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Town leaders sworn in

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New year, new school leaders Board of Education names North High administrators John Fisher College. Jara has taught Spanish in the district since 2005. In 2017, in Dr. Robin Small was named addition to his teaching role, he Valley Stream North High was appointed North High’s School principal alongside Fabidean of students. He an Jara as an assishas also been the tant principal by the district’s summer Central District program dean of Board of Education students, coached Dec. 14. The two had many school sports been the North teams and provided interim principal professional develand interim assisopment workshops tant principal since for teachers about July. incorporating techSmall has nearly nology in the class25 years of experiroom. ence in education. Small said she She joined the Cenprioritizes listening tral District in 2007 to students as a critias a special educacal component of tion teacher and spesocial and emotional cial education chairlearning and ensurwoman. In 2018, ing “students are Small was named a engaged in the classNorth assistant prin- DR. RoBIN room by assisting cipal. She earned SmAll the teachers and master’s degrees in Principal staff in using what education from the they know of the City College of New students to get them York and Mercy College, a mas- focused inside the classroom.” ter’s in community health from “We always have our own Long Island University, an ideas of how things should be or advanced certificate of school how things should look like,” leadership from Queens College Small said, “but when we sit and her doctorate of education in executive leadership from St. Continued on page 11

By JUAN lASSo and KARINA KoVAC jlasso@liherald.com

Christina Daly/Herald

NASSAU CoUNTY ExECUTIVE Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order directing local school boards to vote on whether to require masks in school by the end of the month.

Valley Stream parents react to Blakeman’s mask order By JUAN lASSo and CRISTINA ARRoYo jlasso@liherald.com

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order last week that requires Valley Stream school districts, and all other Nassau County districts, to vote this month on whether to require masks in classrooms. School boards must vote “to determine whether or not parents and children should

be granted the constitutional right to reject mask mandates while in the classroom,” the executive order, drafted by the county executive’s legal counsel, stated. The orders read in part, “Given the historical data on Covid-19 and the ongoing debate over whether masks are more harmful than beneficial to children and to school environments in general, we should protect the freedoms and statutory rights of students and par-

ents by resting with the parents the decision whether their children should wear masks in school.” The legality of the directive was promptly called into question as school, local and state officials issued statements arguing that Blakeman has no legal say in the matter. State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa said that counties do Continued on page 14

hen students are in the building, they are afforded the same structure, routine and attention for seven hours to be successful.

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January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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1/7/22 10:34 AM

Library exhibits local art teacher’s work

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

By Karina Kovac kkovac@liherald.com

The Henry Waldinger Memorial Library has started off the new year with a new art exhibit featuring the artwork of local artist Matthew Khan, 38. Originally planned to end at the close of last year, the library has decided to extend the exhibit viewing till the end of February 2022, giving the public some time to warm up from the chill and snow and head over to the see the art showcased in the library’s Adult Room. As described by library director, Mamie Eng, Khan’s paintings are “very unique, [with] colorful, contrasting images and detailed precision.” Khan himself noted that what makes his paintings stand out are the textures and different perspectives that allow the Courtesy Matthew Khan viewer to form their personal Matthew Khan is a resident who works for the meaning and impression from the village in IT and instructing village art classes. In work. Using various techniques his spare time, he is constantly experimenting such as glazing, underpainting, with his work. and dry brushing, Khan has detailed such textures as feathers, flesh tones, foliage, fur, rocks, water, and wood. And yet, you are not able to pigeonhole Khan to one single type of style or technique, as he constantly attempts to use a different technique or idea to change his Khan’s artwork has hung up at art to something distinct from the previ“Sip This.” a former coffee shop on ous work so as to move in step with the Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream viewer’s experience of change. and various other local establish“What I find is depending on the day, ments. A permanent 8’ x 3’ ocean you have a viewer who looks at one paintmural painted by Khan hangs at the ing on Monday, feel some type of way Valley Stream pool complex. His about it, and on Tuesday, have a totally paintings are also included in the different interpretation of it,” Khan said. “The painting calls forward an emotion anthology “Poetry: Elixir of the Heart” that could be based on the day they had, by Sharon Ghanny, a collection of what happened at work, how they’re feelpoetry and artworks from those of ing at any given moment…and I feel that’s Caribbean descent. one of Khan’s paintings that show off his ability to create what makes a great painting: you can tap by splicing together different scenes and objects. into it.” While the local artist draws his inspience, rings in the new year ration from a range of sources (such as as a hard-hitting first of a Claude Monet, Titian, Diego Velázquez, line-up of future art exhibiand Johannes Vermeer), the mentor that tions to be displayed at the started it all would appear early mornings library, according to library on the TV show The Magic of Oil Paint- director Maime Eng. Prior ing. It was a man by the name of William to the coronavirus pandemAlexander who taught viewers the won- ic, the library would host ders of the “wet-on-wet” technique. Once exhibits on a regular basis, the passionate, four-something old however, for most of 2020, onlooker, Khan now enters his fourth the library was not open to year hosting his 10-week beginner and the public, and exhibits intermediate acrylic class for Valley were suspended. Eng noted Stream residents as a seasoned art teach- that there are “many talenter. ed artists in Valley Stream, In the footsteps of Alexander, he and they are actively sharguides students through the process of ing their artwork on the making a painting. “Every step of a paint- Facebook page ‘Valley ing is like accomplishing a goal, and it Stream Arts and Cool Stuff ’ can be gratifying to feel that completion” so the library is trying to tap he describes. “I allow the stroke to do the into this pool of artists for work… [I like] creating multiple pictures future exhibits. “ in one picture. Reality gets kind of borThe library has planned ing…but different perspectives that make a photo g raphy exhibit [the paintings] not abstract, but still real- planned for the spring, a istic, make it enchanting.” sculpture exhibit, and Khan’s exhibit, which is the accumu- another photography exhib- Matt Khan with his students at the Community Center showing off their lated work of his teaching and life experi- it in 2022. of the 2021 acrylic art class.

a little more about the artist

Courtesy Matthew Khan

different worlds and feelings

Karina Kovac/Herald

completed works at the end

Taking the guestwork out of life

News brief

January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

You actually get to eat at the schmorg, and smell the flowers, not to be forced to select them. You can arrive at your leisure rather than in obedience to the photographer’s demand, and pick your friends (and your relatives too) without reference to the “other side.” You needn’t worry where Aunt Zooey is seated (or even if she’s invited) ’cause you’re not the guy who made the list, nor can you be blamed if the band is too loud or if the valet parker loses a car, or if the “main” attraction arrives after 11. Yes, to be a guest at someone else’s catered event, especially after making one or more of your own, is to experience the joy of the unpressured, and the absolute delight of the totally relieved. Only as a guest is “a on mint” something to chew on and not a reminder of what the evening is costing. Only as a guest can you ignore the videographer and talk to whomever you like; can you reach for the ice completely oblivious to the centerpiece or reach for a second helping without contemplating taking out a second mortgage. Guests needn’t worry whether their suit can button or need to stroll from table to table making certain the soup is hot or that the “special meals” were served. Guests, for whom “green” refers to the salad and not the legal tender requested by maitre’d, need only pay compliments and not the piper nor the caterer. Guests get to observe the scene and be part of the scene without having to direct or produce the scene, and eventually can review the (inevitable) photos and tapes

only to find themselves and not to determine who was missing or overlooked. Yet, being a guest at someone else’s event is a sweet treat far beyond the sweet breads or baby lamp chops. To be invited to someone else’s passage of rite is to be asked to share a most meaningful moment in their lives; it’s an opportunity to be part of, not some faceless global history, but of the personal history of someone you know. Recently, Janet and I attended two very, very different weddings of the children of dear friends. Yet as dramatically different as were the crowds or the rooms or the menus, the atmosphere were the same: the parents were all equally overcome with mixed emotions, the brides were encased in regal aura as the oldman grooms stood by with pride, humility and total joy. And suddenly we realized that at someone else’s celebration, someone you care for r admire or love, you’re not a guest at all: you’re a participant. You’re a part of their life as they shared that life with you. As each couple emerged from the marriage ceremony, I realized I wasn’t just attending and watching, I was feeling, feeling their excitement and nervousness and love. A golden rule is said to be, “love they neighbor as thyself.” Joyous events, especially wedding, enable you to “love your neighbor’s child as your own” and “feel your neighbor’s joy as your own” and that, my friends, makes your own life one joyous event.

Unreserved Judgment

Courtesy HALB

HAlB MIDDlE SCHOOl Spelling Bee winners, from left were third place finisher Eitan Summers, second place finisher Benaya Aryeh and the first place winner Ayala Glicksman.

Talking STEM, HALB’s spelling bee winners As part of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pro g ram, Michael Beer, a Google engineer, presented a Zoom discussion with the eighth grade boys on “Being a Google Engineer: What is the Cloud, What Makes Working at Google Exciting, and What Projects Do

I Work On.” The Woodmere school also celebrated its middle school spelling bee winners. The top finisher was Ayala Glicksman, Benaya Aryeh placed second and Eitan Summers captured third place. –Jeffrey Bessen

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MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/valleystream ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: vseditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 282 E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: rglickman@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Valley Stream Herald USPS 005868, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Valley Stream Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1. Subscription rates: $60 for 1 year. Annual Subscription Rates, $9.75 per quarter auto-pay or $50 one-time payment within Nassau County or $60 outside of Nassau County. Copyright © 2022 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Town of Hempstead elected leaders sworn in Town of Hempstead officials began their new term Jan. 4 at Town Hall. During the nearly two-hour inauguration, Supervisor Don Clavin, Town Clerk Kate Murray, Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, and Councilmen Anthony D’Esposito and Dennis Dunne were sworn in following their re-election this past November. After the invocation by Rabbi Mordechai Kamentzky of Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett, Clavin was sworn in first by Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo. Months into Clavin’s first term as supervisor, the coronavirus pandemic erupted and took a toll on Hempstead. Clavin secured tens of millions of dollars in federal CARES Act funds that went to the community, including millions for hospitals, schools, food banks, villages, fire departments and community organizations. The Town Board also rolled out the first mobile vaccination unit in New York state, which has provided nearly 10,000 vaccine and booster shots to residents to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. Clavin thanked many of the government officials in attendance for the help

Christina Daly/Herald

SuperviSor don Clavin gave a speech following his inauguration. that they have given him during his time in local government. “Today is really about just saying thank you,” he said. “We work together and for the betterment of all the residents, from the town’s finances to bond upgrades to ser-

vices through the pandemic. And it’s not just that it’s the men and women that I work within the town. We do it together because we’re one big team in the Town of Hempstead.” Murray, who was sworn in next, led

creation of online accessible parking permits, posted one-stop passport shop events and established outdoor service trailers where residents can continue to access clerk’s office programs. Murray became the first elected official in New York to conduct weddings using online video conferencing. In October, she reached a milestone when she performed her 500th wedding ceremony. After reflections were offered by the Rev. Dr.Calvin Butts of Abyssinian Baptist Church, Attorney General Letitia James swore in Goosby, who is the firstever African-American woman on the Town Board, now entering her 22nd year representing the 1st District. During her last term, Goosby assisted in supplying free PPE kits for businesses and churches, secured personal air filters for residents at risk, aided in launching the outdoor dining initiative to help residents stay open during the pandemic and sponsored food pantries that donated more than a million meals to residents in need. Goosby discussed her tenure in government and the plans that she has for her district moving forward. “I’m going into my 22nd year, as I was elected seeking representation from my community Continued on page 13

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kdaniel@liherald.com

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

By Kepherd daniel

January 13, 2022 — HERALD

HERALD — January 13, 2022

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January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

events and activities

Thursday, Jan. 13 Family Bingo Night Join the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library for BINGO night from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. The whole family can join for virtual bingo over Zoom. Fill out this form and the library will send you a link to your bingo cards. https://forms. gle/y6kZT1TFmnuPaJqS9 Requests for Zoom info less than an hour before the program may not be seen.

Friday, Jan. 14 Toddlers, Tots and Tykes Storytime Join the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library for stories, songs, rhymes and fun via Zoom, from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. If you’d like to join, please send an e-mail to kidsroomvs@ nassaulibrary.org.

Teen Virtual Pictionary Join the Henry Waldinger Memorial from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. for Virtual Pictionary over Zoom. Bring your drawing skills! Contact Teen Librarian Ms. Kenney at vsteens@nassaulibrary.org to register for this fun program. Requests for Zoom info less than an hour before the program may not be seen.

Saturday, Jan. 15 Learn to Code - STEM Activities Interested in coding? Join Henry Waldinger Memorial Library teen volunteer Sawaira from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and they explore different coding apps, including Canva,Tinkercad, Scratch and Scratch Jr. Registration is required. Send an e-mail to hwmlcontact@hotmail.com to register. Registered children will receive the Zoom link and password for the program.

Zoom Computer Class Microsoft Word Join the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. as they continue their series on learning Microsoft word. Topic to be covered

l l l l l

Herald File Photo

District 13 Board of Education Meeting Residents are welcome to attend the District 13 Board of Education committee meeting Jan. 18. Executive session begins at 7:15 p.m. and public session begins at 8 p.m. at the auditorium of James A. Dever Elementary School. in this edition is “What Is on the Home Tab?, Part 2.” If you would like to join the class, send an e-mail to hwmlcontact@hotmail.com so that we can send the Zoom information to you to attend.

Tuesday, Jan. 18 Valley Stream District 13 Board of Education Committee Meeting Residents are welcome to attend the District 13 Board of Education committee meeting. Executive session begins at 7:15 p.m. and public session begins at 8 p.m. at the auditorium of James A. Dever Elementary School, located at 585 Corona Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580.

Wednesday, Jan. 19 Indoor Craft-Along: Winter Craft Join the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library from 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. as

they read winter stories and make a winter craft. School-age children in Kindergarten through 6th grade can attend. Program materials will be provided by the library. Masks required regardless of vaccination status. Registration is required at the following link: https://forms. gle/TPk23UyWuoRTsrqE6. Registered children will receive the Zoom link and password for the program and will receive confirmation about craft materials pick-up. Requests for Zoom info less than an hour before the program may not be seen.

Thursday, Jan. 20 Kahoot! Family Trivia Play some board games, cards, or do a puzzle, then join the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library on Zoom from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. for Kahoot! Family Trivia. You’ll need one device to join the Zoom meeting and another to submit answers for your family. Feel free to share and individuals are welcome to play too! Reminder: You will need a second device for Kahoot! If you’d like to join, please send an e-mail

to kidsroomvs@nassaulibrary.org or message to us on Facebook, so that we can share the Zoom information.

American Legion Post 854 Meeting The Valley Stream American Legion Post 854 is having their monthly meeting at 51 Roosevelt Ave. Valley Stream , NY 11582. New members are welcome.

Library Board Meeting The Henry Waldinger Library Board of Trustees will be meeting via Zoom from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Send an e-mail to hwmlcontact@ hotmail.com or leave message on Facebook to indicate your interest in attending. The agenda (and Zoom information) will be sent to you prior to the meeting.

HAVINg AN EVENT? Items on the Community Update pages 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 jlasso@liherald.com

The Village of Valley Stream is 16 feet four inches above sea level. Valley Stream was founded in 1640, 14 years after the arrival of colonist into Manhattan. Valley Stream FD asks that residence clear snow and ice away from fire hydrants by 3 ft. Community Center recreational and exercise programs are postponed till mid-March. Portions of the movie The Brothers McMullen were filmed in Valley Stream.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

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Baldwin Senior Basketball MOrENO IS LOOKINg to lead Baldwin to its eighth straight Nassau Class AA championship and has drawn interest from a handful of D1 college programs. She is a two-time All-County selection and was an impact player as a sophomore during the team’s last county title run. She scored 10 points in its 60-52 victory over Syosset in the Class AA final held March 8, 2020 at Nassau Coliseum, marking her seventh game that season scoring in double figures. She averaged 14 points as a junior.

gaMES TO waTch Thursday, Jan. 13

Girls Basketball: East Rockaway at West Hemp.....4:45 p.m. Girls Basketball: Lynbrook at Lawrence...................... 5 p.m. Boys Swimming: Wantagh vs South Side (at Jeircho) 7 p.m. Gymnastics: Valley Stream at Hewlett ........................ 7 p.m. Gymnastics: Sewanhaka at South Side ..................... 7 p.m. Girls Basketball: North Shore at Seaford ................... 7 p.m. Boys Basketball: Westbury at Baldwin ....................... 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 14 Girls Basketball: Glen Cove at Sewanhaka ..................... 5 p.m.

Girls Basketball: Roslyn at Elmont ............................ 5 p.m. Wrestling: Freeport at Oceanside ..............................5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball: New Hyde Park at MacArthur................ 7 p.m. Boys Basketball: Island Trees at Clarke ........................... 7 p.m. Boys Basketball: Seaford at Lawrence ............................ 7 p.m.

Boys Basketball: V.S. North at South Side................. 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 15 Wrestling: Baldwin Tournament ........................................9 a.m. Boys Bakisetball: V.S. Central at East Meadow.............. 12 p.m. Boys Basketball: East Rockaway at West Hemp. ........... 12 p.m. Girls Basketball: Kennedy at South Side ..................... 12 p.m.

Tony Bellissimo/Herald

FrOM LEFT, ThOMaS Santo, Joshua Lopez and Michael Munson are leading Valley Stream North’s efforts on the mat. By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Chris Bottjer inherited a scrappy group of Valley Stream North wrestlers from legendary coach Tom Maddock, who retired following the 2019-20 campaign. Last winter’s COVID-19 shortened season limited the Spartans to five dual meets and a roster of 14, but Bottjer, who has coached wrestling, soccer and track over a 30-year career in the district, said they “made the best of a tough situation.” This season’s roster between varsity and JV goes 32 deep, including talented females Nyla Phillips, Christina De Pippo and Madison Mahabir. “We’ve exceeded expectations so far,” Bottjer said. “We had a tremendous battle with Island Trees right before the holidays losing by just five points, and last week held our own against highly ranked Hewlett.” Most recently the JV wrestling coach at Valley Stream South, Bottjer said he doesn’t know Maddock well but has “ridiculous amounts of respect for Tom

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and everything he’s accomplished.” The Spartans won four of the seven contested weight classes Dec. 20 but fell 36-31 at Island Trees since the Bulldogs scored three pins. Seniors Michael Munson (138 pounds) and Vincent Romano (145) had back-to-back pins for North, which also got decision wins from junior Thomas Santo (126) and senior John DelCarpine (215.) Munson has been pound for pound the team’s top performer thus far, Bottjer said. Munson was North’s lone champion in its annual Ralph Jansson Holiday Tournament held Dec. 18. He edged Freeport’s Justin Reinke, 3-1, in the finals at 132. “Michael is the total package,” the coach said. “He has a wide range of moves and experience on the big stage. His goal is to place [top six] in the county tournament. He’s been there before and it’s his last chance to get on the podium.” Romano is back in the fold after not competing last season and has served as a positive influence, Bottjer said. “He’s an integral part of this team and has the perfect mentality,” he said. “He never

gets down when he’s behind in the match. He just keeps going.” Santo is primed to be one of the Spartans’ leaders next season and has all the tools to make noise on the mat. “He has strong technical skills but he’s faced a lot of highly ranked opponents so far,” Bottjer said. DelCarpine and junior Joshua Lopez were instrumental in securing North’s season-opening 34-30 victory over Jericho. Both recorded pins to vault the Spartans over the top after they trailed by eight points with two bouts remaining. “They’ve been alternating at 215 and 285,” Bottjer said of the heavyweight duo. With nobody to fill the two lightest weights, North is usually leaning on sophomore Nicola Petruccelli to provide a spark at 120. He placed third in the Jansson Tournament. “He’s a tiger for six minutes and never goes down without a fight,” Bottjer said. Other keys to the lineup are senior Daniel Amin, who is getting the job done at 145 or 152, and junior Cory Delgado at 171.

516.536.2800 | orlincohen.com

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January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

12/22/21 4:22 PM

V.S. North names new administrators

Courtesy Valley Stream North High School

The Valley STream Central District Board of Education promoted Dr. Robin Small and Fabian Jara, interim principal and interim assistant principal, to principal and assistant principal, respectively. cate the student on what they’re doing,” he said, “because teenagers lack impulse control or thinking of consequences. The idea is if I teach them through the mistake, they’ll stop doing what they’re doing. That’s going to be my main focus.”

According to U.S. News & World Report, based on reported data in 2018-19, North High has 67 percent students of color, 26 percent of whom are Hispanic, 19 percent Asian, 19 percent Black and 3 percent other. Jara, both Latino and an

anchor of the school community, having served multiple roles both for staff and students alike, said he is well equipped to understand the particular social and emotional needs of the students whom he represents. “At North, we have the integrated English as a New Language population for the whole district, so for me, the gratifying part of my job is to see an ENL student come into our building from another country and be able to take this student under our wing and watch them walk across the stage and graduate and go to college,” Jara said. Small, who is African-American, said, “Some of the students have said that they’ve never seen a person of color in this role [as principal] or having a teacher that looks like them, and I think representation and diversity matter…for all students.” On hybrid or remote learning options for students, both administrators said they steadfastly supported full-time, inperson instruction. “I like to see the students, and when they’re remote, you don’t know see your students, each with their own home structure,” Small said. “When students are in the building, they are afforded the same structure, routine and attention for seven hours to be successful.”

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back, observe and listen to others, we make a better and more informed decision on what to do to better educate the students.” A Wellness Center, staffed by school social workers and psychologists, was opened to help students cope with the mental fatigue and stress of the pandemic, but Small noted there are still hurdles that the district faces in attracting students to it. There is still a “stigma” around mental health, said Small, who is working to telegraph the message that mental health is about self-care, and the center should be a place to reflect and process life. To add levity and comfort to the school experience, teachers and administrators recently hosted events that included “Baking with the Principal” and “Meditation Mondays.” Described by Small as a “fair disciplinarian” and “an effective communicator,” Jara said he plans to incorporate “restorative justice practices” when handling student conflicts and issues for this new year. This means helping a student “not through punishment and the learning of consequences only, but through mediation and discussions and learning through their mistakes.” “When we have a student who’s been caught vaping or excessively cutting or whatever the case may be, I want to edu-

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

continued from front page

Students go bananas for alum’s bio lesson By Karina Kovac kkovac@liherald.com

AP Biology stud e n t s a t Va l l e y Stream Central High School were treated to a lesson which, could be said, held great a-peel: learning the basics of suturing by suturing on a banana. For the lesson, each student was handed their patient — a banana that was “suffering” a deep wound – and central graduate dr. Richard Evans visits the class every a suturing kit. Stu- three weeks to give the students a different lesson in medicine dents were then in the hope that some might go into the field themselves. tasked with sewing the fruit’s skin back ma injuries and kidney stones, or even together. This lesson in emergency medi- develop a medical app,” Dr. Evans said. In cine, taught by Central High alumnus and the case of his suturing lesson, he said a urologist in Rockland County, Dr. Richard ripe, yellow banana is an ideal patient Evans, is an established part of the stu- because its peel is similar to that of dent’s curriculum with Dr. Evan’s classes human skin. occurring every three weeks. Dr. Evans decided to provide his lesDr. Evans, who works as a urologist in sons after reflecting on how his experiRockland County, has returned to Central ence at Central High School, graduating in High for roughly three years to give his 1976, led him to his own career path. lessons. “I was in the first AP Biology course “I teach them how to read CT scans and provided at Central, and it had a big effect X-rays. I give them lessons on Covid-19 on me,” he recounted. “It really propelled and show them how to interpret lab me towards going into medical school, and results. I also show them how to treat trau- I wanted to do the same for other students

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there.” After the suturing lesson, Dr. Evans noted: “The kids were so engrossed in it, and when they were done, they took pictures of their bananas and told everyone

that it was the first patient of their career.” AP Patrick Tirino said Dr. Evans’ lessons have been valuable to the students. “He is a gift to us, and we are incredibly grateful for his generosity,” Tirino said.

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valley Stream central High School AP Bio students Zakkiyya Fraser, left, and Alicia Lall in teacher Patrick Tirino’s class showed off the bananas they sutured as part of a special lesson in medicine this month.

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1156138

January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

Town of Hempstead inaugurates officials

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

continued from page 5 via a historical lawsuit,” Goosby said. “I’ve been sworn in on my plaza and that’s progress,” she noted. The Town Hall plaza was recently named for her. “My colleagues are of a different party,” she continued, “but it didn’t matter to them that I’m a Democrat and they aren’t. I’ve worked with wonderful people, and I respect them and they respect me. We made a lot of progress in this town.” D’Esposito was then swor n in by S t a t e A s s e m b l y m a n E dw a r d R a . D’Esposito, a retired New York Police Department detective, has taught his Narcan training prog ram to town employees, community groups and residents throughout Hempstead. And he has helped expand the Narcan training pro g ram, with the town recently announcing distribution of 10,000 Narcan kits in Hempstead. D’Esposito reflected on the town’s accomplishments in recent years. “The senior CounCilwoman dorotHy Goosby was sworn into office by State last four years we’ve delivered budgets Attorney General Lettita James. to save taxpayers money, holding the line or lowering taxes,” he said. “We’ve Dunne, who served with the U.S. Marines during the been lauded by Wall Street, earning outlook upticks and Vietnam War, remains a leader among local American credit upgrades. We expanded programs and invested in Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations, our parks, beaches and marinas. Just this year, we’ve and has been pivotal in crafting legislation to create a invested $75 million in our roads. While other munici- permanent property-tax exemption for Cold War era vetpalities were unable to collect garbage and recycle at the erans, providing a tax reduction for eligible recipients. height of the pandemic, our sanitation crews stepped up He has also sponsored several pieces of legislation to restict vaping and vape products. and kept the town moving.”

Photos by Christina Daly/Herald

Hempstead town CounCilman Anthony D’esposito was sworn into office on Jan. 4. town Clerk kate Murray being sworn in.

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continued from front page ever, that mask-wearing may heighten the not have the legal authority to require mental toll of people dealing with social boards of education to vote on specific anxiety, with likely factors including the issues. “School officers take an oath to inability to pick out social cues in other obey all legal requirements,” a statement people’s faces, the hypersensitivity to from Rosa read. “The State Education mask-induced social norms and the use Department expects school boards will of masks as a strategy to hide one’s perfollow all legal requirements, including ceived flaws. But this is far from definitive. the face-covering regulation.” Other parents argue that inconsistent Further, a department spokeswoman mask-wearing protocols in school enable said local school boards cannot vote to parents to avoid the wider violate either SED or State public health responsibility Health Department policy. of mandating masks for the In a statement to the Hersafety of all children. ald, Central High School Dis“It’s just completely outratrict officials concurred with geous, irresponsible and the statements from the State shocking to me,” District 13 Department of Education parent Trisha Brown said. and Gov. Kathy Hochul. Regarding the health benefits “The state mandate superof mask-wearing, she said, sedes any executive order the “Everyone has opinions, and county executive might issue you’re always going to read in regard to the mask manconflicting reports on things, date. As such, the [Central no matter what topic you’re High School] District will discussing. But after a while, continue to adhere to all of you get a general consensus, our Covid-19-related protoand the overwhelming genercols, including complying al consensus by the scientific with the state mandate community is that masks requiring masks be worn by work.” all students, district personBlakeman has said there is nel and visitors while in dislittle scientific evidence to trict buildings,” the statedemonstrate that masking ment read. reduces transmission of the Meanwhile, Blakeman’s coronavirus. The science says orders have drawn the ire and differently. concer n of many Valley According to the federal Steam parents while also valiCenters for Disease Control dating the frustrations of othand Prevention, at least 10 ers, questioning the public studies have “confirmed the health value of in-person, benefit of universal masking mask-wearing for their chil- Vinny in community level analydren. ProPosio ses.” The agency further “The executive order is a states, “Each analysis demonhuge step in the right direc- District 13 parent strated that, following direction,” District 13 parent tives from organizational and Vinny Proposio said. “But the next battle is getting our school boards, political leadership for universal maskwho are elected by us, to stand up for our ing, new infections fell significantly.” A common misconception that chilbeliefs and the rights of parents and children cannot transmit the virus to others dren in our districts.” The “parent’s choice” movement, advo- is also false. According to the CDC, “Chilcating that the decision for children to dren and adolescents can be infected with wear masks in schools should be placed in SARS-CoV-2, can get sick with Covid-19 the hands of families, decry mask-wear- and can spread the virus to others.” District 13 parent Marteena Moranoing in schools for its alleged public health Singh argues that with Blakeman’s execudownsides. “Children need to be able to see their tive order over the question of maskteachers’ and other students’ faces in wearing in schools taking center stage, order to learn how to properly communi- parents are being lured into picking the cate and understand emotions,” Proposio wrong battle to fight. “It’s always been the wrong debate,” said. “Their socialization and communication skills are a huge part of early Morano-Singh said. “This partisan squabdevelopment, which are being totally bling over the masks is just keeping us ignored. A right to normal education is divided. Neither side is doing what’s right imperative to the development of our chil- for the kids, which [is] implementing a dren, and these mandates are robbing our remote-learning option across the board, because then parents who don’t feel comchildren of that right.” While the pandemic has unfolded side fortable masking their kids could keep by side with a mental health crisis that their kids at home.” “It’s not ideal to have children masked continues to exact its heavy toll on parents and students, there is still, however, for six to eight hours a day,” she continno conclusive evidence to date showing ued. “There’s a very low percentage of that wearing a mask causes depression or children who are even vaccinated, so they should still be masked. I don’t think that’s anxiety in children. Emerging research does suggest, how- even a question.”

he executive order is a huge step in the right direction, but the next battle is getting our school boards, who are elected by us, to stand up for our beliefs and the rights of parents and children in our districts.

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January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

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Courtesy Valley Stream North High School

North high School Principal Dr. Robin Small, from left, student athletes Godwin Eyiuche and Haley Nelson, and Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach Mary Parisi.

Two North High seniors named top 100 L.I. athletes By KariNa Kovac kkovac@liherald.com

Valley Stream North High School seniors – Haley Nelson and Godwin Eyiuche – have been named Newsday’s top 100 athletes on Long Island for the 2021 season for their excellence in girls’ volleyball and boys’ basketball, respectively. Nelson, who has been playing volleyball since she was in sixth grade, averaged 21 assists per match and scored seven kills and five digs in the fall season. “Her great court vision allows her to set up her teammates from anywhere on the court,” Newsday wrote of the young star. “Haley has been starting center on varsity since eighth grade, and she has propelled our team to greatness,” North High girls’ volleyball varsity coach Mary Parisi said. “She brings leadership, motivation, and skill. She’s also very kind and always welcoming to the younger girls.” Haley said she was drawn to volleyball

for its competitiveness and requirement for teamwork. “My team and the North High School community have been very supportive,” she said. Godwin has been playing basketball since he was in eighth grade and has averaged 11.5 points per game last season. Newsday described him as a “high-flying athlete who can attack the rim and shoot from deep.” Godwin said he was drawn to the sport after watching his friends play in seventh grade and decided to try it himself. “I just started playing, got better and I kept playing after that,” he said. “It just grew on me.” “Godwin’s ability and athleticism can be seen immediately when you watch him play, but his leadership and unselfish nature are what make him special,” North High varsity basketball coach Michael McVeigh said. Godwin said he plans to play basketball in college, but for now, he’s focused on getting his team to the playoffs and becoming conference champions.

Public Notices

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LEGAL NOTICE Power Pull Group Inc. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 7/27/21. SSNY design. as agent upon whom to process against may be served & shall mail to Gary at 140 Litchfield Ave, Elmont, NY 11003. Purpose: General 128914

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that an Order granted by the Supreme Court, Nassau County, on the 15 day of NOV 2021 bearing the index number 000 740 - 21 a copy of which may be examined at the Office of the Nassau County Clerk

located at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, New York grants me the right to assume the name of Jeffrey Rivera My present address is 1997 Foster Avenue Valley Stream NY - 11580 The date of my birth is 3-11-1995 the place of birth is Jamaica Hospital,

Queens New York the present name is Jeffrey Estuardo Garcia Gonzalez AKA Jeffrey E. Garcia 129170

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

Photos courtesy Valley Stream School District 24

William l. BucK’S students with their “small drop of kindness” from a previous book reading.

One Book, One School teaches love of reading By KariNa Kovac kkovac@liherald.com

Valley Stream 24 Union Free School District’s William L. Buck Elementary School continued their One Book, One School Initiative to encourage a love of reading in students last December. Each month, a selected book is shared with the entire school community: one that exemplifies a common value or theme, which is then taught in the academic conversations and activities to follow. At the close of 2021, students read: ‘The 3 Little Yogis and the Wolf Who Lost His Breath’ by Susan Verde to impart the value of calmness and mindfulness and later put those values into practice by doing yoga. Previous books read by the students include: “The Name Jar” by Yangsook C h o i i n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 1 wh i c h explores questions about difference, identity, and cultural assimilation. After the Choi reading, students went home with paper jars and returned them to school with stories about their names and how their names might relate to their heritage and family background. In October 2021, students read “All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold, where students were then asked to write and illustrate how they welcome new friends or family into their homes. A committee comprised of Gaddy, school psychologist Kerriane Pieper, school librarian Karen Mylan, among other teaching staff, select the monthly community-wide books for the students.

William l. BucK’S Paper Jar Board, an activity where students were asked how their names might relate to their heritage Copies of the book are purchased for classrooms, and staff members are able to sign up to read the book and record a video that can subsequently be viewed on the school’s website. Students and their families are encouraged to watch these videos at home to continue conversations on important values, according to school officials. “This has been a meaningful and important initiative for our school,” said Johanne Gaddy, Principal of William L. Buck Elementary School. “Picture books are such an easy and engaging way to start these important conversations [about common values]. The discussions that have emerged in our classrooms and at home have been extremely worthwhile.”

Employment

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Richner Communications - a rapidly growing multimedia company and publishers of the Herald newspaper group has several administrative job openings: Receptionist (F/T), Accounts Receivable/Billing Collections Clerk Multi-Media Coordinator (Hours Flexible) Qualified candidates are fast learners with good organizational and people skills - entry level ok. Role requires working knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to learn custom software programs. If you would like to join a communitydriven, fast-paced environment, please send your resume to: careers@liherald.com.

CAREGIVERS With Elderly P/T Shifts Available Experience Required

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CSC Holdings, LLC seeks a Lead Business Systems Analyst in Bethpage, NY to create, evaluate, and document workflows to enable reporting and delivery for business development initiatives. Perform root cause analysis and perform research to identify process breakdowns and drive business insights from data to identify solutions. Prepare business models and requirement documents, and perform costbenefit analysis to inform business decisions. Create and continually update documentation to reflect current operational procedures, and to support process standardization. Re-evaluate processes and procedures to maintain compliance with technologies and standards, improve customer experience, and increase operational efficiency. Position requires a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a directly related STEM field, and 2 years of analyzing and redesigning business processes, and implementing operational improvements experience. Experience must include a minimum of: 2 years of experience with creating process flow diagrams for process improvement planning and business development; 2 years of experience with using business analytics tools to visualize operations; 2 years of experience with utilizing statistical computer languages to scrub data and generate insights and KPIs; and 2 years of experience with Hadoop, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visio, MongoDB, PostgresSQL, Python, R, SQL, and Tableau. Requirements of this position include demonstration of either full vaccination status against COVID-19 or company-provided weekly COVID-19 testing. To apply, submit resume online at https://www.alticeusacareers.com/ and search by job title or enter job ID number 2022-30801.

DELI COUNTER AND PREP PERSON Full Time And Part Time. Weekends A Must. Experienced. Long Beach. Call 516-431-5515

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available! Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers. Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience. Hours Vary, Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to ehecker@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to sbrinton@liherald.com HAIR CUTTER NEEDED Barber Shop Rockville Centre. F/T. Experienced, Immediate. 516-491-6611. HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Richner Communications is looking for a hands-on Human Resources professional to oversee all HR functions on a strategic and tactical level. Exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and expanding Garden City, Long Island media company. This position has a flexible schedule, part-time job share would be considered. Responsibilities: Talent acquisition: Source, screen, and interview potential candidates and manage new employee onboarding Benefits administration: Liaise with brokers, providers and facilitate enrollment and updating of coverage. Manage annual open enrollment and employee benefits review. Administration of 401(k) plan. Employee relations: Provide day- today support and problem resolution in regards to employee concerns, questions and policy issues. Performance management: Coach, counsel and recommend disciplinary actions Compliance: Maintain indepth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risk and ensuring regulatory compliance Payroll: Process biweekly payroll through payroll vendor for population of 150 employees Requirements: Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or HR, or equivalent experience Minimum 5 years HR generalist experience Knowledge of Federal, State & Local regulations governing employment Experience with payroll processing Self-motivated, ability to prioritize and work well under pressure Customer-focused attitude, with high level of professionalism and discretion Excellent oral and written communication and quantitative skills Proficiency with Microsoft Office Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to: careers@liherald.com. PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

Sales Executives Outside Sales

Richner Communications has openings for Outside Sales Executives to Sell Digital and Print advertising Service and sell both existing and developing new business. If you have the desire to succeed in our fast paced business and are motivated, dependable, have strong communication skills and can manage your own time, We would like to hear from you! Base salary with commission plan. Paid sick/personal days, vacation and paid holidays. Sales experience is a plus but we will train the right person to learn the industry. email resume to careers@liherald.com TAX PREPARER P/T Franklin Square Experience Needed. Retirees Welcome. C a l l 5 1 6 - 3 5 8 - 9 4 5 5 Fa x R e s u m e 516 358-9483. Email Resume: ed@loturco.com.

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For Public Library, 5- 7 Hours Per Week average. 5+ Years Experience In Finance/ Banking/ Accounting Required. Responsible For Financial Reporting, Managing Investments, Check Signing And Bank Reconciliations. CPA A PLUS! $50 Per Hour Send Resumes To Elizabeth Olesh: eolesh@baldwinpl.org by Friday, January 21, 2022.

Positions Available

Special Education Teacher Aide & General Education Teacher Aides Qualifications for Civil Service: • Must have knowledge of classroom routines. • Must have the ability to perform basic clerical tasks. • High School Diploma • Must be at least 21 years of age. Duties Include: • Assist teachers in the classroom by performing varied duties associated with teaching. • Must have the ability to maintain positive classroom environment. • Must have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, parents, and school staff members. • Supervise students at lunch and recess. Send letter of interest along with your resume and a copy of your diploma to the Personnel Office, Attention Nancy Soevyn at the address above or by email to: Nsoevyn@elmontschools.org

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

HERALD

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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?

ou will love coming home to this beautiful and dramatic 3 bedroom Townhouse in the exclusive community of Meadowbrook Pointe. Enjoy the gorgeous master suite on the main floor with cathedral ceilings. The vaulted living room with fireplace is exquisite and the eat in kitchen with breakfast room leads to a private patio and yard. The upper den looks over the sprawling floor below and has an additional 2 bedrooms and full bath. This home boasts a one car attached garage and 2 car driveway. You are close to the clubhouse, pool and gym. This is a private community with 24 hour gatehouse. $1,099,000.

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. 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 danonte eeper gers 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.

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OpINIONS

n Christmas Day, NASA sent into space the James Webb telescope, which, if all works out as planned, will provide us with our first look into the beginning of time. The telescope will bring into focus the oldest stars in the universe, and examine the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets for signs of life. But who the heck was James Webb? He has largely been lost to history. He was a Marine Corps pilot, an aide to several members of Congress, JAMES undersecretary of to President BERNSTEIN state Harry S. Truman, president of a New York company, Sperry Gyroscope, and NASA’s second administrator. A pretty impressive biography. But just as Webb’s name has largely been forgotten, so has a tragic incident that occurred during his administration that almost ended America’s space program. On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts

— Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom, 40, Edward H. White, 36, and rookie Roger Chaffee, 31 — were killed on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida when a fire erupted in their command module during pre-flight training. At the time, it was the world’s worst space disaster. Little is said or written these days about the three astronauts and their destroyed Apollo 1 spacecraft. For one thing, there was the success of the moon landings beginning in 1969. And there have been other disasters — two space shuttles, Challenger, in 1986, and Columbia, in 2003, were lost, resulting in the deaths of 14 astronauts. The country was in shock after the ’67 fire in Apollo 1. NASA’s carefully cultivated image of infallibility had been badly damaged. There were calls from various corners to nix the space program, and let the Russians have the moon. It wasn’t worth human lives, some editorials in leading newspapers said. Webb saw it differently. But perhaps the most distinguishing factor of his leadership, something rarely seen in gov-

ernment or politics these days, was that Webb publicly took the blame for the disaster, pulling no punches. “We’ve always known that something like this was going to happen soon or later,” he told the press at the time. “Who would have thought that the first tragedy would be on the ground?” Not only did he shoulder the blame, but Webb was determined to get all the facts and keep the space program moving forward. America, he thought, had to be first on the moon. He went to President Lyndon Johnson and asked that NASA be allowed to handle the investigation into the fire, promising to be truthful with the agency’s findings. Webb was grilled by various congressional committees, and kept the backlash away from NASA and the Johnson administration. As a result, Webb was assigned much of the blame, and NASA ultimately regained its “right stuff ” image. An investigation indicated that a faulty electrical wire inside the Apollo 1 command module likely caused the fire.

fter a tragedy, he was determined to keep the space program moving forward.

Webb retired from the space agency in October 1968, just as the Apollo program was nearing completion. Astronauts landed on the moon a year later. There were bumps along the way in Webb’s career. In 2015, a Seattle Times columnist revived talk that when Webb was undersecretary of state, thousands of gay men and women lost their government jobs in what was known as the “Lavender Scare.” There was never any evidence that Webb had anything to do with the firings, although people speculated he must have known about them. Perhaps the thing to remember about James Webb is that he kept the complex machinery of NASA humming so America could stay true to the goal that President John F. Kennedy set in 1962: to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade and bring him back safely to Earth. Much of the technology had not even been invented yet when Kennedy made that bold pledge, and many thought the goal was impossible. Webb was one of the believers. Jim Bernstein is editor of the Long Beach Herald. Comments about this column? JBernstein@liherald.com.

Choosing to read hope in the crystal ball

hat if we got knocked out of our socks by a brilliant turnabout in our national life? At the moment, “Happy New Year” rings hollow. We all know how heavy the baggage is that we dragged from December to January this year. But my hope is in the mystery of the future. We could never have predicted the dreadful twin plagues of Covid and civil unrest, and that is exactly why we can’t predict a change, a windfall of good RANDI karma and good KREISS timing. Twenty-two years ago, I wrote a New Year’s column for the Heralds offering my predictions for the year ahead, 2000. First, I suggested, sell all your stock. In my capacity as a person with little understanding of financial markets, I firmly believed that stores would become obsolete as online shopping became more popular. The markets would go south from there. As it turned out, if you just kept your stocks for these 22 years, you would have made a tidy bundle. So my first predic-

tion was dead on arrival. Even with the dot-com bust in the early 2000s and the Great Recession, the average annual return in the stock market was about 10 percent. I also predicted that that we would not go to war with Saddam Hussein. On the national front, I lamented the scandals in Congress, and said our officials would out one another until no one would be left in government. That one was particularly interesting: Apparently, the worst thing I could imagine about Congress 22 years ago was that folks were having sexual flings. Man, wouldn’t you take that scenario in a heartbeat? What if someone told you back then that on New Year’s 2022, our country would be stumbling ahead, staggered by more than 800,000 deaths from a virulent pandemic that shut down schools and services and sent millions into isolation and quarantine? Could you possibly have believed that political fighting, a violent attack on the Capitol and hordes of know-nothing anarchists would threaten the integrity of Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court? Would you have believed that a Marjorie Taylor Greene could exist

if I described her to you back then? How about this one: Donald Trump would get elected president in 2016. Hell, 22 years ago, the twin towers were still standing in all their massive glory at the tip of Manhattan. Perhaps it’s best that crystal balls are cloudy. The unexpected is what I am counting on — that unpredictably good things may save us. As I think about the year ahead, my head and my heart do battle. Our hearts don’t heal according to a turn of the calendar page. My heart is aching for our losses. Some friends have died. My city is set back on its heels. Our kids are out of school yet again, as we enter the third year of the pandemic. Part of my head is worried about tomorrow. But I’m going with the part of my brain that knows unexpectedly beneficent events in the year ahead could heal the country and get us healthy again. We can go back to work, and bring back birthday parties and theater and family dinners. The virus could burn out. Our political leaders may find their best selves. Airplane travel will take off and people, too long sequestered in their homes, will embrace one another again.

nexpected events in the year ahead could heal the country and get us healthy again.

This could happen, and is no more unlikely than a raging global pandemic that stopped the clock for two years. I wish this for all of us in 2022: that we are off-the-charts lucky and blessed in our lives and work. In the meantime, the poet John Roedel offers this advice: “My heart is always sad about/something that happened yesterday/while my head is always worried/about something that may happen tomorrow, I lamented . . . “My gut squeezed my hand./‘I just can’t live with my mistakes of the past/or my anxiety about the future,’ I sighed . . . “My gut smiled and said: ‘In that case/ you should stay with your lungs for a while . . . “If you are exhausted about/your heart’s obsession with/the fixed past and your mind’s focus/on the uncertain future/ your lungs are the perfect place for you/ there is no yesterday in your lungs/there is no tomorrow there either/there is only now/there is only inhale/there is only exhale/there is only this moment/there is only breath/and in that breath/you can rest while your/heart and head work/their relationship out.” Let us say goodbye to 2021 hoping to be astonished, in a good way, by 2022. Copyright 2022 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

The Webb telescope is up, but who’s James Webb?

HERALD

Herald editorial

Juan Lasso Editor

No school district should overturn mask mandate

January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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n his first week on the job, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman addressed the coronavirus pandemic in a way that can best be described as premature, if not downright foolhardy. Last week, Blakeman, a Republican from the Five Towns, signed a set of three executive orders, all of which were intended to loosen state regulations whose purpose was to protect public safety during this most recent surge of infections caused by the Omicron variant. Blakeman was clearly thumbing his nose at Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, who on Dec. 10 ordered mask wearing in public to reduce the spread of Covid-19 as it fans out like wildfire across New York state, and the nation. Before taking office, Blakeman had said he would not enforce the public mask mandate, as required by Hochul. Then, on Jan. 6, he took this political showdown one step further when he signed a surprise executive order directing local boards of education across Nassau to vote on whether to require masks in the schools. Refusing to enforce the mask mandate was bad enough. To require school districts to weigh in on a measure that is, incontrovertibly, intended to protect the health and safety of students — many of them unvaccinated — along with teachers and school workers, represents an abdication of his duty as county executive to protect Nassau’s most vulnerable. It’s been a while since Blakeman, 66, has been in school, but surely he must

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letters Blakeman’s decision is ‘misguided’ To the Editor: The news generated by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s recent publicity stunt of signing an executive order allowing school districts to decide on mask-wearing is nothing more than a glaring example of misguided judgment and poor leadership. Surely Mr. Blakeman knows he cannot supersede Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate or the state education commissioner’s similar order. It is nothing more than playing to the cheap seats, on top of being quantifiably false (the idea that there is no science to support mask wearing as a Covid mitigation practice). It’s both an embarrassment and an invitation to those who believe such nonsense to cause disruption and only furthers divisiveness. It’s a sad day in Nassau County to be represented by a person willing to sow discord to be

remember the conditions in which students and teachers work. Twenty to 30 people are confined to a room for six to eight hours a day, with ventilation systems that are often decades old, unless a district has recently upgraded them. In short, students and teachers must spend hours a day within feet of one another, in rooms of stagnant air. One infected student or teacher could spread the coronavirus to dozens of people in a single day. Why not mask up? What, precisely, is Blakeman’s point here? Anyone who enters a school must wear a mask, period. Some parents say they worry about the potential psychological effects of their children wearingé masks throughout the day. In studies since the start of the pandemic, however, children were found to be highly resilient, reporting few, if any, effects from mask wearing, and health experts across the country have weighed in, saying children are, generally speaking, doing just fine wearing masks. At the same time, as we reported in last week’s editorial, numerous studies indicate that mask wearing does, in fact, reduce the spread of the coronavirus. That is, there is no real downside to children wearing masks in school — and only an upside, the likely reduction of community spread of the coronavirus. Thus, it would be just plain wrong of any school district, for what could only be described as political reasons, to overturn the state’s mask mandate in a vote. Hochul quickly weighed in on the mat-

ter last week, saying that any school district that voted to overturn the mandate, ordered by both the State Education Department and the State Department of Health, could — and likely would — face the loss of state aid for education. She was right to weigh in aggressively. There will be those who say that the Omicron variant, according to studies, is less virulent and less deadly than previous strains of the coronavirus. They are correct. This variant is still, however, a virus with the capability to send the unvaccinated to hospitals. And people who believe that even a three-dose vaccination will entirely protect them from it should think again. The vaccinated are becoming infected as well. They might not experience the heavy symptoms that unvaccinated people do, but they can still get sick. Further, the risk of a vaccinated person being hospitalized by the Omicron variant is extremely low, but it is not zero. The bottom line: Blakeman appears to be playing a game of political brinkmanship, which has garnered him a good amount of publicity across the state and made him something of a hero to farright conservatives. That is why we find his first two weeks in office to be so disappointing. We honestly expected better of him. We hope and trust he will see the error of his ways and restore one of the best measures that we have to guard against the coronavirus — the mask mandate.

opinions

ational Public Radio and ABC News warn, “Teachers are on the front lines in the Jan. 6 culture war.” Depending on where they work, teachers experience different political pressure when it comes to how to discuss with students the events that rocked the U.S. Capitol a year and a week ago. For younger children, important themes are community decision-making and fairness, the building blocks of a democratic society. In grades five to eight, students aLan learn about the foundations of the sinGer democratic process — rights and responsibilities, civic action and voting — along with injustices. In grades 11 and 12, students should follow congressional hearings, evaluate media coverage and discuss the implications of current events. For these grades, the anniversary of Jan. 6, with expanded media coverage, offered a teachable moment for more in-depth analysis. While students and teachers are entitled to their opinions about the implications of the events, discussion in class about them must be respectful, and speakers must support statements with evi-

dence. The teacher must prepare documents for evaluation, ask questions of student speakers and moderate discussion. The teacher must guide students through multiple sources with different perspectives so they can form their own questions, evaluate the sources and information, and arrive at conclusions supported by evidence. This process must not include deciding whether the Jan. 6 insurrection happened. It happened, and it was indeed an insurrection, intended to block certification of the presidential election. One difficulty in addressing the events of that day is the country’s partisan divide. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that despite widely viewed video footage, 60 percent of Republicans claimed the attack on the Capitol was not violent or somewhat violent. Here, teachers should ask students to suggest additional documents to allow them to discuss and decide whether the events were violent or not. To be clear, more than 700 people have been charged with various crimes at the Capitol. The FBI estimates that about 2,000 people were part of the mob that breached the building after a pro-Trump rally at which then President Donald Trump and other speakers repeated

unsubstantiated charges that the election was stolen. Some 140 law enforcement officers were injured during the attack, one died, and the Capitol sustained more than $1.5 million in damage. More than 160 of the rioters entered guilty pleas in exchange for lighter sentences. Seventy have been sentenced. Thirty-one were jailed and 18 received home detention. The longest prison term so far is five years. About 100 defendants have ties to extremist groups. Trump tweeted many times on the afternoon on Jan. 6, attacking then Vice President Mike Pence more than once. At 2:38 p.m. — more than an hour and a half after Trump supporters first breached the Capitol — Trump tweeted, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!” At 4:17 p.m. Trump tweeted a video in which he told his followers, “I know your pain, I know your hurt. We love you, you’re very special. You’ve seen what happens, you’ve seen the way others are treated . . . I know how you feel, but go home, and go home in peace.” Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, called what happened on Jan. 6 “an insurrection, incited by the president.” On Fox News, Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, said, “There’s no

t offers a teachable moment for indepth analysis, if discussed respectfully.

Letters more popular with a loud and uninformed minority. MICHAEL LUDWIg, PH.D. Rockville Centre Ludwig is director of Hofstra University’s health education master’s program.

No wonder Democrats are in trouble To the Editor: Alan Singer’s analyses of why the Democratic Party is in peril of losing control of government (“Democrats election perils have little to do with ‘wokeness,’” Dec. 9-15) is yet another anti-Republican screed with selective omissions of facts. Nowhere in his op-ed piece does he mention the Southern border, which is a lawless catastrophe for our country as well as for Biden, Harris or whoever is supposed to be in charge. Singer fails to mention that with no clear mandate, a 50-50 Senate and a razor-thin majority in the House, Biden and company are trying to pass a multi-trillion-dollar package that can only be paid for with higher taxes. Nowhere does he mention the murder, mayhem and chaos that are a direct result of flawed policies in Democratic-run cities across the country.

Weakening support for Israel; kneeling to an Iran deal, which is a pathway to a nuclear weapon for a country with a malevolent, untrustworthy government; abandoning friends and weapons in Afghanistan; sitting idly by as China steals land in the South China Sea to build military outposts; closing down the Keystone Pipeline (while green-lighting Russia’s), which has led to soaring gas prices as we struggle to electrify, are just a few other omissions. Throw in the teaching of a flawed critical race theory, the 1609 Project, FBI surveillance of school board meetings, support of the corrupt and often violent Black Lives Matter movement and consideration of reparations for descendants of people who were slaves more than 150 years ago, and it’s quite understandable why the Democratic Party is in trouble. Its record of failure in one year is breathtaking. Most people who are, or will turn from, blue to red are neither racist nor violent. They abhor the Jan. 6 insurrection. They are pragmatic! And yes, like it or not, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted by a jury of his peers who heard all of the evidence. To become purple, we need moderate leaders on both sides of the aisle who listen to and respect one another. Ignoring reality when it conflicts with one’s point of view is a prescription for failure. DR. MEL YOUNg Lawrence

question the president formed the mob. The president incited the mob. The president addressed the mob. He lit the flame.” The New York Times published useful lesson ideas to aid teachers. It also recommends consulting the websites of Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), Facing History and Ourselves and the Anti-Defamation League. The Times package includes documents with questions sorted by these themes: ■ Understanding what happened and reacting to it. ■ Investigating President Trump’s responsibility. ■ Exploring why democracy requires a peaceful transfer of power. ■ Understanding the roots of the riot. ■ Considering the role of the news media and the power of language. ■ Scrutinizing how social media can facilitate insurrection. ■ Putting Jan. 6 into historical context. Dr. Alan Singer is a professor of teaching, learning and technology and the director of social studies education programs at Hofstra University. He is a former New York City high school social studies teacher and editor of Social Science Docket, a joint publication of the New York and New Jersey Councils for the Social Studies. Follow him on Twitter, @AlanJSinger1.

Framework by Joe Abate

The first of how many? — Island Park

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — January 13, 2022

How to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection

January 13, 2022 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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