Valley Stream Herald 08-17-2023

Fire department marks 125 years of proud service

By JUAN l ASSo jlasso@liherald.com

“Who could stop the fire?”

For Valley Stream residents in 1898, that question no doubt weighed heavily on their minds as they watched Bergman’s Bakery, on Rockaway Avenue, go up in flames.

Without an organized fire department, there was no answer. No heroic intervention would come. The bakery was left to turn into a fiery furnace. Its engulfing flames burned for weeks on end “as a consequence of the coal which was stored in the cellar,” village historian Carol McKenna wrote in a village anthology documenting the event.

The devastation invariably served as a wake-up call to residents about the threat posed by unchecked fires, former fire chief Richie Sullivan noted. Now, the next pressing question was how this community

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A neighborhood celebration of jazz finally goes public

By JUAN l ASSo jlasso@liherald.com

Dr. Herold Simon’s first memory of jazz goes back to his youth, when he spent summer days with his father, a custodian, walking the streets of New York City and seeing the sights. “He wanted to show me places,” Simon recalled. “Nice buildings and so on.”

But it wasn’t so much the city’s towering skyscrapers or its glimmering museums that captured the teenage Simon’s imagination. Instead it was a street performer playing jazz on his saxophone at 5th Avenue and 54th Street.

Never had the then 18-yearold been so moved by music, and before he knew it, he was locked into a lifelong fascination with jazz. He devoured the songs of classical jazz musicians, and built a collection of old vinyl jazz records and CDs. Through the late 1990s, Simon religiously tuned into BET on Jazz, a jazz television programming network geared toward Black audiences.

Not content with keeping the music to himself, Simon wanted to share his passion for jazz with his friends in Valley Stream. Thus, in 2003, he began a quest to bring jazz performers together to play in his backyard

— literally. He named these inhouse concert gatherings the Valley Stream Jazz Festival.

Simon, an internist who is in his 60s, always had the ambition to host a public jazz concert in one of the village’s parks. By 2015, his backyard concerts had grown, with a

more “robust jazz production involving up to 12 influential musicians at a time led by collaborator Gary Sylvian,” as Simon’s website states.

In recent years, as his gettogethers became more popular, Simon encountered various logistical roadblocks. But last weekend, his vision was finally realized, thanks to the collabor-

ative effort of the office of Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and the village: The Valley Stream Bandshell hosted the 18th annual Jazz Festival on Saturday, featuring jazz-folk performers Mikaelle Aimée and Adnan Khan. There was a touch of hometown flair, with a dance performance by Layla’s

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Tim Baker/Herald

The village’s firefighters paraded proudly through town on Aug. 5, commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Valley Stream Volunteer Fire Department.

I n jazz, nobody knows what’s going to come out next .

Dr. HErolD SIMoN Organizer, Valley Stream Jazz Festival

Monitoring the water after shark attacks

Sharks are not looking to share the ocean this summer. A beachgoer in Queens had an encounter with the formidable fish earlier this month, raising concerns for local swimmers.

Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, was swimming at Rockaway Beach around 6 p.m. Aug. 7, when she felt a pain in her left leg, causing a fall, according to police. It is believed that a shark attacked her, leaving a gaping wound, several inches wide and deep, according to news reports

The beach rescue team removed the woman from the water and applied a tourniquet to her left thigh, which suffered a laceration. Koltunyuk was brought to Jamaica Hospital in a critical state, but has recovered.

It is estimated that the shark took off about 20 pounds of flesh.

Rockaway beach was closed to swimmers and surfers the following day. City Parks Enforcement, NYPD and FDNY worked together to keep swimmers out of the water and scan for sharks.

Two days later, Rockaway Beach reopened, with FDNY and NYPD drones looking for sharks and schools of fish that they may be following.

FDNY units will continue scanning 10 miles of Rockaway Beach and NYPD units will be looking at the Rockaway beaches, Coney Island, Orchard Beach and potentially Staten Island, according to NYPD Inspector, Frank DiGiacomo who spoke with the The New York Post, along with harbor units, helicopters, lifeguards and other resources in order to alert swimmers as soon as possible of any threats. The monitoring will be throughout the day, as well as before and after beach closing.

Atlantic Beach village, just a few miles east of Rockaway, has been putting shark-monitoring practices into play as well. Senior Lt. lifeguard, Daniel Majikas, said that the village does not use drones, but more shore measures to patrol its eight beaches.

“We monitor from the stands, we have binoculars,” he said. “We survey out in the kayaks and on paddle boards.”

Lifeguards on duty at Atlantic Beach also remain in contact with Nassau County helicopter patrols that will report if they see any shark activity in the local waters.

The village of Atlantic Beach has a total of 28 lifeguards in their crew, three rotating through each shift on the lifeguard stand, Majikas said in an email. They patrol beaches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

At Atlantic Beach, if an attack where to occur, Majikas said lifeguards will prioritize getting paramedics to the scene and taking necessary measures given the severity of the attack.

The Rockaway Beach shark attack comes as the first since the 1950s and arguably the most serious in New York since then as reported by NBC New York. Earlier this summer, swimmers at Rockaway Beach were advised to leave the water due to a shark sighting in June.

According to CNN, just one day after the Rockaway attack, there were three possible shark sightings at Jones Beach, where lifeguards have been patrolling, along with other measures taken to spot sharks before an attack.

Other towns on Long Island, such as Oyster Bay, have drones patrolling the waters for the first time this year according to The New York Post. They also have provided lifeguards with special training to identify sharks.

Courtesy Daniel Majikas Assistant Atlantic Beach chief lifeguard Trevor Radlin, Assistant Chief, lifeguards Pere Mullen, Tom Greeley, and chief lifeguard Dan Majikas monitor the water for potential

Making family home disability accessible

By REI WOLFSOHN Intern

Funds raised at the first bingo luau event held by Rescuing Families will help a Valley Stream family outfit their home with increased disability access and ease.

Rescuing Families got the community together on Aug. 11 for a luau-themed bingo night to raise funds for the Reyes family. The Reyes family that the organization will help includes a 43-year-old man who became paraplegic after a swimming and diving accident when he was 18. The community was able to raise $9,150 at the event with 140 people in attendance.

The charity Rescuing Families wants to help as many local families as it can by creating beautiful disability accessible homes.

Since it began seven years ago, it has helped six families live with increased disability access, ease and safety after being remodeled by the organization.

“What I liked about it is that it’s local,” Theresa Belmonte, a volunteer with Rescuing Families, said. “It’s not like one of these charities where you write a check and hope they’re doing good. You see what comes of it. At the end of the project you see the house, the ramp, the new bathroom. You see where everyone’s efforts and money have gone.”

The Reyes house needs a complete gut and replacement to become accessible and safe, because it is a very old home built in 1964. The paraplegic man’s parents must help him out of the tub and he only has a very steep, unstable ramp to get in and out of the home. Increasing the access and safety of the tub and ramp are two of the main project goals for Rescuing Families.

The luau bingo night included cash prizes for bingo winners and six costume contests. Half of the costume contests were for Hawaiian shirts: the most creative, most original and funniest. The other half were for Hula girl costumes: the most creative, most original and funniest. Prizes for contest winners were bottles of wine, scratch-off tickets and little trinkets.

“They come up with some great ideas and some great costumes,” Centauro said. “So we’re excited to see what they come up with this time.”

At the luau bingo night, food and drinks were served. Drinks were basic like beer, wine and soda. But the food was all tropical themed: Hawaiian chicken and wings, pineapple upside down cake and fruit bowls.

Gina and Vinny Centauro started Rescuing Families seven years ago after 10 years of running their own construction business. While the organization has 40 members, on average there is a core group of 10 members who help with the renovations directly. They come in to help demolish and rebuild. A few other contractors in the northeast also help build with them.

“When the disabled person actually comes home, the feeling you have is beyond description,” Barbara Donohue, a volunteer with Rescuing Families, said. “Everyone just ends up crying and weep-

ing, so it’s a pretty intense feeling.”

Rescuing Families raises funds through several events throughout the year. It hosts a monthly community market with crafts, thrifts, food trucks, pet rescues and civic organizations. The booth operators pay a fee to have their booth there. Plus, Rescuing Families charges $5 for public entry into the market. From whatever the Rescuing Families booth itself sells the proceeds also go to the charity. People can donate directly to the organization while they are there. All proceeds go directly to the families in need. Rescuing families does the same thing semiannually with a craft-only fair.

It also hosts bingo nights throughout the year. The bingo nights started with an ugly sweater bingo night in December over three years ago. They held ugly sweater contests and gave away cash prizes for winning bingo. This year, Rescuing Families added the luau bingo night.

“Everybody likes a luau,” Centauro said. “It’s just a very festive, fun thing.”

Salad, meatballs, pasta and more were served for event attendees to chow down on during bingo.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

Winners of the Best Luau Costumes Joe O’Donoghue from Florida, Drew Kovarik from Kings Point, Scott Briskin from West Hempstead, Stephanie Brudecki from Elmont, Lorie Giannini from Floral Park and Tiesher Jones.

Bingo winner Michael Prestia from Huntington won $150 at the luau event.

Sal D’Angelo from Holbrook purchased a bingo card from Floral Park’s Barbara Donohue and Rescuing Families founder Vincent Centauro.

Learning has no age limit at BOCES program

By NICOLE FORMISANO nformisano@liherald.com

Learning has no age limit. The Nassau BOCES adult education programs are here to help people of all ages build careers, especially in the industries Long Island needs most.

BOCES has specialized programs for everything from construction to cosmetology, and are expanding their offerings to include three new programs beginning this school year: clinical medical assistant, veterinary assistant and pet grooming. These three new courses, like BOCES’ other programs, include internships and on-site training. BOCES is continuing the success it experienced under superintendent Robert Dillon, who died July 28.

Brad Slepian, the assistant principal of the adult education program, said that BOCES helps students find where their passions and interests intersect with job market demand. That kind of opportunity can cost tens of thousands elsewhere. As a public program, BOCES strives to make its offerings as affordable and accessible as possible.

“Whether it’s our actual training, or providing different opportunities and connecting students to different grants that might allow payment for their full training program, we want to ultimately make it as low cost or no cost to the student as possible,” Slepian said.

That goal is exactly what allowed

Meaghan Makar, from West Hempstead, to achieve her dream of becoming a professional hairstylist. Makar was in college when the pandemic hit, and realized she wanted to pursue her passion. She looked at many different programs, but knew her search was over when she found BOCES.

“It was kind of just a no brainer,” Makar said. “I came from college and I definitely didn’t have more money to spend on a different path now, so I looked into it, and BOCES actually works with the Town of Hempstead Job Center. So I got a grant from the Town of Hempstead so that I could attend BOCES.”

Makar said that with the education and experience she received in BOCES’ 1,000hour cosmetology program, it would be her top choice regardless of cost. She learned haircuts, updos, perms, rollers, and everything in between to prepare her for the practical exam and beyond. Industry experts would come to impart advice about their specializations — tips and tricks for men’s haircuts, vivid color hair dyeing, seamless highlighting. To someone like Makar who likes to ask questions, the in-person expert advice was indispensable. Makar said that professionals in the industry who went to other cosmetology programs didn’t have that same experience and found themselves having to learn on the job.

Makar currently works at East Coast Hair Studio, a young studio in Oceanside that has already made a big name for

with Michael and Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Book Review: “ Die with Zero” by Bill Perkins

In “Die with Zero”, subtitled “Getting All That You Can from Your Money and Your Life”, retired engineer Bill Perkins takes an analytical view about making your life grow as opposed to making your money grow. Letting opportunities pass you by for fear of squandering money leads many to squander their lives instead.

Instead of just keeping on earning and earning to maximize wealth, too many of us don’t give nearly as much thought as to maximizing what they can get out of that wealth — including what they can give to others while they are living, instead of waiting until they die.

As opposed to spending money on things, which excitement depreciates over time, the author advocates spending on experiences, which grow in value over time, due to the “memory dividend”. Perkins advocates a systematic approach for eliminating the fear of running out of money (the main reason people oversave and underenjoy) while maximizing your and your loved ones

enjoyment of that money.

Being that the main idea is that your life is the sum of your experiences, you should put some thought into planning the kind of experiences you want. If you die with significant wealth but a scarcity of experiences, you worked a lot of hours just to accumulate money that you either never used or were too old to use.

You can waste your life by underspending. Life is not only about “accumulating”, it is also about “decumulating” or using the money to maximize your life which, in the end, is nothing more than the memories you make.

In a similar vein, giving inheritances early maximizes the impact of those inheritance on the recipients’ quality of life. The average age of heirs being about sixty, the money usually arrives too late to do the most good.

Your time is limited. The chief regrets of the dying are that they didn’t live their dreams more and spent too much time working, missing out on relationships and life experiences.

itself — the team won the best hair salon Long Island Choice Award this year, just 18 months after opening. She joined the team this past April while still attending BOCES.

“It was great because every time I learned something I’d be so excited to go into work,” Makar said. “Being able to have a job during the day and go to school at night, it really helps with applying things as you go,” she added.

That structure is what allowed Giovanni Iglesias, from East Meadow, find success and stability at the same time. Iglesias had spent 25 years as an internationally renowned DJ, playing at clubs across Europe, South America, and the states — until Covid hit. The gigs came to a sudden halt.

Though he had been making good money as an artist, going through the pandemic — and meeting his wife soon after — taught him an important lesson: job security is priceless. Iglesias was not alone in that realization, according to Slepian.

“Since the pandemic, people know that there’s job security in the trades,” Slepian said. “These trades, they’re not going anywhere. And the jobs are only increasing.”

Iglesias found BOCES and applied for a grant to attend the trade electric program. Soon after beginning his studies, though, he received a call from the MTA offering him the bus operator position he had previously applied for. He spent the next

The cosmetology program allows students, such as Annemarie Lespinasse pictured here, get advice straight from industry experts like Katrina Guzman.

years balancing his employment and his education. Iglesias said the instructors at BOCES were instrumental in making the balance possible.

“The teachers understood, they worked with me,” Iglesias said. “So I don’t lose my time, I don’t lose my pension, but I can do something I actually enjoy doing: electrical work.”

These days, Iglesias continues to work with the MTA and volunteers with Grasso Electric — a mentor he found during his time at BOCES — during his time off. He recently passed the electrical helper exam he’d been preparing for, and currently has his sights set on working as an electric helper for the MTA and eventually becoming licensed as a master electrician.

BOCES prepared Iglesias for success, but that came as no surprise to him — It was the same organization he graduated from in 1999, where he learned multimedia video production. His knowledge of video editing, branding, music production, and more put him leagues above the industry standard, and helped him excel as a DJ and an artist for 25 years. Now Iglesias is entering the next chapter of his career with the same level of preparedness.

“That’s what BOCES does,” Iglesias said. “BOCES was always the reason for my success.”

To find out more about BOCES’ offerings, visit NassauBoces.org/AdultEducation.

HOW TO REACH US

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000

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■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 282 E-mail: vseditor@liherald.com

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Courtesy Nassau BOCES

It’s full STEAM ahead at Valley Stream 24

Students enrolled in Valley Stream 24 School District’s Summer Program have been engaged in a variety of STEAM activities as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

Through one activity, incoming kindergarten students engaged in a captivating color wheel experiment. They explored the magic of colors by adding drops of vibrant dyes to a bowl of milk and observing the mesmerizing transformation as soap created new hues. The activity sparked curiosity and creativity, igniting young learners’ fascination with science.

Another activity was an engineering challenge in which students were tasked with building the tallest tower with only the materials they were provided. Students worked in groups and were given cups and straws to construct their towers. Groups brainstormed different methods to build tall towers with strong foundations to keep them standing. Reflecting on the experience, they celebrated their achievements and learned valuable teamwork skills.

The Summer Program, organized through the Nassau Board of Cooperative Educational Services, concluded in July, leaving students equipped with newfound knowledge and skills as they eagerly anticipate the start of the new school year in September.

“Students enrolled in our summer program are provided an ideal platform to continue their educational journey while experiencing a supportive learning environment,” said Superintendent Unal Karakas. “Witnessing our students’ enthusiasm and engagement in the activities is truly rewarding.”

Students took part in an engineering challenge to build the tallest tower with only the materials they were provided.

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 24 Through one STEAM activity, students experimented with the color wheel by mixing drops of different colored dyes into a bowl of milk and soap and creating new colors.

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Call in the jazz doctor

Continued from page 1

Dance and Drums, as well as sets by other performers.

“I wanted to make the concert a multiethnic, multicultural event,” Simon said, “so we brought a Japanese jazz band, for example, and a Muslim singer. Have something to offer for everybody,” added Simon, who believes that jazz cuts across national and ethnic boundaries as a lingua franca of the music world. “Jazz binds people together,” he said. “We just have to sit down and listen and understand via our sounds.”

Simon, a Haitian-born immigrant, emphasized that there are few Haitianled cultural events in Valley Stream, and

said that a multicultural event like this one may help cement Haitai’s cultural footprint on the local map. And though the popularity of jazz has diminished in recent decades, Simon encourages listeners new and old to take it in with fresh ears. For him, the emotional thrill of jazz lies in its unpredictability.

“Unlike in popular music, where you can follow the flow and have some expectation of what comes next, in jazz, nobody knows what’s going to come out next,” Simon said. “Even though you might hear a song being played several times, every time you hear it, they will give you different notes, different sounds coming in.”

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

Herold Simon, center, the organizer and host of the Valley Stream Jazz festival, was presented with a certificate of appreciation by assemblywoman michaelle Solages as her brother, County Legislator Carrié Solages, looked on.

the Valley Stream Bandshell hosted Simon’s 18th annual Jazz festival for the first time publicly, for residents and music lovers alike. above, a trio composed of Sam Bevan on bass, leader Yayoi ikawa on keyboard, and Kenneth Salters on drums.

RAFFLE DRAWING AT 12:30PM SILVER

Lawmakers push for anti-hate reporting awareness

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

When antisemitic graffiti was found at Merrick’s Chatterton Elementary School, a hotline was available to report the incident to the proper authorities.

But unlike 911 or 988 — well-known numbers to report emergencies or seek immediate mental health assistance — how to reach the bias hotline is not so well-known. And Nassau County Democrats are pushing their colleagues to change that.

Anyone can text messages and photos, or even call (516) 500-0657 if they see hate anywhere in their communities, All calls are returned during business hours, police said. And for those who prefer email, it’s combatbias@pdcn.org.

Siela Bynoe commended the Nassau County Police department for rolling out technology that allows people to quickly and confidentially report incidents of hate.

“But access is not awareness,” the county legislator told reporters outside of Chatterton School last week. “Access without awareness does not get what’s intended.”

Nassau County police officials say two swastikas as well as anti-police sentiments were spray painted at the Chatterton playground July 30.

That prompted an emergency meeting a week later by the South Merrick Community Civic Association, intended to be an open discussion with police, detectives, school superintendents and rabbis about how the community can combat hate.

The following day, police arrested a 14-year-old Freeport boy, charging him with two felonies and a pair of misdemeanors.

But the number of people across Nassau County who even know this hotline exists is small, Bynoe said. A public awareness campaign is needed to get that word out, because if more instances are reported, the county can

map out where there is an influx of bias incidents and direct resources to those communities.

“We must pull out all the stops and find and implement as many tools as possible to stem the tide of this wave of hatred we are witnessing,” said County Legislator Arnold Drucker, who added he’d also like to work with state officials to ensure justice is served when people are arrested for hateful acts.

“I intend to collaborate with our partners in state government to take a renewed look at our hate crime laws and evaluate the classification of these hate crimes,” Drucker said. That way, “they can be prosecuted as a standalone offense, and have them automatically charged as a felony — rather than a misdemeanor — to ensure that these individuals get more than a slap on the wrist.”

Putting a complete end to antisemitic acts is not an easy task at all, according to Rabbi Ira Ebbin.

“If you look at any Jewish history book — or any history book — you’ll know that it’s impossible,” the spiritual leader of Congregation Ohav Sholom in Merrick, told reporters last week. “Since Jews have existed, there has been antisemitism. Since humans have existed, there has been hatred. Those who want to hate will always find ways to hate, and they do it in the most invasive way.”

Technology such as the hotline, Ebbin said, is incredibly important.

“It opens the opportunity and the portals of entry for people who see something, then they need to say something,” the rabbi said. “Our legislators, our leaders respond to data, and unless its reported, the reality is silence is compared to complicity. If you don’t say anything, nothing gets done.”

Education is key, according to County Legislator Michael Giangregorio, a Republican who represents Merrick and surrounding communities. Children, for instance, may not understand the seriousness of their actions when they commit acts of hate.

“I would like to use this latest example as a teaching moment, especially for our children, to better educate them on the dangers of these type of behaviors, and to re-emphasize that hate speech or any actions in that regard are not tolerated or accepted,” he said, in a statement. “Together, as a community, we must do what we can to stand together against this growing scourge.”

Jordan Vallone/Herald Rabbi Ira Ebbin of Merrick’s Congregation Ohav Sholom, spoke out about antisemitism during a recent news conference in Merrick, but also shared some of the technology available to combat it.

Forest Road hosts orientation for newcomers

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students who will attend Forest Road Elementary School in Valley Stream District 30 for the upcoming school year were warmly welcomed by their teachers on Aug. 3.

As the students approached the school for the first time, they were invited by teachers Aaminah Ahmad, April Laracuenti, Poulette Villalobos, and Naomi Yochai to join in a reading session on the front lawn. The students followed along to “The Pigeon Has to Go to School” by Mo Willems and answered questions about themselves before standing for a physical challenge. Teachers named playful patterns for students to run along to while finding and moving to different colored rings. Finally, parents helped their children create a pigeon-themed crown to wear for a group photo before teachers handed out cool summer treats.

In addition to the teachers, Alison Bruno, who will lead the Forest Road community as principal, greeted parents and welcomed students. The event was a great way for peers to make new friends and meet their teachers while getting acclimated to their upcoming classroom environments.

SPLITTING

–Juan Lasso

Courtesy Valley Stream District 30

The Forest Road newcomers enjoyed a reading session on the lawn.

“A SENSATIONAL SIDE-

SCREWBALL COMEDY !”

A COMEDY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS T:10.25" T:6.31"

B:10.25" 1223407

Village parade pays homage to firefighters

of mostly farmers would work to avert future disasters involving fire.

The answer, which came on August of that year, was the Nassau Hook & Ladder Company #1.

The company, composed of a motley crew of men, would eventually grow into the village’s modernized Valley Stream Volunteer Fire Department replete with seven fire companies and staffed by roughly 250 volunteer firefighters.

Earlier this month, commemorating 125 years of its history of service, the department honored its members, past and present, with a parade, vintage fire truck show, and live music. The roads were cleared from Fire Headquarters at 49 Rockaway Parkway as marching bands tooted their horns, fire engines honked, and uniform-clad firefighters paraded proudly through the village streets ending their march at the Village Green.

Residents, many sun-washed in shorts and sunglasses, lined the sidewalks of the parade route applauding and cheering on the display. Sullivan, with a sash around his uniform, served as the parade’s Grand Marshall.

“For 125 years, brave patriots have been volunteering their time to fight fires for this community,” said Fire Chief Patrick Scanlon reflecting on the significance of the day. “At the drop of a dime, they’re here to come out and give up time to serve your community and your family.”

Throughout the course of its long history, the department has shown an incredible capacity to evolve in tandem with the village it serves. Much of that is thanks to things like organized chain of command, enhanced simulation training, and of course vast improvements over the last 125 years in the tools designed to guard against potential fires and quell them when they sprout.

Alarm systems, pressurized water hoses, and self-contained breathing apparatus make it far easier and safer for fire crews to detect and battle a host of fire emergencies. During the earliest era of Valley Stream firefighters, noted Sullivan, they “would race their horsedrawn wagons to the firehouse upon an emergency and transport buckets of water” to battle blazes.

But just as time brought new advances, it has also presented new challenges for the department whose host village is far larger and more densely populated than ever before.

With 40,000 residents, “there are more people living in Valley Stream and the workload has definitely increased,” said Scanlon, pointing to the fact that an area with a higher concentration of people generally runs a higher risk of fires. “I mean the call volume alone has gone up two or three years even with the pandemic.”

Fire officials noted the department responds to upwards of 1,000 fire alarm calls every year, though an increasing portion has been false alarms. Yet even those, fire officials note, still require fire

crews to conduct safety inspections to confirm the building’s integrity. And aside from logistical obstacles thrown at the department, the personal toll that the job imposes on individual members and their families has grown steeper, noted Scanlon.

“The simple fact of the matter is, it’s even harder for our people who have two, or three jobs, in the middle of a recession, and no one is really doing great,” said Scanlon. “So, it’s really a testament to the community and all the people that live in the community that

we’re here showing up as volunteers,” dutifully stepping into the line of danger for them.

Sitting at the root of the department’s heroism is its longstanding tradition of sacrifice and devotion that has kept it alive, noted Sullivan, during its best days and its worst.

“Our biggest contribution would be the loss of six of our members in service to the community as firefighters in its 125-year history,” said Sullivan. “There can be no bigger contribution than that.”

Honoring the fallen

Phillip Fournier – 1948

Joseph Valentino - 1963

Capt. Sherman Smith – 1971

Capt. John Tate – 1979

Capt. Michael Moran – 1979

Capt. Michael Field - 2020

former Senior f ire Chief richard Sullivan was the parade’s grand marshall. antique and classic fire engines were on display at the event, which featured a parade and live music.

Tim Baker/Herald photos

County Legislator William gaylor, far left, deputy mayor John tufarelli, mayor edwin fare, f ire Chief patrick Scanlon, grand marshal richard Sullivan, Hempstead town Councilwoman melissa miller, trustee Sean Wright, Village Justice melanie Jenkins, f irst assistant Chief anthony Capone, Second assistant Chief michael Colucci and State Sen. patricia Canzoneri-f itzpatrick at the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Valley Stream Volunteer f ire department on aug. 5.

Back to class with the right stuff

Families are always looking to stretch their back-to-school shopping budgets. But saving money isn’t just about how much you spend on supplies; it’s also about making school supplies and equipment last as long as possible.

Here are some tips for protecting your students’ school tools to help stretch your budget and their gear.

Talk with children about handling tech devices. Kids will be kids, and sometimes that means they’ll be tough on their stuff. Unfortunately, their school-mandated tech devices such as calculators, tablets and laptops can’t always take the beating. To reduce the risk of accidental breakage, talk to kids about proper handling and storage of their devices and the potential risks for breakage when drops, spills and hard impacts occur.

Lighten the backpack load. Between books and laptops, students tend to pack a lot of heavy items in their backpacks during the course of a school year. As the load increases, backpack zippers may break, and seams may tear from the daily stress. Reduce the wear and tear by ensuring your kids don’t over-pack their bags.

Not only will this reduce strain on their backpacks, it will lighten the load on students’ backs as well.

Consider a protection plan. Research shows that some school essentials —such as backpacks and laptop batteries break or stop functioning within the first 1-2 years of use.

To help keep costs down, many retailers offer reputable protection plans, which can help repair or replace the equipment for free or a fraction of what you’d normally pay on your own.

Sharing isn’t always caring. Even if your child handles his calculator or laptop with care, his friends might not. Establish guidelines with your kids at the start of the school year about what items can be shared with others at school and which cannot.

For those things that can be shared, consider encouraging your child to establish ground rules when sharing with friends. Guidelines could include when the item should be returned, tasks for which the item will be used and an understanding that items will be handled with care.

Don’t forget about bikes. Kids who ride their bikes to school can be just as hard on their bikes as they are on their school supplies. A tune-up at the start of the school year can keep the bike running smoothly and help catch wear and tear, such as damaged spokes or worn tires and brake pads.

Are you ready?

A back-to-school checklist

Make sure your kids have what they need to succeed this year. Ensure you’ve covered all the back-to-school bases before the studying starts:

√ Ensure your child is up to date on all immunizations.

√ Schedule eye and physical exams, if needed.

√ Make sure emergency contact information is up to date.

√ Organize school supplies.

√ Review the dress code policy.

Photo: Prepare for the return to the classroom with a back-to-school shopping strategy that makes sense for your family — and your wallet.

SchoolS

V.S. 30 hosts informational community fair

Numerous community organizations gathered for a warm, sunny day on Aug. 5 at Clear Stream Avenue School as they shared information on their vast educational benefits.

The Valley Stream 30 School District’s first community fair was a great way to discover the many connections available within the community. From the district, staff shared exciting pre-kindergarten initiatives and various programs focused

The Forest Road PTA also attended to offer goods.

on 21st-century learning, such as the Drone Club. Members of the PTA also sold merchandise from their respective schools. Students visited booths to enjoy fun activities from community organizations that included PlayPattern, Yes Girls Create, the YMCA, Smart Start to College, and Bethlehem Support Groups. Representatives of the Nassau County Board of Elections were on hand as well to show students how to fill out an election ballot.

Photos courtesy Valley Stream District 30 Various community organizations attended Valley Stream 30’s Community Fair on Aug. 5, including Yes Girls Create, which empowers young women to express their creativity.

STEPPING OUT

Everyone can be a Scot for the day at L.I. Ready for a Highland Fling

Disco fever

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

By Karen Bloom

ld Westbury Gardens will fill its lush grounds with the sounds of bagpipers and Scottish revelry as it welcomes the latest edition of the Scottish Festival and Highland Games. The annual spectacle on Saturday, Aug. 26, brings plenty of Scottish flair to the storied estate, presented by the Long Island Clan MacDuff.

With those bagpipes, traditional strength competitions and highland dancing — along with plenty of entertainment and assorted activities for lads and lasses — there’s plenty end-of-summer revelry for all ages. According to Scottish lore, the games were begun by the ancient highland chieftains to help them select the strongest men for their armies. Those ancient traditions continue today in the form of caber tossing, Putting the Stone, Putting the Sheaf, and arm wrestling competitions, piping and drumming.

“When the Clan MacDuff first came here in 1977, they knew they had found a home,” says Paul Hunchak, director of visitor services and public programs at Old Westbury Gardens.

And they’ve been back every year since — except those two years during the pandemic.

By Karen Bloom

Pat McGann

Long Island had once been home to five Scottish clans. Today only Clan MacDuff remains.

change the world? It’s a question been at the focus of our collective for centuries. Now as society navigates the complexities of modern life, path for social change is at the forefront of artistic expression.

“We consider this to be like a gathering of the clans,” says Clan MacDuff’s Peter Burnside Sr. “This is what they used to do in Scotland all those years ago. Groups of families would come together for games and food and companionship. We’re replicating that. People come from all over to meet their families here. It’s the end of summer, a good time for everyone to gather.”

WHERE WHEN

• Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• $25, $22 senior citizens, $12 children

• Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Emily Lowe Hall Gallery, South Campus, Hempstead. For information and to RSVP, call (516) 463-5672, or visit Hofstra.edu/museum

• 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury

• Free parking is available at Westbury High School, with shuttle bus service to and from the festival

We All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines power of the arts in society.

• Tickets and information available at OldWestburyGardens.org, or (516) 333-0048

by Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and the exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence. highlights the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that equality and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making public service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their and the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to them.”

Now in its 61st year, it has evolved into a family festival as much as a cultural event. “There really is something for everyone,” Hunchak says. “You can explore the gardens, and then there’s this whole other dimension. Many folks settle in for the day. They camp out on the lawn with their picnic and connect with family and friends. It’s almost like a reunion. This is something people put on their radar year after year. And we enjoy hosting it.”

While it has become a broad-based family affair — with birds of prey, falconry, vintage car show, Scottish dog parade, vendors offering Scottish wares, and so much more — those traditional elements continue to be a main attraction, especially the caber toss and pipe bands.

The caber is a long, tapered pine pole or log. The “tosser” balances it vertically by holding the smaller end, and then runs forward and tosses it so that it turns in the air with the larger end striking the ground first. Ideally, the pole strikes in a strictly vertical position, and the athletes are scored based on how closely the throw lands at a 12 o’clock position.

exhibit, which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s presidential conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April. interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says director Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, than 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and end, unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned their selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing from Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, Miguel Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia our climate is now, this exhibit could not be more timely than moment,” Albert adds.

“The caber toss is always popular,” Burnside says. “People love to watch the strong men — and strong women.”

While athletes are generally the ones up to the challenge, the public is invited to participate. Keep in mind that pole is 150 pounds and 25 feet long, Competitors also can try their skills with Tossing the Sheaf, and Putting the Stone. Tossing the Sheaf involves flinging a bale of hay over a horizontal pole with a large pitchfork. Putting the Stone is similar to the traditional Olympic-style shot put, but uses a large stone in which the weight varies.

While the games are going on, a lively lineup of bands and dance ensembles — including those assorted bagpipers — provide a musical backdrop throughout the day. The opening ceremony at 12:30 is quite special, with a grand march down the North Lawn, and not to be missed.

This year’s entertainment roster also includes the high-energy Scottish Band, Albannach, with its heavily percussive sound. There’s also the Celtic rock band Bangers and Mash, with their blend of Celtic rock, southern Rock and folk. And, of course, dancers doing varied interpretations of traditional highland dance and step dancing, among others.

the highlights, she points to the series of prints from the Freedoms. Their four large scale photos are based on Rockwell’s 1943 oil paintings inspired by President Franklin D. 1941 State of the Union address that outlined what he essential four democratic values freedom of speech, worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. For interpreted these iconic works for our era. same composition,” Albert says. “From 1940s America, show

Kids can find many activities just for them. They can try their skill at their own version of a caber toss, with light cabers (actually tubes), participate in sack races, and an old-fashioned tug of war.

When it’s time for a break, check out the Scottish products available for purchase and sample such Scottish delights as meat pies and haggis.

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not very good at selling packaging. He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as especially adept at working the crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit and relatable take on family life and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving with him from clubs to theater, to arenas, including four soldout shows at Madison Square Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, The Great American Comedy Festival, and more. McGann still calls Chicago home.

Boogie along with Disco Unlimited as summer winds down. When Disco Unlimited hits the stage, you are instantly transported to a time when Saturday nights meant white suits, platform shoes, and your very best dance moves. And dance you will — when you experience the magic created when the boogie begins. Capturing a time in music that to this day has not been matched, this lively band will exhilarate you with their powerful vocals, tight harmonies and dance grooves — all coupled with a synchronized stage and light show. Close your eyes and you will truly believe you are listening to the original artists. Hear the best of Tavares, France Jolie, The Trammps, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Yvonne Elliman, Anita Ward, Deney Terrio, George McCrae, Bonnie Pointer, Melba Moore, Maxine Nightingale, Carol Douglas, and so much more. Joe Cool, Sista Soul, Funky Sista, Strat Cat, Wild Jerry and The MacDaddy comprise this group of unique and experienced musicians who love and live this era.

BALDWIN HERALD — February 9, 2023

Friday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. As always, bring seating. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov/parks.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Brit Floyd

Yarn/Wire

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire.

The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions and performances that have made a significant contribution to the canon of experimental works. The quartet features founding member Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer on piano and Russell Greenberg, also a founding member, and Sae Hashimoto playing percussion. Barger is a frequent guest with many top American contemporary ensembles. French-American Den

war.

From those moments when the needle drops on side one with ‘Speak to Me,’ the alarm clock of ‘Tim,’ that sensuous vocal on ‘Great Gig in the Sky,’ the lunatics on the grass in ‘Brain Damage,’ and finally, the final heartbeats of ‘Eclipse,’ The Dark Side of the Moon pulls you in. Brit Floyd is back on the concert circuit with a new show celebrating 50 years of that ground-breaking and iconic musical masterpiece. Brit Floyd has become a phenomenon, widely regarded as the world’s greatest rock tribute show — faithfully recreating the scale and pomp of the final 1994 Pink Floyd tour, complete with a stunning light show, iconic circular screen, lasers, inflatables and theatrics. The nearly three-hour set list also includes other highlights from Pink Floyd’s magnificent catalogue of albums. Saturday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. $149.50, $89.50. $79.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, or ParamountNY.com

Photos courtesy Old Westbury Gardens

Colorful pipers and drummers prepare to step proudly around the grounds of Old Westbury Gardens honoring a cherished heritage.

A competitor prepares to toss that caber.

Competitions for the kids include an old favorite, a tug of

THE Your Neighborhood

Voyage

On stage Plaza

Aug. 25

The Journey tribute band visits The Paramount, Friday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m. The popular band takes everyone back to the ‘80’s when Journey’s timeless music ruled the airwaves. Hailed by fans and critics alike as the world’s top Journey tribute band, this group performs their music with chilling accuracy. Fronted by Hugo — a dead ringer for Steve Perry, both visually and vocally — he continues to delight fans with his miraculous resemblance, exact mannerisms and identical voice to Steve. Fans agree that Voyage delivers an experience to the original Steve Perry-fronted lineup. The band also features world class New York musicians; Robby Hoffman, Greg Smith, Lance Millard and Dana Spellman who along with Hugo have brought the show to critical acclaim through the many sold out shows as well as private and corporate events throughout America. The talent of these five guys together has brought the meaning of tribute to a whole new level. See it to believe it! Playing all the hits including: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” ”Faithfully,” “Separate Ways,” “Anyway You Want It,”, “Open Arms,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Lights,” “Oh Sherrie,” “Stone in Love,” “Send Her My Love,” “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’,” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Only The Young,” and more. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” at Nassau County Museum of Art. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Theatricals presents a tribute to the one and only Barbra Streisand, Saturday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. Sharon Owens performs her acclaimed interpretations of Streisand’s songbook. It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $33, $35. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Dramatic Play

Theatre Playground returns to Long Island Children’s Museum with “Dramatic Play!,” Monday, Aug. 21, 1 p.m., taught by Lisa Rudin, Director of Theatre Playground (who visitors may already know from her role as “Piggie”!). In this interactive, theater-inspired workshop kids will act out an original story and help choose how it unfolds. Music, props, and sound effects create a theatrical world where participants are immersed in the story. Children are encouraged to express themselves as they create characters, explore different worlds, stretch their imaginations and build self-confidence. This week’s theme: Pirates and Princesses. Costumes encouraged. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org.

Tribute concert

Plaza Theatricals continues its tribute series, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m. The hits never stop with Tommy Lynn and his 10-piece band performing such classics as “Sweet

Caroline,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Hello Again,” “America”, “Mr. Bojangles,” and “So Good!” It’s performed at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $33, $35. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Tax Exemption Workshop

Busy Bees

Bring the kids to Long Island Children’s Museum to learn about hardworking bees, Saturday, Aug. 19. We all know that bees are amazing. While we often think of only the honeybee, Long Island’s native mason bee is an impressive little insect. Make a bee habitat to welcome them to your garden, at the drop-in program, suitable for ages 3 and up. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Village board meeting

The village of Valley Stream will meet for their regular board of trustees meeting on Monday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. For more information, call (516) 825-4200 or visit their website at Vsvny. org.

Classic Car Show

The Village of Valley Stream hosts their annual summer car show, Thursday, Aug. 17, starting at 6 p.m., along the Rockaway Avenue business district. For more information, call (516) 825-4200 or visit their website at Vsvny.org.

Having an event?

Aug.

Westbury House Tour

JOIN

Bug Safari

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a buggy adventure, Saturday, Aug. 19, 11 a.m. Hunt elusive grasshoppers, butterflies, predatory insects and other crawly creatures in the gardens. Bring a butterfly net and collecting jars. All ages. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

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

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, Aug. 18, noon; also Sunday, Aug. 20, 1:30 p.m.; Monday, Aug. 21, noon; Wednesday, Aug. 23, noon. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the 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 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) 3330048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

Art talk

Sept. 7

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an in-depth presentation on the current exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Breastfeeding Support Group

15 VALLEY STREAM HERALD — August 17, 2023 1225328 Join Us For Dinner In Our Newly Renovated Dining Room Now Open Wednesday - Sunday! INCLUDES SALAD AND CHOICE OF OVER 20 PASTAS! COMPLIMENTARY WINE INCLUDED FOR A LIMITED TIME! INCLUDES SALAD OR PASTA CHOICE OF OVER 10 ENTREES! COMPLIMENTARY WINE INCLUDED FOR A LIMITED TIME! Cinellis.com | 516-352-2204 1195 Hempstead Tpke Franklin Square, NY11010 Pasta Night Wednesdays $16.95 Chicken Night Thursdays $19.95 Diya Indian Cuisine 201 E Merrick Road Valley Stream, NY 11580 (516) 218-2997 www.diyaindian.com VISIT DIYA INDIAN CUISINE TODAY FOR A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE. INDULGE IN THE PERFECT HARMONY OF MODERN AND AUTHENITIC INDIAN CULINARY EXCELLENCE.

Herald Women’s executive summit

Networking, negotiating, keeping life on track

By Parker Schug

They were women from all kinds of backgrounds, but had one thing in common: They are the leaders of today — and tomorrow — and were all part of the Herald Woman’s Executive Summit, presented by Bank of America, Aug. 7 at The Crescent Beach Club in Bayville.

There — among coffee, breakfast and meditation — speakers with various areas of expertise shared how they reached their career milestones, and how those attended could reach them, too.

Among those sharing that wisdom were Liz Bentley, chief executive and founder of Liz Bentley Associates, as well as Aimee Kestenberg Elan, chief creative officer and co-founder of Affordable Luxury Group.

There was also Melissa Negrin-Wiener, a senior partner at Cona Elder Law, teaching attendees the importance of knowledge surrounding your assets.

“You’re never too young, you’re never too old, you’re never too rich and you’re never too poor to plan,” Negrin-Wiener said. “People think it’s just for millionaires and it’s not.”

Erin Ley, an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and growth and success coach for Onward Productions, led the “Life on Track” workshop.

“Celebrate life and you’ll have a life worth celebrating,” she said.

Megan Ryan, executive vice president and chief legal officer of NuHealth/NUMC led a session on minority and women-owned business enterprise.

Another round of workshops featured Mimi Bishop and Jackie Ghedine discussing negotiations and knowing your worth. The two leadership coaches and consultants co-founded Modern Gen X Woman & MGXW, where they lead women who primarily grew up in the 1980s and 1990s to fulfilling careers.

“Stop waiting to be noticed and waiting patiently to get paid,” Ghedine said. “Go after and ask for what you want.”

Kenia Nunez-Leon shared how losing her husband to cancer helped her recognize the 4M system she used to sustain his life — which stands for mindset, mentorship, motivation and money.

Nunez-Leon also showed how these connect to other facets of life, like sitting on the board for the development of a new city.

The last round of workshops featured Valerie Nifora, a global marketing leader, branding expert and award-winning author, who spoke about embracing individual qualities.

“I just want you to know who you are and what makes you incredible and why you’re here on the planet,” Nifora said.

“I want you to be that, unapologetically, all the time.”

Donna Stefans of Wealth Advisory Associates, lead attorney and founder of Stefans Law Group, emphasized the idea that women need financial knowledge.

“I don’t hear people sitting around talking about their portfolios — it’s just not a fun, sexy topic,” Stefans said. “If they’re having the conversations, they’re learning from each other.”

Lisa Mirabile, chief executive and founder of Vertigo Media Group, advised on how to present digital information in a more effective manner, while closing keynote speaker Paisley Demby shared his experience going from homelessness to the state’s deputy secretary of economic development. It was through positivity he was able to bring himself — and now others — back up from hard

times.

“Tell your employees, anytime you come to my office with a problem, challenge, struggle or issue, you have to either present a solution, an opportunity or some idea — regardless of how zany,” Paisley said.

The event closed with giveaway prizes, cocktails and networking. A portion of proceeds will benefit Moxxie Mentoring Foundation.

“Everyone left really inspired and ready to tackle some tough conversations in the workforce, but really energized and powered to have success in their careers,” said Jennifer Porti, vice president and community relations manager for Bank of America.

Edwin Chavez/Herald photos

The Power Brunch Panel and keynote speakers at the Herald Women’s Executive Summit included, from left, Reena Jana, Talisa Flatts, Kristin Thorne, Jodi Seitler, Liz Bentley, Aimee Kestenberg Elan and Retha Fernandez.

Workshop host Melissa Negrin-Wiener from Cona Elder Law.

The Value of Volunteering & Mentorship Panel moderated by Christine Buscarino included, from left, Rande Bynum, Beth Meixner, Davi Tserpelis and Tammy Severino.

Workshop host Donna Stefans from Wealth Advisory Associates.

Summit attendees learn ‘work is love made visible’

By Ana Borruto

Breaking barriers, shattering glass ceilings and stepping into their power are just some of the empowering traits the nearly 300 trailblazers had in common at the inaugural Herald Women’s Executive Summit, presented by Bank of America.

Although it was a gloomy day outside of The Crescent Beach Club in Bayville, the spirit of girl power shined through as thought leaders, innovators and other extraordinary women shared their take on the event’s theme — “The Future is Now.”

“When my parents, Robert and Edith Richner, founded Richner Communications at a time when female executives were a rarity, my mother broke those norms,” said Stuart Richner, the chief executive of the company that is the parent to Herald Community Newspapers.

“We are not just celebrating the successful professional women amongst us, but we are also acknowledging the pioneering spirit of women like my mother — women who dared to pave the way in times less hospitable to their ambitions.”

Suelem Artzt, vice president and consumer banking market leader for Bank of America, shared how she faced many challenges along the way of her career since moving from Brazil in 2007, but still persevered.

“We all have different backgrounds and journeys that helped us all get here,” Artzt said. “But one thing we have in common is we’ve earned this seat here today. I think that it’s important for all of us to have strong women in our lives because they’re going to help you have that vision and really see what is possible.”

Keynote speaker Liz Bentley, chief executive of Liz Bentley Associates, broke down the ways women must override their “imprinted instincts” in order to step into their power.

For example, she said gender stereotypes are engrained into women as early as age 10. This includes being taught their key asset is their physical appearance, and that men are more successful, women are perceived as more vulnerable, weaker and in need of protection.

“These imprinting years are things you need to get over in order to go to the next level,” Bentley said. Women “don’t see themselves as equals. When they walk in the room — if you want to be equal, if you want more power, if you want to step into your power — you have to own it inside your body. It starts with you.”

The Power Brunch Panel featured five accomplished leaders — Google’s Reena Jana, Estée Lauder Cos.’ Jodi Seitler, National Grid Venture’s Retha Fernandez, AARP New York’s Beth Finkel and Amazon’s Talisa Flatts — shared how their lives were very much like anyone else attending the conference. Getting passed over for promotions. Learning from failure. Carving out their own opportunities. Or making sure to create a work-life-balance. It was moderated by WABC-7 investigative reporter Kristin Thorne,

Finkel, AARP’s state director, said one in every three women have felt discrimination in the workplace, and 92 percent of all women have been told how to act, how to dress, or what to say.

“I was told early on in my career that I talk too much like a New Yorker,” Finkel said. “What they were really saying was, ‘You’re too competitive.’ I didn’t change who I was. I just kept going.”

Flatts, a human resources business partner at Amazon, explained how building relationships is key — no one can do it alone. Seitler, a global crisis and issue management vice president at Estée Lauder, said no matter how old you are, the learning process never ends.

Jana, head of content and partnership as well as responsible innovation at Google, urged others to get involved in causes they believe in.

Fernandez — who strategic engagement manager at National Grid — encouraged the women in the crowd to trust their personal power.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t qualified,” she said.

“Be around people who bring you joy. Work is love made visible.”

Edwin Chavez/Herald

The beach bag sponsor at the Herald Women’s Executive Summit — Air Charter Service — at their brunch table.

Tim Baker/Herald photos WE Summit presenting sponsor Bank of America takes a moment to pose at the photo booth, while at left, Suelem Artzt, speaks to attendees.

Summit attendees in the ballroom during the Power Brunch Panel.

Samantha Saman/Herald Megan C. Ryan of Nassau University Medical Center speaks at her WE Summit workshop.

For more photos from the Herald Women’s Executive Summit — and for a full list of sponsors — visit RichnerLive.com/2023wesummitphotos.

Valley Stream 30 reorganizes leadership

Valley Stream District 30 positions for the 2023-2024 reorganized its administrative leadership for the upcoming school year. Marcela Moran will serve as the assistant superintendent for business and human resources; Erin Malone will serve as principal at Shaw Avenue School; Alison Bruno will serve as principal at Forest Road School; and Keri Crocco will serve as the director of technology and 21st-Century Learning.

Marcela Moran joined the Valley Stream 30 team at the start of the 2022-2023 school year and diligently served as the leader of the human resources department. This year, her role has grown as she takes on the business responsibilities of the district. Moran and the rest of the business office will work to balance the annual budget, assist stakeholders, and ensure the needs of studnets.

Erin Malone is making the move to Shaw Avenue after serving the students of Forest Road. As a district leader, Malone has helped shape the mission to serve students.

Alison Bruno will captain the ship at Forest Road School starting in the upcoming school year. Her goal is to foster a col-

laborative environment and a love of learning for both teachers and students. With experience as an assistant principal for an elementary school, Bruno comes to Forest with a strong sense of building community.

The district’s technology will continue under the guidance of Keri Crocco.. Crocco is tasked with expanding 21st-century learning opportunities and keep students connected to a modern and changing environment. The district congratulated each leader in their new roles.

Summer Energy Conservation Methods

Continuous use of electricity puts a strain on the power gird and increases the chance of outages. To help conserve energy this summer, the Village of Rockville Centre recommends the following energy conservation tips for local residents:

Close blinds, curtains to keep direct sunlight out

Use fans to circulate air rather than

lowering the thermostat

Limit AC use to only occupied rooms

Turn lights off when not needed

Reduce electricity use during peak hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. including electric dryers, ovens, dishwashers and pool pumps

Charge electric vehicles during off peak hours, before noon and after 8 p.m.

Nassau may soon be able to text “911”

Nassau County residents may soon be able to text “911” in emergency situations.

Nassau County Legislator DeliaDeRiggi-Whitton introduced legislation which would make it possible for residents to text 911 in emergency situations.

Currently, the only way for Nassau residents to reach “911”is by a phone call. Under DeRiggi-Whitton’s proposal, Nassau County would develop and implement around-the-clock text-to-911 capabilities for the first time — a feature that could be utilized by people who are Deaf or hard of hearing; have limited English proficiency; or need to reach authorities discreetly, such as in an active shooter, hostage, or domestic vio-

lence crisis. Anyone who misuses text the feature would be subject to the same penalties as those who misuse 911 by phone.

Implementation of the program would be overseen by the Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County Fire Marshal, with feedback and guidance from disability rights advocates including but not limited to the Nassau County Disability Advisory Council.

Text to “911” is already live in numerous New York counties, including Suffolk. Separately, Nassau County must implement a program by Sept. 15, 2023 under the terms of a May 2023 settlement in a case alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

–Juan Lasso

Herald file photo Valley Stream 30 administration undergoes a series of promotions and reassignments as part of their leadership reorganization for the upcoming year.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES

2006-BNC1, Plaintiff, vs. MICHAEL R. HIGGINS, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale

duly entered on June 7, 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 on August 30, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 9 Jasper Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Elmont, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 37, Block 458 and Lot 156. Approximate amount of judgment is $577,472.04 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608825/2018. 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.

Geri Friedman, Esq., Referee

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, 10 Bank Street, Suite 700, White Plains, New York 10606, Attorneys for Plaintiff 140965

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee, for ABS Loan Trust VI, Plaintiff

AGAINST Virginia A. Corrado a/k/a Virginia Corrado, if she be living or dead, her spouse, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors in interest, all of whom and whose names and places of residence are unknown to Plaintiff; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 6, 2023

I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on August 29, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 208 East Chester Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. All that certain

plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 37 Block 9 Lots 129, 130, and 131. Approximate amount of judgment $312,046.32 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 608399/2018. 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.”

Michael Zapson, 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: July 14, 2023

140967

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY.

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR CARRINGTON

MORTGAGE LOAN

TRUST, SERIES 2006-FRE1

ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, Pltf. vs. DONOVAN RUSSELL, et al, Defts. Index #17-001892.

100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 29, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., prem. k/a 85 Todd Road, Valley Stream, NY a/k/a Section 37, Block 603, Lot 14. Approx. amt. of judgment is $820,679.81 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Foreclosure auction 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 auction.

STEVEN KEATS., Referee. DEUTSCH & SCHNEIDER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 79-37 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, NY. File No. LF-346#100582 140870

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 614153/2020 COUNTY OF NASSAU

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX

MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST

2005-AR14, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES

2005-AR14

Plaintiff, vs.

ISHRAT JAHAN SHAFEEQ, AS ADMINISTRATOR AND HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SYED

SHAFEEQ A/K/A SYED

committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; CIT BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO INDYMAC BANK, F.S.B.; NU ISLAND PARTNERS LLC; DISCOVER BANK; MANUFACTURERS & TRADERS TRUST COMPANY; HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. S/B/M/T FLEET NATIONAL BANK; THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK;

“JANE DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #1;

“JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #2;

“JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #3;

“JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #4;

“JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #5;

“JOHN DOE” (REFUSED NAME) AS JOHN DOE #6, “JOHN DOE #7” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last six names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.

$372,000.00 and interest, recorded on June 23, 2005, in Liber M 28993 at Page 773, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York., covering premises known as 11 FAIRFAX STREET, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

ROSEDALE, NY 11580. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being partly in the Borough and County of Queens, and partly in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, DSBL: 13230 - 12 (QUEENS COUNTY), 37 - 4150384 (NASSAU COUNTY).

Approximate amount of judgment $382,521.71 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #602017/2019. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure

with 10th Judicial District’s Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee shall cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure

Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Malachy Lyons Jr., Esq., Referee QNSJN206 141214

LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF NEW YORK

SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR CARRINGTON MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2006-FRE2 ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, Plaintiff, v. JACQUELINE WILLIAMS, ET AL.

Defendants.

NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

THAT

of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing was duly called and held August 1st, 2023, by the Town Board of the Town of Hempstead on the proposed adoption of Town of Hempstead Local Law No. 56-2023, and following the close of the hearing the Town Board duly adopted Town of Hempstead Local Law No.56-2023, amending Section 197-5 of the Code of the Town of Hempstead, to include “ARTERIAL STOPS” at various locations

Dated: August 1, 2023 BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 141332

Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated Oct. 29, 2019 and order substituting the referee entered Sept. 20, 2022, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on August 30, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., prem. k/a 117 Martens Avenue, Valley Stream, NY a/k/a Section 37, Block 14, Lot 266. Approx. amt. of judgment is $780,261.11 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale.

MOHAMMAD SHAFEEQ; HIRA SHAFEEQ AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SYED

SHAFEEQ A/K/A SYED

MOHAMMAD SHAFEEQ

A/K/A SYED M. SHAFEEQ, A/K/A S. MUHAMMAD

SHAFIQ A/K/A SYED

SHAFEEW; SAMIA SHAFEEQ AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SYED

SHAFEEQ A/K/A SYED

MOHAMMAD SHAFEEQ

A/K/A SYED M. SHAFEEQ, A/K/A S. MUHAMMAD

SHAFIQ A/K/A SYED

Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises:

11 FAIRFAX STREET, VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580

Section: 37, Block: 438, Lot: 1124 & 1125

Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated:July 19, 2023

Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Harold F. Damm, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-002063 77013 140862

JANINE

LYNAM, Referee. MARGOLIN, WEINREB & NIERER, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 165 Eileen Way, Ste. 101, Syosset, NY. #100592

140872

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. UMB BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST VI, Pltf. vs. MINERVA 1 LLC, AND PRINCE WYVENER, Defts. Index #614035/20. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered February 9, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court,

SHAFEEW, if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees,

To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF

SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Aric H. Peymann, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 141100

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF NASSAU WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST DHARMIE D. INDER, ET AL., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 7, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 5, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 208 DEAN STREET VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580 AKA 208 DEAN STREET, NORTH VALLEY STREAM, NY 11580 AKA 247-15 135 ROAD,

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT NASSAU COUNTY JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff against MOHAMMAD SOOFIZADA, et al

Defendant(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff(s)

Fein Such & Crane, LLP, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, NY 14614. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered October 25, 2016, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 13, 2023 at 3:30 PM. Premises known as 64 So Montgomery Street a/k/a 64 South Montgomery Street a/k/a 64 S. Montgomery Street, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Sec 37 Block 363 Lot 119. 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.

Approximate Amount of Judgment is $359,616.01 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 3326/2015. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance

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, Peter L. Kramer, Esq., the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on September 11, 2023 at Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Ct. Dr. North Side Steps, County of Nassau, State of New York, 11501 at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows:

129 Liberty Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11580

SBL No.: 37-536-27

All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the incorporated Village of Valley Stream, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. feet to the point or place of beginning. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 605735/2019 in the amount of $880,463.64 plus interest and costs.

The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the Court System’s 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.

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

Attorneys for Plaintiff 500 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 141206

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

LOCAL LAW NO. 56-2023

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE

that, pursuant to Article 9

COUNTY OF NASSAU Wilmington Saving Fund Society Fund, FSB, as Trustee of Stanwich Mortgage Loan Trust J, Plaintiff AGAINST

Anthony Isaac; Tiffany Ricci; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 1, 2022 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 September 18, 2023 at 4:00PM, premises known as 224 East New York Avenue, 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, State of New York, Section 37 Block 292 Lot 12. Approximate amount of judgment $403,918.83 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 610718/2019. 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.”

Peter Kramer, Esq., Referee (516) 510-4020

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: July 14, 2023

141285

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1225286

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Dream Property....

Nestled in the heart of the Westholmes area of Long Beach, a mere 1600 feet away from the enchanting ocean, this classic two-family dwelling exudes timeless charm and elegance. With seven spacious bedrooms and five full baths, this home offers ample room for all your desires and needs. As you step inside, you'll be greeted by the first floor's fantastic open concept layout of living room, kitchen and dining room, all adorned with beautiful hardwood floors, abundant natural light, and soaring 9-foot ceilings, creating an ambiance of openness and grandeur. The amenities are many, including central air throughout the house, a generously sized back yard, all new windows, doors, gutters and stucco, a beautiful outside porch, and an oversized driveway with garage. This property is a gem!

The Fox Team Glen Fox

Kristin Altfather Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30A West Park Avenue Long Beach 516-850-6437 818-679-8014

Are columns made in pieces?

Q. Our front porch is falling apart and we want to replace it, just as it is. The original columns are rotted at the bottoms and there are cracks where the columns were put together, vertical joints that appear as if the columns were made from many pieces. Is that common, that columns are made from many pieces? Do you have a recommendation for who can make new columns and what kind of wood is best? I’m not choosey, because they will be painted. What do you suggest? Also, I know you recommend getting permits, but I want to do the work myself, and it’s a direct replacement, so I want to just dismantle it and put it back. The roof concerns me most, so I plan to take a lot of pictures. Do you think this is as much of a problem as it would be if the porch were new?

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A. So this is a column about columns. I remember working in a firm 40 years ago, when a renowned surgeon from Texas purchased 100-plus acres with a mansion on Long Island Sound, and I was assigned to design the additions and redesign the exteriors to be a modernized traditional shingle-style home. I was called into the firm’s principal, who chastised me for recommending synthetic trim and engineered shingles. The shingles I chose were pre-finished, and would still be performing well today, but instead, the house was finished in traditional wood, necessitating the expenditure of over $100,000 every three to four years for staining and painting. It was such a large expense that when I coincidently showed up 30 years later on that estate, to redesign for the new owner, they told me the surgeon grew tired of all the maintenance. Wood columns are made in sections and bonded together at vertical seams. The sections are made from either steam-curved or shaped planks, cut to develop the rounded segments. You will notice that there has to be a space at the bottom to allow humidity and rain to drain and evaporate. Without that air space, the rotting is accelerated.

Because the columns will be painted, you’re better off with fiberglass columns, which come in a variety of shapes, lengths and styles. They are structural, and you’ll never need to replace them. Due to their stability, they hold a painted finish much longer, requiring painting only once a decade or two, but they still require an air space at the base.

The main reason for a permit isn’t just to have a piece of paper or cover the local government for liability should anyone get hurt. The permit process also confirms the replacement construction is safe and will last. The roof attachment, porch floor, foundation and how columns are spaced to transfer loads is critical. Incorrectly placed fastening, and a lack of structural checking and code compliance can create water problems and cause the replacement porch to require premature replacement. Just do things safely. Good luck!

© 2023 Monte Leeper

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.

Monte

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Prosecuting Trump is not what America is about

Let me state up front that I was critical from the start of former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election, and strongly condemned his failure, until it was too late, to speak out against the disgraceful attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump’s shameful silence, inaction and seeming acquiescence during that horrific siege against the cathedral of democracy, and the brutal attacks that caused so many police officers to be injured and hospitalized, can never be explained away or defended. It will be a lasting shame and a blot on his record and legacy.

While I remain as outraged now as I was then by Trump’s dereliction of duty, which could well have warranted impeachment, I strongly believe that his recent federal indictment arising out of Jan. 6 and the events preceding that day is misguided, an abuse of prosecution and a threat to democracy.

Before the usual suspects accuse me of blind partisanship, I remind everyone that I voted against every article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, incurring the wrath of many Republicans, some even to this day. I do not believe the Constitution or the criminal justice sys-

tem should ever be weaponized against political opponents. For democracy to survive and thrive, political struggles and battles should be fought in the political arena, not in the criminal courtroom.

What is being lost in much of the heated discussion about the Jan. 6 indictment is that Trump is not being charged with inciting violence against the Capitol or for failing to act to halt that violence. Instead, the indictment reads more like a political screed than a legal document.

It charges Trump with attempting to undo the results of the election through a series of lies, exaggerations and distortions. Assuming the validity of any or all of those allegations, they should be debated politically, not as a matter to be presented to a grand jury or a criminal trial jury.

Pursuing indictments on this basis will have a chilling effect on the political process. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech unless there is incitement to violence or riot. Yet Trump is not charged with incitement to violence or riot. As indefensible as lying or gross exaggerating may be, they are not crimes. And if they were, how would Trump’s statements be anywhere near as egregious as the lies perpetrated by Obama administration officials and so many leading Democrats who falsely charged that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with the Russians

— basically accusing the winner of the 2016 election to be a Russian operative?

I distinctly recall, as a member of the Intelligence Committee, sitting through endless closed hearings, and listening to testimony from numerous witnesses offering no evidence of collusion.

Yet I would see on the news, especially CNN and MSNBC, Democrats such as Rep. Adam Schiff racing to the microphones to breathlessly state that clear evidence of collusion had been revealed to the committee.

In fact, the only evidence of collusion was the Clinton campaign’s role in initiating the now discredited Steele dossier, which was based on misinformation provided to a retired British spy by a former Russian intelligence operative.

Even worse was the FBI and CIA’s use of the dossier to justify their finding of Russia-Trump collusion.

Similarly, Democrats made a folk hero and martyr of Stacey Abrams, who claimed for several years, with no credible evidence, that victory was stolen from her in the 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia.

For Special Counsel Jack Smith to win a conviction of Trump, he must prove that Trump did not believe the election was stolen. This puts the prosecutor in the dangerous position of reading a candidate’s mind — not proving that Trump was wrong or mistaken, but that he knew he had lost. I believed then, and do now,

that while there were irregularities arising from the use of so many absentee and mail-in ballots because of Covid, Joe Biden was the lawful winner. But lawyers and advisers on whom Trump relied assured him he had won and that the election was stolen. Though misguided, reliance on that advice does not constitute a crime.

A presidential election is the ultimate expression of American democracy. It was wrong for Trump to cast doubt on the results in 2020. It is also wrong and dangerous for a special counsel appointed by the Biden administration to base a criminal indictment of Biden’s leading opponent in 2024 on a tortured, attenuated interpretation of statutes that require a reading of Trump’s mind. This can only lead more Americans to doubt our democratic process, especially at a time when there is mounting evidence that the Biden Justice Department is failing to fully investigate allegations of Biden family corruption.

Donald Trump may not be a sympathetic defendant or victim. But the Constitution and its protections apply to all Americans, popular and unpopular, sympathetic and unsympathetic. That is the essence of our democracy, which we should not further threaten or jeopardize by replacing the political arena with the threat of criminal prosecution. That is not what America is about.

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

President Obama sits out a dance with ISIS

instead, he dances the tango in Buenos Aires.

On a trip to Argentina last week, the president and Michelle Obama attended a state dinner in their honor, where they enjoyed a tango performance and were then invited onto the dance floor. Unfortunately, the long-planned trip last week to Cuba and Argentina coincided with a deadly ISIS attack in Brussels that killed 35 people and wounded some 300 others.

No sooner had word of the attacks hit the media than critics began huffing and puffing about the president’s trip, his attendance at a baseball game in Cuba and particularly his tango debut as proof that he is too removed from world events that impact America and its allies.

Talking heads on multiple news outlets questioned the “optics” of the situation — how it looked for an American president to be seen having a good time when friends near and far were hurting.

I didn’t hear anyone complaining when Obama put on his game face, and his tux, went to the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner and delivered a really funny stand-up routine, even as our Navy SEALs were preparing for their raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan. The president had given the “kill” order before the dinner. There was no hint of tension or stress in his demeanor that night. The man was completely cool and composed. He is a master of optics when he needs to be, but he is not a poseur.

The trip to Havana marked the first visit by a U.S. president in nearly 90 years, a remarkable gesture of friendship and a real beginning of political and economic rapprochement. The idea that the president should not appear to have a good time when he is on a political mission is absurd. He delivered exactly the right message. ISIS will not stop our lives or our travel or our laughter or our fun. We will deal with the terrorists here and abroad, but we will not allow them to alter our lives more than we have to. We will not give them that vali-

dation or power.

In fact, as he was gliding across the dance floor, orders were already in place to launch a U.S. commando raid in Syria that took out ISIS’s second-in-command last week.

In Cuba, the president commented on the Brussels attack. He commiserated and, more important, offered Americans support in the fight. And then he flew to Argentina, sticking to his itinerary, and he ended his visit not with the tango, but with a stop at a memorial for the tens of thousands of Argentines killed and “disappeared” during the brutal military dictatorship of the 1980s.

This was a diplomatic coup. This is what good presidents do. They don’t worry about optics, as defined by their critics. Had Obama abandoned his trip and headed home when the terrorists hit Brussels, it would have conferred a great deal of power on ISIS. They would know they can change world events, even the travel plans of an American president. It would have sent a terrible message.

But I get it. Every hour of every day, the

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published March 31, 2016.

president is forced to make impossible choices. He is required to make decisions that everyone else working for him cannot. He hears all the awful news from every available source around the world. With it all, he is still just one man, living one life.

I don’t for a minute believe that his baseball outing in Cuba or his dance in Buenos Aires deliver any message except that he is emotionally tough and able to compartmentalize sorrow and move on with the responsibilities of his office. I wonder what all those optics watchers would prefer. That he fly away home to D.C. and keen over the dead? Give ISIS the satisfaction of stopping the American president in mid-stride?

Obama can multitask. He can do standup while worrying about a high-risk mission to kill bin Laden. And it is my belief that he can dance the tango while carrying the worries of the world in his head and his heart.

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

RAnDi KREiss

Good presidents don’t worry about optics, as defined by their critics.

i remain outraged at his dereliction of duty, but his indictment is misguided.

HERALD

Replace appointments with special elections

interpreting the U.S. Constitution and applying the results to today’s America is like taking a tired and hungry toddler to a Disney store — no matter how many times you give in, the youngster will never be happy.

How do we “get” the Constitution right? Do we rely on the document itself, as originalists do? Should we consider the voluminous writings of the framers, such as the Federalist Papers? Do we pretend to surmise the intent of people who lived before the advent of canned food and apply it to our 21st-century society?

There is no easy answer. We must be able to hold conflicting ideas simultaneously to continue to rely on a document written by men from an era alien to us today.

So, to discuss the Constitution’s intent applied to elections and appointments to vacant political offices is inherently contentious. Should the Appointments Clause of the Constitution — which empowers the president to nominate public officials — be applied to state and even local governments? Are those appointments limited to certain situations, or do they include all vacancies?

And should a governor or supervisor — or even a mayor — be able to appoint legislators or trustees normally elected to office by the public?

The variations among how each state fills a U.S. Senate vacancy show how subjective the process is, even at the federal level. Most states permit the governor to appoint a temporary senator until a special election is held. Eleven states put restrictions on that appointment. And four states mandate that a vacancy be filled only by special election.

And there are further discrepancies between states when special elections are

Letters

Kremer is off-base on presidential relatives

To the Editor:

held.

At the local level — especially in villages — it makes little sense beyond political considerations to favor appointments over special elections. The era of waiting weeks for votes from across the state to arrive via dirt roads is long gone. Villages consist of much smaller electorates and geographical areas. Election results for villages are usually available an hour after polls close.

Many villages need but one polling location. Those that are large enough to warrant several locations don’t necessitate saving several thousand dollars at the expense of voters’ rights.

Sitting elected officials and political power brokers cite the cost of holding a special election as prohibitive, thus the need for appointments. That’s a false argument designed to distract the public from the real issue — elections are a gamble, and political parties don’t want to risk losing power.

The power of incumbency is difficult to overcome. Sitting elected officials benefit from mailings, photo ops and name recognition. They are often given special assignments to boost their profile. And they are not referred to as “acting” or “appointed.”

State law dictates that villages must elect a mayor, trustees and justices. All other positions are appointed by the mayor and approved by the trustees. The same concept applies to towns and even counties in New York.

Clearly, the intent is to let the public vote to select its representatives, while giving those elected officials the authority to make appointments to avoid bogging down government business with elections for every position.

But state and local laws are occasional-

ly written to favor incumbents. The U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged this in its 1995 decision in U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton, stating that the Elections Clause is “a grant of authority to issue procedural regulations, and not as a source of power to dictate electoral outcomes, to favor or disfavor a class of candidates.”

This is not an issue that favors a particular political party. Across the country, all parties are guilty in some way of having rigged the system. Parties, by their nature, don’t yield power. Four of the six Hempstead Town Board members were first appointed to the position. Throughout much of Nassau County, elected officials appear to lean heavily toward appointing colleague rather than letting the public elect someone to fill a vacancy. Americans crave local control over our government through elections. We don’t like being told by a faceless administrator halfway across the state how we should live our lives.

Appointments take that local control out of our hands. Yes, there are times when an appointment is necessary. Yes, those appointed to fill vacancies must still face the electorate in the next general election.

But there are ripe opportunities for political operatives to game the system and make it easier for their people to gain control.

What is the purpose of an election?

What is the purpose of an elected official? Do Americans pay for levels of government so we can elect representatives, or do we submit to rule by proxy?

It’s time for Nassau County, at all levels of government, to move to hold special elections instead of appointing people to elected offices.

In his column last week, “Two very hot political subjects,” Jerry Kremer failed to acknowledge that unlike Billy Carter and Jared Kushner, Hunter Biden broke the law and was about to be given a free pass by U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Weiss, who ignored whistle blowers and who cut Hunter’s “sweetheart” deal, which has fallen apart, is now special counsel in the case, which will probably change nothing, but prolong it.

Mr. Kremer shouldn’t accuse those of us who seek truth and justice, and hate corruption in government, of being “way too focused” and talking “night and day” about the Hunter Biden case. That’s insulting. Furthermore, juxtaposing climate change in the Biden conversation, as if to imply that we think cli-

A clarion call to elevate Nassau’s Alzheimer’s response

afirst-of-its-kind nationwide study by the Alzheimer’s Association revealed that approximately one-eighth of the senior citizens living in nassau County are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. This distressing revelation illustrates that our county is among the localities most heavily impacted by a horrific and heartbreaking disorder that robs its victims of their memory and cognition. I have witnessed firsthand the heartbreak and devastation that cognitive illnesses like Alzheimer’s bring to our community.

In november 2021, Chesnel Veillard, a resident of new Cassel who suffered from dementia, wandered from his home. I first learned of Mr. Veillard’s disappearance and condition when his daughter, Sendy, who had worked as an intern in my office, called to ask for help in finding him. Tragically, Chesnel died after he wandered onto railroad tracks and was struck by a train. His death was devastating to his family and his neighbors in new Cassel. As we approach two

years since it happened, I remain as convinced as ever that his death was preventable.

A key stated purpose of the Alzheimer’s Association study was to provide resources and data to local municipalities that can guide them in apportioning and allocating resources to optimally serve and protect their constituents. The fact that approximately 31,300 nassau seniors have been identified as suffering with Alzheimer’s must be a clarion call for local leaders to marshal the necessary resources to aid this sizable — and likely growing — population of atrisk adults.

nassau County currently utilizes Project lifesaver, in conjunction with its Silver Alert System, to help safely return cognitively impaired people who have wandered away from caregivers. This internationally regarded search-andrescue program is a powerful tool for protecting the safety and welfare of impaired individuals. under the current county program, however, participants must pay $325 to enroll, and that can make access to this potentially life-saving resource costprohibitive for working-class families.

To address this gap, I authored and

Letters

mate change is irrelevant, is absurd. As concerned citizens, we worry about both issues, and seek truth and pray for solutions to each.

Mel Young Lawrence

For Hunter Biden, it’s about time

To the editor:

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Kremer’s opinion in “Two very hot political subjects.” In my opinion, this is not a Republican fixation on the president’s son. This is a threat to our democracy when the blindfold of lady justice is removed to create a two-tier justice system. We end up prosecuting whom we dislike and favor whom we choose.

As a citizen of this country, am I to feel comfortable when someone with the right last name can use his influence to evade taxes, lie on an application to own a firearm, and get an unprecedented sweetheart deal to not only walk away from this, but to have future immunity from other investigations? Thank god for the judge who saw through this sham.

By the way, where is the curiosity

of the mainstream media? They once had a reputation of feasting on this type of story.

This is not favoring one party over another. This is about upholding what we are as a country. Attorney g eneral Merrick g arland has now appointed u.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel. garland did what he should have done a long time ago. The problem is, he chose the wrong person. Weiss has been part of this mess, and has shown he is anything but independent. He was part of the aforementioned sweetheart deal that a citizen like you or me would never be offered.

TonY gIAMeTTA Oceanside

Where are we, and AI, headed?

To the editor:

Re Mark n olan’s essay “We don’t have much time — AI is coming!” in the Aug. 3-9 issue: The column was perfect. We need to talk about the future. If AI wrote n olan’s piece, maybe it wrote this email!

PATTI BouRne Glen Cove

sponsored legislation, introduced in January 2022 and refined and refiled last September, to create the Chesnel Veillard Program, an initiative in which the county would fund cost-free access to Project lifesaver for clinically eligible people and families whose household income is less than $76,050 per year.

mTo maximize the benefits of the Project lifesaver technology, anyone who enrolled in the Chesnel Veillard Program would also be entered in the county’s Return every Adult and Child Home, or ReACH, registry, a database of children and adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other conditions that potentially limit their ability to communicate. The Veillard program is designed to serve income-eligible people who do not currently live in a nursing home, long-term care facility, Alzheimer’s special-care unit, or similar facility that would have programs in place as part of its operation to protect cognitively vulnerable residents.

Increasing the use of Project lifesaver would help law enforcement and first responders more quickly locate cognitively vulnerable individuals who wander,

Framework

which would simultaneously save taxpayer resources and give families the peace of mind they need. not only would the Veillard program proactively aid in safeguarding vulnerable nassau residents, but its implementation would also be the embodiment of the wise stewardship of municipal resources.

As of this writing, the measure has not been brought to the floor by the legislative majority for a public hearing or vote. This delay in acting on a cost-effective, common-sense proposal to protect our most vulnerable citizens is truly regrettable. Yet I remain hopeful that the findings of the Alzheimer’s Association’s rigorous nationwide study will spur my colleagues into action so that we can adopt this measure next month, which, as it happens, is World Alzheimer’s Month.

The crisis of Alzheimer’s is already here in nassau County, and I anticipate that the number of our residents suffering from this and other debilitating cognitive ailments will only grow in the coming years. now is the time to take decisive, proactive action so that we can bring comfort to those who are already suffering, and prepare ourselves to respond to future needs.

by Tim Baker

Siela A. Bynoe, of Westbury, has represented Nassau County’s Second Legislative District since 2014.

any county residents need cost-free access to Project Lifesaver.