Valley Stream Herald 03-24-2024

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Egypt museum at Howell

Embracing AI in school

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MARCH 21 - 27, 2024

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Educator helps build ‘bottle school’

By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com

Keith Rossein/Herald

incumbent trustees John tufarelli and Sean Wright won the lion’s share of the votes against achieve party challenger anthony Bonelli in the village’s trustee race on tuesday.

Village incumbents trounce challenger in trustee race

By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com

In a three-person race for two trustee seats at Village Hall, village voters cast their ballots and handily gave incumbent trustees John Tufarelli and Sean Wright, of the United Community Party, victory over Achieve Party challenger Anthony Bonelli. As the top two vote-getters of the at-large trustee race on Tuesday, Wright and Tufarelli, retain their seats for another four years.

The unofficial results gave Tufarelli and Wright a resounding win with 1,317 and 1,225 votes, respectively, against Bonelli, far behind with 167 votes.

Wright, 54, who spent his career in law, served as a prosecutor for the village for more than seven years before being tapped

by Mayor Ed Fare to sit at Village Hall in 2016, following the resignation of Virginia Clavin-Higgins.

Tufarelli, a 62-year-old longtime resident of Valley Stream, comfortably slides into his fifth term as trustee. Aside from a business career, he is the former president and coach of the Valley Stream Mail League Baseball League and a Blessed Sacrament Athletic Association board member.

“I’m very proud to return as trustee,” Tufarelli said in a statement following his win. “I pledge to continue to do my best for everyone in this community.”

“It is truly overwhelming to have the support of this community, which has come out to re-elect me as trustee,” said Wright. “I am very excited that the voters have expressed Continued on page 16

2,000 miles from home, was eager to turn his gaze away from financial red tape and administrative paperwork and look toward the people of Xetapan.

Donning a cap and work gloves, he and his Lifetouch crew joined volunteers from Hug It Forward, a grassrooted educational empowerment organization. The organization has been spearheading the building process of dozens of classrooms in Guatemala with an eye for sustainability through its unique construction method: bottle bricks.

For a week at the start of the year, Jack Mitchell traded Valley Stream’s familiar suburban scenery for the sun-bathed, sloping grasslands of Xetapan in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. It wasn’t your run-ofthe-mill leisure trip, either. T he assistant superintendent of business for Valley Stream District 24 accompanied a crew of educators on a quest to build a school, set to be the home for about 90 to 100 local students.

The team of volPlastic bottles, unteers, hosted by concrete dreams Lifetouch Memory JACk MItCHEll The bottle bricks Mission, came from assistant are so named due all par ts of the superintendent of to the fact they’re United States and business not conventional Canada. For more bricks but plastic than 20 years, Lifetouch has offered its volunteers soda bottles, thousands of a chance to serve communities them, each deliberately stuffed the world over, noted Jan Haeg, with inorganic waste. Once Lifetouch’s manager of com- stacked and packed into tall columns, securely fastened munity relations.

Mitchell, who was roughly Continued on page 16

I

think we’ve forgotten about how to build meaningful relationships with that pure love for humanity.

Sylvan Place gives big check to charities

By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com

Residents of Sylvan Place and charity representatives gathered for the annual check signing ceremony for their most recent block party fundraiser at the Carr household earlier this year.

Led by Alex Carr, the event’s main organizer, neighbors came together to celebrate the culmination of months of fundraising efforts with the official bigcheck handoff to two charities: the Sunrise Association and the Anchor Program Fund.

The fundraiser began as a friendly competition among neighbors but has since evolved into a beloved charity celebration.

“One year while we were outside conversing with neighbors drinking hot chocolate by his wood-burning stove people would stop by to comment on the lights and he offered them some hot chocolate,” Carr said. “This gave me the idea that if we were going to be out here anyway why not offer hot chocolate to warm up the people brave enough to face the elements. While doing this people wanted to pay for the hot chocolate, which we kindly declined but an idea was born that if we were going to be doing it anyway why not do some good and collect and help a charity.”

For decades, Sylvan Place has been

Christine Rivera/Herald

Sylvan bloc party fundraising organizer, Alex Carr, presents a check with Sheryl Carr, John McGovern, Camp Anchor coordinator MaryAnn Hanson, Anchor president Susan Cuoccio, Carole Schroeder, and Christian and Richard Dyer. aglow with holiday lights throughout December and into early January, drawing hundreds of visitors each day. The decorations transform the neighborhood into a magical wonderland,

attracting families from all over.

“After doing this for a couple of years I was at one of the stands when a gentleman came up to us,” Carr said.

“This event was his family’s favorite.

They loved coming by and walking the block looking at the lights, getting a hot chocolate, seeing Santa and leaving a few dollars for charity. Unfortunately, his family passed away in an accident and he relocated to Pennsylvania. He would make it a point every year to travel to Valley Stream on the night of the event in honor of his family and to remember all the good times they shared.”

Over the years, the fundraiser has become a mainstay village event. From suppor ting children with cancer through the Sunrise Association to providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the Anchor Program Fund, the fundraiser embodies the community’s commitment to making a difference, particular for its neighbors with special needs.

“The charities have infor med us through the years as the funds have helped either start programs or keep them going especially during COVID,” Carr said. “And since donations were hard to come by, I have personally been lucky enough to attend a few events and when you see the smiling faces of the kids or talk with them and see how they get to enjoy the fruits of our labor, it is all worth it.”

Residents of Sylvan Place show no signs of stopping, looking forward to continuing their tradition of giving back for years to come.

VALLEY STREAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT THIRTEEN

NEWS RELEASE TRANSPORTATION FOR PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS 2024-2025 As per Education Law, Section 3635, the District must legally provide transportation for District children in grades K-6 attending private/parochial schools. Kindergarten children must be five (5) years of age as of December 1st, 2024.

• The parent must submit a written request for transportation each year and include the child’s name, date of birth, grade, and school.􀀃􀀃 • The request must be submitted to the Transportation Department of Valley Stream School District Thirteen at 585 N. Corona Ave., Valley Stream, NY 11580􀀃􀀃on or before APRIL 2nd 2024 for the school year beginning September 2024.

If your child qualifies for transportation, please be sure that your request is submitted on time. Applications received after April 1st will not be considered except for new residents who are required by law to apply within (30) thirty days after establishing residence in the District.

Visit the Valley Stream 13 website for additional information/ application: www.valleystream13.com

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March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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Caitlyn Jenner supports trans athlete ban pschug@liherald.com

Caitlyn Jenner wouldn’t be allowed to participate in women-focused team sports on Nassau County property — but she’s OK with that.

The transgender former Olympic gold metal-winning decathlete joined County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Mineola Monday to express her support for Blakeman’s ban on transgender girls and women participating in teams geared exclusively toward girls and women on county property.

“I have empathy for all LGBT people, and I have a thorough understanding of all the struggles, no matter how different our circumstances,” Jenner said.

Jenner — who transitioned into a woman in 2015 — had a six-year career in the Olympic men’s decathlon, taking the gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Before, Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellow Jackets.

She recounted her time training and competing in the Olympics, and the saliva tests that the International Olympic Committee used to test for biological male and femaleness.

“It is done in a matter to protect the integrity of the competition,” Jenner said. “Today, the problem is even more clear. Trans women are competing against women, taking valuable opportunities from the law-protected class under Title IX, and causing physical harm.”

Jenner talked about a North Carolina high school volleyball player who said she was injured after a transgender opponent spiked the ball on her during a game.

“In volleyball, we think of it as a non-contact sport,” Jenner said, “but these are the statistics.”

The women’s net is 7.5 inches lower than the men’s net, making it easier to spike, she said. Men also tend

Parker Schug/Herald

Former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete, Caitlyn Jenner, joins Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to support his executive order banning certain transgender athletes from women’s sports at county facilities. to be 8 inches taller than women on the volleyball scene, and can jump 6 inches higher.

“The average spike for the men, a good spike, is 82 miles an hour,” Jenner said. “The average spike for women, 64 miles per hour, 30 percent greater velocity playing a man. And that’s why we have to protect women’s sports.”

Since her transition, Jenner has become a transgender rights activist, and has starred in her own reality television show, “I Am Cait,” documenting her transition.

Jenner ran as a Republican for California governor during the 2021 unsuccessful recall election, earning just 1 percent of the vote.

But not everyone agrees with what Jenner stands for — even in the LGBTQ+ community. David Kilmnick, president and founder of Long Island-based LGBT Network, said Jenner’s support of Blakeman’s executive order is a contradiction to her own identity.

“Embracing policies or ideologies that undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals is not only hypocritical, but also harmful,” Kilmnick said, in a statement. “Jenner’s alignment with such positions not only perpetuates discrimination, but also adds fuel to the rising number of violent and hate incidents committed against transgender individuals.”

Blakeman signed his executive order last month demanding sports, leagues, organizations, teams, programs or sport entities operating in county facilities designate themselves based on male, female or co-ed, and then only accept athletes who meet that criteria according to what was originally listed on their birth certificate.

While those born male would not be allowed to participate in female teams, the order does not ban females from joining male teams.

“My executive order has one goal, and that is to make sure that competition is fair and safe in Nassau County,” Blakeman said. “That we protect women and girls, so that when they train for an athletic competition — when they train to get on a team, when they’re in a meet or tournament — they have the ability to compete fairly.”

Attorney General Letitia James sent a cease-anddesist letter to Blakeman earlier this month, demanding he rescind his executive order, calling it not only transphobic, but also illegal under the state’s human rights and civil rights laws.

Blakeman responded a few days later by joining Mark Mullen, a Nassau County parent of a female athlete, to file a federal lawsuit contesting the order.

Crossroads Farm visits Dever students James A. Dever Elementary School welcomed Crossroads Farm for a special visit, providing students with an opportunity to learn about soil blocking and planting lettuce and marigold seeds.

All involved had an enriching and engaging day immersed in the world of farming and agriculture. Under the guidance of experts from Crossroads Farm, students gained valuable knowledge about the process of planting seeds and nurturing plants.

“We are excited to have had the opportunity to host Crossroads Farm once again this year.

The hands-on learning experience has truly inspired our students and sparked an interest in gardening,” said Darren Gruen, Principal of James A. Dever Elementary School.

The interactive session provided a fun and educational experience for the students, fostering a deeper connection to nature and the importance of sustainable farming practices.

Crossroads is a state certified organic farm dedicated to providing agricultural education to everyone. Using a collaborative approach, they cultivate growing on their small organic farm in Malverne. They are a part of the Nassau Land Trust, a not-for-profit organization that uses a board of volunteers to run the farm.

Crossroads is the closest organic farm to New York City and they sell their crops, along with the crops of local farmers, at their farm stand, and host a farmers market every Saturday.

–Juan Lasso

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 13

Crossroads Farm teaching James A. Dever Elementary School students how to plant seeds and soil-blocking.

Dever students were able to learn about soil-blocking where seed-starting mix is molded into a block, suitable for planting indoors.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

By PARKER SCHUG

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In accordance with New York State Education Law and Board of Education policy, all requests for transportation of children in the Valley Stream Thirty School District to private and parochial schools for the following school year must be submitted in writing by a parent, guardian or authorized representative no later than April 1st. Parents whose children currently receive transportation to private and parochial schools must submit a new request each year along with proof of residency. If homeowners move into the District after the April 1st deadline, they have 30 days to submit a transportation request from the date they established residency in the district. Late transportation requests will not be considered.

Transportation applications are available online www.valleystream30.com/for_parents/transportation or by calling 516-434-3600 ext. 5225.

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CRIME bRIEfS V.S. machete killer faces decades in prison “Robert Velasquez and Michael OliA homeless man who pleaded guilty to the killing of 58-year-old Michael Oli- ver were both sleeping overnight at the ver in March of last year has been sen- 24-hour laundromat when an argument tenced to more than 21 years in prison, erupted and turned violent,” said DonAttorney Anne T. Donnelly announced. nelly.

Roberto Velasquez, 32, was charged “Despite intensive life-saving meawith manslaughter before sures, Michael Oliver tragiJudge Helene Gugerty on cally died at the hospital 10 Jan. 31. Velasquez received days after the attack. Now, the maximum sentence: 21 this defendant will be held and 1/2 years in prison. accountable for his violent Velasquez had mangled outburst and taking another M i c h a e l O l ive r w i t h a life.” machete at the Laundry PalOliver was taken to North ace at 15 W. Merrick Road at Shore University Hospital 2:09 a.m. after a verbal spat where he required emergenbetween the two men escacy surgery. Though he surlated. vived the surgery, Oliver sufVelasquez had reach for RobeRto Velasquez f e r e d d a m a g e t o m a j o r his duffel bag and swung it at organs due to blood loss and Oliver, causing the contents an infection and was placed of the bag to spill to the floor, including on life support. He died 10 days after the a larg e machete. Velasque z then brutal attack. The case is being prosegrabbed the machete and slashed Oliver cuted by Senior Litigation Counsel twice in the back, and once on the back Tracy Keeton of the Homicide Bureau. of his left leg just above the knee. A The defendant is represented by Alan bloodied Oliver was rushed to the near- Schwartz, Esq. est hospital but later succumbed to his “Velasquez will now serve decades in injuries. prison paying for his appalling crime,” Velasquez had gathered his duffle said Donnelly shortly after the ruling. bag and the machete and left the launVelasquez is represented by Alan dromat. Nassau County police shortly Schwartz, Esq. tracked down Velasquez in Lynbrook and took him into custody.

–Juan Lasso

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Two individuals were arrested in connection to an elder scam in Valley Stream that nearly duped a man in giving thousands of dollars on March 18.

The 67-year-old man was reportedly having technical issues with his computer and went online to find a phone number for customer service. The fake tech support representative who went by the name of Joshua Matthews allegedly advised the man of suspicious activity on his bank account and requested $32,500 in cash to correct the problem. When the man went to his

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bank and was told by bank representatives that he was being scammed, he called the police.

“Matthews” was said to have requested photos of the money and said a second representative would come to his home to pick it up. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Weixu Huang, 43, of Manhattan and Yongmei You, 41, of Brooklyn. Both are charged with g rand larceny and released on an appearance ticket returnable on April 8 in First District Court in Hempstead.

–Juan Lasso

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MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/valleystream ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: vseditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 282 E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: rglickman@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Valley Stream Herald USPS 005868, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Valley Stream Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1. Subscription rates: $60 for 1 year. Annual Subscription Rates, $9.75 per quarter auto-pay or $50 one-time payment within Nassau County or $60 outside of Nassau County. Copyright © 2024 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

HERALD SchoolS

Howell creates an ancient Egypt museum Students at Howell Road Elementary School showed off their writing chops and research and creative skills at the school’s annual Ancient Egypt Museum Event.

The students created an informative flip book based on their research, bringing their topics to life with a captivating 3D representation.

The Ancient Egypt Museum provided the students with an opportunity to delve into the rich history and culture of ancient Egypt. Through in-depth research and hands-on projects, students e x p l o re d va r i o u s a s p e c t s o f ancient Egyptian civilization and showcased their findings creatively and engagingly.

Sixth-grade students at Howell Road Elementary School went above and beyond in this year’s museum exhibit, creating detailed flip books that served as informat ive g u i d e s t o t h e i r c h o s e n research topics. Additionally, they brought their topics to life with impressive 3D representations that

added a dynamic and interactive element to the museum experience.

“We are incredibly proud of our sixth-grade students for their dedication, creativity, and hard work in creating the Ancient Egypt Museum exhibit,” said Frank Huplosky, Principal of Howell Road Elementary School. “The flip books and 3D representations not only showcased their research and writing skills but also highlighted their passion for learning and exploring new subjects. This event is a testament to the talent and potential of our students.”

The annual Ancient Eg ypt Museum celebration was a resounding success, with students, teachers, parents, and community members coming together to support and celebrate the students’ achievements. The event served as a platform for the students to share their knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm for learning with a wider audience.

–Juan Lasso

Howell Road Elementary School students held their annual Ancient Egypt Museum Exhibit, providing a tour of history through one of the most significant ancient civilizations.

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 13

Howell sixth-graders created 3-D model representations of Egypt’s ancient civilization: an inventive touch to their exhibit.

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Embracing AI — but in a responsible way

By Rachele Terranova, Parker Schug & Brendan Carpenter Continuing 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.

What place does artificial intelligence have in schools? Should it be feared? Embraced? Somewhere in between?

These are conversations that didn’t even exist a year ago — at least as far as education is concerned.

But as AI becomes more and more accessible, students and teachers alike are finding they can use software to ask questions, find answers, and even complete their work faster — and maybe even better — than they ever could.

But no matter how some may feel about AI — or simply not even understand what AI is — the tool is making its way into schools and curriculum. How fast and how much depends on the district. But at this point, it seems teachers and administrators on Long Island are accepting AI rather than running from it.

Revolutionizing teaching and learning One of those districts is Bellmore-Merrick Central High School, which is not just introducing AI to its students — it’s already turning it into a college-level course.

Offered through the computer science department at Calhoun High School in Merrick, the magnet course partners with Long Island University to offer the college credit to not only Calhoun students, but also those from Kennedy and Mepham high schools in Bellmore, too.

“Each project is aligned with artificial intelligence topics that showcase the practical applications of AI,” said Danielle Caliendo, the district’s mathematics and computer science chair.

Students learn the Python programming language while creating AI chatbots. They also program a robot created by a French technology company to use AI features like facial recognition.

And they fly drones.

Students also completed a linear regression project designed to make predictions based on existing data, like how public company stocks might perform.

Each project is aligned with AI topics that showcase the tool’s practical applications.

Joe Innaco, who leads the district’s administrative and instructional technology efforts, sees technologies like ChatGPT— a free chatbot system designed to provide a human-like response to a prompt— as fascinating possibilities.

“Our vision is of opportunity and innovation,” he said. “That’s how we see technologies like these.

Opportunities and innovations for teachers. We want to provide training. We want to encourage exploration in model classrooms, spotlight success, and really host conversations about it.”

Embracing AI goes right to the stop of the Bellmore Public Schools district, where superintendent Joe Famularo already serves on several AI advisory boards at institutions like Adelphi University, New Tech Institute and LIU. He also participates in think tanks conducted to discover how to incorporate AI into the classroom in a safe and responsible way.

While change might be daunting to many, Famularo points out that it’s not unprecedented. Just think about how much opposition there was to bringing something as simple as a slide ruler into a trigonome-

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

New to schools in Bellmore and Merrick is a college-level artificial intelligence course. Partnering with Long Island University, the class is offered at Calhoun High School, where students can earn college credit by learning about the emerging technology. try class.

“If you look at the history, there was a lot of resistance because it would eliminate all the thinking of doing trigonometry,” he said. “It was used, and it was embraced. And it saves more time for creative thinking and innovation.”

Eventually came scientific calculators, and then the internet. Both received significant pushback, but now who could imagine a classroom without them?

Learning responsible use of AI

Instructors at Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the Five Towns are guiding students there in to use AI responsibly. John Tiliakos — who teaches computer science in the middle and upper schools — tends to let his students lead discussions surrounding AI. AI is coming into his middle schoollevel engineering and technology classes, as well as his more high school-level courses in aviation, aerospace and computer programming.

But even before that, Tiliakos was spreading the word about AI, teaching a class at LWA on how artificial intelligence works in our world.

While that class no longer exists, Tiliakos said he and the other teachers at LWA are still focusing on the same values of providing knowledge for proper use of the technology.

“AI is a great tool,” Tiliakos said. “There’s nothing wrong with it, if it’s used in a positive way.”

That’s why he focuses so much of his attention on inputs — the written instructions given to AI systems.

Tiliakos believes that inquisitive nature of teenagers could lead to devious uses of the technology — like writing term papers and the like.

His responsibility, Tiliakos said, is to direct students toward feeding AI prompts that result in helpful information to be used for beneficial causes.

“When you use AI, you see scenarios based on what you did,” he said. “Every action is a reaction.”

But some teachers — even at LWA — aren’t too keen about the AI presence.

“I don’t think it’s positive or negative,” said Christopher Clark, a senior at the school. “It just depends on how you use it.”

One unlikely way of putting AI to use is through another somewhat newer technological offering: podcasting.

“AI is still new. But for podcasting, it’s still very, very new,” said Henry McDaniel, a theatre arts and oration teacher at LWA. “What it can do is help you write a script for your podcast.”

Podcasting students also can use AI to reproduce their own voice to read their scripts, McDaniel said.

They then post the productions online.

“Our motto here is ‘at home with the world,’” he said. “What we’re trying to do is give them skillsets, but (also) teach them the responsible way of using those skillsets.”

Testing the waters

Implementing AI has been a little slower going in Long Beach, where the discussion on how best to use it continues.

Lorraine Radice, the school district’s literacy director, has worked to alleviate many of the fears some Long Beach teachers might have when it comes to AI, while looking for ways they could try to implement the technology into their respective classrooms.

“Over the summer, I taught two professional development courses in the district and taught teachers how to use ChatGPT,” Radice said. “I surveyed teachers in the fall across the district as to who was using ChatGPT and who knew about it. Even in the fall — after about nine months of ChatGPT being in social media circulations and in the news — not as many people had used it as I expected.”

While Radice would very much like developing ways on how AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be used in classrooms, a lot of her time is still focused on educating teachers what exactly the AI software is.

“So, part of the goals of those summer professional development courses was to raise awareness of how to use it,” Radice said,” and then to really start to support teens in thinking about how it could be used from the planning side of being a teacher. And then also how it can be used as a tool to provide support and equitable access to writing and generating ideas for CoNtINUed oN NeXt Page

Some teachers worry AI goes a little too far

HERALD — March 21, 2024

ConTinued From PreViouS PAge

kids.”

Having access to AI has impacted classrooms already by allowing students to use it to aid research, while many teachers worry they could go too far and have AI completely answer questions and even write essays for them.

But that just means adapting.

“A teacher raised a great question during a session when talking about using artificial intelligence tools to analyze classical texts,” Radice said. “The same question has been asked so many times, and she asked, ‘If I could just get the answer from a tool like ChatGPT, then what’s the point of even asking this type of question?’

“That’s a great thing for people to think about. What is John TiliAkos the point of this question? Can teacher, I rephrase this question that Lawrence Woodmere really puts the student at the Academy center of the thinking, and not so much (a) media tool?”

But there is still a ways to go before AI becomes more commonly accepted in classrooms, Radice said.

At least on Long Beach.

“I wouldn’t say that there is a push,” she said. “I think part of that is because of the privacy. We want to make sure that we’re using tools that are safe to use in school. And once we do that, then it can become a more consistent part of our practice.”

A I is a great

tool. There’s nothing wrong with it, if it’s used in a positive way.

Parker Schug/Herald

Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the Five Towns has a professional podcasting room where students learn to develop, record and upload audio programs using open-source artificial intelligence technologies to not only write scripts, but to handle actual audio production.

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March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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BRINGING LOCAL SPORTS HOME EVERY WEEK

HERALD SPORTS

Hofstra pushes for CAA playoff berth

By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com

After an up and down nonconference schedule, Hofstra women’s lacrosse gets a chance to hit the reset button with the start of conference play.

Hofstra entered the start of the Coastal Athletic Association portion of its schedule with a record of 3-4 and kicked off the league slate on an uplifting note with a 13-10 win at Campbell last Saturday.

The Pride is now looking to qualify for the four-team CAA tournament in early May after missing out on the postseason for the first time since 2018 last spring.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for a new season and I think we have started to find out a lot about ourselves and who we are as a team,” said 12th-year Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith.

“Overall we have started to play Photos courtesy Hofstra Athletics Communications better and we’re starting to hit Grad student Taylor Mennella is off to a sizzling start for the Pride with 29 points through our stride at the right part of our season when we go into con- seven games. ference play.” lied 35 goals during her UNC career and ing 13-5 victory against Long Island UniT h e P r i d e h ave a l re a dy equaled their win total from last season was part of the Tar Heels’ 2022 national versity on Feb. 10.

The Pride’s roster features plenty of championship team. “She’s been nothwhen Hofstra went 4-12 with two of those victories coming prior to a season- ing but a tremendous addition and asset Long Island players including senior attacker Grace Pupke, who was a standending knee injury to rookie phenom to our team.”

Senior midfielder Kerry Walser has out at Seaford High School. Pupke regisNikki Mennella. The now redshirtfreshman attacker is back healthy and provided key veteran leadership in her tered an assist late in the Wagner win is third on the team with 16 goals final season with —- goals so far. The and is often utilized in the player-up sitBay Shore native was an integral part uations on the offense. despite missing two games.

“Grace is one of our hardest workers Graduate student Taylor Mennella, of the 2021 Hofstra team that received the older sister of Nikki, is tied for first an at-large bid to the NCAA Tourna- on our team,” said Smith of Pupke, who registered 44 goals and 16 assists during on the team in scoring with 29 points on ment her freshman season.

The Hofstra defense– led by Trinity her final high school season at Seaford 19 goals and 10 assists. Hofstra has also gotten a boost from graduate student Reed, Brynn Hepting, Ashlyn McDonald in 2019. “She’s a great person and a attacker Melissa Sconone, a University and Christine Dannenfelser— held Wag- great teammate and brings a lot of enerof North Carolina (UNC) transfer who ner scoreless for three quarters in a gy to our practices.”

Hofstra will host William & Mary in dominating 15-2 win on March 5. Sophoalso has 29 points.

“She brings a lot of leadership and a more goalie Luchianna Cardello is start- its CAA opener this Friday, March 22 at lot of experience and a calming pres- ing in net for the second straight season 5 p.m. before returning home Sunday to ence,” said Smith of Sconone, who tal- and recorded 10 saves in a season-open- face Elon at noon. The Pride will also

Redshirt freshman Nikki Mennella has found the back of the net 16 times already this spring. host Monmouth on April 12 at 5p.m. and close the conference schedule on April 27 versus Drexel at noon. The remaining road league schedule is highlighted by an April 21 visit to Long Island rival and defending CAA champion Stony Brook at noon.

“Every game that you play is a backyard brawl and anyone can win on any given day in our conference,” Smith said. “I’m just super excited for the journey that we’re about to go on with our team for conference play.”

Make dismemberment a bail-eligible crime? nformisano@liherald.com

A group of teenagers was walking home from school on Feb. 29 when they found a human arm in Southards Park, in Babylon. A police investigation revealed that a man and a woman had been dismembered, their body parts hidden across Babylon. Police arrested four suspects in connection with the crime — and, days later, those suspects were released from jail.

“These people could be running around in the community because the bail laws prevent us from holding them,” State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fizpatrick, from Malverne, said. “You don’t know who they are. They could be behind you in line at CVS. They could be at the library.”

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, with State Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Assemblyman Mike Durso, has introduced legislation to make body dismemberment and concealment of a human corpse a bail-eligible class E felony. It would also create an exception to help prevent suspects in such cases from being released, even with GPS monitoring.

But this, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said, is just addressing the symptom of the problem — not the cause.

“I would prefer we look at bail reform in total and change a number of things,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re forced to H E W L E T T

H E W L E T T

W O O D M E R E

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Courtesy office Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, with other Republican representatives joined Mayor Mary Adams and Deputy Mayor Frank Seibert from Village of Babylon to introduce legislation that would make dismemberment a class E felony. come up with these piecemeal legislation to remove some of the more egregious impacts of bail reform.”

Bail can only be set for a specified list of crimes. Murder is on the list. Hiding a human corpse is not. That’s what happens when you legislate for specific facts, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said — other

things inevitably fall through the cracks.

Further, New York is the only state where judges don’t have the discretion to consider the dangerousness of the suspect when determining bail.

“The DA said if the judge could have considered the dangerousness of the defendants, he would have been able to

set bail,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said, “But we took that away from them.”

Bail reform served to fix valid problems, she said, like people staying in jail for too long because they couldn’t afford to set bail — but the pendulum has swung too far, and the bail system now favors criminals over victims.

“Anybody that could stand here and say that a person who’s dismembering a corpse, throwing a human head into a park, a leg, an arm, that they are not dangerous,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said, “You need to think really hard about your definition of dangerousness.

Because in my opinion, those people clearly are a danger to our community if they can act in such a depraved manner.”

But will the bill make its way to the state Senate and Assembly floors before session ends in June? Whether it does, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said, is entirely up to the Democrat-controlled legislature.

The main question is whether or not Democrats will admit they made mistakes with bail reform, she added. But in the meantime, she and other state representatives are focused on solutions that mitigate what they believe are the most serious effects of bail reform.

“These pieces of legislation are tangible ways of making things better,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “That’s what our communities need. They need to feel safer. But (Democrats) first have to acknowledge that there’s a problem.”

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

By NICOLE FORMISANO

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March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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Dan Offner/Herald

Traditional bagpipers from Armagh County in Northern Ireland, the religious capital of the country, participated in the 2023 Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Day Parade last year.

South Shore readies for RVC St. Patty’s parade The parade that ‘cares and shares’ returns

By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com

The Village of Rockville Centre is buzzing with excitement in preparation for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 23. Considered to be one of the largest parades on Long Island, hundreds are expected to be in attendance this weekend for the two-hour festivities, which will kick off at noon.

“We are truly very excited about this year’s Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade,” Jackie Kerr, president of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, said. “It’s hard to believe this will be our 27th year marching down Maple Avenue and we’re anticipating a record crowd.”

Greg Schaefer, president and chief executive officer of Better Home Health Care Agency in Rockville Centre, will lead the procession as this year’s parade grand marshal.

“I am most excited to be marching amongst family and friends in our wonderful Village of Rockville Centre,” Schaefer said.

His selection as the grand marshal marks a significant milestone in the parade’s history, as he becomes the youngest individual to be bestowed with the honor at 49.

“We’re thrilled to be honoring our Grand Marshal Greg Schaefer, a Rockville Centre resident and local business-

man, who also works tirelessly behind ing events to raise money for Beyond the scenes with so many community ini- the Badge, the Limb Kind Foundation and the Crocus Cancer Support Centre tiatives,” Kerr said.

Better Home Health Care has provid- in County Monaghan, Ireland. These ed at-home patient care for individuals organizations address critical issues living on the south shore of Long Island including mental health awareness among first responders, prosince 1987. During the last viding prosthetic care to six years, under Schaefer’s children suffering limb loss, leadership, the agency has and offering peer support flourished, garnering a repfor cancer survivors. utation as one of the lead“What means the most i n g p roviders of home about the parade is that all health care in the region. of the proceeds leading up Schaefer’s involvement to the parade will be shared in community initiatives amongst three amazing extends beyond his profescharities,” Schaefer said. sional endeavors. For the “The ability to help all of past decade, he has been an these amazing organizaactive member of the St. tions in their missions is Patrick’s Day Parade Comwhat makes this parade that mittee, and he previously ‘cares and shares’ one of a served as president of the kind.”

C h a m b e r of Commerce GREG SchAEFER The parade itself promisfrom 2014 to 2017.

Grand Marshal, es to be a vibrant display of The St. Patrick’s Day 2024 RVC St. Irish culture and communiParade Committee, in keep- Patrick’s Day Parade ty spirit, beginning with a 9 ing with its tradition as the a.m. morning Mass at St. “Parade that cares and shares,” selects three charities each Agnes Cathedral, before the procession year — one local, one national, and one commences along Maple Avenue at Irish — to benefit from the organiza- noon.

“It’s going to be a wonderful day,” tion’s fundraising efforts. Since 1997, the committee has raised more than $1.6 Rockville Centre Mayor Francis X. Murray said. “There will be multiple Irish million for different charities.

In the weeks leading up to the parade, pipe bands, fire departments and many the committee held a series of fundrais- organizations participating.”

I

am most excited to be marching amongst family and friends in our wonderful Village of Rockville Centre.

This year’s parade will also take place in memory of Bud Cosgrove, a local legend and a parade co-founder, who died in February. A beloved member of the community, Cosgrove spent a lot of time and energy to make sure the parade that “cares and shares” carries on his legacy.

“We are looking forward to seeing sunshine and thousands of smiling faces on March 23rd,” Kerr said.

The parade will kick off from the municipal parking lot on Sunrise Highway and proceed east, turning left on North Long Beach Road, followed by another left on Maple Avenue. At the end of Maple, marchers will turn right on North Park Avenue, then left on College Place, passing St. Agnes Cathedral on Quealey Place, then left on North Village Avenue and right on Washington Street, where the parade will end.

Police barricades will be posted along the parade route from noon to 2 p.m., including several roadways that will be closed to traffic in order to ensure the safety of participants and parade attendees. There will be no parking along the parade route, and no parking on North Long Beach Road between Sunrise and Water Street. Motorists are advised to relocate their vehicles from the route before 8 a.m. Those needing to gain access across Sunrise Highway will have to continue towards Grand Avenue in Baldwin.

STEPPING OUT Rick Wakeman

An artistic revolution on view at Hofstra Museum

D

By Danielle Schwab

reams collide with reality and the subconscious reigns supreme. That’s the essence of the transformative approach of the avant garde artists at the forefront of the Surrealist Movement. Inspired by André Breton’s 1924 Surrealist Manifesto in France, artists, writers and filmmakers diverged from conventional thought to explore ideas such as the unconscious and the irrational.

Step into the fascinating creativity of the surrealists at Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibit “Les Visionnaires: In the Modernist Spirit.” It’s a deep dive into what became a new movement that transformed how artists moved on from rigid historical styles to invent new ways to respond to their world.

The exhibit commemorates the 100th year of the Surrealist Manifesto, which forever changed artistic practice. More than 70 works from 1924 through the 1970s — sourced from the Museum’s permanent collection and the Howard L. and Muriel Weingrow Collection of AvantGarde Art and Literature from Hofstra University Special Collections — are on view.

“The manifesto is important because artists from this time period are breaking away from the French Academy,” Alexandra Giordano, Hofstra University Museum of Art’s director and co-curator of the exhibit, explains. “It’s a concrete way to unify artists working in different styles.

• Now through July 26 The manifesto really engages the • Saturday and Sunday, noonunconscious mind, the importance 4 p.m.; Tuesday through of dreams and free association, the Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Emily Lowe Gallery, Hall, rejection of rational thought. It’s South Campus, Hempstead. revolutionary because it’s really about • For information, and to RSVP the liberation of the imagination.” to related events, call (516) Suddenly, artists whose work 463-5672 or visit Hofstra.edu/ was tethered to the French Academy, museum established in 1635, realized that new modalities, mediums, and methodologies were a more appropriate way to respond to the rapidly changing world in which they lived. “Political, economic and cultural shifts inspired a new forward-thinking attitude in artists who, in turn, discovered radical innovations in aesthetic forms, techniques and content.

Paris was the epicenter. Artists were drawn to the city, where a drive for pushing boundaries and sharing their transformative vision thrived,” Giordano explains in the forward to the exhibit catalog.

Jean Arp, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst and Joan Miró are among the 25 artists and writers represented here.

Besides the artworks, first-edition books are on display including an original copy of the Surrealist Manifesto. Françoise Gilot, who had a tumultuous, decade-long partnership with Picasso and is the mother of two of his children, also figures prominently in the exhibit. Gilot had a close association with Hofstra and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1982. She was an honorary conference chair of the 1985 Hofstra Cultural Center conference “Toward a Reappraisal of Modernism,” a program on avant-garde art and literature.

The Surrealist movement emerged in response to shifting political and societal landscapes.

“You had World War I and World War II that were devastating events, but at the exact same time you had Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of dreams,” Giordano says. “All of these new ideas were being explored, juxtaposed to these scary world events. Artists were responding to it all.”

Paris became a hub for artists to collaborate — sharing ideas, living spaces, lovers, and friends.

“They show us how we can work with our peers to produce

something powerful,” Giordano adds. “Their partnerships and collective approach captured the realities and hopes of modern society.”

She cites Francois Gilot Salvatore Dalí’s lithograph “Untitled from Memories of Surrealism,” (a suite of 12 prints he created in 1971 reflecting on his long artistic career) as a prime example of the movement’s significance.

“It reflects on the stream of consciousness with this out-of-body experience,” she says. “You have this large eye in the background, there’s a clock on the pupil and (in the forefront) there’s butterflies.

It captures otherworldliness.”

Salvador Dali Not only was a change of ideas happening at the time, but also a change of mediums.

“They focused on interdisciplinary vision using a lot of different materials,” Giordano says. “In addition to this dream-like quality and imagery, there is also this idea of collaboration for bookmaking, photography, collage, poetry, set design and film. These artists created these new ideas towards art, which was a deviation from the expected outcome.”

One of the ‘Les Visionnaires’ as they were known, was filmmaker and artist Jean Cocteau, who directed the 1946 adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” (La Belle et la Bête). Based on the original fairytale with a surrealist twist, the film is a testament to bringing the traditional to reinvention. Visitors can view portions of the film throughout the exhibit.

As always, related programming enhances the exhibit. For those who want a more in-depth look, join Giordano for a guided exhibit tour and discussion, Tuesday, April 16, at 5 p.m. During the tour, as Giordano puts it, participants will learn all the “juicy tidbits.”

As Long Island’s only nationally accredited public-facing academic museum, Hofstra Museum is an important local resource.

“Our neighboring communities don’t realize that they don’t have to travel to New York City to see wonderful art, they can come here,” Giordano adds. “They can be nose-to-nose with important artists, and experience this beautiful art in their backyard.”

The exhibit includes Salvador Dalí’s etching and lithograph, Untitled, from Memories of Surrealism, Portfolio, 1971. A gift of Benjamin Bickerman.

Also Françoise Gilot’s lithograph IX, from On the Stone: Poems and Lithographs (Sur La Pierre: Poemes et Lithographies), 1972. Courtesy of Special Collections, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, Hofstra University.

Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman is headed back on the road for one last jaunt, ‘The Final Solo Tour.’

Known for his incredible talents, sense of humor, and multitudinous back catalog, expect to hear some of his best-known hits from both his solo career and his collaborations with Yes, Bowie and more among musings and hilarious tales from his 50-plus years in the music industry. Wakeman — who has become almost as well-known for his intimate piano shows as his prog rock extravaganzas — has decided that after a decades spanning career spanning he is calling a halt to lengthy American one-man show tours, in order to concentrate on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians.

In addition to his musicianship, Wakeman has evolved into a well-loved television presenter and author, with his bawdy British wit endearing him to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. $75, $5, $45, $29.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Comedy’s ‘Ivy League’ The Ivy League of Comedy arrives on Long Island with their elite brand of clever humor. Carmen Lynch (above), Ryan Reiss and Shaun Eli deliver the laughs in this fast-paced evening of stand-up. Lynch, who made it to the semi-finals of NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing,’ is known for her deadpan delivery and riffs on life. A rising star from a bilingual family, who lived in Spain as a child, she’s appeared on a string of latenight television shows,’Inside Amy Schumer,’ and more. Funnyman Reis, also a writer-actor, began his career while attending NYU, and quickly became a favorite act on the scene. His quick wit and instant likability have made him one of the most sought-after comics on the club circuit. Eli has rightfully been called one of America’s smartest comics. Whether it’s a story about dining with a vegetarian or successfully fighting a parking ticket in criminal court, master storyteller Eli shows you that there’s hilarity in the ordinary if you approach life with a comedic warp. For just about anything he’s experienced he has hilarious stories at the ready.

Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m. $45-$50.

Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at MadisonTheatreNY.org or (516) 323-4444.

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

Unlocking the

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Your Neighborhood

March

THE

March

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Bird walk

So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience

Get ready for an unforgettable night on the Paramount stage, Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m. Robert Neary honors an icon with The Neil Diamond Experience, a tribute show like no other. With over 35 years as a Broadway, TV, and film actor, Neary brings a unique touch to this production, weaving Neil Diamond’s greatest hits with stories from interviews, quotes, and autobiographical books. Neary creates an incredible cut above the rest tribute show. You will swear you are watching the master himself as he and the band perform Neil Diamond’s greatest hits. With his powerful presence, from the moment he struts on stage wearing trademark black, gray, and silver sequined jacket, Neary, uncannily, resembles Neil Diamond at the height of his touring career in the 90s and 2000s. His wit and mannerisms on stage is spot on, especially when he plays his guitar.

When he speaks and tells the stories and trivia behind some of Neil’s most popular songs, his rich baritone gravelly voice can easily be mistaken for Neil’s own speaking voice. But make no mistake about it at all, if you close your eyes and listen to him sing any of the 22 classic Neil Diamond songs with the magnificent band behind him, you will swear you are listening to the Master himself. This truly is, the most authentic tribute to one of the greatest artists in musical history. The title says it all. It is the quintessential Neil Diamond Concert Experience. With a finale that will blow your mind, the show is guaranteed to have you on your feet dancing and cheering. $49.50, $39.50, $35, $29.50, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

See some birds with the South Shore Audubon Society. All are welcome to join members for the next in its series of bird walks, at Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve, Sunday, March 24, starting at 9 a.m. The entrance road to the Norman Levy Preserve is located on the south side of Merrick Road, just east of the Meadowbrook Parkway.

Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you.

Bring binoculars. The group will meet at the gazebo. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 4679498. No walk if rain or snow.

Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Saturday Social Henry Waldinger Memorial Library hosts a Saturday Social for teens with special needs, Saturday, March 23,1:30 p.m..

Watch part of a movie, do fun social activities, and talk about the film. 60 Verona Place.

Visit ValleyStreamLibrary. org or call (516) 825-6422 for information.

On exhibit Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Urban Art Evolution,” is a comprehensive exhibit featuring a diverse range of compositions from the 1980s through the present by creators who were based in the rough and tumble downtown area of New York City known as Loisaida/LES (Lower East Side/East Village) and close surrounding neighborhoods.

Artists pushed the boundaries of what was considered “art” with a primary focus on street/graffiti art.

The exhibit’s scope, guest curated by art collector/gallerist Christopher Pusey, offers an even broader view from other creative residents, who worked inside their studios but still contributed to the rich fabric of the downtown art scene from different vantage points and aesthetics.

Works include sculpture, paintings, photography, music, and ephemera from many noted and influential artists.

Opens March 23, on view through July 7. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

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District 30 board meets

March

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Poet-essayist Elizabeth Schmermund, who is an assistant professor of English at SUNY Old Westbury, reads from her works, as part of Hofstra University’s Great Writers Great Readings series, Wednesday, March 27, 4:30 p.m.

Her work has appeared in The Independent, Mantis, and Gyroscope Review, among other venues. Her first poetry chapbook, “Alexander the Great,” is published by Finishing Line Press. Free and open to the public. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library, South Campus, Hempstead. Register in advance at events.hofstra. edu or call the Hofstra Cultural Center at (516) 463-5669 for more information.

District 24 board meets Valley Stream District 24 Board of Education holds its regular board meeting, Wednesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m., at William L. Buck School. 75 Horton Ave. For more information, email district clerk Jennie Padilla at districtclerk@vs24.org or visit ValleyStreamSchoolDistrict24. org.

Meet the Easter Bunny Families can enjoy Easter fun at Hendrickson Park, Saturday, March 23, 9:30-2 p.m. Meet the Easter Bunny, with bounce house and Easter goodie bag. 123 W. Merrick Road.

Registration required at Vsvny. org or call (516) 821-3786.

Bunny Bubbles Bash Green Acres Mall hosts a Bunny Bubbles Bash, Saturday, March 23, starting promptly at 1 p.m. With bubble activities and Spring-themed Easter Airbrush tattoos. For more information call (516) 561-1157 or visit GreenAcresMallOnline.com.

Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, March 23, noon-3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork.

Kids and adults connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child.

For ages 2-14. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org for to register or call (516) 4849337.

Legion Post meeting Valley Stream’s American Legion Post 854 meets, Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. 51 Roosevelt Ave. For more information, call (516) 791-0719 or visit AmericanLegion854.com.

Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes spring when it opens its doors for an after-hours celebration, “Spring EGGstravaganza,” Saturday, March 23. Peter Cottontail greets families, 6-9 p.m., with a night of engaging activities celebrating iconic symbols of the season. Children can start their evening by decorating a Cool Carrot goody bag to collect items throughout the night.

Activities include the creating such spring-themed items as a Bunny Puppet Pal, How Does your Garden Grow planter, an Everywhere a Chick Chick necklace and a Spring has Sprung hat. Also test your skills in egg relay races and take part in a museum-wide scavenger hunt. All that celebration got you egg-hausted? Make a sweet treat to recharge your energy.

The LICM Theater hosts eye-popping performances of BubbleMania Jr. with bubbleologist Jim Napolitano (6:15, 7:05 and 8 p.m.) Sit back and witness fascinating bubble sculptures being crafted and discover soap bubble tricks, with plenty of comedy and audience interaction woven into this spell-binding show. Dancing bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, arches and a bubble fountain on display create a truly memorable performance. (Additional ticket required for theater performance.) $15 per person ($13 members); BubbleMania Jr. ticket fees are $4 with EGGstravaganza admission ($3 members). Advance tickets are recommended for this popular event. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Having an event?

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.

Friend

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.

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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

Literary conversation

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.

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Get hoppy

Art explorations

March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

HERALD SchoolS

VSCHSD board welcomes student liaisons The Valley Stream Central High School District is proud to welcome its Board of Education student liaisons for the 2023-2024 school year. These three students are Gunand Thind, from North High School; Ashley-Ann Francis, from South High School; and Mary Youssef, from Central High School.

The new liaisons were selected by their senior high school building principals, and their nominations mark a shift from the previous VSCHSD Board policy of selecting a single student liaison on a yearly rotating basis from each school to serve on the board. For this year and going forward, a student representative from each senior high school will sit on the board simultaneously, and relay concerns and requests from their respective student bodies as the board works to develop district policy.

Gunand Thind – North High School “Gunand is an exceptional young lady whose intellectual creativity and motivation sets her apart as a truly remarkable scholar and individual,” said North Principal Robin Small. “Respected by faculty and students, she combines warmth and

English Literature, AP Government and Politics, AP French Language and Culture, and AP Psychology.

This fall, she was recommended as an AP Scholar with Distinction and received an AP Capstone diploma. She is the current president of the student council, president of the History Honor Society, and is a member of the Key Club, library squad, and is the treasurer of the National Honor Society.

Ashley-Ann Francis – South High School Courtesy Valley Stream Central High School District

For the first time, the Valley Stream Central High School District board of education welcomed its three newest student liaisons to the board Gunand Thind, from North High School; Ashley-Ann Francis, from South High School; and Mary Youssef, from Central High School. confidence with a readiness to participate and voice her opinions.”

Gunand is currently president of North’s ecology club and National Honor Society; she is a member of the grade council, senior high school student council, and is a member of the Mathletes and student peer organization. “

Mary Youssef – Central High School “I am honored to introduce Mary Youssef as the student representative from Central,” said Central Principal Candace Hugee. Mary is in the top 1 percent of her class and has taken numerous Advanced Placement classes including AP Statistics, AP Calculus BC, AP

“Ashley-Ann is an extremely accomplished individual who has shown an incredible amount of dedication to both her studies and her community,” said South Principal Matthew Swinson.

She is a 16-year-old senior at South, and is currently in the top 2 percent of her graduating class with a GPA of 103.97. Ashley-Ann has been awarded an AP Seminar in Research certification as well as an AP Scholar with Distinction award from College Board. Ashley-Ann also helps oversee 11 Key Club chapters on Long Island.

–Juan Lasso

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LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-8, Plaintiff against FAISAL N. LODHI A/K/A FAISAL LODHI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered August 27, 2019, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 3, 2024 at 2:30 PM. Premises known as 88 Sobro Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Sec 37 Block 466 Lot 7. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $527,157.31 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 005074/2012.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules.

The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Rod E. Kovel, Esq., Referee File # SPSJN204 145154 To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, Against JERD ORIENTAL A/K/A JERD M. ORIENTAL, MIRLYNE RICHARDSONORIENTAL, GARDY ORIENTAL, et al.

Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 10/18/2016, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on 4/2/2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 16 Hudson Ave, Valley Stream, New York 11580, And Described As Follows:

ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village Of Valley Stream, Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.

Section 37 Block 452 Lot 11-14.

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $643,572.55 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 3680/2012 If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

George P. Esernio, Esq., Referee.

MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 1/17/2024 File Number: 464-0051 CA 145098

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU INDEX # 613616/2023 Property: 139 Locust Street, Valley Stream, New York 11581 Supplemental Summons with Notice of Action to Foreclose a Mortgage UMB Bank, National Association, not in its individual capacity, but solely as legal title trustee for LVS Title Trust XIII, Plaintiff(s), against Unknown heirs at law of Compton I Wilson Jr., and if they be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors; administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; Louanne V. Wilson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, The People of the State of New York, The United States of

America, and “JOHN DOE #1,” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises being foreclosed herein, Defendant(s). WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorneys within 20 days after the service of this summons exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State.

The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME I f you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Sheldon May & Associates, P.C. by Ted Eric May, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff. 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, New York 11570. Phone: 516-763-3200. File # 39393 145090

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Trustee for WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-PR4 Trust, Plaintiff AGAINST

Michael C. Browne a/k/a Michael Browne; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered April 20, 2020 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 April 9, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 20 Charles Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in Rosedale, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, District 16 Section 37 Block 470 Lot 5.

Approximate amount of judgment $402,541.67 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 612120/2018.

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.”

Joseph Trotti, 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: February 5, 2024 145335

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

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Bank of America, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Simran Kaur; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 19, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 10, 2024 at 4:00PM, premises known as 51 Sobro Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37 Block 521 Lot 2. Approximate amount of judgment $482,798.41 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 605425/2018.

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.”

Leonard Symons, 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: February 8, 2024 145333 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON TRUST, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS TRUSTEE OF MFRA TRUST 2015-1, Plaintiff, vs. SEBASTIAN A. LEONARDI A/K/A SEBASTIAN LEONARDI, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 30, 2024, 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 April 11, 2024 at 4:00 p.m., premises known as 123 Albermarle Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580.

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 607 and Lot 22.

Approximate amount of judgment is $545,528.46 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #611066/2020.

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.

Cary David Kessler, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff Firm File No.: 191501-3 145327 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY Plaintiff, Against CAROLYN J. ANDERSON A/K/A CAROLYN ANDERSON, ET AL

Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 08/27/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 4/16/2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 111 South Drive, Valley Stream, New York 11581, And Described As Follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village Of Valley Stream, Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau And State Of New York.

Section 39 Block 409-06 Lot 102 The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $494,051.08 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 13-014284 If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

Dominic A. Villoni, Esq., Referee.

MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 2/1/2024 File Number: 548-0111 CA 145452 LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Plaintiff - against JEAN M. PETION, et al Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on October 17, 2016. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 “Rain or Shine” on the 11th day of April, 2024 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being at Valley Stream, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.

Premises known as 1630 Arkansas Dr., Valley Stream, NY 11580-1806.

(Section: 37, Block: 670, Lot: 28) Approximate amount of lien $848,367.70 plus interest and costs.

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

Index No. 000588/2012.

Malachy P. Lyons, Esq., Referee.

Stein, Wiener & Roth LLP

Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315 Westbury, NY 11590 Tel. 516-742-1212 PETION-69123 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832 Dated: January 26, 2024 During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.

145396 LEGAL NOTICE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE CLERK/ADMINISTRATOR 123 South Central Avenue Valley Stream New York 11580 (516) 592-5105 MEETING NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream will hold its annual Reorganization Meeting and any other business as may come before the Board on Monday, the 1st day of April, 2024, at 7:00 o’clock p.m. in person and on ZOOM in the Village Hall Auditorium, 123 So. Central Avenue, Valley Stream, New York.

The public may attend the Reorganization Meeting or join on ZOOM using the link provided. https://us02web.zoom.us/ j/7148140969 Twenty-four hours before the meeting, there will be a link on the Village website www.vsvny.org to download the meeting calendar.

Dated: Valley Stream, New York March 21, 2024 JAMES J. HUNTER Village Clerk/Administrator 145583 LEGAL NOTICE State of New York Office of the State Comptroller NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OF THE VALLEY STREAM UFSD THIRTEEN FOR THE PERIOD BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 2021 AND ENDING ON JUNE 30, 2023 HAVE BEEN EXAMINED BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THAT THE REPORT OF EXAMINATION PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE

COMPTROLLER HAS BEEN FILED IN MY OFFICE WHERE IT IS AVAILABLE AS A PUBLIC RECORD FOR INSPECTION BY ALL INTERESTED PERSONS. PURSUANT TO SECTION THIRTY-FIVE OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW, THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE VALLEY STREAM UFSD THIRTEEN HAS DETERMINED TO PREPARE A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE REPORT OF EXAMINATION PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND WILL FILE SUCH RESPONSE, WHEN COMPLETED, IN MY OFFICE AS A PUBLIC RECORD FOR INSPECTION

BY ALL INTERESTED PERSONS NOT LATER THAN JUNE 6, 2024.

MARYANN ROSAMILIA DISTRICT CLERK 145584

Search for notices online at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 3/27/2024 at 9:30 A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals: --------------------------------THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 A.M. 198/24.

NR VALLEY STREAM - Ryan & Lesley Modesti, Renewal of grant to maintain 5’ & 6’ high fence., S/E cor. Wolf Ave. & Wright St., a/k/a 1141 Wolf Ave. THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 214/24.

NR VALLEY STREAM - Sadaqat Ali, Variance, exceeds number of stories, construct 3rd story to dwelling., N/s Flanders Dr., 799.83’ W/o Park La., a/k/a 843 Flanders Dr. 217/24.

NR VALLEY STREAM - JW Kodesh Holdings LLC, Special exception to maintain dwelling converted to religious use (mikvah) with lot area occupied, side yards & rear yard variances, maintain 2nd floor wood deck with stairs a portion of which is roofed over (in excess of 50% reconstruction new c/o required), variance in off-street parking with insufficient access & back-up space & special exception to park in a Res. “B” district., W/s Golf Dr., 278.12’ S/o Hungry Harbor Rd., a/k/a 773 Golf Dr. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

Public Notices

15

Educators join forces to build classrooms

March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

16

Continued from page 1

Keith Rossein/Herald

mayor ed fare and other united Community party members awaiting the results of tuesday’s village general election.

Wright, Tufarelli retain seats at Village Hall Continued from page 1

their confidence in the work that I and Deputy Mayor Tufarelli continue to do for Valley Stream.”

As of press time, Bonelli could not be reached for comment regarding the results of the election.

It’s not the first time the incumbents successfully fended off a challenge from Bonelli who had fallen decidedly short of the necessary votes in 2020. Three years later, Bonelli also made an unsuccessful bid for the mayor’s seat.

Nevertheless, despite his run of election defeats, the Valley Stream District 13 school trustee has persisted in calling for a dramatic change in direction at Village Hall, promising to stand above political self-interest and represent a clean break from decades of United Community Party dominance.

He lobbed criticisms at the village’s past fiscal management and spoke fiercely about his qualms regarding issues ranging from its employee hiring practices to its zoning approvals for recent apartment constructions.

But while Bonelli’s list of grievances was long and varied, proactive policy proposals, at least in this election season, seemed few and far between.

On ongoing issues regarding reducing taxpayer’s burden and improving traffic safety, Wright and Tufarelli managed to toe the line in validating residents’ concerns while defending the village’s past efforts and laying out promises for future progress.

With the village’s troubled fiscal past casting a shadow, Tufarelli and Wright assured voters that the village’s finances were on a more secure footing and that prudent budgeting and savvy ways to secure alternative sources of funding were the way to keep things on course.

Or, as Tufarelli, put it: “do more with less.”

Concerning roads, and making them safer for vehicles and pedestrians alike, Tufarreli and Wright both held up past road repair investments like “state-ofthe-art pothole repair equipment” while also outlining future traffic-calming projects in traffic-heavy corridors.

Public Notices

LVAL2-2 0321

INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.

This notice is only for new cases in Valley Stream within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction.

There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar.

The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those

on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it.

145546

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. Search by publication name at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff against VARICK FLORES, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered November 10, 2016, I will

sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 22, 2024 at 3:00 PM. Premises known as 42 Cedar Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Sec 37 Block 00537-00 Lot 00014. 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.

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $492,185.78 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 009285/2011.

The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules.

The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Richard L. Farley, Esq., Referee File # CARN262 145561

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. Search by publication name at: www.newyorkpublicnotices.com

between layers of chicken wire connected to a metal frame, the bricks are enveloped in concrete and finished with a coat of paint. Thus, the classroom walls are made.

“The bottles act as a form of insulation,” said Haeg, who noted they weren’t the only volunteer g roup involved.

“Our job as the Lifetouch g roup and what Mitchell focused on was tying the bottles.”

From the project’s planning to conce ption, each phase of construction passed through many hands, where the whole community pitched in, especially the children.

“The commitment the community makes is to collect and stuff 10,000 plastic bottles collected with inorganic trash,” Haeg said. “So it’s, you know, the plastic bags from the grocery stores; it’s chip bags; it’s Styrofoam, you name it. It takes about two hours to stuff one bottle, so a community needs to invest about 20,000 hours to collect, clean, stuff, Courtesy Valley Stream District 24 and store the bottles for the Jack mitchell, the assistant superintendent of new classrooms.”

While the adults often help business for Valley Stream district 24, recently mix the sand and cement at volunteered on a mission trip to build a ‘bottle the construction site, it is the school’ in guatemala. children who scour their neighborhoods collecting the were so happy,” said Mitchell. bulk of the bottles. It, too, is personal Even in a school district that holds for them. up the values of inclusivity and commuEver since their former school build- nity as pivotal, there was much to learn ing was condemned, noted Haeg, the from the sense of natural closeness and students have been holding classrooms intimacy displayed by the families there. within a beaten-down, remote build“The people didn’t care about class ing— not exactly the ideal conditions status, didn’t care about how much for a school, but a better future, she money you have or where you live,” argues, is weeks away. said Mitchell. “I think we’ve forgotten Later this spring, the new “bottle about how to build meaningful relationclassrooms” the local families and ships with that pure love for humanity. international volunteers helped create The people here showed so much generwill welcome its first crop of students osity to us total strangers. Our society who will almost certainly go to school seems to have lost that.” in a place sturdier, nicer, and, as an In one of the most intimate moments added benefit, more environmentally of the whole trip, the students who’ve conscious than before. never posed for a school photo let alone seen their likeness in a photograph Empathy, connection and cultural before, were, finally, given the chance. exchange in Guatemala Mitchell was on hand to snap some phoAs for Mitchell, who has since tographs. returned to Valley Stream, the experiDespite this being Lifetouch’s final ence he reaped from the trip stays with mission, Mitchell hopes Valley Stream him. For volunteers there is the emo- District 24 will carry on that same tional pay-off found in helping those in humanitarian spirit by connecting its need, but it goes further than that. students with children from Guatemala Mitchell said he has found himself and possibly sending teachers over to transformed. help build schools.

He and his fellow volunteers toured “This wasn’t about us volunteers Mayan ruins, entered homes, and shining, but deepening our connections learned the exacting art of tortilla-mak- with these families and serving them in ing. At the end of each day, volunteers the way they needed us to serve,” said sat together and debriefed on the day’s Mitchell. “We gravitated to these people events. “We got to see the teachers and and their culture and it was so simple what they were about, and the kids and wholesome.”

17

H1 03/21

Employment

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Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail your ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify an ad.

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REAL ESTATE Open Houses CEDARHURST BA. 332B Peninsula Blvd, Move Right Into This Updated 3 Br, 2 . 5 B t h C o o p Tow n h o u s e. L R , D R , Gran/Wood Kit w/ Stainless Steel Appl.

Trex Deck Off LR.Primary Ste Features Updtd Bth & WIC. Att Gar Plus 1 Pkg Spot incl in Maintenance. W/D.Pull Down Attic.SD#15. Convenient to Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship...$449,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299 EAST ROCKAWAY BA 62 Bulaire Rd, , NEW TO MARKET! Move Right Into This 4 BR, 2.5 Bth Exp Ranch in Waverly Park Area of SD#20(Lynbrook). Open Floor Plan. LR w/Fpl, DR, Gran/Wood EIK Plus Family Rm w/ Vaulted Ceiling. Upper Level Has Huge Skylit Recreation Rm, BR, Bth & W/D. Beautifully Lanscaped Oversized Prop W/ Trex Deck for Entertaining. Multi Car Drvewy...$899,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 515-238-4299

Suburb or country, house, condo, townhouse or apartment, our Classifieds can help you find a HOME that fits your style, your budget and Real Estate needs... it’s a MUST SEE!

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HEWLETT BA, 1534 Broadway #213,.!

Move Right Into This 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Spacious Corner Unit. Updtd Gran/Wood Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Garage Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living. Convenient to Shops, LIRR & Houses of Worship....$649,000 R o n n i e G e r b e r, D o u g l a s E l l i m a n 516-238-4299

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H EW L ET T 1 39 0 B ROA DWAY # 11 7, OPEN HOUSE BY APPT, NEW TO MARKET! Move Right Into This Beautiful JR 4 Coop Apt in Luxurious Hewlett Townhouse.

Huge LR & DR, Renov Kit w/ Wood Cab/Quar tz Counters/ Stainless St Appl.Encl Terrace Overlooking Garden Can Be Rm. Spac BR w/ En Suite Bath.

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Gar Pkg. Near Shops, LIRR & Houses of Worship....$359,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Open Houses HEWLETT: BA 1267 Peninsula Blvd, 5 BR, 2 Bath Exp Cape in SD#14(Hewlett Woodmere)Living Room, FDR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK w/ Vaulted Ceiling. 2 Main Flr BRs & Updtd Bth. Upper Level 3 BRs & Updtd Bth. 1.5 Car Det Gar Plus 4/5 Car Drivewy. Priv Yd w/ Deck.HW Flrs, Gas Ht. Near Shops, LIRR, Trans & Houses of Worship...$599,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299 HEWLETT BAY PARK: BA 190 Meadowview Ave, , Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows.

5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14.Near All. Must See This Unique Home!.REDUCED!!.$2,700,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas elliman 516-238-4299

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Florida Real Estate DELRAY BEACH, FL - New On The Market. Beautiful Emerald Pointe Gated Community. 14418 Via Royale, UNIT 1, Single Story Ranch Condo, 1881 Total Sq Ft, 2 Bed 2 Bath, Eat-In Kitchen, 4 Private Parking Spaces, Club House, Tennis, Swimming, Pickleball, Walking Paths, etc. $324,900 Contact David at 248.240.8154

Rent Your Apartment through the Herald and PrimeTime Classified section. Call us for our great *specials. 516-5694000, press 5 for Classified Dept. *(private party only)

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

HERALD

H2 03/21

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HOME Of tHE WEEK

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Luxury Home For Sale

T

his luxurious 3-story home, built in 2012, boasts many features, including: an Italian wood kitchen with cabinets designed by Scavolini, Subzero 48-inch refrigerator, 2 XL dishwashers, European kitchen appliances, a digital movie theater with 8 surround sound speakers, a 200 sq. ft. laundry room with window and French drain, Radiant heat throughout the whole house with 8 zone thermostats, Italian engineered wood doors, large Pella windows and French doors that lead to a private backyard complete with an outdoor kitchen and all-weather shower system. This home has it all! With two very large master bedrooms, plus a master suite on a separate level, there's plenty of space for everyone. Built in water filter. Select oak 5-inch plank wood floor and Porcelanosa tiles throughout the whole house, 4 zone central AC. Basement has separate AC and heating zone. Full house generator so you will never have to worry about being without power. This is one-of-a-kind home! $2,195,000

M

Results that Move You

OPEN HOUSES SUNday, 3/24/24 HEWLETT Bay PaRK 190 Meadowview Ave, BA, Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14. Near All. Must See This Unique Home! ....................................................... REDUCED $2,700,000

1247545

HEWLETT

1390 Broadway #117, BA, NEW TO MARKET! Move Right Into This Beautiful JR 4 Coop Apt in Luxurious Hewlett Townhouse. Huge LR & DR, Ren Kit w/ Wood Cab/Quartz Counters/ Stainless St Appl.Encl Terrace Overlooking Garden can Be Rm. Spac BR w/ En Suite Bath. W/D in Apt. 24 Hr Drmn, Elevator, Valet Pkg, Priv Storage. Redone IG Comm Pool. Gar Pkg. Near Shops, LIRR & Houses of Worship............ $359,000

CEdaRHURST 332B Peninsula Blvd, BA, Move Right Into This Updated 3 Br, 2.5 Bth Coop Townhouse. LR, DR, Gran/Wood Kit w/ Stainless Steel Appl. Trex Deck Off LR. Primary Ste Features Updtd Bth & WIC. Att Gar Plus 1 Pkg Spot incl in Maintenance. W/D.Pull Down Attic. SD#15. Convenient to Shops, Trans & Houses of Worship............................................ $449,000

How’s the market?? Please contact me for your free market report and personalized service!

“Leading Edge Award Winner” Robin Reiss

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Cell: 516.510.6484 Office: 516.623.4500 Robin.Reiss@elliman.com

1247667

1534 Broadway #213, BA, FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Spacious Corner Unit. Updtd Gran/Wood Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Gar Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living. Convenient to Shops, LIRR & Houses of Worship ....................................................................................... $649,000

This Robin won’t rest until you are in your new NEST!

A BETTER WAY TO BUY AND SELL REAL ESTATE! “Call A Realtor With Proven Experience!”

Rob Kolb Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Tripodi Shemtov Team

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

30 West Park Ave | Long Beach, NY 11561 Cell: 516-314-1728 • Office: 516-432-3400 Rob.Kolb@elliman.com • Elliman.com/RobKolb

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country.

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1267 Peninsula Blvd, BA, 5 BR, 2 Bath Exp Cape in SD#14 (Hewlett Woodmere) Living Room, FDR & Updtd Gran/Wood EIK w/ Vaulted Ceiling. 2 Main Flr BRs & Updtd Bth. Upper Level 3 BRs & Updtd Bth. 1.5 Car Det Gar Plus 4/5 Car Drivewy. Priv Yd w/ Deck. HW Flrs, Gas Ht. Near Shops, LIRR, Trans & Houses of Worship ......................... $599,000

A. As common as this problem is, you would need to appeal your case by filing for the appeal with the court, with an attorney, within 30 days, in what is referred to as an Article 78. In order to make your case, you would need accurate plans, plus what you already have, the minutes of your hearing for an attorney to review, plus onte eeper any documentation you already had through the process of the building application over all the time you described.

In addition, you would need all the old records of the property that were filed for any and all permits for the previous uses going back to the very beginning of the take-out or retail space. It sounds like a lot, and it might be, but you have a difficult case to prove, because parking on your property is usually the biggest issue in any use variance. A use permit always requires that there be adequate parking, and if there isn’t enough on-site parking, the request for a variance (to vary from the requirements) would then be your appeal.

By changing the use from takeout, where people are coming and going, to an assembly space of people who are lingering, triggers all kinds of building and safety codes. Once you get to a restaurant from a take-out by serving more than 12 people, you need male- and female-use restrooms or, depending on the jurisdiction, enough fixtures and privacy to serve the occupants, based on specific chapters from the plumbing code, the handicapped-access code and the building code, requiring more floor space.

You also have issues with fire marshal and fire safety equipment, depending on the area in square feet area and the number of occupants. Your attorney and architect can craft your case, but you have to be flexible enough to meet certain basic codes to be able to convince a court that the first level of the process can be overturned. You can do this! Good luck!

Ask The Architect

Larisa Voldman Lic. RE Salesperson 516-448-9623 lvoldman@coachrealtors.com 1315 Broadway Hewlett, NY 11557 516-374-0100 www.coachrealtors.com

Ronnie Gerber 516-238-4299

We asked for a variance and were turned down

Q. After a lot of delays, due partly to Covid, we were turned down for a zoning variance and are wondering what to do. We have a café that has been operating for over 20 years, which we bought from a couple who were retiring, and everything seemed to be legal. Our building department told us that we needed a variance because we didn’t have enough parking, and that we had 20 seats instead of 12. Twelve seats was a takeout, but these days, if you don’t have enough seats, you won’t stay in business very long. So we asked for a variance, and we were turned down.

Also, our plans didn’t show that we do have parking on the street, and use a public lot and some other businesses nearby. What can you tell us about our situation? We don’t want to lose our location, and anything we do will need plans, and we realize our architect had never dealt with this before.

North Woodmere

1248870

March 21, 2024 — HERALD

18

L

Call the

USA Classified Network today!

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© 2024 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

19

H3 03/21

Market Place • •

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

HERALD — March 21, 2024

HERALD

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general contracting

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HErald

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March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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Answers to todAy’s puzzle

21

opinions

A

s a mother of four and a legislator deeply committed to public safety, I am compelled to address the recent horrific case in Babylon. This case — in which body parts were found in public spaces, including a park frequented by families, and a judge was unable to set bail and detain the defendants — highlights a disturbing trend: the prioritization of criminals over victims.

If the grim nature of the pATRiCiA crime itself was CAnzoneRi-FiTzpATRiCk not disturbing enough, the aftermath was discovered by a student, which underscores the real-life impact this crime has had on the local residents. Standing in the park myself last week was unsettling, and I couldn’t help feeling as if I were a character in a horror movie. Imagine how the residents who live near that park feel. How do those children ever return to that park and not think about what discovered there? I think we would all agree that those who are credibly suspected of dismembering two bodies and tossing them

W

in a park like garbage aren’t people we want to be near in the grocery store, or in any public setting.

The suspects were quickly identified and charged with concealment of a human corpse, hindering prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence.

Then, in a move that shocked residents, they were released back into the community. What should shock us all is that their release was required by state bail laws.

Our criminal justice system allows a judge to set bail to ensure that a defendant charged with a crime returns to court to face the charges. The delicate balance is that bail should be set at a level that a person can afford, but also be enough to give the defendant incentive to return to court. The current state of the law is that unless a crime is on the list of baileligible offenses, a judge is unable to set bail, and the threat the defendant poses cannot be considered. The inability of judges to consider that threat when determining whether to set bail or detain a suspect has allowed perpetrators of heinous crimes to go free.

These policies are a direct result of one-party rule prioritizing the rights of

T

criminals over victims, and as a result, public safety has been compromised.

The federal government and 49 other states allow judges to consider a defendant’s dangerousness in making these determinations, but New York stands alone in prohibiting this commonsense practice. In fact, the first bill I introduced in the Senate, which I carry with Assemblyman Ed Ra, would restore judges’ ability to keep dangerous defendants off the streets.

Alongside my colleagues in the State Legislature, including Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Assemblyman Michael Durso, I co-sponsored legislation aimed at rectifying some of the flaws in New York’s bail laws, which allowed the suspects in the Babylon case to walk free despite the gravity of their alleged crimes. Palumbo’s proposed bill aims to classify concealment or mutilation of a human corpse as a bail-eligible felony.

Additionally, I introduced legislation to correct an egregious loophole after the district attorney warned that the suspects may be released from even GPS monitoring because New York’s bail reforms also placed the same time limitations on electronic monitoring as they

he threat a defendant poses often cannot be considered by a judge.

do on pre-trial detention. This case highlights why these measures are urgently needed.

To be clear, I don’t believe that anyone should be held in custody simply because they lack the means to post bail, and I don’t think advocates on either side of this issue think the system was working perfectly before 2019. No policy is perfect, but as lawmakers, it’s our responsibility to continuously assess how policies are impacting people’s lives. Oregon has backtracked on its radical drug decriminalization policy in an acknowledgement of its unintended consequences. But since bail reform was passed in New York in 2019, Albany has offered only Band-Aids in response to the disastrous outcomes we have seen resulting from these “reforms,” rather than the substantive corrections we need to help ensure the safety of our communities.

As a mother, a legislator, and an advocate for community safety, I am committed to closing the loopholes in our bail laws that force judges to release suspects, like those in the Babylon case, back into the community, and arbitrarily limit law enforcement’s ability to monitor potentially dangerous suspects pending trial.

Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick represents the 9th Senate District.

It’s me, not ChatGPT . . . at least I think so

hy should I work this week?

No one works anymore, or if they show up, they bring attitude or the three stages of incompetence: Don’t care, don’t want to be here, don’t notice you standing there at my counter. (I don’t mean you, of course. Herald readers are all diligent, responsible people.)

Anyway, as an experiment with AI, and a way not to work, I thought I’d ask ChatGPT to write my column.

What I specifically asked for in the query was: Write a 750-word column in the style of Randi Kreiss.

RAnDi It took about two seconds, and I kReiss got a piece about the idea of detoxing ourselves from our exposure to screens and devices. Not an original idea, not a bad idea, but between you and me, I hope it wasn’t an example of how I usually write, because it was sooooo booooring.

This was the last paragraph of the pseudo-Randi column, written by ChatGPT: “So let us embrace the digital detox not as a fleeting trend, but as a timeless

reminder of our innate capacity for connection, creativity, and contemplation. Let us reclaim our time, our attention, and our humanity from the clutches of the digital realm and rediscover the beauty of life beyond the screen.”

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the writing; it’s just so blah-blah-blah. All of which leaves me with no other choice than to abandon AI and deploy my own skills, which are both modest and flawed.

If I were going to write about the toxicity of screens and devices — and I am, now that ChatGPT gave me the idea — I would connect it specifically to our current political madness. We are bombarded 24/7 by repetitious news about the threat to our democracy by former President Donald Trump and his acolytes. Is there really anything else to talk about that carries the gravitas of a looming democracy-destroying, unhinged presidency? The Orange Man lurks behind us just as he stalked Hillary in the 2016 debates.

He is meaner than the last time around. His alleged crimes have earned him dozens of felony indictments. We can’t stand watching the coverage, and we can’t stop.

W

Other news outlets beat the drum about President Biden’s age and oratorical misadventures.

For a long time, I tried to see the issues from all sides. I figured that I have more in common with Trump supporters than the issues that divide us. I figured that when he fully revealed himself as an authoritarian wannabe, folks would recoil, seeing the threat to our freedoms.

I wanted to stand in their shoes and see what they saw, but Trump’s singular determination to take down our democracy blots out the sun. Legitimate disagreements over immigration, the economy and taxes pale compared to his promise to dismantle the pillars of government and build camps for people he determines are unwelcome or undesirable.

There isn’t a legitimate other side when the other side is a dictatorship.

Trump must be removed from political life, and we must find ourselves again. That means removing ourselves from obsessional newscasts. Watch the candidates’ speeches for yourself, without the filters, and believe what you see.

Look and listen to who Trump is. Listen to Biden.

We must retire the would-be dictator,

hen I asked it to write a column like I might write, it let me down.

and that means re-electing Biden. Both men are too old for the job, but Biden and his team will keep faith with the American public. The country is sound and well-connected to our friends around the world. Biden’s experience has brought us through these difficult years. The alternative is more than a flirtation with authoritarianism and institutionalized racism. Young people do not realize how quickly bellicose talk can turn into tanks rumbling down our streets.

In many homes, the TV is on. It’s always there, in the background, too loud, too repetitive, too insignificant. We all know that news shows ran out of news long ago. Most of the time they reprocess the meat of a story until it comes out like sausage, link after link, hour after hour. Is it news when a knownothing anchor interviews a reporter who once interviewed a spokesperson who represents an insignificant staff member of a mid-level politician?

We can improve our lives by disconnecting from our devices. Voting is easy and analog. The conflation of politics and screens is wearing us down. Let the candidates speak for themselves.

Thanks, ChatGPT, for priming the pump. I just needed to say it in my own words.

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

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

Criminals aren’t in custody: Let’s reform bail reform

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HeraLd editoriaL

Valley stream

March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

HERALD Established 1990 Incorporating the Valley Stream Mailleader Juan Lasso Editor angeLina ZingarieLLo Reporter gLenn goLD Mutli Media Marketing Consultant martha JacoviDes Founding Editor office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com officiaL neWsPaPer:

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Celebrating L.I.’s rich Irish-American heritage

s

t. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, but there is much more to this annual holiday than just the vibrant green decorations, festive parades, pints of beer and corned beef. It is an opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of Irish-American heritage, deeply woven into the fabric of Long Island and its communities.

The journey of Irish immigrants and their descendants is a narrative of resilience, contribution and cultural vibrancy. The Long Island portion of that history stretches back centuries, marked by waves of newcomers who left their homes in search of the American dream.

The potato famine in the 19th century led nearly 800,000 Irish immigrants to travel across the Atlantic in search of new opportunities in the United States.

Many entered through Ellis Island before finding their way to Long Island, drawn by construction and agricultural work.

Many of those new pioneers faced adversity and discrimination because of their heritage, their religion, and their immigrant status. Still, they persevered, carving out a place for themselves in their adopted homeland.

Their legacy and contributions to Long Island’s growth and development span many generations, shaping the landscape and leaving an indelible mark on the region’s cultural identity. From building the infrastructure that connects communities, to establishing businesses and institutions, Irish-Americans played a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of Long Island.

St. Patrick’s Day serves as a poignant reminder of this heritage. It is a day when people come together to honor their Irish roots and celebrate the legacy of those who came before them. The festivities are a testament to the enduring spirit, camaraderie and pride that characterizes the community. Parades wind through the streets. Music fills the air.

And traditional Irish fare delights the senses, adding to an atmosphere of joy and unity.

Beyond the revelry of the holiday, Long Island is home to a vibrant tapestry of Irish-American cultural organizations, events and businesses that enrich the community year-round.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians — the oldest Irish-Catholic fraternal organization in the country — boasts numerous divisions across Nassau and Suffolk

counties. Long Island is also home to several Irish dance troupes and Gaelic sports clubs. They preserve tradition, and foster a sense of belonging among generations of Irish-Americans, providing avenues for cultural expression, education and camaraderie, and ensuring that the legacy of Irish heritage continues to thrive.

Local businesses also play a crucial role in promoting Irish-American culture, offering cuisine, crafts and products that pay homage to the traditions of the Emerald Isle.

Whether it’s a cozy pub serving up a hearty Irish stew or a shop brimming with Celtic jewelry and knick-knacks, these establishments serve as ambassadors of Irish culture, inviting many to experience all that Ireland has to offer without ever leaving home.

Although this year’s St. Patrick’s Day is now behind us, let us not forget all of the contributions and traditions of Irish-Americans that resonate throughout our communities every day.

So, a toast to all of the pioneers who paved the way. The traditions that bind us together. And the legacy of IrishAmerican heritage on Long Island.

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Letters Legal immigrants make our economy stronger To the Editor: The letter from Joseph Varon, “Immigrants make our economy stronger,” in the March 7-13 issue, asks us to “stop the anti-immigrant rhetoric.” What anti-immigrant rhetoric?

Americans, personally, and the United States, officially, are very immigrant-friendly.

For many years, the U.S. has admitted hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year, issuing them green cards, which grant permanent residency, and if you want, you can become a citizen in five years, as long as you don’t commit a felony — sooner if you marry an American citizen or serve in the military.

That’s an admission policy unmatched by any other country.

Members of my family and my wife’s family have married immigrants. A legitimate case can be made for raising the limit on immigrants due to America’s decreasing birth rate.

I hear no complaints about legal immigrants — only about the illegals and the unvetted, let in, regardless of the costs of housing them and the brutality of the crimes committed, by an administration bent on countering the population loss of blue states caused by their irresponsible fiscal policies. It’s an exodus that would otherwise cause these states a loss of congressional seats and Electoral Col-

lege votes.

The “billions” in taxes quoted, unfortunately, are buying more people in to failing systems that will pay out even more billions than are paid in. I fail to see a hero in one who puts in a dollar and takes out two.

DENNIS J. DUFFy Lynbrook

And the illegal ones are costing us dearly To the Editor: Joseph Varon’s letter sang the praises of immigration and why we shouldn’t look down on it. yes, the greatest country

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opINIoNs

have frequently spoken and written about courtesy being contagious, and not being that person who feels entitled to break the rules — or the law — for their own convenience.

I’m sure we have all noticed a disturbing trend. People do what they want, when they want, regardless of how it affects others.

I believe the trend was magnified by Covid quarantines. This attitude has certainly existed before, but I’ve noticed that it seems to be more commonplace since the pandemic.

I’ve written about being a ED driver education FARE teacher. Many years on the roads have made me acutely aware of dangerous driving trends. All too frequently, people double-park, block a driveway or stop in a fire zone, and they almost always overreact with righteous indignation if anyone calls them out on it.

When a code enforcement or police officer stops a motorist, they rarely take responsibility. They may say, “I was only there for a minute,” or “I pay

my taxes, I pay your salary, don’t you have anything better to do?” Can’t anyone say, “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again?”

People stop and get out of their vehicles in No Parking and No Standing zones — even Handicapped-designated spots — just to drop off mail, get a cup of coffee, go to the ATM, all the while professing that it’s perfectly OK to do so. Worse yet, they do this even when there are plenty of legal parking spaces nearby. Those restricted zones are there for a reason. Not to inconvenience others, but for safety. They provide line of sight, and room to turn on or off a road safely, and they’re designed to maintain the safe flow of traffic.

Offenders often whine about the consequences of breaking the rules.

They’ll say, “It wasn’t me,” when they really mean, “The rules don’t apply to me.” They frequently answer the charges with excuses — mostly lies — to hide or justify their actions. Whatever happened to admitting to a mistake? Taking responsibilities for one’s actions?

Apologizing and moving on?

Righteous indignation or anger that

N

o Parking?

No Standing? That doesn’t seem to apply to many drivers.

LEttERs in the world, the USA, became that because so many of its citizens are immigrants, or children of immigrants. They came mostly from civiliz ed countries, and came legally.

With the Industrial Revolution booming, America needed skilled and unskilled workers, and they came in droves. Most were checked over at Ellis Island, and all were required to become citizens. Yes, we quarantined the sick for a couple of weeks, in not the most luxur i o u s a c c o m m o d at i o n s, bu t i t worked.

We do not need the number and the caliber of those coming across our borders in illegal fashion. We don’t need the crime, and we don’t need what they turn our cities into.

We can’t afford to clean up the world, and we aren’t all in desperate need of gardeners, but rather skilled welders, carpenters, etc.

Having these illegal immigrants among us costs us money, and destroys our school systems. They don’t even try to blend in — they dress, act and expect us to learn their culture. Sometimes the raw truth hurts, but they are the only ones benefiting from their crime of crossing our borders illegally.

is driven by contempt has grown exponentially. We get angry because we’re disgusted at something we perceive to be morally wrong. And because we bring our own sense of morality to our indignation, we try to claim it’s acceptable. I’m allowed to be mad: This officer gave me a ticket for a law I don’t like. Or “I only broke the rules for two minutes,” or “This was the first time,” or “What about everyone else?”

Once you proclaim yourself to be right, you’re entitled to challenge others as well as the law. This has become an underlying practice of most protests.

Protesters don’t want the truth, nor do they want to hear your point of view. They’re always right, and don’t care about the opposing point of view. There’s no healthy debate anymore; it’s only “I’m right, you’re wrong, and I don’t want to hear anything different. I don’t subscribe to your point of view, therefore I don’t deserve to be held accountable if I break any rules.”

I’m sure you find this in some of your interpersonal relations as well.

We all know politics has become very polarized. At some point, each side became incapable of seeing the other

Politicians? Guilty.

We thought Randi was gone

KARIN SPENCER & MARISA HOHEB Merrick

Ed Fare is the mayor of Valley Stream.

FRAmEwoRk by Tim Baker

ROBERT CASALE Glen Head

To the Editor: My wife and I, loyal readers of the Merrick Herald, are among Randi Kreiss’s biggest fans, and we were thoroughly dismayed when we thought she disappeared last year.

But a letter to the editor in the Feb. 29-March 6 issue, “At your library, borrow a book — or a telescope,” which mentioned her column on libraries, made us realize that Randi is still here!

We have now read all her monthlies since she started them in September. What an ordeal she and her husband have been through. We wish both of them all the best, and are beyond delighted that Randi’s observations on our society, her humor, her book recommendations, and her overall words of wisdom can continue to be part of our lives.

side’s point of view. Empathy, understanding and even compassion have been lost.

Egocentric attitudes have become commonplace, even acceptable. I see it more and more in today’s youth, my students, in the school setting. Discussion seems to make us angry. We’re no longer enlightened by someone else’s point of view; we’re angered by it. Can’t we discuss things without winning or losing an argument? Let’s face it, everyone has some kind of bias, but does that allow you to be dismissive? Whatever happened to “Walk in someone else’s shoes”?

People used to be afraid to break laws. Actually, they were only afraid of getting caught breaking laws. Now that no longer applies. When people are caught breaking a law, they’re quick to claim to be a victim, and that their action is justified. They are persecuted, picked on, victims of a broken or unjust system. But there need to be consequences for breaking the law.

There are no easy solutions to this breakdown. We can try to learn and grow and modify our behaviors before they deteriorate further. We used to say, lead by example, but sadly, a worldwide crisis brought this to a breaking point.

How do we turn it around?

An artisan’s work at Matinecock Lodge — Oyster Bay

VALLEY STREAM HERALD — March 21, 2024

I

You must have noticed that rudeness is on the rise

March 21, 2024 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD

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