Valley Stream Herald 06-22-2023

Black-owned businesses host Juneteenth fest

By JUaN lasso jlasso@liherald.com

The line of display tables, manned by mostly Blackowned businesses from throughout the area, started on Roosevelt Avenue and bent east around the commercial lot of businesses tucked between South Franklin Avenue and 1st Street. Festooned with red, black and yellow balloons, the commemorative colors of Juneteenth, they were there to celebrate a watershed moment in African American history over a century and a half ago.

It all began when the Civil

War was declared over. Union General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, roughly two months later on June 19, 1865, bearing news to enslaved African Americans of the war’s end and their newly secured freedom. The announcement effectively triggered President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued roughly two and a half years earlier.

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19. Thus, on a particularly bright evening last Sunday, people’s spirits were high.

Continued on page 18

LIJVS nursing team donates to Ronald McDonald House

By CaroliNE KElly Intern

In honor of May’s National Nurse Month, Long Island Jewish Valley Stream nurses donated their time to the Ronald McDonald House in Queens, loading over 30 boxes of donations from each department of the hospital and delivering the care packages to families staying at the facility.

It’s a central tenet of the nursing team at Long Island Jewish to give back to the host area of the hospital.

The Ronald McDonald House is a network of facilities that host families of sick children

while they undergo medical treatment. Families that stay at one of the houses are asked to donate $25 a day, but are never expected to pay for their stay.

The Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park opened in 1986 with 18 rooms. Now the facility, which is near both Zucker Hillside Hospital and LIJ, has 42 rooms for families of young patients.

The Ronald McDonald House provided lists specific to each family’s needs, including items such as clothes, toys, toiletries, food and more. and volunteer did their best to fill them.

Sarita Amin and Cynthia Varughese organized the event in

honor of National Nurse Month. Both work in the Nurse Education Department at LIJ.

“We wanted to collaborate with the Ronald McDonald House because we think their purpose is just so amazing,” Varughese said.

They tasked each department to decorate and donate a care package for a family. “It was way beyond what we expected,” Amin added. “They really did an amazing job.”

Although the event was spearheaded by the hospital’s nursing department, other staffers contributed as well. Varughese and

Continued on page 10

Helping families in

The Ronald McDonald House Charities is a non-profit organization so all donations go directly to families in need; on the website you can even directly fund a sick child’s medical treatment. If you’re interested in donating to

need

the Ronald McDonald House you can go to its website, rmhc.org, to find the closest Ronald McDonald House location to volunteer your time, or you can donate money directly through the website.

Courtesy Emma Sweeney

DarlENE EDwarDs, owNEr of Best Goodie Bags in South Valley Stream, center, received a citation from Nassau County for setting up an inaugural Juneteenth festival for residents in front of her store.

Herald staffers capture Press Club awards

Four staffers from Herald Community Newspapers earned recognition last week for their work over the past year during the annual Press Club of Long Island awards dinner in Woodbury.

Reine Bethany, currently the editor of the Uniondale Herald Beacon, won third place in the government and politics category for her stories focusing on the Cleveland Avenue athletic field controversy in Freeport while she was editor of the Freeport Herald. Elected leaders from the village and the school district have been at odds over what to do with the green space, as plans for a distribution center there could bring millions of dollars into the community.

Ana Borruto, editor of the Franklin Square/Elmont Herald, took third place in the crime and justice category for her web story “Justice for Julio,” about residents in Hell’s Kitchen holding a vigil for a Bay Shore High School graduate while writing for GreaterLongIsland.com.

Borruto joined Herald Community Newspapers as a senior reporter last November, and was promoted to editor of the Franklin Square newspaper a short time later.

“Our whole editorial team has shown a knack for understanding their communities and following the stories vital to their readers,” Michael Hinman, executive editor of Herald Community Newspapers,

said. “Recognition from the Press Club of Long Island — itself a chapter of the esteemed Society of Professional Journalists — is greatly appreciated.”

Longtime Herald staffer Laura Lane was recognized as one of the best print reporters on Long Island as she picked up

a third place award in the Reporter of the Year category. Lane’s stories that contributed to the honor included one that talked about who cares for the caregivers at Glen Cove Hospital, how ex-interns led Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan’s congressional campaign, the limited options

facing refugees, and the funeral of famed Teddy Roosevelt impersonator James Foote.

Lane, who has been with the Herald for roughly 20 years, serves as senior editor for the Glen Cove Herald, Oyster Bay Herald, and Sea Cliff/Glen Head Herald.

Barely a year after he started working full-time at the Herald, Michael Malaszczyk placed second in the environment narrative category. His story, “New York state adds to South Shore Estuary Reserve Act,” was highlighted.

Malaszczyk began freelancing for the Herald in March 2022 while a graduate student at Hofstra University. He became a full-time reporter a few months later in charge of the Seaford Herald and Wantagh Herald, where he was since promoted to senior reporter. All while continuing to pursue his graduate degree at Hofstra.

“There are many dedicated and hardworking journalists on Long Island, and Herald Community Newspapers is proud to be a part of that community as well as the communities our papers serve,” Jeffrey Bessen, the company’s deputy editor — and a Press Club of Long Island board member — said.

The Press Club of Long Island was established in 1974 as an independent press club after a reporter was jailed for failing to reveal a source. It is now one of SPJ’s largest pro chapters. It has honored member media organizations with an annual awards presentation since 1982.

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

ThE PRESS Club of Long Island recognized journalism excellence at its annual dinner last week. Herald staffers Michael Malaszczyk, Laura Lane, center, and Ana Borruto show off their awards for the Wantagh Herald, Seaford Herald, Oyster Bay Herald and Franklin Square/Elmont Herald. Reine Bethany, editor of the Uniondale Herald Beacon, also was honored for her previous work with the Freeport Herald.

Roadsters show off their rides at car show

Every Thursday from June 1st to August 31st, the classic car owners of Valley Stream get the opportunity to show off their cars at the Classic Car Show on Rockaway Avenue from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cars ranging from the early ‘40s to modern models line up for the free community event.

The Valley Stream Car Show has been a reoccurring summer event for 6 years now. It’s an amazing way to gather the community, and also gives the car enthusiasts of Nassau County a chance to take their cars out on a joy ride and connect with the other members of the classic car community.

John Hudner, 72, lives right in Valley Stream and takes his 1957 Ford Thunderbird to the car show every week.

“You know the public really likes seeing the different cars, and I really like the public that enjoy the cars,” Hudner said laughing.

It seems he’s not the only one that holds this view: men and women of all different ages come out every week to share their love for antique rides and connecting with people from all over Nassau County.

During the car show, the Nassau County Fire Department raised money for their nonprofit community based Wounded Warriors operation. They usually have a DJ and last week they even had an Elvis Impersonator to announce the event and sing a couple of songs for the crowd. Every week there is a 50/50 raffle: the winner taking home half of the prize money, and the other half donated to the Wounded Warriors.

The car show held at the village’s main business district on June 15 was also a way to honor all of the incredible charity work the volunteer firefighters of Nassau County have done. Mayor Fare of Valley Stream gave an award to the Nassau County Firefighters Operation Wounded Warriors for their 20 years of dedication. Vice-Chairman Stephen Grogan of Lynbrook was there to accept the award on behalf of the organization.

The Nassau County Firefighters Operation Wounded Warriors is not affiliated with the official Wounded Warriors Project and is completely organized by the volunteer Firefighters of Nassau County. You can show support by stopping by the Valley Stream Classic Car Show, or you can go to their website ncff-oww.org to make a donation or find more fundraisers to attend.

–Caroline Kelly

John ogno of Valley Stream and owner of this 1957 Ford Thunderbird is showing the engine to John Pastor of Litchfield, CT.

Valley StreaM reSidentS Shirley Kranz and Jonathon Genetempo, 3, check out the 1930 Ford 2-Door Sedan.

Valley StreaM hoStS

annual classic car shows throughout the summer on Rockaway Avenue, taking over the village’s main business district.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

Marco Urbina of Valley Stream is driving his 1923 Model-T Ford to his designated show spot at the 2023 Mazda Valley Stream and Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce Classic Car Show.

Protecting Your Future with

Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Second Marriage Planning

In second marriage planning, a co-trustee is sometimes recommended on the death of the first spouse. While both spouses are living and competent they run their trust or trusts together. But when one spouse dies, what prevents the other spouse from diverting all of the assets to their own children? Nothing at all, if they alone are in charge. While most people are honorable, and many are certain their spouse would never do such a thing, strange things often happen later in life. A spouse may become forgetful, delusional or senile or may be influenced by other parties. Not only that, but the children of the deceased spouse tend to feel very insecure when they find out their stepparent is in charge of all of the couple’s assets.

If you choose one of the deceased spouse’s children to act as co-trustee with the surviving spouse there is a conflict that exists whereby the stepchild may be reluctant to spend assets for the surviving spouse, because whatever is spent on that spouse comes out of the child’s inheritance. Then what if stepparent gets remarried? How will the stepchild trustee react to that event? What if it turns out the stepchild liked the stepparent when his parent was living, but not so much afterwards?

Valley Stream resident steps down as NYPD chief

Here is where the lawyer as co-trustee may provide an ideal solution. When one parent dies, the lawyer steps in as co-trustee with the surviving spouse. The lawyer helps the stepparent to invest for their own benefit as well as making sure the principal grows to offset inflation, for the benefit of the deceased spouse’s heirs.

The stepparent in this case takes care of all their business privately with their lawyer. The trusts cannot be raided. These protections may also be extended for IRA and 401(k) money passing to the spouse through the use of the “IRA Contract”. Surviving spouse agrees ahead of time that they will make an irrevocable designation of the deceased spouse’s children as beneficiaries when the IRA is left to the surviving spouse, and further agrees that any withdrawals in excess of the required minimum distribution (RMD) may only be made on consent of the lawyer.

When the trust terms are read the deceased spouse’s children are relieved by the protection that has been set up for them, have no concern about the stepparent’s having sole control of the assets and the relationship between them may continue to grow and flourish.

ETTINGER LAW FIRM

ELDER LAW ESTATE PLANNING SINCE 1991 trustlaw.com

Trusts & Estates • Wills & Probate • Medicaid

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100 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre • 3000 Marcus Ave., Lake

The nation’s largest police department held high hopes for its new Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Sewell, a Queens native and Valley Stream resident, served as the chief of detectives in the Nassau County Police Department before making history as the first woman and third Black person to lead the NYPD. But after less than 18 months into her tenure, Sewell is calling it quits, throwing the future of the department’s leadership into uncertainty. She will leave her post as the 45th NYPD commissioner by the end of the month.

Despite her brief stint, the 51-year-old law enforcement official made inroads into reducing the rates of the city’s major crimes like murders and shootings and reforming languishing features of the department. She placed a high premium on emotional solidarity with officers and the public. She negotiated for raises and more flexible working hours and added dozens of detectives to an understaffed sex-crimes unit. She also installed a new chief to the Special Victims Unit.

“Commissioner Sewell was brought into an environment where crime was up,

public distrust of law enforcement was high, and department morale was low. Her appointment, especially as a Black woman, was inspiring for many, but it was not a panacea,” said public advocate Jumaane Williams in a statement. “That these challenges did not immediately resolve in her tenure says more about the pervasiveness of these problems than her leadership.”

“To the people of New York City, I have always strived to bring you and your officers closer, ensuring that the services we provide exceed your expectations,” said Sewell in a statement. “While there will always be challenges, I believe we have charted a course and implemented initiatives that will have a lasting impact on that relationship.”

Despite her relatively positive job performance, high-ranking observers speculate that Mayor Eric Adams’ heavy-handed management had driven Sewell’s decision to walk away. A media liaison for the commissioner refused to comment on the reason for her departure. Sewell’s successor remains unknown.

–Juan Lasso

News brief

Lawrence owes water utility nearly $800,000

Lawrence village appears to be in some hot water over allegedly not paying Liberty Utilities, formerly NY American Water, nearly $800,000 for servicing more than 200 fire hydrants across the Five Towns community since 2019, according to records.

A lawsuit filed earlier this month in state Supreme Court in Mineola claims that Lawrence has not paid its 16 quarterly bills for the water that is pumped to the hydrants since October 2019.

The total amount owed according to Liberty is $787,544.47 for the water, taxes

and late fees.

“It is pending litigation and we don’t discuss pending litigation,” Lawrence Village Administrator Ron Goldman said.

Village officials did say that the municipality is paying $1,200 per hydrant, which is considered high among villages, and all other water bills are up to date.“While we do not comment on pending legal matters, we can tell you that our top focus continues to be providing safe, high-quality, reliable water service to our customers,” Liberty spokeswoman Pamela Bellings said.

–Jeffrey Bessen

Keechant Sewell

Herald Sc H ool S

V.S. Central and South welcome new principals

The Valley Stream Central High School District has hired two new principals at Valley Stream Central and South high schools for the upcoming school year. The district appointed Candace Hugee as principal of Central High School and Matthew Swinson as principal of South High School. They replace Central’s Joseph Pompilio and South’s Maureen Henry, respectively, both of whom are retiring.

Candace Hugee comes to Central from the Urban Assembly School in Brooklyn, where she has been principal since 2016. “I have always been a lover of learning,” she said. “High school is a time for students to explore and discover what their interests are in a structured place with educators who can really steer them through the process in a way that makes them feel supported.”

Hugee received her master of science in adolescent urban education from Long Island University and her master of education leadership from Brooklyn College. She also received certificates in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce and women’s entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida and Cornell University, respectively. She has 18 years of experience working in the education field.

At Central, Hugee said she looks to continue Pompilio’s legacy of preserving high standards for students and staff; building relationships with staff members, parents and local businesses; and ensuring that the school remains a dignified place for learning. “It is important to maintain high expectations for students and make sure they have rigorous opportunities to inter-

act with instruction and show their learning,” Hugee said. “We will continue the work of maintaining culturally relevant pedagogy and creating an environment at which our students feel heard, seen and loved.”

Matthew Swinson comes to South from Roosevelt High School, at which he has been principal since 2021. At South, Mr. Swinson said he wants to start by building

relationships immediately with staff, students, their families, and the larger community.

“I want stakeholders to know that I am passionate about students’ academic, social and emotional development, as well as assisting my colleagues to shape students’ paths for their futures,” he said. “My goal is to engage students in a way where they know they can trust me, and that it is ok to make a mistake as mistakes are about growth. I want to be considered a resource to every student, whether they are college bound, a student-athlete, musician, or wish to pursue a vocation.”

Swinson said a priority will be to include all stakeholders in creating an environment and culture where students feel safe each day. “I enjoy and appreciate working with this age group,” he said. “I have always had a connection with students, and I love playing that role in their lives.”

Swinson has over 20 years of experience in public education. He earned his bachelor of science in business from the University of Maine, master of arts in elementary education from Adelphi University, and a certificate of advanced study in education administration from Stony Brook University.

“This is a very exciting time for Valley Stream South and Central high schools,” said Superintendent Wayne Loper. “Hugee and Swinson come to us with extensive experience in public education administration and have shown a great deal of enthusiasm in taking on their new roles. We are confindent they’ll be warmly welcomed.”

–Juan Lasso

Courtesy Valley Stream Central High School District Matthew SwinSon will, left, will be principal of South High School and Candace Hugee will be principal of Central High School.

sports

Wild finishes highlight spring season

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

there was no shortage of thrilling finishes and heartbreak on Nassau County high school athletic fields this spring, capped by a nearly 4-hourlong Long Island Class A softball championship game between MacArthur and Bayport. Here’s a recap of the 10 wildest postseason endings to the 2022-23 sports year.

1. Carey 6, Plainedge 5

Class A softball first round

The Seahawks trailed 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning but staged a comeback of epic proportions still down three with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the seventh. Caylee DeMeo had a two-run single and winning pitcher Lauren Peers followed with a towering fly that dropped between outfielders, bringing home the tying and winning runs.

2. Calhoun 6, Mepham 5

Class A baseball semifinal

The host Colts were down three runs and down to their last out in Game 3 with nobody on base in the bottom of the seventh before pulling out a win for the ages. A hit batter, a single, and a walk set the stage for Joey Goodman, who blasted a walk-off grand slam over the fence in left.

3. Calhoun 6, South Side 5

Class B boys’ lacrosse semifinal

Jayden Finkelstein had a hat trick and an assist and junior goaltender Mark Restivo made 13 saves to propel the Colts to victory. Jake Lewis, Braden Garvey and Shaun Walters also scored as Calhoun avenged a 10-5 regular-season defeat to the Cyclones.

4. North Shore 11, South Side 10

Class C girls’ lacrosse semifinal

The Vikings trailed by five goals in the first half before rallying and eventually winning in triple overtime on a goal by Kylee Colbert.

5. Garden City 7, Calhoun 6

Class B boys’ lacrosse championship

Garden City, which defeated the Colts handily, 16-8, April 21, had its hands full in the rematch on the county title stage and scored the decisive goal with 1:48 remaining off the stick of Carson Kraus. Lewis scored three times for Calhoun and had the potential tying goal nullified with seconds remaining due to a crease violation.

6. Garden City 9, Long Beach 8 Class B girls’ lacrosse championship

For the second straight year Long Beach fell a goal short of topping Garden City for the county title. A late goal by Garden City’s Kendal Morris with 2:41 left in the second half proved the difference. Delaney Chernoff had a hat trick and Delaney Radin added four points for the Marines.

7. Manhasset 13, North Shore 12 Class C girls’ lacrosse championship

The Vikings dropped an OT heartbreaker after leading 12-9 with less than six minutes remaining in regulation. Colbert had seven goals to finish the campaign with 101. Ava Bartoli and Daniela Martini scored twice apiece.

8. Seaford 1, Center Moriches 0 L.I. Class B softball championship

Scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, the Vikings captured their first Long Island crown in walk-off fashion on Kaitlyn Young’s bases-loaded single to left with one out to bring home Gabby Bellamore. Pitcher Skyler Secondino dominated in the circle with 15 strikeouts.

9. Babylon 6, Seaford 5 L.I. Class B baseball championship

One strike away from making more program history after winning its firstever county title, Seaford baseball was unable to shut the door against Babylon. The Phantoms scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win it in unbelievable fashion after the Vikings plated three runs in the top of the inning.

10. Bayport 4, MacArthur 2 L.I. Class A softball championship

After defeating Clarke for the county championship in a series that went the distance, MacArthur gave everything it had in a marathon L.I. Class A title game before falling in 12 innings. The Generals tied it in their final turn at-bat on star pitcher Taylor Brunn’s RBI double.

Brian Ballweg/Herald photos KAITLYN YOuNG, ABOVE, had the walk-off hit for Seaford in its 1-0 victory over Center Moriches in the Long Island Class B softball title game.

KYLEE COLBErT’S GOAL in triple overtime lifted North Shore over South Side in a thrilling Nassau Class C girls’ lacrosse semifinal.

Tenants don’t want rents going up this year

Landlords blame economy, need for upgrades, for raise request

By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com

They don’t just want to pause rent increases in rentstabilized apartments in Nassau County. They want to go back to 2021, before the Nassau County Rent Guidelines Board allowed 2 percent increases on one-year leases, and 3.5 percent on two-year leases.

Those tenants along with politicians supporting them banded together at the Hempstead Town Hall last week to issue those demands, which were set for a final vote on Wednesday after the Herald’s publication deadline.

The rent guidelines board is responsible for imposing rent caps on rent-stabilized apartments in the county, a quarter of which are in Hempstead. Rent stabilization was implemented in 1962 to help prevent the displacement of low- and middleincome residents from excessive rent increases in an effort to provide affordable housing.

Buildings offering rent-stabilized units are typically larger properties built before 1974 that are privately owned and operated.

“Democracy is a participation sport, and it’s essential that people go out and voice their concern,” Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages said.

Last week’s demonstrations were organized by the Long Island Progressive Coalition, Working Families Party, and Nassau Democratic Socialists of America.

Jeremy Joseph, an advocate and organizer with DSA, claims tenants weren’t notified about the open hearings regarding raising their rent.

“We knocked on a lot of doors, we put up flyers in buildings,” he said. “By the next day, almost all of those flyers were taken down by landlords because they don’t want their tenants to come out and speak their minds.

“Every year landlords show up because it’s their job to know about this. They want to raise the rent as much as they can, but they don’t tell the tenants.”

Landlords seeking another raise in rent due to infla-

tion and because they say they want to use the extra money to help upgrade poor conditions of the buildings they own. Richard Rush, a landlord whose real estate firm owns and manages various apartments throughout Nassau, said the buildings “require a lot of repairs and maintenance to upkeep, and landlords should be incentivized to maintain their buildings for the benefit of the tenants.”

But Darinel Velasquez, an advocate from New York Communities for Change, says it is absurd landlords need to feel incentivized in order to provide an inhabitable space to their tenants.

“Landlords have been making consistent profit every year while failing to maintain and upkeep the buildings they own,” he said.

Data compiled by the tent guidelines board reveals the consumer price index surged by nearly 4 percent in the metropolitan area over the past year through April. Meanwhile, Nassau landlords saw their income grow nearly 3 percent, but their expenses expand wider at nearly 4.5 percent between 2021 and 2022.

However, tenant advocates are questioning the credibility of this data, claiming it was developed by landlords and lacked independent auditing. Landlords, however, say the data inflates their income by incorporating earnings from non-stabilized units, which they say are considerably more profitable.

The state’s housing and community renewal division has found the average rent for a rent-stabilized apartment in Nassau County was $1,474 per month in 2022, resulting

AssemBLywOmAN mIChAeLLe sOLAges tells the Nassau County Rent Guidelines Board it should carefully consider the impact any rent increase would have right now on tenants working through the same inflationary pressures as landlords.

in a profit of more than $360 per month for landlords.

Joseph calls this new attempt to raise rents to nothing more than landlord greed, who place profits over people and already charge more than market value for their other non-stabilized properties.

“The problem with treating housing like a commodity is that its value outpaces our wages,” he said.

Some tenants shared with the rent guidelines board their issues with their landlords, while they as tenants continue to struggle financially.”

Some tenants claimed they were pressured into signing leases without reading them, having their rent randomly raised, and even charging upward of $150 per month for parking.

That has forced some residents, like Melissa Devone, a 62-year-old battling lung cancer, to park three blocks away from her apartment after chemo treatments because she simply cannot afford that additional monthly expense.

Tenants also claimed rodents run rampant through many units, mold, a lack of security and sense of safety, lack of maintenance and upkeep, and an overall lack of quality living.

Although the vote was expected to happen this week, some organizations do offer free legal resources for tenants who might find themselves in an untenable situation. Long Island Housing Services is a private, non-profit fair housing advocacy and enforcement agency serving Nassau and Suffolk counties. They can be reached at LIFairHousing.org.

Brandon Cruz/Herald photos

PROtesteRs fROm LONg IsLAND Progressive Coalition, the Working Families Party, and Nassau Democratic Socialists of America come together for a quick group photo before heading into the Nassau County Rent Guidelines Board hearing to voice their opinions about proposed increases to rent-stabilized apartment leases in Nassau County.

Democracy is a participation sport, and it’s essential that people go out and voice their concern.

mIChAeLLe sOLAges Assemblywoman

Filling care packages for ill children’s families

continued from front page

Amin mentioned the Environmental Services Department, which collaborated with the nursing department to collect all the donations and fill boxes with them. “We could not have done this without them,” Varughese said.

The Nursing Department of Long Island Valley Stream Jewish Hospital is committed to continuing its volunteer work with the Ronald McDonald House.

“Our next task is giving our units a chance to come and make dinner or dessert for the families,” Varughese said, “Everyone is so excited to come out and support these families, who are going through a tough time.”

There were nothing but happy faces while the seven nurses loaded and unloaded the boxes.

What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

Herald Sc H ool S

V.S. North chorus sings the anthem at Citi Field

Valley Stream North High School students from grades 7 to 12 sang the national anthem at Citi Field ahead of the Mets game on May 6. The performance was conducted by North chorus teacher Debra Schneider as part of the Mets’ “National Mental Health Awareness Day” festivities.

The 60 students wore matching green Spartan music T-shirts designed by eighth grader Jasmine Leng and had support at the game

by over 400 parents, administrators, and teachers from both Valley Stream North and other schools in the Valley Stream community.

“Conducting these students has been such a great experience and being able to sing at Citi Field made all of their hard work worthwhile, “Schneider said, “This was a great way for them to see the places music could take them in life.”

Courtesy Keith Rossein

The nursing Team at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream collected donated goods and transported tailored care packages for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Queens.

–Juan Lasso

Photos courtesy Valley Stream Central High School District Valley sTream norTh students performing at Citi Field.

sTudenTs lined up before going out onto the field to sing.

everyone is so excited to come out and support these families, who are going through a tough time.

CynThia

Varughese Nurse, LIJVS

Bank of America presenting sponsor of new WE Summit

More women are leading businesses than ever before, and Bank of America is on the forefront to support those efforts, whether across the country or here on Long Island.

Bank Of America has been named the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Women’s Executive Summit, set for Monday, Aug. 7 at The Crescent Beach Club in Bayville.

Hosted by Herald Community Newspapers and RichnerLive, the WE Summit highlights how every business around the world is undergoing salient changes to the way they operate, no matter what industry they’re in.

From technology use and investment. To skill development and cultural barriers. To equal pay and going hybrid — or fully remote. Every organization must adapt, or run the risk of being left behind.

As we navigate this time of pivotal change, the 2023 WE Summit brings together thought leaders, innovators, and barrier-breaking women for conversations around the theme “The Future is Now.”

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Bank of America at the Women’s Executive Summit,” Amy Amato, executive director of RichnerLive, said in a release. “Since the pandemic, the work space has evolved dramatically, and we are bringing thought leadership together to help navigate these uncharted water.”

For more information on how to be a part of the Women’s Executive Summit, visit RichnerLive.com/2023-we-summit.

Courtesy Bank of America

June 30

Motor City Revue

Journey back in time to 1960s Detroit and the birth of the Motown sound, when Motor City Revue visits the Landmark stage, Friday June 30, 8 p.m. This 11-piece tribute band will have everyone dancing and singing along to the songs immortalized by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes and countless others. From Hitsville to Soulsville, they’ll perform it all, with a passion and delivery of the true Motown sound that is undeniable. Their ability to match the vocal harmonies and instrumental mix that distinguished the original recordings is not to be missed. All will be humming along to these iconic tunes that defined a generation, in this authentic recreation of the great era that revolutionized the music industry. $47, 42, $38. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

In a ‘New York State of Mind’

Plaza Theatrical continues its season with “All About Joel: A Billy Joel Tribute,” Sunday, June 25, 2:30 p.m. David Clark’s stunningly accurate piano playing, lead vocals and an eerily similar stage look to the Piano Man himself delights audiences, while engaging everyone with wit and humor. Come hear all your favorite tunes including “Just the Way You Are,” “New York State of Mind,” “Piano Man,” and so many more. It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $40, $35 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Eye And Mind: The Shin Collection,” highlights the extraordinary collection masterworks assembled by 31-year-old connoisseur Hong Gyu Shin, an internationally recognized figure in the global art world. He shares his treasures, including works by Whistler, Lautrec, Boucher, Daumier, Delacroix, Klimt, Schiele, Balthus, Warhol, de Kooning, Gorky and many other important names from art history provocatively juxtaposed with the painting and sculpture of our own time from both Asia and the West. On view through July 9. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Breastfeeding Support Group

June 24 July 8

Summer sounds

Radio Flashback rocks

Eisenhower Park, Saturday, 24, 8 p.m. Highlighted by their 4-part harmonies, this is a classic rock tribute to the music, the artists and the experiences everyone fondly remembers. Bring seating. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassaucCountyNY.gov.

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year).All new moms are welcome. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 7052434 to secure your spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Westbury House Tour

Family Bat Walk

Stroll Old Westbury Gardens with Gabriel Willow, a New York Citybased urban naturalist and environmental educator, Saturday, July 8, 7:30-

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, June 23, noon; Sunday, June 25, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, June 26, noon, Wednesday, June 28, noon; Thursday, June 29, noon and 1:30 p.m. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

District 13 board

Valley Stream Central High School District meeting

Valley Stream Central High School District board of education meets Tuesday, July at 8 p.m. 135 Fletcher Ave. For more information, call district clerk at (516) 872 – 5628 or visit

District 30 board meets Valley Stream District 30 will hold their reorganization meeting, July 11, at 8 p.m., at Shaw Avenue School. 99 Shaw Ave. For more information, call district clerk Ashley Starna at (516) 434-3600 or visit ValleyStream30.com.

Gala shares pride in PFY

It was a celebration of 30 years proving service and guidance to the young LGBTQ community of Long Island, and it was a celebration in style.

PFY — formerly known as Pride for Youth — raised thousands of dollars for its Long Island Crisis Center programs last week during its annual gala at Westbury Manor.

Special guest at this year’s event was Maulik Pancholy, the openly gay actor many would know for his roles in the NBC sitcom “30 Rock” as well as the children’s series “Phineas and Ferb.”

maulik Pancholy, acTor from shows like ’30 Rock’ and ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ shares why organizations like the Long Island Crisis Center’s PFY group are so important to helping the LGBTQ community. The gala at Westbury Manor raised tens of thousands of dollars for PFY’s programs.

“I think the gala is going to be a time for us to kind of get together and reflect on where we have come as an agency, where we need to go as an agency, and really honor the pioneering leadership and spirit that has laid

the groundwork that has made PFY what it is,” PFY director Devon Zappasodi told the Herald ahead of the event.

The organization was originally intended for young people, but grants have allowed PFY to expand to serve anyone who identifies as LGBTQ on Long Island and in Queens.

The crisis center operates a 24/7 hotline for people with mental health crises, and PFY was formed in 1993

after former executive director Linda Leonard noticed an influx of calls from members of the LGBTQ community.

“They were actually getting a lot of calls on the hotline for folks who were looking for LGBTQ services, such as counseling … or support groups,” said Tawni Engel, the crisis center’s associate executive director. “There was nothing like that that existed at the time.”

Anyone seeking more information or help can visit LICCPFY.org.

Photos courtesy Jonah Murdoch

The sTaff from Long Island Crisis Center’s PFY group that focuses on the LGBTQ community of Long Island and Queens, gather for a group picture during the organization’s annual gala last week at Westbury Manor, celebrating 30 years of the program on Long Island.

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South Valley Stream hosts freedom festival

Speakers were thumping as D.J. Recardo Belcon Jr. blasted songs from synth-funk to R&B. Residents milled about, greeting one another and curiously browsing the stands or sitting down to soak up the sun. Children gravitated toward the table of family and estate family planning attorney, Leslie Sultan, where they crafted child safety ID beaded bracelets with their name and contact number. Others hurtled toward the bouncy house or waited in line with dollars in hand at the food truck.

Darlene Edwards, who owns Best Goodie Bags in Valley Stream and the event’s host, bounced from stand to stand with her warm, disarming smile. She invited the entire Valley Stream community outside her storefront to commemorate the historic holiday. Her flagship table sported Juneteenth paraphernalia, including literature provided by the Town of Hempstead on the historic significance of the day. The table showed off a sign that read: Together We Rise.

Jubilant and sweet-voiced, Edwards said her and her tight circle of family and friends would usually celebrate the holiday among themselves, long before it gained national status as a federal holiday in 2021. The plans to host an inaugural Valley Stream event has been in the works for some time, aiming to bring everyone to the freedom festival. It finally materialized, after the pan -

demic. Edwards sent a flood of social media and email invitations to hometown organizations and businesses asking them to lend their support.

“What I’ve found is that a lot of people want to find a way to support Black businesses on Juneteenth,” she said. “As a thank you to Valley Stream who helped keep us open during Covid, I wanted to bring a lot of these minority businesses

together and wanted different social and educational resources.”

Roughly a dozen-plus businesses and organizations chipped in. But aside from lifting her fellow Black-owned businesses: “I want people to have fun,” Edwards said.

“People ask if this holiday is just for Black people, and I’m like no, it’s for everyone.”

The day’s widespread fun shouldn’t be

all that is to be gleaned from the holiday, however, noted Edwards. Juneteenth is not “just a day off work or school.” It’s charged with symbolic meaning: a milestone victory in African Americans’ generational struggle to survive and secure their basic liberties and freedoms in this country.

“Everyone, even I, needs to understand this,” said Edwards. America’s complicated, often brutal racialized history is hard to look at but “it’s part of our larger history and it’s something to be learned from.”

Annette Gray-Thorn, Edwards’ best friend of forty years and a Black community leader, said she takes hope that as Juneteenth enters more into the hometown mainstream, more residents from every corner will host their own events as well.

“Whether you have a business or not, my hope is more people could come or host personal celebrations,” she said.

“Even though we’ve encountered barriers to suppress or not help us move along as a people, attempts by certain places to suppress that piece of our history, we just want to make sure that people know the history of our ancestors and forefathers that did all they could do to move us along,” said Gray-Thorn. “It means a lot for our young people to know what happened. Not only to know the devastation that happened, but to know the freedom, the acclimation of a new freeness, of a release.”

Courtesy Emma Sweeney

Maria Leger and Aaron Hampton basked in the sun and fun at the inaugural Juneteenth festival in South Valley Stream.

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Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2016-CTT, Plaintiff AGAINST QAISER KHAN AKA QAISER TCHAN, IRAM HAMEED, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered November 7, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 6, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 47 Clarendon Drive, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, SECTION 37, BLOCK 301, LOTS 255A, 255B & 255C. Approximate amount of judgment $579,919.25 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #006347/2013. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Mark Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 20-002067 76050

139890

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Hassan Taylor, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 20, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 11, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 1226 DUTCH BROADWAY, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the North Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 35 Block: 521 Lot: 2. Approximate amount of judgment $460,474.73 plus interest and costs. Premises will be

sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #019445/2010. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19

Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2. nycourts.gov/Admin/ oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure

Auctions will be held

“Rain or Shine”. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800 Rochester, NY 14614

XFSLN007 76145 139894

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, v. LEONORE SILVERMAN, et al Defendant.NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on April 12, 2023, I, Martin Dehler, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on July 10, 2023 at the North Side Steps of the 100 Supreme Ct. Dr., Mineola, NY 11501, County of Nassau, State of New York, at 2:30 PM the premises described as follows: 934 Park Lane Valley Stream, NY 11581

SBL No.: 014-39-556

-00230 ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, situate, lying and being in Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 011866/2008 in the amount of $1,344,180.23 plus interest and costs. Foreclosure Auctions will be held Rain or Shine. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Richard S. Mullen Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Plaintiff’s Attorney 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072

139971

CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES TRUST VI-A, Plaintiff, vs. JUSTINE C. GOLDEN, AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF THE LATE PETER V. CANCILLA A/K/A PETER CANCILLA, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 4, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 56 East Jamaica Avenue A/K/A 56 Jamaica Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 120 and Lot 226. Approximate amount of judgment is $472,102.41 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 000504/2015. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 213129-1 139984

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS CWALT, INC. ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 200560T1 MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-60T1, Pltf. vs., RENU KUMAR, et al, Defts. Index #09-013769. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered June 4, 2019 and order substituting the referee entered January 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the north side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on July 12, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., prem. k/a 82 Ethel Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece, or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, a/k/a Section 37, Block 267, Lot 83 . Approx. amt. of judgment is $797,438.51 plus costs

and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. ELLEN DURST, Referee. PINCUS LAW GROUP PLLC, Attys. for Pltf., 425 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY File No. 03302021.48665#100483 139986

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Bank of America, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Simran Kaur; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 19, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 12, 2023 at 4:00PM, premises known as 51 Sobro Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37 Block: 521 Lot 2. Approximate amount of judgment $482,798.41 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 605425/2018. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Leonard Symons, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: April 18, 2023

139989

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU FAIRGATE TRUST, Plaintiff -againstETIENNE ALLONCE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 1, 2023 and entered on May 2, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court “Rain or Shine” located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on July 19, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, County of Nassau and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the easterly side of Shaw Avenue, distant 80 feet northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the northerly side of Ethel Street with the easterly side of Shaw Avenue; being a plot 100 feet by 40 feet 100 feet by 40 feet. SBL: 37-283-34 & 35 All bidders must wear

a face mask/shield at all times and social distancing must be observed by all bidders at all times. Bidders who do not comply with the face mask and/or the social distancing mandate will be removed from the auction. Said premises known as 173 SHAW STREET, VALLEY STREAM, NY Approximate amount of lien $198,309.60 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 610487/2021. MICHAEL J. ROMANO, ESQ., Referee WALDMAN, KALAHAR & ASSOCIATES, PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 315 MADISON AVENUE, 3RD FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10017 {* VAL STRM H*} 140084

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, PLANET MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC, Plaintiff, vs. SAINT MARKS EAST 163 LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 20, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 18, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 163 East Saint Marks Place, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 5 and Lots 19-21 a/k/a Lots 19 and 20-21. Approximate amount of judgment is $652,674.78 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #607424/2021. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale. David Paul Weiss, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 200540-1 140152

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 20151, Plaintiff, vs. ALEX C. MARTINS, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on May 3, 2019 and an Order Amending Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 13, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 18, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 196 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 124 and Lot 137. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,092,458.29 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 017022/2011. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale. Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 171238-1 140154

LEGAL NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, V. ARTHUR J. TEICHBERG, ET. AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated August 21, 2018, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC is the Plaintiff and ARTHUR J. TEICHBERG, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on July 18,

2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 4 VALLEY LANE NORTH, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11581: Section 39, Block 621, Lot 14: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF VALLEY STREAM, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 002388/2015. John M. McFaul, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

140086

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 6/28/23 at 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals: ----------------------

----------- THE FOLLOWING

CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M 430/23. - 432/23. NR

VALLEY STREAM - Primark

Corp., Install illuminated wall sign (north facing) for retail store on existing building which is not the tenant space; Install 2nd illuminated wall sign (west facing) for retail store on existing building which is not the tenant space; Install 3rd illuminated wall sign (west facing) for retail store on existing building which is not the tenant space., S/E cor. Green Acres Rd. & Sunrise Hwy., a/k/a 2034 Green Acres Mall

ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Valley Stream within Town of

Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny. gov/509/Board-of-Appeals

The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https:// hempsteadny.gov/576/ Live-Streaming-Video Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. By order of the Board of Appeals, John F. Ragano, Chairman Patrick Owens, Secretary 140285

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. MICHAEL J. CARR, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 1, 2017 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline duly entered on January 21, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 24, 2023 at 3:00 p.m., premises known as 637 Diane Place, Valley Stream, NY 11581 a/k/a 637 Diane Place, South Valley Stream, NY 11581. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 39, Block 595 and Lot 7. Approximate amount of judgment is $177,240.29 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 003666/2016. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale. Lisa A. Leimbach-Gutman, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 211487-1 140269

DRIVERS WANTED

Full

Help Wanted

MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

Inside Sales

Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR Company Car/ Bonuses. Clean Driving Record Required, Will Train. Retirees Welcome! Bell Auto School 516-365-5778 Email: info@bellautoschool.com

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WANTED

Will Certify And Train HS Diploma NYS License Clean 3 Years Call 516-731-3000

EDITOR/REPORTER

The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry.

To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com

LINE COOK: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10am-6pm. Sandwiches/ Salads. Beach Restaurant. Great Summer Job. 516-835-2819

MACHINE PROGRAMMER/ MACHINE OPERATOR

Will Train

*Math Skills Helpful.

*Work In A Machine Shop. Northfield Precision Instruments Phone 516-431-1112 Ask For Charles. E-mail Resume sales@northfield.com

Manager On Duty

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November 5-8 Hour Shifts. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For All Issues That May Occur During The Event, Seeing Each Through To Resolution. Serve As The Primary Point Of Contact For Emergency Personnel Hourly Rate $25-$30

To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. We offer salary, commission, bonuses, health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Will consider part time. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

OFFICE HELP PT/FT: Computer Literate. Answer Phones, Packing, Process Orders. Baldwin Dental Supply Company. 516-783-7800

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 Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. 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 or Call 516-569-4000 X250

Path Monitor

At Blaze, Old Bethpage Village Outdoors From September Through November

5-8 Hour Evening Shifts Providing A Welcoming Atmosphere And Ensuring Guest Safety. Hourly Rate $20. To Apply: https://hudsonvalley.org/ employment/

PRESS-ROOM/WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME Pressroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for a motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

SEWING MACHINE OPERATOR/ CANVAS FABRICATOR For Foreman Position. Experience a Must. Awning Company. Call/Text Tommy 516-250-8094; tgawnings@aol.com Send Resume

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REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

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WOODMERE BA, 504 Saddle Ridge Rd., FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime Location! Granite/Wood EIK Opens to Dining Room & Living Room. Lower Level Den. HW Flrs, Gas Heat, CAC. Oversized Property! SD#14.Near All!..$999,000 Ronnie Gerber, Douglas Elliman 516-238-4299

Apartments For Rent

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Garages For Rent

OCEANSIDE 2

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Impeccably Restored Victorian

This grand home is set on park like grounds (.43 acre) just blocks away from Rockville Centre's vibrant downtown and LIRR. This grand home has all of todays most sought after amenities, combined with yesterday's master craftsman details. A gracious welcoming front porch and private rear gazebo are perfect for outdoor entertaining. Inside you'll marvel at the 11 foot ceilings, original pocket doors, multiple window seats, and irreplaceable original parquet banded floors. Any chef would delight in the expansive kitchen with high end appliances, tons of counter space, and the perfect island for your guests. Other amenities include a walk in pantry, three full baths, five bedrooms on the second level, and second floor laundry room. $1,999,999 . Please contact Maureen Lane or Theresa Ahern for a private viewing of this special home!

How does your potential contractor drive?

Q. We need some advice on how to pick a contractor. Our neighbors down the street are going through a tough time with delays, seemingly shoddy work that didn’t pass inspection and extra costs for things they didn’t want or expect. Do you have any suggestions on how to interview a contractor, and what to ask about or look for in their proposal? We want to avoid what our neighbor is going through.

B ay Pa RK

190 Meadowview Ave, BA, Ever Dream of Living in A Castle? This 8000 Sq Ft Mansion is Full of Character. Amazing Architectural Details, Soaring Ceilings, Stained Glass Windows. 5 BR, 6.55 Bths. Sprawling 1.3 Acre Prop with IG Gunite Pool. SD#14. Near All. Must See This Unique Home! $3,200,00 HEWLETT

1638 Ridgeway Dr, BA, FIRST TIME ON MARKET! Well Maintained 6 BR, 3.5 Bth 3500

Sq Ft Exp CH Colonial on Beautiful St. LR/Fpl, Spac Fam Rm/Fpl, FDR, EIK & Sun Rm

Overlooking 1/3 Acre Resortlike Prop w/ IG Lap Pool, Hot Tub,Bar & Gazebo. Fin Bsmt.

2 Car Gar. SD#20 $1,149,000

1193 E. Broadway # M23, BA, Move Right Into This Stunning Gut Renovated 2 BR, 2 Bth Coop in Garden Town. Gourmet Kit W/Thermdore St Steel Appl Opens Into DR & LR.

Primary BR w/Bth Plus Spac 2nd BR. W/D in Unit. New Self Controlled CAC. Oak Flrs, LED

Lights. Near LIRR. Parking Avail. SD#14. You Don’t Want to Miss This $359,000

1599 Lakeview Dr, BA, 4 BR, 3 Bth Exp Ranch on Tree Lined St in SD#14. Spacious LR, DR & Family Rm, EIK & Fin Bsmt. Att Garage. HW Flrs. Near Park, Trans, Shops & Houses

of Worship REDUCED! $799,000

1534 Broadway #205, BA, Extra Large 2000 Sq Ft, 2 Bedroom (Originally 3 BR), 2 Bath

Condo in Prestigious Jonathan Hall with Doorman & Elevator. Updtd Wood/Quartz Kit, LR & DR. Washer/Dryer in Unit. Underground Pkg. Loads of Closets. Terrace Faces Back. Easy Ranch Style Living BIG REDUCTION!! MOTIVATED SELLER! $579,000 WOO dMERE

504 Saddle Ridge Rd, BA, Move Right Into This Renovated 4 BR, 2 Bth Split with Open Layout in Prime

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

A. If it were up to me, I would ask them to drive me around to look at their work. This helps in many ways. One, you have more conversation and maybe a little less sales pitch while they’re navigating the streets. Two, you can tell a lot about a person by the way they drive, such as whether they obey the laws. If they blow through every stop sign, cut people off or otherwise drive recklessly, you’ll realize right away that they have little regard for others and won’t follow regulations, or your interests.

People who don’t follow basic rules we all have to live by aren’t going to do things for you as much as for themselves. If they tell you “you don’t need a permit,” give you a ridiculously low number compared with others or confidently tell you they will have the work done way before you expected, be concerned. If their proposal doesn’t spell out the process and the materials to your satisfaction, at least with milestone breakdown numbers — such as windows and doors, $40,000, concrete work, $30,000, etc. — and you feel that they’re evasive when you ask questions, then move on.

I recommend that the payments be organized by those milestones, since you can see that all the concrete work is done and write a check, or confirm that all the windows and doors are installed and make a payment, instead of guessing when 30 percent of the work has been completed or wondering why they need to get paid every Friday when nobody has been there for two weeks. It may be obvious to say that you need to feel that what the plans show is what you want, and you have to feel confident that this person and their team can give you what you need.

I often get calls and end up acting as adviser and therapist to spouses who are now arguing with each other about how unhappy they are instead of sitting the contractor down with a third party, like a building official, who usually won’t tolerate the excuses. Many inspectors don’t have the time or the patience for a contractor who is creating code or safety violations, since it can reflect on the official who lets the work be approved with cut corners. One inspector recently told a contractor who was falling short of the regulations that the official gets audited and will not accept work that can be questioned later on by an auditor.

You need satisfaction. More on licensing, insurance and experience in upcoming columns. Good luck!

© 2022 Monte Leeper

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

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From a House committee room to the Valbrook Diner

Last week I was at two events that, in very different ways, encapsulated significant aspects of my life. The first was in Washington, where I was invited to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, along with four other retired members of Congress — two Republicans, Frank LoBiondo and Ileana RosLehtinen, and two Democrats, Jane Harman and Jim Langevin, who had also served on the committee. Except for a few fleeting hours in February, this was my first time back in Washington since late December 2020, just days before my retirement.

The chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Republican Mike Turner, and the ranking member, Democrat Jim Himes, wanted our perspective on what the committee’s current focus should be, and on the need to restore bipartisanship, which has been sorely lacking over the past six years. In my testimony, I stressed the necessity of not losing sight of the continuing threat of Islamist ter-

rorism. None of us wants to experience another 9/11, and the terrorists are in many ways as lethal as they were on Sept. 10, 2001.

I also joined my former colleagues in strongly urging bipartisanship. The committee is a vital component of our national security, and should not be politicized.

Besides testifying, I met with Long Island Representatives Andrew Garbarino, Anthony D’Esposito and Nick LaLota and joined Speaker Kevin McCarthy at a meeting in his office with elected officials from Northern Ireland. I also ran into various congressmen, Capitol Police officers and reporters I knew from my days on the Hill. And I went to my old haunt, the Dubliner, to have dinner with staff members from my office and the Homeland Security Committee.

Being back in the halls of Congress with current and former members brought back 28 years of memories encompassing victories, tough losses and challenges as well as meetings with presidents and world leaders. While I made the decision to retire from Congress and turn the page, I never regret

even a day that I was fortunate to be there. Those were almost three decades of unparalleled moments that I had never imagined I would experience.

Back on Long Island two days later, I relived different, but equally meaningful memories. Several times a year, Tom Dewey, my Brooklyn Prep classmate and a Fordham Hall of Fame track coach, organizes a get-together of a group of guys I hung out with during my high school years, just blocks from fabled Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Meeting at the Valbrook Diner in Valley Stream with Tom, Charlie, Allen, Johnny and Jackie is like going back in time. For better or worse, no one has changed. There’s the same banter, sarcasm and stories, with no one allowed to take himself seriously. In the past few years, we’ve been joined by retired Nassau County Police Department Detectives Jim Skopek and Melissa Zimmerman, who were on my security detail when I was in Congress and fit right in. Before his days as a Nassau cop, Skopek was an NYPD officer patrolling the Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, neighborhood where these guys grew up.

Zimmerman’s classic moment last week was when she asked my old friends what they thought of my recent successful cancer surgery, and she was met with blank looks, grunts and smirks. Not a hint of sympathy or concern.

Behind all this tough-guy talk, though, there is genuine friendship and loyalty, as well as a real knowledge of life and reality. These guys have all done well, but never brag about it. I’m not one of those guys who say the good old days were perfect or so much better. But during these diner reunions, I’m struck by the true authenticity of these guys — an authenticity I sense is diminishing in today’s world.

During my years in Congress and politics, I was known for not backing down or caring about what was said about me. This thick skin — or thick-headedness — was in many ways attributable to the street smarts I learned from these old friends. It’s reassuring to see nothing has changed.

All this interconnection of experiences came together for me again during those few days last week. Thanks for the memories.

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

An open letter to my dad on his birthday

Ishould point out that this is a really open letter, because my dad died four years ago.

I write because I have so much to tell him. My dad, who would have been 101 last week, loved his time on earth; he so enjoyed the rhythm and small pleasures of his days.

Every morning he woke up thinking about his first cup of coffee, and he prepared it with all the exquisite ritual of a Japanese tea ceremony. He moved slowly, and the making of the coffee could easily take 15 minutes.

RANDI KREISS

Once it was brewed, he filled his cup to the very brim and sloshed it all over the floor before he got to the table.

“Why do you have to make the cup so full?” my mother said pretty much every day for 72 years.

I like to think he’s with my mom, who died two years ago. They were married so long that they walked, talked, ate and laughed with a special kind of synchro-

ny. Hard to tell where one left off and the other began.

Dad would have been gripped by the public drama of the impeachment hearings. He died the day Donald Trump got elected, and although I’m not suggesting cause and effect, he did say,

“I can’t believe I lived to see this day,” before he succumbed to a major heart attack at 97.

He would read the newspapers at the breakfast table as breakfast lingered into lunch in his last years. He read the best parts out loud to my mother, and she was his cheerleader, damning the folks he saw as the bad guys and taking into her heart, like family, the leaders he loved. Their fierce loyalty to the Dems, going back to FDR, was part of what kept them chugging along. They cared. They followed the news. They talked back to the TV.

some time, couldn’t we, reassuring ourselves that no, the United States of America would never elect a man like Donald J. Trump, and then we did. Dad, it’s worse than we feared, but I believe in our better angels, and I’m patient. I know our country will right itself. I’ll keep you posted. Promise.

You missed the coronavirus. Missed Roku. Missed cauliflower pizza crusts.

So, Dad, I’m sorry you missed this state of affairs, this unraveling of our government and erosion of our moral center, because you would have found it fascinating, even if it depressed the hell out of you. Mostly I miss commiserating with you about it all. We could go on for

You missed the coronavirus. Missed Roku. Missed cauliflower pizza crusts.

You knew about Amazon but you missed letting it rule your life. You and Mom went to stores, right? Well we hardly do that now, because if you need anything, from the 4.0 readers you wore to rare Ethiopian pistachio nuts, you can order them online and Amazon will get them to you in hours, or days at most.

You missed some terrific books, Dad. We spent a lot of time talking about what we were reading, and even in your last months, when you were kind of dreaming your days away, you still held a book in your lap because it felt familiar. You kept saying you wanted to learn how to use a Kindle.

You missed the great-grandkids get-

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published Feb. 20-26, 2020.

ting braces, and learning to drive, and several mitzvahs. You missed that we bought a new vacation house. I gave some thought to the idea that you might not be able to find me, but I suppose your travel rules are different. In my old place, I used to see the occasional heron on the beach or a dolphin in the surf and imagine it might be a kind of visitation.

I did see an unseasonal robin the other day that gave a wicked shake of its wing as it landed on a naked branch, and I confess, I thought of you.

Mostly, Dad, I hate the idea that you aren’t in the world, in the light, in the realm of sunrises and sunsets, just a phone call away, at the Thanksgiving table.

We all think about loved ones who have passed. Some write letters or post to websites for the departed. It all helps.

Many find that Shakespeare offered wise counsel to those who grieve when he wrote, “Give sorrow words.”

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

In one memoryfilled setting, I was testifying. In another, I ribbed old friends.

HERALD

Don’t let money win: Veto this bill

it might not be easy to discuss the Greek playwright Euripides and the Dutch philosopher Erasmus in the same breath, especially considering they walked the earth 2,000 years apart. But they did have a shared philosophy, and it’s one all of us are familiar with: money talks. Especially in politics.

When it comes to government, if you want to make a splash, all you need is to flash — some green. The loudest voices in a campaign, or in any discussion, really, are typically those with the deepest pockets. Even running for local office can cost thousands of dollars, with that total easily hitting six digits for state office, and far more if you want to go to Washington.

Over the years, however, New York has worked hard to level the playing field. New York City, for example, has offered candidates a matching public-finance option for years. Anyone not taking large special-interest donations can qualify for public money, allowing their voice to be just as loud as anyone else’s, no matter how much anyone has raised. The option is intended to keep big business and heavily funded political movements away from lawmakers, while ensuring that taxpayer investments are returned to communities through campaign expenditures.

Lawmakers in Albany have paid attention as well, writing legislation that would provide matching funds to any Assembly candidate who raises at least $6,000 from 75 different donors in his or her district, and to any State Senate candidate who raises at least $12,000 from 150 donors.

Statewide candidates would see a

letters

Republicans love those fossil fuels

Dear Congressman D’Esposito:

match of $6 for every $1 of qualified donations. Assembly members and senators would see matching qualified donations ranging from $12-to-$1 to $8-to-$1.

Candidates would still have to campaign. They would still need to win support. But this law would help ensure that that support isn’t drowned out by opponents with massive campaign war chests, funded by special interests.

Everything was looking good for the proposed bill until the final week of the legislative session. Then lawmakers apparently had a chance to take a closer look at it, and suddenly remembered something really important: They have to run for re-election. The candidates with the deep pockets whom this law would weaken? It’s them, the incumbents. The politicians who already have a built-in advantage simply because they have “Assembly member” or “Senator” in front of their name.

So, those very lawmakers revisited the new law, and introduced some changes. Instead of raising $6,000, Assembly candidates would have to raise $10,000, from 145 donors, to qualify for matching funds. Senators would need to raise $24,000, from 350 donors.

Candidates wouldn’t need to win just some support — this is an exceedingly high bar.

In fact, the only people who would actually benefit from this bill, S.7564, if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs it into law are the very incumbents this kind of campaign finance reform is intended to humble by preventing them from winning races

before they even start, simply because of how loudly money talks. If this revised bill becomes law, the voice and reach of the incumbents would be stronger — and further — than ever before. Not only would they have the big money of special interests, but they’d have taxpayer money backing them as well. And anyone challenging them? Well, good luck.

The reworked legislation easily passed the Assembly and Senate, but fortunately, not with the help of many of our local representatives. State Sens. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Jack Martins and Steven Rhoads voted against it, as did Assembly members Jake Blumencranz, Ari Brown, Brian Curran, David McDonough, John Mikulin, Edward Ra and Michaelle Solages.

State Sen. Kevin Thomas was a “yes” on the bill, as were Assembly members Taylor Darling and Charles Lavine.

All are Republicans except for Solages, Thomas, Darling and Lavine.

A representative democracy mandates leaders who truly represent the people. If someone believes they can represent them better, they deserve to have every opportunity to prove it. The matching-campaignfunds program could have been a great start, helping this particular democracy achieve those goals.

But if the governor signs this monstrosity into law, not only will the potential gains of the earlier law be erased, but the entire democratic process will take 10 giant steps backward.

Hochul must do the right thing, and veto S.7564.

While New Yorkers choke on fumes from Canadian wildfires fueled by climate change, it’s worth highlighting the role that Republicans are playing in making the problem worse. House Republicans, including my own representative, Anthony D’Esposito, brokered a debt ceiling bill that advances construction of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline and makes it easier to build fracked-gas pipelines. This dirty deal will increase profits for the fossil fuel industry while increasing air pollution and wrecking our climate.

The dangerous air we are breathing now is only the beginning — we must reverse course and move off fossil fuels. As a grandfather and a member of Food & Water Action, I urge D’Esposito to stand up for Long Islanders, not the fossil fuel industry. And as a Long Islander, I urge my neighbors to remember the Republican dirty deal at the ballot box.

We honor the fallen, but must not forget our veterans

all of us owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the heroic men and women who lost their lives while protecting our country as members of our nation’s armed forces.

our end to care for them when they come back home.

Across the country, fewer than 50 percent of returning veterans in need receive any mental health treatment. An estimated 250,000 veterans are unemployed and in need of work. And with 68,000 of them homeless, there are 5,000 veterans here in Nassau who are at risk of homelessness.

■ The right to be supported in the community, in such organizations as VFWs and American Legions.

sure make them valuable candidates for public service.

JosHUa a . LaFaZan

Americans recently commemorated Memorial Day — a sobering occasion that reminds us that freedom is never free, and that in a perilous world, we sleep safely at night precisely because of those servicemen and women who are fighting for us.

After our collective pause to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, it behooves us to take the next step by renewing our commitment to taking care of veterans right here in Nassau County.

Some 67,000 of the 16.5 million veterans in the United States call Long Island home. And there’s no denying that while these heroes have upheld their end of the contract to protect and serve the nation, we haven’t adequately fulfilled

Those statistics should shock the consciences of every American and provide clear evidence that this moment requires immediate action. That’s why I have proposed the creation of a 21st-century Veterans’ Bill of Rights that would ensure that none of them are ever left behind in Nassau County.

Such a bill would reaffirm the fundamental rights for veterans that must be protected:

■ The right to dignified housing.

■ The right to gainful employment.

■ The right to be protected from discrimination.

In addition, the Veterans’ Bill of Rights would formally commission a study to identify where resources are needed to best serve our veterans, and recommend additional investments ranging from new technology to advancements in health care, and more. Once completed, the study’s findings would be presented at a public hearing of the County Legislature’s Veterans Committee.

My office has already taken important steps toward fulfilling the tenets of the Veterans’ Bill of Rights. In January 2022, the Legislature unanimously passed the Hiring Our Heroes Act, a measure I sponsored that exempts veterans and active-duty service members from county civil service exam fees. Not only does removing a financial burden of up to $200 from eligible applicants incentivize their return to the civilian workforce, but it also recognizes how veterans’ leadership, military experience and ability to perform under pres-

Letters Framework

In Albany, Democrats are ‘out of touch’

To the Editor:

As my first legislative session came to a close, I was struck by just how out of touch Albany Democrats are with the needs of New Yorkers. The concerns about rising crime rates and a struggling economy, both of which make it more difficult for many to live, work and thrive in our communities, are at an all-time high. To combat this, my State Senate Republican colleagues and I introduced a plan to Rescue New York, which fell on deaf ears. We will continue to fight for common-sense, realistic solutions to the hardships faced by families and business owners.

During the 2023 legislative session, Albany’s misplaced priorities came in the form of new laws and policies that exacerbate our hardships instead of relieving them. The budget was a month late and spent a record $229 billion, more than $8 billion over what was spent last fiscal year. It included new taxes on businesses and individuals, and provided no relief for middle-class families and struggling small businesses; rather, it allocated $1 billion for transporting and housing illegal immigrants instead of directing funds to struggling New Yorkers.

Instead of focusing on why New Yorkers are leaving the state, a bill was passed that moves all local elections to even years, over the objections of local communities and boards of election. The justification was to increase voter turnout, yet it excluded New York City, where voter turnout is the lowest in the state.

Additionally, “Clean Slate” legislation was passed allowing the records of violent criminals to be sealed while ignoring the rights of law-abiding victims. In addition, the overriding theme of the legislation passed this session was an erosion of parental rights and an increase in government control, both of which will continue to destroy the New York

by Tim Baker

This legislative measure builds on the Dignity for Our Heroes initiative, another legislative package that I sponsored and passed in 2019 that protects veterans from discrimination in housing and employment, and convened the Nassau Commission on Ending Veteran Homelessness.

While I take great pride in these earlier measures, they should be viewed as a foundation to build on. We must not cease in our efforts until every veteran in the county has access to the resources they need to meet their health care, housing and workforce needs. And it is imperative for all of us to approach this issue with compassion and care, so that we can continue chipping away at harmful stigmas that dissuade our heroes from seeking the assistance they need and deserve.

These men and women have always had our backs, and it is imperative for us to always have theirs. Please contact your legislator and ask them to support the Veterans’ Bill of Rights. And I ask you to never forget our fallen heroes, or our veteran heroes at home.

we know and love.

We deserve better than one-party rule that places political aims above all else. There’s still so much work to be done, but Senate Democrats, who hold a supermajority, continue to disregard New Yorkers’ needs. I will continue to fight for a safer and more

affordable New York while standing up for our values and working to restore balance, accountability, and common sense to our state government.

Stoked for a summer of keeping swimmers safe — the Freeport Recreation Center lifeguards take a break from training.

Joshua A. Lafazan represents the Nassau County Legislature’s 18th District.

too many who have come home lack housing, jobs and mental health care.