Valley Stream Herald 02-22-2024

Nothing frosty about these friends

Avishai and Aviv Greenberg made a new friend, literally, during the Feb. 13 snowstorm.

Alternative education pioneer named a Nassau top educator

By JUAN l ASSo

jlasso@liherald.com

Acute learning challenges, ranging from a difficult home life to homelessness, are among the reasons why, in any given year, a minority of students in the Valley Stream Central High School District struggle to stay in school.

These outside pressures can slowly eat away at these students’ confidence and well-being, and as their school performance slips, so does their likelihood of earning a high school diploma. Some just quit.

Under the intervention and guidance of a nontraditional education at the district’s Twilight

Alternative Program, its principal, Danielle Williams, who also serves as the director of the district’s alternative programs, has not only helped prevent students from walking out on their education, but helped them achieve a level of academic success previously unknown to them.

For this, alongside years of dedication to the alternative education space, Williams will join 10 other educators to receive the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award in a ceremony this spring. The honor recognizes those “who have made a substantial impact on public education in Nassau County” and “enabled students of all ages and abilities to achieve their maximum

There’s still no curriculum chief at V.S. 13

By JUAN l ASSo jlasso@liherald.com

Valley Stream District 13 is still without an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction following the abrupt Dec. 19 resignation of Fabayo McIntosh. But picking her replacement, or replacements, has proven to be something of a long, bumpy, and controversial process.

TServices.

Andrea DiMango, the district’s Director of Technology, would take on an expanded role as Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology.

his is someone who should have many years of proven success . . . to give our children the best education possible.

Attempts to approve two successors for the role flopped at the district’s board of education meeting on Jan 23. The district’s initial strategy was to recast the assistant superintendent position into two new roles: an Assistant Superintendent for Special Services and an Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology.

JANET MINUTo resident

Lisa Dunn, the district’s current Executive Director of Special Services, would have been promoted to a new title: Assistant Superintendent for Special

In a statement, the district stood by the superintendent’s recommendations and argued that hiring from within has its advantages including: “familiarity with the district’s staff and students, an understanding of school culture and community, and a boost of motivation and morale to the district’s professional staff.”

Board backlash stalls replacement Trustees Anthony Grosso, Anthony Bonelli, and Vincent Caposio, nevertheless, stood in stiff opposition, expressing deep reservations about the transparency of the hiring process, and questioning whether the candidates were sufficiently qualified.

Continued on page 9

Courtesy Ilana Greenberg

Exploring Steve Breslow’s enigmatic art

By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com

Longtime former Valley Stream resident and artist Steve Breslow showed off 41 of his pieces at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library earlier this year. The exhibit, aptly titled “Recent Prints and Drawings,” explores the artist’s work produced in the years leading up to the pandemic, which was on display in the library’s Boehm Room and the Gallery in the lower level of the building.

Now in his 70s, Breslow admits that even after decades of drawing, his art style is “hard to pin down,” ranging from realistic to surrealistic to a mishmash of both.

Oftentimes, lonely people populate his expansive but isolating pieces. They aren’t “real people,” noted Breslow. Their faces and bodies are borrowed from his imagination or dreams or composites of faces and bodies of people he knows in real life.

As in real life through his digital and film photography, so in his imagination through his graphic art, Breslow seeks to capture a stark strangeness and abstract mystery in the spaces we occupy.

He routinely plays with our brain’s desire to find — if not harmony — a sense of congruency and certainty in the objects we see arranged in an image — and pulls that desire right from under

raw, untouched state, the scratches are set free to disorient and disturb, resembling the static noise of a television focusing on an image but just shy of solidifying it, making things clear.

While the clarity of Breslow’s images and their message is intentionally diluted, his process is more straightforward. “The nuts and bolts of what I do is sketching and drawing with pen and ink or pencil,” said Breslow. “Everything starts with my sketch.”

The final touches are done through graphic software on his tablet and pen, opting to forgo the “old-school, laborintensive” etching press method of his early years. His prints can often take days to complete, but he deliberately avoids enhancing his images with grand graphic effects and is somewhat stingy with his color palette.

“With the computer software, dark shadows, deep tones, reflections, subtle grades of gray, those are my tools,” noted Breslow.

our noses.

It’s a theme that he revisits, again and again.

“There is a struggle going on between isolation and trying to coalesce and bring things together,” said Breslow. “And an ambiguity that I leave the view-

er to grapple with.”

Like the work of a manic scribbler, his images are formed and composed of dozens of tiny scratch marks. Some of those images are tinted with watercolor, but more often left in drab browns or muted grays. When left in their most

Even when the viewer is left alone in Breslow’s veil of smoke that blankets his pictures, more often than not, our eyes can pick out the tiny subtleties of gray or a hint of revealing shadow. Sure there is “a certain alienation” in the prints and drawings, noted Breslow, but there is also a beauty that breathes and moves, however faintly, in the details of his frozen, unsettled places.

Courtesy Steve Breslow

Steve Breslow recently showcased over three dozen prints and drawings at an exhibit titled “Recent Prints and Drawings” at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library.

Central PTSA Paint Party colors away

The Central-Memorial ParentTeacher Association Paint Party proved to be a vibrant success, bringing families together for an evening of creativity and community support on Feb 2. Held at the Merrick Road Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1790, the event drew a crowd of 104 attendees, selling out thanks to the exceptional organization by the committee headed by Angelica Rajaram and Alexis Reyes.

The Paint Party, according to Rajaram, provides families with an opportunity to bond while painting a fun image on canvas. Led by main artist Grace Albert, supported by Taylor Hogan, attendees were guided through the artistic process, creating colorful creations under expert

instruction.

Local businesses, including BJ’s Brewhouse & Restaurant, contributed generously to the event, providing food and contributing baskets for raffles. The raffle prizes, totaling approximately 25 high-quality baskets, added to the excitement of the evening, with attendees eagerly participating in support of PTSA initiatives.

The Paint Party not only provided families with a fun-filled evening but also raised almost $4,000 from ticket sales and raffle donations. These funds will directly support PTSA initiatives, including scholarships, enrichment programs, student grade council support, and teacher/staff appreciation efforts.

Jaci Zitman/Herald photos

It’s a packed house of painters at the at the Central-Memorial PTA Paint Party at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1790 on Feb. 2.

Artists Grace Albert and Taylor Hogan show off their finished creations at the Central-Memorial Parent-Teacher Association Paint Party.

Alessandra Potash, Hyeyoung Chon-Norton, and Laura Alvarez have a blast through each brush stroke of their paintings.

Michael Beharry, 14, and Braden Benodi, 13, let their creative juices flow on the canvas at the CentralMemorial ParentTeacher Association Paint Party.

The current exemption from New York estate taxes is 6.94 million, indexed for inflation. For most clients this presents no issue – their estates will never approach the exemption. However, for the fortunate few who have assets, including life insurance, that may exceed roughly seven million dollars, there is a significant tax liability. Changes in New York estate tax law in the last few years introduced a “fiscal cliff”. Whereas formerly New York only taxed the amount over the exemption, if you exceed the limit today (by a mere 5%) they tax the whole estate. You’re over the cliff!

The tax is surprisingly large. On a roughly seven million dollar estate, the taxes payable to New York exceed five hundred thousand dollars. An estate over ten million would owe over a million in estate tax.

These New York estate taxes are avoidable if you have a spouse and you create an estate plan using two trusts, which doubles the exemption. Another way to avoid the fiscal cliff is to use the “Santa Clause” providing that you gift to charities of your choice all amounts over the exemption. Gifts to charities are deductible

Future

from estate taxes.

While the Federal estate tax exemption of 13.61 million is “portable”, i.e. if the first spouse doesn’t use their exemption or any part of it, it passes to the surviving spouse, New York does not allow for portability. It’s use it or lose it.

The Federal exemption is expected to be reduced from the 13.61 million exemption, passed by the Trump administration, to the 6.94 million, adjusted for inflation, that New York uses, at the end of 2025. For larger estates, there remains a planning opportunity by making gifts while the higher exemption is in place. You may use any of your Federal estate tax exemptions to make gifts while you are living. These gifts are reported to the IRS and get subtracted from what you may give at death.

One added attraction to gifting is that New York does not tax gifts -- so that gifts may also be used to avoid onerous New York estate taxes at death. There is a minor exception that gifts made within three years of the death of the donor are brought back into the donor’s estate for New York estate tax purposes.

CRIME bRIEfS Bronx man arrested for Chase Bank fire

A Bronx man was put in custody after trying to set fire to a Chase Bank in Valley Stream, according to police.

Detectives arrived to a fire in the vestibule of the 930 Rosedale Avenue building on Feb. 17 at 5:18 a.m. An investigation determined that Garland Douglas, 32, was standing outside the bank as police arrived and was responsible for starting the blaze. Douglas was allegedly inside the vestibule, adding fuel to the flames and was arrested without incident. No injuries were

Garland douGlas

reported. Douglas was also found with a crack pipe holding a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine and a syringe that had a brown substance believed to be heroin.

Douglas is charged with arson and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned at First District court in Hempstead on February 18. He is due back in court on Feb. 26.

–Juan Lasso

Trusts

Other offices in Huntington • Melville • Islandia

Two young women and one girl were put in custody after reportedly stealing a man’s car at the West Merrick Shell Gas Station on Feb. 13.

Trio arrested for West Merrick carjacking

Two women and one girl were arrested for a robbery on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. in Valley Stream, according to police.

A man, 37, was sitting in his 2017 white Kia Sportage at the West Merrick Shell Gas Station when the trio demanded he get out of the car. When the man refused, a struggle reportedly ensued. The man suffered a stab wound to the middle of his back. The trio hijacked the car and drove east on West Merrick Road. Police caught the car moving north on Franklin Avenue and tracked it down to the parking lot of 355 Frank-

lin Avenue. The girl was first to leave the car and headed east on Polk Avenue. She was later put into custody at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Van Buren Avenue. Police arrested passenger Laychelle Robinson, 20, of Brooklyn and driver Arianna Smith, 19, of Harlem who stayed in the car.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation. The trio is charged with robbery, grand larceny, and criminal possession of a weapon. They were arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Feb. 14.

Courtesy Nassau County Police

Valley Stream 13 honors P.S. I Love You

Valley Stream District 13 proudly joined forces with P.S. I Love You Day, a registered nonprofit organization in New York State dedicated to eradicating the stigma surrounding mental health. This year’s P.S. I Love You Day theme, Love is Meant to Be Given, featured students taking part in various activities to promote kindness and foster a supportive environment.

As purple is emblematic of P.S. I Love You Day, Valley Stream 13 schools became a sea of violets, lavenders, and plums. It was a powerful statement that symbolized their commitment to spreading love and raising awareness for mental health. The unified display of purple attire showcased the school community supporting one another.

One of the highlights of the day was an empowering exercise that saw students write kind letters to their future selves. This activity not only encouraged selfreflection but also served as a

reminder of the importance of self-care and self-love. The heartfelt letters allowed students to express their hopes, dreams, and aspirations while fostering a sense of compassion toward themselves.

Another impactful project undertaken by the students was the creation of a magnificent purple heart collage on the walls of the school buildings. Each student cut out purple hearts and wrote kind messages on them, which were then assembled to form a visually striking display. The collage served as a powerful representation of the love and support that permeates throughout the Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen community.

–Juan Lasso

Wheeler Avenue Elementary School students celebrate P.S. I Love You Day in style.

Rockaway Ave. office at: 20 W. Lincoln Ave. Suite 206, Valley Stream

Our Rockaway Avenue office was destroyed by fire on January 27th. We are extremely gratified by the outpouring of support from so many of our patients, their family members, and members of the local community. My heartfelt thanks to each of you.

Our dedication to providing the best care for hearing loss and tinnitus and the associated cognitive decline is greater than ever. That is why I was determined to move to our new location in a timely manner so that our patients would not experience any downtime in their hearing and tinnitus treatment. Our dedicated staff is here to support you and your families and provide the continued exceptional care that you have been accustomed to.

Our

We are currently seeing patients at our new location. We look forward to providing the highest quality care for hearing loss and tinnitus with our new state-of-the-art expanded office space. You can reach us any time at 516-269-8408 or info@HearingCenterofLI.com.

call us at 516-269-8408

Courtesy Valley Stream District 13

Artificial intelligence through the years:

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence and research company, publicly released ChatGPT-3 on Nov. 30, 2022. Now, a little more than a year later, the sophisticated chatbot — with more than 180 million monthly users — is seemingly developing faster than users can keep up. To understand how this language model became one of the most technologically advanced virtual assistants in the world, you have to go back nearly 75 years.

Imagining classrooms — and a future

By Ben Fiebert, Parker Schug & Nicole Wagner

First part in a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools, and over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas?

Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.

Artificial intelligence — it all starts with an idea. One developed by a computer programmed to mimic the human intelligence process through learning, reasoning and self-correction.

AI is already deeply ingrained in society. Whether it be smartphones with virtual assistants like Siri and Bixby, search engines making suggestions for what we’re looking for online, to even the spam filtering and email categorization in email platforms like Gmail.

The fast-growing advancements of AI may be hard to keep up with, especially as more and more platforms develop that specialize in AI like ChatGPT and Canva.

Television and news outlets focus more on how AI can turn your dog into a Muppet, or how it can instantly write a sonnet about someone’s favorite desserts.

But AI is finding its way into more and more of our everyday lives and it’s something that has institutions like our public schools racing to find the best ways to not only adapt, but to appropriately integrate AI into the classroom.

receives,” ChatGPT responded when asked what it was designed for.

It’s commonly used to answer a variety of questions, or brainstorm ideas. It can help draft emails and compose essays. It can help with extensive research, and even translate text from one language to another.

And for those looking to be a little less serious, ChatGPT can tell jokes, strike up a casual conversation, and even participate in storytelling and roleplaying scenarios.

But it can also write term papers, or essays. Or complete homework. And detecting when AI is being used is virtually impossible. That has created some concerns for school administrators, while at the same time tasking them to redevelop curriculum that prepares future minds for a future where AI is prevalent.

Ting Wang, a Stony Brook University associate professor who also directs its Algorithmic Learning, Privacy and Security Lab, describes the original conception of AI as “a feeble attempt to recreate intelligence and to help humans achieve specific tasks.” He believes developers have come a long way in achieving success doing just that.

ChatGPT is a popular example of this. Launched in late 2022, the software describes itself as an online interface that is “like having a conversation with a very knowledgeable and helpful friend — except this friend is actually a computer program.” It has been trained on swaths of data, making it capable of completing many different tasks ranging from gathering information, getting some helpful advice, or even looking to simply have a friendly chat.

“ChatGPT is designed for generating human-like text based on the input it

“From the academic perspective, I think one of the challenges is that it’s becoming harder and harder to obtain these AI models because they’re super expensive, the training costs, and have a requirement of huge amounts of data,” Wang said. “Those type of resources are not so accessible for the academia world.”

Where is AI?

Google, Bing and other search engines have used forms of artificial intelligence for years, but more recently began making its integration more obvious. Google integrated what it calls “generative AI” into its systems some 20 years ago, which typically predicts the next word in a search phrase.

ChatGPT also can edit certain articles, blog posts or other forms of writing. If someone asks ChatGPT to write an email with specific requirements, for example, the AI can handle it because its “training” has covered these sort of scenarios. What makes ChatGPT unique from other AI platforms, Wang said, is the massive amounts of data that “trains” it.

“You can see many artists, especially digital artists, using this program to create content that you cannot easily create manually,” Wang said.

Brett Tanzer — a product management vice president for Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure — says models created by AI developers are installed in products like Bing and Microsoft Copilot, an

Nicole Wagner/Herald

A reporter asks ChatGPT to describe not only itself, but the artificial intelligence language model that powers it. AI has gone from science-fiction to science-fact, and schools are among a number of institutions around the world working to adapt.

AI companion technology which utilizes ChatGPT among other language models, to aid users in their day-to-day lives.

This helps users brainstorm alternatives for ideas on a given issue if they get stuck.

“It’s already being applied to help people reduce workforce time,” Tanzer said.

Creatives aren’t the only ones utilizing AI for their work. Many in the health care industries are using AI products like those offered by Microsoft to accelerate medical research for advanced treatment and diagnosis of diseases.

“That’s really helping practitioners and doctors in their day-to-day experiences with patients,” Tanzer said.

Educators are utilizing AI in classrooms around Nassau County. In Franklin Square, for example, a robot named Milo interacts with students to help them hone their social and emotional skills.

Pamela Taylor, Franklin Square’s pupil personnel services director, said at the time the school had done a lot of

training to bring Milo into the classroom.

While Milo is the first robot of its kind to be used in a Long Island classroom, its ability to work with students on their confidence in emotional skills is something Taylor is eager to spread throughout the district.

“We are looking to expand,” she said, “because he’s appropriate for all learners.”

An artificial intelligence elective course at Bellmore-Merrick school district’s Sanford H. Calhoun High School is teaching students about the basic principles of AI through exposure to machine-learning algorithms in Python computer programming language.

Danielle Caliendo, a math and computer science chair at Calhoun, says this course prepares students for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“It also equips them with the skills necessary for today’s world where artificial intelligence is shaping the way we live and work,” Caliendo said, in a

The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is coined by John McCarthy. Computer scientist Arthur Samuel develops a program called ‘Samuel’s Checker Players’ to play checkers, which is the first to ever learn the game independently.

Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Lederberg create the first ‘expert system’ called Denral, which was AI programmed to replicate the thinking and decision-making abilities of human experts. The purpose of this program was to map the structure of molecules, and to help chemists identify unknown organic molecules.

MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum creates the first chatbot called Eliza to simulate human conversations. The program was designed to mimic human conversation, utilizing words users entered into a computer, and then pairing them to a list of possible scripted responses.

The U.S. government

little interest in continuing to fund AI research.

1970s:

1980s:

AI is booming. Government funding led to breakthroughs in research. The use of the expert system program becomes more popular, allowing computers to learn from their mistakes and make independent decisions. This leads to the development of the Fifth Generation Computer project, with a goal of creating computers that could converse in human language and express reasoning on a human level.

1997:

2011:

2016:

2014:

2020:

Seeing artificial intelligence in daily life?

recent interview.

What does the future hold for AI?

Overall AI research at Stony Brook is intended to maximize the practical impact of artificial intelligence. Wang works on AI’s resilience against malicious manipulations, preserving privacy among users, and making the data written by AI more transparent and interpretable to users.

“People don’t have a great understanding of what AI can and can’t do,” Wang said. “I think people use AI as a magical box, and it actually may not work as expected for normal users.”

Yties to transform power in engineering, productivity, health care and cybersecurity.

Wang envisions ChatGPT becoming even more customizable and personalized than it is now. Although it’s already quite adaptable, users have their own individual requirements and writing styles that ChatGPT is not necessarily trained to understand.

ou can see many artists . . . to create content that you cannot easily create manually

TIng W Ang associate professor Stony Brook University

As AI models become more sophisticated, Tanzer said, Microsoft has its sights set on developing models with advanced capabili-

“You may want the program to draft an email in your own style and have your own specific writing requirements,” Wang said, “and currently, the chatbot may not be able to do that.

”It’s an ever-evolving landscape,” Wang said. “I think from the perspective of classroom teaching, people are still trying to figure out what is the best way to harness the power of AI, and at the same time kind of limit and curve the harmful impact of this technology.”

third-grade students at franklin Square’s John Street School learn how to hone their social and emotional skills with the help of milo the robot. equipped with adaptive artificial intelligence, milo is designed to read facial cues from those around him to teach students techniques to cope with their emotions.

showed

Deep Blue — a computer run by the AI program alpha–beta search algorithm and developed by IBM — beats world chess champion Gary Kasparov, becoming the first computer program to beat a human chess champion. This kickstarts an era introducing AI into everyday life through innovations such as the first Roomba and speech recognition software on Windows computers.

Apple releases Siri, the first popular virtual assistant, found primarily on the company’s iPhones.

Amazon releases the Echo, powered by a voicecontrolled intelligent personal assistant named Alexa. These devices are smart speakers equipped with microphones for voice commands.

Google releases the Google Assistant and its voice-activated speaker: the Google Nest.

OpenAI starts beta testing GPT-3, a model that uses deep learning — a method of AI that teaches computers to process data in a way that mimics the human brain — to create code, poetry and other writing tasks.

Rei Wolfsohn/Herald file

V.S. 13 celebrates 100th Day of School

Valley Stream District 13 students and teachers recently celebrated their 100th day in school. Students and teachers came together to mark this day with a range of engaging and exciting activities.

To commemorate the 100th day, students across all grade levels participated in various classroom activities that showcased their creativity and enthusiasm. The students made special 100 days of school bead necklaces and

dressed up like they were centenarians.

The celebration of the 100th day in school also provided an opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents. They created art pieces that incorporated the number 100. Their artwork demonstrated the ability to think creatively and express their ideas using various mediums.

–Juan Lasso

Willow Road Elementary School students dress up as centenarians to celebrate their 100th day of school.

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 13 Wheeler Avenue Elementary School students mark the 100th day of school.

Board rejects asst. superintendent picks

“I am a believer in hiring the best and most qualified candidate for the job, and though I would always like to hire from within, I just felt unilaterally deciding on this size took away the voice of the community,” said Grosso in a statement.

“When it comes to these high-level positions, previous vacancies were filled by forming committees with teachers, administrators, and parents who came together, asked questions, and shared what qualities they saw as important to the district’s vision. That is I believe the best option.”

The district argues that “given that the initial recommendation centered around in-district staff members, the vetting of these individuals had already been done at the time of their initial hire, both of which were approved by the Board.”

The board ultimately has the final say “in accepting or rejecting the Superintendent’s hiring recommendations,” noted the district. “In this case, the Board decided it wanted to go in a different direction.”

The trio of trustees weren’t the only ones who objected to the district’s picks at the board meeting.

“My son is in an integrated co-teaching kindergarten class at Willow Road, (where students with disabilities and those without learn together) and he tells me his classes are being continuous-

ly disrupted because of students’ outbursts,” parent Rossella Pecora told the board, claiming Dunn, who oversees the program, has yet to acknowledge or address the problem.

“With Ms. Dunn’s promotion, I’m sure it comes with a lot more responsibility. What exactly does this promotion mean when the basics of her current position aren’t being met.”

“Although this consolidation of titles saves money, I cannot believe this was something that was given serious thought,” resident Janet Minuto told board members. “In my opinion, a curriculum coordinator is extremely important to children’s academic success. This

is someone who should have many years of proven success evaluating programs to give our children the best education possible.”

Board Vice President Gerardo Cavaliere, showing noticeable hesitation, opted not to cast a vote on the proposed candidates, and instead motioned to postpone, which board members approved.

Trustee Bonelli said the decision was an “unacceptable” rehashing of roles “never before seen by the district” which does more to “diminish” the title of the curriculum coordinator than uphold it.

What’s next?

The district’s fast-track efforts to com-

bine existing roles and promote from within to fill gaps in leadership are not without precedents. When the district’s ELA instructional coach, Cindy Gervasi, was tapped to take over as Willow Road Principal, noted Superintendent Judith LaRocca in an email to parents, she left a vacuum “in responsibilities for supporting district literacy and the prekindergarten program where she was the coordinator.

“To that end, the ELA instructional coach position and the prekindergarten coordination was combined into a Coordinator of Early Learning and Literacy position.”

January’s backlash seemed to have led the district to shelve its plans to reshape and redefine the assistant superintendent role. LaRocca made clear that a deliberate search for outside talent to fill the original job title is now underway. This month, district officials are paging through resumes and conducting interviews with prospects, according to the superintendent’s projected timeline of the hiring process.

In a nod to concerns over community input, parents were invited to serve as members of the district’s “advisory interview committee” earlier this month for the first round of job interviews. The district aims to have a replacement by March 26 with that person’s official start date anywhere between April 2 and May 1.

Herald file photo

the resignation of fabayo mcintosh, far right, as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, has sparked a contentious search to replace her.

Nassau vets honor active-duty aviators

American Legion Military Ball hosts the 69th annual Valor Awards

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

American Legion veterans and auxiliary members all across Nassau County — including members of Post 1033 in Elmont — gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck on Saturday for the annual Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night.

This year’s celebration marked the first time that the American Legions of Nassau County hosted the 69th annual Valor Awards presentation for active duty service members of the American Legion Aviators’ Post No. 743.

The program also acknowledged several distinguished guests, including Department Commander Timothy Collmer, Vice Commander Michael Rodriguez, 10th District Commander James Trainor, Nassau County Commander Sean Hood, Suffolk County Commander Kenneth Dolan, Queens County Commander Casey Bileris and Nassau County Legionnaire of the Year Al Ficalora of Baldwin Post 246.

Members of the American Legion Auxiliary — the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization — the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders were also recognized for their contributions and service.

The first Valor Award was presented in 1953 to United States Air Force General Henry “Hap” Arnold for his leadership during World War II.

Since then, it has become an annual tradition to recognize military aviators who performed a feat of valor, as determined by the Chief of Staff of each of the U.S. Armed Forces.

In recognition of their accomplishments in the line of duty, this year’s Military Ball and Post Commander’s night event recognized three esteemed aviators for their distinguished acts of valor.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Zachary Bowers, a fleet standardization flight examiner and instructor pilot from Sacramento, California, was presented with the 2019 Aviator Valor Award for a Medevac rescue in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where he and his crew helped transport a 60-year-old man with respiratory failure and high-risk morbidly obese pregnant female who was at risk of bleeding out if she went into labor despite poor visibility, high winds, heavy rain and engine anti-ice failure. Both individuals were successfully transported to a hospital in Anchorage. The 60-year-old man was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. Had he not been transported to the hospital, he would have died.

Lt. Lars Anderson served both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard as a flight instructor pilot. He was presented with the 2020 Aviator Valor Award for a non-maritime Medevac rescue of two men in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Throughout the course of his military career he has accrued more than 5,500 flight hours and has received five Humanitarian Service Medals and numerous commendations for his service. He currently works as a commercial airline pilot and resides in Tennessee, with his wife, Kelly, and four kids Bengt, Hannah, Annika and Linnea.

U.S. Air Force Captain David C. Bennett, the operations flight commander of the 40th Helicopter Squadron at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, is a UH-1N pilot in support of nuclear defense operations. He was presented with the 2022 Aviator Valor Award for a search and rescue mission where he rescued an elderly man, who was suffering from a severe medical emergency in his remote mountain cabin. Bennett calculated an optimal fuel state to allow the

crew to have largest amount of power to affect the rescue, which proved critical as whiteout and downdraft conditions in the landing zone required maximum torque available for takeoff. Coordinating with local emergency services, Bennett set up a transfer at the international airport, due to the inability to offload at Benefis Hospital. He has served as a resource advisor, chief of scheduling, executive officer and currently holds the rank of instructor pilot. Hundreds of veterans and their families gathered around to celebrate the accomplishments of these three men, who in the face of danger, showed unparalleled bravery and expertise.

Members of American Legion Post 1033 in Elmont gather with veterans and auxiliary members from across Nassau County at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck. Auxiliary President Debbie Tirman, Adjutant Bill DePietro, Treasurer Sharon Davis, Sgt. at Arms Ralph Esposito, Vice Commander Phoebe Ervin, Auxiliary Treasurer Joanne Esposito, Chambers Member Sharran Murphy and Auxiliary Secretary Theresa Tribble.

Daniel Offner/Herald photos

Valor Award recipients U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Zachary Bowers, U.S. Marine Corps and Coast Guard Lt. Lars Anderson and U.S. Air Force Captain David C. Bennett and their spouses were recognized during the Nassau County American Legion Ball and Post Commander’s Night.

Nassau County American Legion Historian James Randle and Nassau County Commander Sean Hood.

HOST

ANTOINETTE BIORDI

4X AWARD-WINNING REPORTER NEWS 12 ANCHOR/REPORTER

KEYNOTE

SARA GORE TVHOST, NBC UNIVERSAL LUXURYREALESTATESPECIALIST, SERHANT.

SPECIAL AWARDS

BROKER OF THE YEAR

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President American Investment Properties

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Beth Donner

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Eric Alexander

Director Vision Long Island

POWER DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR

Steven Krieger, Esq.

CEO

B2K Development

POWER REAL ESTATE DUO

Kathy Kirby-Viard

Owner & Broker

Signature Premier Properties

Peter Morris

Owner & Broker

Signature Premier Properties

PROJECT OF THE YEAR

TRITEC Real Estate

Shoregate Project

PROJECT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR

Michael F. Puntillo

President

PX4 Development, LLC

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT / DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR

ATTORNEYS

Marna E. Bernstein, Esq.

Partner

Cullen and Dykman LLP

Elisabetta T. Coschignano, Esq.

Member

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano PLLC

Jack M. Martins, Esq.

Partner

Harris Beach PLLC

Jacquelyn L. Mascetti, Esq.

Partner Herman Katz LLP

BROKERS

Paul Leone

Senior Vice President

CBRE

David B. Sargoy

Director-Commercial Real Estate Division

Brown Harris Stevens Commercial Real Estate

DEVELOPERS

Pelops Damianos

Principal Damianos Realty Group LLC

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Brad Griggs

Senior Manager, Economic Development

Amazon

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

International Empire Electrical Corp.

ELEVATOR

Donald Gelestino

President & CEO

Champion Elevator Corp.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Chuck Merritt

President/LEED AP

Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Lisa M.G. Mulligan

CEO

Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency (IDA)

Kelly Murphy

Acting Executive Director

Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA)

TAX CERTIORARI

Cara P. Cronin, Esq.

Partner

RichnerLIVE’s third annual R.E.A.L. Awards will spotlight entrepreneurs, professionals, and visionaries in Long Island’s real estate and related industries who have achieved success in their respective roles while also being actively involved in community contributions and advocacy.

To

PRODUCED BY

A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit a local charity.

Joseph A. Farkas

CEO & Founder

Metropolitan Realty Associates LLC

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL BROKER

Gina Coletti

Licensed Real Estate Broker

GC Advisory Group Inc

RISING STARS

Daniel Scarda

Director of Corporate Finance

The Crest Group

Marco Scarda

Director of Business Development

The Crest Group

Jonathan Schuman

Licensed Associate Broker

Blue Island Homes

Justin Breslin

Vice President

Breslin Realty Development Corp.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Stephen Cadorette

Senior Associate

Cushman & Wakefield

TRAILBLAZER

Sara Gore

TV Host

NBC Universal

Luxury Real Estate Specialist

SERHANT.

ARCHITECT

COMMERCIAL

Mark Stumer

Principal Mojo Stumer Associates

Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, PLLC

TITLE INSURANCE

Angelo Santomauro

Senior Partner & Vice President

All State Abstract

RESIDENTIAL AGENTS

Michelle Keegan

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Julia Krispeal

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

SERHANT.

Deborah Pirro

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

ATTORNEY

Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.

Attorney at Law

Anthony A. Nozzolillo, Esq.

BROKERS

Michael Foley

Licensed Real Estate Broker

Frontline Realty Group

Dr. Sharon R. Frank

Expert Realtor & Business Strategist

Sharon R. Frank Real Estate LLC

Kevin Leatherman

Licensed Real Estate Broker

Leatherman Homes

Connie Pinilla

Principal Agent

The Connie Pinilla Team at Compass

Natasha Williams

Licensed Real Estate Broker

Cornelius Group Real Estate

GOLD

Hundreds unite to remember Beckwith

By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com

Bob Beckwith rushed out of retirement as a New York City firefighter to help a friend find his missing son at ground zero, three days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that shook New York City — and the country — to its core.

This selfless choice turned Beckwith into a beacon of hope for the nation when he stood on the rubble at President George W. Bush’s side — hope he embodied until the day he died on Feb. 4. He was 91.

Beckwith ultimately succumbed to a 9/11-related melanoma, and was remembered by family, friends, leaders and a large number of off-duty firemen during Beckwith’s Feb. 10 funeral in Baldwin, before he was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.

Some will remember Beckwith for the iconic photo and video featuring him with Bush on Sept. 14, 2001, while others recall how Beckwith was a humble man who would sit in the back row of St. Christopher’s Church in Baldwin every Saturday evening while still finding time to visit a Levittown diner with his friends each week.

Beckwith enjoyed playing the piano, fishing, watching “Jeopardy,” spending time with his grandchildren, and attending their lacrosse games. He also took part Irish step dance competitions, and spent time at the Baldwin American Legion post.

Beckwith was an ordinary man, he would proclaim, who by chance was given the opportunity to uplift Americans during one the country’s darkest times.

Beckwith was retired for more than a decade after 30 years of service with the New York City Fire Department when he learned the son of his old friend, Jimmy Boyle, was missing amid the ruins of the twin towers.

inspiring words, with his arm draped around Beckwith.

“America, today, is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, and for the families who mourn,” Bush said at the time.

Bush would remain close to Beckwith, and shared a statement for former U.S. Rep. Peter King to read at his funeral.

“Laura and I are saddened by the passing of Bob Beckwith,” Bush said, explaining how the retired firefighter raced toward danger, showcasing the resilient spirit of all Americans during 9/11.

“I want to say that no one is indispensable,” King said in his own eulogy. “Bob Beckwith is indispensable. He was one of a kind.”

Beckwith was born April 16, 1932 in Astoria. After graduating from Rice High School in Manhattan in 1952, Beckwith joined the U.S. Navy n the tail end of the Korean war, before going on to study at LaGuardia Community College.

After graduating, Beckwith held various jobs like driving for UPS. But it was in 1964 Beckwith became an FDNY firefighter, kickstarting a 30-year career with the department.

Having lost two sons of his own, Beckwith understood the grief Boyle was going through.

So, he sprang into action and headed to ground zero while the rest of the nation remained in shock.

Beckwith later described how he was just in the right spot at the right time. Bush was paying his respects to those lost at ground zero, and wanted to speak directly to those who were digging through the rubble looking for survivors.

The president spotted Beckwith, and had him stand next to him where, using a megaphone, Bush delivered

Beckwith met his wife Barbara at a picnic in 1956. They were married a year later, settling down on Fairview Avenue in Baldwin, where they raised their six children.

Beckwith retired from the FDNY in 1994. He would find himself enjoying time at home, entertained by his two great-grandsons with a smile across his face.

Besides his wife, Beckwith is survived by daughter Christine; sons Bob, Richard and Stephen; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by sons Joseph and Tommy.

Christine Rivera/Herald

Firefighters salute the casket of Bob Beckwith as it is placed on top of a Baldwin Fire Department fire truck.

STEPPING OUT

Become a bookish

Discover Eric Carle’s tiny world of insects in new sensory adventure

By Danielle Schwab

In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.

That’s how the journey started for Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, the beloved character from his acclaimed picture book of the same name. Now, Long Island Children’s Museum takes the magnifying glass to Carle’s curious bugs in its newest exhibit, “Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit.”

Created by the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, it’s a follow-up of sorts to last year’s popular Mo Willems exhibit, which also encouraged kids to step into the creative imagination of a beloved author-illustrator.

Visitors find themselves inside the pages of Carle’s colorful books. His “Very” series — all illustrated in his hand-painted tissue paper collage technique — introduces five special insects who take journeys of discovery. Each story is a testament to Carle’s love of nature along with his recurring themes of friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination.

The colorful picture books — more than 70 in all — have been captivating young children since Carle’s first publishing effort, the counting book “1,2,3 to the Zoo,” in 1968.

From there, his “Very” books took off the following year, beginning with the one that started it all, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” of course. Families were immediately captivated by Carle’s little bugs with big emotions.

There’s a deep-felt connection to the insects, according to Ashley Niver, the museum’s education director.

“Children have a fascination with things that are even smaller than they are because they’re usually the ones looking up at the world,” she said. “I find that they have a lot of care and concern for these small living things. They enjoy the roleplay of being a friend of one or becoming one, like wearing the wings of a butterfly and flying around.”

And, naturally, the insatiable caterpillar holds a special place in everyone’s hearts.

“We’ve had parents mention that they read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ as a child and now they are reading it to their child,” Niver says. “The messaging is something that resonates.”

The exhibit may be indoors, but the focus is fully on the outside world, exploring the diversity of the insect kingdom through Carle’s imagination.

“A lot of people relate to ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’

• Now through May 12, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older; additional fees for theater programming

• View the events calendar at LICM.org for additional information, or call (516) 224-5800

• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City.

but there are a lot of other lovely stories,” Niver says. “I don’t think that everyone is as well-versed in some of his other books, so I’m happy that this features some more of them.”

Tumble in the grass, weave a web, find a friend, and even become a butterfly during your visit.

Upon arrival, visitors can follow the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s path on a journey through largerthan-life pages of the book, eating foods on the way to becoming a butterfly. Once the end is reached, you’re now ready to spread your wings.

The Very Busy Spider component includes a giant, web-like structure to step through. This activity tests dexterity, strength and flexibility as kids move across the challenging surface.

At the Very Busy Spider’s Weaving Wall everyone can try to spin their own web on the large wall, experimenting with a variety of stringy materials.

Master new skills at the Very Clumsy Click Beetle Playscape. Here, visitors rummage across a pile of pebbles, crawl through tall blades of grass, step across stepping stones, and walk across the stem of a poppy flower in this playful landscape. Step up to the challenge and persevere like The Very Clumsy Click Beetle.

Also try to catch some light at the Very Lonely Firefly “Find Your Light” interactive station. Move hands and body to lure a firefly toward you. Even work with others to attract multiple fireflies and try to form a group of the beautifully lit insects.

At another component, kids can touch The Very Quiet Cricket and his friends on a relief mural to trigger a sound and create a one-of-a-kind musical composition. The various insect sounds harmonize together to make a “symphony” comprised of rhythms and sounds found in nature.

The exhibit’s studio portion offers up facts about Carle’s life and artistic process.

“Yellow was his favorite color,” Niver says. “Yellow was always the most challenging for him, which I thought was a cool fact. He only mastered four shades of yellow.”

After all that busyness being a bug, families may want to relax by taking a moment to read some books. The nook area is a cozy spot where everyone can nuzzle up in a reading cocoon and read the “Very” stories together.

Through his stories, Carle reminds us: “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life — music, paintings, theatre, dance and sunsets.”

Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actor. Experience her inimitable talent in a spellbinding evening of song that showcases her extraordinary vocal range. Winner of six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy, McDonald possesses a ‘lustrous lyric soprano’ (The New York Times) and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. This stage and screen icon lends her luminous voice and committed stage presence to an intimate concert of Broadway favorites, standards, seldomheard gems, and so much more, accompanied by pianist Jeremy Jordan. With Tony wins in all four eligible acting categories, countless other theatre honors — and a National Medal of Arts conferred by President Barack Obama in 2015, among her other accolades — McDonald is among the most lavishly awarded performers of our time.

Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $60. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Flogging Molly

Celtic-punk rockers Flogging Molly have hit the road with their ‘Road to Rebellion’ tour, sure to rouse audiences with their anthemic odes to the Emerald Isle. Formed in L.A. in 1997 by Irish expat Dave King, the band got its start (and its name) from local bar Molly Malone’s, where they performed, grew their following, and laid down the blueprint for eventual success. Their infectious Celtic-tinged reels are perfect for dancing along to, for those who love their Irish heritage, and those who just want a good time. Expect an eclectic mix of old favorites, sing-a-longs, rare acoustic numbers and new material — all strung together by King’s cheeky tales and jokes and first-rate musicianship. With numerous latenight television appearances, a soldout Salty Dog Cruise through the Caribbean, and a yearly St. Patrick’s Day Festival in L.A., the band’s juggernaut continues.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. $79.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Photos courtesy Long Island Children’s Museum

From caterpillar to butterfly, spider and cricket beetle, Eric Carle’s insects hold a special place in everyone’s childhood. Each element in the gallery relates to specific books in the ‘Very’ series.

Bird walk

The South Shore Audubon Society welcomes all to join its members for another in its series of bird walks, at Hempstead Lake State Park, Sunday, Feb. 25, starting at 9 a.m. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet in parking lot #3, off Exit 18 of the Southern State Parkway. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. No walk if it rains, snows or the temperature is below 25 degrees. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Nellie McKay performs

The effervescent multiinstrumentalist singer-songwriter returns to My Father’s Place with music from her recently released album, “Hey Guys, Watch This,” Friday, March 1, 8 p.m. Recorded in Charleston, West Virginia with The Carpenter Ants and a roving retinue of musical compadres, her album traces the haunted sounds of Appalachia to a renaissance of revelry.

Doors open at 6 p.m., concert is at 8 p.m. 221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. For tickets/ information, visit MFPProductions. com or call (516) 580-0887.

District 24 board meets

V.S. District 24 Board of Education holds its regular meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m., at William L. Buck School. 75 Horton Ave. For more info, email district clerk Jennie Padilla at districtclerk@vs24.org or visit ValleyStreamSchoolDistrict24. org.

Public hearing

The Village Board of Trustees holds public hearing on community development funding at their regular meeting, Monday, March 11, starting at 7 p.m., at Village Hall. 123 South Central Ave. For more information, visit Vsvny.org or call (516) 825-4200 (Option 5).

District 30 board meets

Valley Stream District 30 Board of Education holds its regular board meeting, Wednesday, March 25, at 8 p.m., at Shaw Avenue School, 99 Shaw Ave. For more information, email district clerk Ashley Starna at AStarna@vs30.org or visit ValleyStream30.com.

Village board meets

Village Board trustees hold their regular meeting, Monday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., at Village Hall. 123 South Central Ave. For more information, visit Vsvny.org or call (516) 825-4200 (Option 5).

Movie matinee

On stage

Princesses and other enchanting heroes and heroines take to the stage, when Plaza Theatricals presents its Winter Princess concert, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24 , 11 a.m. Take part in an interactive singa-long featuring an array of everyone’s favorite winter characters. $15. See it at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore (Friday) or at Elmont Memorial Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont (Saturday). For tickets, visit PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday , 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting.

All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org. District 13 board meets

V.S. District 13 Board of Education holds its regular meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m., at James A. Dever School. 585 Corona Ave. For more info, email mrosamilia@ valleystream13.com or visit ValleyStream13.com.

Having an event?

Enjoy a movie on Henry Waldinger Memorial Library’s big screen, Friday, March 1, 1-2:30 p.m. See “King Richard,” the Oscar-nominated 2022 biopic that tells the uplifting story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams and their family. It stars Will Smith as their father Richard Williams. Registration required. 60 Verona Place. For more information, visit ValleyStreamLibrary.org or call (516) 825-6422.

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.

Cardiac screening

Feb. 28

You only have one heart. Getting your coronary calcium score can save your life. Mercy Hospital offers free cardiac screening, Wednesday, Feb. 28 , 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A coronary calcium score is like a ‘mammogram’ for the heart to screen for blockage(s). This simple, non-invasive test can indicate coronary artery disease before the onset of symptoms or heart attacks. For eligibility, you will need to meet any of the following criteria: Be between the ages of 40-70 years old; history of smoking, high cholesterol or blood pressure (even if controlled), diabetes, overweight with BMI >25, family history of heart disease. Limited appointments available. 1000 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre. call (516) 626-3729 to register or visit CHSLI.org/mercy-hospital.

Public Notices

COUNTY OF NASSAU, MCLP ASSET COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff, vs. AVA N. COHEN, Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 6, 2017, an Order Appointing Substitute Referee duly entered on December 3, 2018 and an Order

Extending Time to Conduct Foreclosure Sale and Other Relief duly entered on December 28, 2023, 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 March 4, 2024 at 3:00 p.m., premises known as 11 Fir 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 382 and Lots 42 & 43.

Approximate amount of judgment is $333,179.61 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 015553/2012. 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.

Michael Zapson, Esq., Referee

Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 231356-1 144652

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Plaintiff

AGAINST

Jose Irizarry; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 17, 2023 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 14, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 24 Standish Road, Valley Stream, NY 11580-1132. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Laurelton, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37, Block Q-3 and Lot 12. Approximate amount of judgment $1,102,535.21 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 015217/2013. 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.”

Michele Bencivinni, 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: January 26, 2024 144733

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST,

Plaintiff AGAINST DHARMIE D. INDER, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 7, 2023, 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 March 11, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 208 Dean Street Valley Stream, NY 11580 AKA 208 Dean Street, North Valley Stream, NY 11580 AKA 247-15 135 Road, Rosedale, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being partly in the Borough and County of Queens, and partly in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, State of New York, Block:13230, Lot: 12 (QUEENS COUNTY), Section: 37, Block: 415, Lot: 0384 (NASSAU COUNTY). Approximate amount of judgment $382,521.71 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #602017/2019. 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”. Harold F. Damm, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-002063 79183 144672

Twilight offers students a second chance at school

Continued from page 1

From 2017 and 2022, between six and 15 students dropped out of the Valley Stream Central High School District each year. With a population of roughly 4,600 students, the district’s dropout rate has teetered between one and two percentage points, persistently lower than the state’s average of five to six percent.

What’s more, in recent years, the number of Valley Stream’s high school dropouts has thinned down to single digits. The introduction of the Twilight Alternative Program, three years ago, likely has a part to play in that reduction.

Rescuing students from the academic brink

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, V. SANDRA MULLINGS, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated December 12, 2023, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST is the Plaintiff and SANDRA MULLINGS, 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 March 19, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 140 ARLINGTON AVENUE, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580: Section 37, Block 441, Lot

VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD,

What is the program, exactly?

The program, as Williams puts it, “provides a night high school option for students who are over-aged and under-credited” —meaning those who have fewer credits for graduation than a student their age would normally have— and, for whatever reason, “were not successful in a traditional high school setting.”

There are currently about 20 students in the program, up from three in its first year, with a maximum enrollment of 50. The school, which runs Monday through Thursday from 3:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., is robustly staffed with licensed teachers including those with special education and special language backgrounds, an onstaff social worker, a school counselor, and a teaching assistant.

The reasons that brought these students to the program vary, noted Williams.

“My students have anxiety. My students have to work during the day for their families or take care of their little brothers or sisters,” she said. “Some of my students just fell far behind (in their studies) and then all of a sudden their grades drop and believe there’s no way to recover.”

Lives transformed, school redefined

While the circumstances often differ, Williams says students commonly come to her program as a last attempt to finish their schooling when nothing else seems to work.

Every potential and future student sits down face-to-face with Williams to gauge their specific difficulties, personal motivations, mental and emotional fears, and stumbling blocks.

The conversation is done in an “interview-style” format to show the intended seriousness that the program has in turning the tide of a student’s educational decline.

“Some of my students are hopeless within themselves if you understand what I’m saying,” said Williams. “It’s their mind, it’s their battle, and what we offer is an opportunity of forgiveness and reprieve.”

But alongside a compassionate fresh start, students are also given discipline. Cell phones are not allowed in the classroom. There’s a dress code and an expectation to be punctual.

“One of the quotes I use with my students currently at Twilight is: ‘You can’t teach desire,’ and during my initial interview with students, I tell them, ‘I will support you and give you every resource you need, but you have to believe in yourself to be able to get to the finish line.’”

Williams’ motivation for helping set her students on a path toward graduation comes from her own “underdog” story.

Despite being a “terrible test-taker with severe anxiety” at a young age, Williams pressed forward with her education and attended Hampton University at 16 where she would go on to earn a litany of titles and certifications.

“I’ve always had an affinity for working with students who are considered the underdogs,” said Williams. “I’ve always had an affinity for students who think they cannot do and show them they can do more than they ever thought possible.”

News brief

Nassau P.D. says goodbye to K-9 Kai

The Nassau County Police Department said goodbye to Kai, a retired K-9, on Jan. 4. Kai was born on March 25, 2011, joined the NCPD in March 2012, and retired in early 2020.

K-9 Kai, alongside handler retired police officer Chris Peters, dedicated his life to the NCPD and its citizens. The hard work, endless training, and dedication of K-9 Kai and Officer Peters lead to numerous apprehensions and arrests of dangerous subjects during his career. In addition to apprehending criminals, K-9 Kai protected the citizens of Nassau County by conducting well over 100 bomb sweeps and aiding in locating missing persons.

When K-9 Kai wasn’t busy with his

police responsibilities, he and Peters would visit and conduct demonstrations for various groups and people, including but not limited to schoolchildren, Boy and Girl Scouts, Police Explorers, and community leaders.

K-9 Kai, to those who didn’t know him, looked as if he was all business at all times. But those who worked closely with him knew he was a mush at heart — except if you tried to take his “chuck it ball.” Those in the unit say they can still hear the whistle of that ball through the air as K-9 Kai gave chase.

The NCPD, along with County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder, expressed their sympathy to Peters and his family.

Tim Baker/Herald

danielle Williams was initially hesitant to take on the role of district director of alternative programs if it meant giving up working hands-on with students.

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for 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. Salary

Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

MULTI MEDIA

ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Represen-

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. Salary range is from $20K to $45K 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 mhinman@liherald.com

Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses.

Compensation is based on Full Time hours

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None of this has anything to do with the kitchen or patio, which we hoped to have by summer. We suspect our architect made this much more complicated for us, but now we can’t undo what he did. Naturally, he gets more money to do more plans and permits, which we also think is rather sneaky and uncalled for. Can we report the architect for doing this to us, and can we pull back the permit so we can make all this go away and just do our kitchen?

A. So you believe everyone is out to get you, including your architect, and you have the right to “pull back” your permit, ignoring the conditions of your house. It doesn’t work that way.

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Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

Unfortunately, even though most local governments know that most homes have violations, the governments choose not to prosecute every homeowner, since it would be bad for the business of getting re-elected, so code violations go on without a word until you make the first move, which you did, by coming to the attention of the building officials whose job is public safety.

Every day of the week, people ask if we can’t just look the other way. We absolutely can look the other way, but eventually who will believe us for lying or not doing our job? The issues of your home easily come up by simply bringing up satellite images, on-line accessible documents, including tax department records, showing what is in the home and whether the third floor was finished. Your building official doesn’t need the architect or you to figure out the truth about the illegalities in your home. When your architect shows the actual conditions, which he is required to do, including walls removed, walls finished in rooms that the building department has no previous record of, or other changes, he’s only doing his job. Imagine the scrutiny an architect would receive if a building official walked in to check the conditions and discovered that you and the architect had lied.

I have stated in this column, many times, the statistic that only five people out of 100 will survive a fire on the third floor. Ninety-five people will die of smoke inhalation or burns. So do the right thing and follow through, whichever way you choose. I’m pulling for you.

© 2024 Monte Leeper

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OCrime wave prompts calls for bail reform

n Jan. 27, a New York City police lieutenant and an officer were trying to disperse a disorderly crowd outside a migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan when they were viciously attacked by several people. After the melee, seven suspected assailants were arrested. Three were charged with felony assault and robbery. Of the seven, only one, who had a previous record of disorderly conduct, was held in lieu of $15,000 bail. All of the others were set free.

After word spread about this heinous incident, the resulting public outcry prompted Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to question the Manhattan district attorney about his handling of the situation. At a news conference, Hochul stood before the cameras and condemned the D.A.’s actions, adding that law enforcement should “get them all and send them

back.”

By then, four of the suspects had fled the city. They were eventually caught in Arizona, after an enormous expenditure of police resources, while the others remained at large. On Feb. 13, one of the suspects was arrested with several other people after being caught shoplifting at Queens Center Mall, where a security guard was assaulted while attempting to stop the theft.

TWhile much of the focus on this episode has centered on the migrant crisis, I didn’t hear any commentary about bail reform or how cashless bail affected this situation. While cashless bail most likely wouldn’t have prevented the fight that resulted in the attack on the officers, the aftermath, in which six of the seven suspected assailants were allowed to go free, necessitating the cross-country hunt and the local shoplifting arrest, could have been avoided.

our men and women in blue and law enforcement leadership that is second to none.

Despite that, Long Island is the midst of a crime epidemic. While violent crime is down, property crimes have soared. Crimes such as car theft, burglary and grand larceny have spiked to unprecedented high levels. Retail theft has gotten so out of control that some stores have closed, while others are placing products under lock and key.

he governor’s Band-Aid approach won’t solve the problem.

The governor finally woke up and publicly recognized that the dramatic increase in retail theft was a statewide problem. Unfortunately, her Band-Aid approach to addressing this serious situation won’t solve the problem.

began sending a message to criminals that, even if caught and arrested, they would be set free rather than remain in jail. And that message goes beyond crimes such as theft and burglary to include more serious ones such as assault, larceny, drug dealing and the use of firearms.

The flaws in the bail reform laws are evident almost on a daily basis, but instead of meeting this issue head on, the media and many elected officials point to other reasons for the increase in crime we are witnessing. I am constantly seeing reports issued by the Nassau County Police Department describing horrific criminal activity in which arrests were made, but those involved were let go due to cashless bail, and often continued to break the law.

Here on Long Island, Nassau County has repeatedly been named among the safest counties in the nation, thanks to

I believe the root cause of this crime epidemic is the progressive bail reform laws passed by the State Legislature and approved by Hochul in 2020. Those laws, led by cashless bail, softened the criminal justice system, and instead of doing what they were intended to do by eliminating wealth-based detention,

Our criminal justice system should be protecting the victims of crimes, and not letting the perpetrators go free to commit the same crimes again, or perhaps even escalate their criminal activity. The time has come to repeal bail reform. Albany needs to do it now.

Howard Kopel represents Nassau County’s 7th Legislative District, and is the Legislature’s presiding officer.

It’s Library Lovers Month — borrow a book

Iread “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” my first banned book, when I was 12. My friend lent me the book, and I found the good parts by the dogeared pages. The experience did not compromise my moral compass or corrupt me in any way I can discern. I am not recommending the book for today’s 12-year-olds, because it’s a pretty boring read, but I am advocating that a broad spectrum of books be available to students who choose to read them.

This month, Library Lovers Month, I want to push back hard against the selfappointed literature vigilantes across our country, who are removing books from school library shelves and banning them from classrooms under the guise of protecting children from inappropriate subject matter.

It’s called censorship, and the problem, of course, is who gets to decide what is appropriate or not. In the past, librarians have had full discretion in selecting books. They are trained for the job and trusted in their choices. In

the best libraries, the books reflect all the ways that children and teenagers can be in the world, including gay or trans or identified with any race or religion or socio-economic group.

work for vulnerable kids.

I don’t know if a book has ever saved someone’s life, but I know for sure that battles over books are endangering lives by keeping young people from information and stories that might validate their choices in important ways.

book-ban list, by definition, express feelings, experiences and political views that the prevailing culture prefers to pretend do not exist.”

SFor some young people, the school library is the only place they can read about kids just like themselves. They can learn that others share their confusion or anxiety or fear of being different.

tudents need open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers.

I don’t believe that a teenager can “catch” being gay or trans from reading about it, the underlying prejudice being that there is something wrong with that identity. We can’t scrub young adult literature for references to slavery or minority struggles or even violence, because the best writing reflects real life.

A couple of weeks ago, The New York Times told the story of a librarian in Idaho who organized a “Rainbow Squad,” welcoming children of different backgrounds to read and talk about books. A local church group protested, and the community is battling over whether the Rainbow Squad should be banned, along with the books they’re reading.

I wonder how this group threatens anyone, even as it creates a support net-

In The Washington Post last week, columnist Kate Cohen wrote about the school board in her hometown, Rockingham, Virginia, deciding to ban 57 books in the school library. One-third of the books feature gay or trans characters. Cohen wrote, “Freedom to read is the closest thing we have to freedom to think.”

This month, there can be no more pressing public business than to guarantee age-appropriate, open access to all kinds of books by all kinds of writers, for students across the land.

What can we do? Each of us can become familiar with our school and community libraries, stay informed about the books available to teens and oppose efforts by any groups of book police to decide what teenagers should read. In some communities in Florida, a single parent’s complaint about a book in a school library can get it banned.

As Cohen wrote, “The books on any

I think how lonely and desperate teenagers trying to figure out their lives without access to books must feel. Wellwritten books on racism or sexuality or addiction are a far better source for our kids than TikTok.

We read books for many reasons beyond wanting to be entertained — to solve the mysteries in our lives, to be dazzled or outraged by the way others live. Sometimes we can find our beliefs and lives affirmed in the pages of a new book.

The reason authoritarian entities, be they runaway school boards or governments, ban books is to limit access to ideas that might challenge their power.

We resist by reading and sharing.

The New York Public Library is offering free access to banned books for teenagers anywhere in the country through SimplyE, its e-reader app. The latest banned book pick is “All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It is available to all readers ages 13 and older.

There are worlds out there to be explored. I have had this joy in my life, and I want the same for every reader.

Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

HOWARD KOpEL

RAnDI KREISS

HeraLd editoriaL

Thank you for the snow day

in the past couple of weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of something we haven’t seen much of over the past couple of years: snow.

So much, in fact, that schools in our communities had no choice but to close. And because of that, we have just one thing to say to our school districts in Nassau County: Thank you for the snow day.

Yes, education works best when it’s rigorous and on a schedule. If the young minds loading buses each day were robots, then we’d probably be hesitant to interrupt the routine. Thankfully, our children are living, breathing people. And all of us can use a break from time to time — especially one we didn’t expect.

Anyone who grew up in a climate susceptible to winter almost assuredly experienced at least one snow day in their life, if not several. They go all the way back to the 19th century, when schools became gathering points children would flock to — and where safety would become paramount.

In places like Long Island, where crews are adept at clearing roads, even the best can be overwhelmed by significant storms and heavy snowfalls. And while it might feel like a free day off for many of our young learners, nearly all school districts have built snow days into the schedule — meaning any unexpected days off will be made up later in the spring.

We here on Long Island understand

Letters

the value of snow days, but not everyone shares those values. In fact, there is a growing contingent of education leaders right in our backyard who have been working hard to wipe snow days from existence.

It’s not that New York City has it out for an occasional unscheduled school closing. It’s just that the city’s education department has capitalized on the expansion of technology necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, which made remote learning for all not just possible, but practical.

For the 1.1 million students who attend more than 1,800 schools in the city, instead of sitting inside a classroom to learn on days when it snows, they are sitting in their living rooms and bedrooms instead. All while other people their age, living just a few miles away, grab their snowsuits and sleds and enjoy the winter beauty Mother Nature has delivered.

Learning is important, but snow days are valuable. Quite valuable, in fact. Beyond safety, they provide a muchneeded mental health break — not just for students, but also for the adults responsible for their learning.

The pressure of academic demands and extracurricular activities can be intense. That can lead not just to stress, but even to burnout.

Snow days give all of us a chance to recharge and relax with some unscheduled playtime outdoors. And that’s important, too. We hear too much about

In fighting fires, amateurs are pros

To the Editor:

We are professional firefighters!

I take exception to the comment made by writer Brandon Cruz in his article “Long Island needs more volunteer firefighters” (Feb. 8-14) that our volunteer firefighters are not “professionals.” Cruz reports that if new volunteers don’t join local fire departments, communities will need to hire “professional” firefighters.

Our volunteers are professional firefighters, just not paid for what we do for our communities. We, as volunteers, don’t just put on turnout gear and rush into a burning building without the needed, required and constant training provided by the Nassau County Fire Service at its training facility in Bethpage, and here in Lynbrook, our own department’s training and drills at our training facility in Wilcox Alley.

Back some 44 years ago, the Lynbrook Fire Department was facing a firefighter shortage, and formed the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department for youngsters 12 to 17, to interest them in firefighting, with the goal of becoming firefighters when they turned 18.

During their time as juniors, the youngsters learn basic firefighting methods without actually fighting fires. When they turn 18, they join one of our fire companies,

how video games, computers and television keep so many of our kids indoors. But freshly fallen snow is irresistible, and will almost assuredly get them outside to have some fun. It’s good for their physical health in a way that sitting in front of a computer, watching a teacher on Zoom, just can’t provide.

And a snow day is a chance to build community. Families come together to shovel sidewalks, or maybe help neighbors in need. Children get together, working to build snow forts, or even a snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a top hat.

And who doesn’t love an impromptu snowball fight?

All of that comes with many parents still working remotely, which helps mitigate child-care issues and costs that might otherwise accompany snow days.

Just remember that these days are not breaks for everyone. Let’s not forget the municipal workers who wake up early to plow the snow, as well as the brave souls at utility companies, hospitals, and fire and police departments who, as first responders, are always prepared for the worst.

Each one of our children will spend more than 1,200 days in class through high school. Let them have a break. And let’s show New York City yet another reason why more and more people choose to live and work here on Long Island.

Because on Long Island, snow days are cool.

February is American Heart Month, and this is a story about my heart — literally and figuratively. It’s the reason I am where I am today.

I was born with a significant heart defect called dextrocardia, as well as a ventricular septal defect. Basically, my heart was on the wrong side of my chest cavity and inverted — and it had a hole in it.

setH i. kosLow

When I was 3 months old, my doctors told my parents that I needed openheart surgery to close the hole. At the time, however, my mother was pregnant with my sister. My parents decided to wait until my sister was born before I underwent surgery. But somehow, for some reason, my heart decided that it had to be whole, and the hole I was born with began to close. My heart could stay as it was — imperfect and misplaced, but untouched.

opinions

A journey of the heart

Growing up, I found that I was doing a lot of things half-heartedly, so to speak. Schoolwork wasn’t heartening, and there were few things that excited me. I dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but I couldn’t muster up the resolve to pursue that dream — LSATs, law school, internships, thousands of dollars in loans, six more semesters of school, and years of building a professional profile.

Deterred by these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I remained listless through my early 20s. For a few years after college, I worked in sales. I was good at it, but my heart was definitely in a different place.

That is, until it wasn’t.

went more than a dozen cardioversions to restore the heart’s regular rhythm, and tried various cocktails of medications, all to no avail.

a fter openheart surgery, I decided there was nothing I couldn’t make it through.

In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, also known as an irregular heartbeat. It’s fairly common among senior citizens, but as a 20-something in college, I was now a member of a not-so-enviable exclusive club. over the next several years, I battled my irregular heartbeats, under-

Letters

begin formal basic training at the county Fire Service Academy and are considered probationary firefighters for one year while they complete additional training.

Yes, we always need more volunteers, but our junior program is helping to fill our ranks.

Many area fire departments have also formed junior programs, based on ours, to help fill their own ranks. Admittedly, the juniors aren’t always enough, and some years are better than others. Lynbrook’s chief of department and three assistant chiefs came through our junior program. This isn’t the first time that all four chiefs have been former juniors. Many of our current volunteers came through our junior program.

There are now 30 youngsters in the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department. Two former juniors joined fire companies last month alone when they turned 18. It is estimated that over 40 percent of our juniors go on to become Lynbrook firefighters.

STeve GroGAn Lynbrook

Grogan is a 56-year member of the Lynbrook Fire Department and an ex-captain and honorary chief. He co-founded the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department, and is the department’s public information officer.

We need more governance, less politics

To the editor:

re County Legislator Delia De r iggi-

Whitton’s column “Stop playing petty political games with county resources” last week: The difference of opinion between the legislative minority leader and the majority leader illustrates the difference between governance and politics. nassau would benefit from more of the former and less of the latter.

The millions of dollars in American rescue Plan Act funds at issue, having not been spent as intended, present a “windfall.” Shall we have Bruce Blakeman billboards or firehouse funds? Are we improvident grasshoppers or prudent and antlike? Shall we squander millions on a 125th-birthday party or prudently invest in libraries, cybersecurity and clean water?

BrIAn KeLLY Rockville Centre

Why impeach Mayorkas, Rep. D’Esposito?

To the editor:

U.S. rep. Anthony D’esposito voted in lockstep with rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas despite having no evidence, as required by the Constitution, of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

There is no question that the immigration situation is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. However, the solution is not to scapegoat Mayorkas, but rather to pass the bipartisan legislation to beef up border security and provide more assets to process asylum claims

eventually I met a cardiologist who specialized in adults with congenital heart defects — adults like me. He informed my family and me that the hole in my heart had reopened, and that it was substantially larger than it was when I was a child. This was causing my irregular heartbeat, and it would at last need to be closed. At age 25, because of the placement of my heart, I was about to undergo a potentially first-of-its-kind open-heart surgery.

on March 15, 2007, after five hours of surgery, I awoke with a heart that was beating normally for the first time in almost five years. Making it through that operation sparked something in my soul. Instead of whining about what I had to do to get to where I wanted to be, I decided to ball my fists up, dig in and do it. After all, I had just made it through open-heart surgery. Was there

anything I couldn’t make it through? I finally sat for the LSAT and got myself into law school.

That’s the attitude that’s gotten me to where I am today. When I was burning the candle at both ends, cramming for law school exams and eventually the bar exams, I would remind myself that I was getting stronger. When I was struggling to build my own law practice while juggling my responsibilities as a husband and father, I would remind myself of all that my heart could handle.

naturally, when I saw an opportunity to run for office, a chance to represent and fight for all the communities our local government has left behind, I knew that I could take the heartburn of an arduous campaign, and that I could win over hearts and minds. That’s the mentality that I bring to my law practice, and to my work with my fellow legislators.

The arc of my life’s journey is proof that we are all stronger than we know — that we are all more capable than we can comprehend.

Framework by Tim Baker

more rapidly.

I am sure that the vast majority of Mr. D’ e sposito’s constituents are in favor of the bipartisan legislation hammered out in the Senate that was endorsed by the Border Patrol agents’ union. However, it’s clear that Mr. D’esposito takes his marching orders from Ms. Greene. She, and the rest of the MAGA republicans, do not want to provide a solution to the border prob-

lem until after the november election, as former President Donald Trump has explicitly admitted that it would hurt his chances of being elected again.

Mr. D’esposito owes his allegiance to our country, his constituents and the Constitution he swore to uphold, and not to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump.

roBerT ToLLe Cedarhurst

Seth I. Koslow represents Nassau County’s 5th Legislative District.

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