditor@liherald.com oFFiciAl neWSPAPeR: Seaford School District Levittown School District Wantagh Seaford Homeowners Assoc.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ cliFFoRD RichneR STUART RichneR Publishers michAel boloGnA Vice President - Operations ■ ScoTT bRinTon Executive Edtitor Jim hARmon

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The CDC’s Covid-19 back-to-school checklist

undreds of thousands of students will start school across Long Island next week amid the worst disease outbreak in the United States since 1918. It is indeed a time of fear and anxiety for many parents, who worry about their children contracting an illness whose cause is only loosely understood, whose symptoms can range from mild to debilitating, even catastrophic, and whose cure is months, if not years, away. In our annual back-to school editorial, we normally offer government guidance on topics from students’ study habits to bus safety. This time, we provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s best advice on keeping your kids safe amid the pandemic of 2020. According to the CDC, parents should: ■ Check their children each morning for signs of illness. Any child with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, severe headache, vomiting or body aches should not attend school. Any child who has been in contact with someone with Covid-19 should stay home as well. ■ Identify their school point person(s) to contact if a child is ill. ■ Know local Covid-19 testing sites in case their children develop symptoms. ■ Make sure their children are up to date with all recommended vaccines, including for influenza. All school-aged children should get the flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. ■ Review and practice proper hand washing at home, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing and adjusting a mask or cloth face covering. ■ Be familiar with how their children’s schools will make water available during the day. Consider packing a water bottle. ■ Develop daily routines before and after school — for example, what to pack for school in the morning, like hand sanitizer and a backup mask, and what to do when children return home, like washing hands immediately, washing masks and changing clothes. ■ Talk to their children about precautions

How parents can help kids wear their masks According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, parents should: ■ Have multiple masks for their kids, so they can wash them daily and have backups ready. ■ Choose masks that: n Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face. n Completely cover the nose and mouth. n Are

secured with ties or ear loops.

n Have

multiple layers of fabric.

n Allow

for breathing without restriction.

n Can

be washed and machine-dried without damage or change of shape. ■ Label their children’s masks clearly, with a permanent marker, so they are not confused with those of other children. ■ Practice with their children putting on and taking off masks without touching the cloth. to take at school. Students may be advised to: n Wash and sanitize their hands more often. n Stay

students.

physically distance from other

n Wear a mask. n Avoid

sharing objects with other students, including water bottles, phones, tablets, pens, pencils and books.

n Use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Make sure they are using a safe product. The Food and Drug Administration has recalled products that contain toxic methanol.

LETTERS In defense of the police To the Editor: I want to thank Brian Wells for his truthful and heartfelt op-ed defending the police, “Recent laws endanger the police and public” (Aug. 20-26). I encourage anyone with a rational

brain to read it and then ask yourself if you don’t think the current anti-police craziness is a misleading, or rather total, lie. As president of the Long Beach PBA, Wells makes a plea for people to understand what is being said about them, and he honestly states what police have to deal with on a daily basis, and not what the liberal media spews out to the public.

■ Explain the importance of wearing a mask and how it protects other people from becoming ill. ■ Consider talking to their children about other people who may be unable to wear masks because of medical conditions like asthma. ■ Model mask wearing, especially when physical distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain. ■ Praise their children for wearing masks correctly. ■ Put masks on stuffed animals. ■ Draw a mask on a favorite book character. ■ Show images of other children wearing masks. ■ Allow their children to choose their masks, as long as they meet the school’s dress requirements. ■ Provide their children with containers or resealable bags labeled with their names to store their masks when they’re not wearing them, such as when they are eating. ■ Develop a plan as a family to protect household members who are at increased risk of severe illness. ■ Make sure their children’s information is current at school, including emergency contacts and people who are authorized to pick them up from school. If that list includes anyone who is at increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19, consider an alternate.

OPINIONS

nyone who knows me knows that from the start, I have not been a fan of the current administration in Washington, D.C. I am likely to be in fundamental disagreement on almost every issue, from immigration to tax reform to health care. So I’m more than a little surprised to find myself agreeing with President Trump that we should do whatever we can to help our children return safely to their classrooms next month. I’m not qualified to write about medical issues. Those who are, like the president’s TIMOTHY new Covid-19 DENTON adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, have left some significant caveats unaddressed in asserting that such a return is feasible. First, Atlas assumes children’s near total ability to resist the virus “where no comorbidity exists” — in other words, where there is no other underlying condition. Unfortunately, some children do have underlying conditions, and recent data shows as well that they are more susceptible to Covid infection than originally believed, as evidenced by the surge in pediatric cases in countries where children have already returned to school. Atlas also ignores the

sizable adult staff in any school that may be infected by asymptomatic children. And students’ and teachers’ daily interactions outside school are not currently subject to systematic contact tracing. I’m a former public school teacher. From 1988 to 1996, I taught English as a second language. I began teaching while living in Europe, where my students ranged from adults needing the language for a variety of professional reasons to students at the University of Vienna. After returning to the U.S., I taught adult basic literacy in the New York City schools. My students were from dozens of cultural and educational backgrounds — from the Estonian engineer who spoke six languages to the Honduran refugee whose schooling in her war-torn country stopped in second grade. I taught also taught ESL and communications at the La Guardia campus of the City University of New York. CUNY’s open enrollment policy presented similar challenges, although with fewer extreme educational differences. My curriculum had to take such diversity into account. During the 1993-94 school year, I took a seminar facilitated by mentors from the Barbara Taylor School in Harlem. Students at the school came from all over the

’m more than a little surprised to find myself agreeing with the president.

LETTERS I could not have added anything to Wells’s essay, and it is the best opinion piece that I have read in defense of the police. And yes, the police need to be defended — not defunded. Wells wrote, “The most important point that can be imparted to the public is that in almost every tragic police encounter, there is a common denominator: Catastrophes can be avoided by compliance. If you do not resist arrest, there is virtually no chance that you will be killed by a police officer.” So, very simply, do not resist arrest. Whether innocent or guilty, plead your case in court, not with the officer. The police are taught to use specific tactics when someone resists arrest, but they can be avoided if you do not resist. I believe people resist arrest because of a lengthy rap sheet rather than fear of the police. And if that’s the case, blame judges, not the police. The fact that not one political leader is defending the police is a disgrace. But the police will always have my support. They are in more danger than any of the people they are called to respond to. And thank you, Herald for printing a letter that is actually important. MARK VAN BRUNT Freeport

city, and many had been judged so incorrigible that they had been permanently expelled from public schools. Teachers from the Taylor School disagreed with the assessment that such children were “unteachable,” and set about proving it. They adapted pedagogical techniques pioneered by the biologist Lev Vygotsky, who worked with a variety of special-needs children in the early days of the Soviet Union. Vygotsky taught children who, under the old czarist regime, had been almost entirely neglected. What Vygotsky discovered — unsurprising to any experienced teacher — was that groups of students are much more than the sum of their individual abilities. Their achievements were measurably greater than that of students working alone, and the life experiences they brought to any learning situation provided raw material for a level of creativity not seen in individuals. Students learned from one another, even as teachers crafted lessons from their students’ real-life experiences. Teachers in New York City schools treated so-called incorrigibles as isolated problems. The Taylor School created an environment that met them where they were and that enabled them to stimulate one another. In most cases, the result was

a transformation that had been thought impossible, with students equaling or outperforming “mainstream” students. The weeks I spent with guides from the Taylor School completely changed my teaching. I learned to see my collection of individuals more as a collaborative whole. For the remainder of my teaching career, what I learned in that course inspired me. It still does. Students don’t simply learn facts in preparation for a life of productive work. They also learn to work collaboratively and to develop personal relationships — the social-emotional learning that is crucial to any child’s development, and that cannot be nurtured in isolation. They need to study together. Since the start of the pandemic, the president has often seemed to be living in a world of magical solutions. Simply asserting that students and staff are safe does not make them so. But that doesn’t mean schools can’t find real, sciencebased solutions. The safety of students and staff is paramount. But every professional educator I’ve spoken with agrees that collaborative learning in the classroom is superior to distance learning — if it can be done safely. We should make every effort to help them achieve this. Timothy Denton is the senior editor of the Seaford and Wantagh Herald Gazettes. Comments? Tdenton@liherald.com.

FRAMEWORK by Jackie Comitino

Police need oversight To the Editor: Re “Recent laws endanger the police and public”: The lament by Brian Wells, the Long Beach PBA president, that recent changes in New York law endanger the police and public, continues the baseless campaign of fear by police unions. The unions seem to believe that the uniform and badge should shield them from all oversight. The assertion that these reform measures are “antipolice” reveals the prevailing attitude that the police expect nothing less than total subservience. The repeal of Civil Rights Law 50-a finally permits some measure of accountability for past misconduct. Officers will now be subject to the same cross-examination rules as any other witness. It was absurd that officers who had engaged in prior bad acts, including falsifying reports, excessive force and yes, even lying under oath, could be shielded from having a jury consider these acts when judging testimonial credibility. I daresay Officer Wells would not support shielding a criminal defense witness from being “discredited because of unrelated complaints or incidents.” Indeed, well before Eric

A summer evening at Morgan Memorial Park — Glen Cove

Garner and George Floyd, police departments were quick to release unrelated prior criminal records as a means of discrediting the victims of officers’ misconduct. To argue that placing restrictions on the use of force, and eliminating unique and special protections, strips officers of their civil rights is absurd. There is no right to use

excessive force or to be protected from legitimate cross-examination. Ultimately, what the police unions object to is that the State Legislature no longer panders to them, and has risen from its knees to protect the people of this state from continued abuse. JAY K. GOLDBERG Woodmere

SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN — September 3, 2020

A safe return to class should be the goal

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September 3, 2020 â€” SEAFORD HERALD CITIZEN