Uniondale Herald 07-27-2023

UCC campers dive into a day of marine biology

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

Last week, children from the Uniondale Community Council Summer Camp spent a day of educational fun at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center.

The interactive, all-expenses-paid workshop was hosted by a partnership between Jones Beach State Park and NY Sea Grant, a Cornell University program that conducts and supports academic research into marine issues affecting New York state, and specifically Long Island.

In 2018, NY Sea Grant partnered with the Energy & Nature Center to launch Marine

BEACON BEACON

MTA fares set to rise Aug. 20

Commuters not happy, but remain philosophical

By REINE BETHANY rbethany@liherald.com

Nobody seriously expected a single-ride subway fare to cost 5 cents forever.

When August Belmont Jr., who had a mansion in Hempstead Village and attended St. George’s Episcopal Church on Front Street, took over the Manhattan Railway Company and created the Interborough Rapid Transit Company in 1904, riders paid a nickel for a steam-driven train ride from City Hall, in Lower Manhattan, to 145th Street and Broadway.

Rides on horsedrawn buses cost the same.

price of a single ride in 2023 is higher than 119 years ago.

Commuters in Hempstead and Uniondale did not react positively.

“I don’t think it’s fair to the passengers,” said Lacy, a Uniondale resident who rides the westbound n48/49 bus to work each day. “I think the fare should be cut back to $2.50. The scheduling is bad, too. On weekends the bus only comes every 45 minutes. Some weekends it’s late and then I’m late going to work.”

THOmAS ROGERS Uniondale

Not until 1948 did the fare change. It doubled to 10 cents.

Camp, a one-day, hands-on workshop for children. Participants learn about seine net fishing and do some beachcombing. They learn about marine and beach wildlife, and attend an interactive indoor educational seminar on electricity, solar energy and marine biology at the center.

Reaching underserved children is a major goal of the Marine Camp.

“For many of the kids that participate in the program, it’s one of the only opportunities they have to learn about the wonderful marine life that’s right in their backyard,” Antoinette Clemetson, a fisheries specialist for NY Sea Grant, said.

Ricardo Castillo, 4-H program manager of

Scroll forward to present-day prices. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s basic price for a single-fare ride will increase 4 percent as of Aug. 20, from $2.75 to $2.90. Other fares will increase similarly (though student, senior and Paratransit prices will stay the same).

Five cents in 1904 equals $1.71 now, so any way you figure it, the

“I go to Westbury, to Garden City, to Mineola, Wantagh, Jamaica,” said Patricia, a health worker in freshly ironed scrubs waiting at the northbound n43 stop near Uniondale Avenue and Front Street. “I’ll tell you something: $2.75 is plenty.”

Patricia noted that she often rides two buses to get to her assignment. The transfer is free, but it’s not enough help on the days when she must ride a third bus.

“There’s a seven-day unlimited card,” she said, “but if you’re not called to work enough that CoNtiNUEd oN pagE 15

Brandon Cruz/Herald

Hayden Uresk, an environmental educator with the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center, helped children from the Uniondale Community Council Summer Camp study the crab they had found at the beach.

The bus company squanders a lot of its funds.

Dunn embraces second World Cup experience

By MICHAEL LEWIS sports@liherald.com

Participating in her second Women’s World Cup, Crystal Dunn is living by a simple philosophy: Embrace the moment.

“The question that many of us who have played in the World Cup get is: ‘Oh, it must be easy now’. I’m like, ‘No, it’s not easy now,’ because each World Cup is different,” she said.

This World Cup is different for the Rockville Centre native because Dunn is a mother for the first time. She has brought her 15-month-old son Marcel to New Zealand for the tournament.

“I took a massive amount of time off last year,” she said. “So everything, every moment that led to this moment is so different. It’s a different journey that I didn’t expect to be on. My message to players in their first World Cup is really just embrace it. It’s going to be wild. It’s going to be crazy. There’s going to be moments where you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what did I sign up for?’ But that’s the beauty in it.”

The left back was a member of the 2019 U.S. team that won its second consecutive world championship in France in 2019. The Americans are vying to become the first team — men or women — to capture three successive World Cups.

“We remember that as the last team standing up, you realize that it was also worth it,” she said. “My message to everybody is play with a little bit of noise. It’s not something that you take for granted at all. People are on their fourth World Cup. People are in their first. You just have to embrace it and take that moment

and just smile and laugh with everybody along the way.”

Dunn and her U.S. Women’s National Team teammates got off to a solid start in this year’s tournament, recording a 3-0 win over Vietnam in their opener in Auckland, New Zealand last Saturday. The former South Side High School standout played 84 minutes before she was replaced by Kelly O’Hara. The Americans’ next Group E game is against the Netherlands this Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Fox, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock). They close out group play against Portugal on Aug. 1 at 3 a.m. (same channels.)

Only nine members of the current 23-player U.S. roster competed in France, so the 31-year-old Dunn is one of the team’s most experienced players.

“I find myself in a new role, being more of a veteran player, a leader on this team,” she said, lamenting that team captain and center back Becky Sauerbrunn couldn’t play due to a leg injury. “Becky is a massive loss for us. She is somebody whose impact is felt not only on the field but off the field.

“We’re ruthless,” Dunn continued. “As a backline that’s how we’ve always trained. Becky has been someone who set the tone and the standard for that. Without her being here, we have to be even more collective and relentless in our defending.”

Rockville Centre native Crystal Dunn played 84 minutes in a 3-0 victory for U.S. over Vietnam in last Saturday’s World Cup opener.

Courtesy Marco Rosa

Uniondale’s community center makes it official

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

After more than 15 years of backand-forth between local leadership and the Uniondale Neighborhood Center, Uniondale is finally getting its own official community center.

Located at 925 Jerusalem Ave., the new community center was constructed as part of the 2017 Community Benefits Agreement — a contract between real estate developer Engel Burman, Nassau University Medical Center, and the Uniondale community itself. The idea was to ensure the development of a new community center, represented by the Uniondale Neighborhood Center, as well as the Long Island Regional Planning Council and the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency.

The community benefits agreement was first proposed in 2008 by current neighborhood center president David Greaves. For him, a community hub is significant, noting that without one, there is a lacking resource in Uniondale. It also can serve many different needs of this community at once.

“Nothing happens here without the center,” Greaves said.

The neighborhood center and the planning council began negotiating with Burman and NUMC in 2010, with Burman eventually agreeing on a $2 million investment to build a new facility. That would allow the neighborhood center to move from its current headquarters in a house located at 806 Jerusalem Ave., into a commercial location.

After what Greaves describes as a long

finalization process, the Community Benefits Agreement was finally signed in 2017.

However, there are concerns some of the provisions in the agreement may not be completely fulfilled. Despite the center being built nearly four years ago, Greaves says he did not receive the keys to the building until just a couple weeks ago.

“It’s been a struggle trying to get on the same page,” Greaves said. “It’s been very difficult for me to actually know exactly what the intentions were and that they’re intentions were aligned with ours.”

Although it has been a frustrating process, Greaves added, he says he’s not complaining and is grateful the community now has their center.

In the past, Burman has said he is committed to fulfilling all the promises made under the agreement, blaming the delays on factors such as Covid-19, which has disrupted construction projects across the country. Burman also cited the difficulty of finding qualified construction workers in the area, and the long and lengthy process to obtain permits from the town, as well as legal barriers he says he is working to overcome.

Despite these struggles and miscommunications, Greaves — who is not paid for his work as president — said his main focus is on serving the community and bringing everyone in Uniondale together. He plans to offer a plethora of services to not only Uniondale’s young people, but community members of all ages.

Greaves also wants to collaborate and make the building available for different community organizations to host meetings, such as the Uniondale Chamber of Commerce and the Nostrand Gardens Civic Association.

The center also plans to host summer camps, after-school and educational programs, workforce preparedness courses for different industries, music initiatives, faith programs, health and wellness, sports leagues — now that they control a large field in the back of the facility — among others.

But one of the most important endeavors to Greaves, is the center’s construction of a “diverse history library,” which he describes as a cultural archive and information center that celebrates Black, Hispanic, and the cultures of other minorities so peoples of various backgrounds can have a better understanding of each other.

“This will celebrate not just Blacks and Hispanics, this will celebrate all races,” he said. “And especially since the community is so mixed with Haitians and West Indians and so on, I want to do more for a level of that understanding.”

Greaves, who is West Indian himself, explains this will involve having an actual library with books about topics on history, Black and brown inventors and excellence, as well as hosting seminars and guest speakers on different topics such as ethnicity, pride, history, success and achievement.

This idea, he said, came from Esperanza Quezada, a neighborhood center board member who died last year.

Greaves wants to name the library in her memory.

“I plan to fulfill her dream, the idea she gave me, and get that done,” Greaves said. “And I’m going to dedicate it in her name.”

There is no official date quite yet for the center to open its doors to the public, but Greaves says they are aiming for late August.

In the meantime, to learn more about the Uniondale Neighborhood Center, visit ByrnCenter.org.

It’s your future

Remembering George DeKay

Courtesy Uniondale Neighborhood Center Outside of the newly acquired Uniondale Neighborhood Center, located at 925 Jerusalem Ave. It was built years ago, but administrators like neighborhood center president

DAviD GReAves

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

It was career day recently at David Paterson Elementary School in Hempstead and among those sharing what she does for a career was none other than Hempstead town deputy supervisor Dorothy Goosby.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Commodore George DeKay Day at St. George Cemetery in Hempstead drew a good crowd at its recent memorial event, including town councilmen Dennis Dunne and Tom Muscarella. Also attending were John Pinto, Jack O’Brien, Peter Begley, Joe Gleason, Bill Treadway, John King, Michael Maher, James Perrone Sr., and James Perrone Jr.

Balloon Mission combats unsuspecting pollutant

By JORDAN VALLONE

jvallone@liherald.com

Balloon Mission, a nonprofit that was founded — and took off — in Merrick last December, has been making waves in the immediate community, and beyond. Its founder, Cynthia Seibold, wants people to realize that the simple act of releasing a balloon into the sky, or throwing them in the trash after they’ve been used at a party, can be detrimental to the environment and many animals.

“They’re always going to be a plastic,” Seibold said of balloons. “They break down into micro and nanoplastics. The science is there.”

Full balloons — either foil or latex — as well as shreds of them, and their strings, impact trees and plants, and of course, wildlife, which may mistake balloon pieces for food.

From the start, Seibold emphasized that she is not “anti-balloon.” Rather, she wants to make people aware of alternatives to balloons, such as bubbles or burning sage, and to reiterate that if people want to use balloons, they should dispose of them responsibly.

“One of the things that we’re really pushing and raising awareness on is that balloon releases are a problem out in the environment,” she said. “Part of the mes-

Welcoming state AG

State Attorney General Letitia James held a news conference in Hempstead recently to talk about the Planned Parenthood facility in the town. Joining James, right, were Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine executive director Linda Prine, and Hempstead town deputy supervisor Dorothy Goosby.

sage that we’re trying to get out is — listen, there are cool alternative to balloon releases.”

Since January, Balloon Mission has collected 16,387 balloons. Eager partners have been the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, as well as the North Merrick School District. Shore Road Elementary School in Bellmore Public Schools will be joining the efforts, and Seibold said they’re looking forward to working with even more schools come September.

Perhaps the best thing to come out of Balloon Mission thus far is the nonprofit’s partnership with ACDS, which previously stood for the Association for Children with Down Syndrome. Because the scope of the services the association offers has expanded, ACDS is now known simply by its acronym.

“It’s just been incredible,” Seibold said of the ACDS partnership. “At Balloon Mission, we support inclusion and diversity with our network partners here at ACDS. The smiles on their faces — there’s such a sense of pride and value that they have through this collection program.

“We really want to acknowledge and recognize their efforts here,” she added. “It shows that everyone can make an impact when it comes to saving the environment, saving wildlife.”

Seibold said Balloon Mission has collected more latex balloons and pieces than

As Balloon Mission continues its environmental efforts on Long Island, ACDS picked up balloon bins for delivery to the Merrick Woods Day Camp. ACDS pledges to release bubbles, and not balloons, with stickers funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program.

foil. “It’s not just full balloons we collect,” she said. “It’s balloon pieces. So we’re collecting and counting every piece.”

What Balloon Mission really strives to do is simple: create awareness.

“This is a new shift — this is new infor-

mation,” she said. “Some people say, ‘Now that I know this, I’m not using balloons ever again.’ There are other people in the middle of the road, who are saying, ‘Listen, I get what you’re saying — I still love balloons, and I’m still going to use them.”

Crime watCh

Hempstead man arrested under Leandra’s Law

A Hempstead man was arrested after police say he endangered the lives of his passengers — including an infant — by driving intoxicated.

Anibal Alvarado Rodriguez, 22, of 67 Terrace Ave., was pulled over in his 2011 Honda Civic just after 11 p.m., on July 20 near the intersection of Fulton Avenue and Nassau Place. Officers say they smelled alcohol on Rodriguez’s breath, and observed his eyes looked glassy.

Yet, Rodriguez wasn’t alone. With him, according to police, were two women in

HOW TO

their 30s, as well as a 1-yearold boy. The baby was not properly restrained in his car seat, police said. Fortunately, none of the passengers were injured.

After reportedly failing a standard field sobriety test, Rodriguez was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s Law, which means he was endangering the welfare of a child.

He also is charged with driving while intoxicated as well as multiple vehicle and traffic infractions. —Reine

Bethany

DWI arrest on Front Street

A Uniondale man was arrested last week after allegedly crashing his pickup truck into a gas pump.

Nassau County Police Department offices responded to a call in the very early morning hours of July 21 about a car accident near the intersection of Uniondale Avenue and Front Street. There they discovered a 2020 Ford F-150 pickup truck had struck a gas pump at a BP gas station at 1030 Front St..

The pump had been knocked off its base, police said, which Nassau County Emergency Services Unit to come and deactivate the pump.

When officers found the driver, they say he was intoxicated. Arrested was Jose Jimenez Rivera 25, of Warwick Street. Rivera is charged with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08 percent. —Reine Bethany

Photos courtesy Cynthia Seibold

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Amanda Fisk is library’s first artist in residence

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

Digital art has become increasingly accessible, but there’s a lot to learn about creating your own digital masterpieces before you apply your stylus to a digital canvas. Getting started can be intimidating, given the wide variety of devices and software to consider before you open your first blank canvas, but for those looking to explore the world of pixelated paints, the Glen Cove Public Library is offering a series of digital art workshops. Future dates are yet to be determined, but attendees can expect to have free access to iPads, as well as tips on navigating Procreate, Apple’s digital art software.

The workshops will be taught by Amanda Fisk, the library’s first artist in residence. Fisk is an East Meadow transplant to Glen Cove, and her graphic style ranges from abstract visualizations to photo-realistic illustrations. She earned an undergraduate fine arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s from the Pratt Institute. She teaches visual arts at Friends Academy, in Locust Valley, making her more than qualified to guide aspiring artists exploring the digital medium for the first time.

“Art has always been part of the fabric of my life,” Fisk said. “As I’ve gotten older, my passion has become less about the actual art-making for myself and more about sharing the process with others and teaching others to do it. I get a lot of joy out of watching other people learn.”

In her first workshop for the library on July 14, Fisk

spoke about the history of the digital medium, and some of the challenges people face in creating digital art.

She acknowledges that the digital world has a higher entry cost than traditional materials, as well as a learning curve with the “host” technology, in addition to the art software. And since digital art is modeled after traditional materials, it’s created with algorithms, and sometimes lacks the variety and subtlety of traditional art.

Fisk also explained that the final product is an intangible file, which can be easily duplicated, and it’s challenging to place a value on it. Photography and video art have both worked through these challenges in the past.

Although some might argue that digital art isn’t “real” art because it’s not made by hand, Fisk contends that you can make the same claim about more traditional media.

“Do you ‘make’ a painting, and do you paint your trees?” she asked. “Or do you look for a brush that has a tree pattern that makes it easier? Would that be any different than cutting out a tree shape and a sponge and sponging it onto the canvas?”

Fisk explained that digital art can offer a vast array of tools and materials in a single device, giving it a versatility and portability that traditional material doesn’t offer. And one of the biggest advantages of the digital medium, she noted, is decreased clutter and easy cleanup.

“When I was in college, and I was taking painting classes in my apartment and I had to have a canvas, I remember I always had plastic on the floor,” Fisk recalled. “I hated it, because I couldn’t get anything on the carpet because it wasn’t mine, and I love that digital art is just there.”

One of the students who attended the first digital workshop was Cathy Parsy, who said she was interested in it because it wasn’t something she’d normally go to. Afterward, Parsy said she would like to be more creative, and that her experience with an iPad helped draw out her inner creative spirit.

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.

Roksana Amid/Herald Amanda Fisk, left, shows Cathy Parsy how to navigate ProCreate digital art software. The program is a favorite among professional creatives like Fisk.

Exploring Britain’s Long Island occupation

By LARA MURRAY-STERZEL

Intern

American history is a long and complicated tale to tell. But there are still those venturing into the past to uncover stories never told during the making of our country.

“Chronicles of the British Occupation of Long Island” is a new book by David M. Griffin, taking readers back in time to the Revolutionary War when people lived in fear of the British’s brutal power, while slowly gaining a patriotic desire for freedom.

Griffin is an independent researcher and author who’s always been driven to the history of the Revolutionary War, especially in New York region. When he completed his first book, “Lost British Forts of Long Island” in 2017, Griffin reached out to The History Press, a publishing company known for its collection of history books in communities on Long Island and elsewhere.

He was put in touch with acquisitions editor, Banks Smithers, and the two have worked together ever since. When Griffin came to Smithers about the idea of focusing on the British occupation of this part of the world, the two began shaping his current idea into the story it is today.

The novel follows a narrative story between 1776 and 1783, giving a human aspect to what it was like to experience life on Long Island during British rule. Griffin wanted to explore the British movement and American spy activity through various sources from the time.

To do this, he read historical books and even stud-

ied a period diary, which is referenced in the book about what was discussed, heard and spoken when the British loomed over Long Island.

“It’s very hard to write about the time because everything was very secretive,” Griffin said. “So, stories and the order of things that were happening on the island were hidden. You have to rely on a lot of different accounts from different writers.”

He provided images in his novel — some of which included maps the British used as a part of their network — as well as photographs of historical houses where British soldiers were sheltered as part of quartering laws. Griffin thought by showing these, it would create a certain historical depth for the reader.

After a year of writing, the book was published in July and is expected to arrive soon at Long Island bookstores. The History Press hopes to schedule book events once the stores have received the novel.

Griffin sees his book as rather dark because of the topics it covers, focused on how the power over land divided people. Even when Colonists endured the unpredictable effects that led up to — and included — the Revolutionary War, Griffin was shocked at how long the British stayed on Long Island and what they did.

Which made his research all that more compelling.

“I learned a lot more about the conditions of dayto-day life under martial law in the book,” Smithers said. “David paints a harrowing picture of occupied Long Island — something entirely unfamiliar to today’s Long Islanders — and thus exceedingly interesting.”

Courtesy David M. Griffin

David M. Griffin’s book — ‘Chronicles of the British Occupation of Long Island’ — is expected to hit bookstores soon, especially on Long Island.

DAviD M. GRiffin

HERALD sports

NYS adds classification to seven sports

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

the New York State Public High School Athletic Association is going from a five-classification format to six classifications in seven different sports – boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, girls volleyball, baseball and softball – beginning this upcoming school year.

For Nassau and Suffolk County, it means more county champions, more Long Island championship games and more teams competing in state tournaments in those sports. The NYSPHSAA, which last summer voted to approve the new classifications, wanted to create approximate equal numbers across the state in each enrollment classification.

“Every section in the state is different, but for us in what used to be Class A we had more than 30 schools competing for one championship,” Section VIII athletics executive director Pat Pizzarelli said. “Now within that same group there’s an extra opportunity to win a championship.”

For example, Nassau boys and girls basketball had 58 schools compete in the 2022-23 campaign; 15 in Class AA, 34 in Class A and nine in Class B. This coming season, there will be 12 in Class AAA, 24 in Class AA, 17 in Class A, and four in Class B.

Among the second-tiered teams for boys and girls basketball (Class AA) will be Calhoun, Carey, East Meadow (down from the largest grouping), Elmont, Hewlett, Kennedy, Long Beach, MacArthur, Sewanhaka, South Side and Valley Stream Central. Class AA is for schools with an incoming enrollment (grades nine through 11) between 692 and 1,104 for boys, and between 699 and 1,112 for girls. The new Class A numbers are 391691 for boys, and 397-698 for girls.

“With the exception of Floral Park, the new AA schools on the boys side have had the Class A champ for the last 25 years,” said South Side’s Jerry D’Angelo, head coach of the reigning Nassau and Long Island Class A boys’ basketball champions. “So the new setup will give us two county champions among the 41 teams in AA and A.”

Suffolk had 59 boys and girls basketball programs this past winter with 25 competing in Class AA, 22 in Class A and four in Class B. For 2023-24, there would be 18 in Class AAA, 18 in Class AA and 13 in Class A.

Across the board, much of the largest group landscape in Nassau County remains unchanged with many of the fixtures like Baldwin, Farmingdale, Freeport, Massapequa, Plainview, Syosset and Uniondale will vie for a title. However, East Meadow and Valley Stream Central are two schools with dif-

ference classifications based on sport. The Jets remained in AAA in soccer, baseball and softball but dropped to the second largest classification for hoops. The Eagles have an identical setup under the new breakdown but competed in Class A for basketball in recent seasons.

The classification numbers between basketball and soccer are slightly different. For soccer, Class AAA starts at 1,082 students and up on the girls side and 1,090 on the boys side. Softball and baseball breakdowns are closer to soccer than they are basketball, but are all within a range of less than 30.

One minor negative is Nassau and Suffolk will take on an extra expense of securing more postseason venues for some semifinals and finals, and the cost of sending more teams to state competitions.

“It’ll cost a little more money come tournament time with extra playoff games,” Pizzarelli said.

Nassau County softball coordinator Rachel Barry, who coaches Clarke, said the plan at this time is to stick with ability-based conferences during the regular season. “The playoffs will look pretty similar with some smaller brackets,” Barry said. “The extra classification balances our section a little bit better by spreading out the single A schools.

“Suffolk hosts next year’s Long Island championships, so it’s up to them to figure out locations,” she added. “As far as the state championships, softball isn’t going to be impacted as much since we no longer play the semis and finals on the same day. Adding another classification only adds three games to the mix.”

Media Origin Inc./Herald

South Side, the defending Nassau and Long Island Class A boys’ basketball champions, is moving to Class AA this upcoming season as part of the new statewide classification setup.

Ron Manfredi/Herald

Baseball is one of seven sports statewide moving from five classifications to six beginning this September.

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is a testament to the organization’s triumph in fostering a supportive community that extends far beyond a child’s time in the program.

Visionary STEM program trains in science, leadership

By REINE BETHANY rbethany@liherald.com

It’s a Monday morning at Uniondale High School, and more than a dozen middle school youngsters are focused raptly on the classroom smart board. But this isn’t a Monday morning during the school year. No. This is summer. And the kids are part of an enrichment program focused in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Known as Morrison Mentors, the program gives young teens like these in Uniondale a chance to spend their time not on a movie or a game, but a science lecture given by three young men.

Morrison Mentors is an 11-year-old Hempstead nonprofit that holds classes just like this for students 12 and older not only at its Fulton Avenue location in the village, but elsewhere as well — like Uniondale High.

On this particular day, the topic was 3D printing.

“The material this is made of is called a ‘filament,’” said Kevin Nerestil, 19, while holding a small white bust of the father of alternating electrical current, Nikola Tesla. “So, if you look back there,” he said, pointing to a small 3D printer at the rear of the classroom that was extruding a blue substance onto a metal bed, “the little blue wire coming out of it is called the filament.”

“The thing that holds the filament is the spool,” interjected Christopher Simpson, another one of the instructors.

“The spool keeps it organized, so you’re not tripping over it,” Nerestil said.

“Because if it isn’t organized, it gets tangled,” said Davon Drew, a Uniondale High junior who was helping out in the lesson. “And then we lose our 3D print, and we waste our money.”

Davon moved among the students seated at long tables in front of computers, answering murmured questions while the lecture continued

“There are different types of filament,” Nerestil said, indicating the Tesla bust again. “This, for example, is made out of PLA. It’s called polylactic acid.”

“It’s one of the most common materials,” Simpson said.

“Yes, it doesn’t warp easily, and can take intense temperatures,” Nerestil added, before jumping into cautionary information about how hot the 3D printer becomes while it operates.

The discussion moved on to a diagram on the smart board showing how a 3D printer would appear in a TinkerCAD 3D design program, including how to use X, Y, and Z axes to create a project, with humorous participation by Debrah Pfeiffer, the Uniondale middle school coordinator.

“So, the X and Y would be like the square on the floor,” Pfeiffer said. “And the Z would point up toward the ceil-

ing. Did everyone know that but me?”

The students laughed.

“And about safety, again,” Simpson continued, “never touch the 3D printer when it’s on, because it gets hot and you can get burned.”

“Don’t put your hand underneath or on the motors, because they’re actually moving parts and your fingers can get caught in them,” Nerestil said.

“Then not only will we get burnt, we might lose fingers,” Simpson said.

“And as of now,” finished Nerestil, “we can’t print you an actual 3D finger.”

The students lined up to receive iPads containing TinkerCAD — a free-to-use 3D modeling program — then returned to their seats and logged in to start the day’s project: designing a keychain.

The students knew they would not handle the 3D printer themselves. Their finished designs would be transmitted to the Morrison Mentors professionals, who would print them at the Hempstead site and send them back to the classroom.

“Kids who have taken our classes showed interest in

technology, and gone through our training program,” said Doron Spleen, chief executive of Morrison Mentors. They “can move on to become assistants, and then interns. Through programs and grants that we’re able to access, they get support services like training in financial literacy. It’s almost workforce development.”

The program becomes a means of community mentoring.

“Davon and Chris are from Uniondale,” Spleen said. “The students they teach might see them at school or walking down the street. They’ll know that Davon and Chris represent Morrison Mentors, and they’ll want to get trained as assistants, and so it goes.”

Morrison Mentors has proved its worth to the Uniondale school district.

“A lot of the students were excited to choose this STEM class again,” Pfeiffer said, “because they really enjoyed it last summer.”

And it’s ultimately something students aren’t exposed to in a regular class, said Clinton Grant, a district administrator helping oversee the summer program.

“And I like the fact that it has a mentorship message.”

Middle school students taking the summer Morrison Mentors STEM classes at Uniondale High School gathered around as instructor Christopher Simpson demonstrated how the 3D printer works. Among those taking part in the lesson were, from left, Juren Canales, Ayden Ham, Douglas Tejada, fellow instructor Kevin Nerestil, Mason Hawthorne, and assistant Davon Drew.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

The 9:30 a.m. section of the Morrison Mentors STEM program for Uniondale’s middle school students is one of eight such programs in the summer enrichment offerings.

STEPPING OUT

Always in-tune with

Penn & Teller

By Iris Wiener

n its first incarnation since the pandemic, the 24th Annual Long Island Jolson Festival is ready to delight loyal fans once again. The festival’s latest edition, on Saturday, Aug. 12, will bring together devotees for a full day of nostalgia and music, celebrating the talent of Al Jolson — the performer bestowed with the moniker “world’s greatest entertainer.”

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

Jan Hernstat — the International Al Jolson Society’s president, who has helmed the festival since its beginning — is excited to remember the icon, who was a pioneer in many genres in the ‘20s, including music, film (“The Jazz Singer”), and theatre “Hold on to Your Hats”). When Hernstat began the festival many years ago, it was simply because he wanted a platform to show his appreciation for Jolson. It quickly turned into something else.

“It has been fun over the years to bring Jolson to people who don’t normally get to see him,” Hernstat says. “When I started doing this, people came to me and said something which I didn’t really understand: ‘Thank you for doing this service to bring this kind of entertainment that we don’t get to see anymore.’ It was just something that I wanted to do, and as a byproduct, I was making people happy. That’s a good feeling.”

It will be next to impossible not to smile at this year’s festival, which will include a performance from mainstay Tony Babino, who has been treating festivalgoers to the vocal stylings of Jolson for years. He is joined by “Mr. Tin Pan Alley,” Richard Halpern, who is participating in the event — at Lambrou’s in Island Park — all the way from California.

Hernstat explains that Halpern brings a unique set of skills to his Jolson interpretation.

By Karen Bloom

“A lot of people know Jolson from ‘The Jolson Story’ forward,” he says. “He did 20 songs in that film. The majority of people alive today only know those songs and the style in which he did it, which is what Tony emulates. But Richard does Jolson from the ‘20s and ‘30s, the ‘78 (RPM) Jolson,’ as I like to call it. People will get a little contrast, because with Richard, you’re going to get more of the early Jolson and with Tony more of the later Jolson. It’s going to be great.”

• Tickets are $43.95, which includes entertainment and meals; tickets for show only are $29.95

• Information and tickets available at Jolson.org or call Jan Hernstat at (516) 678-3524.

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

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

He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. 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 to 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 always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old ‘trick’ or something altogether new.

Friday and Saturday, July 28, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Kevin James

• Lambrou’s Catering Hall, 4073 Austin Blvd., Island Park

Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence. the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to them.” which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April. interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, Miguel

Also new this year is an appearance by comedian Jeff Greenberg, a longtime society member known for his humorous act, frequently performing near his New Jersey home. The comedy doesn’t end there. Bob Greenberg (no relation) will be tickling the funny bone as characters from oldies acts, such as Oliver Hardy, Ralph Kramden and Lou Costello. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet Brian Gari, grandson of the late performer Eddie Cantor, Jolson’s showbiz contemporary, and can check out a slew of memorabilia from Jolson’s era.

Hernstat is intent on keeping Jolson’s legacy front and center in the public eye.

Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs

Great American Comedy Festival,

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.

coined yet,” he says. “He was an international star at a time when there was

“He was the first true superstar. In fact, the word ‘superstar’ was not even coined yet,” he says. “He was an international star at a time when there was no real media to promote what he did. Now all you have to do is go on social media and everyone knows you all over the world. When Jolson first started out, there weren’t talking movies, there’s wasn’t radio and TV. For somebody to be as big as he was worldwide, it really talks about your talent. It is a wonderful experience to celebrate his talent, his singing, and his voice.”

When Hernstat reflects on years past, he fondly remembers welcoming entertainers to his gathering, such as Sheldon Harnick (“Fiddler on the Roof” lyricist and songwriter), radio and television superstar Margaret Whiting, and comedian Soupy Sales.

“I don’t want this festival to die,” Hernstat says. “There’s still people out there that love Jolson. I always tell people, ‘We’re not looking to convert you to become a Jolson fan, we just want to find the ones out there who are and let them know that they have this outlet for their enjoyment.’”

Yarn/Wire

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

The ‘King of Queens,’ ‘Mall Cop,’ ‘Kevin Can Wait,’ and Larry (of ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’) — Kevin James wears many hats. Catch his comedic brilliance when he returns to his Long Island roots with his Irregardless Tour. Young Kevin was a promising college football fullback until the acting bug bit him. After spending his junior summer with the local community theatre, he realized getting laughs was a bigger rush than stopping running backs from scoring a first down. James took to the comedy circuit where he soon made a name for himself, receiving the deal that every struggling comedian dreams of: The chance to develop and star in his own sitcom. The result was ‘King of Queens,’ and the rest is history. Now, he’s back on the stage with his everyman comedy and warm deadpan delivery. He’ll regale everyone with his quietly hilarious observations on life, fatherhood, and the simple absurdities of the world.

Saturday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. $99.50, $79.50, $69.50, $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Courtesy L.I. Jolson Festival

Top photo: Al Jolson as he appeared in his film ‘The Singing Kid’ in 1936. Middle photo: Jolson enthusiast Joe Wiener with festival mainstay Tony Babino.

Bottom photo: Vocalist Richard Halpern performs the standards of the era in his first festival appearance.

Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia

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

The longtime festival is a lively tribute to the ‘World’s Greatest Entertainer’

THE Your Neighborhood

Aug. 4

Doo-Wop Oldies Spectacular

Revisit the golden oldies with Peter Lemongello Jr. in “An Evening To Remember,” with The Fabulous Acchords, The Tribunes and Teresa McClean, Friday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. With their polished vocal skills and dynamic stage presence, these artists deliver a night of unforgettable entertainment in an energetic show that is pure nostalgia, filled with unforgettable tunes. Headliner Peter Lemongello Jr., is acclaimed as the most explosive and exciting doo-wop performer to appear on the scene in 40 years. The son of singer Peter Lemongello, Peter Jr. has appeared on “American Idol” and performed with The Four Tops, The Temptations, Chubby Checker and Lloyd Price, among others. He’s joined by acapella group The Tribunes, renowned for their authentic New York-bred street-corner harmonies, and The Fabulous Acchords, known for their impeccable harmonies, who captivate audiences with their blend of classic and contemporary songs, spanning genres and eras. The concert, produced by Gene DiNapoli, also features a special appearance by Teresa McClean, who takes everyone on an enthusiastic musical journey with her signature vocals and lush orchestration. $49, $39, $29; available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org. or (917) 567-5842. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” at Nassau County Museum of Art. 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 28

Summer tunes

Get in the Motown groove with Dr. K’s Motown Revue, at Eisenhower Park, Friday, July 28, 8 p.m. The band’s dynamic renditions of those great tunes are performed with passion and conviction in true Motown style. With special guest Chicken Head. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Magic Show with Amore

Children of all ages are invited to the Uniondale Public Library, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 10:30 -11:15 a.m., for a one-of-a-kind performance with magic, illusion, comedy, music and loads of audience participation to bring an important message about libraries, the value of books and the importance of reading. Register at UniondaleLibrary.org or call (516) 489-2220 ext. 213. 400 Uniondale Ave.

Aug.

Community and Sands Collaborate For Success

6 Community Work Groups Established

To ensure the community’s voice is heard during the design phase of the Sands New York destination resort, the company has welcomed community members to working groups to share their ideas, concerns and aspirations for the development.

“With the vital input from the working groups, the goal is for the development to be a true co-creation between the community and Sands. By identifying local opportunities, needs, concerns, and ideas across key sectors and working collectively to prepare for opportunities and mitigate issues, this project has the potential to lift the entirety of the region,” said Robert G.

Goldstein, Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO.

The working group categories include Environment and Sustainability, Business Development and Tourism, Transportation and Infrastructure, Workforce Development, Community Partnerships, and Public Safety.

Each group is led by two co-chairs — one expert in the subject matter and one community member that has a particular background or interest in the working group area.

Here is more about the goals of each work group and how you can get involved.

Environment & Sustainability

The Environment and Sustainability working group is focused on minimizing any adverse environmental impacts to the surrounding communities while also trying to capitalize on the opportunities the site presents in the area of sustainability with a particular focus on creating healthier communities.

To limit the destination’s environmental impact, this group is focused on protecting community resources including air and water as well as limiting waste. Many ideas have been generated out of this group already including a rooftop farm with community access and education programming, green roofs, renewable energy concepts, as well as state-of-the-art water conservation technologies, as well as creating sustainable transit methods that include walking and biking systems.

Business Development & Tourism

Sands’ new development is expected to procure between $300-$500 million annually in goods and services and the company estimates that at least 75% of that can be sourced locally. The task of this work group is to make sure that opportunity isn’t missed by Long Island businesses.

Working collectively, the group is identifying education and capacity building needs

Photo provided by Sands

Photo: Members of the Workforce Development group met in February to discuss local and regional job growth and opportunities from the Sands New York destination resort proposed at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum site on Long Island.

within the small business community to make sure they are ready and up to the job. In addition, the working group members are also brainstorming different ideas that could promote outside businesses and attractions on Long Island, including a sophisticated concierge program, on-site kiosks for small businesses to offer their products, and a wedding vendor guide for future brides and grooms.

Stemming out of this work, Sands is already procuring goods and services locally including Mama’s Custom Cookies in Wantagh, A & M Supplies Network in East Meadow, and Tristar Graphics in Hempstead.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Transportation and Infrastructure has the task of working with Sands on traffic, transit options, technology infrastructure, and connectivity of the site to other local attractions like Museum Row.

Sands has embarked on a massive traffic study including over 75 locations, which was expanded after meeting with the working group. In addition, various ideas including placement of entrances, no-cost parking to prevent guests from using neighborhood streets to park, and strategies for the overall site plan have been offered to create a buffer for surrounding communities.

When the traffic study is finalized, the working group will work with Sands on the mitigation strategies proposed by the traffic

engineers to ensure that best practices are implemented and surrounding communities are protected.

Workforce Development

With Sands expecting to create over 5,000 new permanent jobs and 8,500 construction jobs should the company win the gaming license, this working group is dedicated to intentionally and strategically creating bridges to the communities, strengthening the on-ramps to jobs and removing barriers to employment for unemployed and underemployed Long Islanders.

With starting salaries expected to be $60,000-$70,000 annually with real career opportunities. It is vital to the success of the development that local residents have the access and tools to not only get the job, but to grow the job into a career.

This working group includes grassroots organizations from across Long Island, workforce development experts, several local colleges, and interested community members. Collectively with Sands, they are working to develop programs that can be put into place now to ensure local residents are employment ready for both construction and post-construction phases.

Community Partnerships

This work group is collaborating

with Sands to identify and address goals, challenges and opportunities at the Coliseum site, as well as within the surrounding communities.

Ideas from this working group include supporting veterans, providing meeting space within the new development for community groups, addressing food insecurity of area residents, offering discounts to residents and veterans, creating professional internship programs for students, and offering theater space for local schools to use.

Public Safety

Ensuring public safety both within the new development and in the surrounding community must be the top priority. As such, this group has begun working with Sands to understand how internally Sands develops their security plans, as well as externally sharing the concerns of local residents and working on mitigation strategies that will ensure improved safety for all residents.

While topics covered include policing, other topics working group members have raised include diminishing participation in local fire departments and lack of safe, healthy activities for young adults after school.

Continued

Photo provided by Sands

Photo: Meetings for the six working groups are well underway. Sands and the groups plan to meet several times during the design phase of the new destination resort.

over 400 long island small businesses attend procurement academy and resource Fair

SEvent was hosted by Sands New York and Suffolk County Community College

ands New York hosted their second in-person Procurement Academy for over 400 of Long Island’s small business owners, entrepreneurs, and prospective vendors on July 12, 2023 at Suffolk County Community College. Nassau Community College hosted the first procurement academy on April 20, 2023.

The Suffolk Community College event featured Sands vice president of procurement, Chad Forster, who discussed best practices for businesses hoping to secure contracts with Sands, as well as a resource fair where local chambers and agencies were available to offer guidance on MWBE certification and tools available for growing businesses.

In addition to millions in procurement opportunities for local businesses, the Sands project stands to deliver over $100 million dollars annually to the Town of Hempstead and Nassau and Suffolk Counties if it is successful in its bid for a New York State gaming license.

“The Sands development has the potential to have a significant economic impact for our entire region,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Suffolk County’s local business community has turned out in force today – not only to show their support for the project – but to learn how to take advantage of this rare opportunity and ensure that the economic benefits reach all corners of Long Island.”

“Today’s event is an important milestone acknowledging the potential regional impact of this transformational project,” said Former New York State Governor and Senior Vice President for Las Vegas Sands David Paterson. “Business owners across Long Island could have much to gain if the Sands proposal is approved for the Nassau Hub – and our

Procurement Academy is an important opportunity to learn how to participate. The Sands team is eager to meet with all of our local small businesses – especially those owned by women, minorities and veterans – to ensure that they are ready to hit the ground running when the planning turns into building and operating.”

Following the main program, attendees were invited to industry-specific breakout rooms for food/beverage & operating services, design and construction, technology, and professional services (i.e. benefits, marketing, labor, transportation, etc.). Sands procurement executives in each vertical provided insights and answered questions.

“Small businesses recognize the great opportunity that may be coming our way, and are eager to participate in the Sands development,” said Dr. Edward T. Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College. “Our region has much to gain from this project – and we are enthusiastic about making sure that all prospective local partners are prepared.”

Local chambers and agencies in attendance included the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers, Nassau Council of Chambers of

Commerce, African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Long Island Association, Farmingdale SBDC, Stony Brook SBDC, Suffolk County Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, Long Island Small Business Assistance Corp, Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition, La Fuerza Community Development Corp, Peruvian Chamber of Commerce,

Suffolk County Office of Minority Affairs/MWBE, Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs/ MWBE, Miller Business Resource Center, Dominican Chamber of Commerce.

Photo provided by Sands

Photos: Sands New York hosted its second in-person Procurement Academy on July 12 at Suffolk Community College, with over 400 small business owners, entrepreneurs, and prospective vendors in attendance.

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.

Aug. 17

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 workshop, 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) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Senior concert series

Settle in for some summer tunes, with Stiletto and the Saxman at Eisenhower Park, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 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?

Storybook Stroll

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure, Saturday, Aug. 5, 10:3011:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and open your ears to Kirsten Hall’s modern tale “The Honeybe.” Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens. org or contact (516) 3330048.

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 28, noon; Sunday, July 30, 3 p.m.; Monday, July 31, noon; Sunday, Aug. 6, 1:30 p.m. 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.

Art talk

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an in-depth presentation on the current exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Sept. 7

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.

Sip and Paint

Families and adults are invited to e Union Baptist Church, Friday, Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for a guided Sip and Paint night Children enter free with paying adult. 24 Clinton C. Boone St., Hempstead. To register, go to https://tinyurl.com/ycky68ev or contact UBC100thgala@gmail.com.

Public Notices

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)

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

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 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

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

Kennedy, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-003000 76966 140728

LEGAL NOTICE THE STATE EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Office of P-20 Education Policy

Child Nutrition Program Administration 89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234 (518) 473-8781 Fax (518) 473-0018 www.nysed.gov/cn/cnms. htm

Letter to Parents for School Meal Programs

programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.

TO PLACE

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, Plaintiff 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.

Special Provision Options (Provision 2 Non-Base Year & Community Eligibility Provision) Dear Parent or Guardian: We are pleased to inform you that our Uniondale Union Free School District will be implementing a meal certification option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2023-2024 School Year.What does this mean for your child(ren) attending the school(s) identified above? All students enrolled at Any school of our Uniondale Union Free School District are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2023-2024 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren)will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application. Studies have shown that children who are not hungry perform better in school. By providing lunch to all children at no charge, we are hoping to create a better learning environment for our students. The school breakfasts and lunches that we serve follow U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy school meals. The School Breakfast and Lunch Programs cannot succeed without your support; please encourage your children to participate in the school meal programs. Meals will be served to all students at no charge regardless of the eligibility status. If you have any further questions, please contact us at 516-918-2320 Food Service Program OfficeSincerely, Yohana Arevalo School Lunch Program CoordinatorIn accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA

Uniondale, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $502,480.18 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 003074/2017 F/K/A 17-003074. For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov /complaint_filing_cust.ht ml, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.go v. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

140880

PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES

To place a notice here call us us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

NASSAU COUNTY ROUNDPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING CORPORATION, Plaintiff against MARIE BRIFIL A/K/A MARIE C. BRIFIL, et al

Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s)

Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016.

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered March 11, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 29, 2023 at 2:30 PM.

Premises known as 698 Goodrich Street, Uniondale, NY 11553. Sec 50 Block 120 Lot 119. All that lot or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon, in

During the COVID-19 health emergency, Bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the sale including but not limited to wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Should a bidder fail to comply, the Referee may refuse to accept any bid, cancel the closing and hold the bidder in default. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee NY-13300040-16 140969

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Trustee, on behalf of the registered holders of First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2004-FF8, Plaintiff AGAINST Ana Yanez a/k/a Ana M. Yanez a/k/a Ana Maritza Yanez, Juan Yanez a/k/a Juan A. Yanez, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 17, 2016, 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 25, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 950 Ditmas Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York,

SECTION: 50., BLOCK: 452, LOT: 7. Approximate amount of judgment $401,125.43 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed

One thing’s for certain: Numbers don’t lie

Continued

the Cornell Cooperative Extension, one of the camp’s main sources of funding, explained that transportation is usually the biggest barrier for students who want to attend.

“Since most of the camps we serve come from underserved communities, a $300 or $400 bus ride is an obstacle,” Castillo said. “We’re able to circumvent that by providing them a reimbursement through the Cornell Cooperative office.”

The state program combines the efforts of community volunteers and Cornell University staff with the financial resources of the county, state, and federal governments.

UCC campers, who are mostly Black and Hispanic, have attended the Marine Camp almost every year since the program’s inception. After a hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic, the program is now back in full swing, and serving UCC and many other camps throughout Nassau County.

“A lot of these kids never had this type of experience, so this is a great opportunity for them,” Yvonne Dailey, UCC Summer Camp director, said. “Later, as they’re getting older and figuring out what life path and career opportunities they might want, they know they could be a marine specialist, an oceanic engineer, whatever their heart desires.”

Opening the way to racial and ethnic diversity is especially important in the

Brandon Cruz/Herald uCC campers in the Jones Beach energy & nature Center learned how marine animals survive.

field of marine biology. According to a 2023 report by Zippia, a job website, 71.5 percent of marine biologists are white, 10.3 percent are Asian, 8.9 percent are Hispanic and 3 percent are Black, while only .7 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native.

Another report, “No progress on diversity in 40 years,” by researchers

Rachel E. Bernard and Emily H. G. Cooperdock, for Nature.com, details the limited racial diversity among those who earn doctorates in earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences across the country.

According to the report, from 1973 to 2016, an average of 86 percent of Ph.D. recipients in those fields were white.

The Marine Camp and other programs

week, what happens to your money for the unlimited card? Lost!” She often resorts to paying her fare with coins, because Uniondale has no terminal where she can buy a Metrocard. Western Union sells the cards, but isn’t within easy walking distance.

“I think the fare hike is necessary,” said Thomas Rogers, who rides from his Uniondale residence to his job in Farmingdale. “The bus company squanders a lot of its funds, and they’re not getting enough transit reimbursements from the federal level or the state level.”

He waved cheerfully as he and Patricia boarded the n43.

During evening rush hour, about 30 people waited in line for the N6

bus, which runs from the Hempstead bus terminal to 179th Street in Jamaica. From there, many would transfer to the F train or another bus.

“It’s still the cheapest ride,” said an upbeat commuter who identified himself as Jay. “You go to any other state, it’s a lot more. New York City’s the only city where you can go 31 miles for $2.75, or, OK, $2.90.”

“I always use the bus, but I don’t go to work every day,” said Margarita Nunez Rodriguez, 69, a Baldwin resident who spoke in Spanish.

“It’s difficult for someone who works.”

“I know a lot of people are complaining about everything that’s going on with the bus, the railroad, Metro North,” said Neltje Horton, a

Hempstead resident who works in Mineola. “I usually carpool with a friend, so it doesn’t hit me as hard as if I had to ride the bus every day.”

“I don’t think it’s fair,” said Amber Johnson, also a Hempstead resident, as she got off an LIRR train. “I commute six days to Queens on the LIRR plus a Queens bus. It’s more than $20 just to go to my job and back, and now it’s going to be even more.”

At the m48/49 stop at Beverly Road and Front Street, near the border of Hempstead and Uniondale, a Hempstead rider named Rich sounded weary.

“I take two buses to get from here to work in Hicksville,” he said. “I expect the prices to go up. Everything’s going up. It is what it is.”

Public Notices

thomas rogers, of uniondale, theorized that squandered profits and government underfunding made the mta fare hikes necessary.

Reine Bethany/Herald

Hempstead, Uniondale commuters react to fare hikes

Help Wanted RECEPTIONIST P/T

Busy Cedarhurst Office

Sundays & Some Week Days

Answering Phones, Filing, And Scheduling Appointments Must Be Computer Literate Call 516-374-1010

THE FRIEDBERG JCC Before/After School Program is seeking passionate and hardworking high school/ college counselors. Before Care hours: 7am-9am. After School hours: 2:45PM-6PM. If interested, send your resume to Program Director Toni Corchado: TCorchado@friedbergjcc.org or call 516-634-4179

Child/Eldercare/Help Wanted

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REAL ESTATE

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HomesHERALD

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

Totally Renovated Cape

This truly beautiful renovated Cape Cod features a living room with a wood burning fireplace, a dining room and a brand new eat-in-kitchen with island. This home also boasts four bedrooms, two full baths, white oak floors, full basement and detached garage with a long and private driveway, off street parking for five to six cars, newer gas heat and hot water heater. You will also enjoy gas cooking, central air conditioning, all newer thermal pane windows, newer roof, private fenced yard and much more! Located on a quiet tree lined street; you can walk to everything including the LIRR station. $715,000

Patricia Murphy Licensed RE Sales Person 516-680-6346 VILLAGE PLAZA REALTY 141 Broadway Malverne, NY 11565 516-593-5455 info@villageplaza.com villageplaza.com

How tall can houses be?

Q. A few homes in my neighborhood are much taller. What are the rules for how tall a house can be — like how many floors, and what is legal? I mostly see only two stories, but the new ones are at least three. Is this a new thing that you can build taller? Was it just traditional to only build two stories until now?

A. The thinking on allowed height has changed recently.

Hurricane Sandy’s flooding moved New York to promote house lifting in flood zones. Influence also came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which, in essence, is really a publicly funded insurance company, covering people in areas where regular home insurance companies avoid the risk of insuring.

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

The incentive to lift or build higher is to avoid huge flood insurance cost increases — building above flood levels, with the lowest level only allowed to be for a garage and storage, not living space. By making the first livable floor higher, above the flood level, insurance rates are kept lower. People have shown me their rates went from $500 to $2,500 dollars a year, increasing annually since Sandy in 2012.

Acre Parklike Property. Updtd Gran/Wood EIK, Spac LR/DR with Vaulted Ceiling & Fpl, & Fam Rm. 2 Car Att Gar.Endless Possibilities!

SD#14 $1,349,000

246 Adams Rd, BA, Elegant & Stately 4200 Sq Ft CH Col on Beautiful Quiet St. 5 BR, 4.55 Bth. Sweeping Staircase. All Spacious Rooms with Top Quality Finishes. Amazing Fam Rm with Cathedral Ceiling Overlooking

1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin

Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2

Bths. 2 Car Att Gar.Low Taxes! SD#20 REDUCED! $2,299,000

HEWLETT

1390 Broadway #102, BA, NEW! Move Right Into This Magnificent Newly

Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Prestigious Hewlett Townhouse.Open

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Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style

Living BIG REDUCTION!!

Some homes are much higher than codes and incentives intended, due to misinterpretation of reasons to build higher and misrepresentation in the review process. For example, a home’s first floor is no longer a first floor if it’s higher than 6 feet above the ground. Over 6 feet high, the floor level automatically becomes a second floor, meaning the next floor above is a third floor, which requires zoning board approval, interior sprinklers, escape terraces and wind strengthening. I have seen home plans misrepresented as being two stories by not correctly showing the floor level heights or describing a second floor as a first floor, the next floor as a second floor that is really a third floor — even where a fourth floor is shown as a mezzanine or roof level balcony.

There is a small country town in Tuscany, in central Italy, San Gimignano, that is famous for its skyline of towers that people built onto their homes during medieval times. As the story goes, one prominent homeowner built a tall tower to watch for potential attackers. His neighbor jealously built a tower a little higher, and, not to be outdone, several adjacent homeowners began building towers higher and higher.

History repeats itself. Thirty feet from the new design flood elevation, which may be 2 to 4 feet higher off the ground, could make the maximum roof height 34 to 35 feet in your town. The safety code intends to protect people from perishing in fires, so indoor sprinklers are part of the requirement Decisions to build higher have to take community safety and appearance into account, so height restrictions have been intended to make escape and rescue easier. Statistically, only 5 percent of occupants on a third floor survive a fire. That’s the reason for height restrictions, so taller homes require more safety features.

© 2023 Monte Leeper

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

MERCHANDISE MART

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We Buy Antiques, Fine Art, Coins & Jewelry

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Is it time for Yankees and Mets fans to ask for a refund?

Regardless of the heat wave, I love summer, compared with the brutal wind blasts of December. I know that the summer climate doesn’t satisfy everyone, but the chance to breathe the warm air and be greeted with the bright sunshine is very comforting to me. Summer makes me happy, but I must confess to being very irritated by one subject. I refer to the Yankees and the Mets.

Once upon a time, during my very naïve years, I was told that money buys anything. I didn’t really believe that, because with the passage of time, I saw many instances in which money bought nothing. I know wealthy couples who are the most miserable people. I’ve watched companies flush with money fall apart due to mismanagement.

But I wonder how two great sports franchises, flush with cash, can perform so badly.

Being a lifelong Yankees fan, I will start with my gripes about them.

Media reports indicate that the current payroll of the team is around $280 million, which places them close to the top of the list of the big spenders.

With that kind of money and a fan base that pours millions of dollars into the club treasury, how can management justify the fact that their team is in last place in the American League East?

There’s no doubt that Aaron Judge’s toe injury has been a major setback. But there are many other players who take the field each day and do nothing to win or make the loyal fan base happy. If you follow them as I do, they look like a bunch of people who just show up to collect a paycheck and go home.

They are listless, bored and totally disconnected with the job of keeping baseball America’s so-called pastime.

If these players were street sweepers, I could understand their listlessness. Pushing a broom can be a very dull job. But when players are paid millions of dollars, the fans are entitled to watch a team that is energized and trying to succeed. Have you ever watched the Little League World

Series? It pays to tune in and watch kids yell and scream when a teammate gets a base hit. They hug a fellow player when he strikes out to encourage him to do better the next time he’s at the plate.

There are many big league examples of hunger for victory. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays are good examples. Their players come out to play with smiles on their faces and are determined to win. The lack of passion that the Yankees display is similar to what I observe about this year’s Mets team.

The Mets’ owner, Steve Cohen is a very wealthy man. He can buy just about anything he wants just by dialing his cellphone. He has invested billions in a team that has been called one of the best that money could buy. When he broke the bank to hire Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, Mets fans were jumping for joy.

The rest of the lineup is All-Star quality, but the team could end up in fourth or worse in the NL East at season’s end.

When some team owners speak to

the sportswriters, they sound like the kid who claims the dog ate his homework. They moan about injuries and claim that it will be just a matter of time before their players catch fire. They’re afraid to complain about their players for fear of upsetting them. They seem to forget about the dollars they’re shelling out to those employees.

Many of us longtime Yankees fans wish George Steinbrenner was still alive. When he was, and Yankees players failed to perform, he publicly excoriated them.

And Steinbrenner was never reluctant to trade away a player who didn’t meet his standards.

It’s possible that the Yankees, and the Mets, too, will shake up their teams by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. And maybe they’ll send out a few blunt messages that we long-suffering New York fans are entitled to get our money’s worth when we buy those very expensive tickets.

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

Food for thought: Whose tuna is it anyway?

We all have our breaking points, and I discovered my husband’s last Thursday evening after we arrived at a nearby restaurant for dinner. We had been there once before. The place had good word of mouth, and the reviews said the service was friendly and the food was imaginatively prepared. Perhaps we should have lingered longer over the word “imaginatively.”

know what I’m having,” he said, with great relish. “The tuna steak with bok choy and wasabi potatoes.” Our daughter said she would have the same.

I saw trouble looming on the horizon, and it had fins.

The waiter arrived to take our orders.

“I’ll have the tuna, cooked medium,” my daughter said.

who remembered us from the week before. “Sir, you sent your tuna back three times last week,” he said.

“That’s right,” Don said. ”Because it was raw each time, even though I ordered it well done.”

“I’m sorry,” the manager said. “But the chef won’t cook it past medium.”

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published Jan. 13-19, 2000.

“What’s with all the blue swirls? Paint me polka dots.”

RANDI KREISS

We were dining with one of our favorite people, our daughter, and my husband wanted it to be a special treat for her.

We were seated by one of the friendly staff, and he made a point of removing the white napkins and offering us black ones, saying, “These won’t leave lint on your black slacks.”

“I’m impressed, “ I said. “What a thoughtful accommodation.”

Don was perusing the menu. “I

The waiter looked pained. “We cook the tuna rare,” he said. “Medium, with pink on the inside, is as far as we’ll go.” She said that was fine.

But it wasn’t fine with the big guy. “I would like the same,” my husband purred, “but I want mine well done. I don’t do pink.”

The waiter looked stricken. “I’m sorry, sir, but the chef won’t cook it past medium.”

“I know how I like my tuna,” Don said, quite reasonably. “I won’t send it back because it’s too well done. I like it that way. It’s my dinner, and I want it cooked the way I want to eat it.”

The waiter fetched the manager,

“You mean to tell me that I’m paying for this dinner and I have to eat it the way the chef likes it?”

“Sorry sir.”

“I assume the chef is the owner,” my husband said.

“Yes, sir.”

“And he doesn’t care if he loses a customer?”

“No, sir. He serves his tuna purple in the middle.”

By now my husband was turning purple himself. He canceled the tuna and ordered a vegetable plate.

Our daughter suggested we try to reframe the situation.

“You’re so angry, Dad. Try to think of this from the chef’s point of view. He’s a food artist. He’s the Van Gogh of food, and you’re saying to him,

The big guy wasn’t in the mood to reframe. “He can paint all the blue swirls he wants, but I don’t have to eat them. This guy is telling me that if I want to eat the meal I want to eat, I have to eat it the way he enjoys it.”

I see it as a control issue: Yes, you will. No, I won’t. The chef was a prima donna, an incarnation of “Seinfeld’s” soup Nazi. My husband couldn’t get the meal he wanted, which is, after all, the general idea of dining out, and he was right.

Scrambled eggs with ketchup, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, burnt steaks, matzo balls hard as hockey pucks: culinary idiosyncrasies are an American tradition. In the future, when we hear about a restaurant where there’s an artist at the burners, we will dine elsewhere.

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

At a nearby restaurant, I saw trouble looming on the horizon, and it had fins.

Many of us Bronx Bombers fans wish George Steinbrenner was still alive.

opInIons Local news is good for business

It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers.

A bipartisan bill, the Community News & Small Business Support Act that has been introduced in Congress, would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses.

For too many newspapers, help can’t come soon enough. Economic challenges have resulted in too many communities seeing their local newspapers being forced to lay off staff, cut back on publication days, or — worse yet — close. On average, two newspapers are closing each week. That hurts local businesses and residents in the long (and short) run.

However, despite the challenges, what remains true is that local newspapers make a difference in their communities.

But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s look at the numbers, and why America’s Newspapers has been pushing for the Community News & Small Business Support Act to be introduced.

A recent national study of 5,000 Americans older than 18 was conducted by the independent research firm Coda Ventures for America’s Newspapers, and provides compelling evidence of the importance, relevance and vitality of today’s newspapers in the American media landscape.

Readers told us that their local newspaper makes a difference. The study shows that 79 percent of Americans read/use local news “to stay informed” about their cities, counties and communities. They also said they rely on their local paper to feel connected to their community. To decide where they stand on local issues. To find places and things to do. To talk with people about things happening in the commu-

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We need to hear much more from Peter King

To the Editor:

nity, because they find it enjoyable or entertaining, and to be a better citizen.

And, contrary to popular belief, readers across all age groups turn to local newspapers and their digital products to stay informed about their communities.

Readers also told us they need more local news from their community paper. As one survey respondent said, “Our paper keeps getting smaller. I would like to see more news items, what’s happening in town, what’s new in politics, etc. And they need to be quicker to respond to breaking news.”

All of that takes a committed, local staff — something the legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, of New York, and Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Washington, will help to make happen.

So, what would this legislation mean to your local community?

Local businesses with fewer than 50 employees would receive a five-year nonrefundable tax credit of up to $5,000 in the first year, and up to $2,500 in the subsequent four years, based on their spending with local newspapers and local media. Our study showed that six out of 10 American adults use newspaper advertising to help them decide what brands, products and local services to buy.

Newspaper readers also are almost twice as likely to purchase products in a number of important advertising categories than nonnewspaper readers, including automobiles, trucks and SUVs; home furnishings; home improvement products and services; and home services like pest control, plumbing and heating.

With this legislation, we expect to see more businesses being able to afford to advertise to consumers, which in turn helps communities thrive.

For local newspapers, a five-year refundable tax credit would help them hire more journalists to bring you more news. It’s a win-win for local communities.

Newspapers would receive a tax credit to be

used for the compensation of journalists. The credit would cover 50 percent of journalists’ compensation in the first year, and 30 percent of compensation — up to $50,000 — in the subsequent four years.

This tax credit would only be available to local community papers with fewer than 750 employees and, if they don’t invest in their newsroom, they don’t get the credit.

And these tax credits are only available to local newspapers. National newspaper outlets are not eligible.

The importance of local newspapers and local business is the reason Reps. Tenney and DelBene introduced the legislation. We are most grateful for their support.

We need your support, as well, to encourage legislators to enact this legislation. Please contact the offices of your senators and representatives in Congress and encourage them to add their support to this legislation.

These tax credits aren’t permanent — they will sunset in five years. But those critical five years will allow the newspaper industry the time needed to address the challenges that it is facing from Big Tech, which often uses newspapers’ content without compensation, as well as other technological and market challenges. Visit USA.gov/elected-officials for the contact information for your legislators.

More local reporting means more access for hometown news readers like you rely on. And stronger newspapers mean stronger advertising vehicles for local businesses.

On behalf of its approximately 1,700 newspaper and Solutions Partner companies, America’s Newspapers is committed to explaining, defending and advancing the vital role of newspapers in democracy and civil life. We put an emphasis on educating the public on all the ways newspapers contribute to building a community identity and the success of local businesses.

Learn more at Newspapers.org.

Dean Ridings is chief executive of the advocacy organization America’s Newspapers.

Re Peter King’s column last week, “At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display”: Mr. King’s columns have been mildly interesting, often nostalgic, but the deprive us of his greatest asset. As a former congressman with long experience as a respectable Republican, his informed opinion is valuable to Long Island. Recounting the Patriot Awards Dinner is interesting and nostalgic, but the present need for heroes is expressed only as wishful thinking. Noting the heroes and the 9/11 terrorists should not blind us to the present terrorist threat.

Candidate Donald Trump proclaims the constitutional right to do anything he wants as president. He further details the goals of his mission of “retribution,” involving destruction, uprooting, elimination and the like. His militant acolytes sign on, his team details the means by which they’ll establish an autocracy during

Hochul should sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act

If we are going to save the planet, we need to start by saving the bees. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat, but the global decline in honeybee populations has long been documented. Last year, New York beekeepers lost 45 percent of their bee colonies, one of the highest loss rates on record.

New York’s native bees and pollinators are at risk of local extinction. The fewer pollinators we have, the fewer fruits and vegetables we will be able to grow. We know bee populations are declining dramatically, yet there is resistance in New York to addressing the main culprit in these losses: neonicotinoid pesticides. They are toxic, and they are killing bees and harming Long Island.

Neonicotinoids, or “neonics,” are the most commonly used pesticide in New York and on the Island. They are best known for their harm to wildlife, but they are also being found in Long

Island’s groundwater. The Birds and Bees Protection Act, which both the Assembly and the State Senate have passed, addresses the core of New York’s neonic contamination problem by prohibiting the needless and replaceable uses of this toxic pesticide, thus eliminating 80 to 90 percent of the neonics entering the state’s environment. Now we need Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the bill into law.

In recent years, an avalanche of peer-reviewed science has emerged indicating that neonics are not only a major threat to the health of bees and other pollinators, but also pollute water resources, threaten birds and other wildlife, and raise concerns about human health impacts. Neonics may be the most environmentally damaging pesticide since DDT, and action must be taken now to address this growing threat to our environment, health, food and pollinators.

Neonics are highly water-soluble and can quickly move through soil into our waterways. Used on lawns and gardens, they can be sprayed at higher rates and enter our waterways as stormwater runoff. So it’s no wonder we are seeing

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2025, his media broadcast the message, his donors unsheathe their checkbooks.

Surely the honorable Mr. King has some thoughts on these proposed alterations to the government he helped to preserve? Or on the character of some of those he served with? Or on the unusual tactics of Tommy Tuberville, Marjorie Taylor Greene or Jim Jordan? Mr. King must feel something about marionettes like George Santos replacing serious public servants like himself. Mr. King’s service is recent and thus still relevant, but it will become less so with time. The time to speak, to advise, is now.

BrIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Protect chimps — and unborn babies

To the Editor:

re randi Kreiss’s column last week, “Chimps face N.Y. court test of personhood” (reprised from Jun 11-17, 2015): I usually don’t agree with randi, because we have different political outlooks and worldviews, but this time I do, because cruelty is morally wrong. There are exceptions such as war, but those are rare.

Her quote from Jane Goodall and reference to chimpanzees’ similar DNA were poignant. Why, then, don’t we all extend

the same concern to creatures that share 100 percent of our DNA — an exact match, actually? And these creatures look “just like a human baby,” because they are human, and in fact “persons,” regardless of what current laws say. But unfortunately, most people are like randi’s dinner crowd, who “just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees” — or unborn human children.

I challenge randi to use her own logic to help defend the unborn.

And I will contribute to janegoodall.org.

JACK HOLLAND Baldwin

Some of us know what teachers go through

To the Editor:

re Mark Nolan’s column in last week’s Herald, “You have no idea with teachers deal with”: Yep — all sad but true. My wife is a retired first-grade teacher. It’s hard to believe that so much starts there, but it does.

Yes, teachers are well paid, but most of them really earn it! Thanks to them, and God bless them.

DICK CArDOzO Westbury

widespread contamination of the state’s rivers, streams, ponds, and marine environments. The alarming ability of neonics to contaminate water resources is particularly concerning for Long Island’s sole-source aquifer.

Imidacloprid, one of the most used neonics, is found in hundreds of products on the market. It’s used on lawns, turf, golf courses, gardens, farms, pets, ornamental plantings, and in households.

United States Geological Survey monitoring of Long Island groundwater in 2016 found imidacloprid to be one of the most frequently detected pesticides, present in approximately 31 percent of samples taken.

State Department of Environmental Conservation groundwater testing data revealed that imidacloprid was the most common pesticide found in Long Island groundwater, with 890 detections in 179 locations. Long Island is designated as a sole-source drinking water area, meaning that 100 percent of our drinking water comes from groundwater aquifers.

The ubiquitous and unnecessary use of these pesticides is damaging our

Framework

drinking water quality and threatening our health. Clean and safe drinking water is a basic human need, and neonics put that at risk.

There is growing scientific evidence of how neonicotinoids threaten human health. Several studies link neonic exposure to developmental harm, including malformations of the developing heart and brain. The longer we wait to ban the most dangerous uses of neonics, the longer we expose New Yorkers to this neurotoxin and amplify the adverse health impacts of chronic prolonged exposure. The Birds and Bees Protection Act targets the heart of New York’s neonic pollution problem. It would prohibit neonic-treated corn, soybean and wheat seeds as well as ornamental uses on lawns, gardens and golf courses.

The State Senate and Assembly passed the bill this legislative session. Now we need Hochul to stand up to the pesticide industry and the chemical companies who are hard at work, aggressively lobbying her to veto the bill. Protecting public health and saving the bees are in the public interest, which needs to be prioritized over corporate interests. We need the governor to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act.

by Tim Baker

Guess what’s all the rage at Little Doll Studio? — Rockville Centre

Adrienne Esposito is executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

toxic pesticides are killing bees and are being found in L.I.’s groundwater.

aDrIenne esposIto