Uniondale Herald 07-20-2023

BEACON BEACON

Centennial Gardens residents say they’re fed up

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Residents of Centennial Gardens, a low-income public housing complex for the elderly on Babylon Turnpike — on the border of Roosevelt and Uniondale — say they are fed up with the Town of Hempstead’s lack of upkeep of their home.

Uniondale Summer Arts Academy inspiring the artists of tomorrow

By REINE BETHANY

instructors to list here.

rbethany@liherald.com

Under the guidance of Kelvin Jenkins, the Uniondale School District’s director of fine and performing arts, the district’s four-week Summer Arts Academy is now in full swing. It runs Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to noon, until Aug. 4.

About 100 children have registered for 10 courses. They are dancing and orating with choreographer Joynell Carr and theater teacher Denielle Grey, singing with chorus director Diana DeFilippi, drawing and painting with Whitney Kovar and Sheila Halliburton, and playing instruments taught by too many music

“Our main draw are kids that are already in our schools,” Jenkins said. “The program, though, is for any child in grades three through 10 who is a Uniondale resident.”

The complex music program includes six teachers focused only on the concert and jazz bands, which are divided into age groups.

“Band has so many different instruments,” said Jenkins, “and our focus is to get the children individualized instruction on their instrument during this program.”

On Monday, classrooms on the first and second floors of the Walnut Street School were filled with melodies from strings, horns and keyboards, supplemented by the sonorous ConTinUed on pAge 10

The town’s housing authority — the largest housing agency in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and the 10th-largest in the state — operates more than 280 apartment units for residents requiring federal senior citizen, family housing or housing choice vouchers. Most of them are at Centennial Gardens.

Residents pay rent based on their monthly income. The town’s low- and moderateincome housing is an essential service that helps a large number of the community’s senior

citizens afford a place to live. But according to those living at Centennial Gardens — like 64-year-old Arnold Wilson, who has lived in the building for six years and says he has always paid his rent early — the housing authority is not holding up its end of the bargain.

Wilson describes his living situation as “terrible.”

“You freeze in the wintertime here, and I’ve been complaining about the same issues for years,” he said. “They ain’t fixing anything, but they damn sure take the money.”

Wilson and other tenants, such as Girtha Sawyer, say living conditions deteriorate with each passing year. Their complaints include dirty hallways and floors, mold and mildew, issues with heat in the winter, bugs and rodents, and repair requests that go unanswered.

ConTinUed on pAge 19

Reine Bethany/Herald

The visual arts classes in Uniondale’s Summer Arts Academy are taught by Whitney Kovar, standing at left, and assistant Sheila Halliburton, standing at right.

I want to live in peace.

I’ve worked my whole life, and I want to live somewhere nice.

ARNOLD WILsON resident Centennial Gardens

BBQ safety tips from the Uniondale Fire Department

The Uniondale Fire Department website, UniondaleFD.org, posts multiple lists of safety hints. As the summer progresses, these barbecuing tips are useful to know.

Before barbecuing

• Check your grill thoroughly for leaks, cracking or brittleness before using it.

• Check the tubes leading to the burner regularly for blockages. Check with your specific grill manufacturer’s instructions.

• Make sure the grill is at least 10 feet away from your house, garage or trees.

• Store and use your grill on a large flat surface that cannot burn (i.e.- concrete or asphalt).

• Don’t use grills in a garage, porch, deck or on top of anything that can catch on fire. Never use a propane barbecue grill on a balcony, terrace or roof. It is both dangerous and illegal.

• Keep children away from fires and grills. It is a good idea to establish a safety zone around the grill and instruct children to remain outside the zone. A chalk line works great for this purpose.

• Have a fire extinguisher, a garden hose attached to a water supply, or at least 16-quarts of water close by in case of a fire.

• Before getting a propane cylinder filled, check for any damages to it.

• Never transport or store propane cylinders in the trunk of your automobile.

During barbecuing

• Don’t wear loose clothing that might catch fire.

• Use long-handled barbecue tools and/or flame-resistant mitts.

• Never use any flammable liquid other than a barbe-

cue starter fluid to start or freshen a fire.

• Never pour or squirt starter fluid onto an open flame. The flame can easily flashback along the fluid’s path to the container in your hands.

• Keep alcoholic beverages away from the grill. They are flammable.

• Never leave the grill unattended.

Barbecue safely

• When lighting your propane barbecue, make sure all the connections are secure and open the lid and strike your match or lighter before turning on the gas.

• Always shut off the propane fuel at the grill and at the bottle after you have finished barbecuing. Otherwise, this will lead to fire hazards, such as leaks and faulty regulators.

• Store your barbecue and propane cylinder outdoors.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe use, cleaning and maintenance of your barbecue.

• Test your cylinder for leaks on a regular basis. When testing for leaks, never use matches or an open flame. Use soapy water or a leak detector.

• Store your cylinder away from heat and insert a safety plug on the valve.

After barbecuing

• Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and storing instructions that accompany the grill.

• Keep your grill clean and free of grease buildup that may lead to a fire.

• Never store liquid or pressurized fuels inside your home and/or near any possible sources of flame.

In case of a barbecue fire

• For propane grills, turn off the burners. If you can safely reach the tank valve, shut it off.

• For charcoal grills, close the grill lid.

• Disconnect the power to electric grills.

• If the fire involves the tank, leave it alone. Evacuate the area and call the fire department.

• If there is any type of fire that either threatens your personal safety or endangers property, Always dial 911.

• Never attempt to extinguish a grease fire with water. It will only cause the flames to flare up. Use an approved portable fire extinguisher.

Remember

• Propane barbecue grills and no more than two 20-pound propane tanks are allowed on the grounds of a one- or two-family home, but be sure to follow the fire safety precautions above.

• Only use a charcoal barbecue on a balcony or terrace if there is a 10-foot clearance from the building and there is an immediate source of water (garden hose or four gallon pail of water).

Reine Bethany/Herald

The Uniondale Fire Department has safety tips on its website, UniondaleFD.org.

A fine family evening out and about in Uniondale

Empire State Fair delivered more than the average carnival

By REINE BETHANY rbethany@liherald.com

With colorful lights, swirling rides, two tent shows, and an exotic petting zoo, the Empire State Fair set up by the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale invited families in for a full evening’s entertainment.

Barkers called from behind counters where a $10 bill bought three chances to win a huge stuffed animal. It looked oh-soeasy to knock the bottles over, guide a metal loop down a spiraling wire without touching the wire, pop the vulnerable balloons that bulged from a wall in pastel rows.

Popcorn, cotton candy, and sugared waffle cakes decorated the air with enticing smells.

The traveling fair is provided by Dreamland Amusements. Its rides have something for everyone — a huge bench swing to thrill small children while parents sit reassuringly at their sides, swifttumbling cars that flip riders upsidedown, a roller coaster, a stately Ferris wheel, a carousel of individual swings that whizzes riders around and around under the evening sky.

Asked if they liked the fair as they strolled the trash-free midway, people responded, “I love it.” Many had never visited it before. They crowded into a tent to applaud the family-run Royal Hanneford Circus, whose high-flying tumbling sequences, animal acts, silly clowns, and motorcycles barreling through a spherical cage left everyone cheering.

In a nearby tent, viewers ogled the World of Wonders Amazement Oddity Show, with close-up views of phenomena like a woman swallowing five needles and bringing them back out of her mouth dangling from a thread, a sword-swallower, and a woman seated on an electrically charged chair who ignited a small torch with her finger.

The petting zoo tent really was a zoo,

with exotic as well as domestic creatures. Giggling teenagers fed kibbles to eager goats, while charcoal-gray wallabies relaxed in straw, a camel eyed its admirers, and a ring-tailed lemur wreathed itself around a trapeze.

A thoughtful boy named Carter examined the immense horns of a Watusi bull that stood patiently in its pen. Asked what he thought of the Empire State Fair, Carter looked up at his parents, Nyra and Jamal, and said, “I like it!”

The fair ran through Sunday, July 16.

Reine Bethany/Herald photos

Lofted above the crowds on the midway, attendees to the Empire State Fair in Uniondale caught a refreshing breeze.

Solo the Clown ranged through the crowd near the Big Top, attracting passersby to the 7 p.m. showing of the Royal Hanneford Circus.

Reuben Navarro barkered the Wacky Wires game, in which a person pays $10 for three chances to guide a metal loop down a rotating, spiraling wire without touching the wire.

A smiling family lingered among the exotic animals in the petting zoo: Carter and his parents, Nyra and Jamal.

Are additional police reforms on the way? Some legislators are fighting for a new third party complaint hotline

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

In the aftermath of the tragic murder of George Floyd in June 2020, a resounding call for police reform echoed loudly across the country. In Nassau County, some legislators aimed to lead the nation by example by seeking to implement groundbreaking changes in law enforcement practices.

Nassau County responded to the outcry following Floyd’s murder by conducting a study of alternative responses to emergency calls involving mental health crises. The result of this study led directly to the birth of the Nassau County Mobile Crisis Unit, an on-the-go unit of mental health professionals who can be dispatched instead of law enforcement. The goal of this unit is to provide an alternative to calling the police when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Although that legislation was successfully passed, several additional reforms were not. One of these pieces of legisla-

tion would have resulted in the creation of a 24/7, third-party operated, toll-free police complaint hotline and website, so residents could have a streamlined and transparent approach for filing complaints about police misconduct and abuse of power.

The legislation for the hotline was filed in July 2020 by Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams and Legislator Siela Bynoe, who represent districts with concentrations of minority residents.

In a 2020 statement about the hotline, Abrahams said, “By establishing this accessible, transparent and userfriendly process for filing police misconduct allegations, Nassau County can better protect the rights of its citizens and further equip our law enforcement professionals to uphold the highest standards of conduct and discipline.

“Establishing these new lines of communication will create opportunities for identifying, investigating and resolving allegations of excessive use of force and other misconduct.”

In a recent telephone interview with

the Herald, Bynoe said that the hotline would have allowed the community, the elected leaders, and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder to see complaints in real time and determine how the department was resolving them. In turn, changes to better support the officers might be made in police training and allocation of resources.

However, since this bill was filed, it has gone nowhere. Officially, this month it passed the three-year threshold and died in the legislature before it was ever called and discussed.

“There’s no way that, under the current administration, I see the third-party police complaint line passing,” said Bynoe.

The third-party approach would allow for greater complainant anonymity, and remove any obstacles inherent in a situation where people have to complain directly to the institution against which the complaints are made.

According to data from the Nassau County Police Department, in 2022, there were 12,345 police-citizen interactions. Of these, 129 were complaints filed against the department and 34 were found by the department to be credible.

The fact that 34 complaints were sustained means that the accused officer’s actions violated department policy, including allegations of excessive force, discourtesy, and unlawful arrest, and disciplinary action may have been taken.

It is important to note that these numbers may not necessarily reflect the actual number of complaints against the police department. F or example, some people may not file a complaint if they believe that it will not be taken seriously or if they fear retaliation. Additionally, according to a yearend follow-up report on police reform by the Nassau County Executive’s Office and the Nassau County Police Department, there has been a 14.6 percent decrease in civilian complaints in 2022 in

Seil A By NO e

comparison to 2021. Some officials cited the recent implementation of body cameras as the cause for the statistical drop.

“I think we have to continue advancing resources, causes and initiatives that can build mutual respect between the community and police,” Bynoe said, “and our job as legislators is to keep evaluating how these initiatives are helping, or in some cases, harming our ability to provide public safety.”

As the community and legislators continue their efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and mutual respect between law enforcement and the public, the need for ongoing evaluation and advancement of initiatives remains paramount. While obstacles may persist, according to Abrahams and Bynoe, the pursuit of meaningful reform and public safety should remain a shared objective for all stakeholders involved.

Commissioner Ryder’s office said he was unavailable for comment on whether or not he would support the proposed third-party complaint hotline. County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

W e have to continue advancing resources, causes and initiatives that can build mutual respect between the community and police.

Seil A ByNOe Nassau County Legislator

Newest defense against sharks? Drones

By MICHAEL MALASZCZYK Special to the Herald

The water is getting warmed along the southern shorelines of Long Island — the kind of water that attracts all kinds of marine life, including sharks.

The aquatic creatures have made their presence known in recent years, and 2023 was no exception. In fact, state officials warned Long Island beaches in particular could see a lot more sharks — and the sharks delivered.

There already have been five sharkrelated incidents on Long Island beaches this year, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul — most of them occurring around July 4. And there is still plenty of summer left.

Last year, there were eight shark bites on Long Island — for the entire season.

“We went from having one shark encounter in 2012 to eight just a decade later,” Hochul shared at a news conference last week at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. “Sharks are coming closer, and this is good news because the water is pristine, it’s cleaner than it was 50 years ago. But it’s also something that we need to be on-guard about.”

Lifeguards have access to Yamaha WaveRunner jetskis to better patrol the waters, and there has been more training for police and lifeguards on how to deal with sharks. And technology will come into play as well, with Hochul announcing 60 new drones will be deployed to supplement the existing 18 keeping watch.

“We want to make sure that none of our communities ever appear on ‘Shark Week,’ which premieres at the end of the month,” Hochul said of the popular Discovery Channel series.

Various shark species can migrate to Long Island, according to the state’s environmental conservation department, including the feared great white shark featured in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” But the most common sharks on Long Island

How to avoid sharks

■ Stay close to shore in designated swimming areas

■ Avoid swimming in areas with schools of fish, diving birds, or seals

■ Do not swim at dawn, dusk, or nighttime

an integrated way of monitoring all the shark movements,” he said. “If you take proper precautions like swimming in a protected area, if you don’t go in the water where this schools of fish or seals, you’re going to be completely safe. But on top of that, we in Nassau County have our helicopters in the air, and all-terrain vehicles that are available.”

What’s driving the shark activity on Long Island in recent years? Hochul has two theories — not necessarily at odds with one another.

are sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, and sand tiger sharks.

Sand tiger sharks —the species featured at Riverhead’s Long Island Aquarium — are typically docile, but have been identified as reportedly responsible for a few of the bites this year.

These measures are important for keeping Long Island beaches safe, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said.

“We have a very unified group that has

“Over the last 50 years, extraordinary measures have been taken to clean up the water here to make sure that it’s safe for swimmers and deal with the pollutants,” the governor said. “As a result, the sea creatures that are consumed by sharks are moving in closer — the sharks are following their dinner. I don’t know if this is proven, but the fact that the waters are warmer due to climate change may also be a driver.”

UNIONDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT Our Promise

Enrolling your children in public schools provides them with the opportunity to receive a well-rounded education in a diverse and inclusive environment, with a range of programs and resources. Uniondale Public Schools are also accountable to the community and operate under strict regulations, ensuring that every child receives a quality education regardless of their background or circumstances. With highly qualified teachers, a commitment to academic excellence, and a focus on equity and inclusion, our schools offer a comprehensive education that prepares students for success in college, career, and life.

Michael Malaszczyk/Herald

Flanked by Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages and state Sen. Kevin Thomas, Gov. Kathy Hochul shows off some of the drones that will be used to survey the waters on Long Island’s South Shore for sharks.

HERALD SPORTS

Ducks rally for first-half championship

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

It was an eventful first half of baseball for the Long Island Ducks, who became the Atlantic League’s all-time winningest franchise (1,581 as of June 17), captured the North Division’s first-half title, and had four player contracts purchased by Major League organizations. Ninth-inning magic in two games July 7 allowed the Ducks to snag first place in their division via a tiebreaker with York. Both teams finished 37-26.

Long Island scored three times in the top of the ninth to defeat Southern Maryland, 4-1, while York allowed two runs to Lexington in the top of the ninth and suffered a 7-6 defeat.

“We had one eye on the scoreboard all night,” Ducks manager Wally Backman said. “While we were up in the ninth inning, Dickerson [Alex] informed me York lost. All the guys knew when we took the field in the bottom of the ninth what was at stake.”

The Ducks closed the first half on a four-game winning streak and allowed only nine runs in the process.

The departures of Brett Kennedy and Stephen Woods Jr. left the starting pitching staff in a state of flux but not thin on talent. Stephen Tarpley, Robert Stock and Matt Solter all produced quality starts under pressure in the final week of the first half, Backman noted. Former MLB reliever Al Alburquerque (0.78 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) has been dominant and picked up the win in the clincher after Tarpley fired six strong innings.

Kennedy was the first Ducks player to depart during the season after signing with the Cincinnati Reds. After a six-week stint at AAA Louisville, Kennedy picked up a W for the Reds July 4. “Congratulations to Brett on this well-deserved opportunity to pitch again in the Major Leagues,” Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff said of Kennedy, who tossed five solid innings to defeat the Washington Nationals. “We are thrilled to have helped him achieve this milestone in his career.”

On his way to becoming the 29th Ducks alumnus to be promoted to the majors, Kennedy made three quality starts for Long Island and struck out 16 batters in 11 2/3 innings of work with a 3.09 ERA.

Three others had their contracts purchased by Major League or foreign professional organizations this season: Former three-time MLB All-Star and former New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy (Angels, Triple-A Salt Lake), nine-year MLB infielder Adeiny Hechavarria (Kansas City Royals, Triple-A Omaha) and pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. (Fubon Guardians, China.) The latter was 7-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts.

“We’re going to roll with a six-man starting rotation and not push anyone too hard in the second half,” Backman said.

“That’s one of the luxuries of winning the first half.”

Murphy played in 37 games with the Ducks. He departed tied for fourth in the Atlantic League with 47 hits, sixth in batting average (.331) and 10th in on-base percentage (.410), all of which lead the Flock. He also totaled two home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, 64 total bases, nine doubles, one triple, 14 walks and an .861 OPS. Murphy compiled a 16-game hitting streak from May 16-June 1, the longest hitting streak by a Duck this season, and a 19-game onbase streak from May 12-June 1.

Hechavarria appeared in 38 games with the Ducks. At the time of his departure to the Royals system, he led all Ducks and was tied for fifth in the Atlantic League with 12 doubles as well as tied for sixth in the league with 34 RBIs. He was also tied for the team lead with seven home runs while totaling 29 runs, 43 hits, 78 total bases, a triple, 21 walks and a .920 OPS. The 34-year-old reached base safely in 24 of his past 26 games going back to May 12, earning at least one hit in 21 of them. In that span, he compiled a .295 batting average with a .911 OPS.

Long Island’s offense in the first half was sparked by first baseman Sam Travis, who played all 63 games and batted .288 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. He also scored a team-high 50 runs.

“Winning the first half was a lot of fun,” said Travis, who played three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. “We still want to go out and win every game we play. We have a lot of season left. It’s a great group of guys. If it’s not one guy getting it done on a given night, it’s another.”

Dickerson is raking at the plate with a .352 batting average, .637 slugging percentage, 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 49 games. Former highly touted Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has also been dynamic at the plate with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in only 28 games with a .317 batting average. Outfielder Brian Goodwin, with a dozen years of MLB experience under his belt, batted .300 with 8 homers and 9 steals.

Regardless of what happens in the second half, the four-time league champion Ducks will participate in the Atlantic League playoffs for the 16th time in franchise history starting around Sept. 20.

Photos courtesy Long Island Ducks

First baseman Sam Travis enjoyed a huge first half at the plate with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Al Alburquerque has pitched lights-out (0.78 ERA) and earned the first-half clinching victory in relief.

Living through hottest week in 125,000 years

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

The record for the highest global average temperature since at least 1979 was shattered a few weeks ago — and then that record was broken the next day. And then again two days later.

The Earth’s average temperature hovered around 62 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be a chilly day for the summer. Yet, on a global scale, it was a few degrees warmer than where it should be.

These record temperatures have been, in part, due to the forming a weather phenomenon called El Niño. It’s created when the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean enter a warming phase as part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle.

There have been at least 30 El Niño events since 1900, according to meterologists, but many observers believe each of the seasons are becoming warmer over the years. And they’re blaming that on global warming.

“The first week of July appears to have been the hottest week on record globally,” said Mark Lowery, a climate policy analyst for the state’s environmental conservation department. “During that week, we saw four consecutive days of new records for the Earth’s hottest days.”

What the Earth experienced at the beginning of July was the hottest the Earth has been in more than 125,000 years, Lowery said. This extreme heat is

projected to get even worse over much of the world in the next couple of weeks, and will almost certainly continue into 2024 as El Niño remains intact.

“Once the Earth moves into the El Niño phase, it lasts about two or three years,” Lowery said. “So, we would have every reason to believe that there will be continued release of heat that will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere through 2024.”

That heat will be felt everywhere, even on Long Island. Alison Branco, climate adaptation director for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, said that as the air warms, the ocean also warms. And when the ocean waters become warmer they expand. This, in turn, will cause the sea level to rise off the coast of Long Island.

“For a long and narrow, very flat island, sea level rise is a major impact of climate change that we need to be thinking about all the time,” Branco said. “Because it’s really going to change the face of Long Island.”

And it affects not only the South Shore, but the North Shore as well, according to reports. Rising tides will create higher waves, which in turn will erode bluffs, causing them to eventually slide into the ocean.

But warmer water and a fear of higher tides aren’t the only things people living and enjoying Long Island have to worry about. Charles Rothenberg, climate and energy attorney from the Connecticut-based advocacy group Save the Sound, says warmer waters are acting as fuel for tropical systems.

“We can anticipate some significant tropical storms and hurricanes in the months ahead,” he said, adding marine life also be affected by these warmer waters. “There’s been a lot of conversations about the decrease in lobster populations.”

Lobsters tend to like water at specific cooler temperatures — something that won’t be much abundance of if ocean waters continue to warm, scientists say. Some believe more than half the lobster population available for fishing could be decimated within the next three decades.

The climate is changing, and despite best efforts to slow it down, it might be too late to stop it. But there are ways people can adapt, Branco said. First and foremost, they will need to start thinking about ways to cool off. That could mean buying air-conditioning systems, fans, or having access to a pool or ocean they can swim in.

“Our government needs to be thinking about these hotter temperatures, too, and making sure that we have the resources to help people cool their homes,” Branco said.

Storms have been coming, and they’ll continue to come, she added. Because of that, following evacuation orders is essential. Families also need a “go” bag ready for if they need to evacuate, Branco added. Also, a plan for the family to meet at a certain location in case of a disaster is very important.

“Investing in energy appliances, which helps reduce the strain on our electric grid during these very hot sum-

Ways to cool off in a hotter planet

■ Invest in an air conditioning unit

■ Buy a fan for your room

■ Go swimming in a pool or the ocean

■ Take cool baths or showers

■ Have water handy at all times

■ Wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing

■ Limit outdoor activity

mers, are very critical,” Rothenberg added.

But in the end, if people really want to help, they should support policies that help curb the impact of climate change, Rothenberg said. It’s vital to address the root cause of global warming, and that can only happen through collective action.

Nassau County is part of the Climate Smart Communities Program, intended to reduce greenhouse gases said to cause global warming on a local scale. But this was an effort supported by former county executive Laura Curran. Her successor, Bruce Blakeman, is not known to have taken advantage of the program, or instituted any of its recommendations.

Ben Fiebert/Herald

The Earth set consecutive record-breaking temperatures during the first week of July, and it’s

not expected to get any better. El Niño is expected to affect weather through next

year, meaning more hot temperatures are on the way.

Turn on the news and expect to be scared. Another senseless school shooting. Global warming hits home. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Threats from China. A new Covid variant. What’s going on here?

We want to feel safe. We want our friends and families to be safe. Yet, whenever we hear or read the news, panic-inducing stories bombard our brains.

Fear can be addictive, destroying our ability to focus on other matters. It promotes panic. It cultivates hopelessness. It’s immobilizing. So how shall we cope when we hear about terrifying events in the world?

First and foremost, you must find the adult voice in your head that’s calming, reassuring, and hopeful. It’s there somewhere! Then tell the scared child within you to listen to that voice. Really listen. Breathe in those reassuring

How to train your brain

thoughts and calming feelings. Isn’t that denial though? Bad things are happening. Frightening events occur. Yes, but that doesn’t mean we must immerse ourselves in information overload that escalates our fear. We can choose what to pay attention to at any moment of the day. Indeed, we must remind our brain that despite all the terrifying headlines and breaking news, we still live in an age where we’re healthier, safer, more affluent and living far longer than previous generations ever dreamed of.

If fear reigns, all the excitement, enjoyment, and juiciness are squeezed out of life. Then what remains? The everyday, mundane stuff and the terrible tragedies and catastrophes that become headline

news. That is no way to live. So, whatever’s happening in the world, do not allow fear to take up permanent residence in your brain. An occasional visit is okay and may be appropriate. But that’s it! Hence,

■ Do not exhaust your brain with media overload, worrying about every trouble, problem, and calamity happening in the world. Consciously and calmly determine how much media exposure is good for you. When you’ve had enough, turn your TV and digital devices off.

■ Turn on upbeat music that’s appealing to you. Then let your body and brain move to the music.

■ Since fear is contagious, spend

minimal time with fearful, pessimistic doomsayers, more time with positive, optimistic go-getters.

■ Let go of obsessing about dangers you can do nothing about. Instead, focus on what you can do -individually or with group effortto help alleviate a fearful situation.

■ Tell your brain you won’t allow yourself to live in a helpless, vulnerable position. You deserve better!

Do all that and your brain and body will forever be grateful to you for helping it focus on the good things in life.

©2023

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist and success coach in private practice who specializes in helping people overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. You can reach her at LSapadin@DrSapadin. com. Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

Linda Sapadin

Arts scholars explore their creative side

notes of steel pans and conga drums.

In the gym, Carr, Grey and their student dance captains, Max Jones and Jasmine Trusty, called instructions to 21 youngsters of various ages who were moving in three neat rows.

“Project a lot,” Carr told the children. “Be excited, and then we’ll start our dance. One, two, three, action!”

“Welcome! Bienvenidos!” The children belted out the words. “Welcome to our world, a place where art and culture rule our land, where there’s singing, dancing and music every day, where creativity is celebrated, where imagination is encouraged!”

Upbeat pop music began, and the children launched into a series of complex steps.

“I think we could do it a little better,” Grey said.

“And the rows were getting confused,” Carr added.

“This line on this square,” said Jones, as she and Trusty patiently showed the children once again where to stand.

The students will perform their piece on Aug. 3, the next-to-last day of the summer academy, when all the classes will unite for a festive program in the Uniondale High School auditorium.

Down the hallway at Walnut Street, in a classroom bristling with shining instruments, the sounds came not from voices but from flutes, an oboe, a clarinet, a bari-

tone horn, trumpets, trombones, a French horn, snare and bass drums, cymbals and castanets, while the six teachers coached the students in murmured words.

Along another hall, strains of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” emanated from mellow steel pans. Instructor Franklin Mayers, on loan to the school district from Ad Lib Entertainment, led the students into an uplifting piece, punctuated by a young percussionist on a conga drum. In an atmosphere of sheer concentration, Mayers walked among the students, speaking in low tones, and a boy of about 8

danced freely, yet thoughtfully.

No less free was the calm atmosphere in the visual arts room, where 15 students of various ages chatted quietly as they decorated origami paper boats, accompanied by soft music.

“I love this program. This is like a wonderful break,” said Halliburton, an English teacher from Westbury High School who has assisted Uniondale’s summer arts program for seven years.

“It’s camp. It’s supposed to be fun. There are no grades.”

Halliburton recalled how the coronavi-

rus pandemic affected the summer program. It was closed in 2020, and for the next two years the students wore masks, sat socially distanced, and could not share art materials.

“So now they’re here for 30 days, and it’s soothing,” Halliburton said. “It helps with social-emotional learning, because we have the music going, and they’re working with their hands — it’s kinetic. And it helps with socialization, too, because they can work while they talk to each other.”

Kovar walked between the tables, complimenting the students on their designs. Asked if she was their teacher, she laughed and said, “I’m the facilitator!”

This year’s theme for the arts camp, Kovar said, is “Supporting Our World through the Arts.”

“So I curate everything around that theme,” she explained. “We’re going to each continent and learning a different type of art through a different famous artist. This week it’s Japan, and the artist is Yayoi Kusama. She does a lot of big installations where dots cover everything. Today we’re finishing up origami, and we’re going to start Chinese calligraphy tomorrow.”

As the weeks progress, the students will apply what they have learned to creating a large backdrop that will be hung onstage behind the performers for the final program, a visual accompaniment to the celebration of song, dance and music.

Enterprising music scholars look to their future

By REINE BETHANY rbethany@liherald.com

The young people in the Uniondale Summer Arts Academy focused intently on what they were doing, appearing orderly, even submissive, as they repeated a dance sequence or positioned their hands on an instrument.

But when asked what they enjoyed about the academy, they revealed the proactive reasoning behind their participation.

“Being able to play an instrument is not something everyone can do,” said Josiah Townsend, an 11-year-old trombone and baritone horn player who will start sixth grade in the fall. “Once you reach a certain skill level, you can just do whatever you want with it. It makes you feel happy, because you mastered a skill that you didn’t have when you were, like, five.”

“It’s fun,” agreed oboe player Sarah Couture, age 10, headed for fifth grade at summer’s end. “When I was younger, about four or five, I wanted to play an instrument, because my auntie used to play either the bass guitar or the electric guitar. But I love woodwinds. And I always wanted to be a songwriter, so I was meant for this.”

Max Jones and Jasmine Trusty are volunteering for the second year as student assistants for the summer theater and dance courses. Both will start 11th grade in the fall. Both are members of the award-winning Rhythm of the Knights Show Choir, which is run by choir leader Lynette CarrHicks and her daughter, choreographer Joynell Carr.

“We’re both in our Music Honor Society,” said Jasmine. “I play piano. I want to go into the medical field because I want to be a surgeon and maybe do some sort of music on the side.

“I’m doing a nursing program next month where I actually work with patients. I’ve been volunteering at nursing homes since elementary school.”

“I play the flute, the piccolo, and I am working on the trombone,” said Max. “It’s fun. I used to want to be a trauma surgeon, but now I am into molecular gastronomy, which is the chemistry of food, how it works in our digestive system and reacts with our taste receptors.”

“My mother always tells me I’m all over the place,” said Jasmine, “but I like to keep myself occupied.”

“That’s one thing that the music kids have in common,” Max agreed. “We like to move around all the time. And it’s very

good to be well-rounded.”

Max Jones, who bakes and sells 150 cupcakes periodically at community events, explores the science behind what makes her cookery appealing. Jasmine Trusty has reached beyond her schoolwork and performing to build her medical

career. Josiah Townsend envisions high musical achievement, and Sarah Couyoute is fulfilling a very real personal destiny.

Reine Bethany/Herald Scholars taking part in the Summer arts academy jazz band must audition using an instrument they learned to play in a prior semester.

The importance of supporting a program like the Summer Arts Academy shines through in their words.

Reine Bethany/Herald photos

two student assistants in the Summer arts academy, max Jones, left, and Jasmine trusty are busy musicians who aspire to science-based careers.

Being able to play an instrument is not something everyone can do.

JosIAH TowNsENd trombonist, age 11

THEATRE

Cullen and Dykman moves HQ to Uniondale

The law firm Cullen and Dykman have found a new home at the Omni Building on Earle Ovington Boulevard.

The headquarters move marks a significant milestone for the firm, with partners describing it as underscoring its unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional legal services in the Long Island area.

The new offices on the second floor features a contemporary, spacious design with cutting-edge facilities to promote collaboration, efficiency and client comfort.

“We are excited to relocate our Long Island office to the Omni,” said Christopher Palmer, Cullen and Dykman’s managing partner, in a release. “The Omni will allow us to better serve our clients and provide them with a more modern, efficient and comfortable experience.”

The new office is a significant upgrade from the firm’s previous location, Palmer added. It features a modern office layout, larger conference rooms, a café area, and a state-of-the-art IT infra-

structure.

“The building is also located in a more central location,” Palmer said, “which will make it easier for clients to access.”

While Cullen and Dykman’s physical address is changing to Uniondale, all other contact information — including phone numbers and email addresses — will remain the same.

To learn more, visit CullenLLP.com.

County finances are better than ever

Nassau County finished 2022 with more money than it expected — $435 million more, in fact.

And taxpayers can credit sound fiscal management as well as higher-thanexpected sales tax revenue, according to Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips. The county actually spent $40 million more than the $3.9 billion it brought in last year, but $475 million in other financing sources more than offset it.

At the same time, the county stopped deferring mandatory pension contributions, paying off $123 million in past deferrals, and another $30 million that remained. Because of that, Nassau is current on its pension obligations for the first time in more than a decade.

The county also settled its lawsuit with Long Island Power Authority/ National Grid last year over taxes on two of the utility’s properties. This ultimately reduced the county’s long-term viability from $707 million in 2021 to $383 million at the end of last year.

The news could mean the end is near for the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority, which was created in 2000 following the government economic issues of the county in the 1990s. The county’s finances have improved so dramatically over the last several years, Phillips said, the county actually no longer meets the conditions that would require the oversight.

ELAINE PHILLIPS

Health care and social assistance makes up 23 percent of Nassau’s employment sector — more than 140,000 people — with retail trade and government the only other employers accounting for more than 10 percent of the workforce.

The median household income in Nassau County is just below $127,000, compared to $75,000 across the rest of the state, while unemployment is just above 3 percent. The rest of New York is just over 4.5 percent.

Courtesy Cullen and Dykman

The Cullen and Dykman law firm has officially moved to Uniondale, taking up residence on the second floor of the Omni Building on Earle Ovington Boulevard.

STEPPING OUT

The Sixties Show

That influential decade comes alive in the form of the Sixties Show. This dynamic night of nostalgia features all the sights and sounds of the decade, with a lively ensemble of accomplished musicians who know their way around the beloved hits of the ‘60s. You will be grooving along to note-for-note recreations of some of the greatest songs of that memorable era. Take a trip back to another time and place that was the 1960s, where an AM radio is blasting out the latest sounds from a convertible, on a warm summer starlit Saturday night on any street USA.

Environment as RT

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

By Karen Bloom

n original and compelling voice in contemporary art, Courtney M. Leonard’s artistic perspective takes root in her heritage as a member of the Shinnecock Nation.

Her work amplifies Indigenous knowledge and expresses reverence for the earth and sea while advocating for their protection.

Trained as a ceramic artist, Leonard — who received an advanced degree from Rhode Island School of Design — has evolved her practice to reflect her many interests and pursuits, all in an effort to investigate narratives of cultural viability.

A sculptor, painter and filmmaker in addition to her calling as a ceramicist, Leonard is known for her immersive installations that immediately command attention.

Now her art comes into focus in the first retrospective of her work, “Courtney M. Leonard: Logbook 2004-2023” at the Heckscher Museum of Art, which also is her first solo museum exhibition in the New York metro region.

WHERE WHEN

• Now through Nov. 12

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

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

project Breach, which she began in 2014. Conceived on the model of records kept by 18th century whaling ships, each “logbook” of Breach records — in ceramic, paint and video — one year of the artist’s experiences of “environmental fragility, shifting adaptations, and/or the ability to simply become anew.”

Pat McGann

The high-energy show is a largescale ambitious multimedia stage production, powerfully dramatized with a combination of special effects, narration, ‘60s archival audio, and newsreel footage and light show — a reminder of how uniquely inspirational, entertaining and historically significant the music and events of the ‘60s were and continue to be. It’s all meticulously recreated, combined with authentic period costumes and ‘60s-era staging and narration.

Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. $40-$55. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. (516) 323-4444 or MadisonTheatreNY.org.

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

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

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

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

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

“Her work is extremely beautiful and visually engaging,” says Heckscher Museum curator Karli Wurzelbacher. “It’s so well-made and deeply meaningful. So many important concepts are embedded within each piece.”

The two dozen pieces on view take over three of the museum’s galleries. Of particular note is the debut of her significant new work commissioned by the museum for its permanent collection. Titled “Contact 2,023…,” the approximately eight-foot-long wall hanging focuses on the moment of colonial contact on Long Island, by mapping the contours of the island with thousands of individual clay thumbprints resembling shells.

Sewn onto a cotton canvas with artificial sinew, each thumbprint becomes a “maker’s mark” indexing the artist’s contact with the earth.

A single installation contained in an entire gallery, Breach: Logbook 23|Alluvion takes its name from a legal term meaning the action of the sea or a river in forming new land by depositing sediment. Connecting the concepts of erosion and alluvion, Leonard explains:

“The purple and white of the quahog shell are formed by the water and minerals of a specific place. Alluvion speaks to the history of land, water, place, and to the displacement or disruption from loss of land due to erosion or imposed law. Yet it also speaks to the resiliency of our Shinnecock people and of our shoreline to heal itself.”

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

Concurrently with the Heckscher exhibit, Leonard created a site-specific outdoor installation for Planting Fields State Park in Oyster Bay, located in the Taxus Field, on display now through summer 2024.

“We’ve integrated the installation into the landscape,” says Planting Fields’ president and chief executive Gina Wouters. There, Leonard has expanded on her Breach: Logbook 23 concept, with full-sized shipping container integrated into the ground. The shape of the container structure itself is meant to evoke the body of a whale. As you enter through the jaws of a Northern Right Whale, you move through the whale’s body.

“It’s one amazing work with over 1,000 components,” Wurzelbacher notes.

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

This monumental creation is a sister piece to two other artworks in Leonard’s Contact series. The two earlier works both map New York state. She created the first, “Contact 1,609… (2009),” on the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s “discovery” of Manhattan and what is now called the Hudson River. It is co-owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Autry Museum of The American West in Los Angeles. The second, “Contact 2,021… (2021),” was recently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will next be shown at the New York Historical Society beginning in August.

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

“It’s essentially a root cellar, which was a natural refrigeration system and means of food sovereignty for indigenous people,” Wouters says. “She added to that the idea of a shipping container, bringing in the theme of whaling, so important to coastal Indigenous groups, yet abused by colonists. It’s an impressive, ambitious installation because of its scale. It’s wonderful to have this collaboration with the museum, and interpreted into our historic landscape.”

Brandi Carlile

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

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

The folk rocker is back on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Singer, songwriter, producer, activist, humanitarian, best-selling author — she’s done it all. Since the release of her breakthrough album ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’ in 2018, Carlile has won Grammy awards, earned Billboard’s Women in Music Trailblazer Award, and received several Americana Music Association accolades. She was honored with her seventh, eighth and ninth Grammys this year, winning for best Americana album with ‘In These Silent Days.’ Her song ‘Broken Horses’ won both best rock song and best rock performance. Don’t miss an evening of iconic songs such as ‘The Story,’ ‘That Wasn’t Me’ and ‘The Joke.’ Seemingly everywhere, Carlile has transitioned from an Americana powerhouse to a major headliner beloved by the industry and the public. Carlile’s career has been on a steep upward trajectory and her ‘Bramily’ — as her fans are known — is with her every step of the way.

Yarn/Wire

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

Another important exhibit component extends Leonard’s ongoing

Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $51.50-$481.50; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with

Courtesy Heckscher Museum of Art

Top photo: Courtney Leonard’s large scale map of Long Island is made up of thousands of individual porcelain thumbprints resembling shells.

Courtesy David Almeida/Courtesy Planting Fields Foundation

Right photo: The artist’s first outdoor installation, at Planting Fields, intermingles her art with the landscape.

BALDWIN HERALD

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

Courtney Leonard brings Long Island’s Indigenous tradition into focus

Your Neighborhood

THE

July 28

Penn & Teller

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appear on the Tilles Center stage, Friday, July 28, 8 p.m. Penn & Teller’s brand of awe-inspiring illusions mixed with buddy-comedy shtick has kept the duo at the very top of the magic profession for the past 45 years. Their trademark is the updating of worn out or archaic routines, such as bullet catching or their recent adaptation of the classic bag escape trick (their version involved a trash bag and lots of helium). From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia

to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway to the longest running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues defy labels—and at times physics and good taste — by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy. Constantly evolving and refining their unique take on illusion, the pair’s slight of hand is always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old “trick” or something altogether new. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” opening at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, July 22. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

July 27

Life Science of Summer

Kids ages 6-9 can tour Old Westbury Gardens and examine how science is all around us in nature, Thursday, July 27, 2 p.m. Learn how plants grow and take home your own plant, as you participate in experiments of the water cycle and how we can use science to change the color of a flower both naturally and artificially. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

July 21 Family movie

Families can cool off with a movie on Uniondale Public Library’s big screen, Friday, July 21, 2:15-4:45 p.m. Enjoy Dreamwork’s “Shrek” after a catered lunch by Island Harvest. Shrek is rated PG, runtime 120 minutes. Sign-up is not required. 400 Uniondale Ave. Visit UniondaleLibrary.org for information.

LI TODAY welcome to

July 2023

What DEI means to

As part of its corporate responsibility programs, the Sands Diversity Statement identifies its values within diversity, equity and inclusion in the following ways:

Sands New York celebrates Juneteenth across Long Island

Last month, Sands New York Ambassadors joined with the Long Island community to celebrate Juneteenth at events across the Island, including joining with Black Legacy Partners and the Nassau County Branches of the NAACP at the Juneteenth Cultural Festival as well as participating in the One Long Island Spirit of Unity Juneteenth celebration.

With events such as these, Sands demonstrates its commitment to empowering and inspiring those who choose to work with and patronize the company and their properties including its team members, suppliers, partners and guests.

In short, service and collaboration are part of the DNA at Sands.

“Sands is committed to ensuring an inclusive, integrated and collaborative environment with deep appreciation and respect for the diverse backgrounds of our Team Members, guests and business partners,” Sands Diversity Statement states. “We believe a culture that celebrates diverse perspectives and promotes inclusiveness for all is propelled to success by the strength of the whole and inspires our positive impact around the world.”

Sands is focused on ensuring a thriving team member culture based on respect, integrity and opportunities for growth;

advancing the success of its extensive supplier network, including small businesses in host regions; and maintaining trusted relationships built on service, excellence and inclusiveness with guests of all properties.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of Sands’ corporate strategy, identifying five priority focus areas as part of its DEI program:

• Corporate Governance — Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of operations and ensure that all processes that impact DEI issues – both directly and indirectly – support the attainment of diverse, equitable and inclusive outcomes.

• HR & Talent Management — Foster an environment in which every team member is able to fully actualize their potential, resulting in a more diverse pool of skilled and experienced team members prepared for leadership positions within the company, as well as recruitment and selection practices at all levels that yield a diverse range of candidates.

• Supplier Diversity & Inclusion — Enhance opportunities, strengthen relationships and foster innovation with small, HUBZone, or local businesses and diverse enterprises majority owned by women, minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+ and the disabled to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the Company’s supply chain.

Diversity — Sands embraces all similarities and differences among people such as gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, country of origin, nationality, age, generation, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, language, ability status, veteran status, business experience, geographic background, job role function and physical appearance.

Equity — Sands strives to ensure Team Members have equal access to the same opportunities.

Inclusion — Sands strives to create an environment to support individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged and valued for who they are and for their contributions to our organization.

Continued on page 2

who we are:

The developer of a multi-billion-dollar flagship hospitality, entertainment and casino project on Long Island

Photo provided by Sands

Photo: Over the weekend of June 17-19, Ambassadors from Sands attended multiple community events in and around Long Island to celebrate Juneteenth.

• Community Outreach — Enhance our efforts to identify, understand and support causes and organizations that help to deliver on the company’s mission of increasing awareness and support for diversity, equity and inclusion in the shared community.

• Benchmarking & Communication — Promote a collaborative corporate culture by clearly communicating company values and progress around diversity, equity and inclusion and fostering mutual appreciation and respect among team members; develop a best-in-class approach for disclosure of the Company’s DEI metrics to ensure transparency, accountability and continuous innovation.

The Chairman and CEO holds the company accountable for delivering on these DEI initiatives. The Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs oversees the development and execution of the Company’s DEI strategy. Responsibility for planning and implementing initiatives resides with senior leaders overseeing departments that manage DEI priority focus areas. The Company has set quantitative and qualitative objectives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and measures progress against these objectives.

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS ON LONG ISLAND

To learn more about the Sands as the world’s preeminent developer and

Former Gov., Sands Senior Vice President David Paterson honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by NAACP

Former New York Gov. David Paterson, now Senior Vice President of Sands, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Hempstead NAACP at its 39th Annual Freedom Fund Luncheon.

Paterson was acknowledged by Barbara Powell, President of the NAACP Hempstead branch for his commitments and dedication to the community. The event was held on Saturday, June 24, at Verdi’s of Westbury.

“It was an honor and pleasure for me on behalf of the Hempstead Branch of the NAACP to be able to recognize the great accomplishments of the Honorable David Paterson,” Powell said. “A native son of the great Village of Hempstead, who has done so much for the State of New York.”

Paterson served as the 55th governor of New York from March 2008 to December 2010. He was the state’s first African-American governor, as well as its first blind Governor. Paterson is a graduate of Hofstra University Law School, dedicating most of his adult life to public service.

After working as Assistant District Attorney and on the staff of Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins, Paterson was elected to the State Senate seat once held by his father. In 2003, he was elected the Senate Minority Leader, and Paterson was sworn in as Governor on May 17, 2008.

In July of 2019, Paterson was named Vice President of Sands, playing a key role in executing Sands’ near unanimous support in favor of the lease transfer of the Nassau Hub property.

Photos provided by Sands Photos: Former Gov. David Paterson, Senior Vice President of Sands, was honored with a Lifestyle Achievement Award by Barbara Powell, President of the NAACP Hempstead Branch on June 24.

Hot Diggity Dog

It’s barbecue season and Long Island Children’s Museum is feeling in the spirit, Kids can celebrate National Hot Dog Month by making a customized hot dog craft to bring home, at the drop-in program, Sunday, July 30, 1-3 p.m. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

July 20

Write on: College essay workshop

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering a virtual workshop to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The final session, Thursday, Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/ portal/virtual_admission_ webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 7052434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Laughs at the Library

Join Mark Brier, for a comedy showcase, Tuesday, July 25, 7-8 p.m. at Uniondale Library. No sign-up required. 400 Uniondale Ave. Visit UniondaleLibrary.org for information.

Senior concert series

July 21

Summer tunes

It’s night of tributes to musical icons at Eisenhower Park, Friday, July 21, 8 p.m. Enjoy Lamar Peters as Elvis Presley and Beyond Fab with their take on the great Beatles tunes. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Stories under the stars

Families can join Librarian Melissa for a special nighttime story under the stars, every Monday, 7 p.m. To register, visit UniondaleLibrary.org and click on events. 400 Uniondale Ave.

Settle for some summer tunes, with Joey and the Paradons, at Eisenhower Park, Wednesday, July 26, noon-2 p.m. Bring seating. Parking Field 1, East Meadow. For information visit NassauCounty. gov/parks or call (516) 572-0201.

Having an event?

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.

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, July 21, noon; Sunday, July 23, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, July 24, noon; Wednesday and Thursday, July 26-27, noon.

Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

Mindful mornings

Practice the “art” of looking at art at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, July 27, 10-11 a.m., with NCMA Director of Education Laura Lynch. Mindful looking invites you to observe, question, and calmly reflect in a relaxed and supportive environment free of distraction. It’s an opportunity to experience and enjoy the art in the galleries or sculpture garden, together, making personal connection. $10. Space is limited and registration required. Also Aug. 3. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

On stage

Plaza Theatricals brings the iconic musical “Rent,” back to the stage, Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The acclaimed reimagining of “La Vie Boheme,” loosely based on Puccini’s opera and set on East Village streets, fire escapes, tenements, and cafes. This groundbreaking roller coaster ride depicting the joys and sorrows of an eclectic, diverse group of young artists and activists is always captivating. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $35, $30 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

STRONG instead creates a nurturing, family-

like environment, resulting in what Executive Director Rahsmia Zatar describes as a deep and lasting connections of more than 100,000 people.

“You don’t get discharged from a family,” Zatar said. That powerful familial unit is paramount to STRONG’s success. The proof lies with the countless people who have gone through the program, grown up, and now have families of their own — lovingly calling STRONG staff members their “moms” and “aunties.” This enduring bond is a testament to the organization’s triumph in fostering a supportive community that extends far beyond a child’s time in the program.

“That’s what we aim to build, a sense of

Report reveals disparities in cannabis testing

By KATHARINE SANTOS Correspondent

Americans for Safe Access, an organization that advocates for reliable access to medicinal cannabis, hosted a media briefing on July 13 to discuss its new report: “Regulating Patient Health: An Analysis of Disparities in State Cannabis Testing Programs.”

The report raises concerns about patient health, calling for federal establishment of consistent standardized testing regulations in the expanding cannabis market.

The report exposed wide-ranging disparities in cannabis testing for contaminants across the United States. Laboratory testing methodologies vary as well. The lack of uniform regulations exposes consumers to potential health hazards.

“Proper labeling of cannabis products is paramount for me and my patients to optimize dosing, safety and formulations that might best work for their condition,” said family physician Stephen Dahmer during the media briefing. “The creation of federal minimum standards and transparency for the millions of Americans utilizing cannabis products as a therapy is both imperative and long overdue.”

Also discussed in the media briefing was the organization’s 2022 “State of the States Report: An Analysis of Medical Cannabis Access,” which, among other findings, demonstrated that, in the category of Consumer Protection and Product Safety, states averaged only 44 percent.

“People are paying 100 percent out of pocket for a product they assume to be from regulated sources that test for potency and contaminants,” said Steph Sherer, founder and president of Americans for Safe Access.

In fact, Sherer said, the 2022 report revealed that only eight states require a certificate of analysis and potency testing. Many states neglect potency testing altogether as well as pesticide, terpene, and heavy metal testing.

“It is time to move forward with a national cannabis testing program,” said Sherer.

The 2022 report found that 38 states do require testing for microbials such as E. coli and Aspergillus species, but the depth of the testing varies among states. These contaminants can threaten consumer health, given that they can be airborne or found on common surfaces.

Dahmer and Sherer both pointed out that no one who picks up a bottle of aspirin in a pharmacy need consider its potential impurities. Neither should medical cannabis consumers.

“It would be unacceptable for ibuprofen to be so poorly regulated. Even strawberries have to use a minimum bar,” said Dahmer.

Shelby Huffaker, a public health researcher at University of California at San Diego, identified the disparity of testing as an issue of health equity, because pesticide rates are higher in some states than others.

Sherer added that more than six million registered medical cannabis users are dependent on cannabis or cannabinoid-based treatment for medical conditions or symptoms. Daily use is often necessary to control symptoms, and inconsistencies in medical cannabis products would have detrimental effects on treatment.

Serious effects could include interruption of cellular functions, harm to brain neuron development, asthma, and pneumonia. Individuals with vulnerable immune systems would experience more severe symptoms.

According to Sherer, comprehensive medical canna-

bis and cannabinoid legislation is needed to address gaps in state and federal policies and to give federal agencies necessary guidance from Congress. Americans for Safe Access has drafted key recommendations for the creation of a National Office of Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoid Control, or OMCCC, at the federal level.

“The establishment of the OMCCC would provide the necessary guidance, oversight, and resources to ensure standardized testing programs across all states,” said Sherer.

Sherer, Dahmer, and Huffaker also hold that individuals should have the right to bring personal cannabis supplies to a federally regulated lab to be tested for safety.

The model legislation can be viewed at SafeAccessNow.org/model_federal_legislation. Contact info@safeaccessnow.org for more information on Americans for Safe Access.

Courtesy Metro Americans for Safe Access is campaigning for federal regulations to ensure quality control for medicinal cannabis products.

Proper labeling of cannabis products is paramount.

STEPHEN DAHmER doctor

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU

BANK OF NEW YORK

MELLON TRUST

COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS

MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, V.

ELAINE DEL COLLE, AS TRUSTEE OF THE KMETZ FAMILY TRUST, ET. AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated May 23, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS

MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and ELAINE DEL COLLE, AS TRUSTEE OF THE KMETZ FAMILY TRUST, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on August 01, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 715 LAFAYETTE AVENUE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553: Section 50, Block 120, Lot 198,199, 200, and 201:

ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS

THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 613982/2021. Harold F. Damm, 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.

140474

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 11, 2023 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 August 16, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 36 Conlon Road, Roosevelt, NY 11575. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Roosevelt, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 55 Block 549 Lot 34. Approximate amount of judgment

$609,777.50 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 008609/2014. 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.”

George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP

f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff

175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624

(877) 430-4792

Dated: July 5, 2023

140698

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, F/K/A, THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR CWABS, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2004-10, Plaintiff, vs. MYRON K. WHITE A/K/A MYRON WHITE, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order

held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Mark S. Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140619

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX NO. 600570/2022

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 646 MACON PLACE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553 Section: 50, Block: M02, Lot: 23

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

Mortgage Assets Management, LLC, Plaintiff AGAINST

Solomon Lightner, Individually and on behalf of the Estate of Bernice Lightner; et al., Defendant(s)

Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 17, 2020, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 15, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 757 Midwood Street, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in at Uniondale, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block D02 and Lot 56. Approximate amount of judgment is $274,477.87 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #000634/2015. This foreclosure sale will be

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 7/26/23 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED

STARTING AT 9:30 A.M.

474/23. UNIONDALEJosmana Jean Pierre Jeudy, Jean Rosebert JN Pierre & Macha Jean Pierre, Mother/Daughter Res. (2nd Kitchen)., S/s Goodrich St., 240’ E/o Armond St., a/k/a 754 Goodrich St. N.C.P.C. Local determination.

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Uniondale within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available a t https://hempsteadny.gov/

509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/

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

140791

WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR CASCADE FUNDING MORTGAGE TRUST HB5, Plaintiff, vs. EDGAR PEREZ, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; JUAN PEREZ, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; ESTHER PEREZ A/K/A ESTHER NOCK, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; JUAN ALEBRTO PEREZ, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; IRIS COHEN, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; ASHLEY DELEON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; RICHARD DELEON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; MEGAN DELEON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; DAMIAN DELEON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to

plaintiff; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES TO THE ESTATE OF ANGELA DE DELEON, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER VINA GONZALEZ PEREZ, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY INC.; ABC ALBEMARLE REALTY LLC; PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; MICHAEL PIPPENS; “JANE DOE” (REFUSED NAME); “JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME), “JOHN DOE #4” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last nine 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.

Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property

To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to

appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $510,000.00 and interest, recorded on June 30, 2008, in Liber M 33093 at Page 553, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York., covering premises known as 646 MACON PLACE, UNIONDALE, NY 11553. he 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.

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

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 the mortgage company will not stop the 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: June 30, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Theresa Regis, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 140838

AGAINST MICHAEL MCKENZIE AKA MICHAEL L. MCKENZIE, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 27, 2022, 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 August 24, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 674 HENRY 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 50, Block 119, Lot 552-556. Approximate amount of judgment $518,021.92 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #611774/2017. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. John G. Kennedy, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-003000 76966 140728

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

263/23) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the south curbline of Murray Hill Street, south for a distance of 25 feet.

LAKEVIEW LAKEVIEW AVENUE (TH 241/23) North SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at the east curbline of Langdon Boulevard east to the west curbline of Woodfield Road.

NORTH BELLMORE NEWBRIDGE ROAD (TH 273/23) East SideNO PARKING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 79 feet south of the south curbline of Coolidge Avenue, south for a distance of 48 feet.

NORTH MERRICK MERRICK AVENUE (TH 207/23) West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting from the north curbline of Jerusalem Avenue, north for a distance of 224 feet.

MERRICK AVENUE (TH 207/23) West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 455 feet north of the north curbline of Jerusalem Avenue, north for a distance of 187 feet.

ROOSEVELT NASSAU ROAD (TH 242/23) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the south curbline of West Pennywood Avenue, south for a distance of 60 feet.

NASSAU ROAD (TH 242/23) West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 60 feet south of the south curbline of West Pennywood Avenue, south for a distance of 85 feet.

WEST PENNYWOOD AVENUE (TH 242/23) South Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER -starting from the west curbline of Nassau Road, west for a distance of 40 feet.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations:

ELMONT BUTLER

BOULEVARD (TH 245/23) West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 23 feet south of the south curbline of Hempstead Turnpike, south for a distance of 79 feet.

GOTHAM AVENUE (TH

WEST PENNYWOOD AVENUE (TH 242/23) South Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at a point 40 feet west of the west curbline of Nassau Road, west for a distance of 101 feet.

NORTH COLUMBUS AVENUE (TH 258/23) West Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting at the north curbline of Forest Avenue, north for a distance of 71 feet.

FOREST AVENUE (TH 258/23) North SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of North Columbus Avenue, west for a distance of 50 feet.

FOREST AVENUE (TH 258/23) South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of North Columbus Avenue, west for a distance of 45 feet.

SEAFORD WASHINGTON AVENUE (TH 238/23) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at he north curbline of

Tenants say they want to see accountability

Tenants also claim there have been no modernizing upgrades, despite the fact the complex was built a half-century ago. For example, old windows are inadequate protection in the cold of winter.

Sawyer, 83, said there is constant miscommunication from the building superintendent, Ronell Hubbard, and claimed that he has exacted random additional charges as he sees fit. Sawyer said she had to move into a vacant downstairs unit because her mobility is limited, and she can no longer manage the steps leading up to her apartment.

Hubbard charged her $500 for the move, she said, adding that another tenant who had to do the same was charged $595.

Public Notices

Taft Avenue, north for a distance of 52 feet.

WASHINGTON AVENUE (TH 238/23) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the south curbline of Taft Avenue, south for a distance of 34 feet.

TAFT AVENUE (TH 238/23)

North Side -NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Washington Avenue, west for a distance of 30 feet.

TAFT AVENUE (TH 238/23)

South SideNO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at he west curbline of Washington Avenue, west for a distance of 25 feet.

WEST HEMPSTEAD

HEMPSTEAD GARDENS DRIVE (TH 137/23) East Side - NO STOPPING HERE

TO CORNERstarting at the south curbline of Hempstead Avenue, south for a distance of 50 feet.

HEMPSTEAD GARDENS DRIVE (TH 137/23) East Side - NO PARKING

ANYTIME - starting at a point 245 feet south of the south curbline of Hempstead Avenue, south for a distance of 15 feet.

HEMPSTEAD GARDENS DRIVE (TH 137/23) East Side - NO STOPPING

ANYTIME - starting at a point 361 feet south of the south curbline of Hempstead Avenue, south for a distance of 82 feet.

ALSO, to REPEAL from Section 202-1

“PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” from the following locations:

ELMONT BUTLER

BOULEVARD (TH 143/23)

West SideNO STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 23 feet south of the south curbline of Hempstead Turnpike, south for a distance of 132 feet.

(Adopted 5/23/23)

GOTHAM AVENUE (TH 496/89) West SideNO STOPPING HERE TO

CORNER - starting at the south curbline of Murray Hill Street, south for a distance of 30 feet.

(Adopted 7/24/90)

LAKEVIEW LAKEVIEW AVENUE (TH 151/68) North SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting from the east curbline of Langdon Boulevard, east for a distance of 102 feet.

LAKEVIEW AVENUE (TH 241/68) North SideNO STOPPING ANYTIME - starting from the west curbline of Woodfield Road, west for a distance of 64 feet.

(Adopted 7/9/68)

NORTH MERRICK MERRICK AVENUE (TH 350/80) West Side -NO

STOPPING ANYTIMEstarting at a point 130 feet north of the north curbline of Jerusalem Avenue, north for a distance of 94 feet.

(Adopted 4/28/81)

ROOSEVELT WEST PENNYWOOD AVENUE (TH 511/22) South Side - NO

STOPPING ANYTIMEstaring at a point 20 feet west of the west curbline of Nassau Road, west for a distance of 112 feet.

(Adopted 12/6/22)

NASSAU ROAD (TH 266/03) West Side - NO

STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting from the south curbline of West Pennywood Avenue, south for a distance of 40 feet.

(Adopted 12/12/06)

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: July 11, 2023

Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk

140775

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 202-48 of the code of the Town of Hempstead entitled, “Handicapped Parking on Public Streets,” a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of August, 2023, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the adoption of a resolution 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 at the following locations:

ELMONT

LANDAU AVENUE - west side starting at a point 28 feet south of the south curbline of Madison Street, south for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-237/23)

AMERICAN AVENUEsouth side, starting at a point 191 feet east of the east curbline of Meacham Avenue, east for a distance of 14 feet.

(TH-248/23)

GOTHAM AVENUE - west side, starting at a point 25 feet south of the south curbline of Murray Hill Street, south for a distance of 18 feet.

(TH-263/23)

INWOOD DAVIS AVENUE - south side, starting at a point 52 feet east of the east curbline of Chestnut Road, east for for a distance of 16 feet.

(TH-254/23)

OCEANSIDE OCEANSIDE PARKWAYnorth side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the west curbline of Rugby Road, west for a distance of 19 feet.

(TH-276/23)

ROOSEVELT

DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 284 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 25 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23)

SEAFORD MARTIN COURT - south side, starting at a point 25 feet west of the driveway apron of house number 2839 Martin Court, west for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-236/23)

SOUTH HEMPSTEAD MAUDE STREET - north side, starting at a point 204 feet east of the east curbline of Long Beach Road, east for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-186/23)

and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons:

OCEANSIDE

WEST WINDSOR PARKWAY - north side, starting at a point 224 feet west of the west curbline of Messick Avenue, west for a distance of 17 feet.

(TH-169B/23 - 6/06/23)

ROOSEVELT DELISLE AVENUE - east side, starting at a point 310 feet north of the north curbline of Oak Street, north for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-166(B)/23 - 5/23/23)

ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated:Hempstead, New York

July 11, 2023

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 140780

“They’re just making numbers up,” Sawyer said, “and we had no choice but to pay, because what can we do?”

Hubbard did not respond to requests for comment. Edward Cumming, executive director of the Hempstead town housing authority, said in a statement his organization is “committed to providing eligible and qualified families with safe and sanitary housing.

“All housing authority apartment complexes are maintained and repaired in compliance with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and New York state law, and are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Residents looking for repair work should contact the housing authority’s main office.”

The town housing authority operates under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which, according to the town authority’s website, provides construction funds for local housing.

Other complaints at Centennial Gardens include broken security cameras, a nonfunctioning front-door intercom, easyto-break locks on the doors, and an overall lack of a sense of safety. Tenants say the building is not properly maintained, yet no one from the housing authority has held any member of its management accountable.

Wilson and other residents have repeatedly spoken out about Hubbard — both online and by submitting official complaint forms. They also say they’ve brought it up at various in-person town forums.

Following those forums, Wilson claimed Hubbard became spiteful.

“He got mad at me because I spoke out against him in the meeting, and he said I shouldn’t have been talking about him,” Wilson said.

“This is business. It’s got nothing to do with friendship. I want to live in peace. I’ve worked my whole life, and I want to live somewhere nice.”

A number of the building residents say they’re afraid to speak on the record because they feared retaliation. One, who declined to be identified, said, “It’s hard enough to get them to get things done around here as it is.

tenants of Centennial gardens claim they have reported moldy radiators to both the housing authority and the superintendent, but the units have never been cleaned.

dirty hallways and floors inside Centennial gardens have gone unattended, residents say.

Continued from page 1

Brandon Cruz/Herald photos

Centennial gardens is a low-income public housing complex for the elderly on the border of roosevelt and uniondale where residents are complaining about the living conditions, the superintendent, and the town of Hempstead Housing authority.

PArAProfeSSioNAlS f/t: $23,736 - $24,286

Salary Commensurate with School Related Experience

fooD Service helPer P/t SubStituteS: $15.58/hr.

cleANer SubStituteS: $18.00/hr.

buS Driver SubStituteS: $22.50/hr.

SecuritY AiDeS (DAYS & eveNiNgS): F/T (7 hours) $22.28/hr.

NYS Security Guard Licensing required, law enforcement background preferred

mAiNtAiNer (7:00 A.m. – 4:00 P.m.)

Salary commensurate with experience

Send Cover Letter & Resume to: egomez@bmchsd.org or eric gómez

Assistant Superintendent – Personnel & Administration

1260 meadowbrook road, N. merrick, NY 11566

Additional information can be found on our website at: www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us

EMPLOYMENT

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT TEACHERS: For Yeshiva

Of South Shore. Afternoon Hours. Competitive Pay. Please Send Resume To: monika@yoss.org

Bellmore-Merrick

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT

EAST ROCKAWAY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (2 POSITIONS)

12 Month Position

Starting Salary $48,044–$50,462; increase pending contract negotiations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER NASSAU COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

Training and Experience

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university, AND

Four years of satisfactory administrative staff experience, which must include participating in budget preparation, and/or personnel and/or procurement activities.

NOTE: 1. Experience, as outlined above, in excess of the four-year requirement, may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

2. A Master’s degree from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university may be substituted for one year of the experience as outlined above.

Anticipated Start Date: Upon Civil Service Approval

Please submit letter of interest and resume to: Ms. Diane Drakopoulos Personnel Clerk 443 Ocean Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518 516-887-8300, x1-441 Email: ddrakopoulos@eastrockawayschools.org

Manager On Duty

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Can I just start putting up walls?

Q. I’m doing a commercial space to expand my business, and I’m in a quandary about a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. First, the landlord is only giving me two months to build out the space, and I’m being told that’s not enough time to get plans and permits, which the landlord doesn’t seem to care about. If I just start putting up walls, is that acceptable? Will I get a violation if I get caught? Also, I was told I need a plumbing permit for a new sink and toilet — the ones that are there are disgusting. If I hire an expeditor to get the plans and permit, can they also get the plumbing permit so I can do the work myself? I was hoping this would go smoothly, but I can see there are going to be problems. What can I expect?

A. You didn’t say what the business was, and the first step is to confirm, with a search of records, whether the use is permitted. For example, some uses require special approvals, and each jurisdiction has limitations.

Tattoo parlors, animal sales and boarding, auto body work — these are a few of the many types of businesses that require special review, sometimes by a zoning board, a village, town or city board or both in the same municipality.

Just a heads-up: Your landlord only wants to rent the space. A landlord was put on the phone recently while I was going over a similar circumstance, and told me he expected the tenant would eventually get the permit, but it isn’t his problem. To answer your question, if you did get caught, the landlord or owner of the property is the responsible party, and can face violations in court, fines and, in extremely rare cases, conviction and jail for serious violations, especially calamities leading to death. Those are the ones we hear about in the news.

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An expeditor generally won’t be your first choice, since expediting is the handling of paperwork and filing. You need professionally prepared and sealed plans showing the space, fully noted and dimensioned, with code references to specific safety issues for the use. A pharmacy will have different requirements and licensing than a beauty salon or a day care, for example. Usually, a ceiling plan showing locations of lighting, emergency equipment, sprinkler heads, emergency lights and exit signs is required, along with heating and air conditioning vents and diffusers.

Depending on the locality, you may not be allowed to do your own construction or plumbing work, and if you were to ask, local building departments expect the licensed plumber to get their own permit, showing proof of licensing to do work in that community. I know, and building officials are well aware, that work goes on all the time without the delay of the permit process. Just keep in mind that public safety is everyone’s responsibility. Verify that the work is safe and code-compliant. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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

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At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display

Recently I attended the annual Patriot Award Dinner hosted by the Seaford High School 9/11 Memorial Committee. This event, and other 9/11 programs in Seaford, are administered by the Memorial Committee, which was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the commitment to “always remember.”

Communities across Long Island were devastated by 9/11. None, however, has been more consistent or wideranging in its dedication to preserving the memory and legacy of that day and its victims than Seaford.

In November 2002, a commemorative plaza was constructed at the entrance to Seaford High School, dedicated to the alumni who lost their lives: New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Haskell, FDNY Firefighter Tim Haskell, New York City Police Officer John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein.

Each year on Sept. 11, more than 1,000 people attend a memorial at the plaza — last year, undaunted by a driving rain. Since 2002, Patriot Award scholarships

totaling more than $235,000 have been given to 112 Seaford High seniors who reflect the values of the graduates who died on 9/11. Honorary Patriot Awards have been presented to 59 people who selflessly service the Seaford community.

District students make field trips to the 9/11 Memorial at ground zero.

This year’s dinner was held at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As always, there was a large turnout, more than 300 people. The mood in the room was a mix of energy and respect. There was the energy of people who have been working for two decades to ensure that the memories and legacy of that day are preserved, along with respect for those who died and their family members, who were at the dinner, as they have been at so many commemorations over the years.

Among those sitting at my table were Monsignor Steve Camp and members of the Haskell family. Camp, now the pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Huntington, was a priest at St. William the Abbot in Seaford in September 2001. He officiated at funerals for victims of the attacks, and with his compassion and concern that did so much to help not only the victims’ families, but the Seaford community as well.

Tom and Tim Haskell were heroic FDNY members, as was their brother, Ken, who survived that day, and has dedicated so much to the Memorial Committee as its president. With Ken at the table were his mother, Maureen; his wife, Genene; their sons Kenny and Ryan; Ken’s sister, Dawn; and Tom’s widow, Barbara. No family has endured more than the Haskells. Somehow their spirit remains as strong as ever — as does the spirit of the other 9/11 families.

Seeing so many neighbors, friends and other familiar faces, I was pleased and reassured by the number of young people who were there who weren’t yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. I also gave a special hello to my sister, Barbara, a Seaford High graduate who put so much effort into making the dinner a success.

The student scholarship winners were very impressive, as were the Honorary Patriot Award recipients. Longtime Seaford High officials Tom Condon and Ray Buckley, who played strong leadership roles in forming the Memorial Committee and have continued their efforts to this day, spoke movingly, and then led everyone in an emotional and spirited rendition of “God Bless America.”

All these good, hardworking people gathered to show their unfailing dedication and commitment to their community and country more than two decades after America’s darkest hour exemplify patriotism at its best.

As I left that night, I thought about how wonderful it would be if the spirit of selfless dedication and commitment that these Seaford residents still demonstrate could once again predominate in our divided country. If the sense of unity and respect that Americans had in the days, weeks and months after the attacks could somehow be re-established. If we could work together on issues where we agree, try to find common ground where we disagree and do so respectfully, always remembering that we are Americans.

The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 could not destroy us or break our spirit. Instead we emerged more united. We owe it to our nation, and all those who were murdered that day, not to divide against ourselves, but rather to do all we can to recapture the unity we had then, and never forget that we are still the greatest nation on earth. As the hundreds of Seaford residents proudly sang at the conclusion of the Patriot Award Dinner, let us all proudly proclaim, “God Bless America!”

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Chimps face N.Y. court test of ‘personhood’

W“hen you meet chimps, you meet individual personalities. When a baby chimp looks at you, it’s just like a human baby. We have a responsibility to them.”

U.S. Some 850 live in laboratories. About 250 chimps are in accredited zoos, 600 in sanctuaries, and 250 in private hands, such as carnivals and low-end zoos.

rarely accelerated new discoveries or the advancement of human health.”

The report added, “The majority of NIH-owned chimpanzees should be designated for retirement and transferred to the federal sanctuary system.”

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published June 11-17, 2015.

RANDI KREISS

–Jane Goodall, animal right activist Chimpanzee stories invite cheap shots, jokes and memories of J. Fredd Muggs (a regular on “The Today Show”), but the true story of these primates in modern times is both shameful and tragic. The continuing abuse of chimpanzees in research, and a New York state lawsuit arguing the “personhood” of chimps, demand our focused attention and action.

Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of our DNA. They are native to Africa and they are endangered, with only 180,000 to 300,000 remaining. Fifty years ago, there were probably a million chimpanzees roaming Africa. Deforestation, poaching and some people’s taste for bush meat have depleted the population.

Nearly 2,000 chimpanzees live in the

Chimpanzees are one of the four great apes, along with gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. But chimps are closer to humans in their DNA than they are to any of their ape brethren. They know how to use tools, have opposable thumbs and can learn sign language. They pass the “mirror” test, recognizing themselves in reflective glass, and they are self-aware; express grief, depression and joy; and play jokes on one another.

Yet for decades, these animals have been used for research in the U.S., by the National Institutes of Health and by medical schools and pharmaceutical companies. This research rests on the presumption that as higher beings, we have the right to subject other living creatures to pain and suffering to improve our own health and longevity.

The awful irony is that in 2011, the National Academy of Sciences concluded, “Most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary.” In addition, a 2013 NIH report confirmed, “Research involving chimpanzees has

We are the only developed country in the world that continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments. A number of countries, including Australia, the European Union, Japan and New Zealand, have banned the use of all great apes in experiments.

What got me thinking about the shameful legacy of abuse of chimpanzees was the news in April of a lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project seeking “personhood” status for two chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, now being held at Stony Brook University.

If the apes are freed, they will go to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary for retired and rehabilitated chimpanzees in Florida. According to a spokesman, NhRP is not seeking personhood for apes so they can roam the streets. It is seeking only one specific right: the right to one’s bodily freedom, the freedom not to be taken and kept involuntarily for any purpose.

When I brought this subject up for dis-

cussion at a dinner table this week, the reaction of my friends — all kind, wellinformed people — was complete lack of concern for or interest in chimpanzees, abused or otherwise. They trotted out the old argument about it being OK to experiment on animals so people can live better lives. They said they just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees. They asked where I would draw the line. OK to experiment on dogs? Rats? Fruit flies?

I do draw a line. No experimentation on any higher-functioning animal that is sentient, but self-aware and capable of emoting feelings and socialization. I can be OK with experimenting on mice and rats and fruit flies and other lower life forms.

We don’t have the moral right to experiment on chimpanzees. The systematic torture of chimps, once considered “research” and now discredited by the NIH as inhumane and ineffectual, must stop. Please join me in supporting Jane Goodall’s work to save and rehabilitate chimpanzees. Go to janegoodall.org, where you can learn, donate or volunteer.

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

The U.S. continues to use chimpanzees in invasive experiments.

We need to rekindle the sense of unity we had in the days after 9/11.

HERALD

Staying safe from shark close encounters

it won’t be long before the iconic film “Jaws” turns 50 — a fact that’s just difficult to imagine.

Yet this single movie, from a then unknown director named Steven Spielberg, singlehandedly created the summer blockbuster model many studios work to recreate every year, and proved the big screen could deliver big thrills.

But “Jaws” had another, more lasting effect on society. It made many people fearful — or, at least, more cautious — about going to the beach. And it turned sharks, like the great white featured in Spielberg’s film, from ocean predators to living, breathing and biting beasts of pure evil.

Humans are a land species. Put us in the water and we’re at a clear disadvantage against anything that might mean us harm living in that environment. Especially something that can weigh more than two tons while boasting more than 300 teeth. Vigilance when in the water is essential — but demonizing an animal for simply acting on its nature is not.

In the years following the release of “Jaws,” many fishermen set out to hunt the great white, deeming the slaughter that came with it — cutting the population nearly in half — a way to rid the world of a man-eating predator.

But sharks are sharks, and for us to enjoy the ocean, we have to find ways of sharing it with these creatures, and everything else living below the waves. No one wants to be bitten, and hopefully most of us would rather stay as far away from

letters

Randi’s tribute to journalists still rings true — even today

To the Editor:

Keep your distance from the sharks

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Florida where more than half of the country’s shark attacks happen each year says it’s always good to stay in groups, since sharks are more likely to bite someone swimming alone. Also, don’t wander too far from shore especially if it isolates you from other swimmers. It also takes you farther away from any help you could receive from land. Avoid the water at twilight or after dark. Those are the hours when sharks are most active. Even during the day, if the water is murky, be extra careful. And most important, stay in areas watched by lifeguards.

sharks as possible. Yet the cleaner, warmer waters splashing onto the beaches of Long Island will indeed attract all kinds of aquatic life, and sharks won’t be far behind.

Drones certainly make a difference, with the state tripling the number of the flying camera-equipped contraptions patrolling local beaches. They can cover more territory in a short time, rather than simply putting lifeguards on WaveRunners, and beachgoers are getting the added protection of both.

Long Island beaches attract a number of species of sharks, although few of them, other than dusky sharks and the great whites featured in “Jaws,” pose any immediate danger. But it’s still imperative to stay away, because if a shark did decide to turn on you, it’s a battle you likely wouldn’t win.

Sharks are the ocean’s dominant predator for sure — and humans should stay far away from them — but they aren’t evil. We shouldn’t be happy when a shark is killed, or wish for a world in which they don’t exist.

In the end, sharks are a key component to our very fragile marine ecosystem. And they are dying, with few people standing up to defend them because of the fear perpetuated by movies like “Jaws” and annual television events like Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.”

Even Spielberg regrets how the great white was portrayed in his 1975 film. When a British radio personality asked him last year how he’d feel if he lived on a desert island surrounded by sharks, the Oscar-winning director said it’s something he fears. “Not to get eaten by a shark,” he added, “but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975.”

Sharks may not actually hold grudges, but we can share the ocean with them, and keep ourselves safe, by steering clear of them. It’s the only way we can have the fun, relaxing summer we’ve always enjoyed on Long Island beaches.

Re Randi Kreiss’s column last week (reprised from Sept. 11-17, 2014), “Journalists become targets for jihadists”: We, in the field, doing the coverage and writing the story and taking the photographs, know the truth. The courage lies in the reporting of that truth.

Many of us are doing local, community news coverage, and our readers (and viewers) want our presentation of the facts and our intelligent analysis. We are in the same tradition of those who report the news from abroad. We must take chances to offer the public the facts.

I am one of an old breed. It is my personal and deep passion to (try to) make a difference. Whereas building a house, or representing others in court, or even serving as an elected official, can be meritorious, I take photographs. I offer them to news sources all over the world. I imagine when they are displayed in some newspaper, someone, somewhere, may say: “This is truth.”

However, this hopeful wish on my part may be completely false. As more and more photos are cre-

ated and offer images of terrible events in the world, the public may become numb, and people may say, “I can’t change anything in the world, and these terrible photos just make me feel really sad.”

Professor Lauren Walsh, of New York University, wrote about this common public reaction recently in an article in the global documentary magazine Zeke. “What is the value of a photojournalist?” Walsh wrote. In

opInIons

You have no idea what teachers deal with

His name was David, and he killed himself in my second year of teaching.

The Long Island high school stopped functioning that day. David was an enormous personality. A terrific athlete with a giant grin. Some of his basketball friends read poems they wrote about him at his funeral.

David ended his life 11 years ago, and I still remember him now and then. The time I beat him in an impromptu rap battle between classes. He bounded down the hall, yelling, “Nolan is nice!”

The time I pranked him by pretending that a phone call from the main office directed him to pack his stuff and go to the principal’s office. (David was a habitual linecrosser.)

Or how I tried to teach him about selffulfilling prophecies, perhaps out of some intuition of the storm that surely raged within him.

I see his face, remember specific moments. David was a gifted athlete — not a great student, but what a personality. I spoke at his wake about how he brought people together. He knew every-

one, and everyone knew him. He was kind to other students.

His death remains the single worst experience I had as a teacher. I sought help for him, but I was a second-year teacher and didn’t realize how much danger he was in. No one did, not even his friends. I tried to put the pieces together afterward, to see how I missed any signs, but I only found more questions.

Two weeks ago, a former student of mine died in a dirt-bike crash. Last month, the murderer of a student I knew was sentenced. A year before his murder, two students I knew were attacked in the woods by a group wielding machetes, and left with scars on their necks and scalps.

When I started teaching, I quickly realized how many kids were suffering. Neighbors don’t always fully grasp the depth of hardship in their own communities. Students deal with abusive and drugand alcohol-dependent parents, incarcerated siblings, and violence in their neighborhoods — in addition to run-of-the-mill adolescent angst, which can be turbulent enough.

My wife teaches elementary school, and has come home crying because of the stress some of her students — some as young as 5 — have had to bear.

One time she asked a little girl why

Letters

the end, she stated that it is to offer visual evidence — evidence that offers proof when atrocities are committed by autocratic leaders, and that allows legal action to be taken to compensate the oppressed.

Thus, the photojournalist bears witness to the truth with visual evidence. I offer that critical truth, and I may actually change the world: I take photographs to protect the oppressed! And those overseas reporters, journalists and photojournalists — I believe, in my heart, they are in agreement.

If you want to do your own research on journalists abroad, look into the Committee to Project Journalists, at cpj.org.

JOe ABATe Writer/photographer Island Park

Two bills could expand recycling

To the editor:

New York has a chance to pass two bills that could significantly reduce the state’s plastic waste and improve its current recycling system: the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.5322/S.4246) and the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.6353/S.237A).

If passed, the Packaging Reduction

and Recycling Infrastructure Act would be the most progressive extended producer responsibility law in the country. The law would reduce packaging by 50 percent over 12 years, and remove 12 toxic chemicals from packaging — including PFAS, lead, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.

It would also prevent “chemical recycling” — or incineration — to count as recycling.

New York City spends $448 million to export its waste out of the state. Some of this waste ends up at the Covanta incinerator in Newark, where it pollutes an environmental justice community. By shifting the responsibility of recycling costs from taxpayers to packaging companies, the law would also ensure investments in reuse and refill systems and funding to improve recycling.

The Bigger, Better Bottle Bill would expand the current law, first passed in 1982. It would help reduce waste from common containers not currently under the law. To date, there are only nickel deposits on soda, beer and water. This bill would add non-carbonated containers like lemonade, iced tea, liquor and wine.

Moreover, the bottle bill would increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, which has proven to increase recycling rates and reduce bottle waste in states that have passed similar laws. It would also increase

she looked so tired. The answer? Her family had been huddled together all night in a corner of their basement, hiding from a gang that threatened to shoot up the house.

Another year, my wife taught a boy who, as a toddler, had been found by police sleeping on his murdered father’s chest. A group of teens had broken into the house and shot the dad.

This is part of education on Long Island. You can be certain that in just about every school there are students dealing with unimaginable grief and stress.

The mental, and at times physical, stress of helping children cope with grief can be overwhelming for a teacher. Knowing a child will go home — if he has a home — to an empty pantry, a house filled with trash or walls marked by bullet holes isn’t something you can just shelve at the end of the day.

A big part of 21st-century education is emotional learning. Mindfulness is a focus in classrooms, in the form of yoga and lessons on empathy and expressing emotions. Teachers benefit by learning these techniques, and being part of the conversation with their students.

During and after the pandemic, schools were, and still are, stretched to near the breaking point. Teachers have

endured ridiculous stress levels with pandemic-mandated changes, drops in highstakes test scores, being under fire by political groups for myriad illogical reasons, and more.

Yes, other professions are stressful. Highlighting the hardships of one job doesn’t exclude or diminish others. Law enforcement, first responders, social workers, landscapers, nurses, drivers — they all face stress and job-related hardship.

But there is a misconception that teachers are overpaid for four hours of work a day and summers off. How could that be stressful? Some people overlook the fact that teaching is more than time in a classroom, and involves more than helping a student learn the significance of Bastille Day.

Most teachers I know use the summer to decompress, and then plan and reimagine their classroom and teaching style. They take courses, read deeply, and contemplate better ways to motivate students.

As summer kicks into high gear, take a moment to thank a teacher and wish them a well-deserved break. It won’t be long before they’re helping a student with much more than long division.

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

the handling fee from 3 cents to 5 cents per bottle — an increase that would vastly improve the livelihoods of thousands of recyclers known as “canners.”

Passing both bills is crucial, because they would work together to enhance

waste management in New York, leading to substantial waste reduction, improved recycling, and reduced landfill and incinerator use.

Framework by Tim Baker

Oohing and aahing at the fireworks show overhead — Rockville Centre

In virtually every school on Long Island, there are students suffering with grief and stress.