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Vol. 31 No. 16

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OBITUARY

‘He was the best’ Mike Field, 59, longtime VSFD EMT, dies of Covid-19 By PeteR BelfIoRe pbelfiore@liherald.com

Courtesy Valley Stream Volunteer Fire Department Facebook

oN APRIl 9, Mayor Ed Fare, far right, swore in Eugene O’Brien II, center, as the Valley Stream Fire Department’s new chief, Patrick Scanlon, second from left, as first assistant chief and Anthony Capone as second assistant chief.

Fire Dep’t swears in chiefs

Eugene O’Brien II takes over for Jason Croak By NICole AlCINDoR nalcindor@liherald.com

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the Valley S t r e a m Vo l u n t e e r F i r e Department held a private swearing-in ceremony April 9 to welcome a new chief and his assistants. About a dozen members gathered as Mayor Ed Fare swore in Eugene O’Brien II, of Truck 1, as the 98th chief of the department, succeeding Jason Croak, whose term ended after two years. Patrick Scanlon, of Engine Company No. 1, was sworn in as first assistant chief, and Anthony

Capone, of Engine Company No. 2, became second assistant chief. Fare said he found it surreal to officiate the swearing-in ceremony — typically attended by more than a hundred volunteers, their family members and friends — in such a manner. “Many traditions have been lost due to this pandemic,” Fare said, “and it was very strange holding a private ceremony, because the Fire Department is a brotherhood and sisterhood where camaraderie and bonding is part of risking your well-being for

others. I felt bad that Chief Jason Croak left office under the cloud of the Covid virus and that Chief O’Brien began his term without the usual celebrations.” Croak echoed Fare’s sentiments, and said it was a somber ceremony, without its typical fanfare. “It’s a sad time,” he said, “but it was absolutely necessary, because the last thing we want is any member to become sick.” Croak will continue volunteering, after serving two years as second assistant chief, two years as first assisContinued on page 16

Mike Field, a Valley Stream native, an EMT who was a first responder during the Sept. 11 attacks, and a former captain of the village Fire Department, died on April 8 at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital of complications of the coronavirus. He was 59. Field, a village employee, was known for his community activism, kindness and dedication to the fire services. An active member of Valley Mike Stream Fire Department EMS, he died after transporting a patient suffering from Covid-19, and for his sacrifice and service was posthumously promoted to the rank of chief. “He was the best,” outgoing Valley Stream Fire Chief Jason Croak said. “He was a guy that would do anything for anybody at the drop of a hat.” Field was a member of the department since 1987, and active in the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association and the Valley Stream Junior

Fire Department. In addition to the fire services, he was a Cub Scout pack leader and Little League coach. He was also involved in organizing the Nassau County Fire Riders’ Christmas in June toy drive for patients at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center. “He was there for e v e r y b o d y, a n d always had a smile on his face, and always joking around,” Croak said. “He loved everybody. He loved his wife, he loved his family.” Before working for the village in the Department of Pubfield lic Works, Field was an emergency medical technician for the New York City Fire Department, and was on the scene before and after the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. He was also a lifelong Valley Stream resident and a 1979 graduate of Central High School. “He was dedicated, and loved what he did. He was just a great guy,” his son Steven said. “He was loved by all, and he loved them back. He was always there for everybody.” Continued on page 3

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020 Photos courtesy Valley Stream Fire Department

MeMbers of the Valley Stream Fire Department assembled outside Mount Sinai South Nassau last Friday as Mike Field, a department EMT who died in the line of duty of Covid19, was transported to Moore Funeral Home.

Fire Department honors fallen EMT continued from front page All three of Field’s sons are active members of the Valley Stream Fire Department. On Friday, his fellow Valley Stream firefighters, as well as some of the junior firefighters he mentored, assembled outside of Mount Sinai South Nassau to salute him as he was placed into Ambulance 349, the same vehicle in which he made his last call. He was transported to Moore Funeral Home. A funeral service was scheduled for Tuesday, after the Herald went to press. In addition to the fire services, Field was known to be an avid pet lover, volunteering with various local pet rescues and non-profits. According to Sharon Bissell, founder of Valley Cat and Friends Animal Rescue, for years Field and his wife, Stacey, fostered pet cats for the organization as they awaited adoption, and often helped the cat rescue in various capacities. “They volunteer at adoption events and are always the first to help if we needed transport of supplies,” Bissell said, recounting an instance in which the couple rescued a litter of kittens with their mother that they had found at a soccer field, and fostered them until they were ready for adoption. “He was an amazing guy, and one of the funniest people,” said Danielle Scala, founder of Paw it Forward, a Valley Streambased, nonprofit-backed pet pantry. Field, she said, volunteered to install shelving and light fixtures for the pantry, and the two became fast friends, discussing ways to continue supporting Paw it Forward, and had planned to celebrate their birthdays together on March 22. But, when Field fell ill, that became impossible. “We had so many plans,” Scala said, “so many things to do. It’s a life cut so short.” Field is survived by his wife, Stacey, and sons Steven, Jason and Richard. A funeral service was scheduled for Tuesday, after the Herald went to press.

field was transported in Ambulance 349, above left, the vehicle in which he made his last call. the departMent led a procession down Sunrise Highway, above. departMent MeMbers gathered as Field’s body was taken into the funeral home.

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Valley Stream remainS among the hardest hit communities in Nassau County by the coronavirus, with 809 confirmed cases spread over north, south and Central Valley Stream.

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Nassau County Department of Health

V.S. has second highest number of Covid-19 cases By Peter Belfiore pbelfiore@liherald.com

Valley Stream remains among the hardest hit neighborhoods in Nassau County by the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus, with 809 confirmed positive cases as of April 11, according to county Department of Health records. Only Hempstead, with 880 confirmed cases, has more . The statistics come from the county Department of Health’s interactive Covid19 map, which tracks the number of confirmed cases by neighborhood. Valley Stream’s cases are spread over three areas, with 70 confirmed cases in South Valley Stream, 467 in Central Valley Stream and 272 in North Valley Stream. The news comes as the county reports a total of 24,358 positive Covid-19 cases since the outbreak began in mid March,

with 2,464 Covid-19 related hospitalizations and 910 deaths attributed to the virus. So far, 145 people countywide have been discharged after having been hospitalized. On the same day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced there were signs that the number of new coronavirus cases was leveling off, and that talks had begun to reopen the economies of New York and neighboring states initially shut down to slow the spread of infection. “New York believes we have reached a plateau” of new coronavirus cases, Cuomo said. “This is relatively good news in a world of bad options.” In addition to New York, the states reportedly involved in the talks are Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Scott Brinton contributed to this story.

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the coronavirus effect on minorities

Sources: Nassau County, U.S. Census, American Community Survey. Illustration by Christina Daly/Herald

Governors get together over reopening the economy es,” referring to the possibility that Covid19 cases might climb again if people were to go back to work without adequate The governors of Delaware, Connecti- guidelines and insufficient preparation. cut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the and Rhode Island gathered Monday in a coronavirus spread along his state’s Interteleconference to announce a regional sate-95 corridor, otherwise known as its panel that will study how best to reopen “commuter corridor.” The virus, he t h e e c o n o my a n d t h e appeared to suggest, was schools. spread by commuters in and Governor Cuomo, leadout of New York City. ing the effort, announced Pennsylvania Gov. Tom the creation of the panel, Wo l f s a i d a r e g i o n a l which will comprise three approach to reopening the representatives from each economy is vital. “We all state — a health official, an know we can do anything economic official and the better when we work togethchief of staff of each goverer,” he said. “We need to do nor. The governors are callthis right.” ing it a regional advisory He said he believes the council, which will not have Gov. andrew six-state approach will decision-making power, but become a model for reopenrather will help formulate Cuomo ing regional economies plans for a re gional across the country. approach to reopening that are subject to Delaware Gov. John Carney said the the governors’ approval. key question is, “How do we reopen “New York believes we have reached a things in a way that’s safe?” plateau” of new coronavirus cases, “The state boundaries,” he noted, Cuomo said. “This is relatively good news “mean very little to this virus.” in a world of bad options.” The objective, Rhode Island Gov. Gina With cases leveling off, he said, it is Raimondo said, is to “develop new guidetime to begin planning for the day when lines for this new normal.” businesses are allowed to resume operaAll of the governors are Democrats. tions and students may return to classes. The announcement came after PresiNew Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy said dent Trump over the weekend signaled the regional approach would help avoid that he believes he will be the arbiter of “inadvertent and unintended consequenc- when the economy will reopen.

By SCott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

ew York believes we have reached a plateau [of Covid-19] cases.

Herald file photo

Governor Cuomo Gathered five other Northeast governors to announce a regional advisory council to develop plans to reopen the economy regionally. In addition to New York, the council will include representatives of Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Covid-19 has affected minority populations and densely populated areas more than others. The maps below show the correlation between coronavirus hot spots in Nassau County and population density.

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Cuomo calls for SALT repeal amid pandemic By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

In his Saturday address, Governor Cuomo called on Congress and President Trump to repeal the SALT provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to provide relief to residents of hightax states like New York and California amid the pandemic. The SALT provision eliminated all but $10,000 of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, known commonly as the SALT deduction, costing New Yorkers millions of dollars annually in federal taxes. “You want to help New York … you want to help the places that are affected [by Covid-19], then repeal the SALT provision,” Cuomo said. The provision “targeted” states like New York, the governor said. In a March 26 editorial, the Herald called for repeal of the SALT provision. For an excerpt from it, see box. Cuomo urged people not to play politics around Covid-19, particularly given that it is a presidential election year. President Trump, he said, has been responsive to New York’s needs amid the coronavirus crisis. “Keep politics out of the discussions,” Cuomo said. He noted that he does not plan to run for president, despite some pleas within the Democratic Party that he should jump in the race — Joe Biden is now the presumptive nominee after Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out last week. Some 783 people died of the coronavirus statewide overnight from last Friday into Saturday. The governor noted that was not an all-time high, which came three days earlier when 799 peo-

From the Herald’s editorial….

Gov. Andrew cuomo is asking Congress and President Trump to eliminate the SALT provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to provide financial relief to New Yorkers battered by the coronavirus. ple died. He also said the number of intensive care unit admissions and number of intubations were both down dramatically, which could indicate the state had hit a plateau of infections. Cuomo described the current phase of the pandemic in New York as the “end of the beginning.” He urged people to continue to “stay

the course” and practice social distancing. He noted that without it, a second wave of infection is possible. When New York’s economy should fully reopen is a subject of study and debate, the governor said. Reopening it, he said, “cannot be at the expense” of human life.

In high-tax regions like New York and California, the weight of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was already causing enormous fiscal strain for many homeowners, who lost all but $10,000 of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, known commonly as the SALT deduction. Loss of that single deduction in high-tax regions has cost people thousands of dollars. Many Long Island taxpayers reported that their federal tax bills rose $3,000, $5,000, $8,000 or more last year. Those bills are not expected to abate this year, unless Congress acts. It should immediately reinstate the SALT deduction. People here will certainly take $1,000 or $2,000 [in stimulus funds], but restoring the deduction would do far more for many homeowners who are suffering because of the coronavirus. For the full editorial, see liherald.com.

New York coping with a rising death toll By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

Governor Cuomo said at his news briefing last Thursday that additional funeral directors would be brought in to aid with final arrangements for the hundreds of New Yorkers who are dying of the coronavirus. Overnight that day, he said, 799 people had succumbed to the disease, bringing the total who had died in New York to more than 7,000. That was the highest overnight death toll New York had seen to date, and at press time, it remained the highest. As of April 13, there were 846 Covid19-related deaths in Nassau County, and 23,553 people had been diagnosed with the illness. Cuomo spoke of the coronavirus as a “silent killer.” “9/11 was supposed to be the darkest day” for New York in a generation, he

Social distancing, he said, is about said. As of Wednesday, April 8, Covid-19 protecting the most vulnerable in socihad killed more than twice as many ety. The governor ordered all American people in New York than 9/11, when the flags to fly at half-staff in total number of deaths honor of the dead. statewide reached 6,268. By executive order, he As of Monday, nearly also declared that all New 9,400 were reported dead in Yorkers can vote by absenNew York. tee ballot for the June 23 “Our hospitals and primaries. health care workers continAnd all unemployed ue to be stretched to the New Yorkers will receive an limit,” Nassau County additional $600 payment, Executive Laura Curran and unemployment benesaid. fits were extended from 25 Cuomo, speaking in to 39 weeks. some of the strongest terms T here were positive he had used yet last week, Gov. Andrew s igns las t we e k. Both called Covid-19 a “vicious Cuomo and Curran said predator of a virus” that cuomo social distancing appeared preys on those whose to be working and was health has already been compromised because of underlying reducing the number new hospitalizations. medical conditions.

/11 was supposed to be the darkest day for New York in a generation.

To maintain the plateau, they said, people must stay at home unless they are essential workers. Rapid testing for the coronavirus on a mass scale could allow people to return to work, Cuomo said he believes. He warned, however, that the virus may come in waves. He noted that the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 struck in three waves. And already, he said, there were scattered reports, including in The Los Angeles Times, that Wuhan, China, may be experiencing a second wave of infections. A secondary infection wave could come, he said, if the virus were to mutate into a new form, potentially infecting those with immunity to the first virus. There is an emotional toll the pandemic has had on many people, the governor said. Those in need of help can call the state’s Emotional Support Hotline at (844) 863-9314.

Three MSSN employees die of coronavirus msmollins@liherald.com

Three employees at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital have died after contracting the coronavirus. Dr. Jesus Zambrano, 54, an attending pediatrician who worked in Freeport, died on March 29, while Mario Salonga, 59, a per diem physical therapist in home care, recently died, and Ferdinando Moretti, 73, an MSSN painting crew foreman, died on April 4. The hospital did not disclose the date Salonga died, and an inquiry was not returned. “They exemplify what makes every Mount Sinai South Nassau employee and medical staff member special, the willingness to be present during a time of unprecedented crisis with a special commitment to the patients we serve,” MSSN President and CEO Richard Murphy said in a statement. Zambrano was a Brooklyn resident and joined the MSSN medical staff in 2012. He worked with Dr. Luis HerreraAcevedo at a Freeport practice. He previously attended medical school in Santo

Christina Daly/Herald

three empLoyees of Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital died after contracting the coronavirus. Domingo, Dominican Republic, and trained as a pediatric resident at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx. He was board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and many of his patients and

colleagues saw him as a beloved figure. Salonga had been a part of MSSN’s inhome patient care staff for five years and worked for the Visiting Nurse Service. He was described as a kind, gentle soul and

an upstanding father, husband and friend. He provided compassionate and professional care for patients and his daughter, Katrina, said he was dedicated to his profession, according to a news release from the hospital. She added she was raised by the motto “always put others first,” and her father exemplified it. In addition to Katrina, Salonga is survived by his wife, Cecilia, and their son, Joseph, in Valley Stream. Moretti retired from MSSN in 2014 after 31 years of service. He returned to work per diem in 2015 to support the hospital’s various expansion projects. His colleagues recalled that Moretti was lighthearted and quick with a joke, and that he was well versed in topics ranging from construction to cooking. He is survived by his daughter, Andrea, son, Mario, and four grandchildren. His wife, Olga, predeceased him. “I cannot sufficiently express my appreciation and respect for the contribution each of them has made to the life of Mount Sinai South Nassau,” Murphy said. “We extend our prayers and deepest sympathy to their families.”

Judge to decide if L.B. boardwalk can reopen By James Bernstein jbernstein@liherald.com

A Nassau County Supreme Court judge was to hear to hear a case filed Friday by an attorney who wants the City of Long Beach to reopen its 2.2-mile boardwalk, which was closed March 26 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. At press time Monday, no decision had been reached. Scott Cohen, who filed the case on behalf of Francis McQuade, an unsuccessful candidate for Nassau County District Attorney last year, said Long Beach acted improperly in closing the boardwalk because it did not have the permission of the New York State Department of Health to do so. “I have a problem with the boardwalk being closed,” Cohen said Monday. “It wasn’t done in the right way.” McQuade called the city’s decision “arbitrary.” Long Beach officials said the city does not comment on pending litigation. But city officials had noted that the Nassau County Department of Health had not overturned Long Beach’s decision to close the boardwalk. The suit was filed against the five elected city council members, interim City Manager Donna Gayden and her assistant John McNally. Cohen said the closing left Long Beach residents with only two ways to enter the beach, at Pacific Boulevard and New York Avenue. He said this created a hardship for people who want to walk on the beach, as well as for residents of those two streets. An excess of cars could be parked on those streets, Cohen said. “I’d like the decision to be overturned,” Cohen said. He said the boardwalk was closed at a time when fewer people were aware of the dangers of the coronavirus. “People are now more aware” of social distancing and other measures, he said. The boardwalk was closed, city officials had said, because large crowds had been gathering there and few were observing social distancing. The boardwalk is an iconic part of Long Beach, attracting thousands during summer holiday weekends. It is also a favorite spot for joggers and cyclists. The boardwalk has bathroom facilities and a large food stand. As of April 7, Long Beach City Council President

John Bendo said the number of confirmed cases in the city stood at 285, a large jump from the previous ago, when there were about 200 cases. “We’ve been informed that some of this increase is attributed to increased testing and ramped up processions of tests,” Bendo said on the City’s website. “But officials are also projecting that this and next week will see Nassau County reaching its peak epidemic. While this may be welcome news of sorts, please know that now is the time to double down on our social distancing efforts, not to relax them.” Bendo also said that Long Beach police are following up on complaints by some residents that some restaurants and bars are not adhering to social distancing and have stepped up patrols to enforce the guidelines. The city has also temporarily suspended recycling. The boardwalk close had the support of Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and State Sen. Todd Kaminsky. a Long Beach Democrat, as well as by some civic organizations. Sam Pinto, president of the Eastholm Civic Association, said, “Right now, under the current pandemic situation, having the boardwalk closed will help flatten the curve. Closing it is a benefit.” The case is to be heard via Skype.

Photos by Christina Daly/Herald

a Long Beach lawyer filed a lawsuit against the City of Long Beach to reopen the boardwalk, which was closed in March because officials say people failed to adhere to social distancing.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

By mike smoLLins

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Officials: MSSN still performing surgeries By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside is still open for trauma and emergency cases, despite an influx of critically ill coronavirus patients in recent weeks. That was the message that Joe Calderone, MSSN’s senior vice president of corporate communications, and Dr. Rajiv Datta, the hospital’s chief of surgery, delivered to the public via a 15-minute Facebook Live session last Thursday. “We are still a trauma center,” Datta said. “We still take care of acute cases.” MSSN is the South Shore’s only trauma center, which treats the most urgent cases such as car crash and gunshot victims. An emergency patient, by contrast, might be suffering from an acute medical condition such as appendicitis. To remain a Level II trauma center, the hospital must maintain a trauma operating room and keep a trauma surgeon on duty at the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As of last Thursday, Calderone said, the hospital had 450 patients in total — 300, or 66 percent, were Covid-19 patients. All trauma and emergency patients are tested for coronavirus upon entering the hospital, Datta said, “so we can protect them, and we can also protect our staff.” The operating room is equipped with a

Facebook Live screenshot

Dr. rajiv Datta, chief of surgery at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside, and Joe Calderone, senior vice president for corporate communications, held a Facebook Live session in front of the hospital Thursday to let the public know trauma and emergency surgeries are still be performing at MSSN. HEPA filter to ensure the air remains pure, and all surgical tables and equipment are wiped down with bleach, he said. Surgical patients recover in the operating room, and then they are segregated in a non-Covid-19 section of the hospital. “The staff is very keenly aware of which patients are Covid positive and which are not,” Datta said. “That information is delivered to everybody.”

He emphasized, “The operating room is still functional, only doing trauma cases and emergency cases.” Follow-up care is provided in MSSN’s outpatient facility in Valley Stream and via telehealth video chat. “It’s a new way of practicing medicine,” Datta said. There is no longer visitation at the hospital. After patients are sufficiently recovered from surgery, family members or

friends must pick them up at the front entrance of the hospital on Merrick Road. They cannot enter the hospital. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation at South Nassau,” Calderone noted. Several staff members from hospital’s surgical team, both surgeons and nurses, have been redeployed to medical wings of the hospital to help treat Covid-19 patients. Normally, the hospital might have 22 patients on ventilators. It had 80 as of last Thursday. “I’m amazed to see how our staff is helpful,” Datta said, noting that retired surgeons have called to volunteer their services. “So far we have been able to accommodate,” he said. “Everybody is stretched.” The hospital is still performing a small number of elective surgeries for cancer patients, said Datta, who is medical director of MSSN’s Feil Cancer Center in Valley Stream. Primarily, however, cancer patients are being treated with radiation and chemotherapy in cordoned-off wings — chemo at the front of the hospital, and radiation at the back. Both Calderone and Datta emphasized the importance of social distancing. “We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination,” Calderone said. To watch the full video, see liherald.com.

Northwell Health clinical trials under way By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

The Northwell Health medical system, with hospitals throughout the greater New York metropolitan area, has conducted clinical trials for a possible treatment for Covid-19 since March 18, and an effort that began with two patients now involves hundreds. That’s according to Dr. Christina Brennan, vice president of clinical research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset. Brennan sat down with video producer Rob Hoell for a Facebook Live interview last Thursday in which she discussed the ongoing clinical trials that Northwell is engaged in. She noted Northwell was among the first health systems in the nation to undertake clinical trials for a treatment. Locally, trials are taking place at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Early on, Feinstein Institutes researchers teamed up with Gilead Sciences and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to identify potential treatments for Covid-19 patients who are hospitalized with moderate to severe conditions. The goal, according to a Northwell release, is “to improve recovery and speed discharge from hospitals.” Brennan said last week that Northwell also undertook an additional study to gauge the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that has been touted often by President Trump. With Gilead, the Feinstein Institutes is examining the safety and effectiveness of remdesivir (RDV), an investigational antiviral drug, to reduce the intensity and duration of Covid-19 in hospitalized patients. RDV, Northwell officials said, has “demonstrated positive effects” on other viruses such as MERS and SARS. The trial with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which now involves 216 patients, is examining the safety and efficacy

Facebook Live screenshot

of sarilumab, a human antibody that may help prevent severe pneumonia in some Covid-19 patients. It is normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Brennan said. “We’re really excited about the three opportunities and more to come of the trials,” she said. Northwell is not engaged in clinical trials to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, she noted. Brennan could not say how long development of a treatment drug or drugs would take, and if any of the drugs now in trials would ultimately be proven effective. Patients’ participation in all clinical trials is voluntary. Daily, Brennan said, clinical researchers are feeding data back to the pharmaceutical companies involved in the trials, and the companies are analyzing that information. When a sufficient data set is amassed, the companies will then approach the Food and Drug Administration for possible approvals. Northwell physicians on “the front lines” are selecting

Dr. chriStina Brennan, vice president of clinical research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, sat down with video producer Rob Hoell for a Facebook Live session last Thursday to discuss ongoing clinical trials for a Covid19 treatment at Northwell.

patients for the trials with Feinstein researchers. “It can be tough as investigators,” Brennan said. “You so desperately want to help patients and find the right treatment for them.” She said, however, “We’re seeing more discharges daily from our clinical trials, so we’re hopeful.” Speaking of the clinical researchers, Hoell said, “You guys are, to my mind, the unsung heroes … Every day we get closer and closer to maybe finding out what’s going to work and what’s going to knock out this virus.” Brennan did say clinical research appears to substantiate anecdotal evidence from physicians in the field that Covid-19 is potentially more deadly for older adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions, and that anyone, of any age, can be infected and suffer its effects, including older teenagers. To watch the entire interview, see liherald.com.

Neighbors iN the News

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Christina Daly/Herald

although it remainS closed, the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library is offering a number of online services and programs amid the coronavirus epidemic.

Remote offerings at Henry Waldinger By Peter Belfiore pbelfiore@liherald.com

Since March 20, the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library has been shuttered following an executive order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he ordered all indoor public gathering places closed in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. Nearly a month on, and although the library’s doors have remained locked, its staff are still offering a variety of digital services to give residents a sense of normalcy in these unprecedented times. Many can be accessed via the library’s website at valleystreamlibrary.org in conjunction with the Nassau County Library System and include: ■ Access to digital books, audio books, magazines and video. ■ Access to educational and learning sites such as Live Homework Help, Learning Express, Pronunciator. ■ Access to publications such as Consumer Reports and news publication aggregators such as ProQuest (New York Times and Newsday). ■ Remote access to Ancestry.com. Additionally, no fines will be charged for materials past due after March 13 until the

library reopens, and all library cards set to expire in March have had their expiration dates pushed to May 1, or later if needed. If residents do not have a library card or theirs has already expired, the Nassau County Library System is offering applications for digital-only library cards. To apply visit www.nassaulibrary.org/coronavirus-information/digital-card-application/. Waldinger librarians Jaclyn Kunz and Faith Kenney are also continuing to offer weekly interactive programs through the video chat application Zoom. To sign up and receive the Zoom link, visit the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library’s Facebook page or email them at kidsroomvs@nassaulibrary.org. Currently scheduled for Thursdays is Family Game Night, and other upcoming programs include: ■ Ms. K’s Read-Aloud ■ Toddlers, Tots & Tykes Storytime ■ Children & Teen Open Mic Afternoon To check for upcoming remote programs and other enrichment opportunities on offer, visit the library calendar located on its webpage. For any questions email hwmlcontact@ hotmail.com

Let us Know News Brief items including awards, honors, promotions and other tidbits about local residents are welcome. Photographs may be emailed as well. Deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, week prior to publication. Send to pbelfiore@liherald.com

Courtesy State Sen. Todd Kaminsky

State Sen. todd Kaminsky honored North High School student singer Garrick Neuner for his showing at the New York State School Music Association’s All-State Jazz and Vocal Ensemble Performance at the beginning of March.

North H.S. student singer honored Earlier last month, North High School student Garrick Neuner was honored for his showing at the New York State School Music Association’s All-State Jazz and Vocal Ensemble Performance at the Empire State Plaza on March 2.

In addition to being recognized by the Valley Stream Central High School District last month, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky also presented him with a Senate proclamation.

V.S. first responder recognized Valley Stream firefighter and lead paramedic for the Oceanside Fire District, Jose Piniero, has been named “Helper of the Week” by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky. In addition to serving in the Valley Stream Fire Department and Oceanside Fire District, Piniero also works as a paramedic for NYU Winthrop. “Jose never hesitates to answer the call, even though he’s directly putting himself in harm’s way,” Kaminsky said in a statement. “He re presents the amazing first responders, healthcare professionals and essential workers who deserve all of our support and appreciation.” When he’s not protecting the people of Oceanside or at NYU Winthrop Hospital, he’s putting his fire gear on as a member of the Valley Stream Volunteer Fire Department. “I love what I do,” Piniero said. “It’s a calling.” Each week during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Kaminsky will highlight an exemplary 9th district neighbor who is going above and beyond to help our communities deal with the outbreak. If you feel someone in your neighborhood is worthy of distinction, please call the Senator’s office at 516-766-8383.

Courtesy State Sen. Todd Kaminsky

Valley Stream firefighter and paramedic for both NYU Winthrop and the Oceanside Fire District, Jose Piniero, has been named “Helper of the Week.

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Peter Belfiore/Herald

The coronavirus ouTBreak has called into question whether the Barrett Park summer camp program will go ahead as planned this year. Courtesy Danielle Scala

The paw iT Forward pet pantry is seeking pet food and supply donations to assist pet owners who may be sick or have been laid off due to the coronavirus.

Paw it Forward seeking pet food donations for virus relief Foster-based rescues are homes that temporarily care for pets while they await pbelfiore@liherald.com adoption. Paw it Forward, a Valley Stream-based, Additionally, in recent weeks, Scala non-profit backed pet pantry organization said the organization has also provided is seeking animal food donations to help food for the pets of residents living at the feed the pets of owners who have been Monica Village senior apartments, and affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. she encouraged anyone struggling to feed Paw it Forward or care for their pets accepts cat and dog to contact her. food, wet or dry, as Due to disrupwell as cat litter and tions brought by the pet supplies such as virus, however, the Call (516) 491-8781 carrying crates and pantry’s stockpile pet beds, according has been running or search “Paw it Forward” Danielle Scalalow. on Facebook to schedule Nathan, who found“We’re running ed the organization out of donations,” a donation drop-off. along with her husScala said, noting band Rob Nathan. that Paw it Forward Items can be dropped typically receives off at their home at 114 Clarendon Drive. most of its food and supplies from donaPaw it Forward does not take monetary tions from pet stores and drop-off boxes donations. located in businesses around the neighThe organization seeks to help feed the borhood, all of which have been either pets of anyone living in Valley Stream shuttered or operating on a limited basis. and the neighboring communities, howevStill, she said, the donations have been er, as the outbreak sickens people and rav- trickling in. ages the economy, Scala said the need is “Every day is a process,” she said. most acute among pet owners who have “People have been coming in and dropbeen laid off due to virus’ impact as well ping off. We’ve been working together to as foster-based rescues in Valley Stream. get through this.”

By peTer Belfiore

how you can help

Barrett summer camp in question due to outbreak By nicole alcindor nalcindor@liherald.com

The Barrett Park Summer Recreation Program was scheduled to hold its next registration day on April 28. However, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, that may not happen, according to Jimmy Fitanzo, director of recreation for the village. Additionally, he said the long-running summer camp program could be cancelled altogether, depending on when state officials decide to lift social distancing restrictions and bans on large public gatherings. “It would be great for kids to get out and do activities for the program this summer because they have been cooped up inside during this pandemic,” Fitanzo said. “We would be disappointed if the program gets cancelled because a lot of

planning goes into this, and the kids look forward to it, but safety comes first.” If the Barrett Park program, which Fitzano plans throughout the year, goes forward as planned this summer, it would run from July 1 to Aug. 14, and is open to children ages 6 to 12 years old. This summer would be the first during which the camp offers the option for a full-day program running from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in addition to its standard half-day program that runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Fitanzo said he expects state officials to make any decisions that could affect whether the summer camp program goes forward by the end of April. “We are in compliance with whatever the CDC and state wants us to do,” he said. “If that means maintaining separation we will do that. We have no choice but to wait and see what happens.”

Let us hear from you! We want to know what you think. Send your letters to 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 or email pbelfiore@liherald.com

www.liherald.com

Christina Daly/Herald

Big storm brings minor outages Monday’s storms with high winds brought a handful of tree branches down. On Rockaway Parkway a large branch drew a response from PSEG Long Island crews. While it was not clear exactly how many houses lost power, by Tuesday the utility reported less than five customers remained without electricity.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Hempstead Town Is Here For You! During this challenging time, we want residents to know that employees and the Town Board are working hard to keep your essential services running.

NEED HELP FROM A TOWN DEPARTMENT? Email the following departments at: Building Department:

tohbuildingquestions@tohmail.org

Town Clerk’s Office:

tohtownclerkquestions@tohmail.org

Tax Office:

tohtaxquestions@tohmail.org

Parks Department:

tohparksquestions@tohmail.org

or call (516) 812-3600

For a list of other department email addresses, please visit hempsteadtownny.gov/directory

STAY CONNECTED • For email updates: hempsteadtownny.gov/townnews-mailing-list • Swift 911 emergency notifications: hempsteadtownny.gov/ emergency-services/ swift911-emergency-notification • Facebook: @hempsteadtown • Twitter:

@hempsteadtown

• Instagram: @hempstead_town

Have Questions About COVID-19? Join Supervisor Don Clavin, Councilman Anthony D’Esposito and Dr. Dave Neubert for three Facebook Live sessions:

Friday, April 17 at 2 p.m. Monday, April 20 at 2 p.m. Friday, April 24 at 2 p.m. IMPORTANT COVID-19 RESOURCES:

JOIN US!

New York State (NYS) Coronavirus Hotline .........................................................................(888) 364-3065 New York State (NYS) Coronavirus Website .................................................... coronavirus.health.ny.gov Nassau County Coronavirus Call Center .............................................................................(516) 227-9570 CDC Coronavirus Disease Hotline ........................................................................................(800) 232-4636 CDC Coronavirus Disease Website ...................................................................................coronavirus.gov NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline ..........................................................................(844) 863-9314

Supervisor

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Don Clavin

Kate Murray

Council Members Town Clerk Dorothy L. Goosby • Bruce A. Blakeman • Anthony P. D’Esposito Jeanine C. Driscoll Dennis Dunne, Sr. • Thomas E. Muscarella • Christopher Carini Receiver of Taxes

THE ANIMALS ARE DEPENDING ON US TO BE HERE FOR THEM... CRISIS OR NOT

How Covid affects minorities

North Shore Animal League America is facing critical challenges during the coronavirus pandemic – but that will never change our NO-KILL PROMISE to care for homeless dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens.

Source: New York State Department of Health Illustration by Christina Daly/Herald

Solageses: More rapid tests are needed

PLEASE DONATE A GIFT TODAY Give what you can to help us through this emergency. We must continue our mission to rescue; provide shelter, medical care, and nourishment; and adopt out homeless pets during the COVID-19 crisis.

By Melissa Koenig

YOU CAN SAVE THE LIVES OF INNOCENT ANIMALS NOW. VISIT animalleague.org or CALL 516-883-7575

1085396

mkoenig@liherald.com

RR006

ʼ TS

A H W EN? OP

Let Your CommunitY Know!

FREE

Online Business Directory List your business’ status and find out information about other local businesses.

liherald.com/whatsopen

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April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

As more and more data is being released showing that the novel coronavirus affects minority communities at higher rates, Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages and State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages are urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to set up more rapid testing facilities in communities with large minority populations, such as Elmont, Valley Stream and Inwood. “If we’re going to outsmart this disease, we have to see where it’s running rampant,” Carrié Solages, a Democrat from Valley Stream, said. Studies across the country, he noted, have shown that the virus is killing a higher percentage of African-Americans than white people, and data from New York state — the epicenter of the pandemic — shows that African-Americans had 17 percent of coronavirus cases outside New York City as of April 9, despite accounting for only about 9 percent of the state’s population. In Nassau County, the data from the State Department of Health shows, blacks, who make up 13 percent of the population, had 17 percent of the county’s fatalities. Cuomo announced on April 9 that he would open five new testing facilities in minority communities in New York City, including Brownsville and Flatbush, Brooklyn; South Ozone Park, Queens; the South Bronx; and Jamaica, Queens. “We are going to increase testing and open new testing sites to collect more data in African-American and Latino communities,” Cuomo said, “so we can better understand why this virus kills and has higher fatality rates in certain communities, and what we can do to address it.” Both Carrié and Michaelle Solages said that more needed to be done in Nassau County as well. In an April 8 letter to Cuomo and Commissioner of Health Howard Zucker, Carrié wrote that he had heard from constituents in the county’s 3rd Leg-

islative District “that there is a frustrating backlog in testing, leaving many unable to receive the test in a timely fashion, and therefore forcing them to remain uncertain about their health status.” Making it worse, he said, AfricanAmericans are more likely to have underlying health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and some cancers that can make Covid-19 infections more severe, and lower-income areas — which tend to have larger non-white populations — have less access to health care services. Carrié and Michaelle both suggested that increasing the availability of rapid tests in minority communities would help. Now, Michaelle explained, people in areas such as Elmont, Inwood and Valley Stream may have to wait “days, if not weeks” to get the results of their coronavirus tests. But, she said, if the state government were to supply federally qualified health centers — like the LIFQHC in Elmont — with the rapid tests, people in minority areas could get their results in a matter of minutes. “This will allow us to slow the spread of Covid-19 for all individuals, regardless of economic status, race, religion and ethnicity,” Michaelle said in a statement, telling the Herald, “Let’s get ahead of the game, and pour resources into these communities.” As of last week, Long Island Federally Qualified Health Centers, which operates in communities across the Island, addressing the health care needs of vulnerable and under-served populations, had tested about 400 people for Covid-19, according to David Nemiroff, the organization’s president and CEO. About 65 percent of those tests, he said, have come back positive. But the facilities have been running low on testing kits, Nemiroff noted, and do not have access to the rapid tests, which are mainly being sent to hospitals. If LIFQH were to get them, however, Nemiroff said, “We would do it in a heartbeat.”

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

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$500,000 IN GRANTS AVAILABLE NOW TO LOCAL BUSINESSES

SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING GRANT

Apply for your share of the $500,000 marketing grant available to assist locally owned businesses.

STUART RICHNER Publisher Herald Community Newspapers

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. We are a small business ourselves, so we understand the pain that small business owners are going through right now. We at the Herald want to do our part to make sure that members of our small business community can continue to promote themselves during this trying period.”

Herald Team

WHO For all locally owned and operated small businesses on Long Island that have been negatively impacted by coronavirus.

WHAT A $500,000 grant program to support local small businesses. Each local business is eligible to receive up to $15,000 of matching grant funds, which can be used for Herald Community Newspapers print, digital and direct mail products in April through July 15, 2020.

WHERE Apply at www.liherald.com/grant.

WHEN Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2020 or until maximum grant funding has been distributed. Businesses will be contacted within two business days of submitting their application.

WHY Studies show that businesses that continue to market themselves during down times are the ones that fare the best long-term. This grant program will allow Long Island small businesses to continue promoting themselves and any new services they are offering during these unprecedented times.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: • Every dollar that a grant recipient spends on marketing in Herald products will be matched with a dollar of grant funding, up to the award amount, to be applied towards marketing costs. • Businesses must be locally owned and operated. • Grants range from $300 to $15,000. • Grants can be applied to any Herald Community Newspaper marketing product or service during April through July 15, 2020. • Grants applied to direct mail products are net of postage/mailing costs.

RHONDA GLICKMAN VP Sales

LORI BERGER Sales Manager

rglickman@liherald.com

lberger@liherald.com

ELLEN REYNOLDS Sales Manager

AMY AMATO Executive Director

ereynolds@liherald.com

aamato@liherald.com

COURTNEY MYERS Media Consultant cmyers@liherald.com

For more information call Rhonda at 516.569.4000 ext. 250

APPLY TODAY AT

WWW.LIHERALD.COM/GRANT

A Special Collaboration With The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores

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April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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LEGAL NOTICE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE CLERK 123 South Central Avenue Valley Stream New York 11580 (516) 592-5105 LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream will continue the hearing from April 6, 2020 on the TENTATIVE BUDGET for the Fiscal Year June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021 on Monday, the 20th day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock p.m. in the Village Hall, 123 South Central Avenue, Valley Stream, New York. *THE BUDGET HEARING WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. The Tentative Budget for June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021 is posted on the Village Website. Village Website is www.vsvny.org Dated: Valley Stream, New York April 16, 2020 By Order of the Board of Trustees Incorporated Village of Valley Stream Robert V. Fumagalli, Village Clerk * GOVERNOR ANDEW M. CUOMO issued an Executive Order by which local governments, until further notice, can hold meetings that are not open to the public. 121598

Search for notices online at: www.mypublicnotices.com

(5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Date: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121597

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

on April 6, 2020, pursuant to the Local Finance Law of New York, a bond anticipation note resolution which: (1) authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Village to finance the costs of the acquisition of certain fire equipment, and authorizes the issuance of up to $155,000 aggregate principal amount of bond anticipation notes to finance such purpose; and (2) states the estimated maximum total costs of such acquisition to be not in excess of $155,000, states that such costs will be financed with the issuance of obligations authorized in the bond anticipation note resolution and sets forth the plan of financing of such cost of the purpose; and (3) determines the period of probable usefulness to be five (5) years; and (4) determines that the maximum maturity of such notes will be less than five (5) years; and (5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is

not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Date: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121593

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream (the “Village”), situated in the County of Nassau, in the State of New York, has adopted, on April 6, 2020, pursuant to the Local Finance Law of New York, a bond anticipation note resolution which: (1) authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Village to finance the costs related to a new waste transfer station in the Village, and authorizes the issuance of up to $1,100,000 aggregate principal amount of bond anticipation notes to finance such purpose; and (2) states the estimated maximum total costs of such acquisition to be not in excess of $1,100,000, states that such costs will be financed with the issuance of obligations authorized in the bond anticipation note resolution and sets forth the plan of financing of such cost of the purpose; and (3) determines the period of probable usefulness to be twentyfive (25) years; and (4) determines that the maximum maturity of such notes will be less than five (5) years; and (5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting

such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Dated April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121592 Search for notices online at: www.mypublicnotices.com

(3) determines the period of probable usefulness to be fifteen (15) years; and (4) determines that the maximum maturity of such notes will be less than five (5) years; and (5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Date: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121594 Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream (the “Village”), situated in the County of Nassau, in the State of New York, has adopted, on April 6, 2020, pursuant to the Local Finance Law of New York, a bond anticipation note resolution which: (1) authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Village to finance the costs of replacement of underground storage tank and fuel system upgrades, and authorizes the issuance of up to $150,000 aggregate principal amount of bond anticipation notes to finance such purpose; and (2) states the estimated maximum total costs of such acquisition to be not in excess of $150,000, states that such costs will be financed with the issuance of obligations authorized in the bond anticipation note resolution and sets forth the plan of financing of such cost of the purpose; and (3) determines the period of probable usefulness to be fifteen (15) years; and (4) determines that the maximum maturity of such notes will be less than five (5) years; and (5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the

Village of Valley Stream on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Date: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121595 LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream (the “Village”), situated in the County of Nassau, in the State of New York, has adopted, on April 6, 2020, pursuant to the Local Finance Law of New York, a bond anticipation note resolution which: (1) authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Village to finance the costs of various vehicle fleet additions, and authorizes the issuance of up to $100,000 aggregate principal amount of bond anticipation notes to finance such purpose; and (2) states the estimated maximum total costs of such acquisition to be not in excess of $100,000, states that such costs will be financed with the issuance of obligations authorized in the bond anticipation note resolution and sets forth the plan of financing of such cost of the purpose; and (3) determines the period of probable usefulness to be five (5) years; and (4) determines that the maximum maturity of such notes will be less than five (5) years; and (5) delegates the Village Treasurer the power to prescribe the terms, form and contents of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of certain serial bonds or renewals thereof, and to issue, sell and deliver such bond anticipation notes; and (6) states that the validity of such bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of such serial bonds may be contested only if: (a) such obligations are authorized

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Public Notices

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

eugene o’Brien ii, far left, was sworn in as Valley Stream’s 98th fire chief on April 9. A 25-year volunteer, he comes from a family of firefighters, but is the first among them to lead the department. former chief JASon Croak, near left, will continue on as a volunteer firefighter. He stepped down at the end of his two-year term. He said it was difficult to give up the position, but was confident in his successor.

Courtesy Eugene O’Brien II

Courtesy Jason Croak

Fire Department swears in new chiefs continued from front page tant chief and two years as chief. “My favorite part of working as chief was forming friendships in and out of the community and within the Fire Department and with other fire departments,” he said. “Being chief was timeconsuming, and it was stressful making firefighting and administrative decisions, but it was a great and a very fun experience.” He added, “It’s tough being as involved as I was and letting go, but I know Eugene O’Brien will handle things and get things done. My advice to Eugene is that he keeps moving forward and continues the legacy of the Valley Stream Fire Department.” A 25-year veteran of the Valley Stream Fire Department, serving in various

capacities, O’Brien said he looks forward to his new role. “I hope to provide the best training that I can to the members of the department,” he said. “I hope to expand the department’s mobile computer system, find new equipment, improve radio communication between firefighters and better equip them to respond to calls.” O’Brien said he first joined the department to follow in his family’s footsteps. His father served in the VSFD for 50 years, and his three brothers and uncles were also members. O’Brien is the first chief in his family. “I’m eager to get involved and dig in and continue the tradition of the Valley Stream Fire Department,” he said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, and I worry about the safety of members at all times . . . It’s

Public Notices

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for an object or purpose for which the Village is not authorized to expend money, or (b) the provisions of law which should be complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of such publication, or (c) if such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York.

By order of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream, New York. Dated: April 6, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK ESTOPPEL NOTICE The Public Notice published herewith is a summary of the bond anticipation notes resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Valley Stream

on April 6, 2020. The validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Valley Stream is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of the publication of such resolution were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit

or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty (20) days after the date of publication of this notice, or if such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution of New York. Date: April 16, 2020 ROBERT FUMAGALLI Village Clerk Village of Valley Stream, New York 121596

To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232

also challenging working during this pandemic because we want to provide the best service, while keeping members of the department safe.” Scanlon, now first assistant chief, started volunteering for the department 11 years ago, and said he looks forward to working with O’Brien to help him fulfill his plans. Although he was grateful to take on the new role, he said the recent death of fellow firefighter and department EMT Mike Field of complications from the coronavirus hung heavy over the ceremony. Field was sworn in posthumously as a chief of the department, and Field’s three sons, who are also members of the department, were presented with their father’s chief badge. “Missing Mike put a solemn damper in the ceremony,” Scanlon said. “In my new position, as the right-hand man of the chief, I hope to continue the duties of teaching the second assistant and making sure everyone gets home safe.” As second assistant chief, Capone said he hopes to use his eight years of firefighting experience, and the business skills he gained as the owner of two nearby auto body shops, to help move the department in a positive direction. Capone also said he looks forward to following in his family’s footsteps through his new position. “My step-dad was a chief and his dad was a chief and his brother was a chief, so firefighting is in my blood, and it’s in my nature to help everybody,” he said. “Now we are in a pandemic, and the challenges we face are tough, but there are brighter days ahead.”

Courtesy Patrick Scanlon

firSt ASSiStAnt chief Patrick Scanlon.

Courtesy Anthony Capone

Second ASSt. chief Anthony Capone.

By TIMOTHY DENTON denton@liherald.com

Courtesy PSEG Long Island

Osprey cams offer respite from Covid-19 PSEG Long Island has installed two webcams to offer a peek into the daily lives of local ospreys. Employees work throughout the year to balance PSEG Long Island’s commitment to deliver power for its customers with its commitment to being a good environmental steward, utility officials said. Providing a safe nesting area for the osprey away from vital electrical infrastructure helps PSEG Long Island maintain strong electric service reliability. Ospreys often use utility poles and transmission structures for nesting, which jeopardizes system reliability, causes outages and equipment. “The osprey have made a triumphant comeback here since the 1970s, and PSEG Long Island works to make sure that they can continue to flourish,” said Dan Eichhorn, president and CEO of PSEG Long Island. “Especially now, with so many of us remaining inside our homes for the sake of public health, these webcams offer a much-needed front-row seat to the comings and goings of these majestic

birds.” PSEG Long Island has installed 24-hour webcams at two of the nests that were relocated by line workers during the time of year when the birds are not raising young. The first shows a live feed of a nest in Oyster Bay; a second webcam has gone live from a nest in Patchogue. At the Oyster Bay location, the osprey pair returned late last month. Since the resurgence of the osprey population, PSEG Long Island and its team, with the guidance and support from environmental partners, have identified best practices for when to move a nest, and when to create alternative safer nest locations for the ospreys, utility officials said. PSEG Long Island workers have relocated two-dozen osprey nests to ensure the birds are out of harm’s way from high voltage systems. View the cameras online at https:// www.psegliny.com/wildlife/ospreycam.

ToH earmarks $40M for road improvements By J.D. FrEDA and TIMOTHY DENTON jfreda@liherald.com; tdenton@liherald.com

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin announced a $40 million stimulus package last week “in an effort to get people back to work once it is safe to do so.” Clavin said the money would be used for roadway improvements. With more than 1,200 miles of roadways in the town, the investment could “help workers recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, while enhancing quality-of-life and driver and pedestrian safety.” The town’s 2020 approved budget allocated roughly $150 million to fund the highway department and its various duties. Which new projects will be undertaken with the allocation remains to be determined. Some of the repair work has already

begun, according to Town Councilman Christopher Carini, whose district encompasses Wantagh and Seaford. Repaving the stretch of Beltagh Avenue between Forest Lake School and Old Mill Road began on March 23. “The road surface will be replaced, and, in addition, new concrete curbs, driveway aprons and handicap ramps will be provided,” Carini said. “Being near an elementary school, it’s an important improvement that will increase safety for residents. I look forward to its planned completion in the middle of May.” Clavin said the stimulus package represented a movement toward a return to normal life, following the Covid-19 virus. “This major capital investment symbolizes a significant step toward economic recovery … as we face the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic together,” he said.

As the wizards of finance begin to g rapple with the fallout from the Covid-19 crisis, it is clear that sales tax revenue — a major component in Nassau County’s 2020 budget — will drop off by at least 4 percent, according to a New York Association of Counties study. The study, cited in Moody’s Investors Service’s commentary on the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, estimated the loss “could punch a sizable hole of at least $50 million” in Nassau County’s 2020 budget, according to Moody’s Senior Credit Analyst Robert Weber. Because the county had already estimated a year-over-year increase of $33 million in sales tax revenue, the loss will likely be more than $80 million, or 2.5 percent of the budgeted general fund revenue for the year, Weber wrote. Citing the same NYAC study, however, Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman said the sales tax losses could be as high as $180 million, or 12.7 percent of the budget. “No one knows how long this will last or how deep the hole will be,” Schnirman said. The one bright spot was the strength of NIFA’s credit quality, Weber wrote. The authority is rated Aa1; Nassau County has a rating of A2

Courtesy Nassau Interim Finance Authority

ADAM BArskY, cHAIrMAN of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority since 2018. — still solidly investment grade. But NIFA’s higher rating will enable the county to borrow money at lower interest rates — critical in the coming recovery, Weber wrote. Finally, the 2021 budget for New York State includes provisions for restoring NIFA’s bonding authority. It also extends the Authority’s oversight of county finances to 2051 from 2025, enabling the county to continue to benefit from NIFA’s stronger credit.

Comptroller to launch study of post-Covid recovery to crisis-related expenses, the modeling is complex and challenging, he added. Schnirman said the Covid-19 crisis Nassau County Comptroller Jack more closely mirrors the economic Schirman announced late last week that downturn of 2008-09 than the aftermath his office will begin conducting an in- of Hurricane Sandy. “We need to know a depth analysis of the impact the Covid- range of potential impacts on county 19 virus has had on the counrevenues so we can ensure ty’s finances. The analysis essential government servicwill provide “a series of proes will continue unimpedjections on critical revenues, ed,” he said. so that Nassau can best preThe financial impact pare for recovery,” Schniranalysis will provide projecman said in a news release. tions of models relating to “Covid-19 is an unprecesales tax and various fees, to dented threat to the health project the county’s finanand safety of our communic i a l t re n d l i n e s i n t h e ty, as well as our fiscal months ahead, Schnirman health,” Schnir man said. said. Jack schnirman The difficulty in making any On the expense side, projections is that “we do direct purchases have not not know how long his will yet had a critical fiscal last or how deep the hole will be,” he impact relative to previous crises, said. because only a few million out of a Economically dependent sales tax “is multi-billion dollar budget have been key to plan for the immediate future” spent thus far, Schnirman explained. “It and what comes after that, Schnirman is the revenue side that will take longer said. Because revenue losses take longer to materialize and is of greater concern to materialize than potential increases at present,” he said.

By TIMOTHY DENTON tdenton@liherald.com

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Sales tax losses ‘punch hole’ in county budget

PsEG LONG IsLAND has installed two osprey cameras — one in Oyster Bay and the other in Patchogue — so people can watch the daily lives of these birds.

HERALD

Employment

CLASSIFIED

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

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

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 and ad.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT

Homes

HERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 1080712

$18.50 P/H NYC • $16 P/H LI CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate! Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

HOME Of tHE WEEK

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

Rockville Centre

Absolutely Meticulous!

OFFICE HELP WANTED FULL TIME

Must be able to embrace a fast paced environment, with a diverse range of duties including sales order entry, and sales and marketing. . Computer proficiency is a must! Excel (including formulas). Word and Outlook. Strong writing, math and verbal skills necessary. Eligible for health benefits, 401k, and paid time off. Will consider part time. Qualified candidates should sent cover letter and resume to rglickman@liherald.com

COMBINED INSURANCE EXPANDING Long Island operation! Full time W2 sales agent opportunity full company benefits and leads provided. Call Bob (516) 567-7733 for immediate interview.

DISPATCH WANTED

No Experience Needed, we will train!!!!! F U L L T I M E M O N D AY - F R I D AY 11:30- 8:00 5-20 HOURS OF OVERTIME!! MEDICAL, DENTAL, 401K. 2 WEEKS VACATION, HOLIDAY PAY. $15.00 PER HOUR PLUS OVERTIME. APPLY IN PERSON AT: CALLAHEAD C O R P. 3 0 4 C R O S S B AY B LV D , QUEENS NY 11693 APPLY MONDAY- FRIDAY 12:00- 7PM JOB OPPORTUNITY $18.50 P/H NYC $16 P/H LI Up to $13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate! Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, one of the fastest growing media, event and communications companies on Long Island is seeking a Sales/Marketing candidate to sell our digital, events, sponsorships and print media products. Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health benefits, 401k and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to rglickman@liherald.com

Child/Eldercare Offered A LOVING PERSON Will Care For Your Loved Ones. 20+ Years Experience, CPR Certified, Good References, Own Transportation. 347-205-3554

his 11 Room, 2 story home is completely renovated, inside and out. Grand open living room with gas fireplace has custom cabinetry, shelves and archway to family room. This home boasts a beautiful formal dining room, eat-in-kitchen with Italian Carrera marble countertops, Thermador professional series appliances with oversized cast iron Kohler farm sink, Monogram Advantium micro/convection oven, double electric ovens, pantry, custom cabinetry including dishwasher and refrigerator, gas heat and 175’ deep lot. The bath-

Kevin Leatherman Real Estate Broker Direct Line: (516) 362-1828 | Client Text: (516) 271-2236 Leatherman Homes 25 S Village Ave. Rockvile Centre, NY

Child/Eldercare/Help Wanted CAREGIVER WANTED: Experienced, Oceanside. 9am-8pm, Must be Certified and have References. Must Drive, Clean License. Becky 929-248-2272

rooms are high-end white and red onyx, Travertine flooring, paver walkway and driveway with power gates leads to 4 car garage used as 3 with 10’ wide doors. It also has brown wave stone, custom coco Andersen windows, barrel gutters and is professionally landscaped..A legal 2 family home with highest and best use as a single-family is located in the South Incorporated Village. a prime location for being in the heart of the village, just 3 short blocks to LIRR and in the Riverside Elementary School District Near All! $1,350,000. Taxes $18,529.50 © 2018 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. It is your responsibility to ensure that the marketing materials you choose or create are compliant with real estate and other local laws in your area.

Administrative Assistant:

Robert Lewis Real Estate Broker

REAL ESTATE

American Homes The Gandolfo Team

CENTURY 21 ® Global Rebrand

Phone: 516-551-0796 Email: BobLewisNY@gmail.com Instagram: @BobLewisNY 2911 Long Beach Road Oceanside, NY 11572

FORECLOSURE DEFENSE

Call For appointment 347-554-3057 1225 Franklin Ave. Garden City NY

1083380

DM Bernard, Esq. Attorney FREE 20 Minute Consultation

JUAN JARA Licensed RE Broker Associate Cell: 516-318-0142 Juan@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com CAMILLE GIARDINA Licensed RE Broker/Owner Cell: 516-318-1392 Camille@AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

Interested in selling your home, buying, or investing? An experienced Realtor, former Baldwin High School Business Educator, & local resident for 35+ years, I’m an expert in helping people buy, sell, & invest in residential and commercial real estate on Long Island and in New York City. Contact me today for a free, confidential consultation and a free market appraisal.

75 SEAMAN AVENUE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE o: 516.766.7900 | signaturepremier.com 5.17.18

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? Contact one of our hardworking professionals today for all of your real estate needs!

We look forward to providing home buyers and sellers with the highest level of personalized service and support. 1084233

Help Wanted

For Order Taking, Phones, Light Data, Commission, Entry, Will Train! $800.00 Per Week, Medical, Dental, 401K, 2 Weeks Vacation, Holiday Pay. Please Apply In Person MondayFriday Bet: 9AM and 7PM At CALLAHEAD CORP. 304 Cross Bay Blvd. Queens NY 11693

*If your property is currently listed with another brokerage, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the listings of other brokerages.

1081833

We’re Keeping the American Dream Alive. www.AllStarRealEstateBrokers.com

2949 Long Beach Road, Suite 8 • Oceanside, NY, 11572 Phone 516.766.8200

1078172

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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

Call the

USA Classified Network today!

1-800-231-6152

We’re All In This Together. Stay Home, Stay Healthy! Wishing you all well.

© 2020 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.

1076858

We’ll meeT & beaT any priCe guaranTeed Owner/Operated • residential/COmmerCial

Nass. Lic # H2904450000

FRANCISCO’S TREE SERVICE & lANdSCApINg • Tree Removal • Stumps • Fertilization • Planting • Land Clearing • Topping

516-216-2617

Commercial/Residential

Suff. Lic # 5-4512-H

Est. 1985 Vincent Esposito

Emergency Service 516.312.9866

Lic# H206773000

Office: 516-546-4971 Cell: 516-852-5415

Ph: 516.561.9866 Fx: 516.599.2539 • Cell: 516.312.9866

1083587

FREE ESTIMATES

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OFF • Tree removal Jobs Under • land Clearing $1,000 $500 Minimum • STump grinding USE COUPON CODE HER2020 USE COUPON CODE HER2020 Cannot be combined with other coupon Cannot be combined with other coupon • pruning We Care More Than The ResT for Less Jobs Under $1,000

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inc.

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1084894

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LANDSCAPING SERVICES 947101

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LONG ISLAND BUILDING & MAINTENANCE CORP.

LicS/inS H2082290000

1083952 re esp

Chimney King, Ent. Inc.

(516) 766-1666 FREE • Chimneys Repaired, Rebuilt & Tuckpointing ESTIMATES • Stainless Steel Liners Installed

Chimney Cleaning & Masonry Services Done By Firefighters That Care chimneykinginc.com

Fully licensed and insured Nassau • Suffolk • NYC

*Power washing sPecialist*

Residential and Commercial - All Surfaces Call Anthony Romeo “The Local Guy” “Anthony & J Home Improvement, Inc.” Also specializes in ★ Deck Renovation ★ Driveways ★ Siding ★ Masonry ★ Fences ★ Roofing ★ Interior/Exterior Painting. (516) 678-6641 - Licensed & Insured

1084810

Professional Organizing

TREE SERVICE fREE REE ESTImaTE ma maTE

Free estimates...Best Price For High Quality service

Wheels For W ishes Beneﬁting

• 100% Tax Deductible

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Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Suffolk County Metro New York Call:(631)317-2014 Call:(917)336-1254

W h e e l s Fo r W i s h e s . o r g

* Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or financial information, call (213) 948-2000 or visit www.wheelsforwishes.org

ALFREDO’S CONSTRUCTION Specializing

Se Habla Espanol

Licensed & insured

the

BLACKTOP

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senior Citizen Discounts

Call For Spring Specials

• ConCrete • BriCk Patios • stooPs • stuCCo • Belgium BloCks • sidewalks • drainage ProBlems • Cellar entranCe • waterProofing • driveway sealing demolition • dumPster serviCe • Powerwashing • handyman rePairs

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1086290

A. Unfortunately, no onte eeper one knows the answer to your question. We’ve heard many ideas from the medical community, but nothing is certain other than keeping a distance to avoid transmission. I just learned that I now have to stay at least 6 feet away from Bengal tigers as well. The theory and observation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health is that the coronavirus lives and multiplies in cooler and drier environments, and not as well in warmer, more humid environments. The rate of death has us all concerned for our safety and health. I’m beginning to hear of the deaths of people I either knew or who are related to friends, so it’s becoming more and more alarming as it becomes more personalized. I’m not sure what’s best in your particular circumstance, because absorbent finishes such as carpet, drapes and clothing require more effort to clean than hard flooring and furniture, for example. It is speculation, however, to think that these materials hold the virus longer than 24 hours, assuming that it is capable of latching onto surfaces, but people keep sending me bulletins about how it can live on hard surfaces, like metal and plastic, for that long. We can learn from the past, and 100 years ago, when the Spanish influenza struck, the equivalent of the surgeon general told the public, in the middle of winter, to keep their windows open. He believed that getting a breath of fresh air could keep the illness at bay. I can only tell you that it would have gotten pretty cold pretty quickly indoors. That’s the reason why, even for decades afterward, steam-fed radiators were so large and overdesigned — and why people regularly kept the windows open. Just under 30 million people died worldwide, and everyone knew of someone who was laid out in the parlor of their home, since funeral parlors were overburdened. In 1920, when the pandemic had ended, Ladies Home Journal made the uplifting suggestion that the parlor, a place of bad memories and sadness in the home, be renamed the living room. Room-unit air conditioners aren’t specifically made to filter viruses, so get some fresh air and keep a safe social distance.

Organize With alice

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

1085480

Ask The Architect

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

1082954

I’m concerned about the coronavirus getting into my home. We live near a shopping strip where a lot of people come and go. We only use our single- room air conditioners when it’s absolutely necessary. I’m noticing that in warm-weather states, they’re still contracting the virus, so I doubt it will go away just because it’s getting warmer outside. Will my room air conditioners be enough to filter the air, and should I rely on them instead of opening my windows? We like the fresh air and need to save money by not running the units if we don’t have to.

Market Place •

1085502

Q. The weather is getting warmer, and

HERALD

Free estimates

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Keeping the coronavirus outside

HERALD

Stuff

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

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

Real Estate

Appliance Srvc./Repair

Miscellaneous

Sprinkler Syst./Irrig.Wells

Sebastian, Florida (East Coast) Beach Cove is like paradise; 55+ Community with maintenance-free living, where friends are easily made. Sebastian is an "Old Florida" fishing village: quaint atmosphere, excellent medical facilities, shopping, restaurants. Direct flights from Newark to Vero Beach. Custom manufactured homes from $114,900. 772-581-0080; www.beachcove.com

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Electricians

Plumbing

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Exterminating

Power Washing

COMPLETE PEST CONTROL - NYS Certified. Licensed/Insured. Commerciial /Residential. Estab. 1985. Emer. Service. 516-561-9866. Cel- 516-312-9866.

POWERWASHING ALL SURFACES: H o u s e s , Fe n c e s , C o n c r e t e / B r i ck , Decks/Sealing. . ANTHONY & J HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. 516-678-6641

Miscellaneous

Services

DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice R e m o t e . S o m e r e s t r i c t i o n s a p p l y. 1-888-609-9405

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Space For Rent HEWLETT: FOR RENT 500 Sq.Ft. For Storage. Near Fire House. $350 Plus Electric. 516-297-6535

SERVICES

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HErald

Crossword Puzzle

• Spring Turn-Ons

• Installations/Renovations Service • Repairs

Certified Backflow Tester Free Estimates Licensed and Insured

Joe Barbato 516-826-7700

Autos Wanted

Tree Services

Junk Cars Wanted

HIGHEST CA$H PAID

DONATE YOUR CAR to breast cancer research recovery. 501c3 charity. Free towing. Receipt upon pick-up. 631-988-9043

DONATE YOUR CAR to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call 631-317-2014 Today!

1082363

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

All Cars Bought, 24/7 FREE Pickup, Serving Nassau County 41 Years. No Title, No Keys=No Problem ID Required. CALL US LAST! Call us at 516-766-0000

Motorcycles For Sale MOTORCYCLE: BMW R1200 MONTAUK, 2004. Pristine, Like New Condition, Low Mileage, Light Blue, $5,500. 516-313-3425

Deals on Wheels

FRANCISCO'S TREE SERVICE

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Wanted To Sell FREON WANTED: WE pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals. Call 312-361-0601 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Careers/Training TRAIN AT HOME TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

Education COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Now offering a $10,000 scholarship for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

Health & Fitness VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! 1-855-579-8907

Legal Services LUNG CANCER? AND Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket. For Infor mation Call 877-225-4813

AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

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opInIons

t’s good news that Congress was able to reach agreement on a financial rescue of our economy at a moment of grave national emergency. More than $2 trillion will pump oxygen into an economy that’s gasping for life. Along with the extraordinary measures the Federal Reserve has adopted to help keep businesses and financial institutions alive, the rescue legislation represents for our economy what respirators and ventilators are to those suffering from Covid-19 itself: a life-saving intervention to give them a chance to aLfonse survive. d’amato It’s particularly heartening that the legislation wasn’t held up for narrow political purposes. Partisanship has no place here. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has shown that kind of nonpartisan leadership. As he has pointed out, the coronavirus doesn’t play politics. It kills Democrats and Republicans alike. Congress didn’t play politics with the economic life of the nation, either. In a period of just three weeks, bills to help our health care system fight the virus and strengthen social safety net programs like unemployment insurance, Medicaid and

food stamps were sent to President Trump and signed into law. Language added to the rescue legislation provided greater transparency and accountability in the disbursal of $500 billion it set aside for loans to help American businesses meet their cashflow shortfalls and keep workers on their payrolls. The legislation stipulates that none of the funds can be used by corporations for stock buybacks or executive pay raises. And like the GMChrysler rescue bill passed during the Great Recession in 2008, the bill provides that once companies recover, they must repay as much of the money as possible. If more billions or even trillions of dollars are needed in the next few weeks or months to deal with this crisis, Congress should pass additional appropriations bills and send them to the president, who has signaled that he would sign whatever necessary spending legislation the lawmakers pass. That legislation should provide more help to state and local governments and our hospitals to help them meet the extraordinary costs they face. The ongoing emergency also presents Washington with a challenge to address some of the underlying problems the spreading virus has highlighted. America can no longer afford to be reliant on China

or other countries to produce drugs or medical equipment. That critical production must be brought home to America. Another thing this crisis has taught us is that the government and business can accomplish more when they cooperate in public-private partnerships. Witness how quickly our auto industry converted to the manufacture of desperately needed ventilators, and how the pharmaceutical industry is working with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our academic research facilities to fast-track new treatments and an eventual vaccine. Cutting bureaucratic red tape has been central to getting these things done, and this flexibility should continue to guide government as we move forward. There are other areas where our government must take a new view. Our unemployment insurance system is proving woefully outdated when it comes to handling an unprecedented flood of jobless claims. Congress should look carefully at replacing unemployment insurance with employment insurance like that offered in Germany, where, in times of economic contraction, the government pays part of workers’ wages to keep them on company payrolls. We’ll also ultimately need to do some-

awmakers cut bureaucratic red tape to get people the help they need.

thing to assure that American workers’ health insurance isn’t interrupted by business downturns, and that they have adequate paid medical leave so they can stay home when they’re sick. The emergency bills move in this direction on both fronts, and that progress should continue. Our education system needs to learn a lesson from this crisis, too. Families have been getting a crash course in distance learning. In the future, our schools should fully embrace online education to allow students to more seamlessly do their schoolwork at home. That will require making sure that all students are equipped with the computers and internet connections they need. And for our higher education system, as I’ve said before, that also means discarding an outmoded teaching model that is bankrupting students with crushing debt and inadequate preparation to enter the workforce. When colleges and universities open this fall, they will face a drastically changed landscape, and they will need to change with it. The emergency measures Congress has taken are bold, life-saving ones that can help get our economy out of this emergency. America has stepped up to battle a crisis. Let’s keep it up. Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.

Living through Covid-19, in bits and pieces

’ve been thinking about wagon trains; I’ll tell you why later. If I remember. Yeah, a serious side effect of the pandemic is definitely attention deficit disorder. It is increasingly difficult to focus and concentrate. Composing a sentence, which requires a grabby subject followed by a lively predicate, is challenging. Putting together 750 words is work. So I gave up. This week I will share the fragments that have been ricocheting around my brain. * * * My family is now the husband and me, and we seem to have shed RandI all the amenities of kReIss civilized life and regressed to our prehistoric roles. Example: He, the hunter-gatherer, risked his life this week to raid the local market in search of baking yeast. My hero. As the tender of the hearth, I decided to bake bread. Apparently, baking bread is an activity that fires all the endorphin receptors at once. * * *

I had a nightmare that dogs could carry the virus. That scenario would have terrible implications for Lillybee and all beloved pets. Real life is tough enough; why does the imagination offer up even more horrific iterations of the catastrophe? * * * How quickly we revert to basic survival mode. My friends and I are bartering: two rubber bands for a spool of thread, matzo ball soup for homemade muffins, hand sanitizer for a printer cartridge. * * * After years of railing against the dangers of too much screen time, my eyeballs are basically falling out of my head from looking at screens all day, my phone, my computer and my iPad all vying for my attention. * * * My husband has a bra on his face. It’s mine, and it’s nothing weird; we’re just following orders. We saw a website that explained how to make two masks from one bra, so I made the ultimate sacrifice and we now have two “brasks.” * * * There’s something about a global pandemic that flushes people out of hiding. I’ve been contacted by two long-lost rela-

tives, one I haven’t seen for 19 years and the other I haven’t seen for 27. They didn’t care if I was dead or alive for decades; now, suddenly, they want to say hello. * * * I’ve learned something about myself during this siege. I’ve always been fond of social distancing. I don’t mind time alone, and I don’t need to fill it up with phone calls or constant Zooming gettogethers. I’m composing a book about cooking through Covid-19 called “The Last Supper?” Everyone in the family is required to submit recipes and photos. I’ll trade you a copy for 5 Ziploc bags. * * * Our Seder was a table for two. We didn’t want to miss the fun part, so we hid the matzo (a Passover tradition) from Lillybee. She never found it, although it was hiding in plain sight on the carpet. This proves for all time that matzo is more cardboard than food. Lillybee can sniff out a peanut across the room, but matzo, not so much. * * * I stop in my tracks three or four times a day because I can’t believe something I’m reading or seeing in the news. There was the mother whose daughter had just died in her arms after contracting Covid-

19 while working in a nursing home. She had no protective gown. There were no masks. Then there was the doctor, a Kuwaiti refugee, who traveled on his own dime and at his own risk to work alongside the doctors in New York. He looked into the camera and said, “Don’t worry. We’re here. We’ll take care of you.” * * * I miss my kids and my grandkids, and I have no plans to see them. All these open-ended questions of contagion and immunity and pressing mortality preclude any planning at all. Enter the wagon train, last night’s epiphany. Our kids are out West. We won’t fly or drive in the foreseeable future. We aren’t great drivers, so an RV is out of the question. The obvious solution is to buy a wagon and a horse and rumble across the country in a convoy with other like-minded travelers. It could be OK. We could social distance. The only problem I can foresee is hitting the Rockies just as winter sets in. Come November we could get stuck in Donner Pass, and we all know how that ends. Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

Congress steps up to battle the coronavirus crisis

Herald editorial

Valley Stream

April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

HERALD Established 1990 Incorporating the Valley Stream Mailleader Peter Belfiore Editorr NiCole AlCiNDor Reporter ANGelA SHiriAN Advertising Account Executive 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: Village of Valley Stream Valley Stream High School District Valley Stream Districts 13, 24 and 30

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Students, educators need to know what’s next

ew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio probably overstepped his authority when he decided late last Friday that he would keep the city’s 1,800 public schools closed through June, and he certainly bungled the decision politically. For starters, he didn’t tell Gov. Andrew Cuomo first — but he did tell Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, according to The New York Times. And when de Blasio did inform the governor, he did so by text. That led Cuomo to argue Saturday that only he has the authority to make such a decision, and he wanted to take a coordinated regional approach to school closings. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran immediately backed Cuomo, saying

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she, too, would like to see a regional approach. We agree. Lost in all the rhetoric, however, was an important point that de Blasio was making: He wanted to provide greater certainty to students, educators and parents about what they could expect over the next two and a half months. The governor has taken a wait-and-see approach to school closings, shutting them down two weeks at a time. We understand the need for such an approach. We shouldn’t be hasty in deciding to close the schools. Everyone wants children back in the classroom as soon as possible. That approach, however, leaves all parties involved in limbo, wondering what will come next. What educators and children need is certainty.

Right now, there is no coordinated approach to how schools should handle the state’s curricula, and so, statewide, we have a hodgepodge of approaches. Some districts are fully online, with regular teaching schedules. Others, citing privacy concerns, are not teaching remotely, but rather are emailing students their assignments. Many students — particularly those in low-income areas — don’t have computers and internet connections. The state must make a decision soon about the fate of this school year, and if the schools are to remain closed through June, there should be one plan for all that ensures children will continue learning during this trying time.

Don’t wait — fill in your census forms

pril 1, Census Day, came and went, but if you didn’t fill in your census forms, it isn’t too late to do so, and we urge you to complete them. With the coronavirus battering New York in every conceivable way — including financially — the state could use all the federal financial help it can get. The federal government uses census data to determine the number of representatives states have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 435 House seats are apportioned based on the population of each state. The larger its population, the more seats a state receives — and the greater the voice it has in federal decisionmaking. The federal government also uses census data to distribute funding for pro-

grams like Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, a 2015 paper by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 132 federal programs used census data to distribute more than $675 billion in funds that year. Here’s the thing: If a state is underrepresented in the decadal census, then it receives fewer representatives and less federal funding than it deserves, and New York, by many accounts, is typically undercounted in the census. Now, not later, is the time to go online and fill in the census, or fill out the paper census you received in the mail and send it in. If you don’t, federal workers will swing by your home looking to count you and everyone who lives there. At a time like this, when a potentially deadly virus has spread among us, census workers shouldn’t have to do that when it

letters

Spring brings signs of hope To the Editor: New Yorkers are celebrating the arrival of spring differently this year and in their own way. Although we come from different faiths, the season brings a message of resilience, renewal and hope. Spring is a metaphor for positive change and rebirth. We can all agree that hope is more important now than it has been at perhaps any moment in the recent past. We are all facing unprecedented challenges and anxiety for ourselves and our loved ones. At this moment, our faith, our family and our friendships are more important than ever. This is the time for us to try to be the best partners, parents, siblings, friends and neighbors that we can be. As we take the time for spiritual reflection, consider what brings us together. The things we have in common, our shared love of family and community, are what will carry us forward. I wish every-

takes only 10 minutes or so to fill out the forms online. According to the Census Bureau, you should be counted where you are living and sleeping most of the time as of April 1. If you’re responding for your home, count everyone who lives and sleeps there most of the time. That includes young children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with you, even temporarily. If someone is staying with you because of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, they should be counted where they usually live. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school, even if they’re home early. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off campus, they should respond for their offcampus addresses.

opiNioNs

ewly released data highlight major racial disparities in deaths from Covid-19, and it’s not surprising. It’s a reflection of the structural racism that has created an unequal foundation for so many aspects of life in America, including widely documented, underlying health disparities for African-American and Latinx people. It should move us to examine structural racism more closely, illuminate its impacts, and redouble our efforts to eliminate it. According to data released by the City of New eLaiNe York, black and Gross Latinx people are dying of coronavirus at twice the rate of white people. In New York state, excluding New York City, blacks account for 18 percent of deaths, despite comprising just 9 percent of the population. Fourteen percent of the deaths are Latinx people, who make up 11 percent of the population. In Michigan, according to The Washing Post, African-Americans account for 33 percent of Covid-19 cases and roughly 40 percent of deaths, despite comprising only

14 percent of the population. In Chicago, according to The New York Times, African-Americans account for more than half of those who have tested positive and 72 percent of virus-related fatalities, even though they make up a little less than a third of the population. Beneath these numbers are underlying health disparities for African-Americans and Latinx people. It is those underlying health problems that land people in the hospital and that lead to more deaths from the virus. Higher rates of infection for African-Americans are likely exacerbated by such factors as whether they can work from home, whether they work in “essential” services, whether they have routine access to health care, and how quickly they can get that care, among others. A study by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer found that 75 percent of so-called front-line workers in the city — grocery clerks, bus and train operators, custodians and child-care workers — are minorities. Those circumstances are a function of structural racism, not a function of race, which is a social construct. In considering these racial disparities, we shouldn’t confuse the two. We shouldn’t give credence to the idea that there is something inherently

different about African-American or Latinx people that makes them have higher death rates — other than the circumstances of structural racism. What we should focus on is this: How do we address the racism that has caused and continues to cause health and other disparities? That’s the question that rightly examines the impediments to racial equity that are leading to these racial differences in Covid-19 deaths. Structural racism is partly a function of conditions that are baked into our society: the effects of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining and other historic conditions. But it is also partly a function of ongoing activities. ERASE Racism’s own research, and a recent landmark investigation by Newsday, evidenced widespread, contemporary racial discrimination in real estate practices on Long Island, for instance. That discrimination continues to steer black and Latinx people to less-integrated communities with fewer resources, and thus to lessintegrated schools with fewer resources. Anecdotal evidence already identifies disparities in students’ access to distance learning. Some schools send students home with laptops, for instance, while others do not. Some schools provide students

hreequarters of the city’s nonemergency frontline workers are minorities.

Letters one a healthy gift of spring. THoMAS DINAPoLI New York state comptroller

Objects to town budget practices To the Editor: Covid-19 has unleashed a catastrophic financial crisis. our economy is shuttered, and it is uncertain when it will rebound. Leaders must make every effort to retain workers, but also to tighten spending. Shockingly, as municipalities across the country are doing just that, Supervisor Don Clavin and the Town of Hempstead Board gave $770,000 in promotions, raises and new jobs for party favorites on March 30. With unemployment in New York soaring 360 percent and more than 10 million Americans suddenly left jobless, with no income or health insurance, last week it was Christmastime in Hempstead. Clavin and Council members Anthony D’Esposito, Dennis Dunne, Tom Muscarella, Bruce Blakeman, Chris Carini and Dorothy Goosby gave away almost $1 million in taxpayer dollars to friends and family while they thought no one was looking. In an empty, debate-free meeting lasting 10 minutes, they doled out political favors while hardworking residents wondered how they would pay their bills. As 450,000 New Yorkers lined up for initial unemployment assistance, Clavin’s cronies, Hempstead GoP club leaders and their children lined up at Town Hall to collect unbudgeted raises and promotions.

t’s with video-based instruction, while others to give them packets of material. New York cu state has left the details of remote learning gra to individual school districts, and that just amplifies the differences between the well- $2 trilli my tha resourced schools and those with fewer Alo resources. Again, structural racism is the determi- sures t help ke nant. The overwhelming percentage of black and Latinx students are in segregated and less-resourced schools, and are at a disadvantage now and, most important, in the fall, when they will most likely return to school behind their peers and the grade level standards. In 2018, ERASE Racism launched an ongoing regionwide public initiative called How Do We Build a Just Long Island? That’s exactly how we should approach this problem: How do we look at this data and together seek a just America — an America of shared action to disassemble structural racism. The coronavirus is creating a new future. Let’s create a future together that wasn’t does not accept the idea that these dispari- poses. In N ties are unchangeable. Let’s take advantage of the light that Covid-19 is shedding shown on our society and come together to reflect ship. A that light onto a path to justice. It’s time to rus doe and Re work together as a nation and root out Con structural racism for good. econom period Elaine Gross is president of the Long our he Island-based ERASE Racism. strengt unemp

Framework by Christina Daly

Compounding this outrageous and irresponsible betrayal was the March 30 vote to reduce the town’s fund balance by more than 50 percent. The fund is a rainy-day reserve to see the town through difficult times. Years of Nassau GoP patronage and irresponsible hiring practices, aggravated further by last week’s largesse, have led a financial structure in which payroll and related costs exceed 60 percent of the town’s budget. Couple this with the town’s debt burden, the new fund balance would not be sufficient to cover just two months of required payroll and debt service, not to mention utilities and other important expenses. At this meeting, there was no mention of how any of this might harm the unconnected rank and file. No one mentioned that the current town comptroller inflated revenue projections for 2020 — a concern that I raised during the budget process before Covid-19 hit. There was also no mention of shrinking mortgage recording tax fees, permit fees, recreation fees, a potential increase in health and pension costs, and potential decreases in utility payments from cash-strapped consumers. None mentioned how all of this might impact the town’s bond rating. This matters to residents, because when our bond ratings plummet, town costs rise, leaving fewer dollars for infrastructure and services. Not one board member mentioned Hempstead residents’ current pain before giving away their money. There was no voice of dissent speaking up for the rest of us. LAuRA GILLEN Rockville Centre Gillen was Town of Hempstead supervisor from 2018-19. Clavin, then the town tax collector, defeated her last November.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 16, 2020

No surprise: More blacks and Latinos are dying of Covid-19

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UNFORTUNATELY, ORTHOPEDIC PAIN DOESN’T STOP IN A CRISIS.

With our new on-call only model, neither does the opportunity to receive care. Balancing the need to be there for our patients with the health and safety of our staff and community, we’re temporarily becoming an “on-call” practice – offering both in-person and telehealth visits – for those experiencing orthopedic pain. If you think you have an orthopedic issue that can’t wait, call Orlin & Cohen and a member of our team will work with you to assess whether you need immediate attention. It’s a new, creative approach to our practice: Because in this crisis, protecting each other should be everyone’s top priority.

In light of this broad accessibility to our services and for everyone’s safety, we are suspending our Merrick after-hours and weekend walk-in clinic for the duration of the crisis.

On-call orthopedic care by appointment only! Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Call for your care needs assessment:

Nassau: 516-536-2800 Suffolk: 631-706-2800

Stay safe!

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April 16, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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