Valley Stream Herald 01-12-2023

By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com

One afternoon in late November, Alfonso Castillo was working from home when he heard a big boom from outside his Cornwall Avenue home. Through the window, he spotted a damaged pickup truck being towed away. Not noticing any other damage, he had stopped short of going outside and did not probe the matter further.

Not long after, however, his 12-year-old-son Chris Castillo came home from school noticeably distraught after seeing the blue newspaper box that the father-son duo repurposed into the county’s first Blockbuster kiosk destroyed at the corner of their house.

“That’s when I realized the pickup truck had struck the box,” Alfonso said.

It was just a few months since the two classic movie

buffs installed the lending library kiosk, stocking it with their cache of movie DVDs and videotapes in their effort to share the nostalgia for the classics as part of the Be Kind, Rewind: Blockbuster movement.

The box had been reduced to plastic shrapnel scattered everywhere along with damaged VHS tapes and dislodged fence pickets on Alfonso’s lawn. Their coronavirus quar-

Valley Stream kids learn Raspberry Pi

By BReNdAN cARpeNTeR bcarpenter@liherald.com

Not many people know what Raspberry Pi is. And, no, it’s not a popular dessert.

Raspberry Pi is a singleboard computer designed to teach programming skills, build hardware projects, do home automation and explore industrial applications of computer technology.

The computer is used to help bridge the educational equity gap throughout the country.

With the dominance of technology in the sector, students equipped with technological devices at home like laptops and high-speed broadband have a comparative educational advantage over underserved students that go without. It also robs students of the ability to seamlessly work with and interact with course subjects like coding and robotics.

he runs his own organization — Pi Kids — teaching Raspberry Pi to underprivileged kids, all while in high school, helping close the divide and engage their interests in technology.

De launched this program in California and New York, hosting workshops and classes in local libraries and schools. He hosted events in Oakland and the San Jose minority areas, as well as Long Island, including the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library in Valley Stream.

MAMie eNg Library Director

Library Director Mamie Eng said she contacted De, and asked him to host a program at the library for kids.

“They brought all the equipment and they were very professional about it,” Eng said. “They were very careful and very patient with the little kids.”

Sayam De grew up in Manhasset Hills before moving with his parents to California while in middle school. Now 16,

The first workshop at the library was last summer, when De and the Pi Kids group held it live for local kids. On Dec. 29, they held a virtual event while in California.

Courtesy Alfonso Castillo

AfTeR THeiR BlockBUSTeR lending library was destroyed in a freak traffic accident in November, Go Plastics gave Chris, left, and Alfonso Castillo a new, top-of-the-line model.

e’re looking forward to continuing more classes with them.

Herald Sc H ool S

‘Tis the season to share the winter holiday spirit

Before heading into the holiday recess, Valley Stream District 13 students were merry and bright with the holiday spirit as they took part in various activities and classroom lessons aimed at welcoming the holiday season.

At Willow Road Elementary School, students read the winter favorite “The Mitten” written by Jan Brett. Students focused on identifying the setting and acting out the story in sequential order using animal puppets and creating festive winter trees. Students also celebrated Grinch Day for Spirit Week and engineered a new tree for Cindy Lou while rocking out the classrooms with their Who-Villeinspired outfits.

Wheeler students also learned about the holidays and the seasonal traditions celebrated around the world including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas.

The fourth-grade chorus shared holiday cheer by singing outside the school and taking part in a singalong assembly where students sang winter songs together.

At James A. Dever Elementary School, students participated in a candy cane science experiment where they predicted what would happen when they put their candy canes in water at different temperatures.

Students also crafted snow globes and wrote their own stories about what it would be like to live in a snow globe. Howell Road Elementary School students created a gingerbread man billboard by crafting gingerbread men with photos of themselves.

The students stretched their storytelling skills by working on sequencing of events after reading “How to Catch a Gingerbread Man” written by Adam Wallace. In the spirit of the holidays, the students wrote meaningful letters to each other and wore cozy pajamas for Spirit Week. It was an all-around festive time of holiday cheer.

–Juan Lasso

Courtesy Valley Stream District 13

WilloW Road ElEmEntaRy School students wore Who-Ville-inspired outfits for Grinch Day.

Forest Road celebrates Winter Wonderland

All eyes were on the students at Forest Road Elementary School as they celebrated the season and performed for the school’s annual Winter Wonderland.

Loved ones in attendance laughed and danced along to an engaging morning of entertainment on Dec. 23, 2022. Students of all ages enjoyed getting on stage dressed in coordinated colors and costumes to perform various holiday songs. The holiday season was also the topic of pun-filled jokes told by the school’s many comedians who took turns at the microphone on stage. Families also enjoyed breakfast as they watched the show. The event was the perfect celebration to kick off the holiday recess.

Henry Waldinger Memorial celebrated Winterfest

The Henry Waldinger Memorial Library held a series of Winterfest events in the final week of December of last year for its patrons, giving them plenty of fun-filled family activities this past holiday season. Over one hundred adults and children attended the program according to Library Director Mamie Eng. Here’s a look at the events patrons were treated to in pictures.

2022.

Avril And michelle Chen with Tina Guang work on their HAPPY NEW YEAR banners on Friday, December 30, 2022.

–Juan Lasso

Photos courtesy Henry Waldinger Memorial Library

–Juan Lasso

AmeliA And PAulo Guaman with their mother and Ayla Mincey decorate letters for their Happy New Year banner on Friday, December 30,

Forest roAd elementAry School students took to the stage to perform for loved ones during the annual Winter Wonderland.

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 30 Forest roAd students were on stage in coordinated outfits for their fun performances at their annual Winter Wonderland.

De said that the program “hosts Raspberry Pi workshops in underprivileged areas to encourage students to gain interest in technologies through some fun activities like assembling Raspberry Pi and coding for video games,” the same way he had built an interest in technology from his father in elementary school.

The group plans to launch more programs in rural areas and donate Raspberry Pi computers to the libraries and schools. They plan to organize additional workshops in different areas to get students involved in technology where resources are limited.

De and Pi Kids donated two computers to the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library. The computers are there for students from Valley Stream’s diverse population to learn and use either during future workshops or in their free time to

learn what the Raspberry Pi fever is all about.

“We’re looking forward to continuing more classes with them,” Eng said. “We hope, next summer they’ll be able to do live again. But in the meantime, we’ll try to do more virtual classes and encourage people to use the Raspberry Pi and learn more about coding.”

Remembering Nina Maurer

Many Valley Stream residents who lived here in the 1980s and ’90s will likely remember Nina Rosa Giaccone Maurer. She moved from her home in Valley Stream to Spring Hill Florida about 20 years ago, but never forgot her New York roots, nor the friendships she forged during her many years here in Valley Stream where she raised her family and made her mark.

Maurer died at 90 on Sept. 17, 2022.

In death as in life, she was strong. Those lucky enough to have spoken with her just before her death reported that she was the same Nina, determined not to be slowed down or defeated by what was to come.

She volunteered over the course of several decades on the board of Friends of Bridge, Valley Stream’s outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center. Maurer was a tenacious fighter for all the right reasons, and she got results. Many, many community members owe a lot to her for the good works she did at Bridge quietly behind the scenes. Most never

even knew her name.

In Florida, it seemed that Maurer stayed true to form, but with different activities. She proudly served as president of the Nature Coast Sons of Italy, and let it be known that her favorite pastimes included reading, eating, socializing and spending time with family. When asked what her proudest moments were she responded that it was becoming a mother, then a grandmother, and finally, a great-grandmother.

She was predeceased by her father Anthony Giaccone; and her siblings, Sylvester Giaccone and Vita Giaccone Ingolia. She is survived by her children Eric Anthony Maurer and Adrienne Marie Maurer; her grandchildren, Christie McGarty Marino, Nicholas McGarty, Stephen Maurer, Nicole Maurer McBride, Deena and Maurer Moreno; and her great-grandchildren, Thomas Marino, Christopher Marino, Alessandrea Marino, Emma McGarty and Nicholas McGarty, Jr.

–Juan Lasso

Nina Maurer

Tim Baker/Herald photos

SayaM De aND the Pi Kids organization donated

computers to the Waldinger Memorial Library.

Has media mastered morality in politics?

It’s pretty common when current events seep into political controversy. The 2022 elections have been no different. Between the gubernatorial and midterm elections, Trump announcing another presidential bid, and Nancy Pelosi stepping down, you can’t avoid it.

The emphasis on elections has reminded me that in just three more years, I will be eligible to vote. Growing up in this politically polarized world has made me more aware of the division that has trickled into our daily lives. I wonder whether my generation will be properly equipped to one day make decisions that will influence the fate of our democracy.

When I check my phone each morning, the political headlines all read the same, criticizing one party or praising another. Watching FOX News, I was met with a stance of passionate disappointment over the criticism of Gov. Kathy Hochul. Flipping the channel to CNN, I heard the same event reported from the opposite perspective. Meanwhile, both channels showed an expert in a suit claiming with certainty that their position was the right one on the matter. I find myself watching the TV screen like a spectator of a political game of tug-of-war, with each side try-

ing to out-strengthen the other. It is no secret that it is almost impossible to find an unbiased source of news, but in an age where news is our major source of information, this can be dangerous.

Indeed, media bias and polarization have lasting effects. My generation, so-called “Gen-Z,” exercised its right to vote this past election season. According to The Guardian, around 12 percent of voters were younger than 30, with a majority of them voting democratically.

Guest Column

sources. Interestingly, according to a study done by Pew Research Center, 62 percent of all Americans, young and old, rely on social media for news. Much of this social media contains bias and strengthens the boundaries between political parties. I fear that this division undermines the principles of democracy on which this country was founded.

We discuss and debate current issues, with fact-based evidence to back up our positions. There are no references to politics, no alliances, no mutual enemies, and no need to appeal to the public. Points are raised and respectfully refuted, and at the end of the session, we complement our competitors and exchange friendly good-byes. If only the United States Congress could model our high school “Model Congress.”

Young voters had the ability to influence the outcome of the election, but what are they making their decisions based on? When I contrast the way we receive information today to the way my grandparents obtained it 50 years ago, I wonder how much of our daily decisions mirror the content we consume on social media.

For my generation, TikTok and Instagram are often the main sources of news, and in some cases the only

This stark division bleeds into school life, drawing an unbreakable barrier that is always present. People are blinded by their opinions, each side stating its position with absolute certainty. Political conversations with my peers often focus more on the nature of a political party than the values it stands for, and political debate becomes impossible, with discussions frequently interrupted by the need to question: “Did you get that fact from TikTok?”

Once a month, I manage to escape this division and compete in my school’s Model Congress competitions.

I long for the day when our country re-focuses on its foundational principles amongst this political division. Morality, and the importance of our country’s values, should be independent of politics.

Were those who fought for our right to democracy fighting for a country ripped apart by political strife? A world where bias spreads through social media to divide us further. Where have harsh political boundaries blurred the lines between right and wrong. Polarizing politics is a magnet, absorbing and twisting anything in its path. I only hope that my generation can resist its irresistible pull.

Ilana Greenberg is a 9th-grade student at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School and a resident of Valley Stream.

Happy New Year to all!

There have been significant changes in the law in a number of areas as of January 1, 2023.

The gift tax exclusion, which many people still think is $15,000, is now $17,000, up from $16,000 in 2022. Each person may give up to $17,000 to as many people as they want to without incurring any Federal gift tax liability and without using any of their Federal estate tax exemption at death.

Speaking of the Federal estate tax exemption, that has been raised from $12,060,000 to $12,920,000. Since the exemption amount is adjusted for inflation, and inflation was high in 2022, there was a large jump. Same for the New York estate tax exemption which jumped from $6,110,000 to $6,580,000.

The higher Federal exemption is due to tax reform initiated by President Trump commencing in 2016. Fiscal restraints required that the higher Federal exemption expire after ten years. At the end of 2025 then the Federal exemption is slated to return to

New York levels. Since you can use any of your now almost $13,000,000 per person as a tax-free gift while you are living, many savvy clients have moved and are continuing to move family wealth to trusts for their children. Often, the parents choose to maintain control of these trusts, and they not only get the assets out of their estate while the getting is good, they also get all of the growth on those assets out of their estate.

Medicaid rates have changed so that an individual who needs care, either at home or in a nursing facility, may keep up to $28,133.00 in assets. If one spouse is at home, and the other spouse is in a nursing home, the spouse at home may keep up to about $150,000 in assets. The value of the home, up to $1,033,000 is exempt from Medicaid if a spouse is living there (while the other is in a facility) or for an individual receiving Medicaid for home care.

Finally, the age at which an individual must take their IRA required minimum distribution has been raised from age 72 to 73.

Ilana GreenberG

Attorney advertising

spotlight athlete

JaMes DesiMoNe

Clarke Senior Basketball

a thiRD-YeaR vaRsitY starter, DeSimone is a major part of Clarke’s impressive 9-1 start. An All-County selection last season after earning a Nassau coaches award in the Covidshortened campaign, he’s averaging close to 16 points per game to go along with 4.4 assists. He’s scored in double digits in every game so far while hitting 21 three-pointers. He hit for a seasonhigh 23 against Long Beach on Dec 5.

gaMes to WatCh

Friday, Jan. 13

Boys Basketball: G.N. North at Sewanhaka 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Lynbrook at Plainedge 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Friends Academy at V.S. South 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Hewlett at Carey 5 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Long Beach at New Hyde Park 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainedge at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Boys Swimming: Long Beach at Jericho 5 p.m.

Girls Fencing: Valley Stream at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: East Rockaway at Malverne 5:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Malverne at East Rockaway 6:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball: South Side at Garden City 6:45 p.m.

Boys Basketball: East Meadow at Baldwin 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Plainview at Oceanside 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Jericho at Calhoun 7 p.m.

saturday, Jan. 14

Wrestling: Baldwin Tournament 9 a.m.

Wrestling: V.S. Central Tournament 9 a.m.

Boys Basketball: Wheatley at West Hempstead 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: V.S. Central at Port Washington 12 p.m.

Boys Basketball: Oceanside at Plainview 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Baldwin at East Meadow 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Farmingdale at Freeport 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Seaford at Carey 12 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Port Washington at V.S. Central 12 p.m.

sports

V.S. North at full strength

By BRiaN KaChaRaBa sports@liherald.com

The road back to the Final Four in the Class A playoffs has been a little bumpy for the Valley Stream North boys’ basketball team so far because of illness and injuries. The team has kept its head above water the best it could during that time and – with a return to full health – the close losses it endured could soon flip its way.

The Spartans split the first 12 games of the season and are 2-3 in Conference A4 play at press time after a 69-58 home victory over Plainedge last Saturday. It was North’s fourth win in six games following a four-game losing streak and proved to be the perfect tonic following a tough twopoint loss at Floral Park three days earlier.

That day, the Spartans didn’t allow the Knights to score in the final 2:24 of regulation but could only muster three points during that span for their fourth loss by five points or fewer.

“We had a very good game against Floral Park,” said head coach Michael McVeigh. “Back and forth, two good teams playing hard and we ended up not winning the game, but I feel like if we can play as hard as we did and we can stay healthy and do the right thing, I think we’ll be in more competitive games and have a chance to win and hopefully make the playoffs.”

That game also marked one of the few times they fielded a full lineup.

“We spent most of December where we were not healthy,” McVeigh said. “We had sickness going through the team [and] injuries. Aside from our game against Lynbrook [on Dec. 20] and [against Floral Park], we haven’t had a full team.”

Jalen Harrison, who was one of the wounded last month, and Jayden Rodriguez each had 18 points against Plainedge and Danny Kosior added a season-high 16 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Dominic Obukwelu was also a factor with eight points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Harrison is averaging just under 18 points a game and has had four games of 20-plus points while leading his team in scoring four times this season.

“He can just make plays,” McVeigh said. “Other people just can’t do some of the things that Jaylen can do with the ball.”

Obukwelu is not far behind Harrison at 16.5 points a game after averaging around 10 as an All-County sophomore player. He had a 25-point, 11-rebound performance against West Hempstead in the season opener and had two 21-point games since.

“He’s at a whole new level this year,” McVeigh said.

Rodriguez is enjoying a strong senior season with a 13-point scoring average with six double-digit point efforts and Kosior, a junior, had been one of the “key factors” on defense before his offensive explosion against Plainedge, according to McVeigh.

Senior playmaker Aaron Rodriguez has had games of 15 and 11 points this season and the team is also getting production from sophomores Christian St. Amand and Zeke Morris.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald JuNioR DoMiNiC oBuKWelu and the Spartans are looking to slam dunk the competition in the season’s second half.

Churchill’s

IHOP-Oceanside

Toast Coffeehouse

BUBBLE/BOBA TEA: Bubble Hut Kung Fu Tea

YAAAS TEA

BUFFET: China Buffet King

Diwan Indian Restaurant and Bar

Flaming Grill & Supreme Buffet

BURGER: American Burgers Ay! Caramba! Burgerology

BUSINESS LUNCH: City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill

Frank’s Steaks

Remy’s Italian Restaurant

BUTCHER SHOP: Charlie’s Butchers

Chubs Meats

Sons of a Butcher

CATERER: Bagel Boss Barnum Ballroom

Bialystok & Bloom

CHINESE FOOD: Danny’s Chinese Kitchen

Little Fu’s

Omandarin

COCKTAILS: Da Nicola

Dirty Taco + Tequila

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

DELI/SANDWICH SHOP:

Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers

Farmer Joel’s

Pantano’s Gourmet

DESSERT: Dolce Confections

Frank’s Steaks

Sugarberry Bakery Cafe

DINER: Apollo Restaurant Diner

Imperial Diner The Pantry

DINING

MEXICAN FOOD: Frida’s Mexican Grill Margaritas Cafe

The Cabana Mexican American Restaurant

NEW RESTAURANT: Casarecce Italian Tap Room

The Chef’s Table - Lynbrook

ORGANIC/NATURAL FOOD: Bob’s Natural Foods Fit by Globish Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

OUTDOOR DINING: Lazy Lobster Point Lookout Clam Bar

SALT - Merrick PIZZA: Friendlier 76 Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill

Hewlett Fish Market Inc. Jordan Lobster Farms

FRENCH FRIES: All American Hamburger Drive In Brooklyn Dip & Burger Press 195

FRIED CHICKEN: Chicken Carnival Swingbellys Beachside BBQ Zorn’s of Bethpage

GERMAN FOOD: Das Biergarten Oak Chalet Plattduetsche Park

GREEK FOOD: B Greek Kitchen

GREEKTOWN Mykonos Greek Restaurant HAPPY HOUR: Dirty Taco + Tequila J Paul’s Terrace Cafe Michael’s Billiards

ICE CREAM: Carvel - Merrick Dolce Gelateria

Marvel Frozen Dairy INDIAN FOOD: Color of Spices Diwan Indian Restaurant & Bar

Raagini

ITALIAN FOOD: Friendlier 76

Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside

San Marzano Brick Oven Pizza & Fresh Pasta

JAPANESE FOOD: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse Kashi

LATIN FOOD: Cabo RVC

Island Empanada of Merrick The Cuban

LOCAL COFFEE SHOP: Coffee Booths Heavenly Coffee Kookaburra Coffee Co

PRETZEL: Knot of this World Pretzels

Philly Pretzel Factory Pretzel Stop/Pretzel Town USA

RAMEN: 8RAMEN MB Ramen - Huntington Ni Ramen

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT: Da Nicola Livorno Remy’s Italian Restaurant

SEAFOOD: Artie’s South Shore Fish Market & Grill Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood and Bar Jordan Lobster Farms

SMOOTHIE: Fit by Globish SoBol Hewlett Tropical Smoothie Cafe

SPECIALTY PIZZA: Friendlier 76 Lia’s Pizzeria - Oceanside Vincent’s

STEAKHOUSE: Frank’s Steaks

Jimmy Hays Steak House

Rothmann’s Steakhouse

SUSHI: Himawari

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse

Sushi Palace

THAI FOOD: Ra-Kang Thai Cuisine Seeda Thai Thai Station Restaurant Thai Table Restaurant

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: Bob’s Natural Foods

Energy Fuel Garden City

Organic Krush Lifestyle Eatery

WINGS:

Croxley’s Ale House

Pearsall’s Station

Swingbellys Beachside BBQ

YOGURT: Hewlett Station Yogurt Swirls & Twirls

TCBY

Congrats to all the Top 3 Finalists in the 2022 Herald Long Island Choice Awards presented by PSEG Long Island!

Check back each week for the Top 3 Reveal in each category leading up to the Oscar-style awards ceremony in April 2023. Did your favorites make it to the top? Visit www.LiChoiceAwards.com! *Finalists are listed alphabetically, not in order of placement.

Healthy outlook for a healthy year

NResolve to achieve a better you in 2023

ew Year’s resolutions are full of expectations. Common goals like eating healthier or losing weight are admirable, but there are plenty of other goals you can set in 2023 as well, like upping your sleep regimen, talking with a friend every day, or going on more walks.

Since the emergence of Covid, it has become more essential than ever to take care of yourself and enhance your immunity. In addition to physical health, mental health is equally important. Many people make New Year’s resolutions that they soon forget. It can be due to a lack of commitment, self-doubt, or unrealistic goals. So, start by making short-term and realistic goals you can achieve without putting too much pressure on yourself. Once you list what you want to achieve this year, stick to it and believe in yourself to accomplish them.

Exercise more

Much like changing a diet, exercising is often seen as a means to weight loss. While that’s a positive side effect of daily exercise, daily or frequent exercise is an all-around health benefit.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise helps lower the risk of heart disease and hypertension by 40 percent while lowering the risk of depression by 30 percent. In addition, men and women with a family history of diabetes should know that regular exercise lowers their risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent. So while exercise is a great means to losing weight, it’s even better at helping reduce the risk for serious disease.

When incorporating exercise into a daily routine, start slowly and gradually work your way up to more vigorous exercise regimens. Going full speed from the outset is a great way to increase risk of injury, and no one wants that.

Find 30 minutes a day to walk

Getting the recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day can be as simple as taking a walk. If you’ve got a busy schedule, take three 10-minute walks throughout your day.

“That’s 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch and then 10 minutes after work. Make it fun! Grab a partner at work to get you through your lunch routine. Then have a friend or family member meet you for an evening stroll,” suggests physical therapist Stacie Page.

Your diet matters: healthy and well-balanced is achievable

This year, promise to eat right. Choose whole foods instead of packaged ones. Crash diets and eliminating foods from your daily intake can deprive you of needed nutrition and may not be effective in the long run.

Keep your mental health in check

Mental health is as vital as physical health, and it needs attention. The daily stress of life and other factors may lead to serious health issues, including depression and anxiety. Mental health issues can make it hard for you to cope with everyday life and interfere with your work and relationships.

If you feel something is wrong, believe your instinct and get help. Practicing self-care techniques can also help combat mental health issues. Try to find the positives and adopt habits that can benefit your well-being, such as meditating.

Manage stress

Stress is a cause of many serious illnesses, such as heart disease. It can negatively impact your physical and mental health. Stress can become regular if you are always busy or have other problems related to finances or relationships. It is crucial to take steps to manage your stress. You can manage stress through meditation, exercise, or other relaxation techniques.

Sleep well

Improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. Getting enough sleep enhances your health by ensuring the smooth functioning of your body. It is also critical that you have a sound sleep. Regular interruptions can disrupt your sleep pattern, causing low energy and fatigue during the day. Getting a good night’s sleep is definitely something you should add to your 2023 checklist.

Limit social media usage and screen time

Just as you’ve decided to finish a task or go to sleep, you receive a social media notification alert. As you check the notification, something else catches your attention, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour doomscrolling. Invariably, this leaves you feeling worse than before. If this resonates with you, you are not alone.

Social media, particularly when used for long hours, is reported to have contributed to an increased risk of a variety of mental health concerns like anxiety and low mood. This could be because of social comparison, isolation and cyberbullying. It also increases screen time, which can impact sleep and leave you less time to engage in other activities. Reducing your social media usage might help your anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep problems and the fear of missing out.

Practise meditation and mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness give you space to pause and reflect, allowing you to slow down and increase your emotional awareness, in a chaotic and bustling world. In fact, practising meditation and being mindful can help you in improving emotional regulation, reduce physical pain and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Meditation and mindfulness require consistent effort. Starting with mindfulness for even one minute every day can be helpful. You can slowly increase the time as you see fit. Mindfulness and meditation apps like have also proven to be useful in improving mental health.

Create (and keep) those resolutions

Taking a good, hard look at daily behavior is the key to setting realistic self-improvement goals

The early Babylonians believed that what people did on the first day of the year affected what they did for the rest of that year. Many of us see the New Year as a perfect opportunity to start over or to change bad habits.

According to several surveys, the most popular resolutions people make are related to health and fitness (eating better, losing weight, and exercising), reducing consumption of alcohol, caffeine, quitting smoking, and becoming more financially responsible by promising to spend less and save more.

Unfortunately, over 70 percent of resolutions are broken by the end of January, and this can leave a person feeling discouraged.

You might even consider New Year’s resolutions like romantic relationships: They’re easier to start than maintain.

One in four people who makes a New Year’s resolution will drop out within the first seven days, statistics show. About half jump ship within six months.

Resolutions are complicated, and being able to achieve them usually requires taking a hard look at our thoughts and behaviors. Setting goals keeps us on track, but stamping out old habits is difficult, and may even require the help of a professional for some.

But there’s hope.

Striving for self-improvement and setting goals for ourselves gives us a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Be sure to make your goals a priority, be specific, and work at them daily.

Your goal should be specific and measurable. Make your goal concrete, and if necessary, break it down into smaller steps.

Setting vague goals such as “I want to lose weight” can be ineffective. Instead, ensure your resolution is quantifiable. If your goal is to shed some pounds, identify the number you’d like to lose within a specified period of time. If your aim is to exercise more in 2023 set a specific objective for the number of hours you’ll work out each week.

Or, if your resolution is to consume fewer carbohydrates, resolve to eat carbohydrates only at one meal per day rather than resolving to eliminate carbohydrates entirely. Once you are successful, begin to decrease your consumption further.

Don’t set unrealistic resolutions that will be impossible to keep. If you resolve to eat healthier by cutting down on desserts, switch to an alternative you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to eat a vegetable you’ve hated since childhood. For example, swap ice cream for Greek yogurt or fruit rather than raw cauliflower sprouts (unless you enjoy them, of course).

Be nice to yourself. Changing habits isn’t easy, so you’re likely to struggle at some point in your journey. Take it easy. Minor bumps are normal. The important part is jumping back on the bandwagon and continuing momentum forward.

Write your resolution down and put it somewhere where you can see it on a daily basis. This will help you to stay focused.

Keep it manageable. Keep the scope of your New Year’s resolution practical by working toward changing one or two behaviors at a time.

Have coping strategies in place to deal with obstacles that may arise along the way. For example, if your goal is to drink less alcohol you may consider skipping parties or events that involve a lot of drinking or bring a sober friend along to provide you with support and to help keep you on track.

On the bright side. Stay focused on the benefits of the change you’re making rather than what you’re giving up. Rally your mind around how much better you’ve been feeling instead of lamenting the loss of your daily chocolate-chip muffin.

Photo: Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest impact. Rather than setting a major health or fitness goal that takes you far out of your comfort zone, start the new year by committing to small changes here and there.

Hold yourself accountable and lean on others. Use a support network to help stay motivated. Discuss your resolution (and the accompanying struggles) with friends and family members. Consider joining a group with common goals, whether a collection of friends teaming up to quit smoking or an exercise class at the gym.

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Schumer promises push for tech, environment

By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com

Chuck Schumer has three goals for the new year: improve mass transit, ensure water and air quality are safe, and promote high technology on Long Island.

The New York Democrat who maintained his role as majority leader in the U.S. Senate after last year’s mid-terms, told more than 1,000 people attending last week’s Long Island Association breakfast in Woodbury that he has, in the past two years, secured federal money to help the Metropolitan Transportation Authority recover from the worst of the Covid pandemic, while still getting money earmarked to protect the Long Island Sound and even clean up aging lead pipes.

The event at Crest Hollow Country Club was LIA’s annual State of the Region gathering that attracted both movers and shakers, as well as elected leaders like the executives from both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Schumer’s participation comes after he was elected to a fifth six-year term in the upper chamber of Capitol Hill, defeating Joseph Pinion, a conservative columnist who claimed Schumer had been in office too long with too little to show for it.

But history is written by the victors, and Schumer had a lot of history to share.

“We had one of the most productive legislative sessions in years,” the senator

said, ticking off a list of legislative wins that included his role in shepherding through President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, as well as securing $15 billion for the MTA, which operates the Long Island Rail Road.

“No one was riding the trains” during the pandemic, Schumer added.

“For the first time, New York state got back more money that it gave out,” the senator said, referring to the give-andtake of funding with the federal government. New York has traditionally been a “giving” state, meaning its federal dollars usually went to help other states. This past year, the state was more of a receiver.

How productive the next two years will be is a big question. Republicans took control of the U.S. House — but only by a slim margin. That might mean pushing through bills that could win over at least some moderate Republicans.

One of those efforts will focus on improving transportation. The MTA funding, for example, would pay for repairs and upgrades of cars, tracks and electronic systems. Money also would be directed to portions of the Sunrise Highway in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Another $5 million will build a transit hub in Ronkonkoma.

Schumer also budgeted $106 million to clean up Long Island Sound, and that’s just the beginning. He also plans to use $60 million to help remove some of the contami-

nants from the Long Island aquifer.

Yet, the Senator sounded most enthusiastic about a project to install electricitygenerating windmills off Long Island’s South Shore — likely within the next few years.

Equinor, a multibillion-dollar Norwegian conglomerate specializing in petroleum, hopes to build a wind energy farm just a few miles off the coast with a substation delivering power directly to Island Park — a plan that has aroused controversy with neighbors.

The $3 billion project must still pass a plethora of bureaucratic hurdles, however.

“Long Island will be the capital for offshore wind,” Schumer said, “not just in New York, but across the country.”

The senator also wants to promote two of Long Island’s largest high-technology institutions — Brookhaven National Lab and SUNY Stony Brook.

“Long Island can be the center for (microchip) production and manufacturing,” Schumer said. “BNL and Stony Brook are at the cutting-edge of technology.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told the Herald there was more in the works for this part of Long Island as well. He’s heard chatter about a strong interest in securing a casino, possibly at the Nassau Hub.

But for that to happen, anyone developing it would need to make sure the facility is first acceptable to the community.

“We wouldn’t be interested in anything but a first-class hospitality venue with a casino,” Blakeman said.

Additional reporting by Daniel Offner.

Daniel Offner/Herald U.S. SEN. ChUCk Schumer told the Long Island Association last week he would seek to promote the environment, transportation and technology this term.

STEPPING OUT

Culinary inspiration for a wintry weekend

By Karen Bloom

January is the ideal time to decompress and get into the kitchen and work on those “Top Chef” skills. It’s not that difficult with some great comforting — healthy — foods to nourish and warm our soul.

Experiment with new culinary creations that incorporate bold flavors for delicious results. Nothing pleases the senses quite like a hearty dish on a chilly evening. Try adding these recipes to your repertoire.

Rustic Roasted Winter Vegetable Chowder

• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice (about 2 cups)

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup )

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 fennel bulb, quartered & sliced thin (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt

• 2 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups) 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs

Hearty Beef Stew

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup Burgundy, Zinfandel or other red wine

• 3 cups beef broth

• 1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots

• 4 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1/2 pound small red potatoes, cut in half

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Cook beef in oil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Remove beef to bowl; cover to keep warm.

In Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Return beef to Dutch oven. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping to loosen any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in broth, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

• 1 cup milk or unsweetened plain almond milk

Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

More pepper and thyme leaves for garnish

Heat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until tender and browned in places, about 40 minutes, turning a couple of times while roasting.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare the base of the soup. To a large saucepan over low heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the vegetable broth. Add the potatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat. Pick out the thyme stems and discard.

Stir in the roasted vegetables. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of the chowder to the pitcher of a blender. Puree until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pot and stir to combine. The soup should be thick, rich, and creamy.

Stir in the milk. Place the pot back on the burner, and, with the heat on medium-low, return to a simmer, stirring often to prevent burning.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve garnished with an additional turn of cracked pepper and thyme leaves.

Lucky Chops

This big, brassy and unapologetically bold six-piece band comes at you with every hue in the rainbow. Their sound pays homage to New Orleans brass band tradition while incorporating eclectic rock, Caribbean, Arabic, Eastern European, funk, jazz, ska, gospel and EDM influences. Their irresistible groove is led by co-founder Josh Holcomb’s soulful trombone, Daro Behroozi’s soaring sax and Joshua Gawel’s powerful trumpet. Their high-energy brassy funk has attracted listeners since forming in New York City in 2006. Starting in the underground halls of subway stations, Lucky Chops went viral when a video of their mash-up of Lipps Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’ and James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ amassed hundreds of millions of views across social media, and led to an online subscriber base almost two million strong. They’re now back on tour for the first time since the end of 2019.

Thursday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. $33. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

America

The perennial classic rock favorite enters 2023 on the road again as founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell celebrate the band’s 53rd anniversary. The pair (along with former band mate Dan Peek), who met in high school in London in the late 1960s, quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song ‘A Horse With No Name.’ More than 40 years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners discovered there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of Beckley’s melodic pop rock and Bunnell’s use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with Peek’s more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.

Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $99, $79, $69, $59. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. (516) 299-3100 or TillesCenter.org.

ith the holidays behind us, cozy up to some comfy winter nesting. And, of course, it’s time to refocus on healthier eating now that we’re finished with weeks of festive over-indulgence.

THE SCENE

Art talk

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” live, via Zoom, Thursday, Jan. 19 , 1 p.m. She’ll discuss the current exhibition, “The Big Picture: Photography Now.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program. Also Feb. 23. Register at least 24 hours in advance to receive the program Zoom link. Also Feb. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Districtwide Four Years and Beyond

Forest Bathing

Take a meditative Forest Bathing walk, led by certified guide Linda Lombardo, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2-4 p.m. Based on the Japanese tradition of ShinrinYoku, a wellness practice developed in the 1980s, the walk, on the grounds of the former summer residence of Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim, inspires mindful connections with the natural elements of the woods for a range of healthful benefits. $40, $35. Pre-registration required. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901.

Branford Marsalis

The renowned saxophonist visits the Madison Theatre, on the Molloy University campus, with his quartet, Friday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. The NEA Jazz Master, triple Grammy Award winner and musical polymath with his stellar ensemble — pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner — bring the brilliance that has made this quartet one of the most revered and influential in jazz. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. $40-$95. 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. For tickets and information visit MadisonTheatreny.org or call (516) 323-4444.

Valley Stream Central High School District will host their presentation of the district’s vision for the next four years, Thursday Jan. 19, 7 p.m., at Memorial Junior High School. For more information, call the district clerk at (516) 8725628 or visit Vschsd.org.

District 24 board meets

Valley Stream District 24 board of education will meet Wednesday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m., for their regular business meeting at Wheeler Avenue School, 75 Horton Ave. For more information, send an email to district clerk Elizabeth Fleurimond at efleurimond@ vs24.org or visit ValleyStream24. com.

District 13 board meets

Valley Stream District 13 Board of Education will meet Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m., at James A. Dever School, 585 Corona Ave, Valley Stream for a regular board meeting. For more information, call (516) 568-6100 or visit ValleyStream13.com.

Village board meets

The village Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., in the Village Hall boardroom, 123 S. Central Ave. for their regular public meeting. For more information, call the village clerk at (516) 825-4200 Ext. 5 or visit Vsvny.org.

District 30 board meets

Valley Stream District 30 Board of Education meets Monday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m. for their business meeting at Shaw Avenue School, 99 Shaw Ave. For more information, call the district clerk at (516) 434-3600 or visit ValleyStream30.com.

Fiber Crafters GetTogether

Attend an in-person Fiber Crafters gathering at Waldinger Memorial Library, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. For info contact (516) 825-6422.

GriefShare

Bethlehem Assembly of God is helping people through their journey of grief with counseling sessions beginning Saturday, Jan. 14, starting at 10 a.m., at their campus, 12 E. Fairview Ave. For more information, call (516) 285- 8585 or visit Bethlehemag.org.

On exhibit

In concert

Microsoft PowerPoint

Join Waldinger Memorial Library for a virtual workshop to cover Microsoft PowerPoint basics on Saturday Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Library Director Mamie Eng at 516-825-6422 or send email at hwmlcontact@hotmail.com.

Having an event?

Photography’s ascent in the art world is an international phenomenon. Nassau County Museum of Art’s star-studded exhibition spans the historical roots of the medium. View works by Ansel Adams and his generation and the thrilling, large-format color works of such contemporary masters as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, James Casebere and Gregory Crewdson, among others. From the documentary to the painterly, images bear witness to the times.

On view through March 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

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.

David Alterman returns to the stage with Altzim, Friday, Jan. 13, at My Father’s Place supper club. Enjoy an evening of music that Alterman describes as “Dylan with a twist,” with special guest Cathy Rose Virgilio. Rich Demand and his band also appear. Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. The Metropolitan, 3 Pratt Blvd., Glen Cove. For tickets/information, visit MyFathersPlace.com or call (516) 580-0887.

Jan. 27

Jan. 17

Board of Zoning and Appeals meet

The Village Board of Zoning and Appeals meets, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 123 South Central Ave. For more information, contact Jennifer Piazza at (516) 5925142 or visit Vsvny.org.

Let Freedom Ring with MLK

Visit Long Island Children’s Museum for a workshop honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Monday, Jan. 16. Families will learn about MLK beyond his “I Have a Dream” speech and gain a better understanding of his impact on the civil rights movement. Also participate in a gallery walk of images from the Civil Rights Movement and then create a bell to “let freedom ring.” $4 with admission, $3 members. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

New town redistricting long way from finish

By ANA BORRUTO aborruto@liherald.com

Voters talked, but at least according to them, a committee tasked with drawing new boundaries for Hempstead town elected officials didn’t listen.

At least that was the takeaway during the latest public hearing last week over the state of redistricting in the town.

Yet, it was a meeting just before the winter holidays that took most of the attention — a meeting where a number of speakers during public comment demanded lines be redrawn for the six town districts in what they called a more balanced representation through the inclusion of three “minority-majority” districts. That is, where an overall ethnic minority would be grouped into a majority as a way to help diversify a leadership board like the town council.

That same week, new map proposals were released. Yet, after further review, critics of the earlier drafts claimed most of their recommendations were ignored.

“While I hope that the commission changes course on these maps, I doubt (they) will because (they) have to show us that (they’re) listening to what residents are saying,” said Amil Virani of Valley Stream.

But there were changes. For example, the committee has proposed grouping together Elmont, North Valley Stream, a portion of the Five Towns and Franklin Square into a single district. Baldwin — which went from three to two representatives on the latest maps — was split in half.

The idea, according to Hempstead town attorney John Maccarone, was to ensure villages were kept whole, in accordance with the law. However, hamlets like Baldwin don’t enjoy the same protections.

Elmont, Valley Stream and Franklin Square are per-

fect for this new district, said Elmont resident Mimi Pierre-Johnson, but it should also have included Bellerose, Bellerose village, South Floral Park, Floral Park and New Hyde Park.

“That would’ve been a perfect minority-majority,” she said. “Everyone in that district would have had a fair share of choosing their elected official.”

Baldwin has been split into three council districts since the 2010 census. The Baldwin Civic Association collected more than 400 signatures on a petition urging the committee to place the entire hamlet of Baldwin under the 11510 ZIP code and one Town of Hempstead council district.

“Again, (the redistricting committee) has cracked Baldwin,” Janet Poretsky said. “My vote in Baldwin Harbor won’t count, it will be canceled out by someone in Wantagh-Seaford. I don’t think that’s fair, and I have nobody who is really representing my area.”

The last time officials got together to redraw district lines, it was done to benefit legislators without any concern for the needs of Nassau County communities, said Karen Moskowitz, cochair of the League of Women Votgers of Nassau County’s redistricting committee — specifically communities of color.

The lATesT RedisTRicTiNg map for Hempstead town elected officials reveals little change to what a number of people asked for ahead of the revision last month. Their desire is to see a better chance of creating a more diverse town council by creating ‘minority-majority’ districts.

As a town where 40 percent of its residents are people of color represented by a council that is mostly white, Moskowitz added that the latest map proposals show this intention has not changed in Hempstead.

The 2020 census revealed a 12 percent drop in the town’s white, non-Hispanic population, according to supporters of the minority-majority district concept. At the same time, the Hispanic and Latino population grew 32 percent, while the Black population increased by 4

percent.

“The league takes positions on a variety of policy issues, but never supports or opposes any political party or candidate,” Moskowitz said. “Our review of the commission’s proposed maps reveals deliberate manipulation of district lines.”

Another redistricting meeting was scheduled for Jan. 9, and the town attorney confirmed more such meetings will be scheduled before the board votes on a new map.

Ana Borruto/Herald

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9

MASTER PARTICIPATION

TRUST, Plaintiff, v. MICHAEL J. CARR, et al., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 1, 2017 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline duly entered on January 21, 2022, 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 February 7, 2023 at 3:00 p.m., premises known as 637 Diane Place, Valley Stream, NY 11581 a/k/a 637 Diane Place, South Valley Stream, NY 11581.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 39, Block 595 and Lot 7.

Approximate amount of judgment is $177,240.29 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 003666/2016. 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.

Lisa A. LeimbachGutman, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff 211487-1 136490

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST INC. ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-OPX1, Plaintiff AGAINST ALINA DODARD AUGUSTE AKA ALINA AUGUSTE, AKA ALINA DODARD, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 3, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 7, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 934 LYNN DRIVE, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of

land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 659, Lot 8. Approximate amount of judgment $458,856.49 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610102/2017. 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”. George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 17-005179 74516 136445

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York, as Trustee for the certificateholders of the CWABS, Inc., AssetBacked Certificates, Series 2006-14, Plaintiff AGAINST Peggy Kouassi a/k/a Peggy Turner; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated January 25, 2019 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 February 8, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 73 Broadway, Valley Stream, NY 11580. 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, State of New York, Section 37 Block 667 Lot 41. Approximate amount of judgment $597,228.47 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 008374/2016. 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.

Michael Jay Santino Pontone, 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: November 30, 2022 136521

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU JAMES B. NUTTER & COMPANY, V. ERIC H FEINTUCH, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE BERNARD FEINTUCH LIVING TRUST, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated May 29, 2018, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein JAMES B. NUTTER & COMPANY is the Plaintiff and ERIC H FEINTUCH, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE BERNARD FEINTUCH LIVING TRUST, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on February 7, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 636 NUTLEY PLACE, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11581: Section 39, Block 600, Lot 0009:

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

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

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 009783/2013. Cary David Kessler, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 136519

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 17, 2016 and an Order Appointing a Substitute Referee to Sell duly entered on May 26, 2022, 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 January 26, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 188 Dean Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 415 and Lots 305 and 306. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 011642/2014. 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.

Christine Grillo, Esq., Referee

Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, & Peddy, P.C., 100 Garden City Plaza, Garden City, NY 11530, Attorneys for Plaintiff 136189

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 2015-1, Plaintiff, vs. ALEX C. MARTINS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

filed Judgment Index # 017022/2011. 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.

Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 171238-1 136191

LEGAL NOTICE

REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiffagainst - LOUIS CALDERON A/K/A LOUIS A. CALDERON, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on March 7, 2018. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 20th day of January, 2023 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 71 Green Street, Valley Stream, New York 11580. (Section: 37, Block: 400, Lot: 3-4)

issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.

136095

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-8, Plaintiff against FAISAL N. LODHI A/K/A FAISAL LODHI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 103N, Westbury, NY 11590. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered August 27, 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 January 20, 2023 at 2:30 PM. Premises known as 88 Sobro Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Sec 37 Block 466 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $527,157.31 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 005074/2012.

Dutch Broadway, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Sec 35 Block 521 Lot 2. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the North Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $460,474.73 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 019445/2010. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. 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.”

Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee XFSLN007 136183

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

be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale.

Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq., Referee

Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Suite 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff 136187

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

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 THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-7, Plaintiff, vs. LESLIE VASQUEZ, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 3, 2019 and an Order Amending Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 13, 2022. 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 January 20, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 196 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 124 and Lot 137.

Approximate amount of judgment is $1,092,458.29 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of

Approximate amount of lien $419,408.84 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

Index No. 001223/2014.

Anthony F. Iovino, Esq., Referee.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840 New York, NY 10170 Tel. 347/286-7409 Dated: November 14, 2022

During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of 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. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. 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 orShine.”

Rod E. Kovel, Esq., Referee SPSJN204 136181

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Plaintiff against HASSAN TAYLOR, et al Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 103N, Westbury, NY 11590. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 20, 2017, and Amended on September 21, 2022 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 January 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

Premises known as 1226

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, vs. MITCHELL MUROFF, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 11, 2022, 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 on January 24, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 706 Golf Drive, Valley Stream, NY 11581. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 39, Block 613 and Lot 16.

Approximate amount of judgment is $1,027,937.45 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 602407/2018. Cash will not be accepted. 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

COUNTY OF NASSAU, PLANET MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC, Plaintiff, vs. SAINT MARKS EAST 163 LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 20, 2022, 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 January 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 163 East Saint Marks Place, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 5 and Lots 19-21 a/k/a 20-21. Approximate amount of judgment is $652,674.78 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607424/2021. 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.

David Paul Weiss, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 200541-1 136185

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-EMX9, Plaintiff AGAINST KEITH MCNALLY, LISA MCNALLY, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 1, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side

Public Notices

steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 24, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 43 WRIGHT AVENUE, LYNBROOK, NY 11563.

All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Lynbrook, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 504, Lot 152.

Approximate amount of judgment $841,408.81 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #010010/2015. 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”. Ralph J. Madalena, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 15-003188 73833 136012

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, THE BANK OF NY MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, NA., AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-3, Plaintiff, vs. TIFFANY PORTER, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 1, 2019 and an Order Substituting CourtAppointed Referee duly entered October 28, 2022, 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 on January 27, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 311 Lyon Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon

erected, situate, lying and being at Valley Stream, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 309 and Lot 33, 34,35, & 36.

Approximate amount of judgment is $979,569.95 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 004222/2013. 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.

Edward Andreas Vincent, Esq., Referee Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 136392

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 QAISER KHAN AKA QAISER TCHAN, IRAM HAMEED, IF LIVING, OR IF EITHER OR ALL BE DEAD, THEIR WIVES HUSBANDS, HEIRS-AT-LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DISTRIBUTES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS AND GENERALLY ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING UNDER, BY OR THROUGH SAID IRAM HAMEED, BY PURCHASE, INHERITANCE, LIEN OR OTHERWISE, OF ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN AND TO THE PREMISES DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, AND THE RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES, WIDOW OR WIDOWERS OF THEM, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOSE NAMES ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 7, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 1, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 47 Clarendon Drive, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and

improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, SECTION 37, BLOCK 301, LOTS 255A, 255B & 255C. Approximate amount of judgment $579,919.25 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #006347/2013. 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”. Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 20-002067 74477 136299

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. STEVEN C. HORN, Pltf. vs. MAXIM DIAGNOSTICS, LLC, et al, Defts. Index #608417/2019. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered October 11, 2022, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on January 30, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., prem. k/a 33 South Montgomery Street, Valley Stream, NY a/k/a Section 37, Block 36, Lot 4. Said property located at the corner formed by the intersection of the Southerly line of Buscher venue and the Easterly line of Montgomery Street; Running thence Easterly along the Southerly line of the Buscher Avenue, 34/100 (100.34) feet; Thence Southerly parallel with Montgomery Street, 74/100 (41.74) feet; Thence Westerly at right angles to Montgomery Street, (100.000 feet to the Easterly line of Montgomery Street; Thence Northerly along the same, (34.00 feet to the point or place of beginning. Approx. amt. of judgment is $312,976.39 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and

terms of sale. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

HAYLEY GREENBERG, Referee. HILL WALLACK LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 261 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, Ste. 940-941, New York, NY. File No. 20426-18 - #99938 136396

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE OF THE CABANA SERIES IV TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. OTTO CASAL A/K/A OTTO L. CASAL, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on November 3, 2017 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered January 21, 2022 and an Order Appointing Successor Referee duly entered on July 22, 2022, 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 January 31, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 645 Wyngate Drive West, Valley Stream, NY 11580.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 35, Block 522 and Lot 10.

Approximate amount of judgment is $584,347.63 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 8654/2014. 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.

Glenn R. Jersey, III, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No. 201408-1 136394

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

Be Kind, Rewind is back

continued from front page

antine father-son passion project lay in shambles with a torn chunk of the box remaining chained to the tall, wooden utility pole that was cracked from the crash.

“Chris was heartbroken,” Alfonso said. “Before I saw it for myself, I thought we could just patch up the broken pieces, but it was clear the box was beyond saving.”

The next day, as he was disposing the pieces, Alfonso stumbled across a shard of plastic with the contact information of the original manufacturer — Go Plastics. After a quick Google search, he found the email address of Brian Bauman, director of Sales at Go Plastics.

Alfonso reached out to Bauman, sharing the story behind their lending library box and their grief over its ensuing loss in hope the company could find another beat-up box they can purchase at a discount. Instead, Bauman and Go Plastics sent over a brand-new, state-of-the-art model that— aside from paying shipping costs — came at virtually no expense to Alfonso and Chris.

“Alfonso strikes me as a really great dad, and seeing his son upset, he reached out to us for help,” Bauman said. “I guess I could also just tell that they have a great family, and helping Christopher out was just the right thing to do.”

“When I saw it, I was blown away,” Alfonso said, as he and his son marveled at the attention to detail Go Plastics paid in replicating the iconic “Be Kind,

Rewind” and “Take a Movie, Leave a Movie” decals Alfonso and Chris printed.

The box also held roughly twice the shelf space of its predecessor. And to give the Blockbuster box its own personal touch, Chris made sure to spray-paint the Blockbuster logo.

“We’ve been making newspaper boxes since 1987, so making a box for Chris and Alfonso was nothing out of the ordinary for us,” said Bauman. “He sent me a picture of the damaged box, and we just sort of reworked the artwork here on our end and applied it to the box so that it would be street-ready when they received it.”

“What Brian and Go Plastics did was restore my faith in humanity,” Alfonso said.

The next act of goodwill came a little closer to home.

News of the wrecked Blockbuster kiosk hit the local Facebook group “Valley Stream News and Views” drawing an outpouring of support from residents.

Alfonso posted information about the christening of the brand-new lending box in early December of last year, asking for help restocking it with DVD donations. Residents gladly chipped in.

Waldinger Memorial Library director Mamie Eng got in on the action donating the library’s own selection of DVDs.

“It’s got more movies than ever before with new releases and all that. And it’s great,” Alfonso said. “It was a lovely gesture at the very beginning of the holiday season, so it was like a little Christmas miracle.”

Courtesy Alfonso Castillo

Christopher and alfonso Castillo brought the Free Blockbuster concept to Valley Stream last June, turning an old newspaper box into a place neighbors can borrow movies on DVD and VHS. Above, the box that was damaged, and replaced.

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Hewlett

Spacious Side Hall Colonial Near All

Nestled in the prestigious school district 14, you will find this bright and airy Side Hall Colonial that also offers plenty of space. This home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a finished basement that provides additional living space for entertainment. The formal dining room and living room are perfect for hosting guests while the kitchen with an island allows for plenty of prep space when cooking up your favorite meals. The backyard deck and lush lawn provide a great spot to relax or entertain friends. You're also just minutes' walk from Grant Park - perfect for enjoying a beautiful day outdoors. This home is conveniently located close to transportation, shops, and restaurants. Don't wait - come see this wonderful home today! For a private tour contact us at 516.791.1313.

Adding to the attic

Q. A few contractors have looked at my attic so I can finish it for more bedrooms and a family room. The 1920s house has a very large attic with stairs to the second-floor landing. The attic stairs are much steeper and narrower, and the contractor says the walls will need to be taken down and wider and longer stairs put in. Is this necessary? The stairs are already there, and even though they’re steep, they work. Also, one of the contractors said that the horizontal 2x4s going across the attic, which are too low to walk around, could be removed or raised. Is that true? He said we could put them higher and add more so we can add finished wallboards to them. Do you agree, and is there anything I should know about doing this before we start?

A. Good thing you asked before you started. Instead of starting, you need to stop and take a few steps back. What you’re describing has multiple issues that you have to address.

Ask The Architect

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Monte Leeper

First, your state building code doesn’t allow the occupancy of a third floor in a single-family, woodframed dwelling. This is because of the many dangers involved in surviving a fire at that level. In the process of getting the permit to occupy a third story, which you left out of the description of your investigation, you would need to have a licensed architect or engineer prepare plans that include specific methods of escape, including the correct size and number of windows, distances to exterior and interior levels below to escape to, sprinkler locations along the entire path of travel to get out of the dwelling, heights of ceilings and fire-rated materials to be installed. This is because, as I have often written, the chances of surviving a fire in the third floor of a wood-framed dwelling are statistically remote, only 5 percent. That means you or your loved ones could be among the 95 out of 100 who will die from smoke inhalation or burns.

The plans for a finished third story are submitted to both your local building department, which will rightfully reject them, and to the State Codes Division for a public hearing, where your case will need to be represented by a code-knowledgeable professional. I have seen people represent themselves, which generally doesn’t go very well, since safety is the reason for the codes, and there are many laws and standards that the average owner is unaware of.

The stair access must be 3 feet wide, and the tread must be at least 10¼ inches, while the risers cannot exceed 8¼ inches. The horizontal 2x4s you described are collar ties, and they serve the important function of holding the roof together, especially in high winds and under snow loads. Moving or removing them can be dangerous. The higher up, the less effective, and without first calculating several factors, it should not be done.

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

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Once again, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has left coal in the stockings of Long Island Rail Road commuters.

Every Christmas since 2011, the MTA has failed to initiate the promised East Side Access to Grand Central Madison service. The original Federal Transit Administration capital investment — or New Starts — grant agreement with the MTA was approved in 2006.

time in the coming weeks.

The ESA project cost has grown to $11.6 billion. This doesn’t include debt service payments of $1 billion for borrowing costs buried in the MTA’s operating budget. There are also $4 billion worth of LIRR readiness projects to support the start of service — including such things as third-track construction and capacity improvements at Jamaica Station — which are separate from the official budget. Without these projects, the LIRR lacks the expanded operational capabilities to support the new service.

LARRY pENNER

It included a project cost of $6.3 billion, with the start of passenger service — including a promise to run 24 hourly trains on the LIRR’s 10 branches to Grand Central Madison during rush hour — in 2011. We still don’t know when that service will begin.

The temporary shuttle service that did not start last month, as promised, will come nowhere close to meeting this commitment. I can just imagine the overcrowding on shuttle trains between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison when this service begins — likely some-

Even when East Side Access service begins, thousands of potential new LIRR customers will continue to be out of luck in Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Elmhurst and Woodhaven, Queens because of limited or no service. The LIRR currently runs a handful of morning rush-hour trains westbound from Jamaica to Hunters Point and Long Island City, returning east in the evening rush hour. There is no rush-hour, hourly off-peak or evening bi-directional service to those other communities.

Another problem: Penn Station is a

24/7 facility. Grand Central Terminal is closed overnight from 2 to 5:15 a.m. Unlike the LIRR, Metro North provides no service in or out during that time period. The LIRR has the advantage, but Long Islanders who commute at odd times — or come home late from events in Manhattan that end well after midnight — and want to use Grand Central will lose that advantage to incomplete service. A simple analysis of the proposed schedules reveals that depending on your branch or station, there will be no LIRR service to or from Grand Central Madison for three to five hours overnight on weekdays or weekends.

Catherine Rinaldi is the first MTA official to serve as president of both the LIRR and Metro North. Those extrahours riders might want to ask her why the LIRR must be subject to the Metro North’s schedule shortfalls. Isn’t it time to make Grand Central, too, a 24/7 facility?

As well, whenever East Side Access service to Grand Central Madison begins, the LIRR will suspend virtually all direct, one-seat, ride-through service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal

Brooklyn. Thousands of LIRR riders bound for downtown Brooklyn, Wall Street, the World Financial Center, the World Trade Center or other destinations in downtown Manhattan via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn will now have longer commutes. One rider’s gain in time savings — being able to get to Manhattan’s East Side via Grand Central Madison instead of Penn Station — will be a loss for another rider trying to access destinations via Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn.

Was investing $12.6 billion in East Side Access worth it? The verdict is still out. It is doubtful, in a post-Covid-19 world, that there will be anywhere near the anticipated 160,000 daily riders using Grand Central Madison, as the MTA predicts. Time will tell if commuters and taxpayers will see all of the benefits from this project, which has been promised for decades by elected official and MTA and LIRR presidents. When it comes to East Side Access, the LIRR’s 1960s motto, “Line of the Dashing Dan,” should be changed to “Line of the Slow Moving Sloth.”

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who worked in the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management for three decades.

Writing predictions in disappearing ink

As I look back on my New Years’ columns over these last many years, I might as well have been writing in disappearing ink. Pretty much nothing I expected came to pass, and a whole lot of stuff I never saw coming changed my life and yours, too. So why even try to predict? It’s in our DNA, I suppose, conferring the illusion of control when we have none.

ies is and will be zero.

With that as a caveat, let me hope rather than predict that we will not have a recession; that the markets will rally in 2023 and, somehow, all the thousands of people who are literally dying to get into our country will be matched with all the jobs that are begging to be filled.

Will Covid surge again? Will some new bug emerge from the virulent epidemic in China? I wonder if Kim Jung-un will hold on to his rockets or let them fly. When will Ukraine find peace, and will it be before Putin snaps? How will our children and teenagers recover from the grief and academic setbacks of the pandemic lockdown? When can we feel safe in our lives again?

No one, except for Bill Gates and some epidemiologists who were ignored, predicted the greatest catastrophe of our lifetime, the coronavirus pandemic, the more than 1 million deaths here at home and more than 6 million deaths worldwide.

Everyone predicted a huge Republican sweep in the midterms, and that didn’t happen. And with the MAGA loonies running the GOP, to predict what will happen in 2023 would be folly indeed.

Bullish? Bearish? Last week the big dailies posted predictions for the markets. Inflation, recession, deflation, higher mortgage rates? Columnist Jeff Sommer wrote in The New York Times: “It’s simply impossible to forecast the path of the markets six months or a year ahead with accuracy and consistency, as many academic studies have shown. That the financial services industry continues to label these unreliable numbers as forecasts is a triumph of breathtaking chutzpah — a technical term for shameless audacity.”

RANDI KREISS

In politics, too, the prediction business is bust. We — all of us — lived through the 2016 presidential election, in which pretty much everyone with an opinion, from columnists to people on the street to professional pollsters to Las Vegas bookies and even many supporters of Donald Trump, absolutely did not believe that he would or could win. How many times did we hear pundits say that his path to victory was slim to none? How much airtime and ink were wasted on the assumption of a Hillary Clinton victory and how that would play out? Folks thought DJT would ride that escalator into oblivion.

On New Year’s Eve we toasted 2023 with wishes for good health and peace on earth and peace of mind. Wishes. As hostages to fate and dysfunctional politics, that’s the best we can do. We humans have never tolerated the existential uncertainty of being a person alive on earth. So we turn to exit polls and Svengalis and any grifter who hangs out a palm-reading sign. The truth? I’m even down on Punxsutawney Phil.

I can’t and won’t believe anyone who ever again purports to know the future of an election or an economy or the course of a disease or the likelihood of an earthquake striking any particular location at any particular time.

We are in the game, and it changes day to day.

Yearning for a seed of certainty, yesterday I booked a hotel in Dallas for April 8, 2024, when a full solar eclipse will be seen for two minutes and 20 seconds. I predict, with 100 percent certainty, that it will occur.

Which leads me to predict that the value of their elaborate algorithmic stud-

The very least we could take away from that election was healthy skepticism. Pollsters, even the academic knowit-alls, have little success predicting the results of an election or anything else.

In our personal lives, it’s painful to accept that we cannot know what the future will bring. Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next or if we’ll make an appearance in the next chapter.

The track record of clairvoyants is abysmal.

What isn’t sure is if I will get to see it. There may be clouds overhead, or clouds in my life. I am choosing to have faith that the eclipse will occur as scheduled, on April 8 in Dallas. I plan to be there. It’s a small thing, but I’m counting on it.

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

Life reads like a mystery, not an itinerary. We can’t know what comes next.

We all deserve a chance to pursue our dreams

the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for 14 years — a time period during which mere adjustments for inflation would now have it over $10.

Congress isn’t expected to act on raising that wage anytime soon, so many municipalities and states — like New York — have taken matters into their own hands. New York City and Long Island both have a $15 minimum wage, as does Westchester County. Last week, upstate New York rose to $14.20.

In fact, 27 states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of 2023, according to the National Employment Law Project, with new baselines ranging from $9.95 in states like Montana to $15.74 in Washington state.

We hear a lot about the minimum wage. What we don’t ever talk about is something that many may not even know exists: the subminimum wage.

It’s real, and it has been since the Fair Labor Standards Act, which first established a federal minimum wage, was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938. Many have credited the law with helping to guide the United States out of the Great Depression. And the framework of the Fair Labor Standards Act — 40-hour work weeks, child labor restrictions, extra pay for overtime — fuels our labor economy to this day.

But if you look closely at the law — particularly at Section 14(c) — you might be surprised to learn that not everyone is eligible for the minimum wage. Even at $7.25. It allows employers to apply for a certificate from the federal government to pay less than minimum wage to workers with disabilities.

It’s an archaic law based on an archaic

letters

Elected officials should resolve to be transparent this year

To the Editor:

way of thinking when it comes to people with disabilities.

When the legislation was first passed, “it was assumed that a worker with a disability was less productive than a non-disabled worker,” former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge wrote in a 2021 opinion piece in USA Today. “In retrospect, it was a flawed assumption. We want to be fair to the intent of the original legislation, which was to provide individuals with disabilities an opportunity to enter the workforce.”

When the former Pennsylvania governor wrote those words, he was nearing the end of a long chairmanship of the National Organization on Disability, an advocacy group for a class of people who are, more often than not, overlooked. Ridge described paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage as “no less than another critical civil rights issue.”

And he was right. Treating an entire group of people differently from everyone else simply because they have disabilities is a relic of the distant past that should stay in the distant past.

Yet efforts to eliminate this disparity over the years, by both Republicans and Democrats, have come up short on the federal level. Most recently, President Biden tried to remove the subminimum wage as part of the American Rescue Plan at the beginning of his administration, but never got it through Congress.

Since then, however, more than a dozen states have abolished the subminimum wage, according to the Association of People Supporting Employment First. But New York isn’t one of them. Not that our legislators haven’t tried — it’s just that none of their efforts have ever made it out of committee.

Closer to home, there are many who are trying to make a difference — like the Backyard Players & Friends of Rockville Centre, which describes its mission as seeking “unity without uniformity, and diversity without fragmentation.” The organization opened the Front Porch Market next to its headquarters on North Long Beach Road, conceived to provide creative work in a retail environment, treating everyone equally no matter what they bring to the table.

The market officially opens Jan. 17, and will feature crafters from around the community, classes on creating things like candles and soap, along with small retailers like Popcorn for the People and Smile Farms Hot Sauce.

The percentage of people with disabilities finding jobs is growing, but only 1 in 5 in that community is working. And of those, more are finding employment because they’re working for themselves rather than getting hired by someone else — a rate far higher than those without disabilities.

Even if the subminimum wage were finally abolished, there are many other hurdles that must be swept away for those with disabilities, and they can’t be ignored, either. But right now, hundreds if not thousands of our neighbors and community members aren’t getting the same consideration for pay as those without disabilities.

That must change. And if it can’t happen on the federal level, we need to focus our efforts much closer to home, blocking the availability of subminimum wages in our state.

Because as Tom Ridge made very clear, “all Americans should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

Many will start the new year with goals to exercise more, eat better and lose weight. January will also be when newly elected public servants or incumbents starting another term take office across New York state.

Old habits are hard to change in people — and especially hard to change in government. The biggest issue in government today is the lack of trust the public has in their elected leaders. The best way to build trust as an elected official is through transparency.

Elected officials should begin 2023 by conducting the public’s business in an open and transparent way. To show their commitment to open government, elected officials serving on a village board, town board, City Council, community board or county legislature should introduce and pass a New Year’s resolution stating they will:

■ Post timely notice of all meetings at least one week prior to those meetings.

Long Island’s energy future: vision vs. mirage

Follow the money. This adage never gets old.

For decades, gas pipelines and other delivery infrastructure have been a reliable cash cow for utility companies, which recover the costs of building their distribution systems from our utility bills, which give them a fat return on their investments. This traditional utility profit model is now at odds with a climate-driven energy transition, creating all kinds of perverse incentives. And while hikes in heating costs are grabbing the headlines, the jostling over the future of heating isn’t getting much attention.

In order to succeed in the challenging but essential task of decarbonizing its economy in the coming decades — as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which it passed in 2019 — New York state will need to embrace an all-electric future and eschew fossil fuels, including natural gas. Utilities like Con Edison and the Long Island Power Authority, which together serve about 60 percent of the state’s electric customers, have endorsed this scenario. Many builders and households are already going all-electric, because gas fouls our homes and communities, and modern electric homes are cheaper and superior.

This is the approach espoused by almost all experts because, as the electric grid becomes cleaner, the rest of the economy will naturally follow. This is also the most cost-effective and energy-efficient decarbonization strategy for buildings, because electric heat pumps use only a fraction of the energy of their fuel-based counterparts.

Heat pumps and Long Island are a match made in heaven. With relatively mild winters, Long Island homes don’t need the top-gun units for efficient, reliable heating and cooling. LIPA’s electric load peaks at around 5 gigawatts in the summer, but barely makes it to 3 gigawatts in the winter. Adding winter load will spread the fixed grid costs over more usage and reduce per-kilowatt-hour prices.

In an effort to conserve their profitable gas distribution system, some utilities have floated their own “clean energy vision” involving green hydrogen and biomethane, marketed as renewable natural gas, or RNG — a so-called fossil-free duo that could supposedly flow through their pipeline network forever.

But consider the science and the economics of this vision. It took NASA months to fix hydrogen leaks on its recent Artemis 1 moon mission. Any proposal to pump highly explosive hydrogen, which

has the tiniest molecules in the universe, through 50,000 miles of pipe in New York should raise serious doubts. Multiple studies have also warned of the risk of damage to the steel in pipes and appliances posed by gas blends with significantly more than 5 percent hydrogen.

Moreover, it shouldn’t take a NASA scientist to question the wisdom of heating homes by burning the stupendously expensive green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, when that electricity can directly power energysipping heat pumps. Not surprisingly, expensive experiments and demonstration projects involving the use of hydrogen for heat, the kind of boondoggles being developed in the Town of Hempstead, are already being scrapped or failing in other parts of the country and the world.

Hydrogen’s partner in crime, RNG, is produced by capturing and refining the naturally produced biogas in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. But naturally derived biomethane can meet only a minuscule fraction of the home-heating demand, so much of it will need to be artificially generated from organic waste streams. Its global warming potential isn’t much lower than that of fossil gas because of inevitable releases and leaks of methane, which is much more destructive to the climate than carbon dioxide.

Fossil-free doesn’t mean emissionsfree, and the scheme doesn’t satisfy the science-based methane accounting methodology of New York’s climate law.

Produced naturally or intentionally, RNG is significantly more expensive than fossil gas, and its supplies will be limited by feedstock availability. Even the rosiest projections in the gas utilities’ own studies show that there won’t be enough of it for every possible use that those companies are touting it for, home heating being the least practical one.

The gas utilities’ so-called fossil-free clean-energy vision based on hydrogen and RNG is a mirage that doesn’t pass scientific, technical, economic or legal muster. To make matters worse, burning hydrogen would produce high levels of nitrous oxide, a health hazard, and RNG would cause indoor pollution from leakage and combustion akin to fossil gas, which is linked to myriad health risks, with the latest research attributing almost 19 percent of all childhood asthma in New York to gas stoves.

Pollution for profit shouldn’t have a place inside homes and businesses.

Anshul Gupta is a Steering Committee member of the Climate Reality Project’s NYS Coalition. Gordian Raacke is executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island.

■ Post online meeting agendas and all meeting documents at least 24 hours before a meeting.

■ Post draft meeting minutes online, no more than two weeks after a meeting.

■ Allow members of the public to speak at the beginning of a meeting regarding agenda items and non-agenda items — whether they attend in person or remotely.

■ Livestream meetings by video and post the video recording online afterward.

■ Only conduct private executive sessions on rare occasions, in accordance with the New York State Open Meetings Law.

Just because you can hold an executive session doesn’t mean that you have to. A motion to hold an executive session to discuss “litigation,” “personnel” or “collective bargaining” isn’t sufficient, as the Open Meetings Law requires motions to state more information when holding an executive session.

■ Agree not to hold private political party cau-

Letterscus meetings. There is no reason, at the local level, to hold private political party caucus meetings to discuss political business or public business. Secret meetings build a lack of trust among the public.

■ Have information regarding the Freedom of Information Law posted in a visible place on their websites. Proactively post documents online as much as possible so the public can access information without having to file a FOIL request. Post an easy fill-in-the-blank form that assists the public in filing a FOIL request by email on the website.

■ Commit to ensuring that all FOIL requests are acknowledged within five days, as required by law, and that information is provided to the public promptly.

PAUL WOLF Amherst

Wolf is president of the New York Coalition for Open Government.

CorreCtion

The story “Winter wonderland dazzles once again,” in the Dec. 8-14 issue, omitted the fact that the holiday arts and crafts provided by the Community Center were prepared by the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library staff, which also volunteered during the holiday event on both Saturday eve-

nings.

The front-page story “Firemen’s Memorial Field mark 100 years,” in the Oct. 20-26 issue, mistakenly referred to Valley Stream Historical Society President Bill Florio as the village historian. Carol McKenna is the village historian.

Framework by Tim Baker

At the Twin Lakes Preserve — Wantagh

ansHUL GUpta

GorDian raaCke