Seaford Herald 12-08-2022

East Broadway gives thanks

lee Road school builds bridges

High school grooms future athletic trainers

By MiChaEl MalaSZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Students at Seaford High School are in luck if they are thinking about a career involv ing the care of injured athletes. They now have the opportunity to get valuable hands-on experi ence in one of the growing fields of study: sports medi cine.

The school is offering the course as an elective pro gram, officially called “Care and Prevention of Ath letic Injuries.”

class in sports medicine. Spreck els taught elementary-level phys ical education for 15 years and has spent the last five years at the high school. For two of those years, Spreckels also served in an administrative capacity as the district’s athletic director.

“We teach all aspects of sports medicine,” Spreckels said.

By MiChaEl MalaSZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh recently took a giant step forward in unifying its diverse congregation by hosting a weekendlong spiritual Torah restoration.

The temple, located at 2900 Jerusalem Ave nue, has a long and storied history. B’nai Torah is a reform Temple that includes mem bers from Wantagh, Seaford, Bellmore, Mer rick, East Meadow, and various other commu nities on Long Island.

Originally known as “Suburban Temple,” it became Temple B’nai Torah in 2008 when it merged with Massapequa’s Temple Judea. In

2018, B’nai Torah absorbed congregants — and a rabbi, David Bar-Nahum — from East Mead ow’s Temple Emanu-El, which closed down.

From Dec. 2 to 4, the Temple celebrated two Torahs. Both are from Europe; one came from Holocaust-era Czechoslovakia and the other came in pieces from various countries of East ern Europe. This Torah restoration event con sisted of congregants, led by a scribe, restor ing the Torah by rewriting damaged Hebrew letters, using a quill and ink.

For the Torah that was used during the Holocaust, Temple B’nai Torah’s goal is to make use of it rather than have it as an arti fact from a dark time.

In addition to being a standard elective class, dual enrollment is avail able for the stu dents through Long Island University. Dual enroll ment is an alternative to Advanced Placement, enabling high school students to receive college credits without taking the AP exams. It has grown in recent years as more colleges and universities have begun accepting dual enrollment cred its.

Mike Spreckels, a 20-year vet eran of Seaford Public Schools, has been assigned to teach the

“The kids get expo sure to different types of healthcare professionals from physical therapists, orthopedists, EMS and athletic train ers. We cover every thing from muscu loskeletal injuries, to concussions, to nutrition, CPR, first aid and using an AED.”

This is the third year the class will be taught, but the first year in which the stu dents will be able to attain certi fication, through the American Red Cross, in emergency medi cine such as first aid and CPR. According to Spreckels, these certifications are useful for stu dents who may want to babysit or be a lifeguard and can also help them if they plan a career in Emergency Medical Services.

Karen Millindorf/Herald

TEMplE B’Nai ToRah in Wantagh hosted a Torah writing on Dec. 4. Ronni Fauci, left, Rabbi Daniel Bar-Nahum, Cantor Rita Timman and Joyce Rapaport with the restored Torahs.

Temple B’Nai Torah takes huge leap forward

“Think about all the devastation from the Holocaust,” Joyce Rappaport, a congregant from East Meadow and co-chair of the temple’s fundraising committee, said. “To think that this Torah survived, has been restored, and now will actually be in use again is incredible.”

The temple kicked off its weekend celebration by hav ing its senior youth group members read from the newly restored Holocaust Torah at the Shabbat service the eve ning of Dec. 2.

This was the first time this Torah has been read at a service since the Holocaust.

“We are having a really powerful generation-to-gener ation moment,” Bar-Nahum said. “The next generation of our community is now in touch with this scroll. It reminds us of the generations that perished in Europe but ultimately reminds us that, no matter how difficult things were, Judaism survived.”

On Dec. 4 the second Torah was restored in an all-day session, in addition to a brunch.

While many years have passed since three temples merged into B’nai Torah, many of the congregants still felt deep connections to their past temples. With this Torah restoration, key figures at Temple B’nai Torah felt they have taken a decisive step to making the Temple more whole and unified.

“Everybody has traditions that they’re fond of,” BarNahum said. “And so I think that part of the project here is to remind us that no matter which of the different leg acy communities we might have come from, this Torah belongs to all of us.”

The weekend was led by both Bar-Nahum and Neil Yerman, a world-renowned sofer, or Torah scribe. Some of Yerman’s past work in the area includes the restora tion of Torahs at Temple Sinai of Roslyn. On Dec. 3, Yer man led a Torah study group and taught congregants the

history of both of the restored scrolls.

All were welcome for Sunday’s restoration, including non-Jewish members. “We are a very multicultural place, and everyone is welcomed,” Ronni Fauci, also from East Meadow and a Fundraising co-chair, said. “My husband is not Jewish, yet he wrote in the Torah. We have congregants from many different backgrounds and no one is ever turned away from our doors.”

According to Fauci and Rappaport, nearly 200 people

attended the restoration event, participated in weekend activities, and assisted in either writing letters in the Torah or helping with certain other aspects of the cele bration.

“The Torah is God’s word to us,” David Bar-Nahum said. “We make a point to care for these scrolls, so that they last a long time and can endure. When we write let ters in these scrolls, what we are really doing is ensuring that God’s word will last to the next generation.”

WorldrenoWned sofer neil H. Yerman conducted the event with congregation member Ed Paley.

Karen Millindorf/Herald

What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

Herald ScHoolS

East Broadway students share messages of thanks

Third graders in Valerie Kovel’s class at East Broad way Elementary School in the Levittown Public School District shared what they are thankful for in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Each student donned pil grim headwear as they took turns speaking to the entire class. They shared the many things they are thankful for, including fam ily, friends, school and much more. At the conclu sion, the class feasted together and enjoyed a Thanksgiving lunch.

–Michael Malaszczyk

Northside Elementary School students thank cops

For the past three years, Northside Elementary School in the Levittown Public School District has participated in “Cards for Cops,” a holiday pro gram that distributes cards to police officers all over Long Island. To date, Northside has made 1,035 cards for local officers.

The program, which is coordinated by Beyond the Badge New York, connects schools with their local law enforcement agencies to spread some love and cheer during the holiday season. Through students’ participation in the program, positive relationships with local law enforcement officers starts early from pre-school. Students and staff hope a card from a child can lift an officer’s spirit this holiday season, and the kind words found within will remind the officers that they have the school’s support.

Each year that Northside has participated in the program, amazing feedback from police offi cers who receive the cards was received. They have expressed their thanks for the many children who love to put smiles on their faces.

–Michael Malaszczyk

StudentS in MS. Tintle and Mrs. Carpentier’s third grade and kindergarten classes created cards to thank local police officers.

StudentS in Valerie Kovel’s third grade class marked Thanksgiving by sharing what they are thankful for.

Photos courtesy Levittown Schools each Student Spoke independently and shared with their peers.

Courtesy Levittown Schools

High school teaches students sports medicine

“We came up with this class through brainstorming,” Spreckels said. “Administration approached me with ideas, and I was all in. I’ve been an ath letic trainer for 20 years. I love this class.”

According to Anthony Murray, the high school’s assistant principal, the class is a great way to connect physical education with classroom education.

“We see so many students involved in physical education now,” Murray said. “And district-wide, we’ve been connect ing different forms of education as well. At the elementary schools, we’ve been doing LIFT (Library, Innovation, Fitness, Technology) Programs, which are com bining social media elements with physi cal education. So for this class, we found another hybrid area between hands-on learning and classroom learning.”

Spreckels added, “We also want to include mental health in it. The mental health of athletes is so important. We cover what mental health for athletes looks like and how it can affect athletic performance.”

The class, offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors, is divided into 13 sections, all of which tackle a different aspect of sports medicine. Some are more hands on, such as a “limb-wrap ping” unit, while others are more notesbased, such as being able to distinguish between the roles of different health care professionals. This embodies the LIFT theme, which helped to inspire the course.

The class also focuses on concussion protocol — something that professional sports is in desperate need of, especially considering the growing number of retired football players and boxers being diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy from repeated concus sions.

“We spend a lot of time learning what they are and how to treat them,” Spreckels said of concussions. “I guess what we are going for is to teach the stu dents all the aspects of a well-rounded sports medicine team, from doctors to spotters. And we also want to teach them what different healthcare profes sionals do, such as the differences between physical therapists and ortho

Dual enrollment

A growing alternative to Advanced Placement, dual enrollment allows high school students to receive col lege credits without having to take an exam.

pedists.”

The Herald recently reported on the growth of Wantagh School District’s unique elective offerings, which includ ed pottery, computer design, hydropon ics, and more.

Now, Seaford High School has one elective program that has the potential to grow into one of its star classes.

Mike SpreckelS, a 20-year veteran of Seaford schools, lectures a class of sophomores, juniors and seniors on how to perform CPR.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald photos

StuDentS Megan BlooM, right, and Jillian Bartolomeo learn how to apply emergency medical services’ skills, practicing on a dummy.

Lee Road third graders construct bridges

Third grade students in Mrs. Dillon and Ms. Snow’s class at Lee Road Ele mentary School participated in a STEAM-themed challenge activity on Nov. 22.

After reading the historical fiction story “Pop’s Bridge” by Eve Bunting and learning about various types of

bridges, the students designed a load bearing bridge to be constructed out of marshmallows and toothpicks. Working alongside their peers, students were handed 50 marshmallows and 100 tooth picks to assemble their bridge. The bridges were tested for strength by plac ing cubes on them.

Dowling most influential health care leader

Michael Dowling, who championed innovation to combat the Covid-19 pan demic as president and chief executive of Northwell Health, has been selected as America’s most influential leader in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine.

Dowling was chosen as No. 1 as part of the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most-influen tial people in health care, putting him ahead of national brand lead ers like CVS Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Moderna as well as Pres ident Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sec retary Xavier Becerra.

The magazine’s rank ing is determined by peers and the pub lication’s editors based on leadership and impact. Dowling has now appeared on the list 16 times, earning a secondplace national ranking in 2020, and third last year.

Northwell is New York’s largest health care provider and private employer with 21 hospitals, 850 outpa tient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians.

It’s one that has worked to upend health inequalities Dowling has said were laid bare by the pandemic. One of those initiatives was the Center for Maternal Health, unveiled earlier this year, focused on under served communities addressing health condi tions that can occur before conception through the first year after a baby is delivered.

“This remarkable rec ognition truly is a reflec tion of the collaboration and work ethic elicited by thousands of North well team members who deliver compassionate care to our patients each and every day,” Dowling said, in a release.

“Of course, our daily focus is on our sickest patients. But to serve our broad er community, we also look at health trends both looming on the horizon, and lurking under the cover of dark ness.

“That’s why we’ve taken a stand against gun violence. That’s why we’ve opened Northwell’s Center for Maternal Health to reduce maternal mortality — especially among Black Americans.”

Courtesy Levittown Schools

StudentS at Lee Road Elementary School enjoyed a hands-on STEAM activity during which they constructed bridges out of marshmallows and toothpicks.

Michael dowling

Clavin, Khzouz, Richner honored at gala

Money raised will help Nassau Community College feed the hungry

By ANDRE SILVA asilva@liherald.com

It was a night to remember, and a night to recognize the people and businesses that help make Nassau Community College what it is.

It was the annual gala of the Nassau Community College Foundation, taking place not far from the campus at the Cra dle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

Among those honored were Hemp stead town supervisor Don Clavin, NICE Bus chief executive Jack Khzouz, NCC administrator Charmian Smith, and Richner Communications, the parent company of Herald Commu nity Newspa pers.

Adorned in their best suits, ties and dresses, guests were immediately offered cham pagne and given a chance to pose for photos in front of a red carpet display. From there, it was a tour of the model planes and his toric aviation displays before being invited to sit at their respective tables in the main dining room.

ChARmIAN SmITh interim VP, academic student services, NCC

Leading the night off was Donna Drake of her self-titled inspirational tele vision show introducing guests like Joy Dedonato, an NCC alum, and executive director of the NCC Foundation.

“I’ll never forget the people I met and the values I learned at Nassau Communi ty College,” Dedonato said. “This place taught me to hit the wall, where you can not go further, and then go further any way.”

NCC president Maria Conzatti then introduced the honorees, selected for their support. Like Clavin and Richner Communications, both of which publi cize important notices to students, while also providing advertising and market ing.

Clavin, in fact, is a staunch supporter of the college, Conzatti said, thanking him for what he has done as an elected official. Like helping to organize The Nest at NCC — a non-profit organization that aims to alleviate hunger for stu dents, employees and their families.

“Some people say it takes a village to raise a child,” Conzatti said. “And were proud that this village raised so many students who come back to support our college.”

Baldwin’s Charmian Smith is NCC’s interim vice president of academic stu dent services, telling the crowd she was honored to know her colleagues recog nized her in such a way.

“This gala helps to bring us all togeth

er after the years of the Covid-19 pan demic,” she said. “It’s a great time to cel ebrate each other, our accomplishments, the community, and our families.”

Clavin is an NCC alum, and has count ed some of the professors there as actual members of his family.

“So many of my friends started their lives at this institution,” the town super visor said. “To be recognized is just hum bling.”

Stuart Richner talked about the importance of providing well-rounded learning experiences.

“Educating young adults takes a team of professionals and advisers, which we understand,” the Herald Community

Newspapers publisher said. “Here at Richner, we work as a team to pro vide hyperlocal news to our commu nities.”

Khzouz described his being hon ored by the foundation “amazing.” NICE Bus employs more than 1,000 people, transporting more than 70,000 each day in 450 vehicles. That’s more than a million miles a month.

“We have a mission, which we live every day,” Khzouz said. “That mission is to make sure our bus services are an asset to Nassau County institutions and its citizens.”

And now NICE is celebrating 10 years

in Nassau County.

“We use large complex vehicles to drive through Nassau County and Queens at peak rush hour with impatient New Yorkers. What could go wrong?”

Khzouz joked. “Yet, we prevail anyway.”

Proceeds from the gala will help The Nest at NCC food pantry. To make a dona tion, too, visit tinyurl.com/GiveNCC.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

ThE NASSAu CommuNITy College Foundation honored Hempstead town supervisor Don Clavin, NICE Bus chief executive Jack Khzouz, NCC administrator Charmian Smith, and Richner Communications, parent company of Herald Community Newspapers, during a fundraising gala last week.

mARIA CoNzATTI, pRESIDENT of Nassau Community College, honored Baldwin’s Charmian Smith during the Nassau Community College Foundation Gala last week.

SuppoRTERS AND INVITED guests gathered to celebrate four honorees at the Nassau Community College Foundation’s annual gala last week at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

It’s a great time to celebrate each other, our accomplishments, the community, and our families.

Dancers hit the floors for Janie’s Fund

JAM Dance Studio in Bellmore, which has been serving the community for 17 years, recently participated in a fundraiser for Steven Tyler’s founda tion, Janie’s Fund.

Tyler, the front man of well known rock back Aerosmith, founded Janie’s Fund, which has the mission to bring awareness to the issue of abuse and neglect of young women and children, and raise funds to ensure that all girls receive the support and services they need to overcome the trauma and pain associated with abuse.

Michele Cuccaro, co-owner of JAM Dance, said the studio was invited to participate in the fundraiser, along with six other dance studios across the coun try, by the Star Dance Alliance.

Last month, dancers between the ages of 5 and 17 took part in the festivi ties for four on a Saturday evening at the studio, which featured a glow in the dark dance party with a DJs Jessica Senra and Patti Popolizio.

JAM’s master dancers teachers, Criscia Long, Tiffany Castillo and Mar cus Jackson, led the fun and challeng ing dance class. Dancers won prizes,

scholarships and merchandise from brands Pastry, Champion Dancewear and the Star Dance Alliance.

Together, the participating studios raised over $160,000.

“We are so proud of our dancers who participated for such an incredible

cause,” Cuccaro said. “Dancers received their own link to share with family and friends to raise this money for the orga nization.”

The top earners were Hayley Ivey, Samantha Fahey, Guiliana Ribertone and Abbey Rothschild. Christin’s Cre

ations donated the balloons for the event and Chick-Fil-A provided 150 meals.

Cuccaro, who co-owns the studio with Gina Petitto and Lori Fortier, said JAM Dance was the recipient of the 2022 Heart Of A Champion Award, and was very proud of its efforts and contri butions in the local community and the dance industry for 30 years.

The dancers also put together holi day boxes for the United States Army, and the studio extends its thanks to the students and teachers at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for making the cards that were sent to the soldiers overseas with the boxes.

JAM Dance Studio, which is located at 227 Bedford Ave., Bellmore has class es for dancers ages one and older. Cuc caro said people can still register for classes, and that the studio offers both recreational and competitive classes, as well as birthday parties.

For more, email forjamdancers@ gmail.com, or call the studio at (516) 781-5090.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

JAM DAnce StuDio in Bellmore participated in a fundraiser the brought in over $100,000 for Janie’s Fund, a foundation created by Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler.

–Jordan Vallone

the StuDio receiveD 150 free meals from Chick-Fil-A for the dancers.

Temple to perform ‘Once Upon A Mattress’

The Temple B’Nai Torah Junior Play ers have performed for over 50 years. It all began in 1971, when the legacy Suburban Temple Junior Players selected Rodg Carousel as their Evolving over time, Junior Players to the Temple B’nai Torah Junior Players, every Autumn they have provided not only to the youth of their temple, but also to all children from the local communities, the opportunity to participate in the perform

Some of their recent productions “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Guys

and Dolls,” “13 – The Musical,” and “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.”

This year’s production is Once Upon a Mattress - the hilarious show that made Carol Burnett a star - or maybe vice versa. The cast range in age from 5 to 18 years old. Show dates are Saturday, December 10th, 2022 at 8pm, Sunday, December 11th, 2022 at 3pm and Saturday, December 17th, 2022 at 8pm. Tickets may be purchased at the electronic box office or at the door on performance night.

–Michael Malaszczyk

Gardiners avenue students get crafty

Herald file photo located at 2900 Jerusalem Avenue, counts members from Wantagh, Seaford, Bellmore, Merrick, East Meadow, and more.

Courtesy Levittown Schools

STEPPING OUT

arrives on local stages

The festive tradition continues to delight

By Karen Bloom

Neil deGrasse Tyson

How real is what you’re seeing up on the big screen? Astrophysicistlecturer Neil deGrasse Tyson knows and he’ll clue us in, separating fact from fiction — in a new installment of ‘An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies: The Sequel.’ Derived from yet another set of 30 films/television shows that range from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to ‘Mary Poppins’ to ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘Harry Potter’ to ‘The Lion King,’ this lecture is an entertaining and enlightening review of all the science that our favorite entertainment got wrong, combined with some of the stuff they got right. This lecture also incorporates the latest films as well as some classics that you may not have known had any science in them at all.

Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m. $250 (VIP), $100, $75, $50. $250 VIP ticket includes a post-show Q&A. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, Route 25A, Brookville. (516) 299-3100, or TillesCenter.org.

New York

offers its 40th season of the holiday classic, presented in the style of the legendary George Balanchine, on the John Cranford Adams Playhouse stage at Hofstra University.

The dance theatre closely follows the Balanchine tradition — from storyline through choreography, as well as sets and costumes. It is the largest production on Long Island, according to new artistic director, — and dance theatre alum Nicole Loizides Albruzzese.

The dance theatre’s version keeps to the tone set by company founder Frank Ohman, which remains true to the spirit of New York City Ballet’s Lincoln Center production. As a former student and New York City Ballet soloist under George Balanchine, Ohman was one of a select few authorized to use the original pas de deux choreography of his mentor, which continues to distinguish this production.

Through the years, Ohman created original dances and scenes to enhance Balanchine’s iconic vision. Now Albruzzese — who was a student at the dance theatre’s Ohman School of Ballet under Ohman and performed most of the children’s roles in “The Nutcracker” during her time there — returns as a professional dancer in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy before her international dance career, follows in her mentor’s footsteps in keeping to the Balanchine standard.

Special guest artists New York City Ballet principal dancers Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht take on the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, joining a cast of Ohman School students to bring the holiday classic to the stage.

With the elegant Christmas party scene, the battle of the toy soldiers and giant mice, the intense snow storm, and elaborate dancing in the Land of the Sweets, this “Nutcracker” is sparkling treat that maintains its enduring appeal.

Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18, noon and 5 p.m. $42, $32 seniors and children 12 and younger. Hofstra University, John Cranford Adams Playouse, Hempstead. For tickets, call (631) 462-0964, or visit OhmanBallet.org.

Curry’s interpretation at Tilles Center stars New York City Ballet soloist Miriam Miller as the Sugar Plum Fairy and New York City Ballet principal Tyler Angle as her Cavalier. Also of note, Fox Weather meteorologist (and Instagram and TikTok sensation) Nick Kosir joins the cast of more than 60 students and professional dancers as Dr. Stahlbaum, Clara’s father.

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, under the baton of maestro David Bernard, performs Tchaikovsky’s glorious score.

“This year, I’ve taken some elements and changed them to keep the production fresh,” Curry says. “Our professional dancers, along with our incredibly talented academy students, have accepted the challenge of these new variations and character developments. I’ve enriched the production with more theatricality and many new dramatic elements.

“Having our guest artists from New York City Ballet and the wonderful Nick Kosir is like having a very sweet cherry on top of an already decadent sundae.”

Company member Briana Laman dances the role of Clara, with fellow company member Ryan Cavaline as Nutcracker Prince. For this production, Curry has reinterpreted the central first act pas de deux in the prelude to Waltz of the Snowflakes (usually danced by a Snow Queen and a Snow King) for Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.

“Having this pas de deux danced by these two characters intensifies the connection between the two,” he says. “We see the arc of their relationship and gives the opportunity for Clara’s dream to have a more poignant and personal effect on our audiences.”

Saturday, Dec. 17, 1 and 6 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 18, 2 p.m. Tickets are $89, $69, $59, $49. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, Route 25A, Brookville. For tickets, call (516) 299-3100 or visit TillesCenter.org or EglevskyBallet.org.

Kenny G’s

The Miracles Holiday & Hits

Ring in the holiday season with smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. The crossover jazz icon has enjoyed phenomenal success across the pop, jazz and R&B charts for more than three decades. Known for his lyrical and emotive style, his music has garnered a devoted fan base and made him one of the biggest-selling instrumentalists of all-time. The sound of his sax is as iconic as his curly coif. Indeed, both are instantly recognizable. Expect an evening filled with a festive spirit and contemporary classics. A reprise of last year’s successful outing,’The Miracles Holiday & Hits Tour’ features a mix of holiday hits and fan favorites infused with his captivating and distinctive blending of genres. The tour follows the release of his 19th studio album, ‘New Standards,’ and the acclaimed HBO documentary ‘Listening to Kenny G.’

Thursday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.

NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road., Westbury. TheTheatreAtWestbury.com or LiveNation.com, or (516) 247-5200.

New York Dance Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Dance Theatre

Those

sugar plum fairies and various figments of a young girl’s imagination come alive this month. The beloved holiday confection never goes out of style.

Courtesy New York Dance Theatre

Photo: Clara is enchanted with her nutcracker in the party that opens the ballet.

Eglevsky Ballet’s innovative ‘The Nutcracker’ Long Island’s professional dance company is known for its inventive staging of Clara’s delightful journey, featuring additional choreography by Executive Artistic Director Maurice Brandon Curry.

Courtesy Eglevsky Ballet

Photo: The enchanting snow scene is a shimmering showstopper.

SCENE

Shrek The Musical

See the uplifting tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey, presented by Nassau Community College Theater Department, now through Sunday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. All the beloved characters you know from the film are brought to life on stage for an incredible adventure that includes a wisecracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand — and that’s Shrek, of course. Nassau Community College’s Mainstage Theatre, Garden City. Tickets $18; NCC students free with valid ID; $15, veterans, alumni, seniors 60+, students and NCC employees. For tickets/information, visit NCC.edu or call (516) 572-7676.

Christmas Tree of Lights celebration

Mercy Medical Center Council of Leagues invites the community to its annual Christmas Tree of Lights celebration, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m. Enjoy some of your favorite holiday songs sung by Mercy’s carolers and refreshments. The festivities take place in front of the hospital, 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. Proceeds from the event will support the Endowment for Nursing Leadership and Education at Mercy Hospital. For information visit CHSLI.org/mercy-hospital.

Weekly Mah Jongg

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

Santa visits

Santa Claus is coming to Seaford, Thursday, Dec. 15. He will be riding through as many streets as possible, starting at 6 p.m. Reach out to the Seaford Fire Department with questions; updates will be posted on their Facebook page about the event.

Holiday fun

Visit the streets of 19th century London during the darkest days of the year, in this adaption of the classic “A Christmas Carol,” with the Experiential Theater Company, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8-9, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 14-15, 10:15 a.m. and noon, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. Meet the Cratchit family, Mr. Scrooge, and the ghosts of past, present and future in this interactive show that weaves together music, humor, puppetry and collaboration. Celebrate the change of seasons through this beloved literary tale. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org.

Sugar Plum Ball/ Galactic Gala

Bring the kids to celebrate the season at festivities hosted by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, Sunday, Dec.11, noon-4 p.m., at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place.

Kids ages 4-12, accompanied by their adult guest (Mom, Dad, grandparent, etc.), will enjoy

Tackapausha Museum

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

LI Warriors Sock Hockey Dec. 10

Wantagh Chamber Snowball Run

The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a “snowball run” on Dec. 9, an annual December tradition. The race will start on Wantagh Avenue near the LIRR stairs, with multiple routes available for runners who’d like to run different lengths. For more information email info@wantaghchamber.com.

$5 Skate Night

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

Outdoor Market

The Merrick Chamber of Commerce hosts an outdoor market, starting Dec. 18, at 1 Broadcast Plaza in Merrick. Shop for holiday items offered by many vendors. If interested to be a vendor, contact (516) 442-6000. Set up starts at 8 a.m. and will stay open through 5 p.m., weather permitting.

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

On stage

Join crafty Jack Frost on a magical, musical winter adventure, in Plaza Theatrical’s production of “Jack Frost,” Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 .; Sunday, Dec. 12, noon. The story, narrated by the groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete, tells about the immortal winter sprite, who falls in love with a human girl named Elisa after rescuing her. Tickets are $15. Bring the kids to the Plaza stage at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Balloon Mission is up and away to save

In its early stages, nonprofit sets tone for future

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Where do helium-filled bal loons go when they’re released into the sky?

Cynthia Seibold had that same question. And she discovered that the old axiom was true: What goes up must come down. But not in ways people might like.

The North Merrick resident with a background in insurance underwriting, spent a lot of time outdoors at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. She noticed, however, that among all the litter found in the various parks, preserves and beaches she visit ed, one category stood out: bal loons.

Or rather, shreds of bal loons. Seibold found their strings and what was left of their plastic or rubber bodies impacting trees and plants and, of course, wildlife — animals that could easily mistake bal loon pieces for food.

It’s not that bal loon releases — or how they poten tially threaten the environment — is something new. But the pandemic created a new surge of such helium-intensive events as a different way to share birth days, graduations and retirements.

“Balloons are (a) leading cause of pol lution in our waters and our air,” Seibold said. “They break down into microplas tics and nanoplastics. I kept saying to myself, ‘There has to be a better way.’”

She found it with her nonprofit, Bal loon Mission.

“Our program is to collect balloons before they end up on the land and in oceans, reducing our carbon footprint and the harmful microplastics that are gener ated from balloons,” Seibold said. “And for every balloon that is sold and respon sibly collected, we feel it’s going to be one less piece of litter that’s harming our wildlife.”

Still, Seibold wants to make one thing very clear: She is not “anti-balloon.”

“This is a growing issue,” she said. “I think people need to know that there are options of ballooning responsibly. We’re not telling you to not have your balloons, but discard them in an appropriate man ner.”

Although the nonprofit is in its early stages, Seibold has already received a great deal of support while building rela tionships with local and statewide organi zations. That includes the Hempstead town sanitation department, and the state environmental conservation department.

One of Seibold‘s primary goals is to

the get the message out that Balloon Mis sion is collecting balloons with plans to set up collection bins as early as January so people can properly dispose their holi day balloons.

Those bins will be cardboard boxes with Balloon Mission signage, Seibold explained. Locations are still being deter mined, but she hopes to have them in community-oriented locations like fire houses, Veterans of Foreign Wars halls and libraries.

On a national level, Seibold said, peo ple are noticing the effects balloons have on the environment.

“There was actually a New York Times article that came out in March of 2022 that talks about this surge in balloon fren zy,” she said. “We couldn’t celebrate and we couldn’t do things when we were in lockdown.

“We did these big balloon displays, and they’ve gotten even bigger, and it’s not going away. People want this — they want a balloon collection. They want options. They want to feel like they’re part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Through her research and communica tion with Hempstead town officials, Sei bold learned the municipality actually passed a local law prohibiting the inten tional release of balloons in 2019. Yet, bal loon releases still happen, she said, mak ing it important that signage goes up — perhaps sometime next spring — advising

against such activities.

Seibold is working closely with ACDS, an organization that offers lifetime services to people of all ages with intellectual disabilities. Formerly the Association for Chil dren with Down Syndrome, the organization has locations in North Merrick and Plainview.

Jane Cohen, the day habilita tion services supervisor at ACDS, says it’s important for her group to offer volunteers to various envi ronmental organizations, and that its members are excited about helping Seibold’s nonprofit.

“In January, we’re going to start collecting (balloons) from various pickup sites, and then we’re going to bring them back to our hub sites and sift through them,” Cohen said. Volunteers “can work on their office skills and note-taking, so they can feel like they’ve accomplished some thing. It’s very rewarding for our individ uals.”

ACDS plans to provide some 200 volun teers to Balloon Mission.

“We feel this is a symbiotic relation ship,” Seibold said, adding it “works in keeping with ACDS’s goal of increasing life and social skills, and work readiness for their participants.”

She also hopes to educate people on alternatives to balloons.

MANy ARE uNAwARE the helium-filled balloons they release can harm the environment. Sea turtles and other animals can mistake the balloons for food.

past.

“I’m not looking to get rid of balloons — they make people light up,” she said. “I would like to start thinking of alterna tives. Can we blow bubbles? Can we send up a nice waft of smoke or sage into the air? It’s about finding these other ways of commemorating those moments in our life.”

Seibold hopes her nonprofit will get people thinking about ways to help find solutions.

“There are people that are smarter than me out there,” she said, “and I need those people in on the Balloon Mission.”

Photos courtesy Cynthia Seibold

CyNthiA SEiBOLD, fOuNDER and executive director of the nonprofit Balloon Mission, found an abandoned balloon at Lido Beach, a Hempstead town park. Seibold is on a quest to raise awareness about how damaging to the environment helium-filled balloon releases are, with hopes of making that a practice of the

we’re not telling you to not have your balloons, but discard them in an appropriate manner.

CyNthiA SEiBOLD Founder, Balloon Mission

Seaford seniors seek Seal of Biliteracy

In just the second year it is being offered as a graduation option, 34 Sea ford High School seniors are pursuing the Seal of Biliteracy designation. That would more than double the number of students who received it in June 2022.

World language depart ment lead teacher Patricia Foley said that the seal, affixed to a high school diplo ma, is awarded to students who show mastery in English and at least one other lan guage. Students in the Class of 2023 are seeking this desig nation in Greek, Hebrew, Spanish and Turkish.

Kutay Sezer, who lived in Turkey until he was 9, said earning the Seal of Bilitera cy would demonstrate his mastery of the two languag es he speaks fluently, with English being the second language he learned.

Jamie Young and Andrew Randazzo both have taken Spanish since middle school and want to earn the Seal of Biliteracy to show how far their language skills have come over the past six years. Jamie, who said that international business is a prospective career, knows that knowledge of another

language and other cultures will be ben eficial.

“It’s something that would be advan tageous for college submissions and my future career,” Randazzo added.

A few students are pursu ing the seal in three languag es, including Nicole Nietsch and Katerina Perlegis. Nicole Nietsch took Spanish as her world language in school and also learned Hebrew through an after school program.

“It’s important to under stand and relate to other peo ple,” said Nicole, who wants to become a teacher.

Katerina Perlegis also took Spanish in middle school and high school, and learned Greek from her fam ily. Aspiring to work as a speech pathologist, she said the knowledge of multiple languages could help her communicate with children who don’t speak English as their native language.

To earn the Seal of Biliteracy, all stu dents must complete culminating proj ects in English and their chosen world language. The theme this year is con temporary life. Candidates will present

their research in the spring before a panel of teachers.

Foley said she is thrilled that so many seniors are working to earn the Seal of Biliteracy and noted that knowledge of multiple languages is a beneficial life skill.

“We live in a very multilingual soci ety, even in the United States itself,” she said. “It is definitely a skill they can uti lize outside of the academic day and will benefit them in any career they choose.”

–Michael Malaszczyk

Courtesy Seaford Schools

Seaford HigH ScHool Spanish teacher and world language department lead teacher Patricia Foley was joined by seniors, from left, Kutay Sezer, Andrew Randazzo, Jaime Young, Katerina Perlegis and Nicole Nietsch with the languages they are studying in their pursuit of the Seal of Biliteracy.

it’s something that would be advantageous for college submissions and my future career. andrew randazzo Senior, Seaford High School

StudentS and Staff at Summit Lane Elementary School were excited to watch the United States team compete in the World Cup. the auditorium erupted in cheer when the U.S. scored a goal.

Summit Lane students cheer on U.S. in World Cup

Students and staff at Summit Lane Elementary School in the Levittown Public School District were ecstatic to cheer on the United States soccer team in the World Cup while watching a live game.

Before they assembled to watch the game, students learned different facts about Qatar, where the World Cup is tak

ing place, in their classes. While the U.S. competed against Wales, students and staff gathered in the gymnasium to watch the game on the large projector. While the game ended in a tie, the stu dents still shouted and cheered when they got to see their team score a goal.

–Michael Malaszczyk

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Notices

Notice is hereby given that the fiscal affairs of Levittown District for the period beginning on July 1, 2021 and ending on June 30, 2022, have been examined by an independent public accountant, and that the management letter prepared in conjunction with the external audit by the independent public accountant has been filed in my office where it is available as a public record for inspection by all interested persons. Pursuant to §35 of the General Municipal Law, the governing board of Levittown District may, in its discretion, prepare a written response to the management letter by independent public accountant and file any such response in my office as a public record for inspection by all interested persons not later than January 31, 2023. 135781

This notice is only for new cases in Seaford within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 135802

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD LOCAL LAW NO. 78-2022

All meetings of the Seaford Fire District are open to the public.

================

By order of: Board of Fire Commissioners Seaford Fire District

Dated: November 28, 2022

Michael R. Foran, Secretary 135806

LEGAL NOTICE

SEAFORD FIRE DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Seaford Board of Fire Commissioners of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, will meet as follows:

Annual Reorganization Meeting

Further Notice is hereby given that the Board of Fire Commissioners will hold its Annual Reorganization Meeting at 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

2023 Meetings

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 12/14/22 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 828/22. - 829/22. SEAFORD - Christopher Ferris, Variance, lot area occupied, construct portico attached to dwelling.; Variance, side yard, maintain a/c unit attached to dwelling., S/s Illona La., 54.76’ E/o Park Dr., a/k/a 3878 Illona La. 835/22. SEAFORDSeaford Plaza Inc., d/b/a Mario’s Pizzeria, Variance in off-street parking (expand existing pizzeria)., S/s Sunrise Hgwy., 499.22’ W/o Jackson Ave., a/k/a 3842 Sunrise Hgwy.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held November 22nd, 2022, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 78-2022, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 78-2022, amending Section 202-1 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include and repeal “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at various locations. Dated: November 22, 2022 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 135786

LEGAL NOTICE

December 2022 Meeting Date Change

Notice is hereby given that the Seaford Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners of the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, New York, will hold its regular Monthly Meeting for the month of December 2022, on the Fourth Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 8:00 p.m., at the Seaford Fire Headquarters, 2170 Southard Avenue, Seaford, New York 11783-2544.

Further Notice is hereby given that the Board of Fire Commissioners will meet with its Fire Chiefs on the first Monday of each month at 9:00 P.M. Should there be a holiday or other conflict; meetings will be rescheduled for the 2nd Monday of that month.

Monthly Meetings

Further Notice is hereby given that each successive Board meeting will be held on the fourth Monday of each month, the first of which is scheduled for Monday, January 23, 2023. All regular monthly meetings will convene at 8:00 P.M.

*******************

All meetings of the Seaford Fire District are open to the public and are held at the Seaford Fire Headquarters, 2170 Southard Avenue, Seaford, New York 11783-2544.

By order of: Board of Fire Commissioners Seaford Fire District

Dated: November 28, 2022 Michael R. Foran, Secretary 135807

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NO. 16214

RESOLUTION NO.1177-2022

Adopted: November 22, 2022

Councilmember Dunne offered the following resolution and moved its adoption:

RESOLUTION ADOPTING TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

PUBLIC PARKING FIELD MAPS SHOWING PARKING REGULATIONS AT CERTAIN PARKING FIELDS.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 1161-2022,

adopted October 3rd, 2022, a public hearing was duly held on the 22nd day of November, 2022, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed adoption of the following public parking field maps showing the repeal of two (2) “No Left Turn” signs and the adoption of two (2) “Right Turn Only” signs in parking field L-5, Levittown; the adoption of two (2) “No Standing Anytime” signs in parking field S-2, Seaford; all in accordance with Section 80-4 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead:

WHEREAS, after due consideration this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to adopt the following Town of Hempstead public parking field maps showing the revisions thereon;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following Town of Hempstead public parking field maps showing the repeal of two (2) “No Left Turn” signs and the adoption of two (2) “Right Turn Only” signs in parking field L-5, Levittown; the adoption of two (2) “No Standing Anytime” signs in parking field S-2, Seaford; all in accordance with Section 80-4 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead; LEVITTOWN L-5

Hempstead Turnpike & Gardiners Avenue Parking Field Levittown East End Turnpike Public Parking District (TH-408/22) SEAFORD S-2

Nelson Verity Plaza Parking Field Seaford Town of Hempstead (TH-407/22)

and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and the Ordinance Book, and shall publish a copy of this resolution once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Hempstead, and shall post a copy hereof on the signboard maintained by her, and file in her office affidavits of such publication and posting. The foregoing resolution was seconded by Councilmember Carini and adopted upon roll call as follows:

AYES: SIX (6) NOES: NONE (0) 135793

To

Getting ready for tax season

Photos courtesy Levittown Schools

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

During a Town of Hempstead Taxpayer Forum, Merrick residents William and Anne Dachille met with Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll at Town Hall.

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More complications from Superstorm Sandy

This unique home boasts 2,494 livable interior square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms. The main floor offers a primary bedroom with ensuite, additional bedroom and full hall bathroom, bright living room with woodburning fireplace, eat-in kitchen with brick oven cooking, laundry room, den/family room with access to backyard patio and 2 car attached garage. 2 Additional bedrooms, den/office/exercise room and shared bathroom are found on the second level. There is also a full basement with utilities, storage, full bathroom, wet bar and endless possibilities. This home also boasts wood floors throughout, ample closets/storage on a 116 x 63 lot. Call for a private showing.

Q. We purchased our home with minor damage from Hurricane Sandy, and were told that because there was little or no damage, just mold in the unfin ished basement and new boiler, the house was fine, no title problems. But when we tried getting a permit for a shed, we were told we needed a permit for stormrelated repairs, including proof of our home’s value. We decided not to get the shed because of this, but we got a letter saying we still need the storm repair per mit, regardless. None of the neighbors we spoke to ever got this permit. It seems we’re being punished for being honest and trying to do the right thing. Is there a way around this problem? What if we do nothing?

A. My answer may be as confusing as your situ ation. I have seen no con sistency in this dilemma as I go from one munici pality to another, and I’ve asked why some impacted jurisdictions don’t require as much paperwork and scrutinizing as others. The answer from officials was generally that each jurisdiction made assess ments of the specific properties, and then recorded which ones were uninhabitable compared to which ones had various levels of needed repairs.

It may have been that at the time, when people were so devastated by their personal property loss es, it seemed like a bad policy to hurt homeowners further with permit requirements and lots of administrative paperwork. The concerns for peo ple’s emotions at that time have, seemingly, dimin ished. Your jurisdiction chose to notify people to submit estimates and property value statements, over a decade later, mostly when they apply for per mits for unrelated projects.

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I sat down to a Sunday-morning breakfast chat in a diner with the top elected official in your juris diction in February of 2013, four months after the storm, as a concerned citizen as well as a licensed professional and columnist. It was nice that they paid for breakfast, but I’m not sure they acknowl edged the level of problems I was seeing, from the lack of communication and enforcement with the public. I suggested that it was better to notify every one with specifics, not randomly ambush people when they applied for other things in the future, like you’re now experiencing.

I advised that everyone damaged by the storm could file basic repair letters, be contacted by block and lot numbers instead of all at once, and put the effects of the storm behind us all as quickly and painlessly as possible, but in a way that officially recorded people’s repairs in letter form and in a simple way. Building departments were extremely helpful in assisting people to get backup docu ments, and I saw an earnest effort to help the pub lic. But many homeowners ignored letters, did nothing and seem not to be affected by require ments.

Your story is an example of the result I predict ed. I wish I knew the answer. It may take another decade to figure this out. Good luck!

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

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Facing life — and death — with peace and love

John Casciani died last weekend. You don’t know him, but trust me, he wouldn’t want anyone to fuss over him. He came into this world quietly 88 years ago, and I’m sure would prefer the same exit now.

But you can’t have such a profound effect on someone’s life — to the point that you almost single-handedly changed it for the better — and expect them to experience your passing as an afterthought.

Casciani doesn’t deserve to be remem bered, but because I simply don’t know how to express my sadness that someone who touched and transformed so many lives as a teacher over the years no longer shares the same plane of existence we do.

with “peace and love” — something you always felt around him. Peace and love.

I can usually write a column like this practically in my sleep, but nothing seemed right to honor this man who did so much for everyone, yet didn’t want anyone to notice.

So, that’s what I did. I cried. Tears of sadness. Tears of happy memories. Tears of who I am. Tears of what I might have been if it weren’t for Mr. Casciani.

MICHAEL HINMAN

Writing isn’t just a profession for me. It’s how I cope. And the moment I learned of Mr. Casciani’s passing, I put pen to paper, sharing an anecdote from the very first time I met this fascinating chemistry teacher and photography club adviser from my high school days, and how he introduced me to the magical world of the darkroom.

I talked about the value of teachers, who are key to our self-discovery of who we are. I even shared Mr. Casciani’s way of making even the most mundane interest ing, like when he would wager his chemis try classes he could drink a glass of boiling water — and then actually do it.

But the moment I typed the final words of that piece, I closed the document and then dumped it in the trash. Not that Mr.

I was going through a bad time when I first met Mr. Casciani. We all remember being teenagers, and few of us can say it was easy. But Mr. Casciani truly changed my life. Not just teaching me the skills that helped me land my first newspaper job — the fact that I could devel op my own film and print my own pictures helped get me through the door of a daily newspaper when I was still in high school — but being someone who taught me it was OK to be fascinated by the world around us. That we shouldn’t be ashamed of that sense of wonder.

Yet I simply couldn’t find the words to express any of that. Outside of a few Face book interactions, I hadn’t had a direct conversation with Mr. Casciani since I graduated from high school in the early 1990s. But he would occasionally send me a note, usually asking me to help him remember some details about projects we worked on — like our school’s television program in the days when creating televi sion at the high school level wasn’t so easy to pull off — so he could reminisce.

He would sign each of those messages

But then I remembered something else Mr. Casciani taught me. Strength doesn’t come from not needing to ask for help — it comes from seeking help when you need it. Something pride inter feres with all too often.

So, I sought that strength inside of me and asked for help. Marcie Schellhammer is the assistant managing editor of the Bradford Era in north-central Pennsylvania, about 30 miles from where I grew up. She’s written so many beautiful columns about people that I cite her work to my own reporters when we need examples of the best way to honor people with our words.

I did everything I was supposed to do. I shared a favorite memory, and how what I learned from it changed my life. I shared the moment my eyes opened, and even talked about how Mr. Casciani helped mold me into the man I am now. But it still wasn’t working.

“That’s because you wrote it to write a column,” Marcie told me. “You didn’t write it with your heart. At least that’s my pro cess. I can’t write a memorial column with out crying.”

As always, Marcie was right. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t take the traditional approach in honoring Mr. Casciani. I can scream from the hilltops how important our educators are — and they indeed are. But the truest way to honor a man like Mr. Casciani is to put what he taught me into practice.

To admit when I’m struggling. To face it. To seek out help. And to never, ever be ashamed of it. I joke from time to time that Mr. Casciani would tell me the skills I was learning in the darkroom would be skills that would help me the rest of my life. And then, in my mid-20s, darkrooms went extinct in the shadow of digital pho tography.

But that has changed my life. I haven’t stepped inside a darkroom in about two decades, but the skills I learned there opened the doors at the beginning of my career that allowed me to sit here and write these words today. And for that, I will be forever grateful to Mr. Casciani.

We all have a Mr. Casciani in our lives. And we can never thank them enough for making the impact they did. So, if you can still thank them, please take a moment and do it now.

Peace and love.

Michael Hinman is executive editor of the Herald Community Newspapers. Com ments? Execeditor@liherald.com.

No, Gwyneth, I will not buy your face cream

In this season of marathon shopping, I started wondering why I buy what I buy. There are millions of choices when it comes to our cosmetics and cars and food and OTC meds and clothing and shoes and TV series and movies and furnishings and technology, and travel and education.

So why do I scan the shelves and pick out one sneaker among the many sports shoes for sale?

celebrity flogs a product, my avoidance mode kicks in. I love Matthew McCo naughey, but I’m not buying a Lincoln because he looks dreamy sitting behind the wheel in the TV commercials. I am not buy ing Gwyneth Paltrow’s skin cream thinking it will make me look like her.

I mean, why would I buy a Dior product because Charl ize Theron is their public face? She’s a gorgeous 8-foottall South African beauty. My life, inside this body of mine, bears no resemblance to her existence. Dior face cream will not help. I resist.

does she know about shoes or me or the value of her product? As for the Kardashi ans, well, how much time do you have? Who are they, exactly, and how many of them are in the public eye, and what is their skill set? They endorse various hair products, and I imagine their pitch is to young people, but why? They are the most famous people who are famous just for being famous.

ing crosses, and stigmata. After an outcry from religious groups, Pepsi canceled its ad.

My friends are my greatest influencers. I buy what they tell me to buy; I watch the TV that they suggest; I read the books they send my way.

I also take seriously consumer reviews from reliable websites. I have found new doctors by reading online reviews.

We think we have the power of choice, but we are bedazzled by influ encers. Psycholo gists say that we are especially moti vated by celebrity endorsements that suggest we can acquire good looks, wealth, friends and celebrity itself by buying the car that George Clooney drives or wearing the ath letic shoes that Selena Gomez wears or drinking the Coke that LeBron James, Penelope Cruz or Michelle Kwan drinks.

RANDI KREISS

I’m crazy about Reese Witherspoon and I love Crate & Barrel products, but I’m not buying a new couch because she’s their “brand ambassador.”

Various media put enormous money into advertising campaigns that feature celebrities touting their products. For me, it’s a waste of their time and money. When a

I can’t argue that celebrity endorsements don’t work, because apparently they pay off big time, or companies wouldn’t seek out famous people to push their products. I just don’t think it works for me, and I would urge others to look at their prospective pur chases in a clear-eyed way, setting aside the celebrity glam factor.

Drew Barrymore has associated herself with Crocs. What the heck? Should I buy a clutzy shoe because she tells me to? What

Epic flops and scandals have haunted the celebrity endorsement industry. Kanye West recently unraveled with his nonstop antisemitic rants. He lost Adidas, Balen ciaga, Foot Locker, Gap, and others. Michael Phelps was dropped by Kellogg’s years ago, after a photo circulated of him smoking marijuana. Today, with a net worth of some $80 million, he can boast associations with Intel, Sub way, Under Armor, Beats and Visa. The weed factor is passe.

Years back, according to E-News, Madon na landed a one-year contract as the celebri ty spokesperson for Pepsi. A two-minute family-friendly ad premiered wherein the singer revisited her eighth birthday. But the next day, Madonna’s video for “Like a Prayer” debuted. The video featured burn

I have one friend whom I love who has mysterious powers over my purchasing decisions. When we’re together, we some times shop. I find myself buying what she tells me to buy — even the outsized blouse with a geometric print that makes my eyes burn. Sometimes there’s a pricey item I don’t need, but if she tells me I need it, boom, it’s in the shopping bag. I don’t know what it is. My only defense is not to go shop ping with her too often. Because if she tells me I need the striped balloon pants in neon green, it’s circus time for me.

As we go about our Christmas and Hanukkah shopping, it might be wise to consider who is influencing our purchases. One of the oldest and longest-running celeb rity endorsements was launched by Jell-O in the early 1970s, when they hired a 37-yearold actor named Bill Cosby. Presumably JellO has wiggled onward without him.

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

I can’t argue that celebrity endorsements don’t work. Apparently they pay off big time.

W e all have a Mr. Casciani in our lives, and we can never thank them enough.

Roosevelt’s address to the nation, Dec. 8, 1941

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speak er, members of the Senate, and of the House of Repre sentatives:

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliber ately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japa nese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our secre tary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

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 gov

ernment has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false state ments and expressions of hope for con tinued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many Ameri can lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported tor pedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.

The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the impli

cations to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all mea sures be taken for our defense. But always, will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us?

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute vic tory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend our selves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

letters

Taking the air out of balloon releases

To the Editor: Thank you to Senior Reporter Jordan Vallone for her well-written piece, “Balloon Mission is up and away: Planning initial projects, nonprofit sets tone for future” (Bell more and Merrick Heralds, Dec. 1-7, liherald.com/merrick/stories/bal loon-mission-is-up-and-away, 152602). And bravo to Cynthia Sei bold, of North Merrick, for using the pandemic to start a nonprofit group, Balloon Mission, committed to stopping the inane practice of releasing balloons into the environ ment as a form of celebration.

Balloons are made of rubber, latex or nylon fabric, which does not break down easily — a polyure thane balloon can take up to 450 years to decompose, according to the University of Melbourne. In the wild, balloons get caught in trees and underbrush, where they are shredded by branches. Over time, they appear to disintegrate, but what is really happening is the bal loons are further breaking down

into microplastics, which then become ingrained in soil and water systems. From there, they are ingest ed by animals and marine creatures — and then by we humans at the top of the food chain.

In 2019, the Town of Southampton passed a law

banning the intentional release of balloons — with a fine of $350 or imprisonment for up to 15 days for a first offense. Subsequent offenses would receive harsher penalties. The Town of Hempstead has a similar ordinance on the books, also passed in 2019,

opinions

The red wave that wasn’t, and the crime wave that isn’t

Despite expectations, Republi cans ended up underperform ing on Nov. 8. Although Republi cans narrowly captured the House, Democrats kept the Senate and even managed to flip multiple state cham bers blue, including capturing the gover nor’s office in Arizona, of all places.

Peculiarly, however, Republicans had one of their best nights in none other than the deep-blue Demo cratic stronghold of New York. They flipped a stagger ing one-fifth of all Democratic con gressional seats here, and nearly unseated Demo cratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

How did they pull it off? Fear of crime. While in most of the nation, inflation and preserving democracy were the top two issues, poll ing from New York City in May showed that the No. 1 issue on people’s minds was crime — and it wasn’t even close.

Leading up to the election, the Republi cans unleashed a barrage of fear-monger

ing on the good people of Nassau County. For their part, the Democrats, as usual, were yet again unable to show a spine and attack the Republican narrative. But at any rate, it seems the Republican assault on our collective psyche was successful.

There’s just one problem. There’s no actual crime wave.

It’s completely normal to be worried about crime; we all deserve to be safe in our neighborhoods. But the facts just don’t bear it out. Did you know that the num bers of murders, rapes and sexual crimes have all gone down this year compared with last, according to offi cial Nassau County Police Department data? Surpris ing, I know. And all things considered, we’re actually in one of the safest periods ever in our county.

There have been increases in crime, but they’ve been related to property, not violent crimes. And even with the increase in property crimes, it is still exceedingly rare for a Nassau resident to be a victim of such a crime. The most common crime defined as “major” this year was grand larceny. You know what

your chances of being a victim of grand larceny are? About 0.002 percent.

But I can definitely understand the claim that we all feel an air of crime here in Nassau. Blame the media: 2022 saw a spike in the media coverage of shootings in New York City that went far beyond the actual num ber of shootings.

It sickens me. You turn the page, a shooting. Anoth er page, a corpse. The third page, a guy arrested for beating his girlfriend. The media fills us with dread, all to make money. And I see how my neighbors increas ingly construct their own fortresses, replete with video cameras, dogs and floodlights, all out of fear of passersby.

This fear has serious consequences, increasing anxiety, social withdrawal, and unraveling the social fabric of neighbor hoods. This is no way to live.

At the same time, I don’t want to live in a county where we see an increasing number of desperate people turning to theft to survive. After all, if you can’t work, you go hungry, and stealing catalyt ic converters beats going hungry.

Letters

but the fine for intentional release cannot exceed $100, and there is no provision for jail time. I would like to see Hempstead pass an ordinance with stronger teeth.

As a town resident, though, I am heartened to see Hempstead working with Balloon Mission to educate the public about the myriad dangers that balloon releases present — particularly to the 17,000 acres and 180 miles of coastal waterways under the town’s jurisdiction.

Finally, each of us can play our part in helping to reduce plastics in the environment. When you see a plas tic bottle or rubber balloon on the street in your neigh borhood, pick it up and throw it away. I’m a runner. When you run and collect garbage, it’s called plogging, a Swedish fitness term. Hempstead would do well, though, to add more trash cans for recyclables at its parks, like those at the Levy Preserve in Merrick. This way, when folks are out collecting garbage, they could easily recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

SCOTT A. BRINTON Merrick

Randi nailed it on air travel

To the Editor:

I really love Randi Kreiss’s columns in the Herald, and the one that I specifically liked was “Flying the notso-friendly skies” (Nov. 24-30), about JetBlue and the way they’ve changed their system so that they don’t really accommodate people very well.

I went on a trip about three weeks ago, and it was really hard to book a flight because I had a couple of problems, and, like you said, to reach somebody, it’s like reaching God. And yes, the snacks are pretty sad.

Thank you so much for your articles, Randi.

JuDITH WEITz Long Beach

Framework by Tim Baker

So what can we do?

Let’s start with a price cap on gas in Nassau County, to fight inflation and bring relief to millions at the pump. Next, the county should put people to work at a good wage to finally fix these damn pot holes. And thirdly, let’s keep kids off the streets by fully funding schools, and lower violent crime by having Nassau replace our lead pipes, which contribute to lead poisoning, which researchers have tied to aggressive and impulsive behavior.

Too bad the Republican-led County Legislature won’t do any of that. In fact, when adjusted for inflation, Nassau’s 2023 budget actually has less funding for spe cial education and early-intervention pro grams. Nothing about lead pipes, or gas price caps. Don’t the Republicans care about preventing crime?

It’s OK to have a healthy fear of crime, and it’s OK to take measures to keep your self safe. But I implore my friends: Don’t let politicians and the media manipulate you. It is imperative that we do not fear our neighbor.

Matthew Adarichev is a public policy major at Hofstra University, a political activist and an aspiring journalist whose work has appeared in the Hofstra Chroni cle and the Anton Media Group.

Here’s hoping they’re bundled up out there — Sea Cliff Yacht Club

the numbers of major crimes in Nassau County have actually gone down this year.

mattHew aDaricHev

Buy a Brick

Celebrate or honor your loved ones this holiday season and give the gift of a lasting legacy in the Mount Sinai South Nassau garden, located at the corner of Oswald Court and One Healthy Way. Purchase an engraved brick, tree, or garden bench, or name the entire plaza and garden space that thousands of patients, visitors, and employees will see every year as they enter and exit the hospital’s front entrance

Honor a loved one or someone who made a di erence in your life. Remember a special person or celebrate a special occasion. Support Mount Sinai South Nassau’s mission and vision for a healthier tomorrow.