Uniondale Herald 03-07-2024

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Nassau University Medical Center, a public benefit hospital serving over 270,000 patients annually and Long Island’s only Level 1 trauma and burn center, is on the brink of a financial collapse and could cease to operate by July, according to hospital Chairman Matthew Bruderman.

This week, County Legislator Siela Bynoe and other Democratic officials called for Bruderman’s resignation after the state health commissioner, James McDonald, informed the hospi-

tal and the County Legislature that in order for them to receive $83 million in emergency funds, NUMC would have to agree to the state’s terms: to conduct a nationwide search for a new chief executive, submit a detailed five-year plan for improving operations and reducing losses, submit monthly progress reports, review its organizational structure and implement a quality-improvement plan.

But according to Bruderman, who led a recent two-hour “employee town hall,” the hospital has already done these things, and he is refusing to comply further, calling the

state’s demands and the legislators’ calls for his resignation “extortion,” and characterizing claims that the hospital is being mismanaged as false.

“The state decided that in our state, we want to make sure that everyone can access health care,” Bruderman said. “That’s what we pledged to do through legislation — it doesn’t matter your color, creed, religion, or how much money you have. The three safety-net hospitals were set up to serve the people with a special mission.

“Now, the state needs to make good on its promise and pay its bill,” he said. “Eighty-three mil-

Forum explores race and economics

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Since the earliest chapters of its history, the United States has suffered its share of scars on the social and economic landscape.

Now, with a legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and persistent discrimination, past injustices continue to echo in disparities in employment and housing opportunities, and access to quality education and health care.

On Feb. 29, Empire State Voices and Economic Security Project, two organizations dedicated to fighting for economic policies that benefit those who have hisConTinued on PAge 11

lion dollars, you know what that is? That’s extortion and blackmail, for the sake of poor people’s health care. No, I’m not going to comply with the state’s demands, and I’m not going anywhere.”

The 3,200 health care workers at NUMC aren’t worried about whether Bruderman will remain, but instead whether

they will still have jobs in the coming months. Ron Gurrieri, president of CSEA Local 830, the union that represents hospital employees, told reporters that workers are worried about their jobs, and how the hospital would continue to stay open and operate if it doesn’t receive the funding.

Courtesy Empire State Voices

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, with microphone, speaking on the state of the ‘Black economy,’ on Feb. 29. With her, from left, were economist Ludy Thenor-Shaw, community leader Mimi Pierre Johnson and policy advocate Sherrise Palomino.

Long Island Nets player hit with stray bullet

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

NBA G-League player Terry Roberts, a 23-year-old guard for the Long Island Nets and former University of Georgia standout, survived a gunshot wound to his upper chest after being caught in the crossfire of a Sunday morning gunfight outside of a Philadelphia bar.

Roberts was discovered on the sidewalk laid out with a gunshot wound to the chest around 12:45 am on Sunday after he and a teammate had driven to Philadelphia last weekend. Police found Roberts shot outside the 5th Street Lounge in Philadelphia where according to reports, Roberts and his teammate had stopped at the bar. As they approached the entrance, four men exited a gray Nissan Altima and began firing in their direction at another patron, with an off-duty security guard returning fire in response.

According to reports, Roberts and his teammate found themselves walking right into the crossfire of that gunfight without even realizing, resulting in Roberts being struck by a stray bullet in his chest and falling to the ground, later found laying on the sidewalk in a pool of his own blood.

After being rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center in critical condition, Roberts was initially placed on a ventilator, but it was later removed on Monday

and he was able to talk with his parents, who are overpowered with joy. That same day, doctors said they expect Roberts to survive, make a full recovery, and be back out on the court soon.

“Terry Roberts was the victim of a crime last Sunday in Philadelphia, and we are in the process of gathering more information about the incident,” said

the Long Island Nets in a statement. “He is currently in stable condition, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Our thoughts are with him and family at this time. Due to the ongoing law enforcement investigation, we will have no further comment.”

Roberts took to Instagram to let his friends, family, and fans know he is okay

and will be back soon. “First, I want to thank God for giving me the strength to still be here,” said Roberts in an Instagram post. “All I can do is be thankful and grateful,” he continued.

“He’s healing,” said Roberts’ mother, Allison. “He’s doing well but is in a state of shock. This is a traumatic situation that’s happened. He’s a miracle,” said his mother, “the doctors themselves said that he is a miracle.”

“It’s been tough,” Roberts’ father, Terrance, told reporters. “An avalanche of emotions, internal pain and handling the situation at hand.”

Roberts, who is from Amityville, is in his first season with the nets after a standout college career as a Georgia Bulldog. Roberts is currently averaging Roberts, who is a native of Amityville, played high school basketball at Believe Prep in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

From there he attended Florida SouthWestern State junior college and transferred to Bradley University before transferring one last time to the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022, averaging 13.2 points a game for the 16-16 Bulldogs. Roberts went undrafted in 2023, but has since appeared in 19 games for Long Island, a G-League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets.

In 18.6 minutes a game, Roberts is averaging 7.2 points as well as nearly three assists and three rebounds per game.

Courtesy Long Island Nets

Terry Roberts, the Amityville native and Long Island Nets player was hit with a stray bullet outside of a Philadelphia night club with a teammate last week.

Town of Hempstead celebrates Black History Month

History, civil rights, and a comprehensive arts tribute

By REINE BETHANY

Special to the Herald

With tributes to Black writers and artists, performances by area musicians, poets, and dancers, and the summation of a critical legal victory, the Town of Hempstead Black History Month program enthralled a large and enthusiastic audience last Friday.

The event took place in the auditorium of Nathan L. Bennett Pavilion. The lobby of the administrative building and the breezeway leading to the auditorium held displays honoring Black poet and author Maya Angelou, and showing the fiber-art trees of Westbury artist-storyteller Alicia Evans. The breezeway was crowded with collages of too many renowned Black musicians and performers to count.

Deputy Town Supervisor Dorothy L. Goosby introduced emcee Deborah Wortham, PhD, superintendent of the Roosevelt Public Schools, with a tribute to Wortham’s recent achievement: On Feb. 16, she received the highest honor in her profession, the Superintendent Award, from the American Association of School Administrators at their convention in San Diego.

“We have gathered to commemorate the rich tapestry of African American heritage and culture under the theme that they’ve selected: African Americans and the Arts,” Wortham told the audience. “The arts give you the motion and the movement to succeed in everything else.”

At the ceremony, three Uniondale residents were awarded for their ongoing service and excellence to the community — Jonathon Risbrook, Darlene Allen, and Tim Forehand.

Both Risbrook and Forehand are Uniondale football coaches, who have dedicated a large amount of time and service to help the Knights learn, love, and succeed in the game in the football from an early age in this community for over 20 years.

Allen, the other honoree, is the founder of the Mildred W. Fairclough Foundation, which was created in honor of her late mother, is committed to providing sorely-needed and measurable educational, nutritional, spiritual and recreational resources and support to the under-privileged and under-served minority communities of Greater Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale.

Instrumental music then flooded the auditorium from two groups: Jerome City Smith and the eight-member City Sounds Music Orchestra, and Everton Bailey and his Instrumental Sounds of Praise Youth Ensemble.

Operatically trained soprano Audrey DuBois Harris filled the auditorium’s immense dome with songs ranging from classical to gospel. Beverly Cox’s inspired a capella rendition of a gospel song prompted the 200-plus attendees to demand an encore. Samantha Harris, singer with the City Sounds orchestra, riveted the audience with a blues piece, and Jerome City Smith regaled the audi-

torium by leaping out in a James Brown wig to sing, “I Feel Good.”

Poet Otis Jermain Becoat delivered a short, poignant piece. Dr. Lindmichellebaron, the Town Poet Laureate, spoke her poem, and then, with the City Sounds Music Orchestra improvising musical support, she transformed the spoken words into a jazz number.

The Youth & Teen Dance Company of Hempstead, directed by Denise Howell, portrayed the suffering and ultimate victory of Black people overcoming slavery and bitter prejudice. The Baldwin-based group Destined to Dance, directed by Erica and Jerry Edmonds, expressed the active joy of traditional African dance forms.

Keynote speaker and distinguished lawyer Frederick K. Brewington, Esq., who has specialized in civil rights litigation for three and a half decades, detailed the case of Dorothy L. Goosby v. the Town of Hempstead.

Brewington’s amusing simulation of talking to his wife on his cell phone while delivering his speech kept the

audience laughing.

“Dorothy Goosby gave me an assignment and I’m going to do a talk,” Brewington said, “about the changing of a government!”

Meanwhile, the carefully prepared slides with which he accompanied his words brought home the dreadful impact of Hempstead Town’s past one-district atlarge voting structure, which prevented the town’s communities of color from any hope of electing a candidate of their choice to the Town Council.

After a 12-year legal battle mounted by Goosby and co-plaintiff Samuel Prioleaux, for which Brewington served as counsel, federal judges mandated that the town be divided into six councilmanic districts.

Ms. Goosby was appointed to represent Councilmanic District 1 in 2000. Ever since then, she has been reelected, never with less than 83 percent of the vote.

After Goosby and Wortham presented community service citations to nine honorees, Smith and his orchestra led a rous-

Wearing a James Brown wig, Jerome City Smith belted out “I Feel Good,” accompanied by his City Sounds Music Orchestra, at the Town of Hempstead Black History Month celebration on Feb. 23.

ing “Happy Birthday” for Goosby, whose birthday coincided with the day of the program.

Bailey, Harris, Howell, and the Edmonds were among the honorees of the evening. Other honorees were Darlene Allen, founder of the Mildred W. Fairclough Foundation Inc.; author and businessman Donald W. Durant; Tim Forehand, coach and mentor to the Uniondale knights Youth Football program; and Jonathan Risbrook, coach and volunteer with the Uniondale Knights Youth Football and Cheer Program.

There were also two Youth Award honorees: Asher Cox, who overcame the impact of his mother’s death, joined his father’s restaurant business, became a certified automotive mechanic, and is now in pilot school; and Destynee Nia Allen, a Roosevelt High School ninth grader who is maintaining a 95 average while active in school sports.

Courtesy Reine Bethany

Johnathon Risbrook, who was honored at last week’s Black History Month celebration, next to Town Supervisor Dorothy Goosby.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Dorothy Goosby presenting Darlene Allen, the founder of the Mildred W. Fairclough Foundation, with recognition for all of her community work.

By BRANDON CRUZ

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is determined to prove that Hofstra University President Susan Poser — an outspoken critic of plans to add a casino as part of the Nassau Hub redevelopment in Uniondale — has worked with a competing casino bid in Queens to derail plans by Las Vegas Sands to come to Long Island.

Now Blakeman says he has proof — so much, in fact, that he’s demanding that Poser resign.

The county last month compelled Poser to appear before the County Legislature in Mineola to talk about discussions she may have had with people associated with Hard Rock International — which wants a downstate license to open a casino near Citi Field. While a court delayed her appearance, it left the door open for Poser to turn over any communication she may have had with those associated with Hard Rock.

Blakeman told reporters on Feb. 29 that a subpoena revealed a series of text messages between Poser and Robert McBride, a Long Island business consultant Blakeman says served as a middleman for communications between Poser and Hard Rock.

Poser reportedly sent a text to McBride in response to a New York Post story detailing Hard Rock’s bid to build a casino in the parking lot of Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. Steven Cohen, the Mets’ majority shareholder, is a partner in Hard Rock International, and is leading the Hard Rock effort. Poser responded that the news “made her day,” and asked McBride, apparently referring to Cohen, “How can we help him and vice versa?”

McBride reportedly told Poser he had made inquiries, but that “most players in this space” are being “cautious,” so as not to be accused of unfair business practices.

In another text exchange between the two, Poser sent another Post story to McBride, pointing out that Stuart Rabinowitz — Poser’s predecessor, who retired from Hofstra in 2021 — holds one of three seats on the state Gaming Facility Location Board, which will ultimately decide who will get the three licenses up for

grabs to operate a downstate casino.

The Post story speculated that Rabinowitz’s involvement on the board could be trouble for Sands, since Hofstra’s official position remains being opposed to the casino coming to Nassau. McBride told Poser he hoped Newsday would pick up the story “with a twist.”

Poser added that “someone needs to tell Steve Cohen that it is actually in his best interest to agree with them,” adding that it would make Cohen “appear gallant and help himself at the same time.”

McBride simply responded, “Done!”

“A consultant taking orders from the

president of Hofstra University — and communicating with Hard Rock on her behalf — that is what we are dealing with,” Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti told reporters at the Feb. 29 news conference.

But Hofstra asserts that the county executive is blowing the exchanges between Poser and McBride out of proportion.

“The text messages shared by County Executive Blakeman reflect informal reactions to press articles with Hofstra University’s consultant, and confirm the lack of merit to the legislature’s ‘investigation,’” a Hofstra spokeswoman said in a statement. “Hofstra University continues to believe that the public has a right to participate in decision-making about redevelopment plans for the Nassau Hub. If Nassau County wished to embrace those principles, Nassau County would simply restart the process before the planning commission and the legislature, as ordered by the court.”

The current row between Hofstra and the county stems from a subpoena issued to Poser last month after Blakeman described an email from Michael McKeon — a reported lobbyist for Hard Rock — to the Florida organization’s senior vice president, Sean Caffery, as well as Michael Sullivan, who works for an asset management company purportedly connected to Cohen. McKeon reportedly sent a link to a news story about the casino

efforts, explaining to Caffery and Sullivan that it “speaks to Sands’ efforts to control the site,” adding that he would be “checking with Hofstra to see if they will oppose this move.”

At the time, Blakeman called the email evidence that Hofstra and Hard Rock were working together to hinder plans by Sands.

All of that came after Hofstra was successful in a lawsuit against the county that seemingly will force Mineola officials to restart the public process to finalize a lease with Sands, claiming the meetings were not properly publicized.

“We have now seen the result of our accumulation of information as a result of the County legislature’s subpoenas,” Blakeman said. “And they are very troubling. They completely misled and lied to the public.”

Blakeman says that Poser can now expect further subpoenas as a result of these new findings.

“If they are against all of the things they claim to be against — and all of the concerns they had — they certainly weren’t concerned about students in Queens,” Blakeman said, referring to efforts to support the Citi Field bid for Hard Rock.

“Any statement or suggestion — directly, indirectly or otherwise that McBride Consulting has engaged in any improper conduct is absolutely untrue,” McBride Consulting told the Herald in a statement.

Brandon Cruz/Herald

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman continues to claim that Susan Poser, president of Hofstra University — and an outspoken critic of building a casino as part of a development at the neighboring Nassau Coliseum — has colluded with a competing casino bid in Queens in an attempt to sabotage Las Vegas Sands from opening up in Nassau.

Could L.I.’s only Level 1 trauma and burn center be closing?

According to a report released last month by consultants for the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state board that controls both NuHealth and county finances, NUMC may run out of money by late April.

Bruderman insisted that the state is at fault for the fiscal condition of the hospital, saying he inherited a complete mess when he was appointed almost two years ago. He also blamed a massive drop in state funding as the main contributor to the hospital’s financial woes. Since 2017, state funding for NUMC has plummeted by more than $160, million from $189 million to just $30 million this year, according to County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office. That is just about all the money NUMC has left to operate — which Bruderman told reporters he believes is enough to last through July, but not without possibly having to cut nearly 300 jobs very soon.

He also claimed that state officials, whom he did not name, have told him that their plan is to shut down the hospital and force patients into the for-profit health care system — claims that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and county legislators deny, with Bynoe describing Bruderman’s “town hall” as a “bewildering tirade” that eventually “devolved into a disconcerting spectacle of blame-shifting and the promotion of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories for over two hours,” she added, “with no clear direction.”

In a statement released Tuesday, Hochul’s office called Bruderman’s claims “as baseless as they are misguided,” and adding that the governor “remains fully committed to health care accessibility for all,” but “the state cannot give a bailout using taxpayers’ dollars without ensuring structural reforms.”

No matter who is at fault, a hospital in which 70 percent of patients are members of racial minorities and more than 80 percent are on Medicaid or Medicare, a permanent closure would be a burden that the county’s most vulnerable would bear — with taxpayers also remaining on the hook for over $100 million in debt.

“This is very bad for the community,” said Barbara Powell, president of the Hempstead NAACP. “Catastrophic, even.” Powell said she believed that because of the demographics of the patients that NUMC’s closure would affect, Bruderman and the state believe they can play politics at the expense of the community’s health care lifeline — especially for Uniondale, which does not even have an urgent-care facility within its borders.

Assemblywoman Taylor Darling said she believed that if NUMC — which also serves the county’s incarcerated population — is to be saved and kept afloat, leaders of the hospital, the county and the state need to stop pointing fingers and come together “to think beyond political semantics and look at real solutions” before it is too late.

Brandon Cruz/Herald Nassau University Medical Center Chairman Matthew Bruderman held a two-hour-long ‘employee town hall’ in which he blamed the state and Gov. Kathy Hochul for the hospital’s financial problems and called for more funding for NUMC without conditions.

Fed Bank leader says Long Island is recovering

By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@liherald.com

We’ve heard a lot about the economy in the years coming out of the coronavirus pandemic — and those conversations will only get louder as we head into what is expected to be a rather contentious presidential election.

But when it comes to the economy on Long Island — at least for now, it’s rebounding. At least according to the man whose collection of gold in Manhattan far exceeds what’s found in Fort Knox.

John Williams, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, paid the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale a visit last week, sharing the state of the economy with members of the Long Island Association. And there’s plenty to talk about.

“As business leaders, you all know all too well the impacts the pandemic had on our communities in our economy,” Williams said “In many way, Long Island’s economy mirrors New York City’s, and both were hit especially hard in 2020. In fact, much harder than what we saw in the rest of the country.”

Inflation was rampant, the job outlook was unstable, and the supply chain was struggling to regain its once super-efficient form.

But an important milestone was reached last year, Williams said: total employment numbers returned to what they were before the pandemic.

“Last year was also a turning point for the U.S. economy overall,” Williams said. “The economy grew far faster than anyone expected a year ago, boosted by increases in the labor force and productivity.”

The fact that the financial market has held for the past two years also is significant, Williams said, since that’s the longest stretch in five decades.

And although inflation continues to be a concern, at least as far as personal consumption expenditures go,

numbers are falling from the 40-year high experienced just a couple years ago to levels considered far more stable.

Williams visited with the LIA as part of an overall Long Island tour that included stops in Suffolk County as well as at Hofstra University. Although monetary policy itself is decided on Capitol Hill and the White House, the Reserve Bank of New York is where the nation’s monetary policy is implemented as part of the larger Fed.

Williams visited Long Island at a time when the economy here has stabilized, according to LIA president and chief executive Matthew Cohen.

“Our gross domestic product is $200 billion,” Cohen said. “About 45 percent of adults have a college degree — which is higher, actually, in both New York City, and the state as a whole. And, as a region, we have a low unem-

ployment rate.”

That’s pretty significant for a region that is larger than 15 states. Which is why it’s important businesses on Long Island work together, Cohen added, to lead the rest of the nation in the ongoing recovery.

“We need to work together — everyone in this room, everyone in our region — to create new good-paying jobs to support the growth of both legacy sectors and these emerging industries,” he said. It’s also important to “cultivate entrepreneurship so that the next Apple can be built here.”

Over the decades, Long Island and the country has proven to itself it can weather a number of storms. But the economy is ever-changing, Williams said, and the pandemic proved it’s important to strengthen the country’s financial infrastructure.

“It’s kind of a recognition of our limits to that resiliency,” Williams said. “Supply chains have become extremely complex.

“That’s one of the lessons — that when you have extreme movements in demand supply … things can crack in that system. People are recognizing that, in terms of businesses, of having more resiliency.”

Williams can’t make predictions of what the economy will bring, but can say the world we live in now is already different, and will continue changing as we move forward. Like the movement of more and more people to continue working from home, or maintaining hybrid work environments where they may only be in the office a couple times a week.

A potential solution?

“To do office space in the modern world, you have to invest a lot to make that office space attractive,” Williams said. “It’s just one of those kinds of evolutions that is jarring that we go through in cities like New York where things have changed, and we need to adjust to that. I’m confident we will be able to do that.”

Michael Hinman/Herald

John Williams, right, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, joined Long Island Association president and chief executive Matthew Cohen for a discussion on Long Island’s economy during a visit to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale last week.

Projects, pros honored at REAL Awards

Long Island’s most prolific real estate leaders highlighted at annual event

By Parker Schug

The diverse Long Island real estate scene includes industry experts from every niche specialty from construction and design, to insurance and sales. And the best of the best were honored last week as part of Herald Community Newspapers and RichnerLive’s third annual Real Estate Achievement and Leadership Awards, or REAL Awards.

“It’s a relatively small island, but a lot of things are happening,” said Chris Kelly, the marketing vice president at Tritec Real Estate Co.

Held at The Heritage Club at Bethpage, this year’s awards once again honored many leaders in the space who have been in the game for decades, as well as up-and-coming professionals — all with successful projects and happy clients to show for their work.

Antoinette Biordi, four-time Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter for News 12, handed out a number of awards split into nearly 30 categories that included Broker of the Year, Construction Group of the Year, and the top residential and commercial broker.

Sara Gore, real estate saleswoman and four-time Emmy Award-winning television host for “Open House” and “New York Live” on NBC, was a keynote speaker and recipient of the special “Trailblazer” award.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time,” Gore said. ”But now to be on the other side of things — and be on the real estate side and really feel like I’ve solidified my place, my stake in this industry — it feels really good to be a part of it.

“I’m so proud to be included within this group of professionals that are here tonight.”

Mel Pulatani and son Dan of MP Construction D — a general contracting company specializing in luxury residential and sophisticated commercial projects — were given the Father & Son Power Team special award.

“I mean it’s obviously an honor to be honored at this event,” Dan Pulatani said. “But I have to give all credit to my father. He’s the real reason we’re here. He’s the guy that makes the dream happen. I’m lucky and honored to be his partner every day.”

Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island, accepted the NotFor-Profit special award.

“The theme of our work is connecting to local communities,” Alexander said. “And that’s how real estate development is successful: When they work with local communities. It means a lot when a number of the other honorees, too, are connected to local communities. I’m in great company.”

Steven Krieger, chief executive of B2K Development, was selected as Power Developer of the Year.

“Hard work leads to luck,” Krieger said. “I’ve been so lucky to meet so many great people in this business.”

Beth Donner, founder of Melvillebased Beth Donner Design, was honored

with the Interior Designer of the Year special award. Christopher Robinson, president of R&M Engineering, accepted the engineering special award, while also celebrating 25 years in the business.

Elisabetta Coschignano, of the Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano law

firm, was among those honored in the commercial real estate category.

“I pride myself on being prepared in the Long Island real estate world, and especially as it relates to zoning and land use,” Coschignano said.

Connie Pinilla, principal agent for the

Connie Pinilla Team at Compass, received the brokers’ award in the residential category for her 21 practicing years.

“I love real estate,” Pinilla said. “It makes me feel on top of the world.”

Gold Sponsors of the event included B2K Development and Beth Donner Design.

Silver Sponsors were All State Abstract, Amazon, Anthony A. Nozzolillo Esq., Breslin Realty Development Corp., Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, Brown Harris Stevens, Champion Elevators, Cronin & Cronin, Damianos Realty Group, Empire Electrical Corp., GC Advisory Group, Harris Beach PLLC, Long Island Board of Realtors, Men on the Move, Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp., Metropolitan Realty Associates, Mojo Stumer Associates, MP Construction D, PX4 Development, R&M Engineering, Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano, Signature Premier Properties, Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, the Connie Pinilla Team at Compass, the Crest Group and Tritec.

The ballroom filled with guests ready for the ceremony to begin.

Mark Stumer of Mojo Stumer Associates.

Tim Baker/Herald photos Sara Gore, host of Open House NYC, was the keynote speaker for the evening.

Kelly Heck accepts on behalf of Tritec. Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island.

Beth Donner with her crystal award. Christopher Robinson of R&M Engineering.

Joseph Farkas accepting his special award for Real Estate Investment/Development Company of the Year.

Kevin Leatherman of Leatherman Homes and president of LIBOR.

Steven Krieger of B2K Development

Honoree Connie Pinilla, right, at the REAL Awards photo booth.

Honorees Justin Breslin and Elisabetta Coschignano.

Honorees Marco Scarda, left, Daniel Scarda, Chuck Merritt and Cara Cronin at RichnerLive REAL Awards last week.

Father and son power duo Dan and Mel Pulatani.

Natasha Williams of LIBOR with her son.

Holden Leeds/Herald photos Julia Krispeal from Serhant.

Michael Puntillo of PX4 Development.

Jack Martins of Harris Beach PLLC.

Uniondale High School closes out Black History Month

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Uniondale High School marked the grand finale of Black History Month with an extravagant celebration that left a lasting impression on students, staff, and community members alike. The event, held with style and flair, featured a wide range of activities, including awards, captivating performances, a delicious dinner, and more that aimed to create an atmosphere of unity, celebration, and appreciation of Black history in America.

One of the highlights of the evening was the enchanting performance by the renowned Uniondale show choir, Rhythm of the Knight, led by the talented Lynette Carr-Hicks, who was just honored last week for her outstanding leadership within the community. Their captivating and soulful renditions showcased the rich cultural heritage and musical traditions that have played a significant role in shaping Black history.

But the stage was not limited to the Rhythm of the Knight alone, as plenty of other performers took center stage, each bringing their unique talents to the spotlight. From actors to dancers and musicians, the diverse lineup of performers ensured that the crowd remained engaged and entertained throughout the evening. The celebration served as a platform for showcasing the incredible talent within the Uniondale community.

In addition to the spectacular performances, the night was dedicated to recognizing and honoring individuals who have demonstrated exceptional hard work and dedication. Among the honorees were Paul Gibson, Cohen Nelson, and Syntychia Samuel, each of whom received well-deserved accolades for their outstanding contributions to the community and adding a meaningful and personal touch to the celebration, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of all individuals who have make a positive impact on the lives of others.

The night was not only a celebration of the past but also a reminder of the ongoing journey toward equality, understanding, and unity.

Courtesy Uniondale Public School District Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil giving a heartwarming speech beside school board President, Mary Bediako.

Uniondale’s show choir, the Rhythm of the Knight, gave a captivating performance as they were led by the talented Lynette CarrHicks, who was just honored last week for her outstanding leadership within the community.

Students from Walnut Street elementary performing and holding up signs reading “I am somebody,” led by the outstanding music teacher, Juan Carlos Tavarez.

Strides have been made, panelists say, but there’s more to be done

torically been underrepresented and often neglected, hosted a forum in Elmont focusing on the intersection of race and economics, and how it affects communities, like Uniondale, all over Long Island.

“The economic impact of the disparities that exist are hitting Black people straight,” Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who took part in a panel discussion, said. “We’re talking about food insecurity, we’re talking about housing instability, we’re talking about issues like economic empowerment. We are getting the brunt end of it, and we need to push back. We need to make sure that we are educated and galvanized.”

Residents from Elmont, Uniondale, Roosevelt, Hempstead and elsewhere gathered at Le Spot Cafe for in-depth conversations about the economic policies that most dramatically affect their communities, where progress has been made, and where there still remains important work to be done.

Tsystem, sharing with each other and coming together,” Pierre Johnson added, is the only way forward.

“We have to help each other,” she said. “When you begin to see human beings — the dignity of a person — that’s when real work begins.”

The evening began with a presentation on a new groundbreaking initiative — the IRS Direct File pilot program, a free tool being offered to New Yorkers for the first time this year to ease the burden and reduce the cost of filing taxes. This will be the first time many residents will be able to file their taxes at no cost.

lot of work that still needs to be done to allow Black and Brown communities in New York to flourish.

Maria Mar Tinez Executive director, Empire State Voices

The event transitioned into the panel discussion, which was moderated by policy expert Sherrise Palomino. The guest panelists included Solages, Pierre Johnson and economist Ludy Thenor-Shaw, who shed light on the complexities of economic policies and helped listeners understand the broader economic landscape.

islation.

“We have seen important legislative steps taken in the past few years to direct funding and opportunities to these communities,” said Maria Martinez, executive director of Empire State Voices. “Tonight allows us to gather, organize, and ensure that these steps are only the beginning.

“But there is a lot of work that still needs to be done,” Martinez added, “to allow Black and Brown communities in New York to flourish.”

“A key component of building economic power for working people is transforming the systems that deliver relief,” said Adam Ruben, the Economic Security Project’s vice president of campaigns and political strategy, who took part in the panel discussion.

“We must stop with the isolation of neighborhoods and people,” said community activist Mimi Pierre Johnson, who recently organized a bus protest with riders from Uniondale, Roosevelt, Hempstead and Elmont. “Understanding the

All of the panelists spoke on the state of the “Black economy” on Long Island, the benefits of legislative victories such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, as well as the impact of the ongoing gridlock in Congress over gov-

ernment spending. Conversations also centered on the importance of civic and community engagement, as well as how New Yorkers of all colors and backgrounds can support the economic growth of Black communities.

“We had important conversations around ensuring that we create a pathway for economic opportunity in Black communities,” Solages said, “as well as what has and still needs to be happening across the state with regard to economic development and how we can tap into these opportunities for all New Yorkers.”

The panelists explored the challenges and opportunities in the Black economy, and delved into the benefits of recent leg-

“In the Biden administration’s first term,” Ruben said, “the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, and now the IRS’s Direct File free and simplified tax filing program have helped bring costs down and opened the door to returning more money to middle-class families. When corporations pay their fair share and when junk fees are eliminated, it means more resources are better dedicated to caring for our children and their communities — and here in New York, it means more families will easily access the federal Child Tax Credit and New York Working Families Tax Credit to help their children thrive.”

Community activist Mimi Pierre-Johnson speaking on the intersection of race and economics on Long Island.

BUILDER

Aquacade Pools

Big Becks Pools & Pavers

Brothers 3

TITLE COMPANY

Fidelity National Title Group

Liberty National Title

MacGregor Abstract Corp.

TREE SERVICE COMPANY

Greencare Tree Service

We Care Tree Service

Wonderland Tree Care + Landscapes, Wonderland Tree Care + Landscapes

UPHOLSTERY

A & B Upholstery

East Meadow Upholsterers Corp.

Tony’s Decorating-Upholstering

WINDOWS COMPANY

Marcor Construction

Panther Siding & Windows, Inc. Unified Home Remodeling

KIDS & EDUCATION

ADULT EDUCATIONCONTINUING EDUCATION

Hofstra University

Molloy University

Nassau Community College

ART SCHOOL

ARTrageous Studio, LLC

Hue Studio

The Art Studio

BEAUTY SCHOOL

Brittany Beauty Academy, Levittown

Long Island Nail Skin & Hair Institute

Nassau BOCES

CHARTER/PAROCHIAL/ PRIVATE SCHOOL

East Woods School

Lawrence Woodmere Academy

St. Anthony’s High School

COLLEGE PREP

SERVICES/ADVISORS

Chaminade High School College Connection

Lawrence Woodmere Academy

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

Adelphi University

Hofstra University

Molloy University

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT

Christine M. Riordan, PhD, Adelphi University

James Lentini, DMA, Molloy University

Susan Poser, PhD, Hofstra University

DANCE SCHOOL

Dance Mechanix Hart & Soul Dance and Performing Arts

Sarah Beth Academy

DAY CAMP

Bellmore United Methodist Nursery School

Bright Star Academy

Hofstra Summer Camps

DAY CARE

Bright Star Academy

Five Towns Early Learning Center

Our Kids Place Hewlett

DRIVING SCHOOL

Bell Auto Driving School

East Meadow Driving School

Suffolk Auto Driving School

GYMNASTICS CENTER

CATS (Children’s Athletic Training School)

KidStrong, Carle Place

LI Elite Gymnastics

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Alexandra Greenberg, George

W. Hewlett High School

Hank Williams, Lawrence

Woodmere Academy

Richard Schaffer, East

Rockaway High School

KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Epic Escape Rooms Long Island

Krafty Hands

Long Island Children’s Museum

LEARNING CENTER/TUTOR

Cornerstone Behavioral Services

Long Beach Public Library

Tutoring Club of Bellmore

MARTIAL ARTS

Goshinkan Jujitsu Dojo

Pakua Martial Arts

Warren Levi Martial Arts & Fitness

MUSIC SCHOOLS/CLASSES

Center Stage Music Center

Long Beach Guitar School

The Children’s Orchestra Society

NURSERY SCHOOL

Bellmore United Methodist Nursery School

Bright Star Academy

Lawrence Woodmere Academy

SPORTS CAMP

Beach Baseball Camp and Clinics

CATS (Children’s Athletic Training School)

Hofstra Summer Sports Academy Camps

PEOPLE & PLACES

B&B/INN

Ram’s Head Inn

Southhampton Inn

The Ocean Bay House

EVENT VENUE

Epic Escape Rooms Long Island

Kombert Caterers

Long Island Children’s Museum

HOTEL

Hampton Inn & Suites Rockville Centre

The Garden City Hotel

Uniondale Marriott

LOCAL TOURIST

ATTRACTION

Long Island Aquarium

Nunley’s Carousel

Raynham Hall Museum

MUSEUM

Cradle of Aviation Museum

Long Island Children’s Museum

Raynham Hall Museum

PLACE TO HAVE A PARTY

Epic Escape Rooms Long Island

Kombert Caterers

Long Island Children’s Museum

PLACE TO WORSHIP

First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove

Temple Avodah

Temple Israel - Lawrence

WEDDING VENUE

Bridgeview Yacht Club

Crest Hollow Country Club

Swan Club On The Harbor

SERVICES

ADVERTISING AGENCY

Austin Williams

Creative Focus Designs, Inc.

Jillian’s Circus

ANIMAL ADOPTION/ RESCUE SERVICES

North Shore Animal League America

Ruff House Rescue

Terry Animal Hospital

APPLIANCE REPAIR STORE

Home Appliance

Reliable Appliance

The Appliance Doctor

ARBITRATION & MEDIATION FIRM

Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Resolute Systems, Inc.

Vaz Law, PLLC

ARCHITECT

Katherine Serrano Sosa, Rooted Architecture Studio

Long Island Architecture Studio

Stephen G. Hayduk, P.E., Hayduk Engineering LLC

CAR WASH

Majestic Auto Spa

Seaford Car Wash & Detail Center

Ultimate Express Car Wash

CAR/LIMO SERVICE

Broward Limousines

Executive Limousine of Long Island

Long Island Elite Limousines

M&V Limousines, Ltd.

CEMETERIES

Huntington Rural Cemetery

Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum

St. Charles / Resurrection Cemeteries

CORPORATE LAW FIRM

Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Love Law Firm, PLLC

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.

DIVORCE ATTORNEY

David Mejias, Mejias, Milgrim & Lindo, P.C.

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Robert Keilson, Esq., Garden City Law Firms

DRY CLEANER

American Drive-In Cleaners

Delta Cleaners

Old Country Cleaners

ELDER LAW ATTORNEY

Jennifer B. Cona, Cona Elder Law

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Wendy K. Goidel, Goidel Law Group

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY

Express Employment Professionals

NRGUSA

PrideStaff

ESTATE PLANNING

ATTORNEY

Jennifer B. Cona, Cona Elder Law

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

Stephanie D’Angelo, D’Angelo Law Associates

FAMILY LAW FIRM

Joseph Law Group, P.C.

Law Office of Marina Moreno

Mejias Milgrim Alvarado & Lindo, P.C.

FEMALE MENTORING GROUP

Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Miss Long Island Pageants

Moxxie Network

FUNERAL HOME

Gutterman’s Funeral Homes

N. F. Walker Funeral Home

Towers Funeral Home, Inc.

GREEN BUSINESS

Green Home Logic

Green Team LI Winters Bros. Waste Systems

HEALTH CARE LAW FIRM

Cona Elder Law PLLC Harris Beach

The Rizzuto Law Firm

LABOR LAW FIRM

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The NHG Law Group P.C

LAUNDROMAT

Bayport Laundromat

Laundry Palace

Lynbrook Laundry

Standard laundromat

LAW FIRM (OVERALL)

OVER 35 EMPLOYEES

Miller and Caggiano, LLP

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.

The NHG Law Group P.C

LAW FIRM (OVERALL)

UNDER 35 EMPLOYEES

Cona Elder Law PLLC

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The Rizzuto Law Firm

LITIGATION/BUSINESS

LITIGATION LAW FIRM

Levitt LLP

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz PLLC

The Rizzuto Law Firm

MATRIMONIAL LAW FIRM

Law Office of Marina Moreno

Mejias Milgrim Alvarado & Lindo, P.C.

Picarello & Saciolo, P.C.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Hewlett House

Long Island Children’s Museum

Temple Avodah

PERSONAL INJURY

ATTORNEY - FIRM

Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP

The Rizzuto Law Firm

The Selvin Law Firm

PET GROOMER

Kelly, Spaw Pet Salon of Westbury

Maria - The Barrie Inn

Posh Paws Pet Spa & Boutique

PHOTOGRAPHER

Brian Ozegovich, Park Ave Studio

Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, GSM Communications

Jonathan Ortiz, Creative Focus Designs

PROPERTY TAX

REDUCTION SERVICES

Herman Katz

Maidenbaum Property Tax

Reduction Group, LLC

Tax Correction Agency

PUBLIC RELATIONS

COMPANY

Ingrid Dodd Public Relations

Marketing Works

ZE Creative Communications

REAL ESTATE LAW

ATTORNEY

Anthony Nozzolillo, On Point Land Services Corporation

Gilbert Balanoff, Law Offices of Gilbert L. Balanoff, P.C.

Marina Moreno, Law Office of Marina Moreno, PLLC

REAL ESTATE LAW FIRM

Ackerman Law PLLC

Law Office of Marina Moreno

The Law Offices of Gilbert L. Balanoff, P.C.

SELF-STORAGE COMPANY

CubeSmart Self Storage

Freeport Self Storage

Men On The Move Moving & Self Storage

TAX LAW FIRM

Barnes & Barnes, P.C.

Maidenbaum & Sternberg, LLP Tenenbaum Law, P.C.

TRAVEL AGENCY

Magical Dad Vacations - Keith Voets

Superior Travel Consultants

Vitas Travel Service

VETERINARIAN

Gabrielle Pimento, DVM, Bond Vet: Merrick

John Foy, DVM, Terry Animal Hospital

Timothy Sheppard, DVM, Sayville Animal Hospital

WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Jamaica Ash & Rubbish Removal

Long Island Waste Services, LLC

National Waste Services, LLC Winters Bros. Waste Systems

SHOPPING

ANTIQUE STORE

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Garden City Antiques & Fine Arts, Ltd.

THE SHOPPE by Trubee Hill

APPLIANCE/HOME ELECTRONICS STORE

Appliance World P.C. Richard & Son

Reliable Appliance BOUTIQUE

Jolie Fleur

Trois Jours Boutique Etc.

Uniquely Yours

BRIDAL STORE

Blossom Brides

Bridal Reflections

Estelle’s Dressy Dresses

CARPET STORE

Carpet Depot

Dee-Jay Carpet Co., Inc.

Glen Floors

COIN STORE

Coin Galleries of Oyster Bay Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Long Island Rare Coin & Currency

COLLECTIBLES STORE

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Living Legends Memorabilia & Collectibles

Remember Yesteryears Vintage Center

CONSIGNMENT/ THRIFT STORE

LuxeSwap

National Council of Jewish

Women Thrift Shop

Worth Repeating, Worth Repeating

EYEWEAR STORE

Eyeglass House

Eyes On Broadway

Mt. Sinai Optical

FARMERS MARKET

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s

Deep Roots Farmers Market

Meyer’s Farm & Greenhouses

FLORIST

Central Florist

Feldis Florist & Flower Delivery

Pedestals Floral Decorators

FURNITURE STORE

Bob’s Discount Furniture and Mattress Store

Furniture Gallery of Long Island

Raymour & Flanigan

GIFT SHOP

Dolce Confections

Pampered Professional

The SHOPPE by Trubee Hill

GOURMET MARKET

Grace’s Marketplace Sons of a Butcher

The Original Salpino’s of Wantagh

GROCERY/SUPERMARKET

Holiday Farms Stew Leonard’s

Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace

LOCAL CHILDREN’S

CLOTHING

Denny’s Fashion, Style, For All Koukla Children’s Boutique

Mur-Lees, Men’s & Boy’s Shop

LOCAL HARDWARE STORE

Costello’s Ace Hardware

Millers True Value

Schaefer’s Ace Hardware

LOCAL JEWELRY STORE

Hislon Jewelers

North Shore Gold & Diamond

Unicorn Jewels

LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING

B2bespoke Custom Clothier

Mur-Lees, Men’s & Boy’s Shop Standard Thread

LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING

A.J. & MOS

Trois Jours Boutique Etc.

Uniquely Yours

NURSERY & GARDEN

CENTER

Atlantic Nursery & Garden Shop

Dees’ Nursery And Florist

Hicks Nurseries

PAWN SHOP

Collectors Coins & Jewelry

Matthew James Jewelers

Pawn Express

WINDOW TREATMENT STORE

Blinds To Go

Homestead Window Treatments

The Blind Spot Inc.

SPORTS

BICYCLE STORE

Brands Cycle & Fitness

Oceanside Cycle

Trek Bicycle Massapequa

BOXING CENTER

Fit Theorem

iLoveKickboxing

Kayo Boxing

CROSSFIT GYM

CrossFit Merrick

CrossFit Seize The Day

Fit Theorem

GYM & FITNESS CENTER

Fit Theorem

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

The Bodysmith Fitness & Massage

ICE SKATING RINK

Grant Park Skating Center

Newbridge Arena

Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center

KIDS’ SPORTS LEAGUE

East Coast Football Club

East Rockaway Raiders Football

Hewlett Lawrence Soccer Club

PERSONAL TRAINER

Ava Donaldson, Fit4Life Studios

Leah Stukov, FitX50

Taylor Costello, CSCS, MMP, LMT, The Bodysmith Fitness and Massage

PERSONAL TRAINING

FACILITY

Fit Theorem

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

Personal Training Institute of Rockville Centre PILATES

Club Pilates Merrick

Fit4Life Studios, Inc.

The Pilates Studio, Inc.

PLACE

Bay Shore

Michael’s

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

A number of state electeds are calling on the governor to slow down her plans to make school buses electric by 2035 — something they say could have a devastating impact on district finances.

Some like state Sen. Steve Rhoads and state Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick joined Assemblyman John Mikulin and other officials handling fire and safety at schools at the Levittown Public School bus yard in Wantagh last week hoping they can convince Gov. Kathy Hochul to extend the deadline for that mandate deeper into the future to ensure it’s affordability for communities like those in Nassau County.

“There’s nothing magical about this New York state school bus mandate,” Rhoads said.

Citing the main character from the popular children’s television animated series “The Magic School Bus,” Rhoads said “even Ms. Frizzle herself would agree that this burdensome mandate takes chances, makes mistakes, and gets messy.”

The state’s current budget mandates all school buses must have no environmental impact through emissions by 2035, with districts only allowed to purchase electric school buses by mid-2027.

The idea, according to Hochul, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050. The state’s environmental conservation department blames the transportation sector overall as one of New York’s largest sources of emissions, which contributes to climate change impacts such as increased heat waves, sea level rise and flooding.

“Old school buses are putting children’s health at risk, spewing toxic fumes and pollutants into the air that are proven to have negative health impacts,” Hochul’s office said, in a statement. “After New York vot-

ers approved an Environmental Bond Act that allocated $500 million for zero-emission school buses, Gov. Hochul is working with communities across New York to allocate these funds and ensure they are fully utilized.”

But Rhoads says the mandate does not account for the logistical and financial challenges that school districts, bus companies and power companies will face in implementing the plan. A new, full-sized electric bus costs as much as $450,000 — triple the price of a conventional.

With some 45,000 school buses on the road in the state, Rhoads says the full conversion by 2035 would cost in the neighborhood of $20 billion.

The Levittown school district — with a fleet of 80 buses — is in the beginning stages of the mandate. Superintendent Todd Winch said it would cost the district as much as $32 million to replace their fleet, and will purchase its first electric bus this year.

“We don’t replace a whole fleet for maybe 20 years, but now they’re asking us to replace the whole fleet from 2027 to 2035,” Winch said. “Now you’re talking about a very short time period to replace the whole fleet, which would be very, very difficult.”

In addition, the Levittown bus yard would require 40 charging stations, each one costing between $30,000 and $50,000, Winch added.

The state has offered to help, but Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said the $500 million offered would only cover a little more than 1,200 buses. The rest would have to paid for by local taxpayers — and that’s not even including infrastructure and charging stations.

“Where’s the rest of that money coming from?” the state senator asked. “You, from the taxpayers, because that’s what the school districts will be forced to do to meet this mandate.”

But the current high costs associated with electric buses are expected to come down over time, Hochul said. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced last September it believes the price of an electric school bus should be on-par with a gasoline-powered bus as early as 2027 thanks to advances in battery technology, more manufacturing, as well as lower fuel and maintenance expenses.

Rhoads calls Hochul’s mandate a rushed plan.

“We all want to see a greener future,” he said. “There is no question about that. But we have to make sure that if our goal is providing affordable, safe, and reliable transportation to our students, we have to make sure we have a plan which gets us to that future, but still accomplishes that primary goal.”

Charles Shaw/Herald

STEPPING OUT

FOREVER A)

By Karen Bloom

Laughing along with Joe Gatto

All roads lead back to Lynbrook it seems. Certainly for Joe Gatto.

He’s stepped away from his comfort zone — “The Impractical Jokers” — to the dismay of many folks. His loyal cadre of fans came to know him from the popular improvisational hidden camera show, which he hosted with his buddies Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Sal Vulcano, for nine seasons.

Fans were certainly disappointed when he moved on from Q, Murr and Sal in 2021 to focus on co-parenting his two kids, Milana and Remington (now 9 and 7).

But you needn’t fret. Gatto is doing just fine — as is “Jokers,” now in its 10th season.

Since leaving his pals to carry on “Jokers” without him, the jokes certainly continue as Gatto’s taken his energy — and his comedic talents — to the stand-up circuit.

His tour, “Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy,” arrives Friday at The Paramount in Huntington. Minus his friends, fans get an hour of Gatto, as he riffs on life, his family, and probably even his dogs.

“I’m extremely proud of this hour of comedy I’ve put together, and am so excited to film it at the first theater I performed on this tour back in February 2023,” Gatto says. “It also happens to be one of my favorite theaters, too, which is nice since it’s in my ‘hometown’ of Long Island.”

Of course, there were some nerves involved in going solo.

“After my time with ‘Jokers,’ I needed to figure out the next step in my career,” Gatto reflects.

• Friday, March 8, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

• $59.75, $39.75, $29.75

• Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com

• The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington

“I needed to figure out different ways to make people laugh because that’s what I love to do. Stand-up presented itself as a way to do that. My agents and managers were like, ‘Why don’t you give stand-up a shot?’”

And so he did, on a winter’s evening in a small club in Appleton, Wisconsin, in January 2022, for a brief 35 minutes.

“I enjoyed it right from the get-go,” he says. “It quickly graduated into an hour show, and I moved up to theaters. Fans were coming out, and we’re having a great time. Telling stories of my life and thinking about different ways that I could express myself to get people to know me a bit better has been a really fun journey.”

Gatto readily admits it’s been a learning experience.

“It was a different format that I wasn’t necessarily versed in, so I was a little nervous,” he says. “The biggest thing for me was I had never performed live before. For 20 years, I was part of an ensemble, stand-up being its own art was a thing I needed to adapt to. I quickly took to it.

“The challenge of writing the hour, curating it, and thinking of what stories I want to tell and how to tell them and punch up the jokes, was fun to do.”

Everyone’s in on the fun right along with him.

“I’ve always been pretty open on ‘The Impractical Jokers,’”

talk about parenting, I’ve got lots of stories of my kids, also

he says. “I was always myself. I didn’t play a character, so when people watched it, they really to got to know the sense of me, my personality. Even a lot of my personal life was in that show as well. People who come to my show know me already from that. But here I get to tell different stories. I talk about parenting, I’ve got lots of stories of my kids, also the craziness of animal rescue with my dogs, growing up with my crazy Italian mother on Staten Island, and of course, my friends, the Jokers. There’s no shortage of stories.”

Janeane Garofalo

Oh yes, about those dogs. There are nine of them in the Gatto household, all older rescues.

“It’s like a pack mentality,” he says, laughing, insisting his four-legged companions “pretty much follow the house rules.”

Eventually the Gattos realized they couldn’t rescue every dog in need. Hence their nonprofit Gatto Pups & Friends, which facilitates adoptions for mainly senior and disabled dogs, opened in Glen Head in November 2022.

“We wanted to do it in our neighborhood,” he says. “We love being around here. We found a cool space for the storefront, right across the street from one of our favorite places for lunch. It just all aligned.”

Although firmly ensconced in Glen Head, the South Shore still calls out to him. Gatto frequently visits Lynbrook, where he lived between 2014 and 2017, and where his sister still resides.

His family ties bring him frequently back to visit.

“I love Lynbrook,” he says.“I had such a great experience there. There’s always something special about your first home.”

Plus, “Vincent’s is still one of my favorite pizzerias,” he adds.

You’ll even find him hanging out at Lynbrook’s Regal, taking in a movie with his niece and nephew.

“I go there all the time with them,” he shares. “They’re movie buffs like me, and that’s our go-to movie theater.”

In fact, a film may be in his future.

“I’m doing pretty good, enjoying my ride right now,” Gatto says. “But I’ve always wanted to write and direct film. That’s actually why I got into entertainment. So that’s what I’m focusing on now. That’s what’s left on the bucket list, along with always creating and thinking of new ways to make people smile.”

And as for his outing at The Paramount, it’s being filmed for a comedy special.

“I’ve been working to two years on the thing,” he says, “so I don’t it want it to just go away.”

And there’s always the possibility of another collaboration with his “Jokers” buddies. “I never un-united with them,” he says. “They’re still my friends. We’re just not ‘friends from work’ anymore. I love creating with those guys, so who knows what the future holds.”

The comedian-actress, who reigns as the queen of the alt-comedy scene, is eager to speak her mind when she visits here with her latest stand-up tour. Considered by many as an American institution since she first burst on the scene in 1992, the outspoken activist has plenty to say, in her own inimitable comedic style. Known for her incisive cynical sense of humor, the SNL alum has branched out into film and television, including ‘The Truth About Cats and Dogs,’ ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ and ‘Ratatouille,’ among her memorable roles. Garofalo’s informed opinions and unflinching honesty on topics ranging from everyday life to pop culture inspire laughs and strike a chord with audiences everywhere. Often a lightning rod for controversy, Garofalo finds a way to get her point across with her trademark sense of humor. Known and respected worldwide, Garofalo was also instrumental in the successful launching of the first liberal radio network, Air America Radio, where she hosted her own talk show, ‘The Majority Report.’

Friday, March 8, 8 p.m. $33, $28. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

‘Greatest Show On Earth’

The circus is back. The iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey spectacle returns after a hiatus, re-imagined as a 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action. Packed with explosive excitement, ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ begins and ends with a bang. Lauren Irving, Alex Stickels and Jan Damm join forces as Aria, Stix and Nick Nack, who serve as its soul, rhythm and funny bone. The trio, appearing as show guides, encounter never-before-seen stunts, acrobatic displays, and comedic acts along the way. An international cast of 75 performers take on a variety of enthralling circus acts, including new stunts like the Triangular Highwire, led by the Lopez Family, sixth-generation circus artists hailing from Mexico and Chile. There are also comic clowning, extreme sports, and acrobatic aerial feats — all enhanced with original music.

Friday through Sunday, March 8-10, times vary. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, or Ringling. com. UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont.

Courtesy Joe Gatto Joe lives his life by a code of pastry and family, loving his wife, two children, cannolis — and his dogs.

Photo by Jonathan Thorpe

THE Your Neighborhood

March

JigJam

When virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond running through the wide open fields of Bluegrass and Americana, JigJam is born. This Offaly and Tipperary-born band has started the Irish invasion of Americana with a brand new band member from Glasgow injecting the magic of Scottish folk music. The lads bring their foot-stomping sound to the Landmark stage, for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. Described as ‘The best Irish band in bluegrass’ and ‘sparkling, infectious’ these gents have been hailed as ‘Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival’. Founding members from Offaly Jamie McKeogh (lead singer and guitar) and Daithi Melia (5 string banjo and Dobro) were joined by Tipperary-born Gavin Strappe (mandolin and tenor banjo) in 2016. They’ve since added Glasgow native Danny Hunter (fiddle) to make up this iGrass (Irish Bluegrass) quartet. They’ve been hailed as “Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival,” with a sound that has its roots in Irish music and Irish immigration. iGrass and JigJam is what happens when the Irish find their prodigal son. $38.14-$49.48. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

Family theater

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s stories, this clever adaptation puts the audience front and center, literally, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, March 8, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Sunday, March 10, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, March 13-14,10:15 a.m. and noon. Kids become cast members, singing dancing, and acting on stage alongside the professional cast.

One of our most interactive shows at LICM Theater, this production received rave reviews in its prior run. Going beyond the traditional telling of the Oz stories, “Journey to Oz” uses personal journal entries and historic newspaper headlines to bring the history of author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow to life. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion take the audience with them on this lively, playful trip down the yellow brick road. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Our Gilded Age,” examines the appearances and the realities of an era that mirrors our own in many ways. Like the nation’s economy, American art and literature flourished during the Gilded Age. The art of John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Louis Comfort Tiffany and others adorned palatial residences designed by Stanford White and Ogden Codman Jr., architect of the museum’s own quintessential Gilded Age mansion.

Drawing heavily upon the local literary history of Long Island, including William Cullen Bryant, Mark Twain (who named the Gilded Age), Walt Whitman, Edith Wharton and others, the exhibition will include paintings, fashion, decorative arts including period silver and china, photographs, manuscripts, first editions and other historic memorabilia.

The “Upstairs, Downstairs” approach to the life of a country house brings to life not only the storied conspicuous consumption for which the Gilded Age was infamous, but also the real lives of these many individuals who maintained the palatial estates where that lifestyle was enjoyed.

On view through March 10 Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

March 10

Bird walk

See some birds with the South Shore Audubon Society. All are welcome to join members for another in its series of bird walks, at Massapequa Lake, Sunday, March 10, starting at 9 a.m. Massapequa Lake is at the south end of Massapequa Preserve, between Lakeshore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road.

Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet at the gazebo. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if rain or snow. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Women’s History Month Concert

Uniondale Public Library hosts a healing musical journey with Roxanne Steele, Saturday, March 9 2-4 p.m. Concert is free for all. 400 Uniondale Ave. For more information, visit UniondaleLibrary.org call (516) 489-2220.

International Women’s Conference

The International Women’s Conference invites you to join an empowering event dedicated to enhancing awareness and understanding of women’s empowerment, Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hofstra University. . This conference offers insights, strategies, and best practices from leading experts in the field. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect through inspiring keynotes, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities focused on women’s success and entrepreneurship. For more information and to learn how to sign up, visit TinyURL. Com/265fcafn.

1:1 Tech Help

Are you interested in eBooks or other digital library services, but don’t know where to start? If so, schedule a 30-minute session at Uniondale Public Library, on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Registration required. 400 Uniondale Ave. Visit UniondaleLibrary.org call (516) 489-2220 for more information.

Having an event?

Funding small business solutions

Small business owners and operators are invited to this freeetworking event, Friday, March 8, 6-8 p.m. Join like-minded individuals to explore funding solutions tailored specifically for small business owners.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand, this event will help small business owners network with like-minded entrepreneurs, learn from industry experts, gain valuable insights into funding options, and discover the secrets to securing the financial support needed to take your business to new heights. To sign up and reserve your spot, visit TinyURL.Com/ bdfjrby6. 260 RXR Plaza, Uniondale.

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.

In concert

Icon and superstar Whitney Houston, has left a lasting legacy that is celebrated an exhilarating spectacle.

“Queen of the Night, A Musical Tribute to Whitney Houston,” Saturday, March 9, 8 p.m., at NYCB Theatre at Westbury. An exhilarating tribute to Houston’s remarkable musical repertoire, the electrifying production, which premiered on London’s West End, honors her timeless songs with sensational vocalists and a full live band.

Named after the swaggering hard rock single from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, the show celebrates 30 years of hits sung by the superstar, from “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Saving All My Love for You” to “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All” and, of course, “I Will Always Love You.” With the accompaniment of a dynamic band, backing vocalists and dancers, “Queen of the Night” fully conveys the essence and persona of Houston in a captivating production has been described as “a powerhouse performance that delivers on every level.” NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. Tickets available at LiveNation.com or call (516) 247-5200.

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Sunday, March 10, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-Yoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.

Best of Broadway

Adelphi University Performing Arts students celebrate the music of Broadway during their semi-annual Best of Broadway concert, Sunday, March 10, 4 p.m.

The theme of this season’s concert is a royal one, paying tribute to the kings, queens, “Aladdin,” “Camelot, “ “Six,” “Frozen,” “Anastasia,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Cinderella,” and more. $30, with discounts available to seniors, students, Adelphi alumni and employees. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU

WILMINGTON SAVINGS

FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY

AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2018-SP3 TRUST Plaintiff, Against ANGELA D. JIMENEZ AS EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ANGEL J.

JIMENEZ; ANGELA D. JIMENEZ; JAMES E. JIMENEZ; LOUIS O. MATOS A/K/A LUIS O. MATOS; ET AL

Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/06/2023, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 3/25/2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 596 Park Avenue, Uniondale, New York 11553, And Described As Follows:

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being At Uniondale, In The Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.

Section 36 Block 141 Lot 2

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $77,306.39 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 613486/2020

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

Scott H Siller, Esq., Referee.

SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570

Dated: 1/29/2024 File

Number: 37784 CA 145020

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NASSAU

INDEX NO.: 614732/2023

DATE FILED: 9/12/2023

SUMMONS L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Plaintiff, againstRAYMOND R. PRILLER, if he be living, if he be dead, his respective heirsat-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors, and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, or through RAYMOND R. PRILLER, if he be dead,

whether by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, including any right, title or interest in and to the real property described in the complaint herein, all of who and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE,

“JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12”, the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint, Defendants.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED

DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY

SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action. to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York), and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED

DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Jeffrey A. Goodstein, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered Feb. 14, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.

THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to foreclose a tax lien and to recover the amount of the tax lien and all of the interest, penalties, additions and expenses thereon to premises k/a Section 34, Block 523, Lots 410-412. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where

your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action.

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

Dated: September 11, 2023

LEVY & LEVY

Attorneys for Plaintiff

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

BY:

JOSHUA LEVY, ESQ. #101182 144999

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NASSAU

INDEX NO.: 614732/2023

DATE FILED: 9/12/2023

SUMMONS

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

TO THE ABOVE NAMED

DEFENDANTS:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with the summons, to serve notice of appearance, on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the date of service (or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this

summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). and in case of failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED

DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Jeffrey A. Goodstein, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered Feb. 23, 2024 and filed with the complaint and other papers in the Nassau County Clerk’s Office.

THE OBJECT OF THE ACTION is to foreclose a tax lien and to recover the amount of the tax lien and all of the interest, penalties. Additions and expenses thereon to premises k/a Section 34, Block 523, Lots 410-412. Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the tax lien holder who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the tax lien holder will not stop this foreclosure action.

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

Dated: September 11, 2023

LEVY & LEVY

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

BY: JOSHUA LEVY, ESQ. #101194

145164

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. MTAG, AS CUSTODIAN FOR ALTERNA FUNDING I, LLC, Pltf. vs. DANIEL C. BROWN, et al, Defts. Index #002241/2017. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Nov. 23, 2022, I will sell at public auction on North Side steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on April 2, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. premises k/a 371 First Place, Uniondale, NY

11553 a/k/a School District 2, Section 50, Block 109, Lot 6. Approximate amount of judgment is $21,571.20 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. ADRIENNE FLIPSE HAUSCH, Referee. BRONSTER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 156 West 56th Street, Ste. 703, New York, NY 10019. File No. 700999.132 - #101140 145084

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU CitiMortgage, Inc., Plaintiff AGAINST Fritz Mathieu, Chantale Mathieu, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 10, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 3, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 517 Linwood Street, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Uniondale, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, SECTION: 36, BLOCK: 128, LOT: 195, 196 and 511. Approximate amount of judgment $344,070.86 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #614603/2018. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Wayne Wink, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-089829-F00 79559 145041

LEGAL NOTICE

CASE NO.21527

RESOLUTION NO.140-2024

Adopted: February 13, 2024

Councilmember Goosby offered the following resolution and moved its adoption:

RESOLUTION

ESTABLISHING AND SETTING ASIDE CERTAIN PARKING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE SOLE USE OF HOLDERS OF SPECIAL PARKING PERMITS ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF NASSAU TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS. WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 135-2024, adopted January 23rd, 2024, a public hearing was duly held on the 13th day of February, 2024, at the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the proposed establishment and setting aside of a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons, in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, all as set forth in said resolution; and WHEREAS, after due consideration, this Town Board finds it to be in the public interest to establish and set aside a certain parking space for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 202-48 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, the following parking spaces be and the same hereby is set aside for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons:

BELLMORE FARMERS AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 400 feet south of the south curbline of Merrick Road, south for a distance of 17 feet.

(TH-603/23)

ROOSEVELT EAST PENNYWOOD AVENUE - south side, starting at a point 492 feet west of the west curbline of Park Avenue, west for a distance of 16 feet.

(TH-599/23)

(NR) VALLEY STREAM ALDEN AVENUE - south side, starting at a point 126 feet west of the west curbline of Charles Street, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-604/23) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons: FRANKLIN SQUARE MAPLE DRIVE - south side, starting at a point 90 feet west of the west curbline of Court House Road, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-319/20 - 1/26/21) (TH-598/23)

; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town

Clerk shall enter this resolution in the minutes of the Town Board and shall publish a copy of this resolution once a newspaper having a 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 Muscarella and adopted upon roll call as follows:

AYES: SEVEN (7)

NOES: NONE (0) 145256

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

21st Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff, -againstNassau County Public Administrator of the Estate of Estate of Hertha Mintah a/k/a Hertha

Felicia Mintah a/k/a

Hertha F. Mintah, Adrienne Malone as heir of the Estate of Hertha Mintah a/k/a Hertha

Felicia Mintah a/k/a

Hertha F. Mintah, A.M. as minor heir of the Estate of Hertha Mintah a/k/a

Hertha Felicia Mintah a/k/a Hertha F. Mintah and Hertha Mintah a/k/a

Hertha Felicia Mintah a/k/a Hertha F. Mintah’s unknown heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors, and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right, title or interest in the real property described in the second amended complaint herein, State of New York, United States of America-Internal Revenue Service, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Candice Simmons, John Doe (Refused Name), John Doe (Refused

Name), Defendants.

Index No.: 9876/2015

Filed: February 21, 2024

SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL

SUMMONS Plaintiff designates Nassau County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the premises is sitatued.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S):

YOU ARE HEREBY

SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the attorneys for the plaintiff within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service; or within thirty (30) days

after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York; or within sixty (60) days if it is the United States of America. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $309,000.00 and interest, recorded in the office of the clerk of the County of Nassau on May 25, 2007 in Liber M31930, Page 401 covering premises known as 159 Gilroy Ave, Uniondale, NY 11553.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

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

Dated: Bay Shore, New York

February 8, 2024

Yours, etc., By: Linda P. Manfredi, Esq.

NUMC opens new wing, celebrates standout employee

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

There was a lot to celebrate at the Nassau University Medical Center last week with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art surgical patient wing and the honoring of its employee of the month, Daniel Pena, who played an integral role in making the new wing a reality.

On the hospital’s eighth floor, Nassau Healthcare Corporation Chairman Matthew Bruderman and NUMC interim president and CEO Meg Ryan were joined by hospital physicians and staff from dozens of departments on March 1 to officially celebrate the opening of the new surgical wing.

Ryan said when Bruderman first began his role with the healthcare network two years ago, he walked the entire hospital. The 8th floor was not used for patients, and housed offices and storage spaces.

“He said ‘Make it patient rooms — let’s do something more for the community,’” she said. “So, over the past year or so, we did that.”

All of the renovation to the space was completed in-house by several of NUMC’s departments that oversee facility mainte-

nance, engineering and construction.

The wing boasts eight new patient rooms, which can care for 16 patients, a new nurse’s station and break rooms for

Public Notices

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated February 22, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein NEWREZ LLC, F/K/A NEW

PENN FINANCIAL, LLC

DBA SHELLPOINT

MORTGAGE SERVICING is the Plaintiff and OSCAR CLARA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction

RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100

SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on April 8, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 305 CHESTER STREET, UNIONDALE, NY 11553: Section 50, Block 48, Lot 15 & 16:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT UNIONDALE, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 605776/2017. Howard Eric Colton, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF

SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 145325

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU. CARDINAL CREDIT X LLC, Plaintiff -againstSTEPHEN PRESCOD ENTERPRISES LLC, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated January 25, 2024 and entered on January 30, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on April 9, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being at Uniondale, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at a point on the westerly side of Second Place, distant 370.95 feet southerly from the extreme southerly end of the arc connecting the westerly side of Second Place and the southerly side of Salem Road; RUNNING THENCE South West, 33.15 feet; THENCE South West, 17.00 feet; THENCE North West, 102.28 feet; THENCE North East, 50.00 feet; THENCE South East, 100.00 feet. Section: 50 Block: 109 Lot: 16

Said premises known as 396 SECOND PLACE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553

Approximate amount of lien $234,830.02 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale.

Index Number 605280/2023.

RONALD J. FERRARO, ESQ., Referee

The Camporeale Law Group PLLC

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 585 Stewart Avenue, 770, Garden City, NY 11530 {* UNIONDALE*} 145270

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC, Plaintiff

AGAINST

Lisa Wiley; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 30, 2024 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 11, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 809 Jerusalem Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Uniondale, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 50 Block

138 Lot 361. Approximate amount of judgment $339,234.30 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 612018/2022. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19

Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Ronald J. Ferraro, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: February 21, 2024 145339

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY

COMPANY. NAME: Empire State Local News Coalition LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of

staff, as well as rest areas for families of patients.

Pena, who was recently named the supervisor of the NHCC Building Maintenance at the NUMC, has worked for the hospital since 2008, Ryan said.

“You’re passionate about your work and that shines through — and this is all your work, it’s beautiful,” Ryan said at the ceremony last week, gesturing to the new surgical suite behind her. “Danny and his team have been working hard on creating this beautiful unit. And he did the same thing for our MRI unit that we opened in December. The beautiful craftsmanship that you see behind me is all a result of Danny and his hard work and his teamwork.”

Pena said that the success of the new unit took a lot of “interdepartmental cooperation,” and thanked all his colleagues that helped make it possible.

“It takes a village,” he said. “We all have a role to play. We all have a job to do. And we are all responsible for one another’s success as well as the success of the hospital.”

What made the honor all the more special for Pena is he’s from the same neighborhood the hospital calls home. He grew up just down the road in Westbury, went to W.T. Clarke High School in the East Meadow School District, and was able to see the top of the hospital’s tower from

his parent’s back stoop.

Pena was joined at the ceremony by his parents, his wife Dawn, and their sons Joey and Logan.

Bruderman, speaking to Pena’s sons, emphasized the importance their dad’s work, in relation to the new wing. NUMC serves more than 270,00 patients annually, and more than 70 percent are racial minorities. 80 percents of the health care network’s patients are on Medicaid and Medicare.

“Your dad isn’t only doing amazing work here that we’re recognizing him for,” Bruderman said, “but he’s doing it for the people that don’t have access to healthcare in the community. There’s a lot of people that can’t afford to go to a hospital. They can’t see a doctor. Your dad, he’s helping and supporting — and has passion for a hospital that has such a unique mission.”

A carpenter, Pena said when he began working for the hospital, he knew he’d found a place he’d be happy.

“I love being a carpenter at NUMC,” he said. “It has become an outlet for my creativity — a place where you can really grow if you put in the work. I’m blessed to be here. Thank you to the administration for electing me to be the Employee of the Month for March, and thank you to all of my coworkers for working with me and alongside me for all these years.”

Jordan Vallone/Herald Nassau University Medical Center administration and staff, joined by elected officials, and Daniel Pena, the March Employee of the Month for March with his family, celebrated the opening of a new, state-of-the-art surgical patient wing.

The surgical patient wing on the eighth floor has eight new rooms, which can care for 16 patients, along with new rest areas for staff and families as well.

A brand new nurse’s station welcomes patients, staff and visitors to the floor. All of the work done to the floor was completed in-house, hospital administration said.

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Q. We are suing our contractor and need some advice. A year ago, we finished our second-floor addon and first-floor kitchen and rear family room remodel by opening up walls to join them. Everything seemed fine until it rained the first time. The windows began to leak at the bottom, and then around the tops and sides. Our new sliding glass door did the same. The basement flooded, and we are not in a flood area. Then the air-conditioning company said somebody disconnected the ducts, and when we opened the ceilings, more water poured down. The house is now filled with mold, which we clean with bleach where we can get to it, but we couldn’t move out and have two small children under age 4.

Although we have many questions and hired an attorney, we’re wondering whether we should hire an architect to go over all the problems and identify them, with remedies, or hire one of the contractors who said they could fix the problems, or wait until the lawsuit is finished to make it possible for a jury to see the damage. The job architect, whom we never met, has now had their license revoked for the next two years, but we wouldn’t go to them, anyway.

A. Ugh! This is more common than you would think. It starts with not having the architect working for you and instead working for the contractor. I can guess that the contractor was contacted first, and you hired them to get their architect and provide plans. That was your first mistake.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

Next, people are lazy, expecting that anyone they hire knows all the best techniques to build and knows all the rules, codes and laws. That was mistake number two. Even though you hire people, you should have gone over critical details, especially about waterproofing and structural techniques on the plans, to make sure that the building owner looks for those steps to be carried out. You, the building owner, I always say, are the “eyes and ears” on the job, since the architect often isn’t there at critical times, when waterproofing membranes and materials are joined.

Mistake number three was not doing a water test with a garden hose when the finish siding, windows roofing, etc., had been applied. Simulating rain by pointing a hose skyward so that the water cascades down — not a direct fire-hose hit — tells you right away if something is failing.

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DIVORCE

Why I joined the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus

Growing up in Island Park, I was always acutely aware of how lucky I was to be surrounded by beautiful beaches, bountiful waterways and stunning coastlines. Preserving Nassau County’s coastal environs has been a main priority of my tenure in public office, and I am proud to represent so many community partners who share in that goal. Indeed, the pristine nature of our South Shore was recently threatened by a largescale offshore wind turbine project proposed by Equinor, but thanks to unified community opposition, this dubious plan appears to have stalled — for now.

The growing national push to advance offshore wind energy has clearly reached Long Island, and while Equinor’s plan was defeated due to the corporation’s failure to properly liaise with local stakeholders, there will certainly be other developers attempting their own offshore wind projects mov-

ing forward.

Now more than ever, it is vital that our communities make their voices heard on any projects that would impact our coastline, which is why I am proud to announce that I have been made a co-chair of the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus. This bipartisan panel provides members of Congress from across the country a forum to discuss the growing utilization of offshore wind energy, compare notes on offshore wind projects being advanced, and strategize on how best to approach future development questions. What’s more, my leadership role in the caucus also provides neighbors in the 4th District with an enhanced voice when the panel communicates with turbine developers — ensuring that the thoughts, concerns and opinions of South Shore residents are made known.

We’ve seen interest from other developers seeking to take Equinor’s place.

residents of the Long Beach barrier island, Island Park, Oceanside and beyond during the development of its Empire Wind 2 offshore wind turbine plan. This lack of engagement justifiably led to distrust among community members, and fueled the successful grass-roots campaign to quash the project.

Like my neighbors along the South Shore, over the course of several meetings, Equinor representatives failed to provide me with adequate information on the long-term environmental impacts of the project or outline a proper plan to support the communities that would have hosted facets of Empire Wind 2 — which is why I fought to stop the project from moving forward.

ment, residents’ wishes are respected, and local communities’ bests interests are advanced. If a company can articulate a vision for an offshore wind energy project that safeguards our environment, incorporates robust stakeholder feedback into the development process, benefits the community, and creates good union jobs, I believe it is beneficial for the public to hear them out and approach the plan with an open mind. I intend to utilize my position on the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus to hold corporate developers accountable by demanding full transparency on any proposed projects that come before the community.

Those residents have recently seen firsthand the difficulties that stem from a corporate entity outright ignoring the concerns of community stakeholders when developing a large-scale project. Indeed, Equinor failed to engage with

Now that Equinor appears to have realized the error of its ways and pulled back from its offshore wind plan, we have seen growing interest from several other developers seeking to take Equinor’s place. As the selection process plays out and companies vie for a chance to develop offshore wind energy in Nassau County, it is vital that stakeholders have a say in project advance-

I will continue to utilize all the tools at my disposal to advocate for the best interests of South Shore neighbors and ensure that our communities are not negatively impacted by overdevelopment. My position as co-chair of the bipartisan caucus will give our community a stronger voice in that arena, and ensure that any proposed plans include real benefits for the South Shore. Long gone are the days when developers like Equinor thought they could simply muscle their way past community opposition. We won’t allow it.

For Democrats, Suozzi’s victory is nothing to brag about

Democrats were understandably elated when former Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi won the special election in New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Feb. 13, but they shouldn’t be popping any champagne. In truth, Suozzi’s victory over the Republicans’ candidate, Mazi Melesa Pilip, was a lot closer than it should have been.

Suozzi won just under 54 percent of the vote. Doesn’t that seem a little low? After all, he’s a former mayor of Glen Cove, a former Nassau County executive, and a former three-term representative of the district in Congress. Pilip, meanwhile, is a sophomore county legislator.

An alarming sign for me is the money spent by each campaign for each vote. Suozzi spent $2.36 million and won roughly 91,300 votes, meaning he spent almost $26 per vote. In comparison, Pilip spent just $714,000 and won roughly 78,200 votes, or just over $9 per vote.

That means that Pilip needed on average one-third the cash to bring her vot-

ers out to the polls. That indicates to me that Pilip’s voters were more excited and zealous. Suozzi, on the other hand, had to fight to bring Democrats out.

If Pilip and Suozzi had had the same fundraising numbers, and the cash-pervote numbers held, Pilip would have garnered over three times her vote total. Even if we halved Suozzi’s advantage (to make the comparison a bit more realistic), Pilip still might have won, with over 58.5 percent of the vote, if she’d spent as much money as Suozzi.

HSo, Democrats, is this your grand victory?

Aside from that lingering question, Suozzi ran a good campaign. He attacked Pilip where he needed to and worked hard in just the couple of months that he had, barnstorming through the district. He held a large event in my native Westbury, which I appreciate. The difficult fight he had, and the difficult fight many Nassau Democrats have, was beyond his control.

e spent nearly three times as much campaign money as Pilip for each vote.

To top it off, state Democrats are going to get another chance to draw district lines this year, meaning that Suozzi is almost certainly going to be redistricted into a safer, more heavily Democratic district. Why sink millions into an election that you most likely would have won more easily in nine months?

I read the election results this way: A Democratic political veteran with high name recognition and a 3-to-1 fundraising advantage won an election with the second-worst margin he’s won his House seat with, against a neophyte opponent no one had ever heard of, whom he probably would have more easily defeated in nine months.

For one thing, the political landscape on Long Island is shifting against Democrats. For years in Nassau County, the number of new voters registering as Democrats outpaced those registering as Republicans, but that is changing. In the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay and the City of Glen Cove, which account for most of the population of the 3rd District, voter registration data for the past year confirms that the ratio of Democrats to Republicans is shrinking.

Area Democrats have also been suffering from guilt by association. The Nassau GOP has successfully associated local Democrats with their more leftleaning colleagues in New York City. The Long Islanders are branded with

negative labels like “radical” and “socialist,” or worse, “radical socialist.”

Finally, local Democrats continue to be hammered on bail reform, affordable housing and crime. These attacks are nonsense, but they stick because there is no apparatus in place to respond. None of this is Suozzi’s fault. Rather, the problem lies squarely with the Nassau and state Democratic committees, which have poor fundraising operations, abysmal organizing capacity, and virtually nonexistent communication with voters.

The party is failing to recruit new members, and cannot adequately defend its candidates, let alone go on the offensive. The state Democratic Party continues to fail candidates like Suozzi and the voters that make their existence possible.

That’s why I don’t consider Suozzi’s victory any kind of Democratic renaissance. His hard-fought win doesn’t portend more party wins in Nassau, because a successful two-month campaign can’t fix a state Democratic Party that has lost almost every position of power on Long Island in the past eight years.

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

Anthony D’Esposito represents the 4th Congressional District.

AnTHonY D’EsposiTo

Herald editorial

Support the Local Journalism Sustainability Act

as objective and independent news writers and editors, we have an imperative to cover the issues most important to you, the people of our community.

Every day, our team of reporters is on the ground questioning elected officials, uplifting the stories of community changemakers, and uncovering truths that some would rather keep hidden.

But, amid industry challenges, it is no longer unfathomable to picture a future when New York state is completely without local newspapers and other local news outlets.

According to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, 2.5 newspapers now close each week in the United States. More than 3,000 newspapers have shuttered across the country since 2004, and New York has been particularly hard hit.

In 2004, New York boasted 501 newspapers. Today, it’s only 260. In 2022 alone, 30 newspapers closed across the state.

A quarter of New York’s counties are news deserts — down to their last newspaper. Orleans County recently became the first in the state to have none. These closures have also resulted in thousands of lost journalism and newsroom-supporting jobs.

Local news matters. Studies show that when a community loses its source of local news, it experiences decreased voter turnout and civic engagement. Increased municipal borrowing costs that lead to higher taxes. And decreased transparency among government and business officials, leading to increased waste, fraud and abuse.

As newspapers shutter, communities become more polarized, leaving us stuck in a never-ending doom loop where we lose sight of our shared values. During this era of intense national partisan-

letters

Let these elected officials know that we need to save local news

■ Contact Gov. Kathy Hochul: (518) 474-8390

■ Contact State Sen. Kevin Thomas: (516) 739-1700

■ Contact Assemblywoman Taylor Darling: (516) 489-6610

Our newspaper is a proud member of the Empire State Local News Coalition. Support the coalition at SaveNYLocalNews. com.

ship, local news offers a path forward.

The time to act is now. That is why the Uniondale Herald Beacon has joined with more than 150 other New York local newspapers to launch the Empire State Local News Coalition.

Comprising both print and online local newspapers, this coalition is advocating for sound public policy that ensures the important work of local news organizations can continue in our state. Through our independent journalism, we aim to serve, inform, uplift and protect New York residents.

Our coalition cares deeply about our local communities as well as the future of New York’s free press. However, market forces are making it nearly impossible for us to survive. So, together, we are sounding the alarm bell for our leaders in Albany to hear.

At the heart of our advocacy is the Local Journalism Sustainability Act. Sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-

Bruce Blakeman bans trans athletes

To the Editor:

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s recent signing of an executive order banning transgender girls from playing sports in county facilities was a disingenuous performance to ingratiate himself with the cruel anti-LGBTQ movement. These kinds of orders and bans do more harm than good, setting a dangerous tone that can send the message that hateful acts against the LGBTQ community are justified. Nex Benedict, the non-binary 16-year-old from Oklahoma who died last month after an altercation in a high school girls’ bathroom, comes to mind.

Sadly, by targeting transgender young people, Blakeman chose to use his executive power to sacrifice a very vulnerable group, already struggling for acceptance and facing far greater rates of depression and suicide than their peers, for his own political gain. Instead of doing something to help the transgender community in Nassau County, he decided to put them at further risk.

Sigal and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner — with the bipartisan support of 55 co-sponsors — this bill provides tax credits to local news outlets for the employment of local news journalists. News organizations are incentivized to actually add jobs, returning reporters to many of the state’s newsrooms, which are becoming increasingly desolate.

Importantly, the bill is also contentneutral, meaning that any legitimate local news outlet — left, right or inbetween — can benefit from this bill. The objectivity of the bill’s eligibility requirements means the legislation cannot be weaponized to penalize news organizations critical of government officials.

As New York loses talented journalists, lawmakers must act to ensure the industry is allowed not only to survive, but also to thrive. Only local news outlets — with boots-on-the-ground journalists — can deliver the hyperlocal updates and investigations necessary to sustain a community’s civic and financial wellbeing.

Imagine no stories about the village or town board meeting, or the school budget debate. No pictures of your granddaughter’s first soccer goal. No obituary of your friendly (and eccentric) neighbor. No investigative reporting to hold public officials to account. And no trusted institution to convene the community around a family in need.

We need your help to save local news in New York. To get the Local Journalism Sustainability Act across the finish line, lawmakers need to hear from you about why our newspaper matters and why this bill is important to you.

If you would like to help, reach out to Gov. Kathy Hochul and your local state representatives to let them know you stand with local news.

It’s time we find common ground on ‘Raise the Age’

Long island has become the center of new York’s — and the nation’s — political conversation. in recent elections, state and local policies have had an enormous influence on nassau and suffolk county campaigns that ultimately played a decisive role in determining control of congress.

CHarLes LaVINe

But while politicians and party operatives struggle to find a political advantage in laws passed by albany or our county Legislature, real people affected by these policies are waiting for those of us in office to find common ground on issues that should bring us together, not divide us.

Look at the raise the age law, for example. in 2017, i was proud to join both my Democratic and republican colleagues in support of ending new York’s shameful status as one of the last two states to prosecute all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Today, thanks to the law, a large majority of young people’s cases move through family court, where the goal is rehabilitation through effective intervention rather than criminalization.

raise the age is a crucial component in building a healthy, sustainable future. it allows young people to get the services they need to get their lives on track. it also allows them to access quality jobs and fully contribute to our society without convictions from when they were teenagers holding them back.

scontrary to false claims labeling family court a “slap on the wrist,” young people may face mandatory programs, supervision by law enforcement, pretrial detention, and placement in residential facilities. But when the system is working well, they are connected with a range of community-based services and resources, which aim to address the underlying factors that led them to commit crimes. and they can use of those services — and the opportunities they provide — without the burden of an adult criminal record.

reduction in shootings with injuries from 2021 to 2023.

as a former public defender, i know firsthand how crucial services like snUG are to the health and safety of our young people and their communities. By targeting the crux of the issue, they reduce recidivism and help struggling youth become wellfunctioning, productive members of their communities.

etting young offenders straight without burdening them with adult criminal records.

since raise the age took effect, thousands of young people who would otherwise have spent months or even years of their childhood in adult jails and prisons have had access to services designed to help them improve their lives and avoid future interactions with the criminal legal system. For some, this is the first time they have had trusted adults whom they can rely on and turn to for guidance.

vices, serious crimes perpetrated by those under 18 decreased by 12 percent in nassau county and a stunning 57 percent in suffolk. These statistics demonstrate the efficacy of, and critical need for, community-based programming to make our neighborhoods safer.

Despite raise the age’s success, its implementation has received a mere fraction of the funding state leaders promised. it’s been reported that as of 2022, only $270 million of the $800 million that was appropriated for it had been invested in community-based programs and services for young people around the state. Think of how much more successful raise the age could be if the state adequately funded it, and community-based organizations and service providers could apply for and receive that funding directly.

one such service is the snUG street outreach program, which uses a public health model to reduce gun violence throughout the state by mediating conflict, mentoring youth, and working with local partners to make our streets safer. The 13 communities that are home to the program — including hempstead — reported a 36 percent

Letters

Blakeman claims that “boys” are bullying their way onto girls’ teams, but he’s the real bully here.

Karin Johnson RVC Pride Rockville Centre

It was obvious why Republicans chose Pilip

To the Editor:

i read the h erald’s coverage of the special election between Tom suozzi and Mazi Pilip. You didn’t mention that Pilip was a registered Democrat when she ran against s uozzi. s he didn’t change her party affiliation until a few days ago.

right from the beginning, Pilip didn’t want to take many questions from the press, and showed she didn’t know very much about the issues. The republicans had her run because she was pretty, black, and Jewish, with an interesting background.

MYron MarinBach Lynbrook

Immigrants make our economy stronger

To the Editor:

it’s time to cut through the noise and tell the

in recent years, i’ve been disappointed by how many of my misinformed colleagues have attempted to blame raise the age for an increase in crime on Long island, especially when the data say otherwise. This should be a law that unites us.

From the law’s implementation in 2018 through 2022, according to the state Division of criminal Justice ser-

truth about immigration: o ur economy and community is stronger because of it. s ome leaders would have us think it’s a zero-sum game when our country takes in immigrants, but that’s not true at all.

The nonpartisan c ongressional Budget o ffice estimates that the U. s . economy will grow by an extra $7 trillion over the next 10 years thanks to immigrants!

But we don’t have to wait for the future to see how they are strengthening the economy. in 2021, immigrants paid $524.7 billion in taxes. That’s money that helps fuel our nation’s schools, Medicare, Medicaid and social security programs. i mmigrants help support our communities as consumers and taxpayers.

Don’t believe it? Even former President Donald Trump’s appointed Federal reserve chair, Jerome h. Powell, recognized the massive contributions immigrants make in an interview on “60 Minutes,” saying, “a big part of the story of the labor market coming back into better balance is immigration returning to levels that were more typical of the pre-pandemic era.”

so let’s give credit where credit is due, stop the anti-immigrant rhetoric and end the zerosum mindset. i mmigration truly is essential for our economic growth and our communities’ prosperity.

JosEPh M. Varon Long Island chapter, Bend the Arc West Hempstead

it’s high time that we rise to the occasion and demand more for the most vulnerable members of our communities, and that starts by calling on albany to invest in our youth by fully funding raise the age and supporting evidence-based strategies that create pathways for our young people’s rehabilitation, growth and opportunity. Let’s not let fear-mongering and political mudslinging talk us out of public policy that is proven to work — and that lifts all of us up.

Charles Lavine represents the 13th Assembly District.